Sojka's Call

Al Fin: Abandoning Western Civilisation: Views of an Evolving Professor Interesting post that loyal Sojkas Call readers will find familiar. This one takes a while to digest unless you have previously read Professor Bruce Charlton or the French Philosopher Andre Glucksmann .   Al Fin highlights the suicidal tendencies existing in western society using the writings of Charlton and Glucksmann as background.  Sojkas Call readers have engaged in discussions pertaining to the insanity of government policies and how they are leading to an inevitable catastrophe either economic, social, or militarily.   Glucksmann writes using Greek mythology and the rise and fall of the Roman empire as examples and to show how the thinking from that era still permeates western culture today.  Charlton, while to me not as persuasive intellectually, uses powerful religious arguments that did get my attention. Check out the link to the Al Fin post and read the recommended backgro...

Let me start out saying I am not sure this blog title is a correct label for the discussion.  The readers of this blog have had many off-blog discussion threads lately about a cross-section of hot topics e.g. AGW, health care, social security, US deficit, Tea Party, etc.  Those discussions have taken the typical left-right, point-counterpoint, data vs emotion form of argument most of the time.  Very seldom is anyone's mind actually changed by the discussions in spite of each persons conviction in their "rightness" and no matter what manner of convincing argument or data set they present. In a previous post Sojka's Call: Democracy vs States Rights we discussed Spiral Dynamics and its relation to the current discussion.  A video of Wilbur was recently posted on a subject called Divine Pride.  Check the link to read the introduction and watch.  While I am having a little problem with his use of the term pride, I believe the concept he discusses is valid....

I am reposting this Tom Coumans article from the Daily Reckoning. The new war??? 1914 All Over Again? By Ton Coumans I am not one for art, statues or monuments. Most of these objects fail to touch me but every now and then I bump into something that sticks in my mind. Last summer I was drawn to the monument in the picture below, which stands on a square in Nevers - a beautiful city on the river Loire in France. I spent quite a long time studying it and I eventually took some pictures that, for some reason, I regularly review at home.                                                             WWI Statue in France You will have recognized that this is a monument commemorating the tribulati...

In some personal discussion threads about the Tea Party and US government corruption and the current military entanglements we find ourselves in my personal philosophy of the proper role of government has been severely questioned by my friends and myself. In thinking about this problem and reading up on history of our founding fathers and their intent as codified in the Constitution, various economic theories, and using must plain common sense many things are starting to become clear. My whole philosophy of what gov't should/shouldn't be is evolving radically right now. I have realized that as long as massive money and resources are concentrated for use by an entity (US Gov't in this case) it will be misused. 1. Our military is being misused. 2. Our treasury is being misused. If they are radically smaller than they are today the level of possible misuse is reduced the same. What does that mean? - a radically smaller military that is not capable of foreign inte...

 This article details the involvement of the Koch Brothers with the Tea Party. It is a long and very worth your time and effort to read and digest.  If you want to understand the Tea Party, where it came from, and how it is funded read this entire article.  There are some key names in here that show up over time.  Remember them and when you read other articles in the future make the connections.  Personally, I have mixed feelings about the Tea Party, the Koch brothers and the agenda being pushed.  I embrace many Libertarian values and much of their agenda.  However, we should all understand where the messages are coming from, who is crafting them, their goals, and who is ultimately behind these seemingly disparate groups that are tied together in many complex and interesting ways.  Strongly recommended use of your time to read and understand.  The billionaire Koch brothers’ war against Obama: newyorker.com

Al Fin: Bringing Up Children Who Can Deal With Risk

And, now this to worry about. I guess even your solar panels would be useless because they would fry. Al Fin: Electronic Armageddon on National Geographic Tuesday Night

Your health is put at higher risk through GMO's due to lectins. What are lectins? They are a plants' natural defense mechanism preventing over consumption by pests be they animal or insect. Grains and legumes are the best examples of plants with naturally higher amounts. That is why so many people have digestive issues with those foods and any food prep involving soaking, fermentation, and sprouting help lessen the lectins you consume. Oh, and you raw food folks - guess what? Cooking reduces lectins too. Now we find out that part of the process used to make GMO plants less desirable by insects are making them less digestible by humans. Companies that modify plant genetics increase the amount of lectins for pest control. There is an article at Mark Sisson's blog that goes into greater detail if you interested.

This video shows a little bit of the race being organized by one of the main characters in the Born To Run book. The vid gives the viewer a chance to see some of this remote area and see another of the main characters from the book. About 10 minutes....

Just finished the book Born To Run . As I mentioned in part 1, Mark Sisson's opinion that man was a long-distance walker and short sprinter was in contrast to this book's contrary opinion that man evolved as a marathon runner to run down prey. The evidence from Born To Run's sited sources was weak to me though I will not totally discount the possibility. The one thing everyone seems to agree with is that running shoes are bad for your feet and legs. I am going to try the the Vibram Five Two shoes soon to see if running in those helps me run with less pain and injury.

A friend gave me the book "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall yesterday. At the half-way point right now and I can say that it is a fun read. The book has great characters and weaves an interesting story from a equally interesting Beat perspective and is all purportedly a true story. In the past 3 - 4 years I have become a regular reader of Mark Sisson's blog . He is also known as The Primal Man guy. Mark's research of current science yielded the conclusion that man evolved as a long-distance walker who can run short distances at high speed. The Born To Run thesis is that man evolved as a long-distance runner to, for example, run down his prey by exhausting it death. Mark's take on the argument was posted on his blog last month. In Born To Run , the book focuses on the elusive and little known Tarahumara tribe in Northern Mexico. They run in sandals and supposedly have created an idyllic society and lifestyle around long-distance running. In a ...

What should every manager know about motivation? The latest studies on what really motivate people. This interesting video explains what motivates the two main groups in the workplace. That would be the people who perform repetitive type jobs and those who have to think. The link is here.... >>> Click

Al Fin: Negative Climate Feedbacks Mock Carbon Hysteria

The current political situation in the UK has put proportional voting at the forefront of the USA's closest ally and political bellwether. As noted in the previous blog the Brits are in a political stalemate between the three parties (Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats). The Liberal Democrats have moved up in numbers and are now discussing changing current election laws to include proportional voting as a condition of their participation in a future government. If the Liberal Democrats are successful in the UK, look for this to become a more visible issue in the US. Without proportional voting, there is little chance for a third party to develop in the USA. Proportional voting eliminates the feeling of "I wasted my vote".

Because British and American politics are intertwined. Elections in the USA and Britain have forecasted electoral sentiment in the other country many times. I will not go into the historical precedents for my statements and leave that to you, dear reader. The recent British election shows a fractured electorate and no clear majority. Does this sound familiar? The only difference in the US is a real third party has not emerged like the Liberal Democrats in the UK. Voter discontent in the US could show up in gains for the Tea Party, Libertarians, and Independents, though those groups, with exception of the Independents are too small and not cohesive. The Independents are just that without any platform, leaders, or unifying force or issue so they cannot hold any kind of power in the US. Should be an interesting mid-term election and look for the power-elite controlled media to keep painting any group other than the Dems or Pubs as fringe crazies who cannot govern.

Come on Harry. This is what we did not like about Bush/Cheney when anyone who disagreed with them was un-American. Now, since you have the pulpit you are going to use the same tactics. Don't do it. I believe in financial reform and like many aspects of the current bill. The bill or something close needs to pass, but, calling the Pubs Anti-American is not the way forward and not the way to keep yourself a job. Driving through Nevada last week my wife and I joked that I80 should be called the Harry Reid Highway. They are paving it out in the middle of nowhere and grading the medium and shoulders in areas that get hardly any traffic. We all know Harry got extra money for Nevada because he has the power. What has that got to do with his un-American remark? I am not sure, but, if doling out money for stupid projects is American than maybe his Anti-American remark makes sense.

Al Fin: Memristor Update and Video

As a Sojkas Call reader pointed out, maybe this was a plot by the Legalize Marijuana initiative org to draw attention to the ridiculousness of the current pot laws in California. A tongue-in-cheek comment, but, it highlights the absurdity of current laws and enforcement. Tom Stienstra, an outdoor writer for the San Francisco Chronicle was busted at his home for possession of marijuana. Though he, his wife, and her son all hold medical marijuana prescriptions they exceeded the limits previously in place that had recently been struck down by the courts. The local prosecutor sent the case back to the sheriff department for more investigation and seems reluctant to prosecute. That will probably change as a public uproar about selective enforcement will no doubt be the next media event. Link to Bay Area news article here...http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_14808743?source=email Tom Stienstra is an excellent writer who has popularized outdoor activities in th...

"With (the penalty against marijuana consumption) merely being a citation, no one is paying any attention to it," said former Long Beach congressman and current California attorney general candidate Dan Lungren, expressing a common idea. "As long as we focus on sellers and not users, we're kidding ourselves. Unless we can do something about demand as well as supply, we will never make headway (in the war on drugs)." Dan Lungren is stating the same thing that Sojkas Call loyal reader, Keith, expressed in his response to the last blog. So, with there a general consensus among the citizenry and public officials that the current marijuana law is being ignored anyways, why is there any discussion against legalization of 1 ounce or less? Legalization of 1 ounce or less would reduce the demand for the illicit drug from organized crime sources since it could then be procured or grown legally. Doesn't that satisfy Mr. Lungren? Apparently not! In Berkeley, CA, Mr....

The state of CA has a qualified initiative that will place the question of whether to legalize 1 ounce or less of marijuana on the November ballot. The disinformation is already starting and look for entrenched money interests to spread that word. Who are the interested groups? The medical marijuana establishment is first to express dismay. Why? Their industry is based on the current scarcity through prohibition. And, they make money selling through the tightly controlled sales network the current dispensaries provide. They will be out of business in most cases, but, the nimble proprietors will transition since those are places of business already established for this purpose. The California Peace Officers Association is next with grave admonitions like “It’s not going to better society. It’s going to denigrate it.” Alcohol has its' downside along with the abuse of prescription drugs, but we don't hear the prognostications about what those are doing to a future society. ...

So, those long discussions about the meaning of life, the politics of defense spending, and Austrian economic theory might actually be making you happier. Hard to believe? Dr. Matthias Mehl, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona has been studying who is happier - the small-talk stater of the obvious, or, the deep-thinker who is engaged in meaningful discussions with their friends and colleagues. The implications are not so obvious at first glance. Could the reports of life dissatisfaction, for instance, after losing a job, be more about the loss of conversing about subjects that the participants have a deep and personal connection to? Maybe. The researchers recorded 79 people and thousands of their conversations over a four-day period. Participants were equipped with a digital recording device called Electronically Activated Recorder, or EAR, that sampled 30-second snippets every 12.5 minutes. The EAR captured not only conversations but also other ambient sounds as par...

In a discussion with some friends we started talking about spending and which Presidents, Party, and time periods had the most and least. One of the factors I thought important was to adjust the total Federal Spending for inflation. From the OMB the total outlay number was obtained. The CPI number was found on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Then it was easy to adjust the total outlay number and reduce or increase it based on the CPI. Remember the US experienced deflation back in the 1920's and 30's. The blue line is the inflation adjusted number and uses the right y scale. The purple line is the actual spending and uses the left y scale. A few things were surprising to me. The US really cut spending back dramatically at the end of WWII. There was no delay at all! Then using those same numbers, I took the amount of decrease/increase by President for their term. To be fair that number was divided by the number of years they were in office. These numbers were sur...

Here is part II with the results. The dough looked bubbly this morning and was very sticky. After rereading the recipe later I see the 15 minute rest after taking it out of the bowl got skipped. After shaping into a ball I let it rise for 2 hours. Then, baked it as recommended in the recipe with the lid on for 30 minutes except after about 7 minutes with the lid off I started to smell carbon and looked at the bread. It was starting to really brown so I took it out early. My oven always seems to cook things faster so that was not surprising. Here is the dough after sprinkling with cornmeal and getting ready for its' second rise (the 2 hour one). Here is the dutch oven I used. Over the years, I have not found much use for this so maybe it has found a calling. The bread after 30 minutes cooking with the lid on. It looked done to me at this point, but, I wanted to follow the recipe exactly the first time. Here are a couple pictures after I took the loaf o...

My neighbor has been making this bread and gave me some yesterday. It was fantastic! I started a batch tonight and will bake it tomorrow. The recipe is at this link. There is a video also of this on YouTube. I will update the blog tomorrow after baking a loaf.

Funny vid on the food we eat... What do you think? Do you like this kind of food? Do you eat this food?

I am getting ready for a trip and will need to say goodbye to my Anita espresso machine and Macap grinder for a couple weeks. On a rafting trip last year I brought the Aeropress manual coffee press but did not have a milk frother. So, I recently purchased the Tirra milk frother at a kitchen store going out of business sale. Today in trying to figure out the right Aeropress grind for the coffee I am bringing on my 2 week trip, I put some milk in a mug and microwaved it for 40 seconds and then frothed it with the Tirra. Then I did a double with the Aeropress right on top of the frothed milk. People - this was excellent!!! It is better (I'm drinking it now as I type) than 95% of the caps you buy out there in retail coffee land. I cannot say enough about how good this is. For a large majority of the cap and latte crowd this little combo with a good grinder would give them everything they need. Wow! I am blown away. I'm sure the Pacific Bay Colombia organic "Mesa de Sa...

There is research supporting the theory that lifestyle and environment can change how our genes express themselves. Studies show that the genetics of identical twins can change significantly due to lifestyle choices. The implications are that making healthy eating choices, exercising, clean air and water, and having parents that made the same choices can have a dramatic effect. Do it for yourself and do it for those children you are planning to have. Check out this Q&A link . Evidence shows that smoking and exposure to chemicals affects our genetic expression. Take care of those genes!

According to Stephen Leeb and a couple other blogs I checked out, Byron Wien has been pretty accurate with his forecasts. For example, he predicted Obama's Presidency before the Iowa Caucuses. I would not bet the farm on his prognostications, but, he should be considered seriously along with other sources you trust and your own analysis. His US economy forecast for the beginning of the year fits my contrarian hunch at this time - everyone I know is so negative about the economy they must be wrong! Blackstone Group's Byron Wien Announces Top Ten Surprises for 2010 2010-01-04 18:08:56 - Byron R. Wien, Vice Chairman, Blackstone Advisory Services, today issued his list of the Ten Surprises for 2010. This is the 25th year Byron has given his predictions of a number of economic, financial market and political surprises for the coming year. He started the tradition in 1986 when he was the Chief U.S. Investment Strategist at Morgan Stanley. Byron joined The Blackstone Group in Septe...

Dr. Gupta interviews SENS founder Dr. Aubrey de Grey and The Blues Zones author Dan Buettner . Mr. Buettner researched where centenarians live and looked for behaviors that were common to the long-lived people. Dr. de Grey is researching how to solve age-related health issues like cancer, heart disease, dementia, diabetes, etc and to arrest and prevent them and ultimately reverse the aging process. His research focuses on the cellular and molecular level. Dr. de Grey speculates that his foundations research has a time horizon of 20 - 30 years before mainstream therapies could be available. Mr Buettner on the other hand has focused on the lifestyles that can be adopted today to promote longevity.

Short vid on how to think differently. Get outside your box! Derek Sivers: Weird, or just different? | Video on TED.com

Short video explaining why we get fat.   Go Primal!

Here are a series of three videos by Ron Paul primarily concerned with the US economy.  He provides some history on The Great Depression. Less than 20 minutes of your time to watch these videos by maybe the only politician left who espouses conservative values. The third video also speaks to our personal liberties and the limitations being unconstitutionally implemented in the name of terrorism. He offers recommendations on economic, foreign, and monetary policies at the end of Part III. He also talks about what needs to be done to restore our personal liberties. Many people believe it is too late - I hope Ron Paul's message is listened to and his ideas implemented very soon. Part I Part II Part III

There is another excellent post over at Al Fin on human caused global warming.  The mounting evidence that, we, the gullible public, have been completely duped on this subject has become overwhelming for me.  I have changed my opinion 180 degrees and now believe the evidence for AGW is scant to non-existent. The interesting thing to me is the rabid reaction of friends who still believe.  It is almost like you are trying to kill their first-born or accusing their mother of a crime. The emotions of belief in AGW are strong and people treat me different when I now say that the evidence is not there to support this position.  AGW is the new religion and people don't want their God/Savior messed with.

A video from the TED series by Ken Robinson who talks about how many schools are killing creativity.  He talks about education goals and that they may be misplaced at most universities. If you have a problem with English accents then put the subtitles on.

This video is from a Yale teaching session by Professor Barry Nalebuf.   He gives many examples of how to think creatively easily. The techniques are deliberately simple to show that technical expertise is not required for many great ideas.

Just got home. The major news orgs are missing a great story in Mount Shasta of a mini-disaster. The power has been out for 3 days, trees are down on houses and power lines, the grocery store and schools have been closed for 3 days and people are leaving their houses because of trees getting ready to go down. My yard has a couple doze ... n trees down. We have had 6' of snow in about 4 days. Police chief declared a state of emergency.

Good blog on cost of energy by fuel source.....  http://i-r-squared.blogspot.com/2010/01/costs-of-various-energy-sources.html

Is it possible that the terrorist who tried to blow up the Amsterdam to Detroit flight was deliberately allowed to board with his explosives?  This article and a Richard Wolf MSNBC report seem to lend credence to such a scenario. Three possible explanations were floated:  First, a turf war inside the intelligence community.  The second explanation was that the attack meant to embarrass Obama and his administration.   The third explanation of the plot was a rogue network inside the US government desired to unleash a new wave of Islamophobic hysteria to rehabilitate the discredited "global war on terror. Entire article can be read here.

Now, we get to specific ideas for 2010.  I am long gold and feel very nervous about it since so many other people are too.  Currency trades have screwed me every time I make them.  What are you going to do?

Wish I had listened to this guy in March 2009. 

The first video was a mailbag review.  Are people pissed enough to elect someone or some group of people to really do something about the bank giveaways?   Should the bank giveaways be stopped?  Does Bernanke and Geithner need to go? My opinion is the the US electorate is still asleep at the wheel and too dumbed down or anesthetized to do anything.  Hope I am wrong. Then Yes, Yes, and Yes.

This is an amazing picture of Northern California mountains with The Milky Way as a backdrop.  The picture can be purchased at http://astrophoto.com/LassenShastaPano.htm 

This music is real....... http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=21928063 Check it!

What are you doing to keep your brain young? It may be as easy as saying yes. More and more it seems that people I know in their 40's, 50's and beyond get into habitual living and activity ruts. They blame it on their bodies (stiff, sore, too hard, etc) or they say it is not fun, or it is too scary - they might get hurt. It used to really drive me nuts and now I'm getting better at living and let live. But, it got me to thinking why the impulse to try new activities is always there for me and I get restless with the same old, same old. Maybe my brain just wants the exercise and is prodding me on to do new things. New activities stimulate our brain and help it continue to develop even into middle age and later. As it happens, yes. While it’s tempting to focus on the flaws in older brains, that inducement overlooks how capable they’ve become. Over the past several years, scientists have looked deeper into how brains age and confirmed that they continue to develop t...