LOCALNOTIONS

MUSINGS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS WHICH MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO THOSE CAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING. NOT THAT THE WORLD WILL BECOME A BETTER PLACE, BUT, IT COULD BE! AT LEAST THE IDEAS EXIST FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION! ENJOY, T.O.M.

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Location: FLORIDA, United States

1) TOO MANY INTERESTS; TOO MUCH EDUCATION; AND NOT ENOUGH ABILITIES OR TIME. HOWEVER, ONE NEVER KNOWS WHAT IS POSSIBLE UNTIL ONE VENTURES INTO THE ARENA. 2)THIS BLOG MIGHT BE CONSIDERED AN EXAMINATION OF THE "OLD SAW" AS TO WHETHER "THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD". 3)THE FEATURE THAT SEPARATES THIS BLOG FROM "THE OTHERS" ARE THE "OPTIONS PRESENTED" FOR IMPROVING THE LOT OF MANKIND. UNTIL "OTHERS" HAVE "BETTER IDEAS", I REMAIN COMMITTED TO THESE. VAMOS A VER! 4) DON'T PARSE! YOU'LL "MISS" THE "POINT(S)".

1/04/2011

A RATIONALE FOR LOCAL NOTIONS

AVITW

IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT PAST, I ATTENDED A SEMINAR REGARDING THE CREATION AND SOLVING OF CROSSWORD PUZZLES. DURING THE PRESENTATION, IT WAS REPORTED THAT AN ELDERLY LADY, “SITTING IN” ON A SIMILAR PRESENTATION, SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY BEGAN TO GIVE ANSWERS TO THE MOST ARCANE CLUES IMAGINABLE. MORE AMAZING WAS THE FACT THAT THIS LADY WAS THOUGHT "NOT" TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER WHAT SHE HAD FOR BREAKFAST AND SELDOM ENTERED ANY CONVERSATIONS. FOR SOME UNEXPLAINED REASON, THE SOLVING OF CROSSWORD CLUES APPARENTLY TRIGGERED THE NECESSARY SYNAPSES TO ALLOW HER TO USE HER MIND AND SPEAK LOGICALLY FROM THE INFORMATION STORED IN HER MIND OVER MANY YEARS.

THE INESCAPABLE TORRENT OF CURRENT EVENTS SEEMS TO OFFER THE SAME STIMULI IN A WANING MOMENT OF TIME FOR THE AUTHOR, HENCE, THE DISCOURSES ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS THAT ARE SET FORTH IN THIS BLOG. GIVEN TIME, THERE MAY BE A BOOK OF SUCH TOPICS, BUT, FOR NOW, NO RATIONALE EXISTS FOR SUCH ACTIVITY.

THE AUTHOR HAS LONG HELD THAT EACH AND EVERY LIFE EVENT LEAVES AN "IMPRESSION" IN THE MIND, BUT, IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT THE TOTALITY OF WHAT EXISTS IN THE MIND, EVEN THOUGH IT INFLUENCES BEHAVIOR, IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE FOR EXAMINATION AND/OR IS NOT TOTALLY UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE INDIVIDUAL. HOW ELSE COULD ONE EXPLAIN WHAT TRANSPIRES IN THE WORLD TODAY?

MANY YEARS AGO, IN AN OBSCURE CLASS ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT, I AND MY CLASS MATES WERE ASKED TO FORMULATE A CONCEPT OF THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING OF THE MIND FOR OUR TERM PAPER. AS MUCH AS I “LIKED THE PROFESSOR”, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT, IF THE MOST INTELLIGENT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, WORKING OVER THE ELAPSED CENTURIES OF CIVILIZATION TO DISCOVER THIS MARVELOUS PIECE OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION, HAD FAILED, IT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT A NONDESCRIPT GROUP OF GRADUATE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE MUCH TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUBJECT.

NEVERTHELESS, EMBARKING ON THIS "EXERCISE IN FUTILITY", I “CONCOCTED”, FROM SOME OBSCURE PHYSICS COURSE I SUPPOSE, A STRUCTURE OF THE MIND THAT RESEMBLED THE “THEN KNOWN” STRUCTURE OF THE ATOM. WITH THIS CONSTRUCT, I POSTULATED THREE LEVELS OF MENTAL ACTIVITY WHERE THE HIGHEST IS THE CONSCIOUS LEVEL, I.E., THOSE THOUGHTS WHICH ARE READILY AVAILABLE AND IN USE IN THE PROCESS OF LIVING. THE SECOND TIER CONSISTED OF THOUGHTS AT THE PRE-CONSCIOUS LEVEL, THESE BEING FACTUAL INFORMATION, AS EXHIBITED BY THE ELDERLY LADY WHO, UPON RECEIVING APPROPRIATE STIMULI, COULD DREDGE UP AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF INFORMATION REGARDLESS OF ITS VALUE.

FOR PURPOSES OF CLARIFICATION, AS ONE READS THIS TREATISE ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE MIND, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOU ARE "NOT" USING WHATEVER INFORMATION IS STORED IN YOUR "PRE-CONSCIOUS" MIND. HOWEVER, IF I ASKED THE MAIDEN NAME AND/OR DATE OF BIRTH OF YOUR MOTHER, IT IS MY “ASSUMPTION” THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS, SAVE THOSE SUFFERING DEMENTIA, COULD PRODUCE THIS INFORMATION WITHOUT MUCH DIFFICULTY, THUS “SUPPORTING” MY HYPOTHESIS.

I THEN POSTULATED A THIRD LEVEL OF MENTAL POTENTIAL AND BORROWED THE TERM SUB-CONSCIOUS TO IDENTIFY THE REMAINING THOUGHTS WHICH FOREVER RESIDE IN OUR MINDS, BUT WHICH CANNOT BE READILY ACCESSED. STILL, CERTAIN EXTREME FORMS OF DURESS (PHYSICAL OR MENTAL) AND THE DREAM STATE (R.E.M.?) SEEM TO HAVE RESULTED IN SOME AMAZING COGNITIVE PROCESSES THAT HAD, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, BEEN "LOST" (REPRESSED?).

ADMITTEDLY, THE VALIDITY AND INTERPRETATION OF THESE “MEMORIES” IS STILL THE SUBJECT OF MUCH DEBATE IN SCIENTIFIC AND LEGAL ENVIRONS. HOWEVER, IN THE ABSENCE OF SOME “ULTERIOR MOTIVE” (PROFIT OR REVENGE FOR EXAMPLE), ONE TENDS TO ACCEPT THE VALIDITY OF SUCH INSIGHTS IF THEY CANNOT BE DISPROVED BY OTHER MEANS.

IRONICALLY, THIS “SPECIOUS CONSTRUCT” FOR WHICH I (INCREDIBLY) RECEIVED AN “A” AND MUCH APPROBATION, HAS SERVED ME WELL OVER THE YEARS IN BOTH MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I HAVE ANY IDEA WHETHER THIS ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT HAS ANY VALIDITY OR NOT. IT IS SIMPLY USEFUL!

COMES NOW THE END OF TIME FOR ME TO SHARE WHATEVER I HAVE EXPERIENCED (LEARNED?) AND IT SEEMS "ALL BUT CERTAIN" THAT THE SUB-CONSCIOUS MUST BE ACKNOWLEDGED AS AN INFLUENCE ON THE COGNITIVE PROCESSES INVOLVED. THIS "EXERCISE IN FUTILITY" HAS LED THE AUTHOR INTO SOME "PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS" (THINKING THE UNTHINKABLE?) THAT CERTAINLY FALL OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM OF CONTEMPORARY WRITING, WHERE EVERY THOUGHT IS VIEWED THROUGH THE FILTER OF "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS". SADLY, THOSE WHO'S LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON CONTINUING THEIR "POLITICALLY CORRECT POSITIONS", WHILE SEEMINGLY CRITICAL OF THE ESTABLISHMENT AND BEWAILING "THE HUMAN CONDITION", SEEM UNIVERSALLY CONSTRAINED TO AVOID ANY "REAL OPTIONS" FOR RESOLVING TODAY'S PROBLEMS OR CREATING A BETTER TOMORROW, LEST THEY LOSE THE POSITION (AND INCOME) THAT ALLOWS SUCH IMPOTENCY. THE "EXAMPLES" ARE TOO LENGTHY TO MENTION.

THUS, IT IS LEFT TO THE "STRUGGLING FEW" WHO FEEL NO SUCH OBLIGATION TO THE SELF-SERVING SECRECY OF GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY OR TO THE SELF-APPOINTED "SOCIAL GUARDIANS" OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND THEIR LEGAL "HIRED GUNS", TO EXPLORE AND EXPRESS ANY INSIGHTS OF REAL VALUE AND TO POSTULATE ALTERNATIVES FOR THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WORSEN TO THE POINT WHERE THE NEED TO CONFRONT IMPENDING CATASTROPHES TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER ADHERENCE TO "POLITICALLY CORRECTNESS". THE SURVIVAL OF THE HUMAN SPECIES (CIVILIZATION?), IF NOT ALL SPECIES, IS NO SMALL MATTER.

AS WITH ALL OF THE CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR UNDERSTANDING, AND POSSIBLY IMPROVING, THE "HUMAN CONDITION", THE AUTHOR SINCERELY WISHES THAT THOSE WITH GREATER MINDS AND GREATER COURAGE MIGHT STEP FORWARD WITH BETTER OPTIONS. HOWEVER, UNTIL SOMEONE HAS MORE CONSTRUCTIVE IDEAS AND THE SPECTER OF "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS" IS LAID TO REST, IT IS HOPED THAT THE DISSEMINATION OF THESE "PERCEPTIONS", WHICH HAVE BEEN FORCED UPON ME BY THE WORLD IN WHICH I LIVE, MAY BE OF SOME VALUE TO OTHERS.

IN OTHER WORDS, IF SOMEONE HAS A "BETTER IDEA", I AM OPEN TO HEARING IT AND ADAPTING THE ILLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF THE PRESENT WORLD TO A MORE RATIONAL "WORLD ORDER". UNTIL THAT OCCURS, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE IDEAS PRESENTED IN "LOCAL NOTIONS", ALBEIT OUTSIDE MUCH OF WHAT PASSES FOR "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS", COULD, AT LEAST, BE CONSIDERED AS VIABLE ALTERNATIVES TO THE "INSANITY" THAT PREVAILS TODAY.

I BELIEVE IT WAS EINSTEIN WHO STATED THAT "INSANITY" CONSISTS OF DOING THE SAME THING AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS. LOOKING AT THE PREVALENT BEHAVIOR IN CURRENT EVENTS, NO GOVERNMENT; NO RELIGION; AND NO CULTURE CAN BE CONSIDERED A "VIABLE" MODEL FOR THE FUTURE. I REST MY CASE. .
ENJOY,

TOM

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