Creative Deconstruction

Music Playlist Debacle

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 20:45:00 +0000

Where do you host a music playlist, your song collection, where it won't be altered by the host?

I go to YouTube, and daily, my playlist is altered. I scroll through my playlist, and songs are missing because they've been blocked, or made private, or deleted.

Where do you host your music playlist?

How to download your music playlist titles and URLs: https://responsive-muse.com/export-youtube-playlist-video-urls-titles-js/

Open Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 16:17:00 +0000

It's difficult to manage contradictions
It's distressing to see data that contradicts your beliefs
It takes courage to challenge your assumptions
It takes humility to acknowledge your human fallibility, and change your mind.

I argue that you've not opened your eyes to the fullest without this.
I've found that people run from ambiguity, and that the desire to escape ambiguity is a strong and hidden source for addiction, dogma, and procrastination.

Closed Open Minds

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sun, 26 May 2024 15:52:00 +0000

To be open minded means that you entertain all arguments. ALL of them. That's when you realize that many people who told you that they're open minded are actually not, because they'll judge you for listening to an opposing political argument, or for lending an ear to someone from another religion.

I think that it's a mistake to think that we can all like each other sometime in the future. That would require a considerable amount of hegemony, and that's the opposite of freedom, that's the opposite of open mindedness.

Freedom isn't rainbows and unicorns, freedom is complex and can be dangerous, and scary. In the woods, an armadillo wanders off into the road, and someone else's freedom paved a road, and ran right over it while freely traveling from one city to another.

Perhaps, the root of many of our social issues has to do with the inability to sit with discomfort. The way that tribesmen had to sleep, with bears, and lions, or giant ants, and snakes around.

Our Western world emanates from a proselytizing religion, it wasn't enough to live in relative peace with others, but it's important and maybe even a compulsion in the west that we make others believe and see the world as we do.

This image isn't exactly what I'm talking about, but it's close.

Is Your Government A Narcissist?

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:44:00 +0000

First of all, I apologize. Writing is a craft that takes ample time to do well, but I live in time and society that necessitates swift communication. The two don't go well together. I'm a single father who also looks after his elderly father, so there will be some grammatical mistakes, as well as composition related ones. Please endure with me through a semi edited writing.

UNO

There's a reporter who's controversial Tucker Carlson. I couldn't tell you why he's controversial, I just know that he is by how people talk about him.

I also heard that Tucker Carlson is on the "far right".

In our ZANY society, if you identify as the opposing party, in this case that would be "the left", it is almost socially mandatory that an individual express negativity for that person. Because if you don't someone might look at you suspiciously.

DOS

There's a personality disorder call "Narcissist". They come in a couple of flavors.
Tucker Carlson has decided to go to Russia and interview Vladimir Putin. Tucker is a reporter, he wants to go to Russia and get Putin's take on what's going on in the world.

For this Carlson has been criticized, and even has had his life threatened by American allies. Just for going to talk to Putin.

NARCISSIST TACTIC: When you're with a narcissist, one of their tactics is to separate people in their lives. They don't want people talking to each other, because they've told each person a different version of "reality". - For example, let's say it's a husband and wife. The wife is the narcissist. She goes to Yoga, and tells everyone how awful her husband is, but her husband is actually a very kind person. She gains sympathy and allegiance from the Yoga group, and they in turn, turn their nose up at the husband when they see him.

The outrage that I see from individuals and organizations for Tucker going to interview Putin reminds me of that narcissistic quality. By no means do the powers that be want you to even think about going to talk to the person that they told you is awn awful, evil (unlike them), no good human.

Going to speak to them could break the narcissists narrative.

Side note: This is similar to how The West and Israel treat talking to Palestinians, there are seldom to never rational Palestinian voices, in the first person on Western media. It's always "Josh Smith says (in a southern twang) 'Now ya, see. What the Palestinians want is...'". They don't allow a Palestinian to speak directly.

TRES

Aren't you tired of this?

There are some people whose senior citizen card was awarded to them a long time ago in offices around the world. Some of these leaders are more lucid than others. Do they understand that the internet as it currently is makes it virtually impossible to do corrupt shit in the dark? Do they understand that they can't tell so-and-so one thing, and tell someone else something different and not have those two communicate about it?

Hindsight is 20/20. When you look back at war history, you can see that the most influential leaders in our past and their crew made huge miscalculations, and you wonder "How could they have missed that?" Sometimes it boils down to something as simple as mass delusion within their faction, due to an arrogance built over the course of constantly winning. Or, to put it another way, they underestimate their "enemy".

There are also huge holes that went unaccounted for. I'll give you an example. The leaders of Nazi Germany, as proficient that their engineers were. As meticulous as their war planners were. They somehow missed that calculation that the whole world would be appalled and hate them for what they did.
In their frenzy of power, and whatever injections Hitlers was taking (or not). Their arrogance was sufficient enough to blind them.

QUATRO

What other traits of a narcissist can you spot in your government? Definitely "Gaslighting".

Learn more about narcissist and see if you can spot more traits: https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-the-covert-narcissist-4584587

P.S. According to the Bible, God commanded the Israelites to completely destroy the Amalekites and their memory from the earth. ¹²³⁴

--- When You're dealing with a narcissist every accusation is a confession.

School and Home School

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 14:22:00 +0000

Oh my. I don't have time to write this. So it will be as follows:

1. What is school for? I think that Seth has a good grasp on this at the bottom, see [1]

2. There's an ongoing debate about homeschooling vs. public schooling.

3. I agree with most things about home schooling. Which is why I take the view that my kids are home schooled 5 days a week, from 3pm to 9pm, on the weekends, and all of their vacation time.

4. Home schooling should feel like art, it's enjoyable (largely), so don't worry about overloading the tone of "school" in it.

5. Everyone's situation is different: (a) Some of us have checks coming to us from the government that give us all day to do as we please. (b) Some of us have to work long hours every day to survive. (c) Some of us have a spouse that gives us all day to do with as we please. (d) Some of us are the spouse that gives the other all day to do as they please. etc.

6. Thus, our ideals aren't applicable to everyone.

7. Those who can lead their ideal life of home schooling, the ones that I know anyhow, are quite idealistic. They'd like to dismantle the current school system, entirely if they could.

8. QUESTION: Is it easier, as a long term goal for improvement of education to get involved into the school system, at the risk of sounding redundant where there's already a system in place? Or is it more beneficial to exit it entirely and start your own whole new method? - Keep in mind the multitude of gears that are interconnected in society with school, mostly parents work schedule in relation to school. You'd have to redesign all of that for a whole new system. All the office jobs downtown, the night shift workers, etc. etc.

Side note, getting involved in school may mean doing something uncomfortable. Staying home provides lots of comfort.

[1]: https://seths.blog/2009/01/super-bowl-laziness/

Masters of All

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 01:12:00 +0000

The tragedy in people who become influential and start a podcast is that they think that their expertise transfers to a host of other topics. Jordan Peterson is definitely an expert when it comes to psychology, and he has some beneficial philosophies. However, him, like Joe Rogan (Although Joe Rogan repeatedly admits that he's 'just a comedian but with like a billion people listening to his podcast) who hosts guest that make dubious and sensational claims, Jordan thinks that he's got the lowdown on politics, and other fields of science.

We've definitely reached a point in podcasting where it's at least the beginning of podcasters becoming the mainstream media. Judging by how many podcasters refer to the mainstream media, you'd think that FOX and CNN would have substantial influence, but when was the last time that you watched either of those? (Unless you're 53+ as their demographic has been older since I started counting in 2003.)

People with Podcasts that need to release episodes regularly need material, and the material that never gets old for the human psyche is bad news, salacious news. The magnetic pull of that cannot be escaped. Commentary like podcasts seemingly necessitate that the world be an awful place.

Jordan Peterson's podcast has started running ads for Buying Gold in case of the coming financial meltdown, and for a VPN service to keep you safe from the corrupt government.

How in the world is any government being corrupt news to anyone, especially someone who is 52+?

Look back to around 2003, you'll see progressives with megaphone and all, trying to get people to understand how the government is corrupt, except that back then many people in America, and the mainstream news, were pounding the war drum towards Iraq.

My greatest ask of any stranger is to become familiar with logical fallacies, and cognitive biases. A world more fluent in those is a world that I want to live in.

Logical Fallacies: https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/
Cognitive Biases: https://yourbias.is/

Listening to: The Architect - Matthew Shostack

(Disclaimer: I would have made this writing shorter, but I didn't have the time.)

Does Art Necessitate Mental Unrest?

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 19:21:00 +0000

Music alone is not enough
And being a film director is too much

It's usually the case that there's nothing that I want to say badly enough to put myself through the labor. There was a time when I really wanted to say something, and I did. But, mental well being, in a way, quells the desire to express myself through art.

Something about art has been about me not being seen enough, good enough, or just enough period. Feeling like enough kills the drive to express yourself in what David Bowie once called "such rarefied terms".

I still make music, I still record music, almost never finish it, and share it with others even less.

There's more to me than being a musician. I do have a love for it, but I need more. I always hated math, I've grown curious about it, and have gotten substantially better. The pandemic compelled me to become a roof salesman and to get my insurance adjusters license. I still laugh at that, but nothing is wasted.
Transferable knowledge is taken from any venture, if you really try at it.

I've heard a guru or two say that the same fascination that can be gleaned from looking at a star filled sky can be experienced while staring at a stone. That notion is something that crossed my mind as a child, but children don't have the vocabulary for it.

I've heard it said that art is a way of life. I agree with that most. And it's probably why one of my favorite types of art is "installation art" it says let me play with life, in the space in which you live.

Anyone who knows what art is, definitely knows... But only for themselves.

I don't know what it is, but most days feel like art, yet I've little to show for it in the traditional sense.

Downton Abbey

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 03:22:00 +0000

The U.K. Version

There's a moment in every episode of Downton Abbey where one of the characters say something that reveals something profound about themselves. For example, from the very first episode Carson, the butler, is talking with the head housekeeper, Mrs Hughes. They talk about how the owners of the estate in which they live and work, are under threat, and their exchange goes like this:

MRS HUGHES
You mustn't take it personally.

MR CARSON
Oh, I do take it personally, Mrs Hughes. I can't stand by and watch our family threatened with the loss of all they hold dear.

MRS HUGHES (chuckles)
They're not our family.

MR CARSON
Well, they're all the family I've got.

[Mrs Hughes is surprised and humbled by his sharp sincerity.]

MR CARSON
(Apologetically) I beg your pardon.

MRS HUGHES
Do you...ever wish you'd...gone another way?

[Carson looks up sharply.]

MRS HUGHES continues...
Worked in a shop or a factory? Had a wife and children?

MR CARSON
Do you?

MRS HUGHES
I don't know. Maybe. Sometimes.

[Someone knocks at the door.]

The look that Mr. Carson gave Mrs. Hughes, said more than his mere words. When he said "They're all the family I've got." it showed a vulnerability that was obviously seldom let out by Mr. Carson.

Then, Mrs. Hughes comes in with a question about regret, a question that we've all asked ourselves at some point, only to be interrupted (as it often goes, in this show) by a door knock. Leaving the viewer wanting to hear them go on about things that we ourselves find difficult to talk about.

The show does this with matters of love, yearning for another, family frustration. And, it reveals how — despite that life at Downton Abbey, 1912 may as well be science fiction — Since, we couldn't live during a time when electricity and the telephone were barely making their way into the best of houses. But, despite the difference in our technological circumstances, and social etiquette, we're still repressed by just as many social rules ourselves.

In closing, should you ever find yourself entertaining the show. You'll probably also notice these seemingly singular moments in each episode, where one of the characters states or asks something so profound, awe striking, or reveals something so intimate about themselves, in a social climate where everyone is usually guarded. And, as I mentioned, we're not all that different today, we just spin the things that we need repress in our social circles differently.

Song of Single Parents

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 14:45:00 +0000

We get ready for school

The time gets closer and closer for us to leave

I start rushing, then I tell myself to stop rushing, and repeat

We drive to school

Will they remember this?

Which day on our way to school will they remember?

The one where we are happy?

The one where I was upset?

They ask me how many days until they return

We get out of the car and walk

My little one gives me her hand to hold

My eldest sees her friend, she rushes ahead with her book bag flopping on her back

My little one and I continue our steady pace

At the front steps I let her hand go, kiss her forehead and pat her back with a smile

It’s the last time that I’ll see them

I tell them that I love them

They’re going to stay with their mom for a few days

They walk into the hall and others start to block my view

A child, a teacher

In a matter of moments they disappear into the crowd, and I walk away

I try not to go through this every week, but I worry

Well, at least my worry all comes out in those moments

I send out an angel as I walk to my truck

I apologize to my parents for misbehaving as a child

I know that they don't mind

I send them, and my grandparents to watch over them

I send the eagle, and the squirrels

I drive home as I calculate if there’s anything that I can do

To give them the best chance at a fulfilling and joyful life

Happy Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 16:11:00 +0000

Happy Father's Day
To all of you who break your back for your family
Anguish, so real to you
You shield it from your loved ones
Like a duck, your feet flap furiously beneath the water
Meanwhile above, your little ones only see a smooth ride

Happy Father's Day to those of you who lost in court
That sacrificed everything, who you are, the path that you were on
Tolerating and enduring an awful relationship
To make for your children, a more enjoyable life
And all to often, only to come out the other end at a deficit
In the eyes of the court, simply because you are a man

Happy Father's Day to the fathers in history
Whom either from ignorance or pride, went off to war to protect their family
Especially to those who were drafted
While others complained back home
About anything that was back home
They were taken, by force
And were left no choice but to go up and over the trench
Into an onslaught of gunfire, and at gunpoint behind
If they came home, they came home from a place which they could never explain

Happy Father's Day to all the papas who eat the shitty banana
So that their loved ones can have the best of the bunch
And especially to those who've done this, and never said a word

Even on this holiday
You want to pick up the tab
You'd rather give than to receive
What you need most is a trusted shoulder
Somewhere that you can be vulnerable, yet still come back as the rock that you are to your children
Does such a place exist?

I absolve your doubts, and shine a light in your direction
That you may feel vindicated for your sacrifices
All the sacrifices that blend into the landscape of your gender
And go unseen

I send you encouragement and strength, from the coffers of history
From your ancestors, that although terrified, mustered the courage to charge over the hill
To face the unimaginable
And so often the story's told
That they did so for us

I see you
Capable of making every day just a little more beautiful, more joyful
For the ones that we love

For father's like you, that is all there is
For father's like you, you've reached the Shangri-La of enlightenment
Because you see your well being in others
When we help the ones that we love
Or even a stranger in need
We help ourselves
For we've seen the eyes of God

-Goliath Flores

Authors note: In all earnestness
I forgot that today was Father's Day
I overheard someone say it
I just smiled at the fact that I had forgotten
For living the principles that I've made into a poem here

I'm a dedicated single father, who's main objective is to make our world a better place. Not just for my family, but for all. Please consider donating any amount via you favorite platform here, or purchase a mug below that leads to this poem. Send it as a gift! Thank you!

2018 Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 16:18:00 +0000

Best Podcast Episodes:

Jaron Lanier on Sam Harris: https://samharris.org/podcasts/136-digital-humanism/

Yuval Noah Harari: https://samharris.org/podcasts/138-edge-humanity/ something on Sam Harris

Robin Hanson talks about people's hidden motives: https://samharris.org/podcasts/119-hidden-motives/

Robert Green talks about "Laws of Human Nature": https://lewishowes.com/podcast/master-the-laws-of-human-nature-with-robert-greene/

Eric Winestein's talks about the fabric of our existence, quantum mechanics, and calculus: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/eric-weinstein-2

Bill Burr's 6th Joe Rogan appearance, funny guy.: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/bill-burr-6

Sir Roger Penrose talks about quantum mechanics and physics: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/sir-roger-penrose

David Goggins 2nd Joe Rogan appearance: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/david-goggins-2

Jordan Peterson's 5th appearance on Joe Rogan: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/jordan-peterson-5

Dr. Rhonda Patrick's talks about nutrition and science on her 8th JRE appearance: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/dr-rhonda-patrick-8

Neil Degrasse Tyson's 2nd JRE appearance, talks about science: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/neil-degrasse-tyson-2

Henry Rollin's talks about his creative process: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/henry-rollins-2

Felipe Esparza on JRE, Chicano comedian: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/felipe-esparza

Michael Scott Moore on JRE, talks about being kidnapped by Somali pirates then connecting with them on social media after: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/michael-scott-moore

Peter Schiff's 3rd appearance on JRE, he talks about economics: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/peter-schiff-3

Duncan Trusselle's 15th JRE appearance, just a good conversation: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/duncan-trussell-15

Tom Papa's talks about writing "Your Dad Stole My Rake": http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/tom-papa-10

Peter Attia talks about medicine and endurance training on JRE: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/peter-attia

Niall Ferguson talks about networks, power, and chaos: https://samharris.org/podcasts/117-networks-power-chaos/

Tom Nichols on Sam Harris talks about people not respecting experts lately: https://samharris.org/podcasts/defending-the-experts/

Best Movies:

Deadpool 2
A Quiet Place
Hereditary
Sicarillo 2
Sicarillo
Inglorious Bastards
Anihilation
Venom
Mission Impossible: Fallout
Leave No Trace
Dunkirk
Logan
The Disaster Artist
War for the Planet of the Apes
John Wick 2

Best TV shows (that I watched. Not necessarily from 2018)

Taboo
Mr Robot
Mozart In The Jungle
Band of Brothers
Generation Kill

I Can't Be The Only One - Clothes

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Wed, 09 May 2018 21:00:00 +0000

This is unedited. Return sometime later to see how my edited writing looks compared to the initial vomiting.

I’m not a cheapskate. I’ve splurged on meaningful things. I bought a nice set of congas, an expensive riqq drum, a hand made custon lefthanded flamenco guitar. For my kids I got a Burley bicycle trailer, an Osprey Poco child backpack carrier that looks like a fucking astronaut backpack with my kid in it.

This is all nice shit. So… What happened with my clothes? The nicest suit I have is my Mariachi outfit. But right now I’m wearing a tshirt that says Daytona on it, and it’s color is what I can only call neon peach. I don’t give a shit about Daytona (don’t have anything against it either). My ex mother in law gave it to me. I’m also wearing pair of shorts that she gave me.

A lot of my clothes I don’t even know how they got there. I remember buying some of them. Once at Khols and Dilards like 8 years ago. The rest is from Costco. Sometimes I go into Costco dressed from head to toe in clothes that I bought there. It’s like if a whale ate a fish, and the fish escaped with whale slime all over it, then returned back to the whales mouth (that doesn’t quite work does it?). Anyhow, I don’t feel bad at all walking around Costco in a full Costco wardrobe. The way I see it is that I can dress however I want, I’m a dad.

One more thing. A good portion of my clothes are old. Good quality, but some I’ve had for a decade, maybe two. And, a good portion of my clothes stinks. It’s this fucking smell that I’ve tried everything short of acid to get out of them after having left them damp in the washing machine for too long. I presume most people would throw the clothes away. But, not me. Some neurotic folks who participate in the moral olypmics would probably give them to Good Will. But, come on. You’re gonna give someone some stinky ass clothes?

So… WHY don’t I get rid of the clothes that stinks!!? I STINK WHEN I WEAR THEM. It’s probably one of those “I was a child of The Depression” type of thing. Everything about the clothes is fine, perhaps a tad faded, but buttons in place, collars not twisted, and comfortable material. My solution? When I’m gonna do something where I’m not gonna be close to people, like sit at the coffee shop by myself writing. That’s when I’ll wear it. It sounds like a good solution doesn’t it? BUT, sometimes in my house the clothes smell fine, and it’s not until I go out into the humidity that the scent of Florida fabric lets loose. (I can’t believe I’m letting you read this shit.)

Anyhow. I think it’s time. It’s time to throw all the questionable wardrobe away. Not curse any poor soul at Good Will with them. I should make a bonfire and toss them in one by one, giving thanks to Thailand, China, the Philipine Islands for their labor.

But, I’m somewhat terrified by the question. What will I wear next? How much will it cost? HOW SHOULD I DRESS? Should I wear my Mariachi outfit all the time? Haha.

There’s a guy sitting at the table next to me who looks like he should be sailing a boat from Yacht Club to Yacht Club. There’s a man at another table… Geez, well at least I’m not doing THAT bad.

I’m 44. I wanna dress 44. How does a 44 year old Mexican American musician/dad with a propensity for culture dress? Like Costco apparently.

It’s time for some new threads.

My Life Story

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 01:37:00 +0000

    This isn’t a story about a man who was defeated by the daily challenges of life. This is a story about a man who fought with everything he had to maintain his family, and to give his children the best life that he could. This is a story about a man who ventured to use his critical thinking when making decisions, and despite any demoralizing opposition, maintained the courage to do what he (to the best of his ability) thought was right. This is also the story of a man who willingly accepted accountability and responsibility for any bad decisions, and was more than willing to rectify them.

    This is a story of triumph despite the pain, and a story that – ultimately – ends like all others, except this one assuredly ends while walking an honorable path. Perhaps facing doubt, and not necessarily without fear, but most assuredly with courage.

    This, I give you my word on. (And can only hope the same for you, to my little ones.)

Not Everything Scales

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 19:26:00 +0000

    One of the greatest misconceptions that I’ve had, and continue to see others hold is that anything can scale. Take Communism for example, I like my household as communist as you can get. I think a communist household is a loving household and a pleasant, nurturing place to live. However to scale communism to include the nation seems a guaranteed disaster.

     Now coming from the opposite trajectory. Capitalism may work in several ways when applied to a nation, but to scale down the same predatory ideology into a household? Well, living in a home where the dominant philosophy is a zero sum game doesn’t sound like a desirable place to live.

     So people still think that because something works at one scale, that it could be applied everywhere, not realizing that merely scaling something, larger or smaller, changes what it is. This seems to be a law of physics. A fly can smack into a windowpane unharmed because of its density and mass, and its density and mass compared to the atmosphere. But, if you were to make the fly 100 times bigger, it smacking into the window at the same speed would cause it serious injury.

I Don't Know What to Eat

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 23:40:00 +0000

    Disclaimer: I'll proof read and edit this blog post at a later date.

Remember Noni juice? What ever happened to that? I thought that that was it. If you bought Noni juice you had bought the ultimate health elixir. I worked at a health food store at the peak of the Noni craze (Blockbuster video still existed and Pier 1 Imports was the shit). People were buying it by the cases. Pompous assholes mostly, as I recall.
    Some people had even become vendors themselves and had a magnet on their car door that said something like “I sell Noni Juice.” But, then. Everyone forgot about that, and it became all about about Acai. The Acai berry it was. “This is like the stock market.” I thought. Someone says buy and everybody buys. I was like “Hey! What happened to the Noni Juice?”

People were eating Acai berries by the handfuls, berry juice running down their arms and off their elbows. They were putting it in yogurt, they were drinking Acai juice. People were buying it by the cases. Assholes mostly, as I recall.

Then all of a sudden I stopped hearing about the Acai berry. It became all about Coconut water, and coconut oil. It was all things coconut. People were chugging coconut water like they were Hawaiian royalty. They were eating it by the spoonfuls, cooking with it. They were eating and lathering themselves in coconut oil.

Today it’s all about the Kombucha. I can’t help but wonder, I want to time the market as to what’s next, who knows? But, if you ask people. Kombuhca is it. It’s good for your gut health, it’s probiotic or something. Unlike the truck and boatloads of all those other previous frauds apparently. This one will make your brain work better, it will cure your depression even, prevent diseases because of how it makes for a healthy gut flora.
    Oh, and by the way, it turns out that meat isn’t bad for you as has been touted just about everywhere for the past 25 years.

Post notes:
• Dr. Ronda Patrick on Joe Rogan's podcast
• Gary Taubes science journalist on Sam Harris podcast.

Alex Jones and the Nefarious Government

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 20:40:00 +0000

[Disclaimer: This is my blog, thus I upload my writings here without much proofreading. However, I do come back and edit my entries to make them more clear and get to the heart of what I'm trying to say in each.] Status: Unfinished (edit 2)

It’s dawned on some of us that Alex Jones is playing a role in his 24/7 conspiracy work. For some people it’s always been obvious, but I can’t say that for myself. I discovered one of his 9/11 documentaries around 2003. It was alarming. It was a time on the internet where major long-standing notions and institutions were having their veil lifted, or were at least being questioned.

I fell for it. It was a compelling narrative. Hell, a hefty section of the population fell for it. But, I fell off the wagon a year or two after entertaining anything produced by Alex Jones when I found a blatant shaping of narrative on his part in one of his inside job “documentaries”. He had edited a news clip in a way that made it say the total opposite of what was originally stated. The crucial seconds that were left out would have weakend his case. “Perhaps he overlooked it?” I considered. But, after having worked on a film myself I learned that there’s NOTHING that is overlooked in the final product of a film. Every edit is intentional.

So, I stopped believing Jones well before he claimed that the mass shooting at the Sandy Hook school was staged. The shooting was an incomprehensible tragedy, and although it was disheartening that so many believed that that shooting was staged by the government, yet their ignorance wasn’t the most notable thing to me. It was merely a symptom of a cultural doubt. It was tree that grew from sour soil.

That audacious belief could exist only because the government (all governments, probably) has behaved nefariously, atrociously, and has even acted against its own people.

Even if only subconsciously we’re aware that governments are capable of things along those lines.

Yearning for Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 05:04:00 +0000

My spouse is a mental health counselor, so that means I partially live in a world where mental health problems are constantly focused on. After having lived in this environment for three years, I've come to realize that I don't have any mental health issues. I would have said that timidly two and a half years ago, but I'm more certain of this today than ever, and I can't emphasize enough at how bold of a claim that is in a room full of therapists. It's almost an invitation for them to prod you. Thus, I've only said this out loud twice.

I was looking at /r/preppers on reddit. It's a forum, and the topic is being prepared for when a part or all of society breaks down for whatever reason. There's something about survival situations that many are attracted to, which is ironic because we live in a fairly well-oiled machine. It's comfortable most of the time, and things work predictably. But, tying this into mental health. For most of human history our problems and routines were laid out for us. Go kill something, clean it, don't get eaten while doing it. Tend to your plants. Build a fire. Fix your shelter, etc. Furthermore, I also believe in the adage that "Idle hands are the Devil's workshop." and that that's a large contributor to the prevalence of mental problems today.

There's a part of me that keeps a bookmark in the fragility of modern society. This gives me perspective on "invented problems" vs. "real problems". I think it's one of the reasons I regard myself as having no mental health issues. Now, before you go think that I'm getting all uppity on you. I'm certainly not perfect. I struggle with procrastination and motivation like anyone, but I usually come through. Beyond that, I feel quite the blank slate. Whenever I feel some type of neurosis developing I imagine myself back in the woods, because a man in the woods doesn't have time to worry about this shit! Right? Someone may say "Well, that's because we're more specialized and sophisticated." and this is the point where our sophistication starts working against us.

Now, do I know how to find clean water? No. My family and I are fucked! Do I know how to hunt animals? No. Do I know what plants I can eat and not eat? No. No, no, no, no. I can play you a song, and barter. I figure when the shit hits the fan my trade will skyrocket in value, because there will be no more Pandora or Spotify and everybody will still continue to love music. Anyhow, I'm getting side tracked.

You have to have time in order to worry about your nose, your belly, your bald spot, whether or not your food has a significant amount of sulforaphane in it, whether or not people understand you and see the light in you. "You know what? I'm not sure if my mom loved me enough..." It takes idle time to get unhealthily obsessed with this or that, assuming you're not fighting for your fucking life in the rat race. There are indeed real problems that people have in our society, but unfortunately the solutions are often abstract. If you're hungry, you want some food, first you have to go to work and do something completely unrelated to food, then sit at home and wait for a paycheck. Cash it, take your paper, and go get you an apple. There's more steps in there than that, but you get the idea.

Hunters and gatherers were born into a tribe who knew their environment extremely well, so their problems were simple. This is what our biology is made for. It isn't made for continual profound changes in multiple arenas. Nor is it accustomed to sitting on our ass as much as we do, so we have to invent gyms to aimlessly move our bodies for the sole purpose of moving our bodies, yet another abstraction. This is why I don't understand why everyone wants their laptop to be so light, "Give me the fifteen pounder!"

So, we're accustomed to having problems, and if we don't? We'll damn well invent some. But, inventing your own problems is like recreational misery. If that's the case, you can easily go find some real problems. Like, go clean your room for example. Cleaning is supremely therapeutic, but many people in such royal positions as ourselves can't be bothered. If you live in my zip code, you're royal in relation to the world at large.

What we need is applied problems. They have to have some consequence in making life, "the world" a better place. And don't let perfection ruin a good thing, I know that procrastination trick like the back of my hand.

During my wife and I's first couples counseling session I stated that most of my problems are logistical. That there are things I'm trying to achieve and there are some obstructions, or contradictions I'm unable to reconcile. But, they're there, like a Rubik's Cube on a table, and not internal. In this case, the only internal problem would be that I'm too dumb to figure out a solution. You can't blame me for being dumb, can you?

So it seems that many people are yearning for problems.

Music In the 21st Century

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 16:06:00 +0000

I heard someone say they're tired of hearing musicians say "There's nothing good being produced anymore."

I'm guilty of this to a degree. Albeit, I've usually loved about one album per year, historically. I don't mind that, as long as I LOVE at least one (and of course not that I heard them all)

What I've found increasing since 2007 is the feeling coming through new songs. As I give them a-go I've found myself thinking "This is written as if they know it's not going to last." There's a feeling of half-assery, that they know it's ephemeral (especially when it comes to lyrics). And I don't blame them if that's the case, because personally I find it harder to excellently craft a song that listeners are going to chew, love, and spit out within a week. However... I've found a bright side to this. My music is getting further away from pop-music standards. Since, after listening to Melanie De Biasio's Blackened Cities it dawned on me that the limitations of radio and manufacturing no longer exist. (Side note: The three minute song format didn't arise because it's inherently appealing, it happened because that's about what would fit on a 45 record.) And, the internet is the busiest street corner ever, people who like what I'm doing are bound to walk by.

The Most Complex Casino

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 22:09:00 +0000

It's possible that I don't know what I'm talking about concerning this, but when it comes to politics it's possible that nobody, not even those who originate policy know what they're talking about concerning its real world implications—as it seems that any policy will have unintended consequences for some group of people or other.

Nonetheless, the overall tone of the Trump administration seems old-fashion in a not good way. Its idea of bringing back coal jobs like it's 1930. And, the notion that one man is gonna waltz in there like a fast talking 1950's Hudsucker style entrepreneur and revamp the whole thing like it's a casino seems out of touch.

Towards the onset of the 21st century, many people online were discussing globalization as a bad thing, meanwhile those who were for it seemed to be the wealthy business and political magnates. Now, the populous seems about 50/50 on it. From my perspective, it also appears that the concept of Globalization for the masses didn't come into awareness through international business dealings, but through social media, more specifically, primarily becoming aware of the world through social media.
I don't think people saw it coming that the consent for globalization was to come through the likes of Mark Zuckerberg's facebook. From social media and the internet at large people have learned that yes, there are people in parts of Syria living through what looks like the apocalypse. People became aware that Chinese workers making iPhones for us started committing suicide due to their harsh work conditions. Through social media we learned that what we do here, affects what happens over there, and vice/versa in nearly real time.

But despite the awareness of globalization, people are still disenfranchised when it comes to the business dealings, not the things that will affect them morally, but what will affect their workplace, environment, and finance. The people can't compete with those whose careers it is to draft business deals with foreign nations or domestically, nor can they reliably affect instances when the military is used to strategically secure a resource under the cover of a noble slogan.

Business as we've come to know it is ultimately about the bottom-line. Even when a business takes on a humanitarian venture it's still about how that will affect its bottom line. I don't know the guy personally, but I wager that this is what Trump the businessman is accustomed to being concerned with, and not necessarily how it's going to affect people. If this is the case, now he's dealing with the most complex casino in known history. The situation is dicey.

Notes:

• A compelling podcast episode comparing US healthcare with other first world nations: http://www.dancarlin.com/product/common-sense-314-unhealthy-numbers/

• Photo credit: http://www.icosystem.com/simplifying-the-complexity-of-healthcare/

Follow Goliath on twitter.

Ridiculous Politics

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 22:53:00 +0000

(And Social Media)

(Image unrelated. Screw you guys, I don't have time.)

When George W. Bush was president I felt like I was locked in a Texas saloon, in a small town, and W was being belligerent to everyone, but I couldn't do anything about it because he was the son of the town mayor. - As it goes with these things, I'm sure that if I ran into him today and conversed he'd seem like an OK guy. When you meet people who've been written and talked about, seldom are they the boogieman that the media made them out to be. You can say "Hi" and chat with your opposition party neighbor just fine, so long as you guys don't talk about politics.

The Bush years were my introduction to politics in media, before then, I didn't care. Those years were also the first to have the internet going at full force. Social media was already born, and more-and-more newspapers were taking to the internet.

Within those years I saw millions protest war while being ignored by TV news, the truth seemed to be on the internet (Between the fat folds of delicious BBQ flavored crazy talk, of course). I also saw the TV turn into a military hardware show while gearing the people up for the Iraq War A.K.A. "Operation Enduring Clusterfuck". Many contradictions were revealed to me with the advent of the internet.

Why am I saying all this? I originally came here to tell you how I'm tired of, but more importantly, how unproductive it seems to point out how "idiotic" and "ironic" politicians are being.

During the Bush and Obama years, the "smart one's" were online, meanwhile the fools got their info from television. But, I've watched the tide turn twice in my lifetime. During the Bush years it seemed the majority of the country disliked Bush's policies, during Obama the republicans pointed out what an "idiot" he was, and now we're back to The Left pointing out the ironies of Turmp's presidency.

I believe that in today's world "All 'great' men are bad men". Meaning that they all have to do awful things as people in positions of supreme power.

But, as for the rest of us. Pointing out how ridiculous and ironic our leaders are isn't all that useful. I realized the lack of utility in this approach during Bush's second term. I even considered that perhaps it was a government tool to let people think they were smarter than their leader, because I was in disbelief at what was happening politically during those years, it was so surreal.

Perhaps if we refrain from being reactive, and conserve our energy for something proactive we can cause change more effectively.

P.S. Check out my podcast: http://atlanticradio.blogspot.com/

(Trump is accusing Obama of wiretapping him - Adele started her song over at the Grammy's performance - Liberals, instead of the usual Conservatives hate Russia now)

Integrity Keeps the Cloth We're Made Of

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 17:12:00 +0000

The above image is the interior of a battleship. I looked for a free stock photo for this post, but didn't have much time. The pic is cool as hell nonetheless.

In case you haven't heard. Donald Trump is the president of the worlds foremost military power. I'm certainly generally Left of Center when it comes to politics. The rundown for what's happened the past couple of months goes like this. 1. Trump won the election, 2. The Left lost their shit while The Right kept their Trump signs in their yard for well-after the election. 3. Protests and some riots broke out. People were protesting Trump in general, and his administration's travel ban. 4. From here, it looks like The Left all of a sudden hates Russia. And my last point is why I'm writing this.

I thought we wanted to be friends with Russia? I don't know Putin. I don't know Trump, Hillary, or any politician really (But I felt I knew Bernie Sanders due to the integrity of his record, and he spoke forthright about specific ideas.) So this isn't about Trump, but rather about: How did The Left suddenly grow a shell that doesn't want to have peaceful relations with Russia? Didn't the "They're commies!" stance belong to The Right for like the past... Forever?

According to Business Insider, they said that according to Fox News, who said that according to a facebook post. Just kidding. According to Business Insider: Trump, in an interview with a guy whose name rhymes with "Oh really?" the interviewer called Vladimir Putin a "killer" to which Trump responded "We've got a lot of killers. Boy, you think our country's so innocent? You think our country's so innocent?"

Now, isn't that last bit what we on The Left have been shouting from the rooftops part time since like... Forever??

I've watched this kind of thing happen a few times within my lifetime. A Republican gets into office and all the outrage and conspiracy theorists arise from The Left. Then a Democrat gets into office and The Right starts making goofy accusations about the president being born in Kenya, and that his wife is a man.

And for the record. The ONLY presidential candidate I've ever truly liked was Bernie Sanders for reasons I've stated above.

Feel free to check out my podcast: atlanticradio.blogspot.com

Commercial Calculations of Human Folly

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 22:51:00 +0000

Starbucks has a "Refill Tumbler" this December for $49.95 in-which you can get a free coffee or tea (one per day) each day of January 2017. I know because I'm sitting at one of their tables and can see the display.

Back in the day (What if the day was actually a year? Or how about a band? I think of some dumb shit sometimes in between brilliant ideas!) my brother taught me all about this kinda monkey business.

As I stood in line behind the lady talking to the guy at the register, listening to how Publix doesn't allow bearded employees, and how the guy hates Publix because he has a beard. I did the math in my head about the tumbler using what my brother once taught me.

At $49.95 a tumbler that's about $1.70 per cup of coffee. If you drink coffee every day you'll save about 50 cents per cup every day. Not a bad deal eh? BUT, is the person who buys this thing going to come in here and drink burnt coffee every day? (That's what I'm having right now, good'ole Starbucks burnt coffee.) I don't think they'll make it in every day, well not most people. I believe there's someone at Starbucks headquarters who knows this. Someone with a history in insurance, I'm sure. And, they've figured out what percentage of people will lose this fucking thing, and what percentage of people will give out before they can handle cup after cup, back to back, day after day of enthusiastically roasted coffee?

I guarantee you that human folly is calculated into deals like this.

Nonetheless, happy holidays!

Namaste motherfucker.

P.S. Feel free to check out my podcast: http://atlanticradio.blogspot.com/

Unparalelled Contact and the Social Web

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 22:46:00 +0000

What we have right now are below average minds to the somewhat intelligent and up, with access to all the information that the digital arena makes available. And twenty years ago or less, only geo politicians and government agencies had access to this kind of stuff. So, here is everyone trying to hammer it out with each other. Dispelling each others misconceptions, some of which are so deeply rooted, they may never be changed in a lifetime.

People who have never been challenged on something, because they were the authority on it within their peer group constantly come face to face with people who know way more about it than they do, and that's a beautiful thing!

-Goliath

(In the news: Native Americans are blocking a Dakota pipeline, Presidential Election between Trump and Hillary is two days away, and the weather is cool and beautiful outside.)

Paul Mason - Post Capitalism

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 16:07:00 +0000

One of the things that sticks-out about this talk on technology’s effect on Capitalism for me is, the concept of Non Rival goods. Rival goods are something like a parking space, or an ice cream cone. Usually only one person uses these at a time.

One of the effects that digital data have had on Rival Goods like music, is that before the internet, if you had a CD, vinyl album, or cassette, only one person could play it at a time. But, the web makes it so that the same song file can be copied, and just because you’re playing it right now doesn’t mean I can’t play it at a completely different location at the same time, as well as a trillion other people for that matter.

Something else that stood out about his argument is: When iTunes had ninety-five percent of the online music market share, Love Me Do by The Beatles and some awful B-Side song from an unknown band both cost the same price, 99 cents. Which demonstrates that this is not Capitalism, but something more like controlled prices like in the Soviet Union. Except, instead of the state setting a price across the board, it’s a corporation. - Call it what you want. Whether it’s a private or government organization in control of it, it’s a form of government. Anarcho-Capitalists and Libertarians beware.

(In the news: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are still leading in the presidential race, Dakota Pipeline is being blocked by Native Americans.)

The Religion of Money

noreply@blogger.com (Goliath Flores) — Sat, 23 Jul 2016 00:38:00 +0000

Whenever I read that some team of scientists have found a possible cure for a disease, but can’t pull it off due to how much money it will cost. I try to imagine a physical or even a moral barrier in their way, but I can’t. I can however imagine a figurative obstacle, but it’s invisible, and in truth doesn’t exist. So, the dominan

t world culture is held back by an invisible being, by a lacking of something invented by humans themselves. Does that remind you of anything?

I play music at a proton center from time to time, and it seems that this cancer treatment is reserved for patients with a lot of money, or those with a certain type of insurance due to how expensive the treatment is.

And, the part that gets me every time this idea occurs, is then I notice how it even gets under the radar of scientists, who are supposed to be empiricists. And, it gets by business magnates. Because, they take the monetary cost of something as a fact of life, as a law of the universe, even though there is no such law except in the imagination of people.