An article in The Atlantic speaks to the growing death-fetish that is gripping more and more youth. It is a bad omen for the state of modern industrial civilization as a whole, I would contend, and it indicates a broader trend toward anxiety, hopeless and despair, which must be confronted
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Writings of J. Todd Ring: Imagine common sense
John Lennon, Imagine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhq-yO1KN8 Think about how widely loved this song is. Then think about the lyrics and what they say – this is a song that is urging anarchist communism. And the people love it. That says a lot. In fact, it would be hard to think of a
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Obamacare and the magic of PR
Forbes: While politicians and pundits alike inside the beltway beat up the White House over computer system glitches, health insurance companies still project robust revenue growth and profits from a boom in business from newly insured Americans under the Affordable Care Act. http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2013/10/26/despite-glitches-obamacare-profit-windfall-to-insurers-well-underway/ My response: Obamacare will benefit big business
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Anarchism, capitalism, democracy and common sense
I am not inclined toward market anarchy, or anarchist capitalism, as I see it as being both non-viable, since capitalism without restraints invariably breeds monopoly capitalism, which is no longer capitalism in the sense of a free market, but a form of feudalism, since the few end up dominating and ruling
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Country life, and the glory of silence
I say aloud to myself, “Ahh…it’s so quite here! Thank God I moved to the country!” And the words reverberate warmly through the room, their sound highlighting by contrast the rich, glorious silence which they flow through, like ripples on a shimmering lake, the glint of sunlight reflecting diamonds all
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Mexico City: A study in impermanence, and a lesson to us all
pablo lopez luz photographs the concrete waves (or carpet, as he puts it) of Mexico City The unbelievably sprawling concrete carpet of Mexico City seen in these photos make me think… Gorgeous country, beautiful culture and people, horrible government, amazing capital city – but utterly unsustainable, as most cities
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Are we alone? More importantly, are we even awake?
The “man the life boats and head for the stars” answer to our present human dilemmas is simply delusional. We can and should explore space, but if we don’t get our act together here on this planet immediately, we’re dead – extinct: plain and simple. A recent book seems once
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: American and Canadian Politics – A brief comparison and lay of the land
Here is a rough translation of Canadian political culture for Americans and others who may be unfamiliar with the political landscape of the second largest country on earth, the holder of the largest oil and mineral resources on earth, the pantry to the American empire, one of the richest nations on the
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Simple pleasures and the greatest of treasures
Ok, it’s that time. Time to put down the pen, or in this case, the keyboard; start cooking dinner – very slowly, for maximum flavour – and cut the grass in the golden sun of the late afternoon… And, crank up the rock and roll on the wireless headphones! Whoo-hoo!
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: New studies show generosity and cooperation are both natural and intelligent
A new study shows a mathematical proof that generosity leads to evolutionary success. Biologists offer a mathematically based explanation for why cooperation and generosity have evolved in nature [Credit: Web] “Ever since Darwin,” Plotkin said, “biologists have been puzzled about why there is so much apparent cooperation, and even flat-out generosity
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The therapeutic benefits of gardening and getting your hands in the soil
Studies have shown that gardening really is therapeutic. It has been found that there are compounds in the soil that, when they strike the olfactory senses, trigger a stress-relieving relaxation response in human beings. This makes sense, since we have spent ten thousand years digging in the soil, and associating
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Fukushima still spreading deadly radiation across northern hemisphere: one food can help protect you
Seaweed is a true super-food, high in essential nutrients, low carb, low calorie, and also, naturally high in iodine – and it helps protects the body from radiation. It is a staple in Japan and many other maritime regions. Considering the rising levels of radiation across North America due to the Fukushima
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Anonymous plans million mask march on Washington
Anonymous plans Million Mask March on Washington – RT America
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: US government shutdown drives people against Republicans and into the arms of Obama and the Democrats
Reportedly, Americans are blaming the Republicans for the government shutdown, which most of them do not like. This plays well for the Obama government and the Democratic Party. It has been a successful PR campaign so far, it would appear. The Democrats are looking good in the eyes of the
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Love, sympathy and mutual aid are natural – we have to be taught to be greedy little narcissists
During a California wildfire rescue workers ran out of crates to place rescued animals, forcing them to put a fawn and a bobcat kitten in an office together. When they got back they found that fawn and the bobcat cuddling and the pair became inseparable. Yes, compassion,
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The slide to the extreme right of the Republican and Democratic parties
The two parties of corporate rule are both heading in essentially the same direction, but quibble only over the timelines for implementation of their mutually shared agenda: which at its core is, namely, 1) to dismantle democracy and install a police state so the corporate elite who fund and control both
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Americans are “disgusted” by their government
In an interview with WPTZ-TV, Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders said “people are angry, they’re upset and they’re frustrated. They have every reason to be. What people want is for Congress to address the issues that are facing the American people: and that’s creating jobs and raising the minimum wage, dealing
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The real secret
“The number of minds in the universe is one.” – Erwin Schrödinger, grandfather of the mathematics underlying quantum physics “The perception of a division between self and other is a kind of optical delusion.” – Einstein This is the real secret. Plumb the meaning of this, and you will be
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Government shutdown, and other fairy tales and examples of political theatre – take two
What then, is really going on here with this grand charade in Washington? Here’s my take. Obama was installed by the ruling elite from Wall Street and the highest circles of the Western corporate plutocrats, in order to extend the shelf life of their empire, to put a smiley face
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Stop calling it a “shutdown” – it’s not, it’s business as usual
(See the article by Brian Anderson on Motherboard, mentioned below – it is excellent, as well as blisteringly funny.) You can’t really say something is shut down when it wasn’t functioning to begin with, Motherboard’s Brian Anderson only half jokingly says, and of course, he is right. (Kudos to him
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