Idiocracy: Wisdom is Disappearing

Dr. Robert Lustig figured this out and wrote a book about it (The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains), comparing dopamine to serotonin, quick payoff to the slow burn.

"Explores how industry has manipulated our most deep-seated survival instincts."

—David Perlmutter, MD, author, #1 New York Times bestseller, Grain Brain and Brain Maker

The New York Times–bestselling author of Fat Chance reveals the corporate scheme to sell pleasure, driving the international epidemic of addiction, depression, and chronic disease.

The Hacking of the American Mind

While researching the toxic and addictive properties of sugar for his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance, Dr. Robert Lustig made an alarming discovery—our pursuit of happiness is being subverted by a culture of addiction and depression from which we may never recover.

Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more; yet every substance or behavior that releases dopamine in the extreme leads to addiction.

Serotonin is the “contentment” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we don’t need any more; yet its deficiency leads to depression.

Ideally, both are in optimal supply. But dopamine evolved to overwhelm serotonin—because our ancestors were more likely to survive if they were constantly motivated—with the result that constant desire can chemically destroy our ability to feel happiness, while sending us down the slippery slope to addiction.

Extraterrestrial mystery above Cusco found? - What are these ancient handbags?

In the last 40 years, government legislation and subsidies have promoted ever-available temptation (sugar, drugs, social media, porn) combined with constant stress (work, home, money, Internet), with the end result of an unprecedented epidemic of addiction, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease.

And with the advent of neuromarketing, corporate America has successfully imprisoned us in an endless loop of desire and consumption from which there is no obvious escape. More

Woolly Mammoth MOUSE created

Woolly mammoths still lived 1,000 years ago: 15 Facts About the Elephants (pinterest.com)

(AP 2013) Russian scientists find [not very old] frozen mammoth carcass with LIQUID blood

Woolly Mammoth could make a comeback after huge DNA progress

These mice might be the key to reviving woolly mammoths

This squeaker might be called Frankenmouse

A regular mouse sits near a genetically modified woolly mouse. The latter has been genetically modified to have the longer, golden hair, and fat stores of a woolly mammoth.

Who is responsible for this DNA monstrosity? Colossal Biosciences (colossal.com). We've all heard of the woolly mammoth. But how many have heard of the new woolly mouse?

This chimera was genetically modified by the Dallas-based biotech company Colossal to have the same "woolly" fur and fat appearance as the ancient elephants known as mammoths. Why would a corporation create a genetic chimera?

Human language gene inserted into mice led to some bizarre effects

Let's CRISPR this mutation in and ask them how they feel about it.

• Let's talk about the Woolly Mammoth Mice that were just created

The mouse, Colossal says, is a key step in the longer venture to de-extinct the original woolly mammoth. NPR's Rob Stein takes us to the Frankensteinian lab where it all happened. (Will it come with a GMO label if scientists decide to eat them?) More: Short Wave: NPR

• VIDEO: Russians find woolly mammoth carcass with liquid blood (Associated Press) May 30, 2013: Russian researchers say they have discovered a perfectly preserved woolly mammoth carcass with liquid blood on a remote Arctic island, fueling hopes of cloning the Ice Age animal. Hopes of making it de-extinct are nothing new. [Blend this un-freezable blood with a DNA contribution from a well-mannered modern Asian elephant and shazam.]
• AP, May 30, 2013; TIME News; The Project; NPR; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Catholic Church okays RAT eating for Lent

Tori Amos; Pfc. Sandoval, Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Bu Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

What the? Who would eat a rat of any size?

LYRICS: ("God" by Tori Amos) [Chorus] God, sometimes you just don’t come through/ Do you need a woman to look after you?/ God, sometimes you just don’t come through// You make pretty daisies, pretty daisies love/ (Come down and tell me what you mean, now)/ I’ve gotta find, find, find what you’re doing about things here/ (Huh, whatcha doing?)/ A few witches burning, gets a little toasty here/ (Hey now, what do you know, what do you know?)/ I gotta find, find, find why you always go when the wind blows// [Chorus]// Well, tell me you’re crazy, maybe then I’ll understand/ (Come down and tell me what you mean, now)/ You got your 9, 9 iron in the back seat just in case/ (Huh, whatcha doing?)/ Heard you’ve gone south, well, babe, you love your new 4-wheel/ (Hey now, what do you know, what do you know?)/ I gotta find, find, find why you always go when the wind blows/ “Give not thy strength unto women nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings”/ Will you even tell her if you decide to make the sky fall?/ Will you even tell her if you decide to make the sky?// [Chorus]

All the disgusting animals Catholic Church allows for new Lent, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene begs Christian women to stop sexualizing themselves, JKL pranks Trumpers!

(Jimmy Kimmel Live) Feb. 23, 2024: KFC has unveiled their latest culinary monstrosity, in Venezuela (South America) the Friday Lent menu has been updated to include new animals -- like the world's largest rodent ("water rats" called capybaras), after more than 50 years the U.S. is back on the moon [sort of, given that the Intuitive Machines Lunar Lander tipped over and ended up DOA], it will soon be illegal for kids in Florida to go on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X (Twitter) to talk about women being good Christian role models rather than caving into the world and its ways), Don John Trump popped into a Christian religious convention to convince the crowd he is one of them, and the show conducts an experiment in South Carolina ahead of this weekend's primary to ask people who identified themselves as "supporters of Donald Trump" for their take on some of Genocide Joe Biden’s more controversial actions and quotes. But what they were not told at first was that what was said was not from Joe Biden but actually from dumb Don Trump to watch them instantly flip-flop on what they thought. #Kimmel

Mickey Mouse copyright expires (poor Disney)

The Simpsons; Kat Tenbarge, NBC News; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Mickey Mouse copyright expiration inspires horror movies, video games, and memes

Don't touch my patent or I'll sue.

The cartoon rat "Mickey Mouse" will finally appear in new, non-Disney creative works after 95 years of copyright protection of the character expired on Jan. 1, 2024.

With this, early versions of Mickey Mouse are now part of the public domain and non-Disney creators can use them in their own for-profit works (like that time The Simpsons made a Steamboat Willie knockoff segment).

• A game studio announced a Mickey Mouse-centric horror game hours after the character entered the public domain

Just in the last two days, independent video game creators and film directors have announced two horror movies and a video game featuring the character, while memes are spreading online showing Mickey in absurd and inappropriate scenes, including nautical accidents and terrorist attacks.

Mickey Hitler fights for Israel, and Donald Hamas gets slaughtered and eaten? The quick capitalization on Mickey’s updated copyright status is the most recent example of how iconic pieces of intellectual property can be quickly remixed and recycled in the digital age for art and profit. Let's hope that rappers don't start drawing comic strips or else it may invent a whole new genre of cartooning that takes over the world.

1928’s “Steamboat Willie” and “Plane Crazy” were the first two Walt Disney Animation releases to feature Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and the former was the first moving picture synced to sound.

The characters were first protected under U.S. copyright law for 50 years, then Disney campaigned for and received extensions to further capitalize on the invention against the interests of everyone else.

As Disney’s grip on the intellectual property rights surrounding the earliest versions of Mickey Mouse have come to an end, creators have poked fun at the numerous possibilities that could come from the change. More

Mice problem? The "Buddhist Solution"

Editor-in-Chief Waylon Lewis (ElephantJournal.com); Shambhala Buddhist Community; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

.

Why would you want to kill us? We're cute!

Mice are cute and smart and feeling and have families, but they poop and pee, shred and get into foods in our houses. So they have to go, but how?

Let’s avoid torturing, poisoning, killing, or freaking ’em out. No torture, no death, and NO cost.

Look, I’ve got mice all over my kitchen countertops and in my cabinets and even in my toaster. I'm doing this tonight:

Mice walk into tube, fall into can.

“This ingeniously simple mouse trap really works. Thank you!”

UPDATE: I’ve now caught four mice this week, three the first two days, and haven’t seen any traces of new mice activity around my kitchen or elsewhere.

They’re really cute and sentient [feeling] and freaked out. I kinda like ’em. I don’t get this whole attitude of “exterminate/poison my own house.” It’s expensive, it’s aggressive, it’s stupid, and it’s bad for ME, too. This is way easier.

This query was sent to the Shambhala Buddhist community:

• If you have experience removing mice from your building in a sane and compassionate way, please send your thoughts. ~ Thank you, Noah

Many replies, many compassionate solutions

I just caught three mice the humane way for catch and release. (See below for photos).

.

Need a monkey? Use a monkey trap.

Hi, Noah. If you can find where these little beings are entering your dwelling, you can block the entry with a spray foam product: "Great Stuff: Insulating Foam Sealant." You’ll need to reinforce the foam with some steel wool, however — otherwise they can chew their way back in. ~ Cheers, Mike

Dear Noah, et al., here at the Halifax Shambhala Centre, and also in my flat [apartment], we use the high-pitched frequency sound producers that plug into electrical outlets in all rooms. They are sold at hardware stores [about $20]. It takes about a month for them to move elsewhere, but the mice seem to hate it so much they do leave – and new ones just pass through very briefly. ~ Cheers, David

Mice are smart, kind, but reproduce too much

I’ve used cheap, simple Have a Heart-style traps I found on ebay.com by searching ‘mouse trap’… I put a little peanut butter inside, then let the mice go [catch here and release elsewhere] a few blocks away in a park. I haven’t had mice now for six months, and I used to have a ton of them, eating stuff on counters and pooping everywhere.

[Fear] And their poop is supposed to be awful. Some sort of disease is related to it. Would love to hear from others on what they’ve done, so I can share with our readers who want to be compassionate when it comes to this common problem. ~Yours, Way

Everyone, until we plugged in our high frequency sound repeller thing, we used the Have-a-Heart traps successfully. However, here in the Haight Ashbury [neighborhood of San Francisco] the mice prefer organic crumbly feta over organic crunchy peanut butter. (Your mice may vary). ~ Sean

I have used the “[ultra-high frequency] sound” [no sound to you] device also, but find a product called Shake Away which you can get online. This is an organic repellent of bobcat and fox urine. No odor to you. You place it in the holes they come in. Under conditions of snow and rain it is best sprinkled around the perimeter of the building. It works well and is not harmful to anyone.

• Don't kill, repel animal pests the easy way

I use the number online to order direct, which saves money for me but may be a moot point for you as you will have it shipped to Canada. Perhaps, in Canada there is a product made there. Humane collection of the urine is assured.

Make sure all food products or any other attractive mice materials are not available, i.e., good housekeeping practices. The shake away is not harmful to us or pets, and I have read the sound [device] does not harm pets or animals. I have one in my chicken coop with no effect on the birds. ~ Cheers, Merle

Concluding advice: I find marching around with a flute gets them to follow me and then I can lead them out the door. ~ Yours, Chris Easy. It's a free, humane method, and they don’t die of fright.

Cats are great, but not if you like mice/rats. (You know folks have rodents as pets. They’re smart, sweet, and can do as many tricks as dogs)… Cats also have issues with destroying birds if they’re outside, and they may not be fully happy living inside only, but that’s another question others will know more about.

Don't worry. You're about to be released into wild

Anyways, this is what I do: …paper towel roll or brown bag, peanut butter or something on one end, half off the counter over a (tall) trash can. They fall, get the peanut butter and something to hide in, you put the lid on, walk/bike/take them to nature/a park or put ’em outside as you would with humane traps, yay!

I have to do this somewhat regularly, but it keeps them out of the house for weeks on end and prevents them from making a mouse hotel in the basement or whatever. (They can’t settle in). They’re cute, so don’t kill ’em! ~ Metta

Bonus: From an expert: Creative Ways to Drive Out Mice. More ideas and photos: Ban Glue Traps: Here’s an Easy Alternative. via Imgur, Reddit: This f'ing ingeniously simple mouse trap really works. Thank you, Reddit! More

Compiled by Waylon Lewis, founder of Elephant Journal and how of Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis. He is a first-generation American Buddhist "Dharma Brat." Voted #1 in U.S.... BIO

• Mice Problem? The ‘Buddhist Solution.’ | elephant journal

What about Hinduism? Alan Watts explains

Alan Watts (KPFK Archives); S. Auberon, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Journey of the Soul: Concepts of Hell/Heaven in Hinduism, Christianity, Islam (isrgrajan.com)

Check the KPFK archives for Alan Watts

Buddhist Radio Los Angeles (Something's Happening with Roy of Hollywood Tuckman on KPFK 90.7 FM) carries on even though the world has lost Roy to Mara, the Grim Reaper. A broadcaster with a speech impediment seems to be keeping the torch going, if not Tuckman's wife the nurse.

• Alan Watts every Sunday morning at 8:00 am or in the archives online at KPFK.org Buddhist Radio continues on Thursdays at midnight into the morning.

One day an LA man will champion me at Pacifica

(Spiritual Library) Alan Watts explains Hinduism completely, which should give some insight into what Mahayana or popular Buddhism is, deviating quite a bit from what the historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama taught in opposition to the Brahman priests of proto-India (or the remnants of ancient Bharat).

Great Bharat (Maha-Bharata) is a great ancient civilization that is part of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro surrounding Gandhara.

Could anyone call Roy Tuckman "healthy"?

So Brahmanism, which modern Hinduism claims as its cornerstone as the preservation of the Vedas, goes way back. So, too, does Buddhism because of previous teaching buddhas (samma-sam-buddhas) the historical Buddha named and talked about.

They existed kalpas ("aeons, epochs, ages") ago; however, the Sanskrit word kalpa (Pali kappa) is a variable term.

It can mean an ordinary lifespan for that period, geologic time, cosmic time, lasting from 120 years (like today) or millions and millions of years, or even periods so staggering as to boggle the mind that attempts to contemplate them.

There is the great kalpa, a day in the life of Brahma (the Supreme), a night of Brahma, a chaotic period before things reform again for another cycle. There is the indeterminate kalpa which may last even longer. One might imagine Big Bangs and Big Contractions, long periods of evolution, long periods of devolutions, and even interstitial periods of chaos before things impersonally organize themselves again.

The Buddha talked about previous buddhas from kalpas ago. How long ago was that? It seems that some of them were within history and, of course, most of them were prehistorical. Alongside buddhas teachings, there seem to have been Brahmin priests with their Vedas or "Books of Knowledge" handed down by the devas (shining celestial space beings who came to earth to help humankind), which we might think of as "angels" or "gods" or "demigods."

Astrology, Rat: Chinese New Year (video)

TRT World, CBS New 2; The List; CC Liu, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Everything you need to know about Chinese New Year

The Mountain Buddha of Leshan, China

(TRT World) Here’s everything you need to know about the Chinese New Year -- how it’s celebrated, it’s history, and what the zodiac animals represent. #Chinese New Year #Spring Festival #metalrat

What does the Year of the Rat mean for Western astrological signs?

Chinese New Year, also referred to as Lunar New Year, is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunar calendar. It is usually referred to as the Spring Festival in mainland China. And it is only one of several Lunar New Years in Asia, like Vietnamese Tet.

Observances traditionally take place from the evening preceding the first day of the year to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day of Lunar New Year begins on the new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20. In 2020, the first day of the Lunar New Year will be on Saturday, January 25, initiating the Year of the Rat. More

Temple of Mice

Sharon Guynup and Nicolas Ruggia (Nat'l Geographic Channel)

RATS RULE AT INDIAN TEMPLE -- The floors are a living tangle of undulating fur. Small, brown blurs scurry across marble floors. Thousands of rats dine with people and scamper over their feet.

Temple featured in Tori Amos's iconoclastic song "God"

It may sound like a nightmare from the New York City subway to some, but in India's small northwestern city of Deshnoke, this is a place of worship: Rajastan's famous Karni Mata Temple.

This ornate, isolated Hindu temple was constructed by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 1900s as a tribute to the rat goddess, Karni Mata. Intricate marble panels line the entrance and the floors, and silver and gold decorations are found throughout.

But by far the most intriguing aspect of the interior is the 20,000-odd rats that call this temple home. These holy animals are called kabbas, and many people travel great distances to pay their respects.

The legend goes that Karni Mata, a mystic matriarch from the 14th century, was an incarnation of Durga, the goddess of power and victory. At some point during her life, the child of one of her clansmen died. She attempted to bring the child back to life, only to be told by Yama, the god of death, that he had already been reincarnated.

Karni Mata cut a deal with Yama: From that point forward, all of her tribespeople would be reborn as rats until they could be born back into the clan.

In Hinduism, death marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one on the path to a soul's eventual oneness with the universe. This cycle of transmigration is known as Samsara and is precisely why Karni Mata's rats are treated like royalty.

Gautam Ghosh, professor of anthropology and Asian studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, noted how rare this rat-worshipping temple is. "In India, as in the West, rats aren't treated with particular veneration."

In Hinduism, many deities take animals forms. "The main theological point is that there's no dividing line between what forms gods or goddesses can use," said Rachel Fell McDermott, professor of Asian and Middle Eastern cultures at Barnard College in New York City. "There's nothing to say they can't take form as a fish, a bird, or even a rat." More>>

.

RELATED

• Bubonic Plague Traced to Ancient Egypt
• City of Leh Thrives as Oasis of Peace in Kashmir
• Sari Weaving Offers Beautiful Product but Hard Life