Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts

Monday, May 20, 2024

As A.I. begins to take over human artistic functions, such as...

writing books and creating images, let's pause and take a look at why human endeavors in Art have more depth, meaning, and metaphysical properties.  Here's an Art tutorial website for beginners which shows not only beautiful images, but also empathy for the viewer being tutored, and a bit of humor along the path---


In particular, see this clip from the above website---

A.I. might be able to approximate the content of the above video, but I don't believe it could capture the human spirit of it.  Nor could it share any mistakes made along the path to a completed landscape.  Long story short:  A.I. is a poor substitute for a live, dedicated human when it comes to creative undertakings.
...............
Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Toxic Male Energy...on Steroids

 in the forms of---

hegemonic petro-masculinity; hegemonic eco-modern masculinity (geoengineering, a la Musk, et al.); and more.
"Are Men Killing the Planet?"

One micro-example from the clip:  buy your own "rolling coal" kit for your pickup truck, which allows you to blow massive amounts of thick black smoke (while driving) onto hybrid cars, eco-protesters, & such.  [You have to see this to believe it.]  Ignorance abounds.

The macro-examples are even worse.
The System of Patriarchy literally is killing us and our habitat.

The Elites are panicking over a paradigm shift.  They're hanging on to fossil fuels and patriarchy with a death grip.
................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Desertification of almost ALL of the USA...

The geologist, John Wesley Powell, predicted it well over 100 years ago, and tried to get Congress to mitigate it.  Too bad they didn't listen; worse, they (in general) still aren't listening.  This short clip is about geography, ecology, population dynamics, food, politics, and FRESH WATER availability.
It should be a much needed wake-up call for a paradigm shift in USA politics.  Spread this video far & wide, and maybe there's a chance for that.  

We are in dire need of a whole new bunch of politicians in DC.  Most Repubs and Dems should be shunned.  They are stuck in the past and have a myopic view of the mother of all existential crises - ecological overshoot.  Not only that, but they also support and promulgate a destructive type of capitalism which is almost nothing like the capitalism of Adam Smith.

If we don't take all this seriously, then our kids and grandkids will be facing a fairly miserable existence in the relatively near future.  Unfortunately, we currently (in general) are too distracted by bread, circuses, political dogma, and propaganda to fully appreciate what's needed for a brighter future.  Most of us "can't see the forest for the trees".  We're looking at only some parts of the whole, not thinking comprehensively or holistically.  Those who believe it's all being (or will be) handled, or don't believe any of it is a significant problem, apparently are mired in ignorance.  That must change if our progeny and their progeny are to have any degree of security and comfort in the near future.

Much can be done fairly immediately on the micro-scale:
stop drinking the divisive propaganda koolaid put out by Repubs & Dems;
kick out of office the stale, stuck-in-the-past, dogmatic DC politicians;
learn all you can about ecological overshoot;
[Note---  "I don't have any spare time for this" is something I hear regularly.  Okay, but be aware:  if you don't find or make the time, then your inaction contributes to a miserable existence for your progeny, most likely starting within ten years.]
forget about political Parties...vote for those who are ecologically literate;
as much as possible, stop buying junk products;
support laws which are ecologically sound (identifying same is not always easy); 
believe almost nothing put out by the petrochemical industry and/or the politicians who are in the back pocket of that industry;
learn all you can about genuine sustainability.
"lobby" (so to speak) whenever you can for sustainability;
and there's much more, but I'm out of time.  ðŸ˜Š

p.s.  Think hard about the significance of the following to your family & friends: according to numerous legitimate sources, by or before 2040 large pockets of N. America no longer will have year-round access to fresh water.  That is, such will be the case unless we make changes ASAP.  The same applies to the world in general.  If that doesn't motivate you to "make the time", I don't know what will.  Most politicians are not dealing with this in any significant way; instead, they're greenwashing the water crisis.  Additionally, my best guess:  they aren't even aware of the soil crisis and how that will exacerbate the USA's soon-to-be food crisis.  Finally, I doubt they're aware of the extent of the desertification of this country, how much it's advancing, and how such will affect us in the not too distant future.
................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Monday, December 19, 2022

How most billionaires damage the economy

Unfortunately, too many people believe the myth that billionaires help the economy.  This short clip (7.5 minutes) from Wired magazine explains why a "wealth tax" is necessary.  [As I stated in the previous post, the first permanent Income Tax in the USA was such a tax.  It applied to only 2% of the population.  Not long after that, legislators were lobbied over & over by the Rich, and we wound up with the current set-up.]

There's nothing wrong with being rich if one acts responsibly and helps society by paying their fair share.  To get where they are, billionaires stood on the shoulders of society via education, infrastructure, networks, communication, civility in our habitat & relations, etc.  In addition, perhaps they had a bit of luck:  maybe born on third base, maybe smarter than the average person, or taken under the wing of someone with wealth/influence/power.  In any case, there's no such thing as a "self-made" billionaire.  That's another myth.  

Any super-rich person should be willing & happy to help out society by means of a wealth tax.  Humans are a social species, and that includes those in the Upper Crust. ðŸ˜Š
Watch the clip at the link above; see if it makes sense to you.

From Inequality.org---

67%.  Now, someone please tell me how anyone still believes our elected politicians in DC represent the Will of the People.  It doesn't appear they do in this instance.
.........................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Monday, October 24, 2022

This might be the beginning of the end of Corporate Globalization

More & more, people with influence  are recognizing the destructiveness & failure of neoliberal globalization.  It's about time.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrEI2-7Ubiw
😊😊😊😊😊  The solution offered hearkens back to E.F. Schumacher's "Small is Beautiful"; at least, it's akin to that.  Again, IT'S ABOUT TIME that happened.  This could be the beginning of the overthrow of global corporatism.  Let's hope so.  Perhaps policy makers will start seeing that all those "cheap" goods have social, economic, & environmental costs which have not been taken into account. 

Incidentally, the goods coming from Asia are not cheap in price.  Why?  Because the quality of them is so poor that they have to be replaced about ten times more than those made with durable materials, quality assurance, & quality control.  And, as has been shown over & over lately, with great distances come monstrous supply chain problems.  Suddenly the price of an item jumps up because it's scarce.

Finally, corporate globalization must go because mega companies (in general) :  a) don't really care much about customer satisfaction; and b) often evade accountability when they farm out manufacturing overseas.  International Trade can be responsibly done, but the WTO & the so-called "Free Trade Agreements" are an utter disaster.
https://rethinktrade.org/toolkit/hyperglobalization-and-supply-chain-failures/

Small is beautiful.  Let's have an economics as if people really mattered to the Powers-That-Be.  How about that?!
..................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Biodiversity----->Healthy Ecosystems----->Healthy Humans

Here's a nontechnical, concise explanation of the importance of biodiversity in maintaining healthy ecosystems, and how those ecosystems provide value to us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCH1Gre3Mg0

The clip is only nine minutes long.
..................
Biodiversity loss rivals climate disruption as an existential threat to humans for many more reasons than those covered in the piece at the link above.  Am working on a second book, tentatively titled "Biodiversity - the Bedrock of Human Existence".  Have barely started the journal research, but already I can see that biodiversity has deep and crucial connections to soil health, plant and animal health, and ecosystem functioning in general.  Plus, due to critical biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity's part in them, it helps regulate climate.  Everything is interconnected.

Unfortunately, I suspect not nearly enough people on Main Street grasp the significance of declining populations in the wild and ultimately, species extinction.  We're already in dire straits with this situation, and not doing enough to mitigate it.  More on mitigation at a later time.
........................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Monday, July 10, 2017

Nukes and Trumpistas


As reported on Democracy Now, 122 nations have signed a Treaty banning the use of nuclear weapons.  [It's astounding to me that the People of any nation anywhere allow their government to build and possess such weapons.  I guess it's a testament to the power of Edward Bernays style Propaganda.]


Naturally, none of the Nuke Nations signed the Treaty.  Perhaps their leaders should watch or re-watch (it's on YouTube) the 1983 ABC movie, "The Day After" with Jason Robards.  That's the movie that caused Reagan (according to him) to begin the process of re-examining his belligerency toward Russia.  The Trumpistas (Fascistas) in our Gov't definitely need to see it...even though it probably wouldn't do most of them any good. ☺  It's difficult for many "True Believers" to let go and consider alternatives.

The movie starts out a wee bit sappy or what I call "schmaltzy", but quickly becomes a riveting drama depicting the aftermath (in the Midwest) of a nuclear war.  It's not for the fainthearted.

I know all the arguments against banning nukes...and they aren't worth spit.  It's entirely possible to defend a nation without using or even just possessing nuclear weapons.  It's also entirely possible for a People to peacefully force its government to go non-nuke...but only if those people truly have the will to do it.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Friday, August 12, 2016

"Political Correctness is Fascism Pretending to..."


be Manners"  ~ the late, great George Carlin

Amen, George...and Rest in Peace

Do a YouTube Search for the title in order to see the brief clip.  Unlike his others, this one has no cussing... for those who may be offended by "bad" language.  It absolutely destroys the concept of PC...and does it with great humor.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Sunday, December 14, 2014

My YouTube Channel

I've begun posting short talks on YouTube... dealing with topics such as Neoliberalism, Globalization, Free Trade Agreements, the phony politics in America, and several others often covered here.  There also are a few mildly amusing, short clips of me singing, and one of an impression of Henry Kissinger.  I invite everyone to visit.

This video (link below) should be of interest to all Republicans and Democrats.

Here's the address of my YouTube Channel...if you're interested.

Be Well

"Don't Believe Him"

The Nazis in the 1930's and 1940's used exactly the same propaganda tactic as is used by Trump:  repeat a lie over & over, and m...