Scattershots – 2dec24 (updated)

George Rebane

Trump’s cabinet picks are overwhelmingly on the mark by my lights.  However, there are a couple of them who are arguably inappropriate for their assigned jobs.  Former congress critter Tulsi Gabbard is a nice lady, and no doubt has many talents which do not include the executive experience and required knowledge base to become Director of National Intelligence.  The DNI oversees 18 of nation’s top intelligence agencies and is responsible for summarizing much of what the president sees on a daily basis.  There are many others more suitable for the job.  And Lori Chavez-DeRemer is an abysmally poor choice for SecLabor.  She is on record as the most pro-union Republican and supports the Protecting the Right to Organize Act which is a devious piece of legislation that the unions use to enforce workers to unionize against their will.  Her confirmation in that job puts a fox to guard the hen house.

Speaking of the cosmos and an ontology that has an excellent chance to make sense of it, I offer for your attention a video on some important ongoing research in that field of enquiry.  Dr Michael Levin of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University has recorded a long podcast summarizing the current status of this research – ‘Self-constructing bodies, collective minds: the intersection of CS, cognitive bio, and philosophy’.  To me it was an extremely illuminating cum mind-blowing presentation.  I have long thought that at its primal level the cosmos (i.e. ‘what is’) is really an amalgam of evolving patterns at many levels of intelligence that are variously structured into a universe which is then seen as distinct realities by its countless parts (patterns) observing/seeking their own foundations.  Levin’s work is the first I’ve encountered that puts my hazy mental meanderings on a more solid footing.  The next thing I need to do is take the time to view the whole thing again, and make notes.  More to be said about it later.  For those interested in these concepts and questions, I introduce you to the bleeding edge of such thoughts.

[update]  Joe pardons son Hunter and logs one more gigantic lie to the legion already on his record.  Looking in the rear-view mirror we all should have seen this coming.  The pardon is a required ‘Stay out of Jail’ card for the entire Biden family.  I can hear Hunter telling his pop ‘if I’m going down, you all are going down.’  Hunter knows enough to send a lot of people up the river, and if he is now hauled into court again, you can bet the ranch that he’ll sing like a bird.

Comments

[The Estonian Fox]

I've been skipping around Levin's presentation and reading the script along with him speaking. At 6:18, his slide makes the point "Evolution makes problem-solving agents". "Necessity is the mother of invention" seems to describe that as well.

I've seen "eyes" placed into various areas on fruit flies, just to show that biologists can do it. Don't remember where that led however, as to any practical changes in the fly's behavior, or if it could live & function with a similar life-span to a 'normal' fly.

Levin does create a bunch of neologisms - yeah that's right, he makes up a lot of new words from various prefixes & suffixes & infixes.

Good to see Rene Descartes in the news again (at 33:45).

He's famous for his saying "Cogito, ergo sum" - I think, therefore I am.
Yet he would have been correct even if he were dyslexic: "Sum, ergo cogito" - I am, therefore I think. Which may have been even a little more accurate, being able to recognize one's own existence first. That's often used as a marker for intelligence of the 'lesser' animals, if they realize that is them in a mirror. Even some Democrats were rumored to have passed that test. No first hand knowledge on that rumor - it was passed onto me by my cat.

The video requires more than one viewing.

[Gregory]

George, I suspect Tulsi will do fine. If not, James Clapper is probably out of work and can be recalled.

... not much call for him at MSBNC nowadays.

[scenes]

Doesn't Hunter now lack any kind of self-incrimination claim if he has to testify?

It's tough being Man of Integrity Jr. There's a lot to live up to.

[Don Bessee]

Money for illegals, take over ev credits, budget deficits and then there is this -

California's unemployment benefits system 'broken' with $20B owed to feds in loan debt: report

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/californias-unemployment-benefits-system-broken-205752977.html

;-)

[Scott O]

Here's a better article on the CA unemployment mess - Walters has been covering this for years:

https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/12/tough-love-could-end-californias-unemployment-insurance-stalemate/

[Scott O]

More from Walters - California leads the way again!

"Once again, California beats every other state when it comes to poverty"

https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/09/california-again-top-state-poverty/

But don't you worry - Governor Hair Gel is going to "Trump-Proof" CA!

I'm sure that Hillbilly and Paul have an explanation for this, but both are now too bizzy, bizzy, bizzy with all of their projects and Me-Time activities.

[Scott O]

A very interesting article on something the fed govt tries to keep under wraps:
https://www.eugyppius.com/p/how-the-us-state-department-spends

[Don Bessee]

Interesting point from a lefty -

Republicans just won a permanent Senate majority

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/opinion-republicans-just-won-permanent-180000893.html

;-)

[Scott O]

Don 7:00 - He has a point but fails to accept that a lot of so-called Rs in the Senate and the House hate Trump. Folks like McConnell are pretty worthless at getting rid of the rot in DC because he's part of it. Lots of so called "conservatives" still like to elect corrupt pols year after year to DC because they manage to sluice billions to their home state. Until we get rid of them the conservatives won't have any advantage in DC. We need to have all funding to all states cut off completely and let each state fund their own damn stuff. And if the bleeding hearts in New York think poor children in Mississippi are going hungry they can reach into their own damn wallets on their own and pony up the money. Which they will not do because they don't actually give a shit about anybody in Mississippi.

[Resurrected Hillbilly]

Say what? Google accessing parallel universes?

https://futurism.com/google-quantum-computer-parallel-universes?utm_term=Futurism%20//%2012.12.2024&utm_campaign=Futurism_Actives_Newsletter&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email