Humans & Machines

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Professor Taboo

“You see us as machines.
But if you really want to understand how we work,
you’re going to have to dig a little deeper.”
— Kai-125

Have you ever stopped to think whether humans, you specifically, have complete self-determination? Or are we just pre-programmed to follow precisely how we were prenatally built, constructed by our parents, and their parents, and all of our prior biogenetics from our ancestral genealogy? Are we not all byproducts of our past generations? Why do all of us have certain traits and not others? Why do we have particular preferences and tendencies for some life-experiences and less so or none for others?

Does that not suggest a prearranged blueprint handed down to you from many who came before you? Did you have a choice of various blueprints before birth? Of course not. Whether we like it or not we get the hand dealt to us.

Perhaps I should’ve entitled this post Humans or Machines. Maybe I’ll change that later after further thought and introspection.

Lately I find myself engrossed in a new military sci-fi series on Paramount+ called Halo. I was drawn-in right from the first episode, “Contact,” and haven’t been able to stop watching ever since. Why do I find the series fascinating, compelling, and profoundly aligned with real life, this non-fictional life we live right now?

It asks the same existential questions I asked above about each of us, about human nature, and whether or not humans are capable of saving ourselves… from ourselves. The series also asks Can we unite as humans, as one species, and save ourselves from other lethally aggressive alien species or cosmic forces?

Master Chief-117: What I can see on the ground may not reflect the entirety of the situation.
Kwan Ha: What does that mean?
Master Chief-117: Sometimes, others know things I do not.
Kwan Ha: It ever occur to you that it might work the other way around?
Master Chief-117: Then you question everything?
Kwan Ha: And someone told you that’s bad? [pause] (somewhat resigned, she exhales, answering her own question) …Of course they did.
halo episode 1 “contact,” season one

*Kwan challenges Master Chief-117’s purpose in life*

Watching this first episode and this particular scene really struck a chord with me. It reminded me of how so many people both around me today and those from my past, live or have lived their lives according to how others think of them or want from them. It could be parents, family, bosses, friends, or even a theoretical ideology or religious belief system, a political leader(?) that dictates how lives will be lived. Is that not a machine rather than a free human?

Dr. Catherine Halsey, Chief Scientist of the UNSC and founder of the Spartan-II Project begun decades earlier the next improved evolutionary step beyond antiquated human military soldiering. Otherwise, the human race was not going to win the war against a far superior alien enemy. Therefore, in order for her Spartan project to be a guaranteed success against a winning enemy—known as the Covenant—with better weapons and soldiers than any humans, Halsey had to commit several immoral, deceptive, and unethical acts upon human children and their families in order to rescue all of humanity and its fragile, hopeless future. This was how Halsey justified her heinous actions: sacrificing a few for the greater good of all.

*Dr. Catherine Halsey founder of the Orion and Spartan-II projects*

Putting further twists and conflicted reasoning into these existential dilemmas is Captain Jacob Keyes, ex-husband of Dr. Halsey and the father of their one daughter, Dr. Miranda Keyes, Deputy UNSC Scientist under Halsey, her mother. Talk about familial tensions wound super tight, all stirred into the uncertain future of humanity, it doesn’t get more thick and riveting than that! For example, when Miranda discovers that the UNSC will execute the teenage rebel Kwan, she confronts her father:

Dr. Miranda Keyes: [referring to Kwan] We’re murdering a teenage girl. And I’m complicit.
Capt. Jacob Keyes: We’re in a war, Miranda. The future of humanity…
Dr. Miranda Keyes: What’s the point in saving humanity if we’re going to give up our own?
Capt. Jacob Keyes: Sometimes you have to make hard choices to get good results.
Dr. Miranda Keyes: Now who’s sounding like Halsey?
halo episode 1 “contact,” season one

*Dr. Miranda Keyes (left, daughter) and Capt. Jacob Keyes (right, father)*

As I got into episode two, three, and four, I couldn’t help but compare the Spartan-II soldiers (Silver Team) to specific groups of actual humans and ideologies the United States possess today. Although these fictional badass, undefeated soldiers had superhuman characteristics along with unwavering resilience for mission success—“Failure is not an option” mantra—even if it means death to achieve it, first and foremost they obey every order given to them from their superiors to the tee and without question. Sound familiar? Dr. Halsey also implanted into Spartans an augmentation pellet in their lower spinal cord at a pubescent age. The device increased their physical mass and height to approximately 7-feet by adult age giving them highly advanced exoskeleton physiques required to slaughter and defeat Covenant aliens.

“You have been called upon to serve. You will be trained – and you will become the best [I] can make of you. You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies.”
— dr. catherine halsey, to the spartan-II recruits

For me, Halsey reminds me of all our history’s past authoritarian, self-consumed megalomaniacs of the world. Remind you of one we have today in the United States? In other words, the end always justifies the means, even if it is unconstitutional and blatantly illegal. Getting the picture?

Discussing the work of Dr. Halsey and her Spartan-II’s and Halsey’s obsessive complete control over their ultimate purpose to first serve her, then second to serve humans:

Dr. Miranda Keyes: Dr. Halsey designed everything to her specifications. When her creations behave in unexpected ways, she get’s uncomfortable.
Kai-125: Well, what does it mean to behave in unexpected ways?
Dr. Miranda Keyes: Like a human I suppose.

Dr. Miranda Keyes: To Dr. Halsey, human beings are messy, irrational, chaotic. They make decisions based on emotion, passion. Halsey is different. She sees the world as a set of data to be optimized, regardless of the short-term pain or sacrifice. Next to this level of dedication, the rest of us ultimately fall short. And when people let her down, Dr. Halsey has a way of cutting them out of her life.
halo episode 4 “homecoming,” season one

Both Master Chief-117 (John) and Kai-125 have cut out their augmentation pellets in order to know and understand better who they are as well as to better decipher who Dr. Halsey is to them and whether she truly is their “protector” and confidant. These are the first signs of Spartans questioning their superior’s motives. To this point, Miranda says to Kai-125:

Dr. Miranda Keyes: Kai, your act of rebellion could just be a glitch. But if I know Dr. Halsey, she doesn’t tolerate glitches.
halo episode 4 “homecoming,” season one

**Halo Season 1** Key art featuring L-R Yerin Ha as Kwan Ha, Natascha McElhone as Halsey, Bokeem Woodbine as Soren, Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief, Kate Kennedy as Kai, Natasha Culzac as Riz and Bentley Kalu as Vannak. Photo Credit: Paramout+

Or in our real time conditions today in America, with a rising cult-mentality and blind, unflinching loyalty to the cult leader, if a soldier steps out of line or questions, or criticizes the supreme leader, that dissident or dissidents are quickly attacked, cut out of his/her life and future plans. They are “fired,” replaced for more obedient more loyal subjects/soldiers. Why are so many (poorly?) evolved humans susceptible to this sort of brainwashing? Dr. Halsey gives a few possible answers below. When Master Chief-117 confronts Halsey about lying to him and all Spartans, he demands why:

Dr. Catherine Halsey: Nothing I say to you will make any sense until the benefits are manifest. I just have to accept that you will hate me. I was planning the future.
Master Chief-117: Whose future? Not mine.
Dr. Catherine Halsey: Nor mine. The future of our species. Natural evolution is failing us. Human beings are still hardwired for conflict and selfishness, John. I knew years ago that if we were going to survive, we needed a force. A force that would intervene, that could prevent conflict before it started. So, I created the Spartans, a group who would protect us from ourselves.
halo episode 6 “Solace,” season one

“Protect us from ourselves.” And humans “are still hardwired for conflict and selfishness.” Well, that is certainly true about the human race over its entire existence on Earth. Dr. Halsey is extremely intelligent and accurately observant regarding basic human nature. This cannot in the least, however, be said about America’s current cult leader and apparent 2024 Republican candidate for presidential re-election. This is one glaring difference between the Halo character Halsey and the real-time Orange Orangutan.

Nevertheless, here is another spot-on observation by Dr. Halsey based on her experience regarding human nature and our species’ progress by the 26^th-century:

Dr. Catherine Halsey: We are on a journey. We are born, we live, and we die according to the rules of blind and unguided evolution. As a result, our species is simply not equipped to survive what comes next. It is time for us to take control of our evolution, to push past our narrow ignorance and venture out into the wide unknown, where we will discover our true potential. I suspect the Halo will provide the key.

Much has been lost, and there will surely be more sacrifices to come. But I believe our species will soon spread its wings and soar to new heights, that we will rewrite what it means to be human. That we will achieve transcendence.
halo episode 9 “transcendence,” season one

But will we? Are we really capable of Renaissance and Enlightenment 2.0, the next huge step in human evolution over the next 1 to 5 to 10-years? Is the United States capable despite the growing deterioration and dismantling of our democratic institutions and our pillars of higher education-expertise these last 10-20 years? How is it possible to insure a Golden Age will arrive when so many Americans or humans choose to be simple “Spartans,” or automatons, for the sake of a tyrannical leader and his or her ideology of hate, violence, prejudices, and racism? I wonder.

Aside from our bleak reality in the U.S. today, I am looking forward to Season 2 of Halo streaming on Paramount+ this February 8^th. If it is anything as enjoyable as Season 1, then it will provide plenty of further existential questions, dilemmas, and realizations about our human species and whether or not we truly are capable of “saving ourselves from ourselves” or if we are merely machines destined for extinction. One thing is certain, however. There is no supreme deity or one human that is going to do it for us or rescue us. It is in our collective hands and our hands alone to do it together.

Bring on Season 2. Can’t wait.

Live Well – Love Much – Laugh Often – Learn Always

Texas’ Rural Environmental Standards?

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Professor Taboo

Back in August 2023 I shared the national rankings by U.S. News & World Report of the Best U.S. States to Reside based upon eight metrics. My home state of Texas ranked only #35th overall among all 50-states; a ranking that is quite low based upon many rural, arrogant, and biased Texan attitudes here. And as most of you know well, the rural parts of Texas are heavily dominated by MAGA Republican politics. By the way, as a side note and not so coincidental, our Texas 21st Congressional District in the federal House of Representatives is led by (R) Chip Roy who is also the policy chairman of the radical House Freedom Caucus in Washington D.C.

This past Wednesday we received in the mail along with our Kerrville Utilities bill (water & sewage) for the month of December, a letter of disclosure, or as the City of Kerrville worded it, a letter of “Transparency.” This is what it said:

Now, returning to Texas’ national ranking of the “best” states to reside in the U.S., our ranking overall was 35th. But in the category of environmental protections, enforcement, and health-safety we sadly rank a lowly #40. In other words, our environmental care and protection, even for public health and safety, is in all honesty cow-manure! Why do we seem to NOT care for public health and safety and environmental protections? I’ll give you two guesses.

Mom and I live inside the unaffected area toward the top of that map. However, my sister lives down near the Kerr County Municipal Airport (red arrow), the area in yellow that IS contaminated. Granted, a running average of 0.010 mg/L of TTHM, which is equal to 80-parts per billion is nothing to be too seriously alarmed about, right? But here’s my three questions:

When could anyone wholeheartedly trust the MAGA Republicans, especially those who rule all the rural areas of Texas?
Are they divulging ALL the actual data in a correct, unbiased, transparent amount? And…
If all of Kerrville’s water supply comes from only two sources—the Edwards-Trinity Plateau Aquifer and the Guadalupe River, and BOTH are contaminated to some degree now or in the near future, then how will the rest of our water sources be exempt or unaffected?

Did you read the part of the Q&A second page about “What causes high TTHM levels“? It states:

Heavy rainfall can often introduce large amounts of organic matter, including grass and leaves, into the river water. When this organic matter reacts with chlorine during the disinfection process, it creates TTHMs. Additionally, when drought conditions and extreme high [hot] temperatures exist, the water becomes warmer than usual and requires more chlorine be used for disinfection.
— City of kerrville to its water consumers, jan. 10, 2024

The Hill Country of Texas and Kerrville over the last 2-years has experienced all of these climate events listed, except the extended heavy rainfalls, although these last two weeks we have had a steady flow of rainfall for about 12 out of the last 16 days/nights.

There has been another recent climate event contributing to our water contamination: high winds. And the high wind-gusts blow all sorts of pollutants and organic matter into our river which eventually reaches our underground aquifer. High winds also dry out already drought-ridden conditions. Examine these four tables below…

**2021** average wind-speed in grey, wind-gusts in red, Kerrville, Texas — *WeatherSpark.com*

**2022** average wind-speed in grey, wind-gusts in red, Kerrville, Texas — WeatherSpark.com

**2023** average wind-speed in grey, wind-gusts in red, Kerrville, Texas — WeatherSpark.com

**2024** average wind-speed in grey, wind-gusts in red, Kerrville, Texas — WeatherSpark.com

So for the past 4-5 days myself and Mom have suffered horribly from high levels of pollen, cedar, and other air-contaminates. I guess we may be dealing with water contamination soon enough as well. Yes, it is glaringly clear why Texas ranks at #40 out of 50-states in the nation for (poor) environmental health and safety. Surprise surprise.

Live Well – Love Much – Laugh Often – Learn Always – Be Environmentally Responsible!

Herb Gardener Extraordinaire

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Professor Taboo

I have picked up a new hobby these last 4-6 months. I love my new hobby. It brings me much solace and therapeutic benefits given my circumstances.

Because I spend a lot of my days and evenings in the kitchen making healthy recipes and meals for my Early Alzheimer’s Mom, that on her own she would live off of strictly potato chips, cheeses, almonds, walnuts, and cheese cakes or Blue Bell ice cream exclusively, grazing on these items all morning, afternoon, evening, and into the wee-hours of 1:00am — 3:00am, without pause, so I do this in the kitchen.

How is my herb garden coming along you ask? Well, I’d say for my very first late-summer, early-autumn seeding, rooting, and transplanting, I think pretty damn good. I have some viewers and followers (Arkenatan of A Tale Unfolds) who have been doing this sort of gardening for years and decades, and compared to them I am certainly a rookie learning as I go. For the most part, I must say that I’m fairing pretty well. And according to Mom and sister, when I use some of my various herbs in recipes for them, they are impressed and sometimes rave how good a gourmet chef I’ve become. There is nothing like super fresh herbs straight from your own garden to kitchen and table! Want to see my own home-grown herbs? Of course you do. 😉

*Named from top left tier to right, middle tier L to R, and bottom tier L to R images below*. My pitchers of liquid seaweed in background.

*Bunching Evergreen Onions, had to block the glare with hand.*

*More Bunching Onions, because they need “spreading” once 3″ — 5″ tall.*

*Cilantro that we use in many recipes, especially our Pico de Gallo.*

*More Mint (Spearmint) for my hot teas and recipes like Loin of Lamb or on crackers, as seen below.*

*Common Oregano*, *or Oraganum vulgare. New sprouts on the left.*

Then not pictured from my garden, but otherwise in two pot containers, my Basil Prospera F1, also known as Genovese or Basil Valentino, as pictured here:

Back in late September I planted Rosemary seeds (Rosmarinus officinalis) which grows and thrives very well here in Central Texas. But surprisingly and to my slight dismay my one little sprout—out of 4 or 5 seed-pots—died earlier this week. Grrrrr, can’t win them all, huh? I’ll try again in the Spring 2024. They should do alright for then and rooting/growing in my pots for the full sun summer.

Two of many recipes I’ve used these home-grown herbs for are my fresh Basil Pesto, Mediterranean Veggie or Margarita pizzas, or this one below, Creamy Chicken Pesto Penne Pasta with fresh spinach and sundried tomatoes:

*Creamy Chicken Pesto Penne Pasta with spinach & sundried tomatoes.*

Or this smash hit today, Rosemary & Olive oil crackers with my fresh Sweet Mint leaves, Rat Trap Cheddar or Danish Bleu Cheese (from Denmark), topped with cherry tomato halves. Compliment this appetizer with a glass of—my favorite red—like Mendoza Valley (Argentina) Malbec or a bold Cabernet Sauvignon to explode the flavors and fragrance in your mouth and nose, image below:

*My very fresh Sweet Mint cuttings, cherry tomato halves in container. Mom in the background in her usual spot on the couch enjoying her snack immensely!*

These last several months growing my herbs from seed have been wonderfully satisfying and a bit of therapy for my otherwise full-time/overtime Caretaking of Mom. I’d say it is coming along nicely, wouldn’t you? 🌱🌿

Live Well – Love Much – Laugh Often – Learn Always – Garden Lots

Crazy Like A Ray of Light

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Professor Taboo

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time
to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
Madame Marie Curie

This post is somewhat random but inspired by friends and great music of 1990 — 1998, all incredibly popular, happy, memorable, and unforgettable years for me personally. Two of my favorites follow, with some musing commentary.

Yet, Seal’s hit song “Crazy” I find so apropos for humanity’s continued evolution, progression, and advancement IF—emphasis on if—humanity (you) is/are BRAVE enough to think and step out of their suffocating comfortable BOXES and move forward! Everything in existence and life is in constant flux; always changing at some degree of speed. We just need to become more adaptable daily, weekly, monthly… for the Universe’s and our planet’s frequent fast-balls or curveballs. Nothing in life, in existence stays the same, always forever. Never. It all eventually becomes antiquated, like all the world’s now very ancient religions. It is past time to move on from the Bronze and Iron Ages or Classical/Post-classical Ages and into the modern knowledge of 21^st and then 22^nd centuries. Otherwise, stagnation only leads to extinction, yes?

Celebrate, dance like Madonna to this advancing, second Renaissance Age that is knocking and trying to break free from the dead, decaying chains of the past! Like a ray of light speeds through space and time, its particles in motion do not need your approval, help, or opinion to exist, much less to move anywhere. Only gravity and Black Holes have that sort of power. 🤓

“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
Brene Brown

P.S. I will soon be publishing my Part 4: A New U.S. Constitution, for those of you still following the series (chuckle). Apologies for the delay, but hey… life gets in the way sometimes. We have a lot less control of things than we like to trick ourselves into falsely believing, right? HAH! 😄

Live Well – Love Much – Laugh Often – Learn Always

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Omicron Ba.4 and Ba.5

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Professor Taboo

Since December 2019 I have been hyper-vigilant in following every single viral protocol and government mandate regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its nonstop variants and subvariants. I’ve been glad to do so not just for my own health and safety, but also as a team-player in the ongoing war of national public health and safety for all Americans. Having played team sports all my life, I completely understand why it must be done; been doing it for over two years. I promote the basic ideals of being a TEAM player in this war against an invisible enemy.

For me it was a no brainer, right? January 21, 2020 that (invisible) enemy known as COVID-19 from Wuhan, China, was quickly spreading. There was no doubt whatsoever it was going to hit our U.S. ports of entry. Like a scourge never before seen in human history it was going to hit our shores, invade the lungs and bodies of millions upon millions of Americans and kill them—1,064,207 dead and counting. And as predicted, that’s exactly what happened. It still continues killing today and for the foreseeable future.

On August 8^th, 2022, over two years later in my fight against COVID, I lost my undefeated battle-record following a trip to Dallas, TX for my best friend’s Celebration of Life ceremonial funeral. With triple-digit temperatures in DFW and across most of the state of Texas during the entire month of July and into August, everybody was staying inside with A/C for any event or gathering between 10am and 10pm. This included my good friend’s ceremony. No one, not a single person there was wearing any mask or social-distancing despite the COVID Omicron subvariants Ba.4 and Ba.5 spreading like wildfire throughout the entire state.

This general apathy was true again Sunday night, August 7^th, at one of my all-time favorite Goth Industrial Steampunk EBM dance clubs, The Church. No masks anywhere, no social-distancing in the least. By Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 9^th–10^th, I had every single Omicron Ba.4 or 5 symptom listed and I tested positive Wednesday morning. I was deathly ill by then. That night I had hallucinations in my terribly uncomfortable, broken sleep. By that point in time I had already exposed my Mom and sister to the virus over 2 1⁄2 days.

Three days later while I was in my 7-10 day isolation, Mom tested positive. Only by the slimmest, luckiest margins my sister never tested positive the four days she was with us indoors helping with meals and basic daily tasks. Remarkable actually.

This past Tuesday, the 16^th, I finally tested negative and came out of my quarantine. I really had no choice because the last four days my sister could no longer come inside with us. The house was a mess, especially the kitchen due to Mom’s fatigue and severe dementia. I had to hit the ground running. Many daily tasks and chores had gone undone for over a week. Mom ends her quarantine this Saturday, Aug. 20^th, if she tests negative tomorrow.

Unfortunately, I still have a runny nose presently, mucus-phlegm congestion in my throat and chest, persistent coughing, along with fatigue after extended periods of physical exertion. Our family PPO practitioner has informed me that I cannot get reinfected by the same subvariant I gave to Mom. However, I can indeed get reinfected by any other variants and subvariants of COVID. Each reinfection raises my risks of long-term or permanent health problems with other bodily organs and systems. He also informed me that symptoms can persist for weeks or months after quarantine, possibly (but rarely) for the rest of my life. 😔 I can say this with utter conviction, breathing is more difficult now 3-4 days after testing negative.

I do not wish this virus on anyone. It is terrible and possibly damages your health systems long-term. And myself, Mom, and my sister, we are all fully vaccinated (2 doses) and fully boostered (2 more doses) and absolutely plan to get boostered next month for the Omicron subvariants. I can’t imagine what HELL we would’ve experienced had Mom and I not been maximally protected by those four Pfizer and Moderna shots.

Recently, most all U.S. states have dropped their entire COVID mandates and protocols despite the skyrocketing cases of Omicron infections across the nation. This is a massive mistake! Furthermore, I tried diligently to report my COVID infection as well as my Mom’s, but could not do so. Why? State governments now require that only clinically approved testing sites can report new cases to the county and state agencies, like the CDC. There are likely hundreds or thousands of new cases/infections not being reported because like us, we tested with At Home Antigen Test Kits. These positive results are not accepted by county and state databases. Hence, if your county health center reports for example only 10 new cases in a day or 23 new cases in a week, it is very wise to add maybe 15-20 more cases on top of that… give or take 50 more infected people. 🙄🤦‍♂️ That’s just a random guess on my part given our small populated area/county here in Kerrville. If you reside in a large metropolitan area, it’s wise to add a lot more cases to what public agencies report. Believe me, their numbers are far too low!

This biological war is by no means over, it’s not even in decline. As long as all of us refuse to declare war on COVID by abiding by protocols and mandates, wear masks, social-distance, stay away from large indoor crowds, and test, test, test… this deadly virus will just keep morphing into smarter, stronger new variants and subvariants. That’s simple cytology and biology folks.