Death of Hypatia®

Category: Blog

  • WIBCI Post #131

    WIBCI honoring our nation’s champions wasn’t polarizing?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If our administration appeared worthy to bestow ‘honors’?

    White House visits by championship teams (per wikipedia):

    In the United States, the winner of a professional championship game, such as the Super Bowl or World Series, often visits the White House after winning said championship. Usually, the championship team meets with whoever the president of the United States is at the time, and the president gives a speech related to the team.

    Although the exact start of the tradition of championship teams visiting the White House is unknown, the earliest known time it happened was on August 30, 1865. On that day, then president Andrew Johnson welcomed two amateur baseball teams to the White House: the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals.

    The first time a professional sports team visited the White House was in 1869 when the Cincinnati Red Stockings visited Ulysses S. Grant at the White House.

    In 1963, John F. Kennedy welcomed the Boston Celtics to the White House, that being the first time an NBA team visited the White House.

    In 1992, the Toronto Blue Jays became the first Canadian-based team to visit the White House, following their victory in the 1992 World Series.

    These visits are usual, they’ve been recorded happenings for over 160 years.

    Maybe it’s just me, but White House visits under our current regime seem….unusual.

    It is not unusual for individuals to decline such an invitation, Larry Bird did not visit Ronald Reagan in 1984, Michael Jordan played golf instead of meeting President Bush in 1991, and ‘In 2011, Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas refused an invitation to visit the White House after the team’s Stanley Cup win due to his belief that the federal government had grown out of control under the presidency of Barack Obama.

    What is UNUSUAL is that entire teams have refused to meet our current President.

    What is also UNUSUAL is that 50% or 10 out of 20 of the teams invited to the White House during our current administration, never met the President.

    And what is also UNUSUAL is that our current leader is the first and only President of the United States who has ever revoked/taken back/had his fingers crossed per an invitation to the White House for our nation’s champions.

    Classy.… more “WIBCI Post #131”

  • Know Thyself #131

    Know Thyself through HISTORY:

    According to the US Department of the interior’s National Park Service, at the Constitutional Convention on September 17th, 1787, Benjamin Franklin wrote a speech directed to President Washington, but whose purpose was to convince the three delegates who had announced their refusal to sign the Constitution to abandon their opposition. Too ill at 81 to read it himself, it was delegated that James Wilson the delegate from PA to read (a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a future Supreme Court Justice):

    “I confess that there are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise….”

    I believe it takes a strong person to be open to changing their minds. Why do we pick sides and then die? The ability to change an opinion, to me, shows courage, not weakness. I believe weakness is digging in, plugging your ears, and sticking your head in the sand. Benjamin Franklin is truly an amazing human being, one we should pay more homage to. Not only is he humble enough to admit that, if given ‘better information’ and the ability to give the matter ‘fuller consideration’ he could absolutely change his stance on ‘important subjects’. Imagine if our civil servant representatives thought like this.

    Further, according to Psypost.org:

    “Research on metacognition has provided robust evidence that changes of mind tend to improve choice outcomes. So why are people so reluctant to change their minds? There are at least two possible reasons. First, deciding to change your mind is typically a result of making extra cognitive effort to analyze the quality of the initial choices. Not every decision requires that effort.”

    AKA we are lazy…

    “Second, frequent changes of mind may signal personality traits that are not socially desirable. Meaningful and fulfilling interpersonal relationships rely on the ability to predict and rely on another person’s actions.

    Erratic and frequent changes of mind could negatively impact relationships and people may avoid doing this to improve their social integration.”

    AKA we are insecure and would rather fit in than be correct. Sounds scary and accurate.

    Not meaning to depress you more, but not only was Benjamin Franklin brilliant, ahead of his time, and never to be duplicated,  he could also predict the future:

    “In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution, with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a General Government necessary for us, and there is no form of government, but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered; and believe further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government.”

    Per Wikipedia the entry for Despotism begins: “In political science, despotism is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. Normally, that entity is an individual, the despot (as in an autocracy), but societies which limit respect and power to specific groups have also been called despotic.”

    Eeeeesh. What do YOU think Ben would think of the state of our republic today?… more “Know Thyself #131”

  • WIBCI Post #130

    WIBCI we were as CONFIDENT as Dr. Seuss?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we thought like this?

    You have to be odd to be number one.

    -Dr. Seuss

    Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.
    -Dr. Seuss
    … more “WIBCI Post #130”

  • Know Thyself #130

    Know Thyself: We Won’t Go Back

    Want to be inspired?

    Rev. Al Sharpton at Jesse Jackson’s Memorial 3/6/2026

    Rest in Peace… more “Know Thyself #130”

  • WIBCI Post #129

    WIBCI we learned from HISTORY?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we learned instead of repeated?

    Howard Zinn’s ‘A People’s History of the United States’ is a no holds barred, curt, straight forward, brutally honest, account of the founding of this country. While skimming through it recently I was struck by how many phrases that were describing over 2.5 centuries ago ring so very true today.

    (Circa 1839)  “Certain men in the farm country became leaders and organizers: Smit Boughton, a country doctor on horseback; Ainge Devyr, a revolutionary Irishman. Devyr had seen monopoly of land and industry bring misery to the slum dwellers of London, Liverpool, and Glasgow, had agitated for change, had been arrested for sedition, and fled to America. He was invited to address a Fourth of July rally of farmers in Rensselaerville, where he warned his listeners: ‘

    If you permit unprincipled and ambitious men to monopolize the soil, they will become masters of the country in the certain order of cause and effect’….”

    What do YOU think?… more “WIBCI Post #129”

  • Know Thyself #129

    Know Thyself through assumed acceptance

    I was watching one of the thousands of crime dramas that plague our eyeballs and two individuals interviewed, one was a victim and one was a friend of the accused, there was something odd about their footage. Like it was blurred, or feathered at the edges, like the people walked the line of human and animation. Then I noticed in small font in the upper corner the word ‘Digitally Anonymised’.

    My first thought was, great, another term that we are innately supposed to comprehend and immediately accept as a necessary evolution in life. A term that is thrown at us with no explanation, a phrase we must wrap our heads around real time, whilst understandably being more interested in whether one is now leaning more guilty than not. It is like the side effects listed in pharmaceutical ads, I want to think about, what I think about possible ailments that could be so bad that permanent blindness and/or anal leakage is a chance one would take.

    But you give me no time to think about it. I will be bombarded with 8 more monochromatic choreographed outings on Main St. USA in the next 10 minutes that I will forget that I do not comprehend all that is put in front of me.

    Hey world I do not know what a G is. I understand that my phone’s network should have as many as possible, but at the core, I do not understand what it is.

    So ‘Digitally Anonymised‘ is a thing in our lives now? I get it for protecting identities, but like all neat-o technologies, won’t this be used as a filter for dating apps? Isn’t this a dangerous route to take, can’t images be altered so it ‘isn’t’ who it is? How does one know that this tech was utilized if that 10pt CG wasn’t there with a phrase that is yet to exist in the Dictionary, or Wikipedia? Are there regulations? Will blurrier versions of newscasters, soap stars, and President’s start appearing before our eyes in the near future and no one stops to ask what we think about it?

    I don’t know, I found it creepy.

     … more “Know Thyself #129”

  • WIBCI Post #128

    WIBCI Public Service Announcement:

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we warned more?

    To children of all ages, if anyone physically or mentally makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form, and tells you not to tell.

    TELL.

    Tell every fucking person you come into contact with. Tell your parents, your siblings, your teachers, friends, friends’ parents, that weird old lady always watching you out her window, your neighbor, that boy you like, that girl you hate. ANYBODY.

    If someone does something to you and tells you not to tell, it is because they know they did something wrong. So TELL.

    If they name someone specifically not to tell, agree you won’t do it, promise if you have to, and as soon as they are out of your sight you break that promise and tell that very person and everyone else in between. This is a promise everyone will be okay that you break. Go on telling until someone makes it stop happening.

    TELL. TELL. TELL.

     … more “WIBCI Post #128”

  • Know Thyself #128

    Know Thyself through NOTICING

     

    Know your own happiness.

    – Jane Austen

     

    Disconcerted is a good way to describe how I felt when I came across this quote. The reasons for this are threefold:

    1. This is the point of Death of Hypatia®
    2. As a collector of quotes and a bit into 16th century British literature, the lion’s share of the chagrin admittedly is from missing this before now. Although I get more quotes from characters words than the authors, this should have bubbled up in my weird cross referencing way of looking at the world.
    3. I didn’t read it while reading about happiness, Jane Austen, groundbreaking women, nor philosophical beliefs; it was ‘quote of the day’ on the app where I listen to nature sounds to fall asleep to.

     

    The initial abashed blush faded, I selected a fusion of pink noise and an aggressive snow storm, and thought… well, Jane got it.

     

     … more “Know Thyself #128”

  • WIBCI Post #127

    WIBCI: We Knew WHERE THE MONEY WENT?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If there was some trust?

    Per the Federal cuts that have taken place in the US…. I’m all for a good tightening of the belt, but the disassembling of departments necessary for our future seems a bit aggressive no? According to squared compass.com:

    “Taken together, these actions — alongside other forms of attrition and in the face of an extended hiring freeze across most of government[17]— were expected to drive the projected departure of 317,000 federal employees (roughly 50 percent more than the annual average number of separations during President Trump’s first term) and reduce the federal workforce by about 249,000 employees overall after accounting for new hires by year’s end, OPM Director Kupor announced in November.[18]“

    ON TOP of the salaries of over 300,000 people, the Fed pulled back 24.95 Billion dollars from just the top 10 agencies. This includes the Departments of: Ed, Energy, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Housing/Urban Development, Agriculture, as well as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and The Environmental Protection Agency.

    In other words, the Federal cuts for 2026 ‘saved’ the US Federal Government the salaries for 317,000 people and for JUST THE TOP TEN AGENCIES ‘saved’ the US Federal Government 24.95 BILLION DOLLARS.

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we were told where the money went?… more “WIBCI Post #127”

  • Know Thyself #127

    Know Thyself

    I was watching a storm from a secure little nook and noticed birds actually flying around in hurricane force winds. They were obviously timed and must have been necessary, but seemed risky. It made me wonder, some of them had to die in a crazy once in a decade storm, right? I mean one of them had to have timed it poorly or missed a mark. But have you ever seen dead wild animals after a storm, because I never have. So maybe Darwinism worked itself out.

    Anyways it was cool to worry about another species for a minute.… more “Know Thyself #127”

  • WIBCI Post #126

    WIBCI The Constitution was the final say?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If our leader adhered to it?

    By a vote of 6-3 the Supreme Court struck down the sweeping tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed on imports per two executive orders. The Constitution gives taxing power, including tariff power, to Congress and not the POTUS. Any Presidential imposition of tariffs depends on an act of Congress. Chief Justice John Roberts found that IEEPA was not an act that delegated tariff authority to the executive branch. So the answer was no.

    Shouldn’t that be the end of it? If the President’s job is to uphold the Constitution and something he did was unconstitutional than shouldn’t they just say ‘my bad’ and move on? Not this one.

    Instead, our leader, went on a time out worthy tirade, said he would invoke other laws and announced a blanket tax on all countries invoking section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, in which Congress said the president could levy tariffs of up to 15% for up to 150 days to fix ‘fundamental international payment problems’.

    How is this not authoritarian?

    … more “WIBCI Post #126”

  • Know Thyself #126

    Know Thyself

    I think there are two types of people:

    A. Those that find Curling surprisingly fascinating; those whom are sure that if they would have dedicated hours each week to mastering the craft in their prime, they could have been Olympians and are stunned to find themselves watching it for hours at a stretch wondering why they don’t just dump all the stone things in the middle.

    and

    B. Those who think it’s silly.

    Which are you?

     … more “Know Thyself #126”

  • WIBCI Post #125

    WIBCI We Knew Our Rights?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we knew what could/couldn’t be done to us and our communities?

    Per my State’s official website:

    When can ICE enter people’s homes and other private spaces?
    Under most circumstances, ICE agents cannot legally enter private spaces—such as homes, private
    offices, or the non-public areas of a workplace—without one of the following:
    • A judicial warrant signed by a judge or magistrate; or
    • Voluntary consent from someone who has actual or apparent authority over the property (e.g., someone who lives there).

    *Note that an ICE administrative warrant (Forms I-200 and I-205 described above) is not a judicial
    warrant and does not authorize entry into a home or other private space without consent. A judicial
    warrant is one that is signed by a judge.

    If ICE agents are seeking to enter a house, a person has the legal right to speak through the door to:
    • Ask to see the warrant before opening the door;
    • Check whether the warrant is signed by a judge; and
    • Deny entry if it is not.

    ICE OUT… more “WIBCI Post #125”

  • Know Thyself #125

    Know Thyself through what you celebrate.

    I do not observe Valentine’s Day. I believe it to be commercialized, inorganic, and mercenary. But in an attempt to try and be more open minded, I gave it a look.  Here’s what I came up with:

    Saint Valentine, an Italian (shocking) 3rd-century Roman saint who was commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14th. What coincides with our ‘holiday’ today is that for centuries, his feast day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. What doesn’t quite equate to today is that he is the patron saint of epilepsy, beekeepers and the city of Terni. He was martyred for ministering to persecuted Christians. More elaborate versions of the story is restoring sight to a blind daughter of one of his jailers and upon his execution wrote her a letter signed ‘Your Valentine’.

    In the 19th century, handmade cards gave way to mass-produced greetings, and as with everything else, in the 20th and 21st centuries all soul was removed and it was as monetized, commercialized, and dehumanized to scientific perfection.

    Seems I am not swayed. Anywho, Happy St. V Day.… more “Know Thyself #125”

  • WIBCI Post #124

    WIBCI we appreciated what was different?

    We all accept that all snowflakes are unique, but I was thinking about it and looked it up. Here is what I found:

    Per Wikipedia:

    Wilson Alwyn Bentley (February 9, 1865 – December 23, 1931), also known as Snowflake Bentley, was an American meteorologist and photographer, who was the first known person to take detailed photographs of snowflakes and record their features. He perfected a process of catching flakes on black velvet such that their images could be captured before they either melted or sublimated, and elaborated the theory that no two snowflakes are identical.

    He got interested in snowflakes as a teen on his family farm in Vermont:

    He tried to draw what he saw through an old microscope given to him by his mother when he was fifteen. The snowflakes were too complex to record before they melted, so he attached a bellows camera to a compound microscope and, after much experimentation, photographed his first snowflake on January 15, 1885. He captured more than 5,000 images of crystals. Each crystal was caught on a blackboard and transferred rapidly to a microscope slide. Even at subzero temperatures, snowflakes are ephemeral because they sublimate.

    Apparently these photos were so good that no one really took photos of snowflakes for 100 years. But is 5,000 really an exhaustive study? And as this sounds like a rather difficult and cold way to spend your time, not many people are out there trying to prove him wrong me thinks. But as I kept reading I came across Kenneth Libbrecht, a snowflake scholar from this century, he is also a professor of physics at California Institute of Technology. I found his way of backing up Bentley’s theory illuminating:

    Libbrecht thinks that the question of whether there have ever been identical snowflakes is just silly. “Anything that has any complexity is different than everything else,” even if you have to go down to the molecular level to find it.

     

    Sounds to me like different than everything else is what makes something special.

    If you want to learn more, check it out:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Bentley… more “WIBCI Post #124”

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