Duderonomy

Humans have adapted to climage changes before. Oh, it won't be pretty, but there are steps you can take. Honestly, I'm more concerned about the end of work. I can always eat fewer calories. If I can't afford those calories, well, then I'm fucked.

To be fair to the fish, Californian farmers are contributing a great deal. Texas farmers in the panhandle are doing the same thing. You have to take a moment, and look at your natural vegetation. If it isn't tall prairie, maybe you shouldn't be growing cotton/wheat/soybeans. If it isn't a forest, maybe you shouldn't be growing almonds/avocados. Rain patterns just don't give a fuck.

Iwata and Nintendo always sought ways to make gaming more social, rather than less. I'll never forget the long MarioKart play sessions with my sister and friends, four-player Smash Brothers bouts in the dorm room, or playing original Super Mario Bros with my Mom. Wii was an extension of that, and many a drunken Wii Bowl session ended in passing out on my friend's couch. Video gaming can be a more active hobby than movie viewing (one reason I'll take a girl on a date to an arcade before I take her to a movie). But it's tragic that both Iwata and Homer have died. As for human interaction, I generally use my cell phone when I don't know anybody nearby, or during slow parts of movies and TV shows. I find it actually encourages me to meet up with people, since I loathe empty time spent waiting. If I can fill that time with something engaging, I'm more likely to show up to social invitations.

bee

I usually enjoy a good fucking, myself. And that Mother Nature be all sexy.

Yeah, it's a pretty bad deal on the West/Arab side. A good deal for Russia/China. A mediocre deal for Iran. Why mediocre for Iran? Because they're still selling their oil at the lowest prices in the past 5 years. If they had sold even 2 years ago, it would be more of a win. As it is, I wouldn't be surprised if some of their stock is being sold below cost. West gets about what they had 5 years ago, and the rest are empty promises that Iran will never honor. How much of that enriched uranium will be monitored when it's sold? I guarantee at least half stays in Iran. Neighbors get an economic & military competitor who does not honor the standards of the international community. Not good for Iraq or Afghanistan. Iraq can't even fight against ISIS. Iran would steamroll them. Russia and China get a chance at Iran's markets and extremely cheap resources as well as another potential trouble spot for the West to spend resources on. Iran has a dirtsale on their oil, gets some extra military hardware, and continues to sink their money into a secret program that won't do their people much good. If they develop nukes, they either get attacked by Israel or go to war with their neighbors. Either way, many of their citizens will die and their resources will be destroyed. Secular authorities in the U.S. & Russia have been irresponsible enough with nukes, not to mention the kleptocracy in North Korea. Nothing good can come from a theocracy having them. The authorities in Iran have a Doomsday agenda that make them impossible to negotiate with. They are not afraid of death and will tell the entire world to convert to Islam and sharia law or die. Better to kill that nuclear program for good and lose some troops than wait and lose entire cities or continents.

Doctors can't explain it. Dreams themselves are still a widely unexplained phenomena, so experiences like this are even more mysterious. As I understand it, the body has to release a specific neurotransmitter to paralyze the conscious connections between mind & body. When this neurotransmitter doesn't do its job or does it too well, for various reasons, you get sleep paralysis, sleepwalking, etc. On the subject of dreams themselves, they serve as safe simulations of everyday fears or situations. A lot of nightmares have to do with humiliation/failure (nudity in a public space or a test you haven't studied for). Others help you solve problems by doing a deep simulation of the real world without distractions. This is why many artists, inventors, scientists, etc. come up with ideas in dreams. It also explains why sleep is essential to the learning process. You need those dreams to rerun what you learned during the day, otherwise those connections might get lost. The rest of sleep is merely a debugging process to ensure the brain functions properly and has been cleared of excess neurotransmitters. Without it, you hallucinate, get cranky, and eventually just get so overwhelmed with neuronal errors that you can't even perform basic bodily functions properly. I would personally sum it up as dreams are you experiencing your subconscious mind. Hence why dreams can be so ridiculous, yet so realistic. True, but I don't fetishize the subconscious. It's important to listen to it and train it, which can be done with meditation, but it's not the "vast ocean" that some thinkers purport it to be. It makes decisions based on prior experiences and often senses patterns in those experiences. This can be a good thing. My family's experience with the oil industry left me feeling insecure in my oil-industry-oriented job, which led me to leave for the civil industry a year-and-a-half ago, before the current slowdown. That was a good outcome from listening to the information my subconscious was trying to tell me (the insecurity). However, the subconscious can also make erroneous connections, like my often-struggled-with racist tendencies, which are a byproduct of my upbringing and my location. Oh, few are outright racist anymore, but I've heard things and seen behavior that has no other explanation. I do my best to counter them with my conscious will, but ultimately it's been interracial friendships and appreciation of other cultures that have done the best good because the subconscious learns through experience. Dreams can lead you through extreme versions of prior experiences, but that is all they are. And that includes virtual experiences. I once dreamed about fighting in Vietnam after watching Apocalypse Now. It doesn't mean that I had a "prior life" as a soldier. Just processing a virtual experience and the stress I was going through at the time.

Doctors can't explain it. Dreams themselves are still a widely unexplained phenomena, so experiences like this are even more mysterious. As I understand it, the body has to release a specific neurotransmitter to paralyze the conscious connections between mind & body. When this neurotransmitter doesn't do its job or does it too well, for various reasons, you get sleep paralysis, sleepwalking, etc. On the subject of dreams themselves, they serve as safe simulations of everyday fears or situations. A lot of nightmares have to do with humiliation/failure (nudity in a public space or a test you haven't studied for). Others help you solve problems by doing a deep simulation of the real world without distractions. This is why many artists, inventors, scientists, etc. come up with ideas in dreams. It also explains why sleep is essential to the learning process. You need those dreams to rerun what you learned during the day, otherwise those connections might get lost. The rest of sleep is merely a debugging process to ensure the brain functions properly and has been cleared of excess neurotransmitters. Without it, you hallucinate, get cranky, and eventually just get so overwhelmed with neuronal errors that you can't even perform basic bodily functions properly.

http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/photoshop/1/4/6/426146_v1.gif

I don't think it's extraordinary. Just a byproduct of going into a coma regularly. Even the best built computer suffers freezes and restarts. People just cling to the idea that their own brain is perfect in every way, so they scramble for explanations when it lets them down. I also don't think it's a sign of mental illness, but I'm not a psychologist. I've never seen anything to indicate that it's more than a quirk of biology.

I've felt the same experiences on my own without meditation. I can spend four to five hours just sitting in place looking at nothing, not counting the six hours a day I can spend looking at a blank computer screen and writing. However, this is more a quirk of neurobiology, rather than any spiritual significance. The mind is built to simulate real-life situations for planning and abstracting physical processes. Professionals like engineers use it to test their designs, while athletes like football players use it to memorize plays. Some are just better at controlling this capability, while others require triggers for it to work. It helps if you can use this ability for your own benefit, but that usually requires training, which requires effort which is something the subconscious is built to avoid. People underestimate the creativity required for "dry" subjects like accounting and coding, in my opinion, while they overestimate the creativity in Hollywood movies. We're built to be drawn to those narratives, and it just takes time and sensitivity to edit them enough for sale. Understanding why a line of programming is important for you takes real discipline and brainpower.

Zero. Greece can not be tossed out under the TEU/TFEU, it may voluntarily leave though. ^This is the main source of drama, and the main reason I think everyone should strive to resolve the crisis ASAP. The longer Greece remains in the euro without some sort of bailout, the more damage their economy will receive. Time is NOT on the Greeks side, despite their politicians beliefs to the contrary. Dragging this out will not get them a better deal and will implode their own economy for years to come. The following cover page says it all. It roughly translates to "Give me money or I'll shoot myself". http://i0.wp.com/hellenicinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20150702_handels1_0.jpg

Actually only tried pot once. It made me paranoid. Would not try again. Plus that was a couple years after my sleep paralysis experiences so it had nothing to do with them. Other than that my drugs have been caffeine and alcohol. I'm a raging caffeine addict. I keep caffeine pills for trips away from home, just in case I can't get coffee. Better than going through the detox process. I've never been on psychological pharmaceuticals and manage my imbalances on my own. Different people have different mind spaces, and I've always been drawn to weird cultural products. Movies like Heavy Metal, shows like Aeon Flux, music like Parliament, and books like Neverwhere. I get vivid experiences from books and creative writing. They also give me more control over my experience than most psychedelics could ever offer. I'm only interested in DMT because it is a natural compound in the human body, seems to have consistently positive results, and does not appear to alter brain function. If you sleep, you have been on DMT. It's also the likely culprit behind near-death experiences. I understand what you're trying to imply, but it's likely you have less DMT or some other neurotransmitter than I do. Not a bad thing. Just don't automatically dismiss a strange experience because you didn't have it. We all are operating within the limitations of our wetware. Mine gives me the ability to save up more money than more physically-oriented people. Why spend a lot of money when my mind space has a better experience to offer? Because some suit is trying to sell me something?

Strong evidence suggests DMT may be present in all living things, with speculation that it plays some role in dreaming. It seems to be produced in the pineal gland of the mammal brain, but it's purpose is unknown. I've always had quite an interest in that myself and wish more was known about it. Quite a bit has been discovered in recent years now that the drug wars are trailing off. There are also ayahuasca retreats in Peru that I've been curious about, but don't really have time to participate in. They require a lot of commitment and aren't for a simple weekend getaway. I suspect that a lot of psychics, spiritualists, etc. have an elevated level of DMT in the brain (or at least the ones that aren't outright con artists). Many of the experiences, as described, are also similar to descriptions of Buddhists' astral projections. While I don't hold that this gives those trips special revelations about the real world (since the human brain is quirky), it can illuminate basic schematic assumptions about the world that just aren't true. Most of what society projects as reality is fabricated. The cultural ideas of wealth, happiness, and drama are built for the good of certain segments of society, not the benefit of the individual or society as a whole. It's why I prefer experiences that build relationships (like writing, martial arts, and dancing) over experiences that build the socially-built ego (like trips around the world or network television). I'll compromise for special relationships (like inefficient hunting with my dad and brother-in-law), but I generally don't spend a lot of resources on those activities.

I've had it twice. First time was a euphoric experience were I was paralyzed in bed but felt something similar to religious experiences I had in childhood (although I was an agnostic adult at the time). It's the main reason I've been interested in DMT experiences since they sound astonishingly similar (minus the hallucinations). Second time I felt a crushing weight on my chest, but didn't really get the feeling of an entity nearby. Of course, I had heard of sleep paralysis by then, so my mind wasn't grasping for explanations. My sleeping life has always been rather...exciting. As a kid, I would regularly sleepwalk around the house, disrobe, and watch TV turned to static. I never knew where I would wake up. In college, my roommate said I talked in my sleep, but it was nonsensical.

I agree with the goals you listed, Antonio, but I have a different view on anger than you do. Anger, when justified, motivates change. While it should not be manifested violently, it's an indicator that something, somewhere in your brain is not happy with the status quo. So anger means you need to try to shakeup what is happening around you, by either expressing it or acting to change it. Greece has elicited anger because its behavior matters, both to Europe and the U.S. "The opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference." If this were a S. American or African country, it would not create the controversy that Greece has. It's sad that Greeks will suffer privation, but they have given no indicator that they want to become a productive member of the euro. You cannot expect someone to invest in a country with no plan to grow. I believe Greece can contribute a lot to Europe, but they need to do so through industry, not through constant panhandling. Sometimes, the best thing a country can get is a kick in the pants to get moving. The world is a harsh place and products come from work, not magical thinking.

That is a nice video visualizing a simplistic explanation. This is actually a perfect explanation. It also explains why the current global capitalism, debt based system can only ultimately fail. *snip* Yes. And that is the whole idea of capitalism. Unfortunately, the entire system relies on someone, somewhere being in debt. Or exploitation. But to add to that, many of the worlds currencies are still pegged to the US dollar, which in turn is quite literally backed by absolutely nothing but faith in the US Federal Reserve. It's this faith the Fed that has propped up economic expansion across the globe since WW2 and made the US dollar the global reserve currency. Only the Euro really competes these days, and given the disaster in Europe, makes that point kinda meaningless if it is indeed the fate of the EU to collapse. Now the problem with this is the fact that the Fed has been historically terrible at their job, specifically predicting the future, and the US as a whole still can't get it's debt under control and likely won't in the foreseeable future. If things continue the way they are, faith in the Fed will disappear. And what happens then? It almost makes me wonder how we've managed make the world go round on nothing but faith for so long. You make it a point that debt is not bad, so long as the debt is used to create growth. Which is the problem. It's blind faith in this idea that everything will just keep growing. But in a finite world, that's physically impossible. *snip* This or something similar is definitely within reason for the future. But I question whether we can make it to that point without fucking ourselves first. Armageddon has been predicted every year for thousands of years. The world is far more resilient than we'd like to believe. And, for that matter, so is Greece. Anybody have a prediction on how long it'll take Greece to right itself?

That is a nice video visualizing a simplistic explanation. This is actually a perfect explanation. It also explains why the current global capitalism, debt based system can only ultimately fail. *snip* Yes. And that is the whole idea of capitalism. Unfortunately, the entire system relies on someone, somewhere being in debt. Or exploitation. But to add to that, many of the worlds currencies are still pegged to the US dollar, which in turn is quite literally backed by absolutely nothing but faith in the US Federal Reserve. It's this faith the Fed that has propped up economic expansion across the globe since WW2 and made the US dollar the global reserve currency. Only the Euro really competes these days, and given the disaster in Europe, makes that point kinda meaningless if it is indeed the fate of the EU to collapse. Now the problem with this is the fact that the Fed has been historically terrible at their job, specifically predicting the future, and the US as a whole still can't get it's debt under control and likely won't in the foreseeable future. If things continue the way they are, faith in the Fed will disappear. And what happens then? It almost makes me wonder how we've managed make the world go round on nothing but faith for so long. You make it a point that debt is not bad, so long as the debt is used to create growth. Which is the problem. It's blind faith in this idea that everything will just keep growing. But in a finite world, that's physically impossible. Ah, yes, the zero sum game. That can be a rational belief, but I don't hold to it. There's still a lot of efficiency to be wrung out of the ol' world yet. First will be a revolution in automated transportation. Then renewables. Then lab-grown food. Finally, upload to the interwebz and log out of the real world. After that, growth will be intellectual resources, rather than physical. And all will consume far less energy than we consume now. We've already seen a revolution in entertainment. Experiences that you had to get at inefficient paintball ranges and laser tag venues are now a download away. The electricity used by games is far less than the energy required to maintain old forms of entertainment. You could never imagine a free bowling alley or golf course, but I can have an unlimited simulation of both at home for some electricity and an internet connection. $1 for a mobile game can give more engagement than $12 at a movie theatre. I don't even bother going to theatres anymore unless it's with someone else. When parcels no longer require a meatbag to escort them from Point A to Point B, you'll see a lot of grocery and retail stores shut their doors. At the same time, the middleman and transport costs of products (which can make for half of the retail price) will drop drastically. Restaurants, cafes, and bars will do better, since people will still need places to congregate and their grocery costs will drop.

That is a nice video visualizing a simplistic explanation. This is actually a perfect explanation. It also explains why the current global capitalism, debt based system can only ultimately fail. Not all debt is bad. Debt incurred to create greater returns is actually good. For a person, a loan for a modest car, a professional degree, or even a modest house is not bad. The car & degree can get you a better job; the house allows you to save some of the money you're already spending on rent. Luxury creates bad debt. Unfortunately, some people have a hard time distinguishing luxuries (like a Lexus or liberal arts degree) from opportunities (like a Civic or Engineering degree), which isn't helped by industries that are determined to make their products look like opportunities. I took out a loan for my vehicle (which got me to good jobs in Louisiana and Houston and I paid off early) as well as my house (which has a much lower payment than my last apartment and has a rate so low, I'm better off investing in the stock market than paying it off). For a country, anything that promotes trade and efficiency can be worth the debt to pay for it. Things like renewable electricity, transportation, and useful education are worthwhile. Indefinite subsidies to workers and industries are not.

Dumb what down? The Greek financial crisis? Long story short, Greece has been living on borrowed money ever since adopting the Euro. They thought it was acceptable because their GDP kept growing, but in reality that is meaningless when your government is being funded by other countries. Being funded by other countries isn't a complete problem. It depends on what those funds are being used for. Like you said, pensions, military, and many of the other programs did not help Greece. They could have built ports, highways, and rail systems. Or universities and hospitals. The first would have made them a trade hub. The second would have made them a student/expat pensioner hub. Both would have made them money.

If it's one thing Americans can relate to, it's credit cards. Oh, we don't understand credit cards, but we can relate to them.

Germany issued a credit card to Greece, who had a bunch of other credit cards that Germany didn't know about. These other credit cards were issued by other EU countries, like Italy, Ireland, and Spain. Those countries had their own credit cards with Germany and were barely making their minimums, but Greece was paying them extra so there was no problem. Four or five years ago, Greece realized they couldn't make their minimum payment so they cried to Germany about it. Worried that these other countries would all stop paying their credit card bills because of the money lost in Greece, Germany convinced the IMF and the EU to take over all of the credit cards in exchange for control over Greece's spending. Greece didn't like that, so they went to the mall with their new EU & IMF credit cards and went to some restaurants and bought some movies. When they got home to watch the movies, the lights went out because they hadn't paid their IMF bill. Now Greece wants lower minimum payments and more credit cards, but wants to keep eating at restaurants and buying movies. They even had a vote to verify it. Germany doesn't think this is a good idea and just wishes it had never issued the cards in the first place. I posted this on the OWF, but I know some people are more visual and don't visit the OWF. The raccoon is Germany. The cat is Greece. The oar is austerity. http://www.vgcats.com/comics/images/051024.jpg

I still think that both Greeks and Puerto Ricans could do better with the student/geriatric solution. Court universities and retirees from the States or Europe. Get student loan and social security money. Profit!

Two things Greeks need to keep in mind: 1. I'm sure the creditor nations understand they need to take a haircut on their loans (aka they know it won't all be paid back). This was in their original package and 2. Their situation will not get better if they do not change their policies. They have the most generous pensions in the EU with the worst tax base in the EU. The sooner that stops, the better for Greece. If they changed their policies and let their finances get some stability (not growth, but stability), then companies would start investing and creating jobs. Uncertainty is poison for job markets. The referendum means #2 is not happening. Any money going to Greece without a policy change will not improve their situation and only worsen the rest of the EU. Lots of people criticized the EU for not having any teeth. Time to develop some. The joke is that Tsipiras thinks this gives him some moral obligation to continue to steal from the EU.

http://i.imgur.com/f4dnOFM.jpg -Not seen is Vietnam: "Wat is manual?"