marine morale 'sky high' - the real fallujah
“There are a number of Marines who have been wounded multiple times
but refuse to leave their fellow Marines. It is incredibly humbling to walk
among such men. They fought as hard as any Marines in history and deserve
to be remembered as such. The enemy they fought burrowed into houses and
fired through mouse holes cut in walls, lured them into houses rigged with
explosives and detonated the houses on pursuing Marines, and actually hid
behind surrender flags only to engage the Marines with small arms fire once
they perceived that the Marines had let their guard down. I know of several
instances where near-dead enemy rolled grenades out on Marines who were
preparing to render them aid. It was a fight to the finish in every sense
and the Marines delivered.
“I have called the enemy cowards many times in the past because they
have never really held their ground and fought but these guys in the city
did We can call them many things but they were not cowards.
“My whole life I have read about the greatest generation and sat
in wonder at their accomplishments. For the first time, as I watch these
Marines and Soldiers, I am eager for the future as this is just the beginning
for them. Perhaps the most amazing characteristic of all is that the morale
of the men is sky high. They hurt for the wounded and the dead but they
are eager to continue to attack. Further, not one of them would be comfortable
with being called a hero even though they clearly are.
“By now the Marines and Soldiers have killed well over a thousand
enemy. These were not peasants or rabble. They were reasonably well trained
and entirely fanatical. Most of the enemy we have seen have chest rigs full
of ammunition and are well armed are willing to fight to the death. The
Marines and Soldiers are eager to close with them and the fighting at the
end is inevitably close.”
And much more —highly recommended.
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#marines |
advertising
disclaimer |
computers
start to challenge humans in yet another speciality: art authentication
“From the mathematical distribution of lines, the researchers calculate
a set of numbers that characterizes each picture. These numbers can be regarded
as coordinates in a multi-dimensional space, like a grid reference. If two
images share similarities in their use of line, the points in space defined
by their coordinates will lie close together, even if the scenes depicted
are totally different.
“This allows different painters to be distinguished. For a set of
13 genuine and imitation Bruegel landscapes, the points corresponding to
the eight pictures deemed to be authentic all sat together in a cluster,
and the fakes were further away.
“The method can be applied to different parts of a single painting
too [...]
—
“ Rockmore does not see the computer technique replacing human judgement.
"This would never be the final word for authentication," he admits.”
Ho hum, not this silly argument again.
Of course, computer analysis will become superior to human
analysis in such areas. It is just a matter of time, and not a great deal
of that.
How humans love to kid themselves. I’ll just bet
that a few years back they were claiming a car would never go faster than
a horse, or perhaps that a water-wheel would never grind corn as fast as a
hand-driven millstone.
If God meant us to fly …, etc!
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#art_forgery |
crowding
and charity
This article is well worth a scan.
“Even more specifically, Lacy wrote that, "Put another way,
Bush's margin goes up by 2 percentage points for every additional dime of
federal spending in a state per dollar of taxes paid by that state."
”
Another thing to keep in mind is that, in cities, alienation
is highest because people tend not to know their neighbours and, therefore,
rely more upon state provisions.
The article also has
“The case can also made that the cost of delivering services to
states with low population densities is greater than it is in urban population
concentrations. It is, for example, easier to deliver mail to rows of consecutive
mailboxes on city streets than it is to drive to a series of far-flung farmhouses
[...] ”
and
“One possible explanation of this seeming contradiction is that
it is caused by progressive taxation and higher urban area incomes. Though
the cost of living is higher in the cities than it is in rural areas, taxpayers
with nominally higher incomes naturally pay more taxes.”
Thus it is possible that these differences in receiving
and ‘donating’ tax dollars are related to government formulas
for tax and spending; rather than those monetary movements indicating any
causal link with voting patterns. As the article remarks, correlation indeed
does not indicate causation.
Those in less alienated societies are more inclined to
trust neighbours and look to them for support rather than look to government.
These are the social attitudes represented by Republicans, whereas it is Democrats
who become untrusting and look to the state.
It may well be that it is the alienation factor that drives
the voting preferences, rather than a concern with tax dollars. To attribute
the voting preferences to dollar handouts looks like a very ‘Democrat’
notion to me!
related material
the generosity of lefties
It is interesting that charity giving is higher in the
red states (Republican) than in the blue states. However, those same states
are also the states that receive more from central government. Again, maybe
the less alienated socety is inclined to feel more connected and therefore
be generous to other people.
In other words, I reckon that both these behaviours, voting
Republican and giving to charity, or the inverse, are linked to levels of
alienation, not to taxation.
Some work on crowding may be found in the section on Crowding of feedback and crowding.
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#charity |
the
generosity of lefties
Here is a list of the alleged most generous states
for charity in the USA.
Seek down the list to find the first Democrat-voting state.
If you run out of patience, highlight the box below to
see the answer
“Just goes to show, that a creeping state is not benevolent; people
withdraw themselves from the civic society. Voluntary organisations and
charities steadily decline, the greater the scope of the State.
“In this country [the UK], our voluntary sector has all but gone,
replaced by 'paid volunteers', and full time volunteers. Not many people
do anything at all now, why should they when the Government will do it for
you?
“ 'the kids have nowt to do, why doesn't the council coach them football?'
Previously it was, 'the kids have nowt to do, why don't we get them off the streets and teach them football'? ”
Comment courtesy of Gaz
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#generosity |
post-election
selection trauma (PEST)
“More shocked John Kerry supporters on Wednesday sought psychological
help with “post-election selection trauma” in South Florida,
prompting the American Health Association to officially release symptoms
of the disorder and open its doors for free counseling.”
—
“Symptoms of Post-Election Selection Syndrome (PEST)
According to Florida mental health professionals, the following symptoms
have been identified in John Kerry voters since Nov. 3 and are signs that
one should seek help from a licensed mental health clinician. Although
therapists report that patients so far have uniformly identified themselves
as Kerry supporters upset over their candidate’s concession, they
urge that the trauma is not necessarily unique to Democrats.
* Feelings of withdrawal
* Feelings of isolation
* Emotional anger and bitterness
* Loss of appetite
* Sleeplessness
* Nightmares
* Pervasive moodiness, including endless sulking
* Excessively worried about the direction of the country.”
They left off paranoia and conspiracy theories explaining
why they didn’t really lose, but that it was, in fact, yet another plot
by ‘them’.
All the usual ‘symptoms’ of every pseudo-syndrome
under the sun. Let me sell you my ‘services’ for a suitable large
fee.
The cotton wool culture comes of age, not long before the
Lefties start suing for compensation and disability benefits each time they
lose another election. And expecting ‘treatment’ under Medicare
or the National Health Service.
It has been said that a psychiatrist is a paid friend ....
rather like a prostitute.
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#pest |
and
now fossil media cbs starts to whine
After being shredded by the blogosphere for disgraceful lack
of professionalism and integrity and after being outmanoeuvred at every
stage as they tried unsuccessfully to sell Kerry to the electorate, now the
fossil media want to re-write history with them as the good guys.
“As the election campaign unfolded, operators of some of the internet’s
politics-oriented blogs, no doubt high on the perfume of many "hits"
and their own developing sense of community, envisioned a future when they
would diminish then replace the traditional media as the nation’s
primary source of political news and commentary.”
[Quoted from cbsnews.com]
The fossil media, and in particular CBS, still
have not apologised for the ‘disclosure’ of fake memos by Dan
Rather, nor have they sacked any of their wayward shills. Nor is this the
first time that CBS has been caught with their nikkers around their knees.
The difference is this time they can run but they can no longer hide. The
bloggers take the fossil media apart almost from the moment they open their
latest party political broadcast.
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#cbs_fossil |
drug
pushers
“Britain's largest drug company drew up a secret plan to double
sales of the controversial anti-depressant Seroxat by marketing it as a
cure for a raft of less serious mental conditions, The Observer can reveal
today.”
—
“ Concerns about the addictive properties of Seroxat saw the government
ban its prescription to people under the age of 18 last year. This followed
a review which found children taking it were more likely to self-harm or
commit suicide.”
“For years, drug manufacturers and regulators (in the UK and US)
have maintained that antidepressants reduce the risk of suicide. But Dr.
David Healy, Director, North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine,
a psychiatrist with an international reputation (author of 12 books and
120 peer reviewed articles), an expert in psychopharmacology, disputes those
claims. He examined confidential internal company documents to which he
gained access in his capacity as an expert witness in a lawsuit against
GlaxoSmithKline. These internal documents, Dr. Healy says, show the results
of the company's own clinical trials testing Seroxat (Paxil, Paroxetine),
an antidepressant classified as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI). The evidence, Dr. Healy says, shows that RATHER THAN REDUCE THE
RISK OF SUICIDE, THE DRUG INCREASES THE RISK [source’s emphasis].
“The evidence is that roughly one person in sixty that goes on this
drug makes a suicide attempt. Now you have to contrast that with the people
going on placebo or sugar pill, and the rate there is one person in five
hundred and fifty. That's nine or ten times less. The risk on the drug is
nine or ten times greater than the risk on sugar pill." Dr. Healy says
this data was known to both the drug company and regulators in the UK and
US for 13 years. Neither the British Medicine Authority nor the American
FDA have disputed these claims.” [Quoted from namiscc.org]
A different, but related, situation:
“Scientific evidence of increased heart attack risk associated with
popular arthritis drug Vioxx was available as early as 2000, say Swiss scientists,
although the drug was only withdrawn in September 2004.
“Merck & Co, Inc, pulled its product from the market on 30 September
after participants in a clinical trial of Vioxx’s effects on colon
cancer started to show increased risk of heart attack.
“But after analysing the results from 18 randomised clinical trials
and 11 observational studies - many completed before 2001 - Peter Juni at
the University of Berne, Switzerland, and his colleagues believe that the
decision could have been made much earlier.” [Quoted from newscientist.com]
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#drug_pushers |
tracking
birds to avoid airstrikes
“ "Not long afterwards, I got home late one night and there
was a message from a colonel asking me to be in his office at 8 am the next
morning. At that meeting, he told me that a honey buzzard had just destroyed
a $5 million Skyhawk flying near Hebron. The pilot survived because the
bird came right through the windscreen and hit his ejector handle. It literally
ejected him. He broke his neck, but he recovered." ”
“
“ "For example, we have been tracking a white stork we call Princess
for 10 years. She nests each summer 50 kilometres west of Berlin. She originally
had a mate who migrated with her to Africa, going to Sudan and on to Cape
Town. But she lost him and got another mate, Jonas, in 2001. They are unusual
because they go their separate ways in winter. He goes to Spain while she
still goes to Africa. But each spring he comes back to Germany and prepares
the nest before she arrives. It's a nice story, though exceptional."
”
—
“ "Yes, there can be a problem when birds eat crops, but not
always. Another project of mine is to use birds to control rodent pests
on farms, as an alternative to chemicals. Farmers in the Middle East have
big problems with rodents and voles. Barn owls worked best: we discovered
in tests on a kibbutz that if we put up nesting boxes we could attract hundreds
of owls. A single pair with their chicks will eat 2000 rodents a year. So
putting up 40 boxes will kill 80,000 animals. We published booklets in Arabic
on how to do this, and now Palestinian and Jordanian farms are putting up
nesting boxes too." ”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#birds |
latest
corruption index
Note: Approximately, the lower the corruption, the better
business functions and the wealthier people become. Naturally, where countries
are poor, the strong tend to grab for whatever is available.
I do hope you are making plans for world anti-corruption
day.
“On December 9, 2004 citizens around the world will celebrate the
first ever United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day. Join the activities
planned in your country for December 9.” [Quoted from transparency.org
press release]
Or to quote Lehrer:
“It's only for a week so have no fear,
be grateful that it doesn't last all year.”
But this will only last a day!
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#corruption |
At this years IgNobel Prize giving:
is
there a gorilla in the room?
“Even relatively simply tasks capture so much of a person's attention
that he or she becomes blind to surrounding events, according to Harvard
psychology researchers Daniel Simons, now at the University of Illinois,
and Christopher Chabris. Their study had a woman in a gorilla suit walk
through a group of students who were engaged in passing a basketball back
and forth.”
The
original study report by Simons and Chabris [16-page pdf]
“With each eye fixation, we experience a richly detailed visual world.
Yet recent work on visual integration and change detection reveals that
we are surprisingly unaware of the details of our environment from one view
to the next: we often do not detect large changes to objects and scenes
('change blindness'). Furthermore, without attention, we may not even perceive
objects ('inattentional blindness'). Taken together, these findings suggest
that we perceive and remember only those objects and details that receive
focused attention.”
Here are privided links to the videos shown during Simons and Chabris’
experiments.
This is a variation on several old
psychological demonstrations showing the extreme unreliability of human memory
and observation. It is fairly standard first-year training for psychologists.
For instance, three people rush into the class room, one
of whom is masked, one ‘shooting’ a ‘student’ who
falls down. Then the lecturer goes over, and the two strangers still standing
put the lecturer on a stretcher and rush out. The ‘shot’ student
gets up and gives the lecture for a while. The students in the room are then
asked to record what happened, and who did what with what to who, and how
various people were dressed.
It is common the students do not even notice the lecturer
switch, let alone much other detail.
This sort of ‘experiment’ should be standard
for witness training, but it would likely wreak havoc with conviction rates
based on witness identifications and stories.
what
are the IgNobel Prizes?
According to the IgNobel Prize givers (page includes links to previous IgNobel
Prize winners) :
“The winners have all done things that first make people LAUGH, then
make them THINK.”
Other IgNobel Prizes for 2004 given include the karaoke machine (Peace),
The Effect of Country Music on Suicide (Medicine), Coordination Modes in the
Multisegmental Dynamics of Hula Hooping (Physics), the scientific validity
of the Five-Second Rule (Public Health)
related material
The
IgNobel Prize home page
The origin and development
of belly button fluff
Memory, paranoia and paradigms
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#gorilla |
"Wars
of national survival are not quick, not cheap, and not bloodless"
“Historical apologists say that the Japanese were "forced"
to attack us because we were strangling their trade in Asia. Sound familiar?
American foreign policy in the Middle East is responsible for the anger
and rage that has stirred up al Qaeda, right? In fact, there is a crucial
similarity between the Japanese imperialism of 50 years ago and Islamic
fundamentalism of today: both are totalitarian, anti-Western ideologies
that cannot be appeased.
“As Japan amassed victory after victory in the early days of the
war, America and our allies could see that we had a long, hard slog ahead
of us. Americans understood there was no recourse but to win, despite the
fearful cost. This was the first and foremost lesson of World War II that
applies today: Wars of national survival are not quick, not cheap, and not
bloodless.”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#war_for_survival |
who was
leo strauss?
Leo Strauss: 1899 – 1973
There is copious shallow tripe being bandied about concerning “the
neo-cons - shock horror!”, much of
it emanating from socialist, anti-semite and other tin
foil hat sources who, in their constant search for ‘enemies’,
are attempting to demonise some Bush supporters.
To this end, the demonisers are caricaturing various vaguely ‘right
wing’ opinion formers in the USA and trying to link them, even unto
the 4th generation, to an academic philosopher who died in 1973.
But who was Leo Strauss?
Here is a reasonably competent discussion
of the ideas of Strauss. 
While here is another short item on Strauss.
An extremely crude cheat card (should that be, “How to bluff your way
on Strauss at a cocktail party”?) can
be found here.
The next item is ponderous, sloppy, and not recommended, but I thought a
few quotes from this less able and tainted article may also help give a flavour:
“[...] thoughtless men are careless readers, and only thoughtful
men are careful readers.”
“What attitude people adopt toward freedom of public discussion depends
decisively on what they think about popular education and its limits.”
—
“ Strauss saw the world divided up into three layers: there are the
vulgar, there are gentlemen, and there are the wise. And honor and courage
are the virtues of the gentleman; the virtue of the wise is wisdom. The
wise need the gentlemen to be governing. And the gentlemen, this elite,
do not operate with the categories of wisdom, but with the "simple
virtues" that they are able to grasp and assert.”
For any who think that much of what Strauss is actually teaching is some
great, new, modern revelation should be aware that the likes of Aristotle
were discussing the same problems a few years back.
From why Aristotelian
logic does not work:
Aristotle composed the work, now lost, On Kingship, in which
he clearly distinguishes the function of the philosopher from that of the
king. He alters Plato’s dictum - for the better, it is said - by teaching
that it is not merely unnecessary for a king to be a philosopher, but even
a disadvantage. Rather, a king should take the advice of true philosophers;
then he would fill his reign with good deeds, not with good words.
end note
-
- tin foil hat
- It has become common opinion that these people go around with hats
fashioned from tin foil (shiny side out is best) designed to ward off
rays projected with the intent to achieve control by ‘Them’.
‘Them’ is any imagined group that
tin foil hatters have decided are trying to take over them,or even the
world.
Two sample tin foil hat websites are zapatopi and ericisgreat.
related material
Lakoff: using language
to manipulate public opinion
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#strauss |
the
size of human groups with some comment on terror cells
“Al Qaeda may have been able to grow much larger than this [150
#] when it ran physical training camps in Afghanistan. Physical proximity
allowed al Qaeda to operate as a hierarchy along military lines, complete
with middle management (or at least a mix of a hierarchy in Afghanistan
and a distributed network outside of Afghanistan). Once those camps were
broken apart, the factors listed above were likely to have caused the fragmentation
we see today (lots of references to this in the news).”
See also linked
reference for the so-called Dunbar Number.
“However, Dunbar's work itself suggests that a community size of
150 will not be a mean for a community unless it is highly incentivized
to remain together. We can see hints of this in Dunbar's description of
the number and what it means:
“The group size predicted for modern humans by equation (1) would
require as much as 42% of the total time budget to be devoted to social
grooming.
—
“My suggestion, then, is that language evolved as a "cheap"
form of social grooming, so enabling the ancestral humans to maintain the
cohesion of the unusually large groups demanded by the particular conditions
they faced at the time.”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour2004.php#optimal |
behaviour
and intelligence archives
