A plausible analogy for Macro Evolution

A plausible analogy for Macro Evolution.

Here is an example to show the value of the theory of evolution. There once was a lady who had just purchased all the ingredients for a cake. She was walking home when a pickup truck hit her at 50 miles an hour. The old lady did not die and is now living off the proceeds from her recent lawsuit in Palms Beach, Miami Florida. However, this story is about a cake.

The shopping bag she was carrying however was thrown into the air. The impact broke all of the soft paper bags that contained the ingredients and all the ingredients then fell into a bowl, which had fallen out of the pickup truck. There was a strong wind blowing which siphoned off the excess flour, sugar, powdered milk, it was very fortunate that the wind picked up most of the salt. The strong wind then settled down, leaving the bowl with just the right amount of what it takes to make a cake, but not before having mixed the contents up evenly.

It turns out that the strong wind was preceding a storm. The rain water, which was completely untainted by pollution or the like, began to fill the bowl. It stopped at just the right time so that there was not too much water in the bowl nor was there too little, it was just right.

After the storm had died down and eventually stopped, the sun came out and began to heat the bowl. Fortune shined again by way of the bowl having landed on the tarmac, which was now quite hot from the sun. This all amounted to heating and baking the cake.

By now, you might be wondering how the frosting got on the cake, but there is a very good reason it got there. You see, the bag of frosting had been thrown higher than the other ingredients and had become stuck on the stop light, the one that the old lady had failed to heed. The sun, which had heated the cake, also heated the frosting, the bag that contained the frosting then became too hot and split and began to cover the cake. Fortunately, for all, the wind picked up again and blew the frosting bag away before it put too much frosting on the cake.

That is how it is completely a hundred percent possible to have a cake made by nature. I hope this helps you to understand the marvelous theory of evolution. When I get the time, I think I might expand on this to show that if we change the cake to ginger bread and add some thunder, that it is possible to make the uncatchable little talking ginger bread man.

The market is shaped by what is sold

The market is shaped by what is sold

A little stream of consciousness. A little too 101 for my tastes but it’s interesting.

The issue of this selective marketing is that it tends to funnel the unprofitable market out of the mainstream market. This then has the effect of collecting these scattered people into generalized groups, which then creates new markets which can be marketed to.

This is why we end up with these “unexpected” genres like “alternative rock” and “hipster”. Both of these genres were founded by people who were not popular in many cases did not want to be, but as more and more people became disgusted/dissatisfied with the generic mainstream, the outsider groups’ ranks would swell until a critical mass was reached. After this, the media would then be able to capitalize on the newly formed markets and turn a profit.

The alternative groups will then be appropriated by  marketing by the musicians who hired to produce their music. In this way, the media is able to produce alternative music that can be relied upon to appeal to the largest demographic and be the most profitable(IE, generic).

This is why sub-genres will lose their edge with successive albums and new bands, because the media has managed to shape the consumer by the products produced which are then consumed.

So, alternative groups and mainstream pop are actually both the products of the marketing tactics employed by the media industry leaders. As the alternative market becomes more and more mainstream, they will begin to cater more and more to the generic, non-specific consumer, rather than the esoteric consumer.

The eventual effect will be that the genuine outsiders and “trendsetters” who lead the way for the alternative group will be pushed out by generic stereotypes and will either become proverbial hermits of their particular genre, “sell-out” and learn to benefit from their positions in the new generic subculture or move on to prepare the way for the next “outsider” group.

So, the media is based on the principle of exclusion and inclusion. It creates deliberate gluts of generic product to maximize sales and then moves on to incorporate and assimilate the outsider groups which are formed in opposition to the generic mainstream.

It would be fully within the media’s abilities to create a balanced, successful market which allowed for and

encourage both trendsetters and generic content to coexist, however the media’s marginal lines are set at unrealistic levels to create the ebb and flow that produces high returns as quickly as possible.

This model takes advantage of the natural tendency of the “American” culture’s to create cliques of the “in crowd” and the “loser crowd”.

It is a fast and violent system that encourages people to exclude and judge others with the aim of creating volatile class distinctions and ensure that the individual groups have a strong sense of loyalty to their particular culture and tastes. That is terrifying.

Does God want human beings to become Übermensch

Does God want human beings to become Übermensch

Does God want human beings to become Übermensch who espouse and believe in the ideals that are God?

An element of Übermensch is that a being rejects all reference to society’s standards and beliefs and acts on his own beliefs. Is it God’s intention that men would reject all societal norms and adopt God’s way as their own? That God desires man to become ideals of God’s values.

The difference being between doing God’s will because God wants it and doing God’s will because it is right?

Or, if God were to be removed from the situation, would we still act the same way that God wants us to? This in no way would be to invalidate God’s role as God or to usurp God’s authority, indeed since God’s ideals are part of God’s nature, no one could truly live God’s standards and want to replace God or see anyone else do so.

Does God want people to become actual paragons of God’s ideals and standards in an intrinsic way? Or does God want human beings to accept God’s standards based solely on God’s authority?

From John 15:15, we know that God does not want people to exist solely as slaves but rather as friends, not as equals but friends none the less.

In 1 Timothy 1:9, we see that the reward/punishment dynamic of the OT was not an actual system for good people but rather it was a system to control ungodly people who were controlled by their vile desires.

In Samuel 13:14, God commends David for being a man after God’s own heart and being willing to follow all of the Lord’s commands. This is relevant because David is described in an intimate way, a man after God’s heart, rather as merely a servant (although God still commands him).  This would seem to indicate that God

In Ephesians 1:11, “We inherit according to His purpose, and He works all things according to His will”

Simple Rules for a Zombie RPG, Draft

Simple rules for a Zombie RPG, Draft

The premise of this game is to offer simple, concise rules which nominally reflect a realistic game world. Too many game get bogged down in the details and become more about the rules and less about what the players can think of. The rules are vague so that players can fill in the gaps as they appear. Therefore, the rules are simple and “special rules”  are kept to a minimum.

Human stats

Endurance: Endurance determines how long a human can run or walk, how long they can carry or lift something, how long it takes them to recover, how long they can hold out against a zombie bite and how much general damage they can take, etc.

Strength: Strength determines how much damage is done when they hit something, how much they can carry, how much they can lift, the effects that recoil has on them, how quickly they can run, etc.

Dexterity: Dexterity determines how well a human can run, how well they can hit and throw, how well they can aim, how observant they are, etc.

PCs are assumed to have a score of 3 for all stats. 3 is average and gives neither penalties or bonuses.

Other attributes such as intelligence or charisma are noted in the character’s bio. These are up to the DM and secondly the PC. Assume average overall.

The goal is to have the player fill in these gaps, to make the persuasive argument or to figure out a plan.

Zombies do not have stats; they are classified into four categories, with levels of intelligence (although most are average)

Weak Zombie: A weak zombie is more likely to frenzy but less likely to be able to make a successful attack. +Frenzy, -ATK

Average Zombie: Has no bonuses or penalties

Strong Zombie: Is more likely to grapple and inflict a major bite but slower. 1+ ATK, -speed

Fast Zombie: Moves fast but is less likely to hit a target; 1- ATK, +Speed


Zombie Attack

  • 1 Miss
  • 2 Miss
  • 3 Push Back
  • 4 Grapple
  • 5 Bite
  • 6 Major Bite

Human Attack

  • 1 Miss
  • 2 Miss
  • 3 Keep at bay*2
  • 4 Push back
  • 5 Blow
  • 6 Killing blow

Human Distance Attack

  • 1 Miss&Jam
  • 2 Miss
  • 3 Miss
  • 4 Blow
  • 5 Dismembering Blow
  • 6 Killing Blow

*2 Zombie’s attack is lowered, reflects not being able to fight off the zombie but being able to make it harder for it to bite you.

Weapons add to attack rolls

Humans & very smart zombies can line up shots to improve their chances of hitting.

Humans who are unarmed detract 1 to 2 points from their attack roles and add the lost point to the zombie attack rolls. Training can negate these penalties.

Training or lack thereof add or detract to or from a humans attack.

If faced with a horde, a human can either try to single out a single zombie or fire into the horde as a whole. If firing at the horde, a human can shoot twice as fast but sacrifices adds. Some weapons are better for this than others are.

Weapons are divided into categories with better versions or models offering better adds;

Weapon range is reduced by 5 feet when the PC is untrained. With basic training, the range is average, with above average training the range is increased by 5 FT. Dexterity acts in the same way


Pistol: Gives +1 ATK up to 20 feet.

Shotgun *: If the shot hits, receives +2 ATK if at 12 feet or less, +1 ATK for up to 24 FT, & -1 ATK for every 12 FT past 24 FT. Any wounds from a shotgun shell are dismembering within 12 FT

Submachine Gun: Gets +2 up to 24 FT.

Assault Rifle: If set to semi-automatic counts as a rifle. If set to burst gets +3 ATK up to 24 FT.

Hunting Rifle: Get +2 up 35 FT, +2 up to 50 FT if scope is equipped. Bolt Actions take longer to shoot

Heavy Machinegun: Gives +3 ATK if roll is a hit. Has a base range of 35 FT

*A shotgun with a slug round counts as a rifle, it receives a -1 ATK if the barrel is a smooth bore.

A zombie suffering from a blow is slowed, a push back can either push a zombie back or even knock it to the floor but it will get back up and continue to attack.

A dismembering blow will either reduce a zombie’s ability to move or its attack, if it has been disemboweled, both its movement and attack will be reduced.

A killing blow will kill a zombie, this means a head shot or a blow that severs the head, bear in mind that severing the head still leaves the head active and if the head can still bite.

Zombie Combat

The difference between a bite and a major bite is the degree of the wound, meaning how quickly the character will die. A character who has been bitten will need to dress the wound to keep from bleeding out, especially if they suffered a major bite.

Zombies move half as fast as humans, except when frenzied. Fast zombies move as fast as humans can jog.

Roll D6 for frenzy

  • 1 Slows down in confusion
  • 2 No Frenzy
  • 3 No Frenzy
  • 4 Lunges; make an instant attack to grapple
  • 5 Frenzy
  • 6 Frenzy

A zombie moves at a shuffle except when frenzied, frenzy can only happen when a zombie is excited, this can only happen when a zombie is very close and aware of a human; for instance if a zombie is behind a fence and you taunt it, it can become frenzied or if a zombie just missed grappling a human. The smarter a zombie, the lower its chances of frenzying. If a zombie lunges and misses, it falls over and has to get up again.

Players will receive RPGing Karma points; these will be used for making better future characters or to modify rolls.

PCs who act out of character will receive negative points that will make the player’s future character less effective, while good roleplaying will result in positive story points that will go towards making the player’s future character more effective.

Players can use karma points to modify their rolls or rolls against their characters.


  • FT – Feet
  • ATK – Attack

Zombie apocalypse alternative

Zombie apocalypse alternative:

8 May 2012 at 17:35

First thought, think Silent Hill.

There is a bizarre world wide incident. There are sporadic shifts in reality, where people are transferred to a shadowy mirror realm of the world. In this world, there are two commonly known types of individuals. Those who are unaffected, and those who are driven by their id. The id driven are little more than monstrous maniacs, acting out their fantasies and obsessions without restraint. Within a month, the worlds population was reduced by a third and it continues to decline.

Worse still for those who maintain their sanity, the ids have learned about the sane and their immunity in the real world. Some are merely envious,some actually hate them. These feelings of animosity have caused the ids to actively hunt the sane in the shadow realm, regardless of their feelings in the real world.

Second installment, the dream world is beginning to take shape, the dead exist in sporadic ghost-like forms, bizarre creatures wander about, trees wave to and fro when there is no wind.

For the third installment, there are the dream weavers, people who can create beings and environments from their imaginations, allowing them, and those around them, to live out their dreams in the shadow realm. Some are rumored to be able to pull people into the dream realm without the global shift.

Possible modifications, make it about the id, ego and super-ego.

The Destruction of Herculaneum: Vesuvius Claimed More Than One Victim

During the destruction of the Roman city Pompeii in 79AD, the neighboring city of Herculaneum was destroyed by lava, but by superheated ash. This ash was over 500 degrees Celcius and coated everything in a superfine coat of carbon. Rather than destroying the city, it supercooked buildings, food, leather, and people into nearly perfectly preserved charcoal covered forms.

The clouds that engulfed the city traveled at 65mph, and so most people of the town died.

Source: The Destruction of Herculaneum: Vesuvius Claimed More Than One Victim

Phineas Gage and Free Will

Phineas Gage suffered an injury to his ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is to say the front middle portion of his skull (Carlson, 2014). Rather than dying, Mr. Gage survived and made a physical recovery, save for the use of his left eye. However, the injuries to his brain resulted in a massive shift in personality, one which ruined him financially and socially. For the sake of clarity, I will abbreviate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex to the initials VM, as was done in the research document written by Bechara, Tranel, and Damasio (2010).

Continue reading Phineas Gage and Free Will

Anterograde Amnesia and the Human Mind


This paper will examine the medical condition known as anterograde amnesia from the physiological perspective. Anterograde amnesia is the condition wherein an individual becomes physically incapable of forming new memories, normally immediately after an injury occurs. Beginning with the psychological phenomenon, covering the general emotional response to the condition and the role which personality plays in establishing variance and emotional compensation. This paper will then discuss four neurogical aspects of anterograde amnesia broken including the functions, the origin of the condition, the brain structures involved, and animal models. Anterograde amnesia affects explicit memory and spatial memory. Anterograde amnesia is a physically derived condition, occurring from injury sustained during medical procedures, physical injury, or diseases which damage the hippocampus or the surrounding neural pathways.. The hippocampus is a key component of anterograde amnesia. Animal models allow for testing the surviving structures of the brain. Possible treatments for anterograde memory loss involve utilizing the surviving learning mechanisms to compensate for memory loss. Continue reading Anterograde Amnesia and the Human Mind

Social Norms and Conformity


This paper examines the situational influence of social norms and their role in directing people’s behavior and perceived expectations of other’s beliefs and actions. The paper analyzes two academic journal articles covering social norms and conformity behavior. The first study is of Norwegian Air Force cadets and their conformity to the social expectations of the situation and the influence of precedence set by confederates in regards to jumping off an ocean pier while blindfolded. Confederate behavior dramatically influenced cadet behavior by doubling the amount of refusals to jump. The second study is of a modified Dictator’s Game wherein participant behavior is modified by providing different true statements of past Dictator’s Games. The results from this study indicate that people are influenced primarily by social behavioral norms than social belief norms. A comparison of the two papers indicates that social norms set by peers wield a tremendous influence over people’s behavior. Continue reading Social Norms and Conformity

Suicide and the Right to Choose versus Coercion


This paper critically assesses Dr. Thomas Szasz’s article “The Case Against Suicide Prevention” which addresses the issue of coercive suicide prevention and how it undermines individuals, family, and society. Dr. Szasz’s view is that the psychiatric practice of declaring a person insane and in need of coercive suicide prevention is both impractical and immoral in a free society that values freedom, self-responsibility, and choice. Dr. Szasz argues that coercive suicide prevention is impractical because no one can truly take complete responsibility and authority over another person, and immoral as the act pits the general consensus of society at large against the will of the individual. Szasz’s view is that the mainstream society uses scientific authority to judge unhealthy or undesirable behavior as just cause to circumvent an individual’s right to make their own choices and accept responsibility for their actions. Szasz uses biblical, legal, historical, and modern comparisons to argue his point against coercive treatment and instead argues that counselors and clients must agree on treatment in order to respect their personhood.  Continue reading Suicide and the Right to Choose versus Coercion