Esoteric Meandering Shouting Into the Void

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

pi, in mathematics, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The symbol π was devised by British mathematician William Jones in 1706 to represent the ratio and was later popularized by Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler. Because pi is irrational (not equal to the ratio of any two whole numbers), its digits do not repeat, and an approximation such as 3.14 or 22/7 is often used for everyday calculations. To 39 decimal places, pi is 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197.

The Babylonians (c. 2000 BCE) used 3.125 to approximate pi, a value they obtained by calculating the perimeter of a hexagon inscribed within a circle and assuming that the ratio of the hexagon’s perimeter to the circle’s circumference was 24/25. The Rhind papyrus (c. 1650 BCE) indicates that ancient Egyptians used a value of 256/81 or about 3.16045. Archimedes (c. 250 BCE) took a major step forward by devising a method to obtain pi to any desired accuracy, given enough patience. By inscribing and circumscribing regular polygons about a circle to obtain upper and lower bounds, he obtained 223/71 < π < 22/7, or an average value of about 3.1418. Archimedes also proved that the ratio of the area of a circle to the square of its radius is the same constant.

Over the ensuing centuries, Chinese, Indian, and Arab mathematicians extended the number of decimal places known through tedious calculations, rather than improvements on Archimedes’ method. By the end of the 17th century, however, new methods of mathematical analysis in Europe provided improved ways of calculating pi involving infinite series. For example, Isaac Newton used his binomial theorem to calculate 16 decimal places quickly. Early in the 20th century the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan developed exceptionally efficient ways of calculating pi that were later incorporated into computer algorithms. In the early 21st century computers calculated pi to 62,831,853,071,796 decimal places, as well as its two-quadrillionth digit when expressed in binary (0).

Pi occurs in various mathematical problems involving the lengths of arcs or other curves, the areas of ellipses, sectors, and other curved surfaces, and the volumes of many solids. It is also used in various formulas of physics and engineering to describe such periodic phenomena as the motion of pendulums, the vibration of strings, and alternating electric currents.

This is straight out of the encyclopedia; I don’t want anyone to presume I had this information on the front of my cerebral cortex but this equation has got me in a science mindset. This has been known as Archimedes equation and that makes me wonder what prompted this higher level of thinking in 250 BCE.

Throughout our evolution that has triggered innovation has been from Curiosity, Convenience, Trauma, and/or Conflict. In 250 BCE the Punic War was going on, the forces of the Macedonian King Antigonus II and the Seleucid King Antiochus II win a naval victory at Cos against their common enemy, Ptolemy II. This victory secures Antigonus control over the Aegean Sea and the League of the Islanders. Was Archimedes revelation of this concept because of war? He was known to have developed ancient machines for war so there is a strong probability that the discovery of this mathematical constant was pivotal in the development of many war machines.

If we go back further in our evolution, we can assume that the discovery of FIRE was first curiosity that solved the trauma of cold then added to the invention of cooking raw meat. The leap forward from caves to structures were the result of convenience because food traveled and require man to follow then cultivate and harvest food.

Throughout history innovations have come out of war, stronger structures, more deadly weapons, metallurgy, and medical practices have grown out of our incessant need to kill each other. Many of our current daily amenities came out of war. The radio and other modern conveniences had their origins in conflict. Even space travel had its initial roots in war the Nazi’s developed rockets with the intention of mass genocide but the curiosity of space adopted the technology for less destructive means.

This blog and computer can be traced back to the convenience of calculating large number and also to war in deciphering code from our enemies.

I anyone reading this is wondering why the blog is named “Esoteric Meanderings” this is why because I never know what my brain will land on. So, if you are reading enjoy the ride.   

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

I know there are those out there that are opposed to governmental regulation on nearly everything, but those same people are the first to blame the government if thing go badly. Well at least if there are democrats in power if it is a republican’t it barely raises an eyebrow. I could reference the bank collapses of the past couple of days that are purely because of Trump era repeal of Dodd/Frank although the fact that the republicans disabled protections the rights (Reichs) talking heads are already placing the blame on President Biden.

Want I want to talk about is should there be a nation rent control? There was a covid provision that helped keep people in their rental homes in 2020 and 2021 and I am not proposing anything on the level. The fact of the matter is when that provision expired landlords gouged renters and many became homeless. I am currently a renter and from 2021 to 2022 my rent increased nearly 60% which for most is an unsustainable jump.

I understand that rental properties are a profit engine for large corporations as well as individuals that own rental properties but there has to be an equitable solution to keep that owners and renters happy. When inflation is 3% then raising rents by that much is not an unreasonable assumption even 5% if improvements have been made. Raising rents by 20/30/40% are excessive and unsustainable. Owners of apartment complexes protest that during covid they lost money, while neglecting to acknowledge that they were being subsidized by the federal government during that time that cover 75% of their lost revenue and that most residents paid their rent or a portion of it during the crisis. Home owner that have rental properties also received a bail out and 70-90% of those properties had renters that maintained their rent payments uninterrupted.

So why was it that as soon as the moratorium on evictions was lifted did these property owners gouge their tenants without remorse? The answer is easy because no one told them they couldn’t. These same people that may have lost 10-20% of their revenue in 2020-2021 made up 120% of that in rent increases in 2022 as well as evicting countless tenants. What did the evictions do to rent prices? It increased on those that could afford to stay in those properties.

Arizona Democrats are proposing a statewide rent cap on the percentage the a rent can be raised and already the Republicans are screaming foul. These same legislators pound their fists about the increase in the homeless population while turning a blind eye the what is causing it. SB1587 would cap rent increases yearly at 5% plus the cost of inflation or 10% whichever is lower. This is very similar to California’s law. Currently there are only 5 states that have a rent control provision in there law, 31 states preempt local governments from adopting rent regulation laws.

Housing is a basic human need in Maslow’s hierarchy of need the most basic is Physiological needs these are biological requirements for human survival, e.g., air, food, drink, shelter, clothing, warmth, sex, and sleep. Why is it that we can study these need and understand them but when it come to providing or insuring the need it is ignored. Our constitution states that our intention is Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. The first of these being Life and if shelter is not available or sustainable not only is Life threatened but the other two will not happen.

So, I am asking the Democrats in the Federal Government to put forward a bill enshrining a national rent control. When the Republicans cry socialism and I guarantee they will, filibuster them by reading from the book that they proclaim to follow there are plenty of passages about housing the stranger.        

Dwain Northey

I had someone tell me that they are fed up with PC. To this I asked what is wrong with a Polite Culture and they corrected me by saying Politically Correct which I asked what’s the difference. By no surprise to me they were confused by my response. This person had no viable argument to the difference all they could reply was that there were thing that they just weren’t allowed to say.

I don’t get that some and I am just saying some have an internal issue not being allowed to spew vile B.S.. What happened to falling on the adage that all our Grandmothers told us, “If you don’t have anything nice to say just don’t say anything.” Today’s world of the self-entitled feel that they are allowed to vomit whatever depraved crap they want and should have no pushback from it. Free Speech is the usual retort from them except when it tables are turned and the barrage of insults is being thrown back at them then the crying starts about everyone is against them.

Case in point in 2016 when Trump won but lost the popular vote the RedHat minions told Hilary supporters that we lost and to get over it. Now in 2023 when dear leader the head of the RedHats lost in 2020 his minions are still crying that the election was rigged and that Biden is an illegitimate President . So what happened to you lost get over it? Sorry I forgot the new paradigm is if the Republicans win we should get over it and move on but if they lose then it was fixed, rigged and fraudulent.

Same goes for if you want to make a racial slur, its Free Speech, if I’m insulted I am a snowflake. I don’t remember reading in the Constitution that rights were only for a select few and anyone not in that group should be quiet. The 4^th estate is the Press which has a right to Free Speech but that does not mean that they can or should lie.

I believe in (P)olite (C)ulture . That you should not say thing incendiary just because you feel like its your right. Treat the way you say things like you would at your Grandmas house… if Grandma is uncomfortable with the F word you don’t use it. That is the polite thing to do. If you see someone in public that you are offended by, for whatever reason, it is not your right to tell them, even if you think it jokingly. Use the Grandma rule, if you wouldn’t say it to her don’t say it period.

So, let’s just change our understanding of PC to Polite Culture instead of Political Correctness and move forward and be kind to everyone.     

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

There are a lot of myths as to the origins of the ridiculous bi-annual clock touching that we do. Many will tell you that Benjamin Franklin and his Farmers Almanac was the origin for Spring Forward/Fall Back but that isn’t the truth, nor is it that farmers wanted and extra hour of daylight. Farmers and ranchers just work the time of day usually isn’t a factor, it is a get it done scenario. The truth is that it was first introduced in Germany in 1916 during World War I as an energy saving measure. The measure was repealed one year later.

Amazing how many of our modern customs were a direct result of war… sorry that could be a whole other topic for the future.

Daylight saving was reinstated in 1942 amid WWII. In the U.S. this was a shit show because some states adopted the time change and some did not. You can imagine what that did for commerce and travel. A Uniform act was passed in 1966 to switch from (ST) Standard Time to (DST) Daylight Saving Time in all states except Arizona and Hawaii that perpetually stay on ST.

I sort of understand the energy saving concern of the mid-20^th century but really don’t understand it now. There are many people that work night shift and the time change absolutely affects them. I worked in hospitals and during DST we lost and hour of pay because instead of being at work 12hours we were only there 11 but, in the switch, back we were only paid 12hours when we were actually there 13hours this was something that the powers that only worked days did not see as a problem.

That is not my only concern with the flip flop of clock touching. During the week after the shift to DST, research shows an associated rise in: Cardiovascular disease, with a 24% higher risk of heart attacks. Injuries, including a 6% spike in fatal car accidents. Stroke rate, which increases by 8%. These are actual documented concerns but still we continue with the tradition of changing clocks twice a year.

My solution is to pick one or the other and stay on it, no more clock touching. We already have defined time zone based on geography and to be honest some of those don’t make sense but to have to change an hour forward and back seem to be redundant in the present era.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Empathy, empatía, Empathie, 共情, сочувствие

This is a word that is know on every language but somehow, we lost the ability to understand it. I see Facebook and Instagram post about random acts of kindness, people leaving unusually large tips for wait staff at restaurants, police officers buying a child with a lemonade stand the shoes his trying to buy, but I feel that these are outliers.

Kindness has become, to many, a sign of weakness. I see it everyday in the most common places. Drivers won’t let other merge into traffic and if they let you they follow you and give you the one finger salute. People complain about another using coupons or having issues with their bank card in lines at grocery stores instead of being patient or offering assistance. All these little inconveniences have become giant problems, the “Karen’s” are the loudest complainers and almost always want to take their grievance to a manager even when to issue is an absolute nonissue.

I hate to give the previous guy any credit but his actions and disregard for anyone but himself gave the malicious masses the green light to be a hatful and bigoted. The very thought of being kind to someone because they were different, under the previous guy, was and current is considered WOKE… whatever the hell that means.

According to Websters Woke is the past tense of Wake.

Wake:  1.

emerge or cause to emerge from a state of sleep; stop sleeping.

“she woke up feeling better”

• become alert to or aware of.

“he needs to wake up to reality”

• cause (something) to stir or come to life.

“it wakes desire in others”

 I am still trying to figure out how this became a bad thing other than the ridiculous right have a completely different version of reality than everyone else.

I have Empathy so I suppose that makes me WOKE and I can live with that. I am still willing to help a stranger, buy a sandwich for someone that is hungry, in fact I paid for another’s groceries the other day because they didn’t have enough money on their card, the cart was filled with baby food and formula and I could let a baby go hungry. I was the woke guy in line that instead of complaining took action to help another. I can’t make others care and you can call me whatever you want but I hope that more people wake up and realize that we are all in the same boat and helping another is kindness, not weakness.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

“The glory which is built upon a lie soon becomes a most unpleasant incumbrance. … How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and how hard it is to undo that work again!” This is an actual Mark Twain quote, one that is attributed to him but his,  “A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” Both are very salient but I like to make sure my quotations are accurate.

Why am I refencing quotes about lying well because it seems to be an epidemic right now but some don’t want to call a lie a lie, they like the term “alterative facts”. Alternative facts would have still resulted in a spanking when I was a kid.

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Joseph Goebbels from Hitlers Nazi Third Reich was famously quote for this gem. This has been the republican parties go to motto for years. G.W. Bush lied us into Iraq and Afghanistan with this and Donald the Trump (fire) continues to pour gasoline on that fire but the biggest and most egregious offenders are Fox and their host. {I refuse to call them new because they are not.}

The network that so many have been brainwashed by has continually spouted the same line of crap and has their loyal zombies believing every word. “Don’t trust your own lying eyes… we will tell you what is real.”

The Squeaker of the House McCarthy in his treacherous reasoning released thousand of hours of 1/6 footage to Tucker Carlson. Not a big surprise why… because Fox wants to cherry pick footage to change the narrative that 1/6 was peaceful stroll through the Capitol and that the 1/6 committee lied about everything we already saw.  Carlson has already come out and outright said that key footage that shows the innocence of the peaceful protesters was kept from us during the 1/6 committee hearings. That he and his team have review all 41 thousand hours of recorded footage and it was peaceful, to top their grievance file they claim that Ashly Babbitt was murdered execution style by capitol police. “Don’t believe your own eyes… we will tell you the real (Fox) truth.

Sadly there a large number of the Red Hat Minions that may have been teetering on the edge of reality after watching the hearings but all it take is a nudge from their talking heads to knock them back into the conspiracy bull shit lane. McCarthy says that other media outlets will eventually get the footage but by then it will be to late. Remember what AG Barr did with the Mueller report, he came out and misrepresented the entire thing and guess what happened? “That lie traveled around the world before the truth could put its pants on.”

Now Donny Dumbass is on the campaign trail spewing hate claiming how poorly he was treated and that he is the muddled masses, redeemer and their retribution. Wow Stalin, Mussolini , and Hitler couldn’t said it better, now let the moron brigade loose.

I have said it a thousand time and I am sure I heard it from someone else but arguing with a stupid person is pointless because they don’t know they are stupid you may as well debate a toddler.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

(this is from an abstract ‘Oxford Academic’)

“‘The origins of superstition’ describes practices of magic, prophecy, and divination in the ancient world, and the changing meaning of superstition through time. Throughout its long history, superstition has been a transactional concept with no fixed meaning of its own except in contrast to some other, more accepted world-view. The origin of the concept is found in ancient Greece in the 4th century BCE, and for the next 2,000 years, superstition stood in contrast to the religious practices recommended by the elites. The word ‘superstition’ has often been levelled at practices that, even today, we would consider magical or paranormal, and yet versions of most of these practices are still with us.”

Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

I believe that superstitions became religion. My theory is that ancient man did not understand on a scientific level the processes of nature and those “magical” processes were superstitious is the mind of early man. Those that paid more attention used that knowledge to prophecies upcoming events and through this magic were able to divine outcomes and astound the masses. As the cycle of season became more apparent those actions had to be equated to a super natural for so on came the Gods. The Greeks had Zeus, Poseidon and Hades not to mention a myriad of other  deities that dictated the actions of nature and lorded over the lives of men. Every large gathering of people had their set of deities and worshiping them gave society structure and thus the practice of religion was established.

I had a sociology professor in college that had a theory on religion that has stuck with me. His belief was that man being a thinking animal understood the finality of his existence, that his time was limited. That awareness of finality did not sit well with a species that’s driving force is to survive, every animal has that same drive but not the awareness of life’s limited nature, so to reconcile this man had to create a more. The more gave man purpose that his existence was a steppingstone to an infinite after but with that promise of an everlasting more there had to be rules. With rules there had to be structure that would require a hierarchy, gate keepers so to speak, along came the church and with it control of the masses if they wanted to progress from this mortal life to paradise, Valhalla, heaven, whatever they wanted to call it.

I believe that the more man understood about his world and the natural forces around him the number of Gods that were praised diminished until monotheism was the common practice. Church leaders had to maintain at least one God so that they could maintain there position as the righteous gatekeepers and their prized seats of power. Don’t get me wrong religion has done good but it has also done great damage in the evolution of our societies. Countless wars have been waged in the name of faith and those wars continue even today.

Is it all a hoax, is there an infinite afterlife, is there a heaven for the righteous and a hell for the damned? All questions that none of can answer. If your faith is what drives you and gets you through, more power to you, if not that’s fine too. Our invention of religion has been with us for millennia, whether it is reality or fiction will continue to be up for debate. Honestly we all make our own decision if you believe that Heaven awaits you then that’s what will ultimately be your fate, if your belief is in reincarnation or that we are just random atomic particles at eventually vibrate at different frequency then who truly knows… this debate will never end and we wont know the real answer till we END.    

Lyle Northey (Silent/Boomer)

   According to myth, one of the reasons people speak in so many languages is to separate us for whatever reason. This separation has worked well at making it difficult to understand one another but it in no way stopped the process of breeding with those we cannot talk to or understand.

   So in a way language has held us apart for a long time and that use of language to further create a rift in our associations has been greatly increased by those that want to cause problems. One such example of this process is the Nazi treatment of Jews. Jews were likened to rats, lice and any and all things unwashed and subhuman. This propaganda campaign did such a good job that the removal of these lesser beings and taking them away and killing them did not cause a great deal of problems for those doing the killing. Our own government turned away ships full of Jewish people knowing full well that they would be forced to return to Europe and the fate that awaited them.

   That was 70 plus years ago and today we are supposed to be so much more civilized, and yet we have among us individuals that make a daily habit of separating us by the use of derogatory terms for those that we disagree with. The names have changed but the place on the steps of the staircase have not, those that we do not like are lower than our view of ourselves. And it has been that way forever. Just think back over all the efforts that have been made to bring us closer together on that staircase and you will know doubt remember many names that others were called because of the color of their skin or where they came from or how they dress or speak.

   Politically we have been listening to hate speech for nearly 8 years with individuals from both sides of the fence making some really hateful comments about others. One party is “tearing” our nation apart by calling upon everyone including the very wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes. The other side is ruining everything by attempting to dismantle infrastructure and is to take care of all citizens especially as they age and become more dependent on limited resources.

   Believing that individuals have the right to make decisions about their own bodies seems to be a problem for one group and yet that group demands the right to make decisions for themselves. We are being told to remove books from our schools that teach anything about slavery as this is counter to the racial superiority that our party prefers to teach.

   One group is called Woke, a great way to identify, categorize and separate in one word. The other group is called Patriots. Neither is well defined by the terms used. The Woke title seems to mean that being narrow minded and stuck on dogmatic teaching is not your thing. The term Patriot is attempting to claim a higher status as we are here to save the day, and yet the efforts that seem to be coming forward are all about turning us around and sending us back a couple of hundred years ago where only a very few had privilege. This would be an image of what is going on in many of the areas of the world ruled by radical leaders of today, North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia just to name a few. The question is where do we want to go, forward or down the rabbit hole.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Let’s talk science and some hard reality 71% of the earths surface is covered with water only about three percent of Earth’s water is freshwater. Of that, only about 1.2 percent can be used as drinking water; the rest is locked up in glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost, or buried deep in the ground. Most of our drinking water comes from rivers and streams. According to global census the worlds population is 8 billion a number that is mind blowing.

The reality is that the wars of the 21^st and 22^nd centuries (if we last that long) will not be over oil or land they will be over Water and the way we keep burning fossil fuels and heating the planet the amount of fresh water is going to be less. Yes we are, on a global level, trying to convert our power consumption to zero carb emitting sources but that is not going to change population growth or the finite amount of water on the planet.

As much as we need renewable energy we need to develop new technologies to desalinate water. Saudi Arabia and the UEA are building desalination plants but they are currently dependent on fossil fuels for the energy to produce potable water which in a zero carbon future is unsustainable. The other problem I see is the ability to transport the water over large distances, we need to develop a reverse river that not only moves the water but also pull the NaCl (salt) out of the water.

Theoretically salt can be removed through filtration and ultimately via rainout, which is a process of boiling water and collecting the stream which is fresh water. Universities should have their best and brightest trying to solve this problem and do it with renewable energy.

This is my non-engineer potential solution to develop the technology in North America.

Build a pipeline that runs from Baja California threw the Sonoran Desert and creates a Lake Meade size lake in Southern Arizona. Yes, I am aware that the path goes through Mexico but I see that as a positive not a negative because of the cooperation between both countries and the jobs it would generate on both sides of the boarder. The initial portion of the energy needed to push the water east would be provided threw wave energy then via pumping stations using a combination of wind and solar, both of which the desert has plenty. The pipes themselves would have charcoal and sediment micro filters that would gradually remove the salt from the sea water and near the end of the line rainout would be employed using solar to finalize the process.

I realize this a grand plan but think of the amount of good that could be created with this process. The pipeline itself would be roughly 220km long and realistically would require a pumping station every 15-20km , if it is 20km that is 11 pumping stations. At those stations there could be understandable run off areas. In brackish water sustainable Bamboo and other plants that can be used for bio fuels can be grown as well as Hemp which has a variety of positive uses. Also fisheries could be developed to harvest tilapia and salmon as well as a number of other fish. The fish could feed thousands and Bamboo forests in the desert would create a carbon sink that would help to slow global heating.

If our best mind could develop this technology, we could export it all over the planet and in our own way terraform areas that are currently unsustainable.

In the Immortal words of John Lennon,

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Let’s get to work on this a build a better world for the next generation.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

The Right Wing Evangelical Republican Party has had overing turning Roe v Wade since the supreme court ruled on it in 1973 and allowed abortions to be legally performed up to the stage of fetus viability (22-24 weeks). This is the point where the fetus with extraordinary medical intervention has the possibility of surviving outside the womb. The radical right continued to proclaim that the Democrats what to allow abortion even after a live birth… that is completely insane because that is called infanticide which is already illegal. Democrats weren’t even pushing for anything beyond what the law had already stated but that wasn’t what the Republicans were telling their faithful minions.

Those that oppose abortion in any form are also those that are against funding community programs that would help support these potential children. They don’t care for food stamp programs, head start, helping families with daycare expenses, none of the that. Protect the fetus at all costs, screw the child.

Well those people got their wet dream realized in 2022 when the packed Supreme Court over turned the 50 year old ruling leaving the decision up to the States. Now a women has practically no autonomy over her own body in the eyes of the law. Many states are imposing very stringent rules, heart beat laws that they claim there is a viable heart beat at 6 weeks, the list is to long to articulate.

Mark Marin has an interesting solution for the Evangelical Right instead of abortion clinic being labeled as abortion clinic they should be call angel factories and they could have priest blessing and baptizing the unborn fetus before they walk in. How could the “Christians” be against that.

That isn’t really where I am going with this, the law prosecutes the women that get pregnant and never place the onus of that pregnancy where in belongs. No one seems to acknowledge that a penis has to be involved in a unwanted pregnancy. That is a fact there has never been an unwanted pregnancy that there wasn’t another party with a penis involved in. Sadly that party isn’t the one being called names and having legal actions hurled at them. We need to control a woman’s body but there is never a mention of the other party involved in the pregnancy. Patriarchy has placed the responsibility solely on women’s shoulders they get to spread their seed indiscriminately without reprise but the woman that gets pregnant is called all sorts of degrading epithets.

So here is my solution and I guarantee that no one will like it and it will never happen. Its my control the bullets plan… kind of my gun problem plan too but that another rant. The plan is for every male child between the ages of 13-16 to have a vasectomy. The procedure is reversable. When that male has established the desire and appropriate maturity and a partner that wants children, he can have the procedure reversed. Get I am controlling the bullets… can’t plant the seeds if the dam is blocking the down stream distribution. This works for both team’s men can still screw around and women don’t have to worry about being stuck with some bastards child.

 Obviously rape and unwanted contact would still be outlawed…

Finally, men would have some responsibility in the game… that is exactly why I know my plan will never work.  Any takers on my plan