A Marlin's Travels in Mind and Place

Survival of the Smartest

themarlin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:07:52 +0000

12 Places to go in case of calamity.
1)Chiang Mai
2)Tierra del Fuego
3)Mountains of Indonesia
4)Kansas City
5)The Yukon

Michael Smith / Getty Images

Pat Robertson, 1982
In May 1980, televangelist and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson startled and alarmed many when — contrary to Matthew 24:36 (“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven…”) he informed his “700 Club” TV show audience around the world that he knew when the world would end. “I guarantee you by the end of 1982 there is going to be a judgment on the world,” Robertson said.

The Millerites, April 23, 1843
A New England farmer named William Miller, after several years of very careful study of his Bible, concluded that God’s chosen time to destroy the world could be divined from a strict literal interpretation of scripture. As he explained to anyone who would listen, the world would end some time between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844. He preached and published enough to eventually lead thousands of followers (known as Millerites) who decided that the actual date was April 23, 1843. Many sold or gave away their possessions, assuming they would not be needed; though when April 23 arrived (but Jesus didn’t) the group eventually disbanded — some of them forming what is now the Seventh-day Adventists.

The Prophet Hen of Leeds, 1806
History has countless examples of people who have proclaimed that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent, but perhaps there has never been a stranger messenger than a hen in the English town of Leeds in 1806. It seems that a hen began laying eggs on which the phrase “Christ is coming” was written. As news of this miracle spread, many people became convinced that doomsday was at hand — until a curious local actually watched the hen laying one of the prophetic eggs and discovered someone had hatched a hoax.

Halley’s comet, 1910
In 1881, an astronomer discovered through spectral analysis that comet tails include a deadly gas called cyanogen (related, as the name imples, to cyanide). This was of only passing interest until someone realized that Earth would pass through the tail of Halley’s comet in 1910. Would everyone on the planet be bathed in deadly toxic gas? That was the speculation on the front pages of The New York Times and other newspapers, resulting in a widespread panic across the United States and abroad. Finally even-headed scientists explained that there was nothing to fear.

Mormon Armageddon, 1891 or earlier
Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, called a meeting of his church leaders in February 1835 to tell them that he had spoken to God recently, and during their conversation he learned that Jesus would return within the next 56 years, after which the End Times would begin promptly.

Mike Nelson / AFP – Getty Images file

San Diego County Coroner technicians process a body of a suicide victim from the Heaven’s Gate cult.

Heaven’s Gate, 1997
When comet Hale-Bopp appeared in 1997, rumors surfaced that an alien spacecraft was following the comet — covered up, of course, by NASA and the astronomical community. Though the claim was refuted by astronomers (and could be refuted by anyone with a good telescope), the rumors were publicized on Art Bell’s radio talk show about the paranormal, “Coast to Coast AM.” These claims inspired a San Diego UFO cult named Heaven’s Gate to conclude that the world would end soon. The world did indeed end for 39 of the cult members, who committed suicide on March 26, 1997.

Nostradamus, August 1999
The heavily obfuscated and metaphorical writings of Michel de Nostrdame have intrigued people for over 400 years. His writings, the accuracy of which relies heavily upon very flexible interpretations, have been translated and re-translated in dozens of different versions. One of the most famous quatrains read, “The year 1999, seventh month / From the sky will come great king of terror.” Many Nostradamus devotees grew concerned that this was the famed prognosticator’s vision of Armageddon.

Mark Leffingwell / AFP – Getty Images file

Missile commanders confirm a launch warning over the phone during a practice drill at the North America Aerospace Defense Command Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 9, 1999. Authorities worked on the Y2K bug to make sure there were no problems when Jan. 1, 2000, came.

Y2K, Jan. 1, 2000
As the last century drew to a close, many people grew concerned that computers might bring about doomsday. The problem, first noted in the early 1970s, was that many computers would not be able to tell the difference between 2000 and 1900 dates. No one was really sure what that would do, but many suggested catastrophic problems ranging from vast blackouts to nuclear holocaust. Gun sales jumped and survivalists prepared to live in bunkers, but the new millennium began with only a few glitches.

May 5, 2000
In case the Y2K bug didn’t do us in, global catastrophe was assured by Richard Noone, author of the 1997 book “5/5/2000 Ice: the Ultimate Disaster.” According to Noone, the Antarctic ice mass would be three miles thick by May 5, 2000 — a date in which the planets would be aligned in the heavens, somehow resulting in a global icy death (or at least a lot of book sales). Perhaps global warming kept the ice age at bay.

God’s Church Ministry, Fall 2008
According to God’s Church minister Ronald Weinland, the end times were upon us — again. His 2006 book “2008: God’s Final Witness” stated that hundreds of millions of people will die, and by the end of 2006, “there will be a maximum time of two years remaining before the world will be plunged into the worst time of all human history. By the fall of 2008, the United States will have collapsed as a world power, and no longer exist as an independent nation.” As the book noted, “Ronald Weinland places his reputation on the line as the end-time prophet of God.”

Test

themarlin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:45:01 +0000

Does this show on the page with OLAP stuff?

Social Ironies

themarlin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:58:43 +0000

There are numerous general observations about society and the people i meet that are simply irksome, and sad.

1) Youthful hubris. When young people think they’re so special and smart, they give an impression of ‘I’m better than you and don’t you realize it?’ They don’t want to be friends with anyone more than a year older or younger or who’s not a recent graduate or in the same grade, and they’re caught up in who’s best-looking, who’s toughest and baddest, but they’re so in their own little world that they’re comparisons are really small-minded. No wonder such ideas fade as people grow up. Or do they “grow up”? Maybe some people don’t, but in general i see and meet older people who are more willing to talk to anyone and less “in their own little world” than in the real world of world events, family, responsibilities and challenges.

2) It’s ironic that in humans the need for connections and cooperation is vital for health, and yet so few people seem outgoing and social, interested in meeting and sharing. In Seattle at least, someone might be delighted to meet you, and yet even then they’re not in tune with simple ways of reaching out to know more about you and do things with you. Are they afraid? Ignorant of how to voice and show interest, which is a kind of thankfullness for being a delight to them, making them laugh or whatever? Picky? Seriously overbooked? I have almost no idea. But i would like more friends. Maybe the problem lies with me – i’m not manly or handsome enough or attractive enough in some way? Mmm.

Favorite Words and Unusual Concepts

themarlin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:55:10 +0000

1) Ubuntu
2) Apparentness
3) Noosphere
4) Decompress
5) Having
6) Positioning
7) Obstructionism
8) Imagineer
9) Riddled

Muddying Motives

themarlin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:42:35 +0000

In areas of life that are not easy but involve ‘short term pain for long term gain’, there are many motives that might drive you. Many are not so good, and it can be hard to know what’s moving you or other people.

1) Fear and intimidation. Are you intimidated by an idea or a person or a group of persons, and therefore you go along with it/them? Do God’s threats and judgements weigh on your mind and propel you when making choices?

2) Feeling important or valuable in a group or to an organization.

Do you want to be a member of the faculty, or are you involved with helping the faculty because you feel important and valuable to them, and you like that? Well ok.
But what about when involved with an organization involved with the never ending and almost hopeless task of caring for terminally diseased or handicapped people? You may feel valuable and important, but being involved is really taxing and wearing on you.
Or if you’re involved at church. It makes you feel valuable and important, and you like that, but what if that’s the only motive driving you? What happens when “pleasing God” and serving the congregation makes you feel worth nothing and easily replaceable, expendable?

3) A sense of belonging.

4) Family and social ties. You don’t want to upset or argue with people you love and depend on or have been close to for many years.

5) Unfounded dreams and hopes. You are lead to believe, or lead yourself to believe, some idea that you really like, based on a few shreds of evidence but clearly nothing explicit. For example, you see a gal and are attracted to her. You even get to meet her and talk ahwhile. Your mind soon races toward visions of her really liking you and her panties falling and her desire consuming you. But you never see her again. You were fooled because dreams and hopes motivated you to think more than was reasonable or ever declared or even stated. I’m sure there’s a woman’s version out there. Or would it be better termed ‘a girl’s version’?

6) Pride. I like feeling right and don’t want to feel wrong.

7) Habit.

8 ) Resignation. I have no other choice, so i’ll stick with the benefits and value of the current course, as long as it’s bearable.

9) A paycheck.

10) Brotherhood, patriotism, nationalism.

11) Obedience.

Better motives include things like thankfulness, interest, awe, justified hope, belief in the war, the mission.

Out on search-and-rescue missions, or at church, or in Iraq, it seems some of the people involved are not very enthusiastic. They seem like ‘bumps on a log’, or just ‘along for the ride’, and would rather be somewhere else. So what’s motivating them? Seems like they’re wasting time, involved with something they’re really not very “into”. However, they may be into it for the long-haul, not in a manner that looks like a “flash in the pan”. Or they may not look all that serious, but they know exactly why they’re enduring the difficulties of whatever they’re involved with.

If it isn’t just noise, it’s Music

themarlin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:12:13 +0000

Much of life, on the street or at the gym or at the office, includes the noise of traffic, top 40 hits, and A/C. Some people might find all that noise to be music, and i understand that. But here are the sounds and songs that are music to my ears:

1) Choir Music/Gregorian Chants/Loftiness

2) Electronica/Techno
Chrystal Meth – Drown in the Now

3) Funk?
Gnarls Barkley – St.Elsewhere, Crazy

Examples of Nonsense in Church

themarlin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:13:48 +0000

Where is what i wrow

So i sill don’t see wwha i wrote, but maybe i didn’t save?

1)Now i’d like to write something else?

Where will this ‘New Post’ show up?

themarlin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:18:43 +0000

So i’m adding to this “new Post”, because i have more to say about it. How and where will this addtion show up?

and five minutes later, i’m adding more info!

Hello world!

themarlin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:18:30 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!