Philosophy 321 '15
Bits and pieces. Table scraps. That's what you get. Machiavelli lives here.
Welcome to our newest feature. Philosophy 321. A Sunday feature.
January 4
Cuisses de Grenouilles
Douze douzaine de cuisses de grenouilles
Vingt-quatre onces saltines
Six tasses de farine tout usage
Trois tasses de farine de maïs
Six cuillères à café d'oignon émincé
Douze cuillères à café de sel
Six cuillères à soupe de poivre noir moulu
Douzaine d'oeufs
Trois tasses de lait
Douze tasses d'huile végétale pour la friture
Rincerlescuisses de grenouillesetsécher;mettre de côté.
Dans un grandsac refermable, mélanger lachapelurede biscuitssaltine, la farine,
semoule de maïs, l'oignon, le selet le poivre. Secouez pourmélanger.
Dansun plat peu profond bol,fouetter ensemble les œufset le lait.
Chaufferl'huile végétale dans ungrand poêlon feu moyen-vif.
L'huiledoit être d'environ troispouces de profondeur.
Tremperlescuisses de grenouillesdans le laitet l'œuf,puis tremperdans le
mélange decrackerjusqu'àuniformément recouvert. Les placerdélicatementdans le
l'huile chaude.Cuirejusqu'à ce que doréde chaque côté, environ cinq minutes de chaque côté.
Si les jambescommencent à brunirtrop vite,réduire la chaleur à moyen.
Égouttersur du papier absorbantavant de servir.
Bon Appétit!
January 9
~Circa 2001
A reminiscence, and an inkling that perhaps, in regards to
British Military Intelligence and MI5, that Her Majesty has
been shortchanged.
May 26, 2014
Mass Acceleration
Governments cannot compete with or reconcile with the yellow journalism that pervades not just the
media in general, but is and has focused on geopolitics. This is magnified by inept attempts by many
governments to make media appearances to correct this, and in at least one case, a government that
attempts to take advantage of this, and fails badly. There is little that can be done about irresponsible
journalism when it holds the governmental process hostage. If there is to be no intellectual attempt
to legislate a solution then one must face the inevitable conclusion that media interference in government
affairs will certainly lead to less suitable international relations and less suitable governments.
One would argue by reason: Terrorists do not engage without media coverage. Terrorists get media
coverage, the media sells soap, and governments go bankrupt attempting to correct the situation.
For China the issue of control over the media is not an issue, yet. Within a
decade it will be. China cannot merge with Democracy without sacrificing
some of the standards it currently enforces. This is a known factor, and has
been, at least here, for some time. With Democracies, this is a much different
issue. Although the US Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, it does not
address the problems faced more than 230 years later. And no amendment
can correct that. Monarchies are free to do as they choose, and have, as yet,
done little, even in defense of dead schoolgirls whose phones have been hacked.
What is to be done to ensure peace and governmental liberties?
The answer is simple, and again, has been known here for some time.
All governments will eventually, at some point, see the wisdom of managing their own media;
with the wisest choice being the management and control of their own networks.
*It is not implied nor should it ever be inferred that China should abandon it's peaceful society
and peaceful government in support of increasingly violent Democracy. While yellow journalism
persists in accusations, at no time in China's 5000 year history has it shown aggression to the
outside world. To the contrary, a Wall stands in place to ensure aggression does not invade them.
Reason is dead, long live broadcasters.
~ W. Marshall Moseley
Pathetically, both the Terrorists and the media have flourished under American Leadership.
~ W. Marshall Moseley
January 11
I see nothing of value in what Charlie Hebdo published.
At best, if you incite violent behaviour and then suffer at
it's result, you got what you were asking for.
January 18
Having Clint Eastwood call the shots is a good idea. I am ok with that. If Congress and the Administrative Branch
have no other options besides Blackmail and Intimidation; then, by God, let's use force and let Hollywood make
a profit on their efforts. 'Cause if you play a soldier in the movies, then that's good enough for America's enemies.'
'All War is a failure of Diplomacy'
~Tony Benn
January 25
Crisis, What Crisis?
The term ' Keystone Kops ' comes to mind.
Let Them Eat Cake
We are less than twelve hours removed from the 'State of the Union' address,
known here colloquially as the 'Annual Slave/Slaveholders Conference'. While
you rest assured that either; the South will or rise again, or, the North has
overcome their bondage to rise above their captors; I was resisting the urge
to relive other toilet-hugging experiences. It did not take long for me to find
the Game Show Channel a welcome respite to the droning of this Psuedo-Hawaiian.
In fact, at the exact moment of the utterance, the invocation of NineEleven I felt
that primal heave that only extremely bad dining experiences can give.
Americans have not learned the lessons of NineEleven, if anything, they have
ignored everything but their basest emotions.
Americans have not learned the lessons of Napoleon, or Marie Antoinette, or the
French Revolution or the lessons of Charlie Hebdo.
To this I say, let them eat cake. Sans cake, there's Frog Legs.
February 1
Introducing the Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt Garage Band
February 8
I thought that was Halliburton's job.
Announcing the leading 2016 Presidential contender.
Requesting maid service from Jan 2017 to Jan 2021.
Disclaimer:
The following post has no bearing on past or future posts,
and in general, NMFP.
I am under the impression that the Washington Post has a lost and found section,
and could possibly be in the position of needing the revenue. If there is any sympathy
to be found, it would be there, rather than here.
This concludes the public dis-service announcement.
February 15
Cease Fire Agreement
Off -> Domestic Disney cares, they'll pay the bill.
Satire, the hallmark of any writers reputare. Among the oldest, if not the oldest known satire in the Western world
is the work of Apuleius. Some 2500 years ago, the Greek writer gave us The Golden Ass. If you have not read the
book you cannot know the context of the satire. A must read for anyone who writes, those that claim to know western
history, and anyone who would give any thought to literature. Available from $0.27 at Amazon.
Settled by an Irishman
There has been an ongoing discussion over the years with movie directors Danny Boyle, Quentin
Tarrentino and other directors over the filthiest men's bathroom in the world. Boyle thinks it is
a bookie joint in Glasgow Scotland, Tarrentino thinks it's a cantina in Tijuana. Other directors have
put forth their suggestions as well. They're all wrong. Now it's time for an Irishman to settle the
dispute once and for all.
The absolute filthiest men's bathroom in the world is the Executive Men's bathroom at Chernobyl.
Aside: You can have Ovechkin, I am keeping Vlade Divac.
February 22
March 1
March 8
The anguished cry of every Native Arizonan of the last one hundred years.
This, from the state that does not reset it clocks. Arizona.
March 15
There's Moore
OU President Boren expels 2 students involved in racist fraternity bus incident
To: University of Oklahoma President David Boren
Re: Racism
You can go to Texas.
You can go to California.
You can go to hell.
Sincerely,
Red Cloud's People
*** Americans seem very delusional when it comes to racism and political correctness.
March 22
Introducing the all new 2015 Porsche Spyder
MSRP $867,275
March 29
April 5
April 12
April 19
April 26
May 3
May 10
May 17
May 24
If you were expecting the 'Beer Barrel Polka' this week you will be disappointed.
There is a certain redundancy to my work here, although it does not diminish the
importance of understanding our ever-changing world and modern computing.
On the second part I see the need to highlight the redundancy of a single supercomputer.
SEE: www.top500.org
The next version of the Top500 will be published in June, updated twice yearly. As of
November '14 the combined computing power of just the top 500 (THERE ARE MORE!)
is - 309 Pflops per second. Let's examine that calculation in detail.
1 Pflop = 10 to 15th power of calculations per second.
There are 86,400 seconds EVERY DAY.
Combined, as of November '14 , that's 10 to the 15th power times 309 times 86,400. Every day.
That's - 2,669,760,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 calculations every twenty-four hours,
for those of you with a law degree.
As you can deduce, even if you have an Ivy League education,
the removal of a single supercomputer will not change the final equation.
There will be 499 others to help you with the math.
REFERENCE :
On the first part, I see a clear need for this weeks post.
Our ever changing world.
Banksy
I believe that speaking as an individual to other individuals-rather than allowing
my words to be trampled underneath by the Yellow Press is the best approach.
Allow yourself to view this post as an individual, with your children, or the children
of someone close to you, at risk of being shot to death while sitting in the classroom.
So, who needs Columbines, really? We need the Colorado State Flower, sure; but we
do not need the violence in the classroom, these kind of massacres we see year after year.
Sadly, as much as we convince ourselves otherwise, Nazism did not end with Hitler's death.
I see in every single race, every single state or nation, every day.
Show me a supercomputer that can save our children from being shot. I defy you.
Aside, the supercomputers don't give a shit about your cell-phone and it's apps.
America gave a tremendous amount of lives to Europe's wars over the last one
hundred years. As have many nations, including, and most pointedly, Israel.
We disposed of Hitler and the Third Reich, but we have not eliminated Nazism.
As someone of Germanic ancestry, it is a part my heritage I have and will struggle
with all of my life. As will we all for many centuries to come.
It is a human struggle.
On a lighter note, and more to the crux of the subject; supercomputers don't join political parties.
There will be no Nazi supercomputer, no Republican supercomputer, and thankfully, at least from
my perspective, no bleeding heart Liberal supercomputer.
Gosh Angela, we love you, we really really do.
It's just that try as we might, we'll never be party members.
The good German
Kurt Vonnegut
Something you never hear, never defined. A good German. No one introduces themselves
as ' a good German '. Here's Kurt. His family, Architects, Artists, Hardware salesmen. He
served in World War ll, survived the Dresden bombing, came home and became a world
famous author. German, German-American.
He wrote: ' Life is no way to treat an animal. ' Bless you Kurt.
Uncle Grandpa
The Cartoon Network's Uncle Grandpa. A humorous look at
stereotypical Germans. Used to entertain our children when
we are too busy to afford them the attention they deserve.
John Banner as Schultz
Schultz, of Hogans Hero's fame. I think his character showed more
empathy, more human understanding that any other character ever
developed on television. Who could hate him?
I wrote a quip some time ago, at the end of July, beginning of August-
" It's August, people want to escape, I know nothing. "
An obvious reference to the French holiday.
Real, imaginary, or created; good Germans exist. Although it is often difficult
to bring this to the forefront of our minds. Americans were traumatized by
World War ll, sure; but more importantly, the whole of humanity is and will be
be traumatized by that war more than any other of the last hundred years, for
many, many generations to come.
If I look back and smile, as Kurt Vonnegut did; then, I too will be a good German.
If I move forward, but not forgetting the horrors of the Third Reich, then I too will be a good German.
Kübelwagen
Flower Power
The original Kübelwagen -Circa 1938.
The Kübelwagen developed for civilian use in the mid-1940's.
Herbie - The Love Bug
Post Script: REMEMBER! Sign, then drive!
May 31
Let's review.
You can call it ' American Standardized Testing ', if you like.
June 7
June 14
Sehr toll
Built without permission from the European Union, a loan from the International Monetary Fund,
or a United Nations resolution; more profitable than a wall.
June 21
June 28
July 5
July 12
July 19
July 26
August 1
September 1
with thinking page
Although individual members of the Senate have their own pages,
the Senate and Senate Republicans it seems, do not have facebook.
It is with extreme (ist) pleasure that as a substitute, I offer the following...
Pictured: Johnny Depp as Tonto (means fool in Spanish)
with former Navajo President Ben Shelly.
Linked: Former two-time Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
John McCain being physically chased off the Navajo Reservation
on August 14.
I guess McCain makes a pretty good coward...who knew?
October 1
Lawyers and Dogs
An order of three hundred Boeings and a matter of time to see Hollande on the street as well.
Democracy at work by way of Airbus.
Ninety-two pages of first-person symphonic masterpiece.
Inarguably the most popular writer of the Twentieth Century. What writer - if they could,
would not emulate him? What writer - if they must, would edit him?
A writer could not edit Hemingway, an editor must. Like all writers, Ernest struggled in his
career. What publisher would admit to rejecting him? But they did. Repeatedly. They
would have seen him on the street.
Ernest supported his writing by driving an Ambulance in the Spanish Civil War.
Lawyers and Dogs. They chase Ambulances. Great writers drive them.
Clocks Don't Kill People...
Texas, the State that insists on putting guns in schools
arrested a fourteen year old for bringing a clock to school.
Confusing. Did officials not have sufficient time to shoot
first and ask questions later?
Gosh - it is so terrible when yellow journalists put a gun
to their head and end our misery. Of course, the blood they
spill (their own) never makes the front page...but, who cares?
Actually this post takes a different direction, a more current theme.
So enough of Ayn Rand and her musings.
Modern Computing is changing our world. It is inescapable.
The Top 500 is not a complete list.
If Governments and their Military's create supercomputers
for Defense purposes - and proceed to commit offensive
campaigns against supercomputers - the outcome is predictably
that brain will overcome brawn. Such is the evolution of man.
But those egotistical Generals should not take my word for it...
Go ahead, think about it...Take your time.
This post was composed with the help of one of Berkeley Breathed's readers who re-posted this
toon. At the time, the Senate Communications Bill was incubating. We could not have then foreseen
the changes time would bring us.
Similarly, we cannot completely foresee how Supercomputing will change our modern world.
This would be especially so if we leave it to the Military Strategists.
One would surmise that a 'Star Wars Death Star' is a pipe dream if Generals declare war on supercomputers.
November 1
Fantasy League
'Cause you have to 'splain it...
You know what they say...
A picture is worth a thousand words...
Finally...
Berkeley Breathed's work - available on Facebook and by purchase; and in particular, his 10-30 post continues to amuse me and warm my heart...
December 1
Wishful Drinking*
All the usual suspects
Suspect #1
Donald Trump. Evidence submitted; Real Estate License.
Suspect #2
Jeb Bush. Evidence submitted and Alias; hanging chad, aka Chad Hang.
Suspect #3
Ben Carson. Evidence submitted; Surgeons knife.
Suspect #4
Expletive deleted. Evidence submitted; Birth Certificate.
The world thinks America mad. Just so you know...
* Wishful Drinking - a book by the most charming Carrie Fisher.
Tonto
French Intelligence, or the best representation I can find. For the second time this year
disillusioned children (and perhaps disappointed diners) have struck the French citizenry.
Moi? I question the premise that we should heed a call to arms. What did the French
Intelligence know and when? Never mind the plea for sympathy, the endless crying of
a besieged President Hollande. A full ten months has elapsed since the last bombing.
Either improve the dining experience, replace the Intelligence Agency, or go fish.
You know what they say, ' Fool me once, shame on you...' Of course, I was not fooled the
first time. French Intelligence has never been a recipe for success. Endless hours of
exceedingly vague (vague is French for insult) news coverage is an affront to, at least,
my intelligence.
I am what I am
Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlins Blake has gone to Paris. For what
reason (Raison) I cannot discern. Perhaps to instruct the French on a
good and proper Riot. Perhaps to consult with French on the acute
Heroin problem here; or, perhaps to make a buy. I would wager she
did not consult either Popeye Doyle or the Drug Enforcement Agency first.
Top500
November's ranking came in at 420 petaflops per second. Ich sprechen.
About that Russian Weather Machine...
Expect additional posts after CNN and Anderson Cooper
finish kissing the Republican asses.
Party of the Second Part 12-15
They called in the Wolf
Pretty Boy Anderson Cooper's life got a little
more dangerous on the Upper East Side of
Manhattan, and yes, you can read that into
the (worldwide) Indices if you like, or not.
Offensive is his style, guess he'll have to live
with that, or not.
If your an American:
You listened to 227 minutes of debate. You heard every term from every corner
of the world, every theater of confrontation, you learned more about the Middle
East in this debate than have have heard in years of listening to the news.
You heard about the US Military, the Air Force, the Navy, NSA, FBI, DHS, INS,
State Department, every aspect of the Office of the Commander In Chief,
endless comments on National Security, and if you review the recording, you
heard classified information; BUT not one damn word on the CIA.
Why is that?
My turn.
I am going to step in the middle of this conversation and say a couple of things
that should be said. Discussions of Military Budget will not be heard or seen here. I
have never raised the issue of Sequestration or Budget cuts.
I have not and will not raise that issue. I do not have an opinion on that subject - ever.
I do have a normal interest in the National Debt. Your share of that is not my interest.
Secondly, regardless of your political party, your stature: The path from Minot AFB
to Barksdale AFB does not go through or near Tinker AFB. You, your descendants,
their descendants, and everything after must appreciate that. There is no other option.
If your a Democrat:
You made a comparative between the CNN/Democrat Debate and tonight's debate.
It is your first duty to stand for your dignity. I have spoken for mine.
I was enraged at the treatment both the Democrats and myself received during that
debate. I am outraged at Anderson Cooper's brutish demeanor towards everyone, and
in particular, his badgering of Governor O'Malley.
If the indignity afforded you by CNN has left you outraged, your thoughts are justified.
The smallest measure of comfort could only be found in the complaints of the Republicans.
Ted Cruz: "don't overthrow states"
Fidel Castro to Ted Cruz: "fuck you"
Marco Rubio is correct; National Television is no
place for the discussion of Classified Information.
For that, we have Edward Snowden.
If you surmise there is no longer an ethernet
within certain agencies, you could be right.
One of these days...
Closing Indices 2015
Dow Jones 17425.03 -178.84
Nasdaq 5007.41 - 58.44
S P 500 2043.94 - 19.42
