a Google chip in my brain?

Heck no! a chip in my brain? and a Google chip? no, no no no no!

I don't care how smart I would appear to be, or how I may snap some photos without my crush secretly, I do not want any chips in my brain, thanks but no thanks.

Well, unless I was like that lady who had not taken a sip of her coffee for 15 years, and that was the only way I could have my morning chai, well only then, maybe.

The potential benefits for a chip in our brains, if it is available for everyone on the face of the planet Earth, would be such as a greater equality for individuals and societies, and omission of all diseases and disabilities. The potential dangers for a chip in our brains, if it is not at all available for everyone on the face of the planet Earth, would then be such as a greater inequality for individuals and societies, and major brain-hacks and major privacy compromises.

Personally, I really love that science advances to help better life at large, like medical advances that save millions of lives otherwise impossible.

However, I am also timid and weary on how ethically questionable scientific advancement could get should it be only available to the rich of rich---which is not a skepticism but a very likely reality. Not only the big brand cooperates but also the government have us in their sharp claws and things could only get worse when it comes to how individuals are being profiled and wired and tapped and monitored.

I rather look stupid and not know all the things there are to know, but to live at peace and have my life not censored and examined by the hidden chips.

But I understand for those who need a new heart, a new arm, or even a life that can be preserved.. people that are in a dire situation and struggles to live... they would do whatever to live and stay alive.. if a chip is what it takes, it would be more than stupid to pass it by. so again I respect that and understand that, and actually I do support that, for I believe technology is to better life, but not to be used as a tool to manipulate anyone in the population.

I can only hope and pray to God and all gods that human conscience will rule and will keep the potential danger of manipulation such as bran hacks happen.

in the end, I rather live off on a farm and grow foods for myself and my family and my community at large, and not be able to text my friends by thinking it outloud in my head.

no I don't want any chips in my brain. Please leave me alone, Google chips.



the example of a woman moving a robotic arm by her thoughts for a sip of coffee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogBX18maUiM

dissociative reasoning of the blahs

I don't know how to finish my draft, and it is Friday tomorrow. I am stuck in a jam called dissociative reasoning.

I was going to write down an epiphany here, since I can write anything for this week's blog entry. But, I am now too nervous to resonate with my epiphany. I might have to blah my nervous energy out before I can remember my epiphany. It just dawned on me that Epiphany can be and is a person to me. To some, they could call it holy spirit, to me sometimes I call it my donkey, or my Epiphany, or my heart's thought. 

Anyway,  the epiphany was so pretty, and sweet. I am going to write it down now; of course I can connect to my muse, my Epiphany at my own will, my heart's will. (i keep thinking back on my first blog entry, I voiced that I am a heart person, or something like that.)

We are taking our afternoon walk.  Spring is truly just around corner even though the winter chill still dreads. Daughter shares her Epiphany with me, and as I listen I hear my Epiphany weaves in with her voice.

All of a sudden, I am at peace of death and dying, because of what Daughter says. 
she is sharing a moment with a fallen branch because she feels that desire of connecting with something smaller. then she sees the pine needles, so she acknowledges the pine needles, right then she sees the insects, then she sees the ground, then the dirt...

I at the same time am trancing out with a state of mind that is new yet with a familiar sense of serenity and peace in my heart.  My heart mind is seeing the freeing truth for the, maybe, first time that dying is not a curse, death is not evil. In fact, it will be a laid back a-ha moment with life.. that what life is about.. is to finally, at last, abide on such a level of one-ness.. one with the smaller ones.. and still smaller... and still smaller, fainter, lighter, freer... to finally be one with the almost-nothing ness.. the ultimate basic of it all..

Cognitive data and all this fails me.. but the peace in my heart's mind resonates...and I am thankful.

that's my epiphany.

ok, but MLK's letter from Birmingham Jail.. I would need to not worry more.. I just will have to ask questions and learn to read it in King's text. That's the thing, I don't know his text that way, of course I can't try to interpret it.

I care so much about doing a good job though.  I want to be proud of myself at the end of the day, but I can also learn to kick back when it is time to just relax.. time to chat with daughter and hears her heart and mind. My daughter is the best gift, and sometimes I am too busy with myself I forget to enjoy her life as she lives it.

Tomorrow though, I am taking her out for some Indian food, and we will go for a walk at the Arboretum. We love that place. Wherever we can see trees and beauties alike, we are happy and have fun.

Yes, we will have fun tomorrow.
Thank God I have tomorrows to hope for.

by the way, if God is what I think God is.. then God does not need to be called God or whatever.
No one-word says it all.

cheers :)

Respond to Galdwell's 'Small Change: ..' by reflecting on the way I use social media in my life

As far as social media goes, I only use Facebook, I like it and am even addicted to it.  I update it almost every day, and I enjoy it most of time.

I started using Facebook in 2009 due to a trip I would take to go to Bulgaria and Turkey with people I hadn't met prior to the trip.  After that trip, using Facebook to share pictures for our journey was not only fun, but also very efficient for getting all the digital images located and filed.  That was my initial experience, posting and sharing pictures, and it is still one of the main things I do on Facebook.

I take walks around my city, especially when the sun is out, I simply cannot stay indoor no more. I have to go for a good walk, either around the Lake or in the wooded parks.  I love seeing the light hijacked the dark in the midst of the branches and the sunbeams show off the blinding splendor on the deep water.  I take pictures, and I post them, with a haiku sometimes, or a word of Jilly goof.

I am a visual learner, and find the visual posts helpful and inspiring for me.  I have some like minded friends that share stunning images that are either soothing or challenging for thoughts and inspiration.  The key feature of Facebook fits well with the way I communicate on social media, generally speaking.

Sometimes I hear people criticizing how phony Facebook friendship is, and I understand where that can come from.  I used to have more than 700 'friends' on my list, I don't even really talk to two thirds of them.  I eventually unfriended people (now that is a walk of no fear of man, indeed.), and still I can dread of keeping 160 some friends right now.  However, I do have some significant friendship kindled and cherished on line from Facebook.  Most of them are not in town, or in the state.  Furthermore, some friends are not even on the same Continent as I am.  I have friends met on Facebook that traveled to meet with me and others; I have friends whom I talk with on the phone either regularly or from time to time.  We share jokes, sorrows and even secrets.  It is not fair to just criticize Facebook friendship cross the board, just because it's primarily on line and not in person.  Of course, I wish I could connect with peeps in my city even better than I connect with some of my friends on Facebook.  But it is what it is.  Social media is just a tool, the motives and intention take things further and deeper if we want to cultivate them.

It has been a great tool for friends and family that live away to stay in contact, and to share encouragement, and even insights on life and philosophy.

However, I admit that I have not yet utilize the function of social media by large to look into things in greater scope, such as global issues, news and events that are outside of personal connection and relations.  I rely more on journalism media for news and global events.  I understand many people use social media differently and can have much different experience with it.

Since I started to go back to school, my world view has been expanding from my own little desk.  I expect to look into this broader aspect of social media and other related topics I have come to be aware of.  I am looking forward to reading more on social and cultural aspects of these things more as I learn on.  That said, going back to school has been one of the best things in my life.  I thoroughly encourage all to do it.  Take advantage of the resource at the local community colleges, get out of the comfort zone and take a class or two!! 

Respond to James W. Loewen's 'Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong'

Who, in the world, would ever want to grow up hearing his own birth stories, mom's and dad's and family stories that are not entirely true, but are more like myths?

Loewen was precisely making such a point in claiming the American history textbook's sculpting with fallacy a statue of the origin of USA in his analysis, 'Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong'.  The author drew a multitude of examples as evidence from extensive theses and historical studies established by historians and alike. Loewen explained in great details how textbook-dominant history education in high school has failed to its mission to present, credibly, American history, and to educate with integrity of truth to her own student citizens.  Loewen, actively, made his case to his readers expressed with many forms of reasoning, such as synthesis and cause and effect.  He used all three types of claims in this essay: claim of fact, claim of value and claim of policy.  The tone of his voice was rational and professional; he made both emotional and evocative appeals.  

Growing up in Taiwan, I was aware, even at a grade school age, that history textbooks didn't tell me all the truth there had ever been to be told.   The political atmosphere was of a constant and vivid tension between the government and certain people groups of Taiwan, mine included. I remember whenever my dad and his friends discussed politics and history, I always nervously kept a watch at the window, and hoped for no eavesdropping from next door. 

History was always an ugly sore in the rear, like a bag of unpopular hot, but not sweet, potatoes for me. I was always confused and frustrated.  My people, especially my dad, would tell me things of our past that totally contradicted to what the textbooks taught, and vice versa.

I was confused, not knowing what really was truth, or who was telling the truth. It was actually so bad that I secretly hated my dad for a while, thinking he was entirely responsible for my problems for studying and making sense of history.  But, my dad was right, the teachers did lie to me.  I was never taught truthful history in my history class.  

My ancestors voyaged to Taiwan, the Beautiful Island--Formosa as the Portugal declared, about 400 some years ago from mainland China.  Like many other east southern Chinese seeking a better life without severe oppression, such as heavy taxes and corrupted imperial rule, they sailed through the ferocious water of the Taiwan strait, and eventually planted their root in Taiwan, where they buried their sorrow in the past just as the meaning of the name, Taiwan, articulated and read in the Fu-jian Chinese dialect.  My family belongs to one strong people group in Taiwan, the Yams.  If you pick up any piece of yam, or sweet potato at a produce stand, you'll see it likely resembling the shape of Taiwan on your world map.  Oh, that is if you could see Taiwan on the map.  Yes, we are the children of Yams, those of us that identify ourselves as Taiwanese, while the ruling government strive to maintain a omni-Mainland Chinese portrait of the entire entity of the country. 

The Chinese government that came only at mid 20th century to Taiwan didn't want to address many many true historical facts and events, for example, the 228 Incident which was a taboo and without official and public acknowledgement for 5 long decades.  Needless to say, 228 Incident never made to print in history textbooks, and if it ever did, it was not of all truth there was to tell.  And there are countless examples of half truths told in textbooks in order to create propaganda and a false sense of patriotism among the citizens of the land. 

On the same note, I have no doubt my Taiwan aborigine friends could tell me similar stories about how the early Chinese immigrants, my ancestors and alike, robbed the natives and treated them unjustly without ever reading the true stories that happened in the history books, either.

Therefore, I related very well to what Loewen addresses in his essay. Even though I was not familiar with how history has been taught with the textbooks, I clearly see the resemblance that correlates with my own experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Taiwan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/228_Incident