01) Waking Up with Sam Harris #108 – Defending the Experts (with Tom Nichols)
“In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Tom Nichols about his book The Death of Expertise. They discuss the “Dunning-Kruger Effect,” the growth of knowledge and reliance on authority, when experts fail, the repudiation of expertise in politics, conspiracy thinking, North Korea, Trump, and other topics.
Tom Nichols is Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College, an adjunct professor at the Harvard Extension School, and a former aide in the U.S. Senate. He is also a five-time undefeated Jeopardy! champion, and as one of the all-time top players of the game, he was invited back to play in the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions. Nichols is the author of several works on foreign policy and international security affairs, including The Sacred Cause, No Use: Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security, Eve of Destruction: The Coming Age of Preventive War, and The Russian Presidency. His most recent book is The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters.
01) If You Ever See This At The Beach, Stay Far Away!
“The beach really is one of the most beautiful things on Earth! However, within its shores hides an incredibly diverse array of creatures. Keep watching, to find out 10 facts to help you spot potential beach hazards, that could one day save your life.”
“Don’t you love when you get banned from Twitter for fighting Pedophiles and taking down Child Porn, yet images and videos like this remain up with 124,000 views on Periscope for 8 days?”
One of Mellisa’s friends found an account on Twitter, where videos are posted of an adult couple having sex…while an infant is in the room with them [the infant is not involved in the sex].
What does Mellisa do, upon learning of this account?…
She goes to the channel, and watches the media in question…takes a screen capture…and makes her own YouTube video about the channel…complete with actually blurting out the name of the channel, where this content is distributed…
She declares it “child pornography”…though, it actually is not…Depending on the jurisdiction it is taking place in, there is a potential it may be illegal…or perfectly legal…
…But it is not child pornography, if it is how Mellisa describes it [I didn’t bother to search it down].
…One has to wonder, if Mellisa has any ability of self reflection…self awareness…deep thought?…Or if she just spontaneously pounces on any excuse to get in front of a camera, and start blabbing away about whatever she wants to make up and say, at any given moment.
We all know the wonky standards Mellisa uses, to identify “child porn”…and that they are unbelievably detached from reality…But let’s put that aside, for the sake of the real substance of this post…
Yet again…Mellisa is declaring something “child porn”…presumably, she genuinely believes it is “child porn”…And she lacks the depth of thought…the reach of rationality…and the ability to control her own impulses long enough, to avoid doing something insanely stupid…
…The obviously “mother freaking duh!”, which any sane person could see [yet none of her commenting “friends” seem to notice]…is that Mellisa is broadcasting and distributing the direct name, of an account she claims is publishing “child porn”…
…And the devastating irony in all of this, looks to be entirely lost on this insane, blind fool…
The account in question, was still live at the point of this writing…I don’t advise visiting it…
…But this nitwit should know better…
…Not only have I already called her out on this sort of thing…This is such a basic, fundamental thing…and Twitter, itself [the service Mellisa is railing against, and blaming], instructs you not to do this…not to publicly spread around the information, on where to find “child porn” on their platform.
…And people wonder why this insane, incompetent, loose cannon has been blocked by no less than two “abuse prevention” agencies/groups…and how it is she has burned bridges with various other online services?!…
She finds stuff…distorts the situation…becomes impossible to deal with for the people she contacts…she then turns on those people, starts creating smear videos about them, and reporting them to the FBI/police…
…Oh, however could anybody not solely love Mellisa?…
How long do you think it’s going to take, before she gets herself into a fix, that she cannot easily get out of?
…Like I’ve been saying…It’s only a matter of time…
…She’s dodged a few bullets, over the past six months…
…This kind of luck, under these types of circumstances [IE: belligerent insanity], only lasts so long.
She even retweeted a direct link to the account in question!
As a “bonus”:
03) Mellisa on “On the Objective?”
Enjoy as Mellisa confesses how she believes that demons are being summoned…and “space aliens are demons”…
I implore Mellisa to separate herself from the people she is currently affiliating with [they are not looking out for her better interests…and clearly seem to be encouraging on her self destruction], and seek professional help for her psychological problems.
01) Waking Up with Sam Harris #107 – Is Life Actually Worth Living? (with David Benatar)
“In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris speaks with David Benatar about his philosophy of “anti-natalism.” They discuss the asymmetry between the good and bad things in life, the ethics of existential risk, the moral landscape, the limits and paradoxes of introspection, the “experience machine” thought experiment, population ethics, and other topics.
David Benatar is Professor of Philosophy at University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is the author of Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence and The Human Predicament: A Candid Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions.”
“Director: Ashley Lazarus
Writers: Ashley Lazarus, André Pieterse (story) (as Andre Pieterse)
Country: South Africa
Language: English | Afrikaans
Release Date: May 1977 (USA)
Also Known As: Amigos hasta la eternidad
Filming Locations: Lesotho
Runtime: 85 min
Sound Mix: Mono
Color: Color (Eastmancolor)”
“The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi (here transl. by Carol della Chiesa). The first half was published in serial form between 1881 and 1883, and then completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio, an animated marionette, and his poor father, a woodcarver named Geppetto. It is considered a classic of children’s literature and has spawned many derivative works of art, such as Disney’s classic 1940 animated movie of the same name, and commonplace ideas, such as a liar’s long nose.
(Summary from Wikipedia)”
Today is Thursday, December 21st…The winter solstice of 2017.
Many people will have their IBLD observation this next Saturday…but the winter solstice is the original day of observance.
I’m currently in the shadow of my internet and phone going out on me [which is why it’s been so quiet around here, for the past few days…though, I did backdate a few posts]…But, we’ve got new wiring…a new modem that’s capable of far greater speed than my last modem…and the possibility of upgrading my internet speed, more than three times the rate I’m currently at…hopefully for no more money, than I’m currently paying…Seems I was stuck at the old rate, because of the old equipment I had…Happily…I was finally forced to make a service call.
…We’ve also got guests…So, it’s hard to do a lot of writing…or recording…
I feel like…just about every time I make one of these posts…I’m expressing regret that I don’t have more to say…
…I’m not going to “bemoan” that we have two separate IBLDs, again…but, for the record…it is kind of overwhelming, from my point of view.
As you can see…I did create a new sub blog look, for the winter solstice IBLD…I also created one for the summer solstice IBLD [which reflects more of a “sunshiny” image]…So, there are plans for the future…
…It just seems like IBLD always sneaks up on me…and then it’s suddenly here…and I don’t have anything to post…
…Maybe…I’ve expressed everything I have to say?…
…It’s been almost twenty years since the first IBLD…
…After this much time, effort and energy…maybe, “Happy IBLD!” is all I really need to say anymore, in a post like this?
Thing is…I know it’s still new, to many people…And I know that people need to be carrying the torch of IBLD enthusiasm…
I think I’m reeling from the burnout, from the additional work of finding and posting content for my “October” and “Yule Time” series…And I’m going to be taking those at a much more relaxed pace, going forward…
…I wish this post were a lot more IBLD-ish…but…I guess…a short, personal journal as a BL observing IBLD, discussing what’s going on in my life, isn’t so wrong…
…It’s certainly better than nothing. 🙂
I’ve been too “lazy” and preoccupied, to update the date on the EQF IBLD page…but, please visit the website…No new updates, unfortunately…
…I’m just really tired, as of late…I think the seasonal cold has gotten into me…It’s kind of dragging me into a funk.
01) New Yorkers call for removal of Met painting that ‘sexualizes’ girl
“New Yorkers launched a petition demanding that the Metropolitan Museum of Art remove a 1938 painting of a young woman with her underwear exposed due to the “current climate around sexual assault” — but the Met refused Sunday.
[…]
“The artist of this painting, Balthus, had a noted infatuation with pubescent girls and this painting is undeniably romanticizing the sexualization of a child,” writes Mia Merrill, 30, a New York City entrepreneur who started the petition.
[…]
“Ultimately, it’s a small ask in consideration of how expansive their art collection is … how overtly sexual the painting is, and the current news headlines highlighting a macro issue about the public health and safety of women.”
[…]
But a rep for the museum said it won’t remove the painting because art is meant to reflect many time periods — not just the current one.
“[Our] mission is to collect, study, conserve, and present significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas,” said spokesman Kenneth Weine.”
“A nun in Spain has received death threats from angry Catholics after suggesting that Mary likely had sex with husband Joseph – much like any “normal couple” would.
Sister Lucia Caram – a self-described “restless and disturbing” nun on her Twitter profile that boasts more than 183,000 followers – seemingly contradicted Roman Catholic faith by suggesting that the Virgin Mary might not have been celibate after all during a television appearance in Spain on Sunday.
“I think Mary was in love with Joseph and that they were a normal couple – and having sex is a normal thing,” Caram told the Chester in Love Show, according to the Guardian…
Caram, who lives in a convent in Catalonia, said the church has long held a “poor attitude” on the subject and has “swept it under the carpet,” according to the Guardian.”
Gee…Mary was not a virgin?…
…Who would have thought?!…
You know what I find so strange about the whole “virgin Mary” thing?…
…As kids of the church, we wasn’t supposed to know anything about sex…especially at younger ages…and yet they kept pushing Mary’s “virginity” into our faces…They kept reminding us of “the miracle”, that Mary supposedly gave birth without ever having sex…when we kids weren’t even supposed to have a clue, as to what that meant.
…awkward…
I don’t think they thought that one through, to well.
Personally…I think it’s all a ploy…to glorify virginity and celibacy.
…”The person who was most intimately close to Jesus, on an intimate level, was a celibate virgin”?…Think about it…
01) Waking Up with Sam Harris #108 – Defending the Experts (with Tom Nichols)
