Tagged: life
One Thought on Mathematicians
As I keep working through James Newman’s four volume The World of Mathematics, I cannot help but conclude that my previously held notion “nurture matters (in “nature vs nurture” sense) in the development of mathematical ability” is entirely mistaken.
New question: In what other corners of the mind might nurture not matter?
The Word (And Idea) “Incompatible” Is Impotent. Please Stop Using It.
The single most important political issue of our day is removing Islam from the USA and the West in general (if not removing it from the face of the earth, vis-a-vis all the gods and religions that currently make up the “myth” section of libraries and bookstores, Zeus, Ares etc).
I freely confess that it is difficult to tell how things are going. Once the algorithm knows what you’re interested in, the entire world seems to revolve around that content. But I have been paying close attention to Islam’s spread since 2015ish and recently even the major players have been echoing the above position of mine.
The trending strategy, which I believe is totally uncoordinated, seems to be, “We use the word ‘incompatible’ because it is neutral.”
That is a powerless strategy. Don’t get me wrong, any strategy that works is fine by me. But there is something to be said for truly stating the case.
The case against Islam: Islam is stupid.
Many other religions, not all, are likewise stupid. But the obvious difference in their adherent’s twin categories of (1) assimilation and (2) non-calls for jihad make these other religions relatively harmless.
Just the same, the problem is not that Islam is incompatible with the West or the USA. The problem is, at face value, Islam is stupid. The god of the Bible, not Yahweh, not Jesus, not the Holy Spirit, did not show up to anyone in a cave and issue a new law that canceled the current law.
How do I know? Because it’s a stupid idea!
Did the Israelite god have a grand plan to send his son as a man-god to die? And if so, is that good news? Yes and yes.
How do I know? Because it is a brilliant idea!
Do you see how you feel right now? Even when I write it, I find this description of “Christianity is brilliant” to be repulsive. For some reason, to admit that something we want to believe (I can have eternal life in the best sense of the word “life”) is something brilliant just doesn’t land. As if there is something inherently stupid about “life” and something inherently bad about “brilliant” ideas.
And yet, to be clear: to admit biblical Christianity (originalist/orthodox/not-Talirico-progressive-style) is brilliant does not mean it was invented. Brilliant just means brilliant. And stupid means stupid.
And Islam is stupid. America, on the other hand, is on the leading edge of the most brilliant civilization mankind has developed to date. And brilliant civilizations do not welcome stupid ideas, especially one as stupid as Islam.
In War, Winning Matters
On repeat, we’ll soon hear incessant debate, masquerading as reporting, about who has war powers and whether “orange man bad” has lost his mind in a way that is impeachable etc.
That’s expected.
But never for one moment lose track of what matters: in war, winning matters. Not the future, not principles, but winning. And here is how we know that we’re winning: no American cities are being attacked.
Once American cities are receiving fire, the winning-losing continuum becomes slightly broader.
But until then, there is nothing to get your panties in a twist about.
On the Ignorant’s Religion
I’m going to keep this short for today. But I need to jot down some thoughts for future reference.
For a long time now the question, “What precisely does the general claim, ‘religion is accepted and believed more readily by ignorant people’ mean?” has plagued me. My approach to answering the question has been to study the history, chronologically and conceptually, of math with an eye for what are the non-math-ers (“I’m not good at math” adherents) actually doing with their mind throughout life. Simultaneously, I have also been digging deep into what the more ignorant “Christians” believe.
Two conclusions:
Firstly, I now define math as the unbounded study of absolute obedience.
Secondly, the ignorant “believers” can hardly be called such. Part of the very definition of “ignorance”, I am convinced, is an absolute freedom of word use. For the ignorant, there is no truth. There is no consistency. There is no coherence. There is no alignment, no integrity. The ignorant cannot possibly be labeled as religious or even holding a worldview at all. The ignorant are quite literally sheep, being led astray by who knows what, for who knows how long, before another thoughtless route is taken.
In short, the problem of religion is not that it somehow exists as some inherent trait or behavior of the ignorant. The problem of religion is ignorance. Put inversely, if you find yourself to be religious, your main task is education. And, similar to math, education requires consistency, coherence, and obedience. Most of all, education requires truth.
I’m Getting Hot This Winter
The power company sent a letter informing me of my newfound power to save money.
Oh joy! Tell me more!
The method?
When I need to see, turn off the lights.
When I need to cook, turn off the stove, turn off the oven.
When I need to do laundry, turn off the washer and dryer.
When I need to shower, turn off the water.
Get it? Isn’t it brilliant? I bet they had their monkeys working ‘round the clock to develop that one.
What next? Restaurants saving me money, putting the power in my hands by charging less between 9:01 and 9:02, both AM and PM? What a deal!
Gas stations down the road from each other now give dramatic discounts immediately after you fill up at the competition, ‘Just bring your receipt!’? Count me in!
Trash companies now let me save by skipping my house for five years straight and then it’s only a fraction of the cost for one big pickup? Let’s go!
I have no idea how much “energy” should cost. Or food. Or fuel. Or trash removal. But I do know that I know best, and with pinpoint accuracy, absolute certainty, and perfect timing, exactly what I need, why I need it, and when I need it—not you.
Everyone Is Christian
Did you know? I had no idea.
But, apparently, it took the enforcement arm of the Law’s killing only two people for the entire world to assert Jesus Christ as all-powerful being and ruler of the time-space universe.
I’m also not sure if I should welcome them or they should welcome me.
“Let him take your garment also.”
A tip for the communists: your favorite verse for the current scene in Minnesota is “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your garment also.”
That’s much more difficult teaching for the White Christian Nationalists to deal with than the temple cleansing incident.
You’re welcome.
Self-Imposed Curfew
Just jotting a few thoughts on topic of Minnesota.
- For people acclimated to the cold, IE Minnesotans, Dakotans, Montanans, etc, standing outside in the cold is not an indicator of anything. (For Somalis, on the other hand, standing outside in the cold reveals them to be stupid.)
- I happen to have watched videos of officer involved shootings before the last couple weeks. They are never “clear cut” or have some obvious flow or escalate linearly. Hollywood et al should not be relied on for how an officer-involved shooting should look or feel. Go look up other videos and see for yourself. They are all utter chaos. That’s why law enforcement exists in the first place.
- My visceral reaction to this morning’s shooting is “These dumb motherfuckers (meaning the lefty whites) just normalized ICE-involved shootings. It now feels just like school shootings. ‘Another one? When will people learn?’”
- I want the Law (meaning all people who act as our Law, legislature, executives, and enforcement) to know I support them, not the protesters. I think the best way I can do this is stay inside, not counter-protest etc. Let the morons and rabble who only want destruction self-identify and be the only ones out on the streets. That will make it easier for the Law to do their job.
They Do Not Conceal Like I Would
It is surprising to me, and seems to surprise most of us, that the bad guys self-identify so strongly.
I am currently reading GW’s biography. There have been parallels to today which are difficult to ignore, even as they aren’t 1:1. For example, I have to admit that had I been British back then, I would probably have been surprised that the colonists were so blatantly identifying as enemies. I would have thought, “Don’t they understand who they are up against? Maintaining neutrality, even as a feint, seems the stronger play.”
But no. When a fight is brewing, the two sides declare themselves.
I think the matter can be put plainly: When you’re on the side of those with the guns, it is surprising that the people without the guns would fight you—but it shouldn’t be.
These contemporary secessionists in Portland, Minnesota, and elsewhere have not yet declared independence. I would say, on most levels, they are miles away from being organized in any sense like those who declared independence back on July 4, 1776. But I will not be teaching my kids that it is surprising that stupid people unabashedly announce the side they’re on.
“The Law Must Win”
The law must win.
This is timeless wisdom. This is the proper perspective. This shouldn’t be controversial.
If someone you know, or if you, find this controversial, that does not surprise me. It just means that their (or your) position is anarchy.
Those of us who believe the law must win do not owe the anarchist a Covey-esque attempt to understand or empathize, anymore than we owe thieves or murderers the same.
It should not surprise that criminal behavior and criminal minds exist. It should not be surprising that people disagree that the law must win.
There is no world where we all exist to follow the law. That is the point.
So, the law must win.
Captain’s Log 