How Close Are We to Relocating Humanity to Another Planet?

What would it take?:

• Finding a planet that has what we need to survive, at least short term while we look for something permanent. At least a rogue planet.
• We would have to have a large carrier ship that could carry us safely thru space.
• We’d need the energy to travel and sustain the people on the ship and planet.
• And a route that limits things like light speed, time and distance. And it’s only on sci fi shows that we can find, let along travel thru worm holes.
• We’d need a planet that had day and night, warm and cold seasons, clean water, a sun, the right atmosphere, gravity, and places to grow food. As well as places where we could either place a bio-sphere or build habitats for the residents. Before they got there, preferably.
• A large crew of scientists, architects, engineers and construction people who would live really rough for years to create the habitats we’d need. Who could adapt to the difference between earth building and the new planet.

….. Are we there yet Ma and Pa?

Nope, sorry! We’re still waiting for our alien overlords to come get us!

So Many of Modern Music’s Icons/Trendsetters Are Gone

Today those of us who look back at where today’s music comes from and who started it can only rely on albums and classic radio to hear them. So many have died and today we lost yet another one (Jerry Lee Lewis – RIP).

And with few innovations or new genres in music, we have to wonder if anyone can take over their thrones and carry their scepters.

What will come next? If anything?
Is there any novel approach to music? Is there something that excites you?

Or do we mourn music? And lay wreaths? Most artists who lay the groundwork for 20-21st C music are gone. But not forgotten?

Too Many Chances to Vote and None Taken?

Yesterday in Ontario, we had the municipal elections. We voted for our mayor, city councillors, and school board members.

Much as the bigger ones collect the interest of nat’l and internat’l news, sometimes I think these elections are the hardest. We don’t get all the views and experience of the candidates. So it’s pretty much hit or miss.

But the numbers are higher for voter turn out than for provincial elections. By @6%. Where we have party platforms and debates to guide us.

Local elections do give us the opp to attend town council and school board meetings. While in Ontario, we’d have to live close to Toronto or Ottawa to actually attend. Or follow the coverage on media. But we wouldn’t get a Q&A opp like locals give us. We have to rely on news agents to ask the hard questions we want to know.

But I think we fly by the seat of our pants when it comes to voting. Cuzz IDK about you, but I don’t think many people are into watching hours of politicians bickering to try and get what they really mean.

What do you think?

Types of Gods & Temples

Gods

on the mantle – Of the available gods, the people divided them into personal ones that they put in their own homes and saw as being for themselves and/or their families.

Ancestor worship came before divine hierarchies did.

in the temple – The priests and sycophants chose which gods were meaningful to the purpose of the group and their belief/story. There were temples for singular gods and themed ones such as fertility, mystery and death cults.

the city guardians – A god or two were chosen to protect the city to connect the citizens.

the empires – armies marched in the name of their protective gods and converted captured people to these gods.

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Fertility – the gods were rotund and usually emphasized the parts they were symbolizing such as breasts, buttocks, male and female genitalia.

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Temples – were often for men or women. Male priests led the group. But in women’s temples there were also head priestesses and goddesses were chosen vs gods.

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Rites of passage – birth (acceptance into the temple), death (remains were buried twice – in early days after the birds had picked their bones clean), wedding ceremonies (to bless the union, hoping for progeny).

As time went on, young people were received into the temple as members. Seen as mature.

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Was it superstition? Or were they trying to anthropomorphize the divine to make them more accessible for the sycophants?

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How many of the gods and darker spirits were to keep control of the members and children?

Stone Markers

We know the people came here. They used something to lever a big stone up. And it’s still standing today. Imagine that. How were they able to secure it?

What was it for?

Some say it was to mark the passing of the sun. Some say they let the people know where shelter and food were known to be. Some say there was a cache underneath. And some say once someone important was buried underneath, after their bones were picked clean by the vultures. But without lifting the stone, we’ll never know for sure.

People say there used to be a village nearby. But though many have searched, we have yet to find it. Is that why they put the stones there? As some form of early map? Like we use road signs now? Something those in the know would perhaps count paces from so a traveller would know where to find the people? But maybe they’d have to know the correct number and direction to go in?

Did they sing and dance, did they pray as they raised the stones? Did they celebrate when the job was done? Probably. So many have been raised, there was obviously some meaning attached to them.

Were they superstitious people, or practical ones? Did they mourn as if it was a god if the stone shattered as they tried to raise it? Or just wail a little because they were tired, after spending all day working at this. Only to watch it destroyed.

Why this number of stones?

Was there something significant about the layout, the number?

What could these formations mean? Spread over continents, eerily similar in their formations and types of surroundings.

Will we ever know?
Are you asking me??

There’s a story though that if you stand in the circle at just the right moment, in the right season, time will be changed for you.

New Course I’m Taking – Simultaneous, Separate Evolution in the World

It’s really hard to know:

• when the early people had interaction with each other.
• What was cellular, genetic intelligence.
• Or what was necessity.

Thousands of miles apart and an ocean in between, with little possibility they could have met,

• the Sami and Plains Indians lived in similar structures they could carry on their scavenging trips.
• many groups of people used chert or obsidian to make weapons and tools
• granaries came into being in Asia, Africa, and North America in the same period along with weir dams and early irrigation methods
• when they became more sedentary, they started burying their dead and many lived in pit-houses
• and clans developed hierarchies. Head warriors, shamans, chiefs, and elders.
• surplus was given as gifts in potlaches or traded/bartered to get what they needed for their group with neighbours.

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And believe it or not, the ancestor people of Europe were seen as poor and often were the last peoples who did things.

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It’s something that should be known and taught if you want to develop a more anti-racist view of the world, and possibly debunk the need for colonialism. Other societies were doing better than European ones were. Consistently. Isn’t that interesting?

They weren’t perfect, but by every marker in history, anthropology and archaeology, they were more advanced.

Wow!

A Global History of Architecture

Villages of Bison Hunters (a story)

Villages of Bison Hunters

The day had arrived. The scouts just ran in to tell the chief of the village that the bison were on their way.

The warriors ran to the cliff and hid near the top, ready to direct the herd if they veered off for some reason. And the women and other men went to the bottom of the cliff. To sharpen their knives and other tools that treated the meat and skins when the animals were safely dead.

Everyone was half excited, half afraid. Maybe they weren’t ready to do the work, but they were ready to taste the meat. Times had been getting lean recently and they wanted some food.

While they were waiting, some of the younger ones at the bottom were playing a quiet game of kick-about with a few of the older skulls. Trying not to giggle and shout so the front animals didn’t know they were ahead and veer off.

Finally, the warriors at the top felt the earth shake a little as the herd got closer. And they sent the signal to everyone to be quiet and still…. waiting…. waiting….

And the shaking grew. And the thunder of the bison hooves grew. Till finally the warriors at the top saw the first animals coming.

It was time. Everyone was in place and the herd was coming in the right direction.

Silent prayers went up and the people tensed. Ready to direct the animals toward the cliff.

They would eat tonight.

UNESCO site

Qs – OK so you are ALLOWED an opinion…. Does that mean you are ENTITLED to one??

When is what you have to say important to someone (besides you that is)?

Are you allowed to spew hate and threats?

Are you allowed to control others’ actions because of your opinions?

If you express your thoughts, can someone respond critically? Can they push back?

Does this change if you’re a celebrity?

Does this change if yes you’re a doctor or scientist, but that’s not your field?

Does that change if you’re a govt member? But that’s not your portfolio?

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That is the gist of many discussions online. Esp since 2020.

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Around your supper table, you and your family/friends discuss the news of the day. You might bring it up with the cashier or taxi driver as social chitchat….You might be in some social change group and this is the hot topic…. You might be in a class and the prof/teacher brings it up as a way to make old theory/philosophy current….

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But when is it your God given right to speak up and must others listen?

Twitter feud starting

The TERFs (JKRowling) are raining down on poor Graham Norton who basically told them he has no opinion or right to one even. And they should be accountable for what they say.

TimesRadio- video of interview

What do you think?

Emergency Act Hearing Begins in Ottawa

Today the hearing on whether or not the Emergency Act was needed began in Ottawa.

a brief

The protest was in Ottawa (core was taken over) , blockades at the Canada-U.S. border in Windsor (bridge to USA was blocked) , Ont.. Emerson, Man. and Coutts (the roads in/out of town was blocked/no traffic could get thru, including emergency services – fire, police, ambulance) , Alta. It developed beyond a local issue into a nat’l one and affected relations and security issues between Canada and USA, since it was at 2 border crossings. And was taking place in 3 provinces. Plus there were protests in many cities and towns that were threatening kids and health care workers, were taking place outside hospitals and affecting patient safety as well as workers. HCWs were encouraged to wear street clothes rather than uniforms when coming to/from work for their own safety. That was the context.

• The Feb CONVOY affected trade, commerce, community safety, esp for seniors and disabled. It doesn’t really matter what their intention was or how peaceful it was considered to be. There was constant noise and disruption for 3 weeks.
• 911 services being disrupted which was a high risk to life.
• In the MOU, the organizers threatened the life and safety of the sitting Prime Minister. In Sept (just months prior) there had been a nat’l election.
• funds were coming from outside Canada to support the overthrow of our duly elected and sitting govt. The govt at that time was a minority and needed at min one other party to agree to enact ANY legislation. It wasn’t plausible to claim we had a dictator in charge.

Other countries were influencing our nat’l reputation and autonomy as well as our reputation.

Seems like cause to me. How about you?

The Act

• the military of Canada (planes) was only used to transport police officers.
• the federal police were only involved as advisors.

Qs – When your hero falls, how big is the splat?

The short answer is: depends how high up they were, how big their fan base is, and what they did?

The longer answer though?
It depends on why they did it too. I don’t like to take people out of their context and circle of influence. And I ask questions like

• how sober, rational, mature, easily influenced are they?
• And I wonder why it’s a given that they and their work both have to go down?
• Is what they did evident in their body of work?
• Or does what they did show their work to be hypocritical?
• Do they dig in? Or accept the consequences of their actions?
• Is this a pattern?
• Do they face judgement besides the bad press? (ie court, jail)
• Do they seek new information or therapy when confronted with the public dismay?
• Is there a life crisis or mental health issue that limits their ability to think/act rationally?

….. What are we supposed to do?

It’s fair to withdraw support and refuse to further fund their career till they seek help &/or face consequences.
It’s fair to say that you don’t agree with their POV.

But (and this is big to me)

I tend to watch my words esp on social media when it comes to big artists.

Why?

It’s not just them who sees what I say. In fact, it’s really unlikely that they will see what I say.

But do you know who does?

• People who follow me.
• People who might be facing mental health issues.
• People who don’t know the aspects of the situation, but do know that the words you are using have implications on their own life (ie mental health stigma, racist rhetoric, and other bigotries) and feel hurt by what you are saying about them, not the artist in question.

And worst of all?

• People who can and do misuse words to condemn a group and some to even marginalize them further.

Pile ons?

I don’t see how that’s helpful. Talking about the ISSUES involved are certainly fair game. But do you have to apply it to that particular person or splat?

Cancel culture?

I as a fan, or not, have no control over what happens to their career going forward. I can choose where my dollars get spent.; And yes, tickets and show sales may be affected by that.

Hero worship/fan-standom

• How much do WE participate in these artists’ self-aggrandizement?
• Where is the line between appreciating a great song, film or piece of art & making them an idol?
• How can we mitigate that impact and still have an entertainment industry?
• Or should we have that? Is that another institution we should defund since so many artists fall under the pressure? When it costs them their privacy, sometimes their marriages and families, sometimes their freedom, health and at times their very lives? Whether by their own hand or that of a stalker fan?

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Just some thoughts as another falls from ‘grace’. Pretty sure you know who. It won’t be the first or last fall, I’m sure.