caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

How to identify an expert with deep knowledge of a subject from someone with a superficial understanding who uses all the contemporary phrases of an "expert" is one of the skills to identify propaganda. When the inputs (questions) and outputs (answers) are controlled anyone can look like an expert.

Now, anyone whose academic background includes computer science or artificial intelligence is probably very familiar with the The Chinese Room thought experiment. My entry into high tech was a different route, focused solely on specific projects with defined objectives not theory. As with many subjects the learning process has not fit typical academic progression.

The Chinese Room (3.57 minutes)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0MD4sRHj1M]

Happy Friday everyone. As always, post any photos you like.

For those that reside in areas that have been flooding I hope you've all managed to stay high and dry. Too bad we can't channel all that flood water to areas suffering from drought.

Here's a few ocean dwelling critters from a visit to Birch Aquarium last Friday where I did manage to find Nemo.

What is true and what is false? Do we even know anymore? Our reality is being formed right before our eyes in the guise of propaganda. That screen display in your hand, on your desk, on your wall is stealing your mind. The monied class is forming a new reality. They want you to know that there are many things other than themselves that are the cause of the maladies that are beset upon you. Don't fall for it. It is on them.

Our language is being transformed, words are mutable, in flux with the political wind. Bend the words and bend the mind, Orwell understood such. Your mind is in play. It is under assault. Our history is being rewritten.

There are distractions everywhere. How quickly the flags changed from Ukraine to Rainbow, from Johnny Depp to Amber Heard, from demand destruction to empty food shelves. One catastrophe after another. It is meant to make the head swim.

“The Catholic Church must be prepared to act if Roe v. Wade is overturned,” Archbishop William E. Lori, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, declared on Nov. 17, 2021.

That was two weeks before the Supreme Court even heard the case of Dobbs v. Jackson on Dec. 1, 2021.

I just got an email from an organization called, Unionbase -- here is its self description on its website:
.

UnionBase is the home of the Virtual Labor Movement

Unionbase is a tech and educational hub for unions

Lyrics' Meanings Grow as We Do: A Recent Example

A few days ago I was in the kitchen dancing around as I cooked dinner, Pandora radio blaring through my cellphone which was linked by Bluetooth to a speaker set. How things have changed, eh?

Perhaps this diary should be a play:

The "Right": Omigod Ministry of Truth! Stop the steal! Biden's a FASCIST!

The "Left: Omigod cult of personality! Racism! Steve Bannon! Trump's a FASCIST!

Zelenskyy supporters: "Putin's a FASCIST!"

Putin supporters: "Zelenskyy's a FASCIST!"

Four-part harmony, key of C7th: fascist -- fascist -- fascist -- fascist --