Sunday, February 05, 2017

I will leave you today with these prophetic words from the great Carl Sagan.


“I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time — when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and whats true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.” 

Okay, that's just spooky.

This is why we need more scientists in politics.

They can recognize patterns and predict outcomes that most of us will never see coming.

(Source.)

38 comments:

  1. a. j. billings5:43 PM

    And speaking of sliding back into darkness, just listen to Keith Olbermann in this 7 minute clip.

    Bottom line: Bannon and Trump are laying the ground work so if another major terrorist act happens in the USA, they will be ready for war, Trump will be re-elected, and even worse things are yet to come

    http://www.gq.com/story/watch-the-closer-keith-olbermann

    Episode 28, Trump is aiding the enemy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SallyinMI6:29 PM

      You know what bothers me? "24" was on 2001-2010. It normalized torture and all the talking points "but if my daughter was in danger and this guy knew where she was, damn right I'd waterboard him!" is what you still hear. Well, guess what's returning to Fox right after the Super Bowl? Yup,m the show that was in total support of everything Cheney and Bush did is back, now to support Trump, Bannon and the rest of the white men who hate the world.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:44 PM


      Trump Is Attacking Any Institution That Challenges Him

      The president has displayed a willingness to go after the press, the intelligence community, and now even the judiciary.

      https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/trump-is-attacking-any-institution-that-challenges-him/515727/

      Delete
  2. Anonymous6:02 PM

    Carl Sagan would have not liked that people read superstitious ideas from his words. The whole point of his demon haunted world was to show us how as humans we just fall back into the dark ages of the human need to believe in things that are figments of our over active imagination.
    Al Gore also talks about this tendacy to hand over our rights for safety i his book the age of reason.
    Now we believe whatever people feed us on social media.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous6:03 PM

    Yeah, and where is our national security?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SallyinMI6:30 PM

      Hopefully, they are ignoring Trump and Bannon and doing their jobs as they did under Obama...those of them who are left that is.

      Delete
    2. First we were Bushitted again and now we are being tRUMPED4:53 AM

      “You’ve covered your ass, now” is no longer considered an acceptable presidential response to terrorist threats.

      But in the age of the Orange Apprentice Emperor who knows? For sure, no matter what happens, it won't ever be the Orange Apprentice Emperor's fault!

      Delete
  4. Anonymous6:11 PM

    'I got this'

    https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16426253_231986367271522_1972192944485530611_n.jpg?oh=4d17f8aef7ecce5131d3f5cb64b80011&oe=5900E14A

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous6:13 PM

    There’s every indication that President Donald Trump and the courts are headed for a constitutional showdown, and only one of them can emerge the victor.

    The Trump administration late Saturday urged an appeals court to immediately put on hold a judge’s nationwide order that effectively stopped, albeit temporarily, Trump’s de facto travel ban on all refugees and on immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

    The federal government has begun complying with the order. And as expected, the president has taken to personally attacking the judge, U.S. District Judge James Robart, whom he smeared in a series of Twitter posts that say more about Trump’s apparent disregard for the constitutional order of things than anything else.

    But lawyers for the administration are making a more nuanced case in legal filings and at oral arguments in the several courts hearing cases over his executive order ― including in an emergency request seeking to block the ruling Robart issued on Friday. The administration’s argument, if accepted by the courts, is one that could give Trump nearly unfettered power to go even beyond his initial executive order.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-doj-legal-argument-for-immigration-order_us_589761e3e4b0406131375da7?c1czdkd9pn32wewmi&

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:53 PM

      The court of appeals upheld Robart's ruling.

      The disgusting thing is trump has been on twitter like a crazy man that he is and said if we have a terrorist attack it is the judges' fault.

      Also that thousands of terrorists are poring into the country.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous6:15 PM

    Here’s The ‘Controversial’ Super Bowl Ad That Crashed 84 Lumber’s Website

    ...The ad featured a Spanish-speaking mother and daughter apparently traveling from Mexico to the United States. The end, which shows the pair discovering a door in a giant wall, was reportedly banned from TV since it commented on President Donald Trump’s promised border wall.

    After showing part of the ad, 84 Lumber directed people to check out Journey84.com to see the rest. That obviously didn’t work. Thankfully, that’s why there’s YouTube.

    Watch the full commercial above.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/controversial-super-bowl-ad-84-lumber_us_5897d1c6e4b0406131378003?u9jlbb3exqi0vbo6r&

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:20 PM

      https://www.facebook.com/84lumber/

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:21 PM

      WOW. Now THAT is a powerful commercial. Just brilliant.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous6:22 PM

      84 Lumber, you are my hero!
      BRAVO!!!!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous6:22 PM

      LOVE this ad. I'm with the 84 Lumber people and their allies. Let's buy lumber!

      Delete
    5. Anonymous6:28 PM

      Wow. What an amazing commercial. Bravo 84 Lumber. You will be remembered for this one for a long time.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous7:00 PM

    This is a time in the life of the US when it is good to be old, with no descendants.

    What's ahead may send us back into the dark ages, or obliterate humans from the earth. UNLESS, the better half of humanity takes the reins away from the corrupt bastards. I hold a small amount of hope for the second option.

    #DUMPTRUMP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:39 AM

      Well then spread the word. We aint going down without a hell of a fight. That is the American way. Storm the enemy and don't let up until we win.

      Delete
    2. linda6:34 AM

      I'm with you at 7:00 PM. I do have children and step children. All of child bearing age but so far with no children of their own. One is trying to have a baby. I'd love to have a grandchild, but . . . They are in their mid 30s so can't really expect them to wait much longer. However, biology just may sort it all out - no pregnancy yet after a year.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous7:03 PM

    Trump’s Crazy Chaos Is a Distraction From GOP Atrocities

    Ryan isn’t bothered with Trump’s atrocities. He is thriving on Trump’s chaos to “slip in his own deplorable but more mundane agenda” without anyone noticing.

    As this column has stated on more than one occasion, it is increasingly difficult to keep up with the mountain of outrages issuing forth from Trump; and that is not including the absurdly amateurish practice of keeping tabs on his stinking stupid Twitter activities. That kind of job is better left to parents of troubled preteens who should be monitoring what their kids are “tweeting.” But however “chaotic” and outrageous Trump or his administration appears to be, and it is both, there is method to Trump “madness” and it is a method Republicans in Congress are excited to use as a distraction from their already insane dismantling of the government while lavishing gifts on their wealthy campaign donors; no matter what industry those donors represent

    ThinkProgress is keeping track of the atrocities coming out of the Trump on a weekly basis, and they took a minute to explain Trump’s method of using “spread” to swamp the media and keep the American people confused about what the lunatic in the White House is going to do next. Anyone familiar with debate strategy is familiar with the concept known as “spread;” throw out as many arguments whether they are valid, dishonest, or batshit insane as possible to overwhelm your opponent. Trump’s administrations is pure spread with mountains of lies, dishonesty and incompetence but there is so much of it that no-one can possibly keep track of all of it. It is a brilliant distraction Republicans in Congress are taking advantage of to pass horrendous legislation the people never hear about until they are law.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/02/05/trumps-crazy-chaos-distraction-gop-atrocities.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:34 PM

      Trump team literally can’t find the White House light switches

      A New York Times story published Sunday night said that Reince Priebus, Stephen Miller and the rest of the Trump team are currently stumped as to how to turn on the lights in the White House cabinet room.

      “Aides confer in the dark because they cannot figure out how to operate the light switches in the cabinet room,” wrote the Times‘ Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman. “Visitors conclude their meetings and then wander around, testing doorknobs until finding one that leads to an exit. In a darkened, mostly empty West Wing, Mr. Trump’s provocative chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, finishes another 16-hour day planning new lines of attack.”

      Among other revelations in the article are the fact that there is tension between Pres. Trump and top advisor Stephen K. Bannon. Trump is reportedly upset that “he was not fully briefed on details of the executive order he signed” — an order drafted largely by Bannon.

      Also, the new chief executive ends his work day at 6:30 p.m. to watch TV in his bathrobe and opine on Twitter.

      “Usually around 6:30 p.m., or sometimes later, Mr. Trump retires upstairs to the residence to recharge, vent and intermittently use Twitter,” said the Times. “When Mr. Trump is not watching television in his bathrobe or on his phone reaching out to old campaign hands and advisers, he will sometimes set off to explore the unfamiliar surroundings of his new home.”

      While the administration tries to exude confidence and sure-footedness in its opening weeks, it has made multiple embarrassing public stumbles.

      http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/trump-team-literally-cant-find-the-white-house-light-switches/

      ...Cloistered in the White House, he now has little access to his fans and supporters — an important source of feedback and validation — and feels increasingly pinched by the pressures of the job and the constant presence of protests, one of the reasons he was forced to scrap a planned trip to Milwaukee last week. For a sense of what is happening outside, he watches cable, both at night and during the day — too much in the eyes of some aides — often offering a bitter play-by-play of critics like CNN’s Don Lemon.

      Until the past few days, Mr. Trump was telling his friends and advisers that he believed the opening stages of his presidency were going well. “Did you hear that, this guy thinks it’s been terrible!” Mr. Trump said mockingly to other aides when one dissenting view was voiced last week during a West Wing meeting.

      But his opinion has begun to change with a relentless parade of bad headlines.

      ...Visitors to the Oval Office say Mr. Trump is obsessed with the décor — it is both a totem of a victory that validates him as a serious person and an image-burnishing backdrop — so he has told his staff to schedule as many televised events in the room as possible.

      https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/05/us/politics/trump-white-house-aides-strategy.html

      Delete
    2. Guess Mr Smart Guys son of pimp father never told him to read what he signs7:58 PM

      President Trump feels like he was punked by Bannon because he didn't read the Executive Order or before he signed it?!

      "Mr. Priebus bristles at the perception that he occupies a diminished perch in the West Wing pecking order compared with previous chiefs. But for the moment, Mr. Bannon remains the president’s dominant adviser, despite Mr. Trump’s anger that he was not fully briefed on details of the executive order he signed giving his chief strategist a seat on the National Security Council, a greater source of frustration to the president than the fallout from the travel ban."

      https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/05/us/politics/trump-white-house-aides-strategy.html

      Delete
    3. Anonymous8:06 PM

      Everyone has caught on to their little plan of chaos, all it has done is make them look like incompetent fools.

      How many trump team members does it take to turn on a light?

      Are they so stupid they didn't think to ask the cleaning help how to turn on the lights?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous12:34 AM

      Ask the cleaning help? But that would make them look stupid.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous7:05 PM

    Hamilton Cast Added ‘Sisterhood’ To ‘America The Beautiful’ And Conservatives Are Losing Their MINDS (TWEETS)

    http://addictinginfo.org/2017/02/05/hamilton-cast-added-sisterhood-to-america-the-beautiful-and-conservatives-are-losing-their-minds-tweets/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:12 PM

      The comments really highlight their limited vocabulary.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous7:10 PM

    The US is the second most competitive manufacturing economy on the planet. And I don't think our critical thinking faculties are declining, or our challenging of authority. These views are subjective. If you're heavily into scientism and ignore history and current events,then you'll overstate the accuracy of Sagan's prognostications.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous7:24 PM

    When Trump gets us into a nuclear war, I hope a missile lands right on top of my head while I sleep. I don't want to be awake watching BREAKING NEWS bulletins that half of the United States of America is gone.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous7:24 PM

    "... when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues..."

    This is why we need low-tech paper ballot voting, counted and recounted by humans. When only a few understand the complexities of voting machines and how to rig them, we are ill-served to keep using them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:05 AM

      Yup.
      Just like the catholic church of old, keep the population ignorant and illiterate and you got 'em by the short hairs.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:04 AM

      4:05 -- I grew up Irish Catholic (all 4 grandparents directly from Ireland), and went to a SERIOUSLY Catholic college. In a way, that was fortunate, because:

      It was when I realized fully exactly what you just said, that I was able to claim my freedom.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous7:42 PM

    What the Frock! Sex Predator Priest Seduced Widows With S&M Toys

    Ultra-conservative Father Andrea Contin is being defrocked after dozens of women came forward accusing him of preying on them sexually, including an attempt at bestiality.

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/05/italian-priest-visited-widows-with-bag-of-sex-toys-to-prey-on-them.html

    Sick little fuck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:06 AM

      Aren't they all?

      Delete
  14. Anonymous7:44 PM

    Lady Gaga’s Super Gay Super Bowl Halftime Show Came When We Needed It Most
    Lady Gaga put on one helluva Super Bowl halftime show. More, she made a pointed political statement about equality and LGBT acceptance at a time when fear and divisiveness rules.

    In bedazzled hot pants, looking like some sort of sequined alien elf, and perched in genderqueer androgynous glory on the roof of a football stadium, Lady Gaga belted out “God Bless America,” sang a few phrases of “This Land Is Your Land,” and recited the unity statement: “one nation under God…” from the Pledge of Allegiance.

    Then she jumped off the damn building.

    This is Lady Gaga’s America. And it’s the one I’d like to think I live in.

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/05/lady-gaga-s-super-gay-super-bowl-halftime-show-came-when-we-needed-it-most.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txXwg712zw4

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous12:22 AM

    Bill Maher is trying to get lisa remini on to explain scientology and this election cycle of fake news. That may help explain.
    Then?
    Maybe Pam Anderson can explain too? Assage, Russia and Pam are friends.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is why we need a library with a certificated teacher librarian in every school from elementary on up.

    Librarians are information literacy specialists. Many hold masters in Library and Information SCIENCE.

    They are defenders of free speech, access to information and fighters of censorship.

    Librarians are the only ones standing between you and the F.B.I. (Patriot Act)

    The only way to fight the future Carl Sagan feared is through information literacy and free access to that information.

    The BananaRepublicans have gutted our education system to create the low information, gullible voters they rely on to get elected. The only way to fight that is through education. Trump and his Cabinet are already restricting access to information. They are purging webpages on government websites. Soon the FCC will remove protections for Net Neutrality.

    Librarians will be the biggest allies and most valuable resources to fight Trump's Fascist State.


    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous1:58 AM

    I'm really sick of trump and friends. 20 months straight of this asshole directing his scientologist bullies to attack innocent Americans and Global Humans is enough. Our paid servants and citizens will either stand up and fight for America or we will throw them out the door and off the planet for treason and espionage. There is no waiver, voucher, compromise or fold. It is war. What it is? WAR. draw the line in the sand. You are either a fighting American or a alt trumped con. Which is it?...Our history is watching every move and decision that America makes today...... El Roi.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous7:54 AM

    vs Dr. (fake med) OZ

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/dr-oz-show-will-again-talk-miracles-with-faith-healing-segment/

    ReplyDelete

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