Category Archives: Non-Fiction

PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S 4 YEARS OF ACCOMPLISHED FAILURES.

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PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S 4 YEARS OF ACCOMPLISHED FAILURES.

By Howie Mandel

Here’s a list:

-Your minister of finance engaged in insider trading – should be a 10-year sentence.

-You blew the Asia Pacific deal.

-You blew the helicopter deal with the Philippines.

-You blew the pipeline deal (he’s now trying to save himself from it).

-You blew the deal with China.

-You blew the deal with Europe.

-You invited “irregular” immigration into Canada and the taxpayer foots the enormous bill for it.

-You alienated the United States – our largest trading partner.

-At the G7 you pledged $400 million to Education around the world along with another $180 million to the Global Partnership for Education in Europe. None of it is going to fix our messed up school systems here at home. Meanwhile, education costs are skyrocketing for our youth making university a mountain too high for many to climb.

-You pledged $241 million to Family Planning around the world including a $20 million donation to the Bill and Hillary Clinton Foundation (because they have integrity!). This all happened while you told veterans that they were asking for too much.

-You pledged $2.65 billion to climate change at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit and now you’re trying to bully the provinces into new taxes to pay for this pledge.

-You pledged $300 million to the Rohingya Refugee crisis while we have a refugee crisis of our own flooding into Quebec that you won’t address.

-You pledged $125 million to Caribbean Reconstruction while our own infrastructure in cities is falling apart.

-You pledged $650 million to Sexual and Reproductive health in Haiti and around the globe wanting safer abortions for women while many women in our own country are left without a family doctor.

-You pledged $50 million to Palestine for flood relief when NB had some of the worst floods in decades this past spring.

-You pledged $840 million to Syria for Humanitarian Assistance when half the native reserves in our country don’t have clean drinking water.

-You gave $10.5 million to a convicted…CONVICTED terrorist in a backroom deal that has led to another $30.8 million paid out for three others who say they were wrongfully detained.

-You spent $4.5 billion on a 65-year-old pipeline, and now the courts have ruled it shut down. Now it’s back on (at a delay cost of $250 million) – a good investment for Canada you said? (And KM uses that money to build a pipeline in Texas)

-You pressured Jody Wilson Raybould repeatedly & INAPPROPRIATELY with several different high ranking officials to offer SNC Lavalin a DPA instead of prosecution for repeated & sustained corruption AFTER the former AG had determined they were ineligible for such a deal. You lied about the above having ever taken place.

-You replaced Canada’s old F-18s with Australia’s old F-18s.

-Your bizarre love of all things Castro.

-You imposed tough regulations and taxes on oil from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland but not oil from Saudi Arabia.

-Every new project has to undergo strict environmental assessments…except cement plants in Quebec.

-You said that a proposed pipeline must consider “the intersection of sex and gender with other identity factors” (what does that even mean???)

-You think older Canadians should be replaced. How is -that moral?

-You chase foreign companies (and their investment capital) out of the country like they have the plague.

-You chased our WW1 soldiers out of our national anthem… lest we forget.

-You continuously use identity politics…then complain about identity politics.

-You forgot Alberta was a province.

-You called small business owners “tax cheats”.

-People voice concern over money spent on illegal immigration and you call them intolerant racists.

-We have an equalization program, but you give half of it to one province.

-You spent $8 million on a skating rink (vanity project) when Canada’s largest skating rink is 500 meters -away.

-You added tens of billions to the national debt while lying to Canada’s face about it.

-You groped a woman and when caught – laughed about it (MacLean’s interview) and said she experienced it differently.

-You elbowed a female MP while dragging another MP by the arm in a petulant huff.

-You renamed Fishermen to “Fisher-folk”

-People kind? (international embarrassment)

-You got India to invest $250 million in Canada but we have to invest $750 million in India first.

-You compared returning ISIS terrorists to Italian immigrants and said they will be an extraordinarily powerful voice for Canada.

-You let terrorists keep their Canadian citizenship.

-You spent $212,234 on the artwork for the cover of the 2017 budget report.

-You think Canada is 100 years old instead of 150.

-You spent upwards to $348,000 on food and alcohol in five flights on our government’s plane. On your G20 trip to Argentina, you spent $103,000 on food and alcohol alone. How is that even possible?

-You gave Canadian taxpayers’ money to Hamas.

-You voice outrage over fake racist attacks and say nothing about real terrorist attacks.

-You took 10 vacations in a single year. Who does this??

-You spent a little over $1.5 million on the trip to India that did nothing but worsen ties. Plus paid over $17,000 to bring an Indian chef to India to cook Indian cuisine. And to top it off, invited a convicted attempted assassin to a dinner and posed for pics with him.

-And you’re the only PM convicted of ethics violations. (multiple times in fact)

-You allegedly destroyed the career of one of Canada’s honest military leaders to cover up possible massive government corruption in shipbuilding contracts.

-You invited Joshua Boyle, an alleged perpetrator of sexual assault and unlawful confinement for a photoshoot in the Office of the Prime Minister.

-You threaten to sue the leader of the opposition then chickened out when you realized that your alleged crimes would be exposed in court.

-You offer over $600 million dollars in subsidies to failing mainstream media outlets if they can prove to be trustworthy. You put a union that vows to destroy your opposition in charge of selecting these new “trusted” sources to receive funding. You could school the Russians in election interference.

-You pay off your friends to engage in election ads for you and get Elections Canada to pay for it.

-$200 million to Loblaws for new refrigerators.

-You made public statements of deep admiration for Chinese communism.

-You wore preposterous, inappropriate costumes during a state visit to India, paid for by Canadians.

-You were instrumental in handing WE almost $1 billion for work that could be done by regular already established operations…your mother and brother received over $300,000 from WE for short speeches that normally do not receive payment.

-You have been instrumental in allowing a company with strong communist party ties to perform communications and security work with our embassies.

What moral, functioning Canadian human could possibly justify voting for you?

Well, my answer to this question: All the Canadians who have been busy watching all the “wrongdoings” of Donald Trump!  Why don’t we impeach Trudeau instead?

~~ not exactly sure of the author .ed

Category: Analysis, Blog, Editorial, Non-Fiction, People, Politics, Words

A story about Franz Kafka

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Kim Turner

February 4 at 10:02 PM  · 

At 40, Franz Kafka (1883-1924), who never married and had no children, walked through the park in Berlin when he met a girl who was crying because she had lost her favourite doll. She and Kafka searched for the doll unsuccessfully.

Kafka told her to meet him there the next day and they would come back to look for her.

The next day, when they had not yet found the doll, Kafka gave the girl a letter “written” by the doll saying “please don’t cry. I took a trip to see the world. I will write to you about my adventures.”

Thus began a story which continued until the end of Kafka’s life.

During their meetings, Kafka read the letters of the doll carefully written with adventures and conversations that the girl found adorable.

Finally, Kafka brought back the doll (he bought one) that had returned to Berlin.

“It doesn’t look like my doll at all,” said the girl.

Kafka handed her another letter in which the doll wrote: “my travels have changed me.” the little girl hugged the new doll and brought the doll with her to her happy home.

A year later Kafka died.

Many years later, the now-adult girl found a letter inside the doll. In the tiny letter signed by Kafka it was written:

“Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way.”

Embrace the change. It’s inevitable for growth. Together we can shift pain into wonder and love, but it is up to us to consciously and intentionally create that connection.

Category: Blog, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Story, Words

Them

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by Tariq EQ Amawi

Them: You won’t be able to attend a concert or football games
Me: I don’t mind
Them: You can’t go to a large shopping mall
Me: I’ll survive
Them: You can’t drink at the pub
Me: I no longer drink
Them: You can’t enter night clubs
Me: I don’t go out at night
Them: We’ll tell your employer
Me: I don’t have one
Them: We’ll take it from your salary
Me: I don’t have a salary
Them: You can’t go to your job
Me: I don’t have or want your job
Them: You can’t be in the city
Me: I prefer living out in nature
Them: You can’t go to McDonald’s or Burger King
Me: I haven’t in years anyway
Them: You can’t eat at restaurants
Me: I’ll order takeaway
Them: You can’t shop at large grocery stores
Me: I grow my own food and buy from local farmers
Them: You can’t be part of society
Me: I already checked out
Them: Your kids can’t come to school
Me: I’ll homeschool
Them: You’ll be on your own
Me: I’m surrounded by my family and tribe and all the people reaching the same conclusion all over the world
Them: You can’t choose for yourself
Me: I just did
Them: What can we tempt you with?
Me: Nothing
***
When they have nothing you want they have no power.
And that’s when power comes to the people.
by Tariq EQ Amawi

Category: Blog, Editorial, Non-Fiction, Story, Words

Wireless -> Neural Network

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We really need to protect our thoughts and our privacy. Your individuality and humanhood is at risk. The technocrats are in full force assaulting us and attempting to “manage” us as they see fit (to them we are farm animals). With the current pace that tech is rolling in (with the help of deranged billionaires), we might actually physically have to wear tin-foiled hats to remain free! (but it’s all conspiracy theories, right?)

ARTICLE:

“Our thoughts are private – or at least they were. New breakthroughs in neuroscience and artificial intelligence are changing that assumption, while at the same time inviting new questions around ethics, privacy, and the horizons of brain/computer interaction.

Research published last week from Queen Mary University in London describes an application of a deep neural network that can determine a person’s emotional state by analyzing wireless signals that are used like radar. In this research, participants in the study watched a video while radio signals were sent towards them and measured when they bounced back. Analysis of body movements revealed “hidden” information about an individual’s heart and breathing rates. From these findings, the algorithm can determine one of four basic emotion types: anger, sadness, joy, and pleasure. The researchers proposed this work could help with the management of health and wellbeing and be used to perform tasks like detecting depressive states.

Ahsan Noor Khan, a PhD student and first author of the study, said: “We’re now looking to investigate how we could use low-cost existing systems, such as Wi-Fi routers, to detect emotions of a large number of people gathered, for instance in an office or work environment.” Among other things, this could be useful for HR departments to assess how new policies introduced in a meeting are being received, regardless of what the recipients might say. Outside of an office, police could use this technology to look for emotional changes in a crowd that might lead to violence.

The research team plans to examine public acceptance and ethical concerns around the use of this technology. Such concerns would not be surprising and conjure up a very Orwellian idea of the ‘thought police’ from 1984. In this novel, the thought police watchers are expert at reading people’s faces to ferret out beliefs unsanctioned by the state, though they never mastered learning exactly what a person was thinking.

This is not the only thought technology example on the horizon with dystopian potential. In “Crocodile,” an episode of Netflix’s series Black Mirror, the show portrayed a memory-reading technique used to investigate accidents for insurance purposes. The “corroborator” device used a square node placed on a victim’s temple, then displayed their memories of an event on screen. The investigator says the memories: “may not be totally accurate, and they’re often emotional. But by collecting a range of recollections from yourself and any witnesses, we can help build a corroborative picture.”

If this seems farfetched, consider that researchers at Kyoto University in Japan developed a method to “see” inside people’s minds using an fMRI scanner, which detects changes in blood flow in the brain. Using a neural network, they correlated these with images shown to the individuals, and projected the results onto a screen. Though far from polished, this was essentially a reconstruction of what they were thinking about. One prediction estimates this technology could be in use by the 2040s.

Brain computer interfaces (BCI) are making steady progress on several fronts. In 2016, research at Arizona State University showed a student wearing what looks like a swim cap that contained nearly 130 sensors connected to a computer to detect the student’s brain waves.

The student is controlling the flight of three drones with his mind. The device lets him move the drones simply by thinking directional commands: up, down, left, right.

Advance a few years to 2019 and the headgear is far more streamlined. Now there are brain-drone races.

Besides the flight examples, BCIs are being developed for medical applications. MIT researchers have developed a computer interface that can transcribe words that the user verbalizes internally but does not actually speak aloud. A wearable device with electrodes pick-up neuromuscular signals in the jaw and face that are triggered by internal verbalizations, also referred to as subvocalizations. The signals are fed to a neural network that has been trained to correlate these signals with particular words. The idea behind this development is to meld humans and machines “such that computing, the internet, and AI would weave into human personality as a ‘second self.’” Those who cannot speak could use the technology to communicate as the subvocalizations could connect to a synthesizer that would speak the words.

Chip implants could be coming soon

The ultimate BCI could be that proposed by Neuralink, owned by Elon Musk. Unlike the previous examples, Neuralink promises direct implants into the brain. The near-term goal of Neuralink and others is to build a BCI that can cure a wide variety of diseases. Longer-term, Musk has a grander vision: He believes this interface will be necessary for humans to keep pace with increasingly powerful AI. Just last week, Musk announced that human trials of the implants could begin later this year. He claims the company already has a monkey with “a wireless implant in [his] skull with tiny wires who can play video games with his mind.”

The advancements being made in BCI are beginning to match what science fiction authors have dreamed up in works of fiction. In The Resisters, a new novel by Gish Jen, a “RegiChip” is implanted at birth into all of those deemed “Surplus,” meaning there will not be work for them in the aftermath of mass automation. Instead, they will be issued a universal basic income and have no responsibilities but to consume, to keep the automated economy operating at an efficient level. Among other things, the RegiChip is used to track everyone, their physical location but also their activities, to complete a surveillance society. Of course, the RegiChip, like all digital technologies, has the potential to be hacked.

Cognitive scientists have said that the mind is the software of the brain. Increasingly, physical software has the capacity to meld with and augment the human mind. If AI-enabled BCI achievements already seem unbelievable, it stands to reason that BCI breakthroughs in the not-too-distant future could be truly momentous. Will the technology be harnessed for positive use cases to cure diseases or for mind control? As with most technology, there will likely be both good and bad. Software is poised to eat the mind. For now, our unexpressed thoughts remain private, but that may no longer be true in the near future.” 

Thank you for sharing Bantam Joe

~~copied and pasted, author unknown

Category: Analysis, Blog, Editorial, Non-Fiction

Japanese Ancient Forestry Technique Produces High-Grade Lumber

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ANCIENT HISTORY

Japan’s Ancient Forestry Technique Produces High-Grade Lumber With No Need to Chop Down Trees
The daisugi technique, like bonsai, is a forestry technique that involves heavily pruning the mother tree which allows narrow saplings to shoot upwards.

(TMU) – For people who reside in the West, few countries are as fascinating as Japan. With its unique and striking blend of modernity and ancient culture, natural beauty and urbanism, the country has long beguiled foreigners.

From its storied feudal traditions to its contemporary quirks, Japan is a nation that has been thoroughly romanticized and idealized in the Western imagination.

However, beyond the superficial and orientalist mythology about the so-called “Land of the Rising Sun,” Japan is a captivating and multifaceted culture quite unlike others.

It’s a diverse country where traditions dating back millennia stand strong while fads and trends come and go, and its cutting-edge technological development hasn’t stamped out the time-honored customs of the East Asian nation.

One well-known Japanese art form that has fascinated the West is bonsai, which is the technique of producing tiny trees that mimic the attributes of fully-grown trees. Yet bonsai trees are only the tip of the iceberg of Japanese horticultural and arbor mastery.

read all about this at Source: Japanese Ancient Forestry Technique Produces High-Grade Lumber

Category: Blog, History, nature, Non-Fiction, Words | Tags: , ,
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