Door's Open, Come On In

[StargazerParticipant 12505]

There was once a time in the United States when people felt comfortable and safe enough to leave their lights on and doors open without any fear or sense of threat.

It wasn’t that the threats couldn’t and didn’t exist… they just were not clear and present in the minds of regular people. Burglaries, muggings, rapes and murders happened and they happened often, just the facts of their occurrence were not widely disseminated. People were not afraid of their neighbors because neighbors who were close to them in location were also similar to them culturally and neighbors who were far away were essentially out of sight and, therefore, largely out of mind as well.

It was only after two factors came into play that things changed.

1) The world got crowded, both in terms of population density and communication.

2) Differences between subcultures that were interacting more often increased the level of suspicion between individuals.

Now the smart ones among us know that any of us can be targeted at any time for economic or physical violence and that it’s up to us to prepare for such events, both through passive security such as locking our doors and hiding our belongings as well as active security measures such as carrying a weapon and preparing to fire before being fired upon.

Now think about this in regards to our place in the cosmos. We live right now in the comfortable infancy of believing that we are alone in the universe. That isolation gives us a feeling of safety so we leave our lights on (broadcasting EM radiation to the cosmos) and our doors wide open (zero consideration for extra-solar threat sensing and response).

But a moment’s consideration will make it obvious to a logical thinker that this state can not possibly be true. The cosmos is not empty. In fact, it’s far more likely that the cosmos is teeming with life. There are likely thousands or even millions of advanced civilizations out there, many of them at or beyond our own level of technology… and at least a handful (and possibly a lot more) who are far enough ahead to make interstellar violence a possibility.

The moment the population density increases enough that we can see the lights of our next-door neighbors from our patios at night, the uncertainty that comes from the unimaginable differences between cultures evolving in different worlds is going to result in explosive suspicion. And when two cultures clash over resources with no hopes of bridging their differences, violence is inevitable.

And yet here we sit, as arrogant in our sense of security as a rural farmer in his easy chair with his trusty hound dog and shot gun by his side, having no idea that a thousand nuclear warheads could be headed right at his head and that he and everything he knows could be vaporized in a matter of nanoseconds.

At the moment there’s not much we can really do about it. We don’t even have to worry about bending over and kissing our asses goodbye. When our number comes up, our entire planet will be nothing more than a wisp of evaporating quarks before we even realize that an attack is coming.

The best we could hope to do is hide… stop broadcasting our location to the stars, at least. We’re still hundreds of years away from developments in physics that could lead to any sort of meaningful early warning system, much less a substantial defensive response.

Realistically speaking, the only thing we can really do is enjoy the illusion of peace and safety that we currently have. So sit back in your easy chairs, gentlemen. Scratch that old hound dog’s ears, sip your whiskey and hold tight to that trusty shotgun… and don’t worry about whatever might be lurking in the darkness of the forest.

[hmskl’dParticipant 6406]

Stargazer wrote:

Scratch that old hound dog’s ears, sip your whiskey and hold tight to that trusty shotgun… and don’t worry about whatever might be lurking in the darkness of the forest.

Good advice .. and for me, I’m taking it even further and concentrating on summer. I realize many events are .. and will be taking place in the world this year; some good and many not so great. I have little or no control of these occurrences so I’m moving on and thinking about the joys of summer 2017. I’m going to make this a productive year despite it all. I do have good neighbors.

This is the time of year I enjoy most. Not winter .. forget that stuff, but the signs of spring. The daylight hours are now officially getting longer. We might have some snow yet, but that will only be an excuse to give the snowblower a couple of extra runs before packing it away once again.

What I’m getting at is this .. now is the time to start planning for summer. I already picked up a couple gallons of paint and stain for outdoor use as soon as we get some mild weather. Ok, maybe I’m starting early but it feels good to think about warm weather .. and let the rest of the world fade slightly onto the horizon.

The merchandise on the store shelves is quickly being replaced with summer apparel. Shorts, sandals and garden equipment are already here.

Only a matter of days- or weeks before the cycles are back on the road, people are hauling around fishing boats, the extension ladders are back in use and we’re painting and planting fresh tomatoe plants. It’ll be here in the blink of an eye.

Politics will go on, the fed will hem and haw about inflation .. political events will be spun for their advantage. I feel that no one in government really cares about me, as it probably should be .. maybe as a number, a statistic on some memory chip, that’s about all .. so I’m moving on and enjoying my year to the fullest. This evening, brats and vegetables on the outdoor grill.

As far as the aliens in one of the billion other favorable galaxies, who statistically or likely do exist, and are reading this post .. they’re also invited to my barbecue .. as long as they have good table manners and don’t overstay their welcome.

[SuggestiusParticipant 3312]

Stargazer wrote:

Realistically speaking, the only thing we can really do is enjoy the illusion of peace and safety that we currently have. So sit back in your easy chairs, gentlemen. Scratch that old hound dog’s ears, sip your whiskey and hold tight to that trusty shotgun… and don’t worry about whatever might be lurking in the darkness of the forest.

The major part. 😀 It’s considered we are lucky to live at a quiet part of the Galaxy, because intensity of radiation of any kind is growing up toward the center. So there is possibly no organic life cus it would be a well roasted, except, may be, kinds of the Boltzmann brain. These beings are absolutely unusual for us. We even wouldn’t have recognized each other as living beings.

Happiness for all and let no one be forgotten ("Roadside picnic", Arkady and Boris Strugatsky)

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

Once again R’Lyeh is right on target. Whether one is religious, or an atheist the conclusion that the universe is teeming with life is beyond a doubt. For the religious it would be hard to believe that God created millions of galaxies just to be decorative window dressing for those of us on Earth—for the atheits/and those who believe in evolution again the chemical processes which arguably gave rise to life on this planet must also occur elsewhere. But what about proof?

I had my own little experience with a UFO back in 1988—that was proof enough for me. However there is other proof. for example:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1924819-evidence-of-ancient-nuclear-explosions-on-mars-says-scientist/

This article goes into detail about a pair of huge nuclear explosions on Mars roughly 180 million years ago. If you don’t want to read the article I’ll cut right to the chase.

a) we have discovered on mars the radio active Isotope Xenon 129–now listen carefully this is important. This Isotope IS NOT/nor has it ever been naturally occurring—it is only produced as a by product of a nuclear fusion/fission blast.

b) they have also discovered through spectral analysis large deposits of Trinitite, also known Alamogordo glass. It is the glassy residue left on the desert floor after the plutonium-based Trinity nuclear bomb test on July 16, 1945, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. Again this does not occur in nature–it must be produced.

So the unmistakable truth is that Mars has two substances present which do not occur naturally and are only the result of nuclear blasts…so where are the craters? If it is an air burst there is no crater. But wait you say are not air burst nuclear weapons designed only to flatten cities, not harden targets? Yes that is true.

The strong implication is that “someone” used massive nuclear weapons to devastate parts of Mars. Does that mean there was a civilization on Mars that got wiped out…not necessarily but then that would lead to the conclusion that some alien race lugged a pair of huge weapons through space just to blow up parts of an uninhabited planet—just for s~~~s and giggles? I don’t buy it.

180 million years is a long long time and maybe whoever blew up Mars is long gone but it does serve as a warning that not everyone who is an ET has a glowing finger of healing–but perhaps has a finger on a button that will leave us glowing instead.

[SuggestiusParticipant 3312]

Happiness for all and let no one be forgotten ("Roadside picnic", Arkady and Boris Strugatsky)

[SuggestiusParticipant 3312]

PistolPete wrote:

a) we have discovered on mars the radio active Isotope Xenon 129–now listen carefully this is important. This Isotope IS NOT/nor has it ever been naturally occurring—it is only produced as a by product of a nuclear fusion/fission blast.

The isotop may be produced by separation of air into oxygen and nitrogen and it’s also the byproduct of liquid oxygen production. So it’s incorrect info. They probably meant Isitop Xenon 135. This one is a product of nuclear fusion.

Happiness for all and let no one be forgotten ("Roadside picnic", Arkady and Boris Strugatsky)

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

Before I was red pill I loved Babylon 5—post red pill I hate it and can’t stand to watch it, which sucks because I have all five seasons and all the movies.

Think about it:

Lennier—utter SUPER mangina
Marcus—ultimate white knight
Dr. Franklin—PUA
Garibaldi–ultimate beta—alpha poser
Delenn—hypergamy incarnate (she had a thing for Sinclair until he left and moved right on up to Sheridan)
Sheridan?—Mr. three wives beta boy
Lockley and Ivonova—More feminista tough TOUGH woman men-wannabes
And BYRON–Dear god the ultimate PUA player. I like to watch the sequence where he kills himself—over and over and over—in slow motion etc.

I will give a pass to Lyta and Londo

Once you go red pill you can’t watch these shows like you once did.

[SuggestiusParticipant 3312]

I was waiting to see something about Londo while reading your list. Thanks goodness you haven’t rolled over him 😀 Wait! Mollari had three wives and a slave-dancer she who was poisoned.

Happiness for all and let no one be forgotten ("Roadside picnic", Arkady and Boris Strugatsky)

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

Yes but he hates his three wives; he points out in the first season they are the reason he stays on babylon 5 and away from Centari Prime—and he did get a divorce from two of them.

Yes the dancer–I’d like to think that was a pump & dump but no he had a thing for her. Morden has her offed and Londo cries like a little baby…oh well. I know this sounds nuts but my favorite characters were Vir, and Zack Allen.

[SuggestiusParticipant 3312]

PistolPete wrote:

Londo cries like a little baby…

It was a pure hysteria! He played me! He played me like a puppet! 😀 Peter Jurassic acted awesome that scene. Vir is a good choice though!

Happiness for all and let no one be forgotten ("Roadside picnic", Arkady and Boris Strugatsky)

[sparcsParticipant 130]

This is the only action I disagree with in regards to NASA and Carl Sagan. Voyager.
Talk about ringing the cosmic dinner bell.
Included is a map to the restaurant and a menu.

To me the question is not, is there life on other planets, rather, how advanced they are relative to us.

[hmskl’dParticipant 6406]

Ever since ‘Grey 17 Is Missing’ ..
I’ve been slightly leery of elevators.

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