Daniel Baright

09.03.23 --- Matters of war or peace.

Perhaps I should explain my position regards politics and religion. Is there an alternative to being a bit philosophical?

I am in favor of both politics and religion but only up to a point. Regards the former, a capitalistic, democratic republic and economics with an emphasis on democratic capitalism at local levels is favored. Such would be inclusive of an appropriate political economics.

Regards religion, I've come to believe that all the world religions contradict the notion of world peace. To the extent we, as adults, overly emphasize any one particular theology and religion over another, we are in conflict with others who believe otherwise. Taken to the extreme, war and the proverbial "survival of the fittest" is the result.

So, assuming that war is to be avoided, what are the solutions?

07.26.21 ----- MOW Vegetable Corn Bread:

The question has been, what does one do with the abundance of mixed vegetables that come with the Meals on Wheels meals? Adding them to soup is good, especially in winter. They can also be blended and added to tomato sauce.

Currently I'm finding mixed vegetable corn bread to be mighty fine. Basically, it's just a bunch of MOW defrosted vegetables kneaded into an enhanced corn bread batter. Yum.

Local Transportation & Systems Guy at CTP Think Tank

08.20.18 ----- I put some finishing touches on an essay resulting from my studies in Natural History these past couple of decades. While NH isn't a core subject of the would-be think tank, some of the ideas and core principles are broadly applicable. The 14 page essay is titled "The Ambiguity of 'fact' in Theoretical Science: Some of the Muddle of Natural History Studies as Expressed in Non-Peer Reviewed Books." My current intent is to disseminate the essay, with a 4 page cover letter, by postal to potential start up executives and others interested in my work.

All AHSers are welcome. Postal and email addresses needed.

08.15.18 ----- redownloaded the 5 books by Henry George I have. Attempting to understand how he would handle water and mineral rights. Unfortunately, he isn't explicit on that but one would assume such rights policies would follow his land policies. Implementation and enforcement seem as problematic as current policies

02.18.18. ------ I posted a comment on Black Canary's marvelous 3-star review of THIS IDEA MUST DIE: SCIENTIFIC THEORIES THAT ARE BLOCKING PROGRESS. (2015) by John Brocken, editor.

While I am not a politician, I am nevertheless seeking support for some of the core ideas and values that we all share or might be convinced to share, particularly in the areas of science, technology, transportation, environmental economics. I'm interested in how all this relates to common sense land use planning and development --- common sense in terms of both the human and natural environment. I've long been interested in more viable local systems of transportation. Most recently I have been finding the economics of Henry George to be potentially enormously applicable to a more viable political economy, including land use.

A secondary interest has been and continues to be is in attempting to correct the false epistemology that has arisen in theoretical biology. The pitting of naturalism against supernaturalism has, in my view, for all too long institutionalized the erroneous paradigm, "evolution" / Evolution, and rendered the word all but scientifically meaningless. A false understanding of science has for all too long been in schools and in public forums. What is, in my view, a false understanding of Natural History, has for all too long been promulgated. In my view, Evolution and the singularities of origins of life and species this term has long denoted is clearly false. Naturalistic Parallelism is a more appropriate term. The thinking of Lima-de-Faria (minus his use of the word, "evolution" and acceptance of a singular tree-of-life / common ancestry) is very reflective of my view.

Semantics is a major area of concern: scientific fact, materialism, evolution, theory, and other words have often been problematical in public forums. In my view, American words have far too many meanings. More unique words with definite and precise meanings are needed, particularly in science.

A personal goal is for some paychecks under Social Security, however modest, so as to pay off debts (financial and moral), and so as to enhance my lifestyle. I am thus seeking support in organizing a think tank.

My academic life and interests over the last few decades have been primarily focused in two broad areas. The second, below is of primary relevance to CTP Think Tank.

(1.) For the last several decades I had been preoccupied with the fallacious epistemology and absurdity of pitting naturalism (Evolution) against supernaturalism (Creationism and elements of Intelligent Design). In my view, scientists have been led astray by the ideologues of Evolution.

The apex of my journey into discovery of truth regards natural history, to the extent we can know it, occurred with the reading by yours truly, NaturalHistoryGuy / LocalTransportationGuy, of A. Lima-de-Faria’s EVOLUTION WITHOUT SELECTION: FORM AND FUNCTION BY AUTOEVOLUTION ([1988], 2012). Other than for a definition of "evolution" and acceptance of the singularities of origins of life and of species implied by Darwin's theory, Lima-de-Faria's view is very close to my mine. In my view, the term “evolution," due to the multiplicity of definitions, has become all but scientifically meaningless.

(2.) I was brought out of the woods back in rural Missouri in 1980, from my then Thoreavian escapist / "Mother Earth News" life style, to live here in the city by a news report relevant to local community and transportation planning. (Try to put all that on address labels. Thus the primary reason, coupled with a broadening of interests, for the change to CTP a few years ago.) Cities (and villages) have yet to figure out, in a capitalistic society, how to appropriately grow as cities as opposed to suburbs. Mainstream economics and outdated institutional complacency have long been in conflict with appropriate environmentally (natural and human) friendly land use.

With enough interest and organization, we could get on top of the economic system that the intelligentsia and aristocracies have inherited and thus imposed upon all of us. The financial and political institutions currently remain over incentivized not to make the common sense institutional corrections that led to the 1929 Great Depression much less the 2008 Great Recession. Surely we can begin to change that.

We as a society must surely find ways to better account for what economists label "externalities," both positive and negative, such as environmental and resource concerns that have not been suitably internalized and accounted for. Reason also dictates that there needs to be a better accounting of incremental costs.

These economic and community land use interests have led to an associated passion regards the relevance of local transportation and systems. The needs of cities / villages are seen as being distinct from the needs of the suburbs and rural areas. Some land use and transportation system models to consider might be Disneyland, Disney World, or other theme parks; college and university campuses; and so forth. Whatever we might do in these regards to help bring about a better society must be done in a spirit of fairness and just recognition of historical realities. Thus, while it could potentially be possible to save tens of thousands of publicly and privately employed persons from toiling in endeavors associated with the current personal transportation industry, a primary goal would be for this to be fantastically positive for them and for society.

Some of my most recent activities at CTP Think Tank (with pseudonym NaturalHistoruGuy when posting at Amazon.com) in reverse order:

--- April 20 .... Posted my 24th review at Amazon, this one of Wadi's book regards his adoption of atheism as his new religion.

--- April 19 .... Adam Wadi wrote a book titled ATHEISM FOR MUSLIMS: A GUIDE TO QUESTIONING ISLAM, RELIGION, AND GOD FOR A BETTER FUTURE (2017) which he sent me notification of via my review of Dawkins. I have been reading and writing a review of that book.

--- April 1 .... I rediscovered "Buzzy's Button" in my back room and have been enthused about the possibilities in that regards regards slogans, cliches, and so forth.

--- 03.25.17 I've been taking time away from the library and internet to get some much work done in the apt. regards spring cleaning and reorganization. 500 sq. ft. gets pretty cramped over the years. I also sent some epistles regards "infrastructure" and Naturalistic Parallelism to Clarkson Univ. and also the math dept. at Univ. of SC. Quite tiring. Pleased to have a little time off here at the library.

--- 02.25.17 Posted the following at Amazon which has been having a "rules crisis" of its own.

Att. Veritas, I think I have figured out what happened to Peter Nyikos. There are only two possibilities. (1) He deleted his own Profile and thereby caused a collapse of all his comments. Such is the power of God. Or (2) which I forget.

So what do you think? That's a QCD, QCD proof truth certainty. Amen?

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Peter, great that you are back. I have had a large envelop on my desk for a couple of weeks now that I have been meaning to send to you. If I decide to stop adding to it, I may well actually take it to the Post Office and mail it. I will keep you waiting in suspense and anticipation. :)

I have been considering changing my Amazon pseudonym to "Free Infrastructure Guy." However, that requires some administrative overhead that I am not prepared to do. My congressional representative is sponsoring a bill to support rural access to the internet. But you know how the politicians are. We can't have too much of Ike Eisenhower free infrastructure but when it comes to other utilities, including 21st century internet infrastructure, poor folk ought to pay up regardless of the differing differential costs and environmental externalities.

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Carnivore, 'The Lord Giveth and the Lord Giveth." Or something like that. What you think? It's all about religion. Can I have 10% of your income. I promise not to spend it on the icons of the current aristocracy.

Regards these other philosophical and epistemological questions, Jack Van Impe Ministries predicts that Jesus will return sometime in 2017 or 2018. We would be able to ask "The Man" Himself about any unresolved issues. For only $24.95 you can get the video tape! (Personally, I'm rooting for "Woman." Man has done a lousy job over the millennia.)

--- 02.16.17 Yours truly, Natural History Guy posted the following at Aaron Baldwin's 1-star review of Stephen Meyer's DARWIN'S DOUBT:

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Veritas wrote: "Video of the day:

"'Dr. Craig Venter Denies Common Descent in front of Richard Dawkins!' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXrYhINutuI)"

From: "Synthetic cell may reveal what is necessary for life" by Rachel Ehrenberg in "Science News"; Dec. 24, 2016 & Jan 7, 2017:

"[.....] In 2010, researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla, Calif., had stitched together a copy of the entire genome of the bacterium 'Mycoplasma mycoides' and popped it into the cell of another bacterium [.....]. But that 'synthetic cell,' dubbed JCVI-syn1.0 contained a full copy of an existing genome. With more than 1 million chemical building blocks of DNA, including 901 genes, it was far from minimal.

"The latest version, JCVI-syn3.0, reported in March in "Science News" (SN: 4/16/16, p.6), has roughly half that much DNA. It's also the first cell built using human design principles: One segment of the genome has genes for various processes, such as DNA repair, grouped together rather than scattered willy-nilly. Abandoning the untidiness of evolution for a logic-driven blueprint enables a 'plug and play' approach, [.....]

"The techniques used to build JCVI-syn3.0, especially when considered alongside other engineering tools such as the recently developed CRISPR/Cas9 system (SN: 9/3/16, p.22), are a meaningful step toward the once-distant goal of self-replicating minimachines. [....]

"The minimal genome effort also aims at a larger philosophical question: What is life? In a lecture in 1984, origin-of-life expert Harold Morowitz discussed how studying the small and simple 'Mycoplasma' genome might invigorate basic biology in much the way that studying the hydrogen atom sharpened questions for physics and chemistry. (Morowitz died in March, two days before the JCVI-syn3.0 work was published online.)

"Many scientists, for example, were stunned to learn that JCVI-syn3.0 had 65 genes with no known function that were nevertheless required for survival. [......]"

[One might wonder if the 65 genes might not be place holders needed for packing. See below.]

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See also: (1) "The Origami Revolution"; PBS NOVA, 02/15/17 --- the mathematics of origami / folding.

(2) "New view of genome reveals how cell packs DNA neatly into place" in "Science News"; 1/07/09, p.14 --- the mathematics of fractal geometry.

COMMENT: Regards refutation of common ancestry, consider especially "studying the hydrogen atom sharpened questions for physics and chemistry." Life obviously began with non-singular events and has, in my view also (assuming that Venter does indeed deny CA), continued in parallel manners ever since.

--- 12.10.16 A couple more comments at DD. Finally, we seem to making some progress.

--- 12.09.16 Two more comments at Baldwins review regards quantum mechanics and the need for a common dictionary.

--- 12.07.16 Three more comments at Baldwin's review; page 147,151, 153.

--- 12.05.16 Posted on page 147 Aaron Baldwin's 1-star review of DARWIN'S DOUBT.

--- 12.03.16 I made three more posts at Aaron Baldwin's review of DARWIN DOUBT. I postged on pages 136 and 137.

--- 11.29.16: I posted some three comments at Baldwin's 1-star reiview of Meyer's DARWIN'S DOUBT. I had previously posted several other comments at the same review.

--- 11.14.16: I left a couple more comments at DARWIN’S DOUBT at Aaron Baldwin’s 1-star review. The following is to Carnivore / Les (?) in response to a U-tube clip titled: “Is Jesus the Son of God?”:

“Thanks much for the youtube ref. < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of-LkwSC8vE >.

“I have limited time here at the library but that clip (even without sound) looks interesting. I have downloaded some of the more recent comments to my tablet for further study. Offhand it looks like the topics there are ones that religious leaders need to be engaged in and take some responsibility for resolving, to the extent that religious beliefs can be resolved.. Obviously, the newsmedia ought not be M.I.A. as it has been in the past.”

--- 11.02.16-11.09.16: I’ve long had a Koran on my book shelves. Now, having been inspired by the anger and hostility (Islamaphobia) of Jack Van Impe Ministries, I’ve downloaded a free version of the Quran / Quraan / Koran that includes in-line commentary. That book of old (authored in the 7th century A.D.) is clearly hostile to Christianity (authored in the early centuries A.D.), to other non-Islamic religions and furthermore indicates some values that are non-acceptable to the modern world. I also see pluses in terms of science and resolving the muddle which is the Christian “Trinity.” Some questions are, do modern Moslems universally accept the same values of old and who are the supposed “wise old men” who make such determinations? Etc.? See also www,whyislam.org.

--- 10.20.16 I commented on G2's comment at Aaron Baldwin's 1-star review of DARWIN'S DOUBT.

--- 10.15.16 I have been rereading Naomi Klein's THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING: CAPITALISM VS THE CLIMATE (2014). Needless to say, Klein is an astounding thinker. (Wondering if she has read any of Henry George's work.)

--- 10.14.16 I have been recycling my Meals On Wheels trays. In addition to turkey dinners, I have been making breakfast trays. For four meals I make an omelet using 8 well beaten whites, 6 beaten yolks with jalapeno peppers and chopped kale, and 1/3 lb. tofu. I have been including turkey sausage, pinto beans and mashed sweet potato. (Diced baked white potato is also good --- fewer calories, however also less nutrition.)

--- 10.04.16 I posted another comment at Darrel R. Falk's 1-star review of Jerry A. Coyne's FAITH VERSUS FACT: WHY SCIENCE AND RELIGION ARE IMCOMPATIBLE.

--- 09.26.16 I came across a review of Henry George's PROGRESS AND POVERTY that I had forgotten I had drafted last fall. Obviously it is a 5-star book. My review title is "Towards Modeling a More Ideal Political Economy and a Potential Economic Paradigm for the Century.

--- 09.26.16 I wrote my 22nd review and posted it at Amazon. This one is for a book by the economist, Henry George. His book is titled PROTECTION OR FREE TRADE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE TARIFF QUESTION, WITH ESPECIAL REGARD TO THE INTERESTS OF FREE TRADE (1886). My review is titled "Trade: An Outdated and Expensive Means of Promoting Peace." I gave the book 5-stars. George is an outstanding thinker and it is quite amazing to realize that he ended his formal schooling at age 14.

--- 09.03.16 I wrote a poem to Anon Y. Mous and posted it at my review of Dembski's INTELLIGENT DESIGN UNCENSORED at Amazon. Am I a poet and just don't know it? :)

--- 08.19.16: A few weeks ago Michelle began saying to me "Te Amo." But not finding that in my electronic translator, I have assumed that was just the usual religious translation of what she has been telling most everyone. But further research on the internet leaves me much more excited with possibility. I declare Aug 19 as "Te Amo Day."

--- 08.13.16 Posted another comment at Falk's review of FAITH VERSUS FACT.

--- 07:30:16: Atheist and prominent Evolutionist, Jerry A. Coyne, wrote FAITH VERSUS FACT: WHY SCIENCE AND RELIGION ARE INCOMPATIBLE (2016). Christian Evolutionist Darrel Falk, author of PEACE WITH GOD (2004) with a Foreword by Dr. Francis Collins of N.I.H., wrote a 1-star review of Coyne’s book and titled his review “Surely We Deserve Better Scholarship.” Randy P. recently commented negatively of Falk’s review. I commented, this date, on Randy P.’s comment.

--- 07.22.16 I have responded to Doug Korty at my 3-star review of Ernst Mayr's THIS IS BIOLOGY. Korty also wrote his own 4-star review which I commented on this date.

--- 07.19.16 Double hallelujah day, July 18, 2016, is celebrated:

1. Halleluiah. It's been no fun being in debt for the first time in my life. Very frustrating and time consuming dealing with medical bills. But as of today, at least the Columbia portion of my “vacation" was settled. I made my first $50 payment toward reducing that $35,292.67 amount, with the option of increasing payments as my income increases. In any case, there is the possibility of being debt free in less than 60 years. At 700 yrs. (Steve's estimate of human longevity) - 70 yrs. (my current age) - 60 yrs., I would be left with 570 yrs. of freedom on Earth. And who knows, perhaps one of these days I might even find a job under Social Security and freedom will come sooner.

2. Well, hallelujah, Michelle and I met with the Doctor last week. I no longer need to spend time keeping daily fluid and bp records. I no longer need to keep my legs held high.

--- 07.16.16: A revised the March 2016 CTP Think Tank Newsletter and have transferred it here to the library for emailing. Would be pleased to send upon request.

--- 06.22.16: I posted a draft comment (from the Moon) at Amazon regards the Eureka STK air filter by Crucial Vacuum. Posted at Guy1.

--- 06.14.16: I downloaded Graeber's book and post another comment at Hans Despain's review.

--- 06.13.16: Posted a comment at DEBT: THE FIRST 5000 YEARS by David Graeber. Comment directed to Hans Despain and B. Rell at Despains 5-star review: "Future Classic in Economic Anthropology."

--- 06.13.16: Michelle has allergies. Thus I have been studying and writing about THE ALLERGIE SOLUTION by Leo Garland. Garland recently aired on PBS.

--- 06.10.16: I posted my 21st review at Amazon. See PRESCRIPTIONS FOR HAPPINESS by Ken Keyes jr. I updated my review "Recollections of ...." a day or two later.

--- 01.18.16 to 02.04.16: Forced to take a two week "vacation" at Mercy Hospital here and at Columbia Medical Center in Columbia MO. Total cost for two weeks, including travel: $48,251.45. How much would it cost to fly into some "3rd world" country resort for a similar "vacation"?

--- 10.17.15: Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanki and former Sen. Jack Danforth have recently been promoting their books. Apparent "thou shall not steel" is to tough to implement and self-defeating at the higher echelons of the monetary system where "casino gambling" continues to prevail.

--- 10.02.15: I posted another comment at Narut Ujnat's 4-star review of Robert Reich's SAVING CAPITALISM FOR THE MANY, NOT THE FEW (2015).

--- 10.01.15: Been working on a Permanent Fund so that all citizens of states other than Alaska might also have an income source based on their ownership of the Earth's resources.

--- 9.21.15: I have been rereading Naomi Klein's THE SCHOCK DOCTRINE. But for $30 billion or more, it seems that the mess created by "The Chicago Boys" post break-up of the U.S.S.R. might have been mitigated. A couple clichés seem relevant to the U.S. handling of the break-up of the U.S.S.R. and our failed attempt to install top-down capitalism sans vigorous democratic oversight:

“The road to hell is often paved with good intentions.”

“Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

--- 9.17.15: It is very exciting to have discovered the city of Rolla MO. I have been studying their "City of Rolla Downtown Plan" 2009 by the Meramec Regional Planning Commission in conjunction with the Rolla Downtown Business district. How would regional rail transit fit in? What variations on local transportation are possible? Also, I am wondering how soon folks there will discover the goings on at EPCOT at Walt Disney's Disney World.

--- 8.31.15: I've been reading the Georgist economist, Mason Gaffney and also the Georgist Mary (Poly) Cleveland and others. Gaffney indicates that semantics has been problematical at the paradigm level of economic theory. I have long suspected semantics has been a difficulty regards Natural History studies in terms of deception of views.

--- 8.25.15: Added a couple updates to my George review. Added a comment to David Wineberg's review of HENRY GEORGE AND THE CRISIS OF INEQUALITY by Prof. Edward T. O'Donnell. Thinking some more about "Monopoly."

--- 8.25.15: Yours truly, NaturalHistoryGuy, posted a review of Henry George's PROGRESS AND POVERTY: FULL AND FINE TEXT OF 1880 (ILLUSTRATED). Amazing book regards political economics.

---- 8.17.15: I posted a 2nd comment at SteveT's 1-star review of Kark Giberson's THE WONDER OF THE UNIVERSE. Comments are regards semantics.

---- 8.12.15: I left a comment at Femme Vitale’s 1-star review of Alfred Korzybski’s SELECTION FROM SCIENCE AND SANITY. Yesterday I wrote a brief note to my Senator, McCaskill, in response to her being interviewed on the “Diane Rhem Show” on NPR.

---- 08.04.15: I posted a comment at a review of Jerry Kaplan's HUMANS NEED NOT APPLY (2015). Posted at David Weinberg's 4-star review.

---- 07.30.15: I posted another comment at Francisco Ayala's AM I A MONKEY. This post is at the 5-star review of Steven H. Propp.

---- 07.25 -- 07.30: Ozark Public TV broadcast a "Sense of Community Program" regards Springfield MO and regional transportation. I have been responding to that in whatever limited way I can find. I find the addiction to the status quo ante to be insane.

---- 06.06.15: I updated my economic 10-point plan as posted at the book by economist Joseph Stiglitz. (See comment at 4-star review by Angie.) I added a quote from R. Buckminster Fuller regards the importance of society funding persons whose jobs have been eliminated by automation.

---- 06.19.15: I posted at Linda Judd's 5-star 06.01.15 review at Amazon of Stephen C. Meyer's DARWIN'S DOUBT. I suggested some thoughts regards "God" from the perspective of science and religion.

---- Posts at Jerry Coyne’s FAITH VERSUS FACT: WHY SCIENCE AND RELIGION ARE INCOMPATIBLE (2015). Darrel Falk, former president of BioLogos dot org, wrote a 1-star review of Coyne's book. 06.08.15: I posted two comments in support of Falk. I could work with him.

---- Posts at Amazon UK: 4.28.15:

NaturalHistoryGuy made his first post to across the oceans to UK at RR's review of DARWIN'S DOUBT. Took a lot out of me. Also posted at Brightside's 2-star 10.08.2013 review. On 05:02:15 I posted again to Kevin at RR's review. On 05.06.15 I posted at EBrown's 1-star review of 10.20.13. On 05.09.15 I posted again at RR's review. On 05.11.15, another post to Kevin. 05.15.15: Kevin, Stickler, and Prof. Tertius at RR. 05.17.15: Still fighting the IOEs at RR review in UK. 05.21.15: The atmosphere at RR seems to be improving.

---- At AM I A MONKEY by Francisco Ayala. I posted a comment at the 1-star review of Paul Vjecsner.

---- Posts at Amazon reviews of Stephen C. Meyer's DARWIN'S DOUBT. I commented at several of the reviews.

---- ECONOMICS: 05.21.15: I posted a comment at the first review of THE GREAT DIVIDE (2015) by Joseph Stiglitz, economist. Forgot to include #10. Who ought to own the nation's and world's natural resources? On 05.09.15 I added #10. I also commented at Alan F. Sewell's review of 04.24.15

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So, beyond giving each other some mutual support, how best ought we organize ourselves? And what might be some of our specific shared values, priority of values, and goals? --- db