Wednesday, October 31, 2018
It’s always great to get away from it all, have some peace and quiet and just enjoy nature. #peaceful #wonderlust #happyplace #overlandbound #ob1699 on a side note, this will be my last photo on Instagram for 2018. Going to take some time off from social media for awhile. In fact I’m deleting the apps from my phone and will only check in on my desktop every couple of days. Peace out Insta!
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Friday, October 12, 2018
Thursday, October 11, 2018
My take on the Flat Earth Theory
Flat Earth Theory
In recent years the idea that we live on a flat earth has grown in popularity. Not only the fringe of society believe this awkward theory. It seems to be growing thanks to online forums, social media, and even the vessels of truth and morality… celebrities. So what is it and why should we be concerned?
“Members of the Flat Earth Society claim to believe the Earth is flat. Walking around on the planet's surface, it looks and feels flat, so they deem all evidence to the contrary, such as satellite photos of Earth as a sphere, to be fabrications of a "round Earth conspiracy" orchestrated by NASA and other government agencies.”
“The belief that the Earth is flat has been described as the ultimate conspiracy theory. According to the Flat Earth Society's leadership, its ranks have grown by 200 people (mostly Americans and Britons) per year since 2009. Judging by the exhaustive effort flat-earthers have invested in fleshing out the theory on their website, as well as the staunch defenses of their views they offer in media interviews and on Twitter, it would seem that these people genuinely believe the Earth is flat.”
What is the Leading Theory?
“The leading flat-earther theory holds that Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the center and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall wall of ice, around the rim.”
There are numerous theories on the shape, properties, and laws governing the flat earth. Two common shapes are flat two dimensional and oval shape with a toroidal surface. Others theorize that gravity does not govern the movement of the celestial body’s, but rather that electromagnetism is responsible for tides, season changes, as well as keeping the earth together in the vacuum of space. Other theories are that the sun and moon, circle overhead to create day night cycles, as well as the sun transmitting solar radiation, and the moon taking it away, causing temperature swings to create wind and seasons as well.
Just because you believe something doesn’t mean you know what you’re talking about
Too often society relies on feelings, and direct observations to explain what can be hard to understand. In the day of unlimited information, and creative endeavors it can be hard to decipher what is real and fake. Often flat earth theories turn to science fiction or magical explanations to answer questions raised.
“Earth's day and night cycle is explained by positing that the sun and moon are spheres measuring 32 miles (51 kilometers) that move in circles 3,000 miles (4,828 km) above the plane of the Earth. (Stars, they say, move in a plane 3,100 miles up.) Like spotlights, these celestial spheres illuminate different portions of the planet in a 24-hour cycle. Flat-earthers believe there must also be an invisible "antimoon" that obscures the moon during lunar eclipses.”
“Furthermore, Earth's gravity is an illusion, they say. Objects do not accelerate downward; instead, the disc of Earth accelerates upward at 32 feet per second squared (9.8 meters per second squared), driven up by a mysterious force called dark energy. Currently, there is disagreement among flat-earthers about whether or not Einstein's theory of relativity permits Earth to accelerate upward indefinitely without the planet eventually surpassing the speed of light. (Einstein's laws apparently still hold in this alternate version of reality.)”
The Truth behind conspiracy theories in general
“According to psychologists, conspiracy theorists often feel they’re somehow special: whereas the majority of the population has fallen for a false rhetoric, a conspiracy theorist has risen above it. “They have this special knowledge, this special insight.” When the community comes together, views are mutually reinforced, and the world becomes explainable, if not entirely secure.
“It’s almost like a coping mechanism,” Rebecca Owens, lecturer in psychology at the University of Sunderland. “The belief that: ‘Actually, I have some control over this’. They’ve had this revelation and now something makes sense – while everything else in their world is chaotic.”
“And the thing about conspiracy beliefs is that they’re kind of non-falsifiable. There’s no piece of evidence that could convince someone they’re wrong, because ‘any evidence that does suggest they’re wrong has obviously been put there by the conspirators.’ In the case of the Flat Earth, that would be the scientific community.”
Well this is interesting
In 1937, novelist and writer H.G Wells laid out a vision for something truly utopian. He called it the "Permanent World Encyclopaedia."
"A great number of workers would be engaged perpetually in perfecting this index of human knowledge and keeping it up to date," he wrote in an essay for the Encyclopédie Française, later published in the book World Brain. "[It] will be made accessible to every individual...It need not be concentrated in any one single place...It can be reproduced exactly and fully, in Peru, China, Iceland, Central Africa."
78 years later, Wells' prediction has basically come true. He called it the "Permanent World Encyclopaedia"; we call it Wikipedia. (Alternately, you could also just consider his idea to be manifest in the Internet as a whole.)
Isn’t it interesting, that while we live in the information age, where we carry devices that can connect to the Internet and able to answer any question we ask, that instead of believing that information, many of us look for a conspiracy theory to discredit that information. This has lead to a war of words on a daily bases from science deniers and political incivility. While everyone should look to validate the information we obtain from the On-line world, there is nothing to gain from the war we find ourselves in.
The rise in conspiracy theories on social media and growing distrust in government have led to a resurgence in flat Earth interest. Citing Google Trends, The Age noted that online searches in Britain for the phrase "flat Earth" have risen tenfold over the past five years. The dangers of alternative theories like flat earth, is an unwillingness to accept facts over feelings. Ultimately this will engulf all aspects of daily life, which is seen now with phrases like “Gender is a social construct” where not long ago it was agreed that gender was based on biological fact.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Friday, October 5, 2018
Had to take the Sportage in!
Had to take my 2016 Kia Sportage into the shop Monday at 59,397 miles, because I lost the AWD (All Wheel Drive) system, which sent 100% of the power to the front wheels only. After taking it the shop, they made arrangements to for me to get a rental car, since they would have to replace the transmission, transfer case, rear coupler (Rear differential for those old school people) and a rear axle. It appears as though there was some water that got into the housings and corroded the electrical contacts. That and somehow there was some significant damage to the axle. Their original estimate was three to four weeks, however they got it done in four days.
Now I know what you're thinking, "that must have cost a fortune!" Normally you would be correct, however it's a KIA and is covered completely by their warranty. In fact since they gave me a hybrid Optima it cost me an astonishing $4 to fill it up before returning it.
So after all the work done, it runs like a champ! Thank you Kia and Martin Swanty Kia for a great product, and for standing behind your warranty! (I'm sure results may vary)
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Remember when I was making light of hurricane Rosa?
Monday, October 1, 2018
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