INTERESTING: Are the “strange changes” a sign that there is more In our bodies than we understand?

Thursday, December 19, 2024

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14182585/heart-transplant-transfer-memories-personality-changes.html

Groundbreaking research suggests organ transplant patients are inheriting donors’ MEMORIES and personalities
By EMILY JOSHU STERNE HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 21:00 EST, 11 December 2024 | Updated: 08:23 EST, 12 December 2024

*** begin quote ***

People receiving organ transplants have reported strange changes in their emotions, tastes, and memories.

This phenomenon is most common in heart recipients, but those who received kidneys, lungs, and even faces have also noticed changes to their food preferences, music choices, and even sexual orientation.

For some patients, their new hobbies and preferences mirror those of their donors, which has led experts to question if recipients are also receiving their donors’ memories.

*** end quote ***

There seems to be so much that we don’t understand.  Reference JoHari window quadreant four —  what neither of us can see. Will this spur research into all sorts of areas that are now dormant or ignored or misunderstood.  I’d heard of this phenomenon before but never thought too much about it.  Now I wonder what new “doors” could open?

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RANT: ‘Lie of the Year’?

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

https://www.theblaze.com/news/politifact-lie-year-trump-biden

PolitiFact decimated on social media after awarding ‘Lie of the Year’ to Trump 

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Has to be that Befuddled Joe wouldn’t pardon Hunter!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: “It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it! You, and I, are not in the big club.” — George Carlin

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2024/12/ryan-mcmaken/hunter-bidens-pardon-is-exactly-what-we-should-expect-from-the-us-regime/

lewrockwell.com
Hunter Biden’s Pardon Is Exactly What We Should Expect from the US Regime – LewRockwell
By Ryan McMaken

<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2024-12-12>>

*** begin quote ***

Nor should we be surprised when we are presented with yet more evidence that there are two legal systems in America: one for the regime and its friends, and another for everyone else. (By “regime,” we mean the permanent administrative government and its attendant ruling class.)

*** and ***

When Barack Obama targeted and murdered American citizens without any due process, his AG, Eric Holder, simply declared that the law allows such things, and the Bill of Rights doesn’t mean what it says.

We could contrast this sort of impunity with what happens to regular people who commit far more benign infractions of federal law. For example, at about the same time James Comey was declaring that it was perfectly fine for Hillary Clinton to mis-use dozens of classified documents, a low-level Navy sailor, Kristian Saucier, was sentenced to six months house arrest for taking a few photos on board a US submarine.

Similarly, it has become routine for federal whistleblowers to serve time in prison while those who actually commit the crimes exposed by the whistleblowers face no punishment at all. Chelsea Manning is one such case, as is John Kiriakou who exposed the CIA’s illegal torture programs. Kiriakou is the only person connected with the CIA’s criminal conspiracy who has ever faced any legal sanction.

And, of course, there are the cases of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. Snowden was forced to flee to Russia to avoid prosecution for telling the truth of the regime’s widespread violations of our basic property rights. Assange, who exposed various federal lies about war crimes in Iraq, finally escaped a federal prison cell only after the American state took its pound of flesh. The American intelligence “community” conspired for years—with the help of Trump, Biden, and Obama—to rob Assange of years of freedom while he holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy or fought extradition from a British prison.

*** end quote ***

“It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it! You, and I, are not in the big club.” — George Carlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5dBZDSSky0

George had it right.  And “We, The Sheeple” are too stupid or too complacent to hold the parasite class (i.e., “celebrities”, politicians and bureaucrats, other “gliterati”) to account,

“It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.” — Thomas Sowell

How do we change the “system”?

I can only think of one way — succession.   Personally withdraw from supporting these activities. 

If enough of us join together, then who can stand against us?

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“It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it! You, and I, are not in the big club.” — George Carlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5dBZDSSky0

Thomas Sowell Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_sowell_392884

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2014/mar/19/kesha-rogers/four-us-citizens-killed-obama-drone-strikes-3-were/
Kesha Rogers stated on March 19, 2014 in statements on her campaign website


HISTORICAL: Did we just find “first Christian north of the Alps”?

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

https://nypost.com/2024/12/16/science/ancient-inscription-is-new-evidence-of-early-christianity/

Ancient engraved amulet could ‘turn back history’ of Christianity, experts claim
By Asia Grace 
Published Dec. 16, 2024, 1:39 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

Just ahead of the holidays, archeologists have “digitally unrolled” a 1,800-year-old silver amulet to decipher an inscription that’s being hailed as the oldest known evidence of Christianity in Europe. 

Authentic evidence of pure Christianity north of the Alps has never existed before now. And the findings have the potential to change holy history forever. 

*** and ***

Researchers consider him the “first Christian north of the Alps,” and speculate that there could be more historical, untapped Christian burial sites around Europe. 

“This extraordinary find affects many areas of research and will keep science busy for a long time to come,” said Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt’s head of culture and science. 

“This affects archaeology as well as religious studies, philology¹ and anthropology,” she continued. “Such a significant find here in Frankfurt is really something extraordinary.”

*** end quote ***

I was intrigued by the concept of “digitally unrolled”.  I can’t imagine how they did this.  With something like an x ray?  I would have enjoyed a follow up on this concept. 

It impressive when technology rolls out new dikw (i.e., data, information, knowledge, wisdom) for us.

p.s., Had to look up that word  — philology!

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philology¹ The study of language, especially in a philosophical manner and as a science; the investigation of the laws of human speech, the relation of different tongues to one another, and historical development of languages; linguistic science. 


HELATHCARE: Get the bureaucrats out of “healthcare” and enable consumer choice by the States

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2024/12/james-anthony/make-healthcare-efficient-again/

Make Healthcare Efficient Again

  • The single biggest wasteful spending inside and outside governments is on healthcare. To make healthcare efficient and innovative, customers need usable healthcare-product descriptions.

By James Anthony
December 11, 2024

*** begin quote ***

Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency plan is to cancel major regulations, reduce headcounts, and defund inadequately-authorized expenditures and waste, but not to shrink entitlement programs.

This plan would require legislators to stop using the executive power to allocate budgets, presidents and bureaucrats to stop using legislative power to pass rules, and judges to start opining quickly and broadly against presidents and bureaucrats.

Congressmen, presidents and bureaucrats, and judges have other plans.

*** and ***

Also, the rules would need to make healthcare product descriptions sufficiently simple and clear that customers could use these descriptions to make their best choices when they shop:

  • A fee for office work could be like a lawyer’s rate for office work. A fee for surgery could be like a lawyer’s rate for courtroom work.
  • Test instructions could be transmissible to testing producers. Also, testing producers could list their pricing.
  • Therapy recommendations could be readable by customers. The recommendation on a drug, for instance, could provide all the information that would be needed to shop for the drug if it was available over-the-counter.
  • Procedures could have full packages of features built in, like auto models have. Foreseeable complications could be priced separately, and a worst-case total not exceeded.
  • Quality could be quantified. Procedure sellers could use their past rates of complications to calculate their customers’ average cost for complications.
  • Customers could then compare procedure sellers’ total price plus complications, like customers compare product sellers’ total price plus shipping.

*** end quote ***

I especially like my fiancé’s pharmacy experience overseas.  She walks into the Phamacia and says I want X.  The pharmacist says here it is or “I don’t have it but I do have Y”.  And for pocket change, she has all she needs.  Of course, she knew what she needed.  But she could have consulted a hotel doctor, or got a list from the Embassy. 

But on a transaction basis, it was quick, easy, and cheap.  Of course, “illegal drugs” would be clean, exact, and cheaper than the street deals.

All the money in “prohibition” could be put to “rehabilitation” for those that want it.  Like Portugal.

Argh!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Shutdown the Drug Enforcement Administration; end the “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs”

Monday, December 16, 2024

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2024/12/laurence-m-vance/one-agency-that-trump-shouldnt-nominate-anyone-to-lead/

One Agency That Trump Shouldn’t Nominate Anyone To Lead
By Laurence M. Vance
December 11, 2024

*** begin quote ***

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has withdrawn. This is one agency that Trump shouldn’t nominate anyone to lead.

*** and ***

It is not the business of the government to concern itself with the personal eating, drinking, or smoking habits of Americans; with the nature and quantity of any substance Americans inhale or otherwise take into their body; with restricting or monitoring any harmful or mood-altering substances that any American wants to consume; or with regulating the consumption, medical, or recreational habits of Americans.

Since the DEA is the main federal agency responsible for the drug war, it needs neither an administrator nor agents. The agency should be shuttered, completely and permanently.

*** end quote ***

Clearly there is no Federal authorization in the Constitution for this continued intrusion into the Rights of ordinary Americans and usurpation of individual States’ Rights.

Argh!

The “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs” has been a total disaster in so many dimensions.

It’s a good thing to stop.  Period!

(And confirm the point that Libertarians have been making for a long long time.)

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HEALTH: Dogs become immune to radiation, heavy metals and pollution; what can we learn from this disaster?

Sunday, December 15, 2024

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14174993/dogs-chernobyl-nuclear-disaster-mutated-new-superpower.html

Dogs living near Chernobyl nuclear disaster have mutated to develop new superpower
By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 16:18 EST, 9 December 2024 | Updated: 06:01 EST, 10 December 2024

*** begin quote ***

Dogs living near the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster have mutated to develop a new superpower – they are immune to radiation, heavy metals and pollution.

Scientists collected blood samples from 116 stray dogs living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), finding two different populations that were both genetically distinct from other dogs in the surrounding area.

This suggests they have adapted to withstand long-term exposure to this toxic environment and would explain why they have continued to thrive in the wasteland.

*** end quote ***

Hopefully something great can come from this disaster.  Imagine if we learnt how to survive and thrive in hostile environments.  Might be needed for space travel where such exposures are likely.  The “exclusion zone” maybe habitable to humans, but who’d want to live there.  Like Sweden, the Amish, and the California Seventh Day Adventists, we don’t often have such obvious control groups.  We have so much to learn that we can’t afford to be stupid and unobservant.

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TECHNOLOGY: Use Amazon locker delivery for … … surprise gifts

Saturday, December 14, 2024

https://www.makeuseof.com/use-amazon-lockers-maximum-privacy/?user=cmVpbmtlZmpAZ21haWwuY29t&lctg=7e6c3cd411d6a815afa18582d54bd455914c43c5f69df1448b8ec20ee4959f71

Why I Use Amazon Lockers for Maximum Privacy (and So Should You)
By Vinayak Guhanarayan
Published 1 day ago

<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2024-12-10>>

*** begin quote ***

  • The Basics of Amazon Lockers
  • Make Sure Only You Open Your Packages
  • Keep Your Home Address Private
  • Prevent Package Theft
  • Convenience When You’re Away
  • They’re Perfect for Surprise Gifts

One of the perks of shopping on Amazon is that anything you order is delivered right to your doorstep. And while this is an undeniable benefit for many, there are times when doorstep delivery isn’t practical or even feasible. It’s times like these that Amazon Lockers come in handy.

*** and ***

They’re Perfect for Surprise Gifts

When purchasing surprise gifts for my family and friends, I use Amazon’s Archive Order feature for privacy. I also opt for these deliveries to end up at an Amazon Locker. This way, I don’t have to worry about the recipient accidentally opening the package.

This is especially helpful during the holiday season, when most people are likely to order several gifts.

*** end quote ***

I recently had two surprise gifts ruined by delivery at the door.

I really had not considered this option.  (Yeah, I’m old, dumb, and don’t think things through to their logical conclusion.  My bad!)

The use cases the author outlines are prefect for anyone like me who doesn’t want surprise ruined or package theft.

YMMV but I like this idea.

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TECHNOLOGY: What’s the boundary between “backdoor for government surveillance” and crime prevention?

Friday, December 13, 2024

https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/08/apple-sued-over-abandoning-csam-detection-for-icloud/

Apple sued over abandoning CSAM detection for iCloud
Anthony Ha
10:26 AM PST · December 8, 2024

*** begin quote ***

Apple is being sued over its decision not to implement a system that would have scanned iCloud photos for child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The lawsuit argues that by not doing more to prevent the spread of this material, it’s forcing victims to relive their trauma, according to The New York Times. The suit describes Apple as announcing “a widely touted improved design aimed at protecting children,” then failing to “implement those designs or take any measures to detect and limit” this material.

Apple first announced the system in 2021, explaining that it would use digital signatures from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other groups to detect known CSAM content in users’ iCloud libraries. However, it appeared to abandon those plans after security and privacy advocates suggested they could create a backdoor for government surveillance.

*** end quote ***

In this case, I think the risk of “backdoor for government surveillance” is less valuable than the prevention of Child Abuse.  IMHO.

I’d be pushing the tech companies hard in the war against children’s exploitation.

Maybe even their devices (i.e., iPhone, Android phones, tablets) should use digital signatures from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

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TECHNOLOGY: Free media content from Walmart’s Vizio

Thursday, December 12, 2024

https://cordcuttersnews.com/walmarts-vizio-watchfree-has-a-ton-of-action-holiday-movies-in-december/

As the weather cools, VIZIO brings the heat with a lineup of thrilling action films this December! Whether you’re in the mood for heart-pounding chases, explosive showdowns, or sharp-witted humor, WatchFree+ has something for everyone. Stream these cinematic favorites for free on your VIZIO TV or the VIZIO mobile app—no subscription required, just a free VIZIO account. Cozy up and enjoy these action-packed blockbusters at no cost.

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I’m always up for free content.  You too?

https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus

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