Comments

Episode-1520- Listener Feedback for 2-16-15 — 51 Comments

  1. Come on Jack, I can understand you knew the news cycle would progress from vaccines, but how did you deduce ISIS & WW3 for the next course on the BS menu?

    Funny, just after clicking download for TSP on itunes I get on with some work and listen to the Glenn Beck podcast. I always skip the first few minutes of that show and the first words I hear out of his mouth are “WORLD WAR III”.

    Then proceeds a pretty incoherent show combining horrible imagery, history, scriptural revelation and a whole heap of random prediction.
    I normally enjoy the GB show for what it is and it does make me laugh (intentionally) but WHY? Why are we in ISIS & WW3 mode now?

    A period of news blackout for me I think…

    • Because it is simply time for WWIII paranoia again! Additionally the ruble is crashing, Putin is pissed all while the Russians are putting a base in on Cyprus.

      It is all total bullshit of course. If we didn’t nuke each other in the 50s over Cuba, why the hell would be do it over Cyprus? Russia is getting some payback in Cyprus for getting screwed by their banking bullshit a few years ago. They messed over some big time Russian mafia types when that happened.

      Of course it isn’t really a Russian base but the hypers won’t admit it. Here is the mostly real story. http://thebricspost.com/russia-cyprus-eye-military-agreement-renewal/#.VOJ6ZS4zrws

      You see it is simple, people are starting to doubt that ISIS is actually that big a deal in the US. So we have to link Iran to the Scary Russians and of course the Iranians are linked to ISIS! I mean the fact that Iran actually hates ISIS due to factional differences isn’t really a fact worth considering right? Of course Putin is putting the boot down in the Ukraine, so that plays into the dialog.

      So here you go, ISIS is going to get us all and the damn Russians are in bed with Iran, Iran is of course part of ISIS even though we are more responsible for ISIS than the Iranians. Mix that shit up and only one recipe of bullshit soup can be the result.

      I say this one is a long run, almost a month of it before we shift, where we shift next, I am not sure yet.

      Note – no I don’t have a crystal ball, no I am not Spirkodamas despite Ron Hood calling me that, I just pay attention.

  2. I normally only check the main page when there isn’t a new episode and I’m expecting one to see if there is something wrong that there’s not a show.Android app isn’t showing the new episode as of 17:20. Could just be my end but figured I’d let it be known in case the problem was bigger.

    • Neil DeGrasse Tyson is a personable man and quite intelligent but as a source of scientific knowledge on things beyond his expertise (astrophysics) he is depending on what he is told by experts.

      Secondly, I have seen him say misleading things on controversial subjects on his TV Show, Cosmos. He did not outright lie but his statements were meant to give the wrong impression. So from my perspective, I would be glad to invite him over for dinner but I’m not taking notes when he expresses any controversial opinions.

      I am a critical thinker. I don’t enjoy being treated like someone who just fell off of the turnip truck. Know what I mean?

      Alex Shrugged

      • Keep in mind Alex when you see those types of shows those head shot speakers usually film several hours of commentary and the producer pulls 2-5 minutes for sound bites to meet the producers agenda. So the context is usually not in context to what the speaker actually said/meant.

  3. Dr. Sears recommends spacing vaccines out. He cites Canada and their schedule in is his book too. He also breaks out the ingredients in each manufacture.

  4. Regarding the teaching of Renaissance England in theater university curriculum… my son is taking such a course of study and while I haven’t questioned him closely on history, when I express an opinion on English kings, he can respond intelligently even when those kings are from the Renaissance.

    I did notice one flaw in their history lessons though. When my son was required to sew a man’s shirt for a particular play, his instructor took off points because the buttons on the shirt were placed on the wrong side. I told him that they were incorrect for a peasant, but for a nobleman they were correct because they said to anyone with eyes that… “I don’t button my own shirts. I have a valet who buttons up my shirts for me.”

    FYI, a modern women’s blouse has the buttons placed for a left-handed woman or a woman who has a valet dressing her. Women of the aristocracy of the Middle Ages wore blouses like that, so every woman wanted to look aristocratic.

    The practice has continued into the modern day so women must button their blouse left-handedly. Men are not so burdened.

    Alex Shrugged

    • @Alex, I learned about the buttons and why women’s are on the left in the military. It is part of learning the regulation AR 670-1 “Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia”.

    • The Army regulations were updated March 31, 2014. I skimmed through the updated version of AR 670-1 but could not find anything about the history (or even a mention) of the difference in button placement. I did a search for “women”, “female”, “left” and “button”. They must have excised the part you are referring to.

      Here is a link to the PDF file I found.

      http://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/pdf/r670_1.pdf

    • @Alex

      That made me think of the costume class I took when I was studying theater.

      We learned quite a bit about what people wore in different periods. (Or at least what they “wore” in terms of theatrical depiction.) Not so much on *why* certain people would be wearing certain attire.

      Most of what I learned about “why” someone would be wearing a particular getup, came from independent reading.

  5. Just wanted to voice out that this was an awesome show today. Hope we have more of these. Personally I will try to craft future questions in hopes they unravel into these types of shows. It’s a great new “type” (for lack of a better word) to the types of shows and feedback that we usually get.

  6. Shows showing on android now.

    On the living politicians being on currency ITS HERE. I haven’t looked it up but I’m sure a simple Google search will validate. The quarter series that did states has now started national parks. I heard a story the other day announcing the next series to follow the parks. The presidents. Didn’t sound like they were going in order so it shouldn’t be long till we have Bushes, Clinton, and Obama quarters.

      • Ford? LOL, it is almost like, they got to Carter and said, um, yea, um, let’s wait on that. He is still alive though so may be they are aware of this component. Like you said for now anyway.

        • The rule is the have to be dead 2 years before the release of their coin. Regan will get one this year but then its done.

        • @bub –
          The Coinage Act of 1792 mandated that all American coins show “an impression emblematic of Liberty, with an inscription of the word Liberty, and the year of coinage, and upon the reverse of each of the gold and silver coins shall be the representation of an eagle…” In other words mythological and/or nature figures.
          Today, our currency is paper and junk metal and we have dead politicians on it. So really nothing from the rules in place since 1792 is being used in practice today.
          The original question Jack answered was could we ever degrade as a society to the point where we have live politicians on it, which would obviously require a further adaptation to the rules.

          For whatever it’s worth, I couldn’t foresee a scenario of any physical money having live politicians on it, but I could see a scenario where a US backed crypto currency takes on the name of the senator or congressman or president that spearheaded it.
          – Just a little food for thought

  7. Another excellent show Jack. I’ll say it again, I’m so thankful that I found your site. You bring a truly balanced perspective to all the BS that’s on the web and MSM.

    I love your philosophical discussions.

  8. I think the critical thinking shows are my favorite.

    Thanks Jack, for another excellent show.

  9. Listen to the last segment of the show talking about how fear sucks think back on how the powers that be use the media to keep us in a state of fear and anger look at all the problems a society living in fear, anger, and helplessness creates.

    Note that these problems all lead to greater power for the powers that be in an incredibly sophisticated system of function stacking and edge relationships

    Example: welfare, creates a divide between the people to keep them angry at each other instead of you, buys votes, surplus labor pool, corporate welfare (really a return of surplus) creates misery and a scarcity mindset which leads to addiction, crime, etc which can be used to justify more government power (it’s like a trophic cascade or the positive feedback loop of biomass accumulation) and all of this is function stacked in an incredibly genius fashion and designed so you set one action and the natural order of things brings the desired result.

    American corporatocracy: permaculture design without the ethics

    • Less design without the ethics and more your ability to see patterns becoming more developed, well done.

      • @UnentitledMillenial –
        Sorry, there wasn’t a reply button on my screen for your post, so I had to reply to Jack’s.
        Continuing the thought experiment that you started, and thinking like an oligarch applying the Permaculture ethics:
        Care for the earth (as long as it doesn’t cost me too much)
        Care for people (as long as they provide me with more than I provide them)
        Return of surplus (into my wallet)
        Sounds like Permaculture meets Animal Farm to me 🙂

        • I know right? I’m not sure if I believe the government is competent enough to make such sophisticated designs in society (but maybe the shape shifting reptilians are, lmao!) but it is a hell of a pattern, and you really could gain a lot of power applying permaculture design science in such a way.

        • @UnentitledMillenial
          To carry the thought experiment just a little further:
          It doesn’t really take much sophistication, leadership, or intelligence to participate in a feedback loop. It takes leadership, sophistication, and intelligence to get out of one.

  10. New listener. What a fantastic show. The talk about critical thinking was excellent. Hope you have some more shows lined up along these lines.
    Regards,
    An Englishman (who you appeared to bag in a recent episode).

    • Bag on an Englishmen? When? I mean your government sucks ass, but so does ours, you are just about 30 years ahead of us in sucking ass at that level.

    • Is that in reference to us (Englishmen) having an innate ability to get people riled which Jack mentioned the other day.

      No finer compliment Sir. Bag thee not.

  11. Hi Jack,
    Tried to find the link to the list of ingredients in vaccines that you read. Please post it again. Great episode.
    Thanks!
    Kate

  12. Good show.

    Another lie we tell our kids is anyone can become the president of the united states. I don’t believe that one anymore.

    You could do an entire show on lies we tell ourselves and oyr kids.

  13. If we want more kids to go into trades, make tv shows glamourizing blue collar work like they have tv shows about lawyers!
    Actually, I think honest and having kids figure out what they want, set goals, and give them the tools to reach those goals is a much better solution than manipulation through pop culture.

  14. I have a different solution to the marriage issue that I think would appease all parties. Full disclosure: I am a Christian and traditional feelings about marriage. However, I look to the example Jesus set when he prevented a mob from stoning a women with the comment, “Let the sinless throw the first stone.:

    The answer is for the gov’t to differentiate between a civil union and a marriage. A marriage is a religious contract between two people. A civil union could be the legal partnership that lets you file your taxes jointly.

    That would get the gov’t out of the marriage business, and give an equal footing for all partners.

    • That is not a solution and I simply see it as Christians holding their breath in a fight they know they have all but lost.

    • Let me add to this, as a Christian why do you even wish to have a polygamist marriage that makes Government a third party in your marriage.

  15. Hey Jack, if an incredibly sophisticated wrist watch is evidence of its creator (us), and incredibly intelligent humans (us) are evidence of its creator, then what is the creator, who is obviously even more intelligent and sophisticated than us, evidence of?

    • Don’t know, not really that important. I figure you are likely agnostic or atheist and fail to even understand what a deist means by God. To a deist God isn’t simply a disinterested version of the God of revealed religions, we don’t even know what God is, only that God IS and that is enough. The problem for the average Deist is that our words don’t mean what people on either side of us think they mean. Likely most on both sides again think a deist sees God as a singular being, something akin to Neptune sitting on a chair in the sky somewhere, we don’t and never have.

  16. Jack shouldn’t argue bible talk when he dont know dif between
    Old testament law and New testament.(stoning kids).
    Period

        • Depends on who you ask, many would say the law never ended. Some would claim law ended with the baptizing of Christ, some would say with the resurrection, some would claim Pentecost. It is widely subject to interpertration as is MUCH of the new testament (that which the State chose to canonize anyway). If that wasn’t the case there’d not be over 100 permutations of Christianity.

          The chief writer of the NT who actually goes into this is Paul, frankly many Christians reject Paul as a disciple since we in fact only have his personal word that Jesus spoke to him. Remove the writings of Paul and you’d strain real hard other than a few verses to even make your case.

          On the contrary if you include the banished gospels you would actually have a much easier time making it.

          The “law” itself many do not even know is broken into four components, which are

          moral
          civil
          dietary
          ceremonial

          Some contend all apply, some contend only some were replaced by grace, in other words we are not committed to ceremonial laws, nor dietary but we are committed to all moral laws. The problem with such doctrine is some of the most fundamentalist oppressive laws are classified as “moral laws”. No one was stoned for eating a clam!

          Sorry man I could go on but why, even the major division of Christians can’t agree on an answer to your question.

          Look I went though catechism in both Roman and Ukrainian Catholic Churches. So I got both progressive liberal theology and conservative theology. As an adult I converted to Methodism and went far enough to become a lay minister. I then walked away. I can read something I have the most remote interest in today and give a class on it next year. There is little you can say that I have not heard, considered and logically rejected.

          That said you believe as you choose about your faith and I will defend your right to do so with my own life until such time as your view oppresses the liberty of another who doesn’t share your beliefs.

          Sorry asking a question a Catholic, a Mormon, a Baptist, a Eastern Orthodox, a Calvinist and a Methodist would all answer differently doesn’t prove your point, what ever you point might actually content to be.

  17. Addictions. I agree. Most addicts have poor self-esteem. I’ve seen several go through it. Take a drug addict who could stay off for a while until the next time he was down and depressed. It wasn’t until he worked on the self-esteem issue and learned to love himself, to know he was of worth to others before he could stay away from crack. He admits the addiction is still there, not tempted at the moment, but that he is an addict and needs to stay completely away from the stuff while filling his life with value.

  18. Whoa, really didn’t expect you to read and answer that on the show.

    Comment on the government in marriage thing… My fiancée is from another country. And that puts government in our relationship on a whole new level. -sigh- 🙁

  19. About the gov’t in marriage. As a Christian I disagree with the concept of homosexual relationships let alone marriage, as an American I don’t care, not my house not my business. My only real concern with the “legalizing” of it goes back to the episode about the baker’s being forced to bake a cake. With these laws passing in various states pastor’s have been taken to court or threatened to be sued for declining to officiate the wedding. So now you have the “right” of the couple overriding the right of the pastor to officiate what he or his belief’s condone. If a homosexual couple wants to wed and goes to someone willing to officiate then no biggie, but to be able to force someone to act in a way that “condones” your decision against what they believe is wrong. At what point is this no longer acceptable? An extreme example would be how in other countries adolescent girls (9-13 yrs old) are given in marriage to older men. As the law stands now that is not permitted in the U.S. but if/when that changes here will religious leaders be legally obligated to marry off children. It just seems like a dangerous slope.
    Again just my thoughts, but I don’t see how someone else’s right to “pursue happiness” trumps mine.

    • This is NOT a GAY vs. STRAIT issue and the fact that it is being made one is pure proof of governments desire to divide us.

      This is simple, should any business, have the right to deny service to any customer for any reason? My view, hell yes.

      Again I submit that any gay person or any person of any race/faith/sexual preference etc. that is denied service should not want to give the racist, ignorant, assholes their money and should make sure the market knows the facts about the racist, ignorant assholes.

      I think the issue gets complicated though like if a restaurant posts a sign “no blacks” served. This does get complicated and it is where a black and white issue starts to rapidly gray. Though I say in this day and age the establishment might as well go ahead and file bankruptcy the next day anyway.