Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; (D&C 98:10)

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Which Candidate is most likely to #StopWar ?

Which Candidate is most likely to #StopWar ?
Find out who is on your ballot.
https://www.vote411.org/

Does ISIS make the world safer?
Does ISIS make the world safer? Take action at spellchek.com/war
Posted by SPELLCHEk on Wednesday, July 25, 2018

https://www.facebook.com/SPELLCHEkSHOW/videos/1976553949056603/


Friday, July 20, 2018

The Mystery of Matter: Search for the Elements

I have really enjoyed this series of Amazon Prime Video. It goes from us believing in fire, water, air and Earth as elemental parts of existence to subatomic particals. It uses actors to play the parts of the scientists who make the discoveries. It shows the devices they came up with to make them.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4977374/

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Do you want to minimize human impact or maximize human flourishing?

"Are you against climate change because it's bad for humans or because it's caused by humans? ... My standard of value, my way of measuring good and bad is human. I don't want to minimize human impact, I want to maximize human flourishing. "
("Alex Epstein - Harvard Business School Fireside Chat", YouTube, 21 Oct 2017)


Thursday, July 5, 2018

When the Talking Ceases the Ground Becomes Fertile for Violence

This is why I have been loving the talks between Eric Weinstein, Dave Rubin,  Jordan Peterson, and Ben Shapiro.


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Respect is the key. Sitting down and talking; not necessarily agreeing, but respecting each other to air their points of view. Because of that respect, and my willingness to listen and his willingness to listen to me, he ended up leaving the Klan and there is his robe right there.
I am a musician, not a psychologist or a sociologist. If I can do that, anybody in here can do that. Take the time to sit down and talk with your adversaries. You will learn something and they will learn something from you. When two enemies are talking, they are not fighting. It's when the talking ceases that the ground becomes fertile for violence. So keep the conversation going. (Daryl Davis, "Why I, as a black man, attend KKK rallies")
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Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Gradual and Silent Encroachments

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations."

- James Madison, Speech at the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788

WiFi Calling not Offered by Total Wireless

I am a new Total Wireless customer. I switched from a Republic Wireless. They are a WiFi calling service supplemented by cell coverage.

I wanted to know if I could enable wifi calling in case the coverage at home was not so great. I found out that my phone does not support WiFi calling through the T-Mobile service. I chatted with a customer service person at Total Wireless. They said that they do not offer WiFi calling.

Cross posted at https://cellphoneforums.net/general-service-provider-forum/t457350-wifi-calling-not-offered-total-wireless.html#axzz5KKUndG2z

How Neutrons Changed Everything

Or The Mechanics of a Nuclear Explosion



https://youtu.be/HD3k1hgbUXQ


Monday, July 2, 2018

The Conducting of Proper Political Discourse

Or "A Meta-Political Discussion"

I have been fascinated by the discussions of  Eric Weinstein, Dave Rubin,  Jordan Peterson, and Ben Shapiro.

Here is a round table with three of them. https://youtu.be/Li2J4GxZ6iM?t=1h51m57s

I like the question at the end Dave asks: "Is this a political movement? Is this the beginnings of a political movement?" (1:53:05)

Jordan

No...it's the conducting of proper political discourse.  ... A political movement to foster the conducting of proper political discourse... I political movement that is focusing on process rather than content. ...
Our constitutional principles in the political domain, no...a meta-political discussion.
...
Turning Point USA..(Candice Own, Charlie Kirk) in Dallas. I recommended that instead of concentrating on the content of their ideology, (they are branding themselves as a conservative movement) that they devote themselves to educating themselves as much as they possibly can. They are going to produce a much bigger impact by becoming better individuals than by promoting conservative doctrine...
I don't think that the fundamental movement necessarily is political. Because the political is part of the problem.
Eric

I think we are the advance group sent to take a hill for the healthy political discourse that follows us.
...
Turning point USA. I was shocked to be invited by them. I said, "you do understand who I am?" I am very confused by it. I find that a lot of the rhetoric that comes out of that to be absolutely unpalatable. And the private discourse is much more sympathetic, much more understanding. 

Dave

I think we can move those guys. Just for the record, we they invite me to speaking gigs, Charlie said to me from day one, "I disagree with you on a ton of stuff, but I want to invite you here to speak." I go up there and I talk about being gay married and pro-choice and anti death penalty and all these things and they give me a standing ovation. 
Eric

Then the problem is that no one can figure out why I am talking to Candice Owens because she's going in read meat conservative mode [after the interview]
Jordan

I don't think it is the same person, exactly. There is a fractionation there. 

Eric
There is not yet a niche. This came up with Douglas Murray. It is a very important point. In general, people are in a restrictionist mood on immigration. They want more protection in respect to trade.
Why does no politician take up immigration without going real far right or completely open borders? Either it is ethno-nationalism or it's "all people are equal. why should we discriminate people from other countries?"
The sensible positions are uninhabitable. The question is why?
...
We have to take the ground for the middle. Get rid of the crazies at both ends. 
Jordan

At least stop the crazies from taking out the reasonable people. 
Eric
I have learned that I have more in common with what would now be called center-right than I do with radical left. Reach across the aisle and say, "you take out your trash, I'll take out mine."


What I love about this group (or movement) is that they are independent of any other group. They are funded by their followers. They are free to speak clearly. And they are not looking for ratings they want a society that works, even with all the infinite range of opinions.

The only place that they seem to all agree on is that they should approach each other based on the strongest form of the argument from the other side (steel-man) and that you give all opportunity to clarify a mis-interpretation of a position. (even if it take 3 hours or 9 three hour sessions to do it)

What excites me most is the medium of the long form (interview), the willingness to do it. The willingness to watch it and willingness to donate money to ensure it continues.