Post No. 3,430 - Some (hopefully) interesting reading / viewing / listening

I recently found the following interesting and/or useful, and am posting them here in case anyone else does as well. 

 

• “The secret sensory life of plants: researchers are discovering how they see, hear, feel – and even remember”   https://theconversation.com/the-secret-sensory-life-of-plants-researchers-are-discovering-how-they-see-hear-feel-and-even-remember-277076   

 

 

• “What Happened In 2021?”   https://inquirywithkellychase.substack.com/p/what-happened-in-2021   “Tracing the Patterns Behind an Anomalous Year”   

• “The People Who Won't Be Surprised”   https://mazetometanoia.substack.com/p/the-shock-that-wasnt   “Psychology Today just asked whether confirmation of nonhuman intelligence would break us. I think they’re asking the wrong question”   

• “An Overview of Energy Healing Techniques”   https://noetic.org/blog/an-overview-of-energy-healing-techniques/   

 

 

• “Some of you asked me to try to simplify the overall gist of the pieces I’ve been writing about Zorro Ranch, Epstein and New Mexico. I suck at Canva. Maybe someone else can make it look better. Anyway. Hope this helps.”   from Alisa Writes, by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez   https://substack.com/@alisavaldes/note/c-241856184   

• “Draining the Lifeblood of History: Trump’s Assault on the Evidence of Now”   https://youtu.be/BzDC36Q53HI   “Tr_mp declared total victory. H_gs_th called it historic and overwhelming — a capital V. Leavitt called it a historically swift triumph. Iran declared victory too.   This is not spin. This is the record being written in real time, loudly, with full institutional force — because the story you establish first, with enough volume behind it, is the one future people have to fight through to reach the truth.   Here is what that story is competing against. Iran’s regime is still in place. The enriched uranium is still under Iranian control. Thirteen Americans died. A human rights group documented 1,665 Iranian civilian casualties, including 248 children. There is a two-week ceasefire and two competing negotiating proposals. Every hard question unresolved.   And while the victory declarations were still echoing, Trump’s Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel declared the Presidential Records Act unconstitutional — arguing in a 52-page memo that Congress cannot preserve presidential records “merely for the sake of posterity.” The American Historical Association and American Oversight are now suing to stop it.   That is not a coincidence sitting next to the Iran story. That is the operation. Flood the present with the version you want. Thin the archive future people will use to check it. Historians are not a neutral tribunal waiting at the end of time. In this country they have been one of mythology’s most reliable delivery systems — the founders wrapped in sanctification, Reconstruction buried under a lie for a century, the same presidential canon reproducing itself decade after decade. The profession does not automatically correct power. It has spent most of its history flattering it.   Jefferson warned Adams in 1815 that without the records of what actually happened, someone else would fill the gap. Someone always does.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​”   

• “What Hungary Means — And Doesn’t -- For American Resistance”   by public resistance historian Tad Stoermer   https://youtu.be/b79ax4532Y4   “Let’s not learn the wrong lesson from Hungary.   What happened there was historic. Orbán lost after sixteen years. Turnout hit about 80 percent, a post-Communist record. Younger voters were central to breaking Fidesz’s hold. That matters.   But the easy takeaway — "look, elections can topple authoritarians" — is too simple to be useful. Yes, elections can remove an authoritarian from office. No, elections by themselves do not dismantle the system that put him there, kept him there, and enriched everyone attached to him.   Start with why Hungarians turned out like that. Not because democratic pieties suddenly moved them. Because Orbán’s system had been failing them in ways people could feel in their daily lives. Corruption. Stagnation. Hollowed-out public life. What little EU money there was routed through loyalist networks while ordinary people watched wages stall, services fray, and the future narrow. The people who grew up under Orbán were not voting on theory. They were voting on what his rule had done to their country.   The turnout comparison with the United States is worth making, but only if we tell the truth about it. The last time Americans got anywhere close to this level nationally was the Gilded Age. In 1888, turnout was roughly 80 percent. But that was not some golden age of civic virtue. It was a party-system peak: machine politics, patronage, intense partisan loyalty, public or easily monitored voting, and in plenty of places direct coercion. Voting was often less an expression of free democratic choice than a function of who controlled your job, your neighbourhood, or your place in the local order. When that system changed, turnout collapsed. So no, the American lesson is not “just turn everybody out.” Turnout is not magic. It is produced by structures, incentives, and stakes.”   

• “Does Lakemba have 1,300 NDIS providers?”   https://youtu.be/l2nEDwQonh4   “You may have seen some reporting that the multicultural suburb of Lakemba in Sydney has 1,300 NDIS providers — one for every 13 residents. This is being spruiked as a case of “migration fraud”, and been covered by news.com.au, Sky News and Karl Stefanovic's podcast, to name a few.   However, there's one minor issue here: this viral figure is off by more than 8000%. Let's dive in.”   

• “Epstein Was Never Properly Investigated in New Mexico Despite Reports to FBI. Follow the Money Far Enough and It Leads to Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, DJT, and a Trillion-Dollar Nuclear Deal.”   https://alisav.substack.com/p/epstein-was-never-properly-investigated   “The Epstein-connected company that paid lawmakers in New Mexico to look the other way employed Ivanka Trump, bailed out Jared Kushner, and is now DJT's partner in a billion-dollar nuclear deal.”    

My article(s) on SubStack: 

• “Some thoughts on why I am a different sort of experiencer”   https://musingsofgnwmythr.substack.com/p/some-thoughts-on-why-i-am-a-different   “A reluctant rumination”   

 

“Rights and Spirit No. 002 (~1,810 words, ~ 11 minutes)”   https://musingsofgnwmythr.substack.com/p/rights-and-spirit-no-002-1810-words   “Some ponderings on power ... ”   

 

 

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider: 

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”;  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

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Remember: we generally need to be more human being rather than human doing, to mind our Mӕgan, and to acknowledge that all misgendering is an act of active transphobia/transmisia that puts trans+ lives at risk & accept that all insistence on the use of “trans” as a descriptor comes with commensurate use of “cis” as a descriptor to prevent “othering” (just as binary gendered [men’s and women’s] sporting teams are either both given the gender descriptor, or neither).

#PsychicABetterWorld   and  

Note that I am cutting back on aspects of my posts - see here, and Gnwmythr is pronounced new-MYTH-ear  

Copyright © Kayleen White 2007-2026     NO AI   I do not consent to any machine learning aka Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI, large language model, machine learning, chatbot, or other automated analysis, generative process, or replication program to reproduce, mimic, remix, summarise, or otherwise  replicate any part of this post or other posts on this blog via any means. Typo’s may be inserrted deliberately to demonstrate this is not an AI product.     Otherwise, fair and reasonable use is accepted under Creative Commons 4.0 on an Attribution-ShareAlike basis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/  

 

Post No. 2,955 - Reflections on the past week, and some interesting reading/viewing

[Note: Content Warning - links to reports on oppression/bigotry/hate, violence/abuse/war. Reader discretion is advised] 

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that linked articles may contains names and/or images of deceased people. READER CAUTION IS RECOMMENDED! For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]), or perhaps try https://www.befrienders.org/. 

 

“Moral failure” has been a bit of a theme this week, beginning with the failure to agree on a plastics convention,      and      including H_______h  and  Israeli ceasefire violations in Lebanon,     the bullying by M_ sk,      the US state of Texas hiding deaths resulting from its abortion-and-“also-usable-procedures” ban and attempts in the US legal system to kill  trans kids,     the USA ignoring the massive problem of melting permafrost as concerns are raised about charges against climate protestors,      US republicans voting to NOT release an ethics report,      a US police officer accused of SA of black women over decades has died by suicide rather than face trial,      a warning of Tr_ mp’s use of distraction “as his GOONS act IN SILENCE” - and see also this,      Australian Border Force have been criticised by the Ombudsman for injecting ex-detainee with drug during deportation (the article also details failures to follow procedures),     social media platforms are throttling access to news,     a warning about phone spyware surveillance as a major US cyberhack and data theft is blamed on China and an Australian MP committee seeks surveillance powers that our intelligence services HAVE NOT ASKED FOR,      the Northern Territory government in Australia trying to overturn a legal requirement to provide safe drinking water to Indigenous communities (which strikes me as verging on genocidal - and that government is also failing to act on DV killings) and a WA public servant afraid to call out racism because of an appalling work culture,   a climate denialist has been committing in more conspiracy fantasies,     a real estate agent has failed to properly secure the personal identity documents of renters,      NSW planning to scrap community justice centres and evidence that NSW police failed to learn from a previous Taser killing, are ignoring laws about diversion programmes to continue committing active authoritarian style harm (and NSW is ignoring expert recommendations on managing drugs as the UN warns of the complete failure of the “war on drugs” amathia), and had to settle a case for prolonged abuse of a transwoman - as an inadequate sentence is provided to a pair of n__-n_az_s,     defence against SA cases relies on r_ pe myths,     concerns about how men are raised,     animal activists racially vilified the leader of an Indigenous group,     conservative media falsehoods about a so-called exclusive that was actually a paid advertorial,      wrong business claims about which state is best in Australia,      RBA errors about fighting inflation,      and Australia is arguing AGAINST international law measures to address the climate crisis - as is the USA. 

The USA is at risk of probably one of the larger moral failures of late - although a moral failure not as severe as the climate crisis:   the risk of potential civil war ...   

South Korea also showed both moral failure, with that nation’s president arbitrarily declaring martial law, and moral courage despite the shock, and that nation’s Parliament, MPs, and people resistance leading to the order being rescinded and the president facing  impeachment (which will be resisted by the ruling party, but police are also investigating).   This also provided a useful example for the USA - see also this ... and this, from Georgia, and this excellent and inspiring analysis and recommendations from the USA by a Ukrainian-American. 

There has also been a violent, antisemitic  act of hate with an arson attack on a synagogue in my home city.

This week has also seen   over 100 Jewish peace activists stage a sit-in protest inside a parliamentary building to demand Canada stop arming Israel,   resistance to racism in Aotearoa/New Zealand,   Germany has returned ancestral remains that were “taken” in the early 1800s,   an interesting analysis of and counter to short term thinking,   the The European Federation of Journalist deciding to exit eX-Twitter,   a corrupt abusive practice by TSA at US airports has been stopped,   the Supreme Court has thrown out parts of a mining company’s ‘embarrassing’ case against an activist - but considers what is left should proceed to trial,   a conviction for SA in Ireland - and Australia’s defence forces very belatedly realising they should have been sacking those convicted of sexual assault (and a cautionary note about behaviour at end of year work functions),   proposals in Australia to protect people against scam texts and rent to buy,   a debt company ceasing to exist for circumventing a ban,   moves to reduce the risk of children entering out-of-home care in NSW,   and Australia developing a moral  backbone and changing our official stance of more than two decades to split with the USA and back a UN resolution demanding an end to Israel occupation of Palestinian territories, and denying a right wing provocateur Israeli a visa (whilst allowing an Israeli general who an official representative in),  as the UN emphasises that peace and security in West Asia can only be achieved through dialogue, mutual recognition and a commitment to a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution based on international law - all done as a human rights organisation definitively declares Israel’s actions in Gaza to be genocide, with some comments pointing out the need for judicial decisions on this.  

And a very noteworthy article this week is:   “Australia and much of the world is on the cusp of profound change. What happens next is up to us”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/01/australia-and-much-of-the-world-is-on-the-cusp-of-profound-change-what-happens-next-is-up-to-us   This article compares Australia in 1964, when Donald Horne’s book “The Lucky Country” (goodreads, Penguin) was published (and the nation-state Australia’s failure to develop a native space industry then is comparable to the nation-state Australia’s failure to become a powerhouse exporter of renewable energy over the last couple of decades - not to mention the nation-state Australia’s failure to match the innovations of the First Peoples of this island-continent, IMO - and the nation-state Australia’s follow-the-leader adoption of neoliberalism is a further example of mediocre leadership/management), with Australia now - and argued that Australia and the world globally now are on the edge of major change, but   “... if it is the beginning of a period of autocracy, new methods of transformational advocacy, already modelled by the community independents, we will need to reassert the best of humanity; signing online petitions will not be enough.”   Definitely some good food for thought in that article - on several matters. 

See also this insightful opinion on democracy, and these suggestions on improved reporting of politics. Also note that financial insecurity and pressure, together with anxiety, social isolation, and loneliness, are showing in record demands on phone counselling services in Australia ...

In international matters,    Türkiye has said the opportunist  attack on Aleppo in Syria (with a response - including Russian forces - that includes bombing hospitals) was the result of the Assad regime failing to engage with the “opposition” (noting there are multiple opposition groups - some quite flawed), rather than Iranian  influence;   there is a vast and growing division between the “haves” and the “have nots” in the Arab world;   there is a growing risk of Australians abroad being detained and ‘used as pawns’ by rogue nations;   Australia has increased its police assistance to the Solomon Islands;   China’s influence in Africa is increasingly militarised;   rebels have made unexpected and significant gains in Syria - threatening Assad’s regime, but also putting dreams of Kurdistan  again at risk;   and   in Africa China has adopted the EU approach of no tariffs for least developed nations.

On human matters, there is some very good analysis, commentary on background, and perspective on Biden’s pardon of his son here, here, and here, and an interesting suggestion that Biden should go further and pre-emptively pardon all those who Trump intends to target (although that, and the current pardon, can also clearly be used by Trump) - which is reportedly now under consideration, and a key whistleblower. 

I started this with moral failure: it is worth considering that everything we do, fail to do, or actively decide to NOT do contributes to the moral soup of the society we live in, and, to some extent the world. 

The personal IS political ...

 

 

On the resistance to the reign of Tr_ mp 2.Ø:

• everything in my candles with the label (Blogger version of hashtags) #PsychicABetterWorld - Viva La Résistance à Tr_ mp!   (may all  resistance  be non-violent and BPM  properly informed of and responsive to legitimate grievances that led to this situation);
  

• “Post Election Boundaries | A Therapist's Advice on Protecting Your Peace”   https://youtu.be/CimXwVryXBQ   I strongly endorse this - far right wingers are a threat to life and limb, including of those close to them, and, as James Baldwin put it, “We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist”.       
  

Here are some llinks that might of interest or value:

• “I gave up bulk buying – and changed my attitude to money | Emma Brockes | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/05/i-gave-up-bulk-buying-and-changed-my-attitude-to-money   An excellent reflection on the sort of consumerism that was part of what Aldous Huxley warned against in “A Brave New World”        
  

• this week’s “afterlife report” by the  Zammits:  
     https://www.victorzammit.com/December6th2024/  
  

• also from YouTube:
  

• “Company hires 1 cat for every 3 human employees”   https://youtube.com/shorts/-oGoAeou-QE   The comment on better motivation and rest breaks is excellent management!     
  
  
• from YouTube and elsewhere on neurodivergence: 
• “ADHD diagnosis & labels”   https://youtube.com/shorts/_czR0Uz_l14   An excellent comment and perspective     
  

If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below, and there’s also Instagram. 

Note that I am cutting back on aspects of my posts - see here. 

(Gnwmythr is pronounced new-MYTH-ear)   

Remember: we generally need to be more human being rather than human doing, to mind our Mӕgan, and to acknowledge that all misgendering is an act of active transphobia/transmisia that puts trans+ lives at risk & accept that all insistence on the use of “trans” as a descriptor comes with commensurate use of “cis” as a descriptor to prevent “othering” (just as binary gendered [men’s and women’s] sporting teams are either both given the gender descriptor, or neither).

 

#PsychicABetterWorld   and   

 

Copyright © Kayleen White 2007-2024     NO AI   I do not consent to any machine learning aka Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI, large language model, machine learning, chatbot, or other automated analysis, generative process, or replication program to reproduce, mimic, remix, summarise, or otherwise  replicate any part of this post or other posts on this blog via any means. Typo’s may be inserrted deliberately to demonstrate this is not an AI product.     Otherwise, fair and reasonable use is accepted under Creative Commons 4.0 on an Attribution-ShareAlike basis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/