WEEKEND WONDERING

(left) Gravity waves (but who waves back?)

This is from Science Frontiers No. 173, Sep-Oct 2007, pp. 1&2 and sent by Sky Element 115

"Is "something" fine-tuning the universe for life – specifically human life? Fine-tuning the parameters of the universe is akin to the alignments mentioned above, being merely amore extreme example of nonrandomness. The fine-tuning addressed here is enshrined in the so-called Anthropic Principle. P. Davies, in a recent issue of *NewScientist,* provides a definition of the "strong" version of the Anthropic Principle...the laws of physics possess a weird and surprising property: collectively they give the universe the ability to generate life and conscious beings, such as ourselves, who can ponder thebig questions. Scientists never tire of providing examples of bio-friendly coincidences and fortuitous fine-tuning that permit the evolution and continued existence of earth life. A favorite example points out that if protons were just 0.1% heavier than neutrons, instead of vice versa, atoms cold not exist and neither could life chemistry.[A biologist might instead single out the astounding bit of fine-tuning seen in the properties of genomes---but of course genome chemistry is intellectually subservient to physics. Should it be?] Assuming the truth of the Anthropic Principle, P. Davies looks for an explanation---one not involving any religious entity. Reaching instead into the vast grab bag of quantumweirdness, he finds that time really has no meaning so that .the existence of life and observers today has an effect on the past. Ergo, we are permitted what is called "quantumpost-selection." This permits J. Wheeler to claim that: ...the existence of life and observers in the universe today can help bring about the very circumstances neededfor life to emerge. In short, today's life and its bio-friendly universe is the result of actions taken in the future by whatever humans turn out to be! Quantum weirdness allows this just as it permits the weirdness of entanglement. [Circular reasoning here?]"(Davies, Paul; "Laying Down the Laws," NewScientist, p. 30, June 30, 2007)

The secret word is Matter

"Get hep to the rebop on DOCTUBE , daddio."


Or watch an excerpt right here. (The classic line is at the end of the clip.)


The secret word is Jive

WE MAY HAVE AN ANSWER ALREADY!

Redrat may have an explanation of the sudden rash of Dalek/Katy Manning searches – see comment on "Never Trust a Dalek"….
"Kylie Minogue has made a guest appearance on the cover of the latest issue of the Doctor Who magazine wrapped around a rather unimpressed-looking Dalek.Minogue, who plays a waitress in Doctor Who Xmas special Voyage Of The Damned, said of the shoot: “I was in the presence of a legend.” She provocatively added: “The Dalek was in great condition, and much bigger than I’d expected."

A SHORT HISTORY LESSON

About a week ago in Huffpo I found this very succinct nutshell history of US labor relations by Matt Stoller. Other stuff got in the way but finally I posted it.

"The roots are traceable directly to an authoritarian South, a one-party unique region in America that has held the balance of power since the 1930s and that was and is dedicated above all to a race-based hierarchical society. Through shaping even progressive legislation, like the Wagner Act, Dixiecrats ensured that broad-based class movements failed. It's not widely-understood, but the reason the South flipped to an anti-labor stance in the 1940s is because the CIO had tremendous success in organizing multi-racial unions as World War II labor markets tightened. This was a direct threat to Jim Crow, and so Southern Democrats cooperated with Republicans to pass Taft-Hartley, a piece of legislation which basically made labor organizing impossible and turned unions into groups that can only advocate for their own survival. At the same time, there were massive pre-McCarthy purges of leftists and decertifications of leftists unions, leaving unions open to infiltration by the CIA, FBI, organized crime, and bureaucratic inertia. The biggest movement for social justice in American history - the labor movement of the 1930s - ran up against the South, and the South turned it into a pro-Vietnam reactionary force that rejected the New Left in the 1960s.
In 1945, there were more strikes than there had ever been in American history. From 1946-1948, the purges happened. And then the 1950s somehow placidly came, and women were no longer in the factories and African-American soldiers were somehow living back in segregated neighborhoods. It's funny, how history is written by the winners. It's funny how the history of the post-WWII reaction, the women in factories in WWII being forced out of work and the returning African-American soldiers and population migrants being forced into racist structures, is just kind of glossed over. It shouldn't be. That's when the national security state, the seeds of the authoritarianism that sprouted into Vietnam, Iraq, and a radically unfair media and economy, were fertilized."

The rest of the piece was interesting, but not succinct

This week in LA CityBeat I have a piece on Robert Hawkins, the Omaha mall slayer.

NEVER TRUST A DALEK

In the last forty-eight hours, Doc 40 has had maybe 400 Google hits for this single image that I posted back in May. Is something going on I don’t know about? A fiendish Dalek plot involving the naked Ms. Manning? If anyone knows, please clue me in.

The secret word is Exfoliate

Do we mourn Ike Turner?

THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD

Those voices in your head? Maybe you don’t need a tinfoil hat. They may be a commercial mindfuck. The A&E cable channel is literally targeting consumers with hypersonic beams on billboards. The rays broadcast sound in a beam, so the noise is inaudible unless the consumer/victim strays into the target area--in which case they may experience the sound as a voice in their head. (Click for more.)

A PIECE OF CLASSIC RAYMOND CHANDLER

About a condition that only stopped a month or so ago here in LA, and can come back any time it feels like it. (And was sent by Dr Adder)

“There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.” – Raymond Chandler, Red Wind

A whole new slew of songs can be found at DOCTUBE

I SUPPOSE YOU'D CALL IT AN EXTENDED COMMERCIAL...

I have a new book out – or, to be precise – I have half a new book out, since this was a collaborative effort with the lovely Suzy Shaw, and all of you who might be in LA in two days time are invited to a gathering to celebrate publication of Bomp : Saving The World One Record At The Time by Suzy Shaw and Mick Farren published by Ammo. It will be at the Book Soup Annex on 8818 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, 90069., next Wednesday (December 12th) at 7 PM. There will be a reading, books will be signed, photos will be taken, and music will be played. I also hear there will be booze and snacks) Bring your best friend (if you have one) and recreate rock & roll when it was fabulous. Phone (310) 659.3110 or toll free: 800. 764.BOOK

AND THE PRESS RELEASE SAYS...

30 years of rock'n'roll viewed from the garage. Features full color repros of the first rock'n'roll zine Mojo Navigator (1966 to 1967) as well as its successors, and repros of Bomp fanzine and magazine (1970 to 1979), with original writings by Lester Bangs, Greil Marcus, Ken Barnes, Gene Sculatti, David Harris, Lisa Fancher, Greg Shaw and many others. Features in depth interviews and major features on The Doors, The Grateful Dead, The Ramones, Blondie, The Standells, The Troggs, The Runaways, Sky Saxon and The Seeds, Barracudas, Janis Joplin and Big Brother and The Holding Company, and a lot more. Also includes the missing Bomp magazine issue #22, and the story of the Bomp label. Edited and introduced by journalist and author Mick Farren, with essays by Suzy Shaw and contributions by Lenny Kaye, Peter Case, Mike Stax, Brendan Mullen and others.

For copies of the book, plus the peripheral goodies like the matching CD and t-shirt, best go to the Bomp Store. (Where, if you run a search, you can also find most of The Deviants CDs at real friendly prices.

TAKING YOUR LAPTOP ON THE PLANE CIRCA 1956

As I sit endlessly at this computer I forget just how much I take it for granted. The picture to the left is of the hard drive memory unit from a 1956 computer in transit. Clearly we have come a long way from there. The memory that took us to the moon now hangs on a key ring with plenty more. We have also totally deviated from this 1965 video clip of how computers would be organizing our lives by 1999. (I like those multiple screens, but other wise…well…I think the coming application of LSD was a very good idea.)

In fact, our computers have come so far that that our pal Valerie can link us to a site that will render any word into R2D2 audio-speak, which you can then you download it onto your cell phone should you so desire. Now that’s what’s called progress. We humans seem to have the knack of trivializing just about anything.

The secret word Singularity

“I know you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.”