War Of The Worlds - In Theaters June 29:
Sci-Fi Drama Thriller
The war is about to begin.
Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, War of the Worlds movie is the motion picture event of 2005. The day they came we knew that it would be the greatest war in the history of the universe.
Visit WarOfTheWorlds.com for exclusive news and updates.
Veiw trailers for War Of The Worlds
Study Guide for H. G. Wells: The War of the Worlds (1898)
This Web edition of The War of the Worlds was prepared in June of 1995 by John Walker. It is based on the Project Gutenberg electronic text (etext) edition, warw11.txt which I obtained from the mirror archive then maintained by L'Association des bibliophiles Universels where you will also find a wide variety of French language public domain texts.
Legal notice: This document is in the public domain and may be distributed and used without any restrictions or royalties whatsoever. It is not being distributed under the Project Gutenberg trademark, and Project Gutenberg bears no responsibility or liability resulting from use of this document. (This statement is included pursuant to the "small print" at the start of the original document.)
The original ASCII etext was produced by Michael Oltz at Cornell University.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Index of Native American Resources
WWW Virtual Library - American Indians
Index of Native American Resources on the Internet
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
National Museum of the American Indian:
Indian Nations are sovereign governments, recognized in the U.S. Constitution and hundreds of treaties with the U.S. President. Today, tribal governments provide a broad range of governmental services on tribal lands throughout the U.S., including law enforcement, environmental protection, emergency response, education, health care, and basic infrastructure.
Index of Native American Resources on the Internet
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
National Museum of the American Indian:
Indian Nations are sovereign governments, recognized in the U.S. Constitution and hundreds of treaties with the U.S. President. Today, tribal governments provide a broad range of governmental services on tribal lands throughout the U.S., including law enforcement, environmental protection, emergency response, education, health care, and basic infrastructure.
"Kennewick Man"
The human skeletal remains that have come to be referred to as the "Kennewick Man", or the "Ancient One", were found in July, 1996 below the surface of Lake Wallula, a section of the Columbia River pooled behind McNary Dam in Kennewick, Washington. Almost immediately controversy developed regarding who was responsible for determining what would be done with the remains. Claims were made by Indian tribes, local officials, and some members of the scientific community. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), the agency responsible for the land where the remains were recovered took possession, but its actions, following the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), to resolve the situation were challenged in Federal court.
Bureau-Indian-Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) responsibility is the administration and management of 55.7 million acres of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives. There are 562 federal recognized tribal governments in the United States. Developing forestlands, leasing assets on these lands, directing agricultural programs, protecting water and land rights, developing and maintaining infrastructure and economic development are all part of the agency's responsibility. In addition, the Bureau of Indian Affairs provides education services to approximately 48,000 Indian students.
The BIA website as well as the BIA mail servers have been made temporarily unavailable due to the Cobell Litigation. Please continue to check from time to time. We have no estimate on when authorization will be given to reactivate these sites.
Here are some alternate ways to get BIA-related information:
For general BIA information: 202 208-3710
For Tribal Leaders Directory: 202 208-3711
The BIA website as well as the BIA mail servers have been made temporarily unavailable due to the Cobell Litigation. Please continue to check from time to time. We have no estimate on when authorization will be given to reactivate these sites.
Here are some alternate ways to get BIA-related information:
For general BIA information: 202 208-3710
For Tribal Leaders Directory: 202 208-3711
George Washington, December 1756, Speech to Catawba Indians; incomplete
The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799. John C. Fitzpatrick, Editor.
[Note 17: The Catawbas were one of the eight Indian nations of North America discovered by the Europeans in the seventeenth century. Their region lay southward of the Tuscaroras, between the Yadkin and Catawba Rivers. They were brave, but not aggressive, in warfare, and although at one time they belonged to the powerful league of southern Indians who were determined to extirpate the whites, later on they allied themselves with the English and remained stanch friends to them ever after.--Hamilton's Letters to Washington.]
[Winchester, October 28, 1756.]
Capt. Johnne: We Desire you to go to the Cherokees, and tell them the Road is now clear and Open; We expected them to War last Spring, and love them So well, that Our Governor Sent Some few men to build a fort among them; but we are mighty Sorry that they hearken so much to lies French tell, as to break their promise and not come to war, when they might have got a great deal of honour; and kill'd a great many of the French, whose hearts are false, and rotten as an old Stump. If they Continue to Listen to What the French Say much longer they will have great cause to be sorry, as the French have no Match locks, pow'd and Lead but what they got from King George our father, before the War began and that will soon be out; when they will get no more, and all the French Indians will be starving with Cold, and must take to Bows and Arrows again for want of Ammunition.
Tell them we long to Shake hands with them;
Let them get their knives and tomhawkes Sharpe, we will go before them, and show them the way to honour, Scalps, prisoners, and money Enough, We are mighty sorry they stay at home idle, when they should go to War, and become great men, and a terror and dread to their Enemies. Tell them they shall have Victuals enough, and used very kindly.
[Note 17: The Catawbas were one of the eight Indian nations of North America discovered by the Europeans in the seventeenth century. Their region lay southward of the Tuscaroras, between the Yadkin and Catawba Rivers. They were brave, but not aggressive, in warfare, and although at one time they belonged to the powerful league of southern Indians who were determined to extirpate the whites, later on they allied themselves with the English and remained stanch friends to them ever after.--Hamilton's Letters to Washington.]
[Winchester, October 28, 1756.]
Capt. Johnne: We Desire you to go to the Cherokees, and tell them the Road is now clear and Open; We expected them to War last Spring, and love them So well, that Our Governor Sent Some few men to build a fort among them; but we are mighty Sorry that they hearken so much to lies French tell, as to break their promise and not come to war, when they might have got a great deal of honour; and kill'd a great many of the French, whose hearts are false, and rotten as an old Stump. If they Continue to Listen to What the French Say much longer they will have great cause to be sorry, as the French have no Match locks, pow'd and Lead but what they got from King George our father, before the War began and that will soon be out; when they will get no more, and all the French Indians will be starving with Cold, and must take to Bows and Arrows again for want of Ammunition.
Tell them we long to Shake hands with them;
Let them get their knives and tomhawkes Sharpe, we will go before them, and show them the way to honour, Scalps, prisoners, and money Enough, We are mighty sorry they stay at home idle, when they should go to War, and become great men, and a terror and dread to their Enemies. Tell them they shall have Victuals enough, and used very kindly.
Catawba warriors had a fearsome reputation and an appearance to match
Besides the Iroquois, traditional Catawba enemies included the Cherokee, Shawnee, Delaware, and several members of the Great Lakes Algonquin allied with the French. Catawba warriors had a fearsome reputation and an appearance to match: ponytail hairstyle with a distinctive war paint pattern of one eye in a black circle, the other in a white circle and remainder of the face painted black. Coupled with their flattened foreheads, some of their enemies must have died from sheer fright.
Teaching Young Children about Native Americans.
Young children's conceptions of Native Americans often develop out of media portrayals and classroom role playing of the events of the First Thanksgiving. The conception of Native Americans gained from such early exposure is both inaccurate and potentially damaging to others. For example, a visitor to a child care center heard a four-year-old saying, "Indians aren't people. They're all dead." This child had already acquired an inaccurate view of Native Americans, even though her classmates were children of many cultures, including a Native American child. Read More
Friday, February 11, 2005
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Proverbs From Around The World
~ Norwegian ~
Better to suffer for truth than to prosper by falsehood
~ Danish ~
Success has many parents, but failure is an orphan
~ American ~
Children have more need of models than of critics.
~ French ~
Liberty has no price
.~ Spanish ~
Doubt is the key to knowledge
~ Iranian ~
Postpone today's anger until tomorrow.
~ Tagalog, Filipino ~
Prayer only from the mouth is no prayer.
~ Jamaican ~
There is often wisdom under a shaggy coat.
~ Latin ~
A good example is the best sermon.
~ English ~
What one hopes for is always better than one has.
~ Ethiopian ~
Promise little and do much
.~ Hebrew ~
It is better to prevent than to cure
. ~ Peruvian ~
Spending is quick, earning is slow.
~ Russian ~
People show their character by what they laugh at.
~ German ~
You can't see the whole sky through a bamboo tube
~ Japanese ~
Don't let grass grow on the path of friendship.
~Blackfoot Indian ~
More Proverbs
Better to suffer for truth than to prosper by falsehood
~ Danish ~
Success has many parents, but failure is an orphan
~ American ~
Children have more need of models than of critics.
~ French ~
Liberty has no price
.~ Spanish ~
Doubt is the key to knowledge
~ Iranian ~
Postpone today's anger until tomorrow.
~ Tagalog, Filipino ~
Prayer only from the mouth is no prayer.
~ Jamaican ~
There is often wisdom under a shaggy coat.
~ Latin ~
A good example is the best sermon.
~ English ~
What one hopes for is always better than one has.
~ Ethiopian ~
Promise little and do much
.~ Hebrew ~
It is better to prevent than to cure
. ~ Peruvian ~
Spending is quick, earning is slow.
~ Russian ~
People show their character by what they laugh at.
~ German ~
You can't see the whole sky through a bamboo tube
~ Japanese ~
Don't let grass grow on the path of friendship.
~Blackfoot Indian ~
More Proverbs
Green Iguana
Green Iguana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The green iguana (Iguana)
is a large, arboreal lizard from Central and South America. They are typically about 2 metres in length from head to tail and can weigh up to 5 kg. These lizards have recently become extremely popular in the pet trade—over 800,000 animals were imported into the United States alone during 1995, mainly coming from captive farming operations based in the country of origin. Despite the apparent "mass market" appeal of these animals, however, they are very demanding to care for properly over their lifetime, and the great majority will die within a few short years. If properly cared for, a captive green iguana can live anywhere from eight to 16 years. The oldest known pet iguana lived 29 years.
Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual
Wooran 21:15, 11 Feb 2005
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The green iguana (Iguana)
is a large, arboreal lizard from Central and South America. They are typically about 2 metres in length from head to tail and can weigh up to 5 kg. These lizards have recently become extremely popular in the pet trade—over 800,000 animals were imported into the United States alone during 1995, mainly coming from captive farming operations based in the country of origin. Despite the apparent "mass market" appeal of these animals, however, they are very demanding to care for properly over their lifetime, and the great majority will die within a few short years. If properly cared for, a captive green iguana can live anywhere from eight to 16 years. The oldest known pet iguana lived 29 years.
Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual
Wooran 21:15, 11 Feb 2005
Internet radio streams in WMP and RA formats
RadioListen to Internet radio streams in WMP and RA formats!
Choose from our Radio Tuner Directory or add your own favorite streams!
At the same time make recordings of your favorite songs & radio shows, Absolutely legal - just like a VCR!
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Create your own playlist! DO IT ALL FASTER & SMARTER while you're browsing the web. Download this amazing player absolutely 100% free.
Choose from our Radio Tuner Directory or add your own favorite streams!
At the same time make recordings of your favorite songs & radio shows, Absolutely legal - just like a VCR!
Listen to music stored on your PC now even faster thanks to our "drag & drop" function!
Create your own playlist! DO IT ALL FASTER & SMARTER while you're browsing the web. Download this amazing player absolutely 100% free.
Radio Frequency Identification Devices
This Should Have Been Handled Differently
Joanne Jacobs is reporting that Brittan Elementary School, near Yuba City, is the first school in California to require students to wear "radio-tracking" identification badges.
For the past few weeks, the school's seventh and eighth-graders have been wearing the badges-- called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Devices) around their necks.
If we set aside the ethical questions of whether or not kids should be electronically "tracked," this is the part that concerns us most:
The badges were issued to students without parents' knowledge or consent.
"I never heard of RFID until my kid came home wearing it,'' said Michele Tatro, whose daughter Lauren, 13, is in eighth grade."
To date, there have been some twelve formal complaints filed regarding the devices. Principal Earnie Graham doesn't see much of a problem. He said that parent concerns are "overblown."
Joanne Jacobs is reporting that Brittan Elementary School, near Yuba City, is the first school in California to require students to wear "radio-tracking" identification badges.
For the past few weeks, the school's seventh and eighth-graders have been wearing the badges-- called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Devices) around their necks.
If we set aside the ethical questions of whether or not kids should be electronically "tracked," this is the part that concerns us most:
The badges were issued to students without parents' knowledge or consent.
"I never heard of RFID until my kid came home wearing it,'' said Michele Tatro, whose daughter Lauren, 13, is in eighth grade."
To date, there have been some twelve formal complaints filed regarding the devices. Principal Earnie Graham doesn't see much of a problem. He said that parent concerns are "overblown."
The Science Goddess
Special Ed
In the 1960's, the federal government responded to a problem in American schools. Students who had their complete mental faculties, but who had a physical disability of some kind, were being denied entry at the school door. The monster that is now known as "special education" was created.
At its inception, SPED was not intended to provide services for students with severe mental and/or physical capabilities, such as teens whose "goal" for the entire year is to learn to sit up by themselves. Or students so violent that they do little more than beat school staff black and blue, along with threats to maim and kill their families. And yet, lawyers have made sure that these children get their entitlement to a "free and appropriate education...in the least restrictive environment."
And frankly, these children are getting it while "normal" kids do without.
In Washington, the state per pupil expenditure is around $9000 per year. If a student is in SPED, they receive about 25% more in funding. Why? Because some of these students get full-time aides. While 30+ regular education students are trying to meet the standards with the attentions of a single teacher in the classroom, most SPEDs are in small classes (<10) with 3 or more adults. The more severe the handicap(s), the more adults present.
In the 1960's, the federal government responded to a problem in American schools. Students who had their complete mental faculties, but who had a physical disability of some kind, were being denied entry at the school door. The monster that is now known as "special education" was created.
At its inception, SPED was not intended to provide services for students with severe mental and/or physical capabilities, such as teens whose "goal" for the entire year is to learn to sit up by themselves. Or students so violent that they do little more than beat school staff black and blue, along with threats to maim and kill their families. And yet, lawyers have made sure that these children get their entitlement to a "free and appropriate education...in the least restrictive environment."
And frankly, these children are getting it while "normal" kids do without.
In Washington, the state per pupil expenditure is around $9000 per year. If a student is in SPED, they receive about 25% more in funding. Why? Because some of these students get full-time aides. While 30+ regular education students are trying to meet the standards with the attentions of a single teacher in the classroom, most SPEDs are in small classes (<10) with 3 or more adults. The more severe the handicap(s), the more adults present.
God & Company
I'm Not Sure, But I Think the Seventh Day Adventists Just Called The Pope a Girl
The Seventh Day Adventists describe themselves as "a Christian Community preparing the world for the return of Jesus Christ." They do this not by setting out traffic cones and making sure there are enough Porta Potties around likely Second Coming sites, but by preaching what they believe is the one-and-only correct way to worship. That is, they're pretty much like every other religion in the world.
The Seventh Day Adventists' particular bugaboo is the sabbath, which they believe should be Saturday, not Sunday. They are absolutely convinced that other Christians are making a mortal mistake by worshipping on the wrong day, and point to Bible verses like Numbers 15:32-36 to show how serious God is about this sabbath business:
"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
The Seventh Day Adventists describe themselves as "a Christian Community preparing the world for the return of Jesus Christ." They do this not by setting out traffic cones and making sure there are enough Porta Potties around likely Second Coming sites, but by preaching what they believe is the one-and-only correct way to worship. That is, they're pretty much like every other religion in the world.
The Seventh Day Adventists' particular bugaboo is the sabbath, which they believe should be Saturday, not Sunday. They are absolutely convinced that other Christians are making a mortal mistake by worshipping on the wrong day, and point to Bible verses like Numbers 15:32-36 to show how serious God is about this sabbath business:
"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
FunctionalAmbivalent:
According to MSNBC, female interrogators at Gitmo have been rubbing their Christian breasts against Moslem prisoners in order to make them talk. The prisoners, I mean, not the breasts. Although, to be honest, if a pair of talking breasts interrogated me, I'd tell them anything they wanted to know.
But seriously:
The prisoners have told their lawyers, who compiled the accounts, that female interrogators regularly violated Muslim taboos about sex and contact with women. The women rubbed their bodies against the men, wore skimpy clothes in front of them, made sexually explicit remarks and touched them provocatively...
But seriously:
The prisoners have told their lawyers, who compiled the accounts, that female interrogators regularly violated Muslim taboos about sex and contact with women. The women rubbed their bodies against the men, wore skimpy clothes in front of them, made sexually explicit remarks and touched them provocatively...
It's a dangerous world
by
Tony Blankley (archive)
February 9, 2005 | printer friendly version Print | email to a friend Send
President Bush's State of the Union Address last Wednesday included the most audacious presidential foreign policy utterances since President Kennedy's demand that the Soviet Union remove its atomic weapons from Cuba in 1963. The impact of President Bush's words may be at least as historically consequential as Kennedy's.
Tony Blankley (archive)
February 9, 2005 | printer friendly version Print | email to a friend Send
President Bush's State of the Union Address last Wednesday included the most audacious presidential foreign policy utterances since President Kennedy's demand that the Soviet Union remove its atomic weapons from Cuba in 1963. The impact of President Bush's words may be at least as historically consequential as Kennedy's.
A Conflict of Visions
A Conflict of Visions
Ideological Origins of Political Struggles
By Thomas Sowell
Review by Scott Bulmahn
"One of the curious things about political opinions is how often the same people line up on opposite sides of different issues. The issues themselves may have no intrinsic connection with each other… [Yet] the same familiar faces can be found glaring at each other from opposite sides of the political fence, again and again."
In A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles, Sowell uses a refreshing but systematic approach to explain this phenomenon in terms of differences in underlying assumptions about human nature: whether human nature is inherently imperfect and hasn't essentially changed throughout history (the "constrained vision"), or whether human nature can be improved through education, programs, and spending (the "unconstrained vision," or essentially the vision of the Age of Reason).
Ideological Origins of Political Struggles
By Thomas Sowell
Review by Scott Bulmahn
"One of the curious things about political opinions is how often the same people line up on opposite sides of different issues. The issues themselves may have no intrinsic connection with each other… [Yet] the same familiar faces can be found glaring at each other from opposite sides of the political fence, again and again."
In A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles, Sowell uses a refreshing but systematic approach to explain this phenomenon in terms of differences in underlying assumptions about human nature: whether human nature is inherently imperfect and hasn't essentially changed throughout history (the "constrained vision"), or whether human nature can be improved through education, programs, and spending (the "unconstrained vision," or essentially the vision of the Age of Reason).
The Enlightened Caveman:
The Pen (or keyboard, in this case) is Mightier Than The Gene
As the opening post to this blog, I thought I'd take a moment to describe the setting of this human drama. Here we are in the most prosperous time in the history of our species. The information age is upon us. We are instantly aware of events that transpire on the other side of the globe. We can travel inexpensively to most anywhere and stick a little plastic card in a machine that spits out money - in the right currency, at any time of day. Buildings that rise well beyond the clouds can be financed, designed, and constructed in years that can be counted on one hand. Here in America, food is abundant, cheap, and available at nearly any street corner (even if it isn't always good for us). The days of back-breaking labor are behind most all wage earners - especially the ones reading this. Yes, life today is light years beyond the dreams of our forefathers. Yet, many of the problems that have plagued mankind are still with us, in full force.
There is still far too much hate and intolerance in this world. There is still far too much insecurity and self-loathing in the minds of men (and women, lest my literary tendencies offend). There is still far too much jealousy and pettiness in human interaction. Group think is as strong as ever. The us against them mentality still reigns supreme in virtually all human endeavors. Ignorance and superstition are still paramount among the masses. How could this be? How could we have come so far as a species and yet the words of Plato and Shakespeare still ring as true today as they did when they first fell upon man's ears?
Should we not expect that our technological and societal advances would have rendered the words of the great bard and earlier philosophers anachronistic and altogether foreign? After all, they had no Internet. They had no ATMs or drive-thru windows or cell phones or Wal-Marts. In earlier centuries, death was an accepted part of everyday life. Here I am at the age of 33 and I have never lost anyone close to me. This is truly curious. How is it that the great thinkers of the past had such lasting insights into arc of human existence? Though we are adorned much more extravagantly these days, the only possible explanation is that something must be transcending our cultural advances. That something is our genes.
When we examine this curiosity against the backdrop of natural selection, we quickly realize that humanity has remained largely unchanged behaviorally because our genes have not changed to any significant degree for tens of thousands of years. We have the minds of cavemen, which brings me to the point of this blog.
If we are to take the next step as a species, if we are to render the words of Shakespeare historical rather than prescient, then we must understand what it is our genes are up to and take active steps to place the bad ones on the sidelines...for good. Of course, this is a figurative idea. I do not mean to suggest that we will go in and excise those genes that don't meet with our approval. The idea is that we must understand that our minds are built by our genes, and that our genes evolved in an environment that does not exist today. That environment promoted the aspects of our nature that have been captured so brilliantly by our philosophers and literary leaders, and many of those aspects are in dire need of an overhaul. But this is not a bad news story.
We have a long history of taming our genes. Birth control, monogamy, the rule of law, capitalism, and gene therapy are all examples of mankind overruling genetic influences in favor the conscious desires of human beings. We can, and must, do the same thing with respect to many of our caveman proclivities. This blog is dedicated to exploring this concept. I have written a book on the subject (see the link to "in print" above for more info on it), but it occurs to me that current events offer excellent opportunities to point out where our ancient minds are doing us harm, and more importantly, to point out what it takes to fix things. If we are successful in transitioning to the next era of Homo sapiens, we will not recognize the human characters in the writings of Shakespeare and Plato centuries from now. Let's get on with it...
As the opening post to this blog, I thought I'd take a moment to describe the setting of this human drama. Here we are in the most prosperous time in the history of our species. The information age is upon us. We are instantly aware of events that transpire on the other side of the globe. We can travel inexpensively to most anywhere and stick a little plastic card in a machine that spits out money - in the right currency, at any time of day. Buildings that rise well beyond the clouds can be financed, designed, and constructed in years that can be counted on one hand. Here in America, food is abundant, cheap, and available at nearly any street corner (even if it isn't always good for us). The days of back-breaking labor are behind most all wage earners - especially the ones reading this. Yes, life today is light years beyond the dreams of our forefathers. Yet, many of the problems that have plagued mankind are still with us, in full force.
There is still far too much hate and intolerance in this world. There is still far too much insecurity and self-loathing in the minds of men (and women, lest my literary tendencies offend). There is still far too much jealousy and pettiness in human interaction. Group think is as strong as ever. The us against them mentality still reigns supreme in virtually all human endeavors. Ignorance and superstition are still paramount among the masses. How could this be? How could we have come so far as a species and yet the words of Plato and Shakespeare still ring as true today as they did when they first fell upon man's ears?
Should we not expect that our technological and societal advances would have rendered the words of the great bard and earlier philosophers anachronistic and altogether foreign? After all, they had no Internet. They had no ATMs or drive-thru windows or cell phones or Wal-Marts. In earlier centuries, death was an accepted part of everyday life. Here I am at the age of 33 and I have never lost anyone close to me. This is truly curious. How is it that the great thinkers of the past had such lasting insights into arc of human existence? Though we are adorned much more extravagantly these days, the only possible explanation is that something must be transcending our cultural advances. That something is our genes.
When we examine this curiosity against the backdrop of natural selection, we quickly realize that humanity has remained largely unchanged behaviorally because our genes have not changed to any significant degree for tens of thousands of years. We have the minds of cavemen, which brings me to the point of this blog.
If we are to take the next step as a species, if we are to render the words of Shakespeare historical rather than prescient, then we must understand what it is our genes are up to and take active steps to place the bad ones on the sidelines...for good. Of course, this is a figurative idea. I do not mean to suggest that we will go in and excise those genes that don't meet with our approval. The idea is that we must understand that our minds are built by our genes, and that our genes evolved in an environment that does not exist today. That environment promoted the aspects of our nature that have been captured so brilliantly by our philosophers and literary leaders, and many of those aspects are in dire need of an overhaul. But this is not a bad news story.
We have a long history of taming our genes. Birth control, monogamy, the rule of law, capitalism, and gene therapy are all examples of mankind overruling genetic influences in favor the conscious desires of human beings. We can, and must, do the same thing with respect to many of our caveman proclivities. This blog is dedicated to exploring this concept. I have written a book on the subject (see the link to "in print" above for more info on it), but it occurs to me that current events offer excellent opportunities to point out where our ancient minds are doing us harm, and more importantly, to point out what it takes to fix things. If we are successful in transitioning to the next era of Homo sapiens, we will not recognize the human characters in the writings of Shakespeare and Plato centuries from now. Let's get on with it...
North Korea is getting feistier:
"We justly urged the U.S. to renounce its hostile policy toward the DPRK whose aim was to seek the latter's 'regime change' and switch its policy to that of peaceful coexistence between the two countries."
"They have declared it as their final goal to terminate the tyranny, defined the DPRK, too, as an 'outpost of tyranny' and blustered that they would not rule out the use of force when necessary."
"The U.S. has declared a new ideological standoff aimed at a 'regime change' in the DPRK while talking much about 'peaceful and diplomatic solution' to the nuclear issue and the 'resumption of the six-party talks' in a bid to mislead the world public opinion.
And why not? The DPRK already has nukes. Maybe there's a lesson there.
"They have declared it as their final goal to terminate the tyranny, defined the DPRK, too, as an 'outpost of tyranny' and blustered that they would not rule out the use of force when necessary."
"The U.S. has declared a new ideological standoff aimed at a 'regime change' in the DPRK while talking much about 'peaceful and diplomatic solution' to the nuclear issue and the 'resumption of the six-party talks' in a bid to mislead the world public opinion.
And why not? The DPRK already has nukes. Maybe there's a lesson there.
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