Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Transhuman Sexuality

It's so disheartening to see that, despite all of humanity's technological & informational advancement, there is still so much primitive hate & fear for other people. There is currently a serious backlash against LGBTQ+ lifestyles in the U.S. and other places. Although I'm a straight white dude, I think other people should be free to pursue whatever experiences make them feel good. However, I also think that there needs to be limits - such as intentionally causing harm to others, or subjecting your will to non-consenting parties. Having a son now, my wife & I often discuss how we're going to deal with the complex issues of sexuality / identity. I don't think it's appropriate to force these ideas on young kids, but you also can't shelter them forever. Although what should be displayed in public is very subjective, especially when children are involved, common courtesy & discretion are ideas that I think are generally beneficial.

Sexuality and gender is such a contentious subject because it is such a basic & important aspect of being human. Sex = survival of our species. However, we have gone beyond biology in many ways - allowing us to experiment & experience possibilities outside the evolutionary imperative. So, I don't think the importance of biological purpose is enough of a reason to restrict anyone's sexual preference & other forms of personal experience. 

I feel bad for people who are still offended by alternative orientations, such as homosexual or transexual. Guess what??? Things are going to get waaaay more interesting... with the explosion of A.I., as well as advancements in both physical & mental cybernetic augmentation, and bio-hacking the body to create "un-natural" biological systems. What we understand to be "human" is going to continue to evolve & change. Fear and resistance will not stop the change, any more than it stopped the transition into the Information Age.

Besides the morphological changes humans will undergo due to technological advancements, it is also inevitable that people will be straight-up fucking robots or virtual entities. So, people who are currently disgusted by people's "unnatural" sexual preferences for other human beings will absolutely lose their minds when they see the techno-debauchery to come! 

There are many things about emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, that freak me out. However, I also know that things will always be changing... so you have to be open, ride the wave, & realize that the future is coming, despite your fears and feelings.


Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Flowering Clematis Vine

 


Nature Photography
by Paul Micarelli


After a few years of training a Clematis vine to grow over a trellis in our backyard, this Spring it is absolutely bursting with huge purple flowers.

It looks awesome, & it's probably our favorite plant in our gardens. We have a lot of plants in our gardens & in our house, but this is the one that I'm most proud of. It just makes me happy to come home & see it flourishing now.

 
In previous years, our landscapers cut down the vines, which totally destroyed the growth process that I was working so hard to cultivate. After telling them numerous times & putting up some garden fencing around it, they finally got the hint to leave it alone. Then, Loretta unknowingly cut off the old growth last Spring, thinking it was "dead" vines. I made sure she left alone this Spring, & it is blooming like crazy now. 

We also now have a little garden helper who likes to water plants (& soak himself with the hose). We call my son Paulie "Nature Boy" because he loves the outdoors, and he is always right there helping us with gardening or any other yard work.







Friday, May 12, 2023

Trump & The Anti-Christ Archetype

 

Now, I'm not saying Donald Trump is "The Anti-Christ"... but I am saying that he's the complete opposite of the idea of Jesus Christ that has been passed down to us.

The fact that Trump is still campaigning for President, and even more so that people are still backing him, is beyond absurdity. With the prevalence of social media & endless connectivity permeating our lives, American culture itself is becoming increasingly psychotic, especially when it comes to national politics. Trump is the ultimate manifestation of that cultural psychosis.

When I was younger, the idea of an "Anti-Christ" really was weird to me, for the reason in the graphic above. I didn't have the life experience to see the power in cults of personality & the appeal to authoritarianism that would make such a phenomenon possible. Now, I see that it's not only possible, but probable. However, I view the concept of an Anti-Christ as more of an archetype than any singular individual.

I'm not a Bible literalist by any means, but what confuses me is that someone who does truly believe in the danger of an Anti-Christ figure would not look at Donald Trump & immediately go, "Ummm, I'm pretty sure that guy fits the description."

Could American Evangelicals Spot the Antichrist?
Here Are the Biblical Predictions:

via www.benjaminlcorey.com

Sunday, May 07, 2023

Unpleasant Gradient

Besides the emerging disruptive technology of A.I. image creation, this is a graphic designer's worst nightmare:


"this unpleasant gradient shows up at your front door"

seen on r/19684