Tasting Notes’ Neighborhood

Tuning up their act for the big New Year's shows, the Dead sounded great playing in front of lots of close friends in Mill Valley last night.   Funny how ahead of their time they were by allowing fans to record their music live -- they were pioneers of social media and "sharing" content...

• May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.

• May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.

• May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

• May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.

• May the problems you had forget your home address.

In simple words ............

May 2010 be the best year of your life!

Happy Christmas & a Merrier New Year!

An Unreasonable Man

FIRST; A CORRECTION: In my last post, I suggested that Neanderthals were not of the Homo genus.  That was incorrect.  Neanderthal (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) is the closest ancestor chronologically to us of the Homo genus, to have experienced extinction.  We are of the Homo genus as well.  We have not become extinct…yet; which is what makes Neanderthal so interesting.  Is there something we should learn from them?

When I use the word “Human”, I am referring example of the Early Modern Human (EMH); in this instance, Cro Magnon.  Should some future anthropologist find evidence of the next evolutionary step of the Homo Genus, would it also be considered Human?  But, much like the difference between Neanderthal and Gro Magnon, what might be the distinction between the two?

Neanderthal was considerably different physically from Cro Magnon; and, although one idea related to the demise of Neanderthal and the rise of EMH is the concept of inter-breeding with the Cro Magnon population, recent science pretty much puts that idea to rest.  There is still some speculation in this area; recent DNA testing shows we and Neanderthal share about 95.5% of our genes, but tere is no evidence to support the idea of interbreeding.  It does not appear that Cro Magnon assimilated the populations of Neanderthal as they moved into the European stronghold of our powerful, squat cousin.  We are unlikely a hybrid of both. 

There is considerable study to indicate that Neanderthal and Cro Magnon walked the earth at the same time.  But, did Cro Magnon ‘kill off’ the earlier Neanderthal?  Unlikely.  In fact:

As a fighter; a mature, healthy Neanderthal must have been virtually invincible. We could not stand up to one, and I doubt that even a Cassius Clay could. It does not surprise, therefore, at the beginning of the last major glaciation, the Würm Glaciation, Neanderthal's tools replace "pre-Aurignacian" tools in the Mediterranean basin. He displaces us! Yet he does not eliminate us! 

Valerius Geist; The Neanderthal Paradigm

According to Geist, it was most likely a change in the ecology between inter-glacial periods which did in the physically stronger Neanderthal.  As his hunting grounds shrunk, the more adaptive Cro Magnon filled the gap, taking over its range.  The less adaptable Neanderthal, relegated to certain ecological niches, eventually disappeared. 

There could not have been a grand war with Cro-Magnon rising triumphantly, as currently argued. If so, we would have had battle scenes in cave paintings. However, there is nothing of that kind. The Cro Magnon painters are bragging about their encounters with dangerous large mammals only. Direct contact of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon occupation layers are very scarce. The two human forms rarely met. Cro-magnon was about five times as abundant in density as Neanderthal (judging from the number of hearths in Würm I versus Würm II). He was, clearly, a more efficient hunter than Neanderthal...Areas used by Cro-magnids were most likely starvation sites for Neanderthal man. I would, therefore, not expect Neanderthal to reclaim such from Cro-magnids. The extinction of Neanderthal man was thus probably less dramatic than the current, emerging paradigm suggests. A lot of whimpers, very few bangs….

 Valerius Geist; The Neanderthal Paradigm

 So, while Neanderthal was physically stronger, with a brain slightly larger in mass than the less physically imposing Cro Magnon, the later was more adaptable.  Cro Magnon man saw the world around him in a different light, developed different strategies for survival, and was able to conceptualize solutions to problems in a very different way from his predecessor; his cognitive abilities were considerably higher.  He was smarter, able to adapt to situations because of his abilities in critical thinking. 

The bottom line; Modern Man is the current winner in the evolutionary race.  There may be some differences physically between peoples in various parts of the planet, race come immediately to mind.  There are also cultural differences.  And, there are people who, for the most part, have been isolated from the vast majority of humans: tribal people come to mind.  But, given the increasing interconnectivity of life and the ease of travel from one end of the globe to the other, the human race is becoming more and more homogenized.  There is no longer the isolation necessary to diverge into separate species like the example of “Darwin’s Finches.”  It’s unlikely we will have human’s with extremely specific and different physical traits than other humans; absent any bio-mechanical, or medically and drug enhanced features found in future humans.  And, yet; with all the interconnectedness and easing of cultural and racial restrictions in human relationships; “birds of a feather” continue to flock together, creating a kind of self-selecting divergence.  Geneticists refer to this as Associative Mating.  We tend to look for those of a similar physicality and like-mind in our relationships; some one who sees the world they way we do, handles problems the way we do, holds similar beliefs, and engages in the same activities as we do, a similar body type, and are of like-consciousness.  We usually find these traits in a mate in the groups of like-minded people we are already self-choosing at work, church, school, and in social and political groups.  An example of what I mean by this can be seen in the incidence of Asperger’s Syndrome in the children of parents living in Silicon Valley:

There are differences between Asperger's and high-functioning autism. Among other things, Asperger's appears to be even more strongly genetic than classic autism, says Dr. Fred Volkmar, a child psychiatrist at Yale. About a third of the fathers or brothers of children with Asperger's show signs of the disorder. There appear to be maternal roots as well. The wife of one Silicon Valley software engineer believes that her Asperger's son represents the fourth generation in just such a lineage.

J. Madeleine Nash; The Geek Syndrome, Time Magazine

 If the primary reason for the demise of Neanderthal and the rise Cro Magnon was related to an evolutionarily cognitive change in one as opposed to the other, it would logically lead one to believe future evolution would most likely focus similarly around the issue of cognition and the mind.  Much like Cro Magnon’s advantage over Neanderthal in his ability to look at events in their world and recognize solutions where Neanderthal saw nothing, one would expect any Post-Modern Future Human to exhibit not only a similar higher order of critical thinking, but to also be able to adjust and adapt to events happening in the world around him; a higher consciousness.

An introductory statement for the evolution of consciousness is that one cannot expect that  consciousness came to higher animals as a sudden illumination. Rather, as with life originating in a prebiotic world, it would be anticipated that consciousness came secretly and surreptitiously into a hitherto mindless world.

John C. Eccles -  Evolution of Consciousness

Since the moment of the Big Bang, life has evolved from the simple to the complex in exponential leaps.  It continues today.  Moores’ Law is a great example of how this works, while Complexity Theory helps to explain why it works that way.  I think one of the main characteristics a Post-Modern Future Human might exhibit is the ability to thrive in a world of ever increasing complexity, manifesting in that individual as the ability to be present, and in the moment, moment to moment.

What other characteristics might such a person exhibit?  

Would we recognize them as different?  Or, would we be like the native American's who were unable to "see" Columbus' ships as they arrived on the horizon of the New World?  

Are these new Human's a threat to us?

As a point of self-interested disclosure; I find these ideas interesting and I’ve been ‘noodling’ about them in my head for quite a while now.  However; I will state for the record, I am not now, nor have I ever been, a full-fledged, card-carrying, secret-hand-shake-knowing member of the Tin-foil Hat Brigade.  I find the possibility of ‘what’s next’ in humanness interesting, but unless someone can provide scientific proof…?  I’m standing on the sideline going; “…ah…ok…really?”

But, if we look back from the position we occupy today on the evolutionary stage, there have been many, many performers who have appeared, and then disappeared before us; from Neanderthal backwards to Ardipithecus about 5 million years ago.  There are recent reports of even newer discoveries of even earlier pre-humans dating back 8 million years ago.  That’s a long time.  And, it’s a bit hard for me to believe that since we appeared on the scene, Life sort of brushed its hands, took a big satisfied sigh and declared: “I’m done!  This is good stuff!”  I know…the Bible says; “Let there be light….”  But, I’m asking you to be rational a moment. 

I don’t care what the Creationists say; that the earth is only 6000 years old.  The Flintstones is not a documentary film.  Just because Fred had a pet dinosaur, doesn’t mean real dinosaurs were the pets of early humans (although, the mythos of dragons is an interesting topic in that vein).  While the question of evolution versus creationism is not entirely closed, for anyone who would actually like to argue that the earth is only 6000 years old…here’s your roll of tinfoil.  Make a hat.

An Unreasonable Man

This statue is on the west side of Market Street, near the corner of Third Street, in downtown San Francisco:

Market and Third

This temporary Target store was set up outside my office at Mint Plaza in downtown San Francisco for three or four days -- window shopping only, then buy your pre-wrapped present at the counter (no "inside" of the store)...  Wild idea!

Target sandwich board and store

Outdoor Target store in SF

What’s your favorite movie quote of all time?
Sponsored by The Official AVATAR Community on TypePad. See AVATAR in theaters December 18, 2009

Animal House

.

I am a spiritual being, having a spiritual experience, in a spiritual universe. 

These words hold a deeper meaning for me than mere affirmation; they are a statement of absolute Truth.  It is my true identity.   It is your true identity. 

But, I am, in fact, not simply a spiritual being; I am God. 

Yep, I used a capital “g”.  Blasphemous!?  Pishposh!

Let's drill down into this idea even further; I am God…and so are you. 

We are…everyone of us… the absolute, perfectly-individualized, expression of that thing the religionists call God.  We are it; the Thing itself.  All that is, is that Thing.  Remember, separateness is an illusion.  Therefore, there is nothing BUT, this Thing…God; from the largest structures in the Universe to the smallest twisted strings of creation.  This idea; God, Divinity, Creative Consciousness, Love, however and whatever you might call it.  It is all God.  There is no old man in a long beard sitting on a golden throne, surrounded by angles.  Nor, are there the ancient gods of the Classic Period or older.  Plain and simple; you, and I are God.    Not like-God…or gods (notice the small “g”)…or demi-gods. 

No.  WE ARE GOD. 

Are we the totality of God?  Are we all that God is?  Nope.  Look at the vast and wide universe around you.  We are that part of God, known by and expressed through us.  We are that part we open ourselves to be; just as the beauty of a Violet expresses its own perfectly individualized part of God through its Violet-ness. 

And, while we are spiritual beings, having a spiritual experience in a spiritual universe; all this is-ness happens to be taking place in a Universe of form; a reality containing three perceived dimensions.   Therefore, it is easy to become trapped in or entertained by this human form, this experience of form; that we become totally immersed in only the idea of our human-ness and forget that we are, in fact, spiritual beings.  Forget that we are God.

The fact of the matter is; everything in this Universe is made up of energy; very small loops of energy, resonating at incredible levels of power...all of it God.  All of existence is nothing more than an interlocking matrix of energy fields that maintain their form at different tensions and scales of force, giving rise to all that is.  God. 

How easy is it to deny this?  Jump.  Right where you are stand up and jump.  When you jump you separate yourself from the floor, which is a field of energy holding you in place.  By jumping It appears that you are able to separate and be apart from the floor; and, so it would appear we are separate and apart from everything else in existence as well.  You aren’t.  Science is able to  measure bio-magnetic fields of energy coming off the human body which extend out from the body and continue to interact with the floor and its own field of energy even as you hover over the earth.  The Earth’s own energy fields extend thousands of miles into space; and, if we are talking about gravity fields and the mysterious connection between sub-atomic particles separated by the vastness of space?  Well, as physicist David Bohm suggested in his theories…separateness is an illusion. 

You simply can not jump high enough to escape the connection you have with life.

But, if we are God, does that make us more than human?   

From the very instant flash of the Big Bang to the very moment you are reading these words, the nature of existence, has moved in a constant and steady creative flow, onward toward more complexity, more diversity, more…life.  The question of evolution is closed, answered.  There is no real debate.   Existence evolves toward greater and greater complexity.  Yes; there have been extinctions; species, civilizations, even entire worlds have ceased to exist; but, life…this Thing of which the All of All flows has continued…ever onward.  And, it will continue to move onward should and when humans no longer walk this plane of existence. 

It is clearly and obviously in our self-interest, of Homo-sapiens, of humankind, to be kind and gentle stewards of this world.  Therefore, being human, being in touch with our own unique and individual humanity is the greatest expression of gratitude toward Life one can have. 

We are, therefore, God of Man, in Man, as Man.  We are human.  And, we are God.

But, I have to say, this idea of evolution.  The march onward of the creative expression of the Divine.  As much as it is absurd to think we are the only form of life in the vast reaches of this Universe (or Multi-verse), it is just as ego-centric to think we; homo-sapiens, are the last and final comment on primate-bi-pedal evolution.

It was only towards the close of the Age of Fishes, in a period of extensive shallow seas and lagoons, that life spread itself out in any effectual way from the waters on to the land. No doubt the earlier types of the forms that now begin to appear in great abundance had already been developing in a rare and obscure manner for many scores of millions of years. But now came their opportunity.” (emphasis added)

 H.G. Wells; A Short History of the World

I have been fascinated for a very long time with this idea: What is next...after Homo-sapiens?  We displaced Neanderthal.  Who?  What?  Will take our place?  Is it possible they walk with us as we walk among them?   

As Ever...I am an Unreasonable Man.

Organized online?? Here's my system:

Facebook is where my friends are.

LinkedIn is where business contacts are

TypePad is where I follow top bloggers

Twitter is nice to follow media companies that push our their stories & clever people

MySpace is where an old account that I don't use is.

Yahoo! is where I track personal email, business news, stock tracking and big huge portal ad innovation.

With so much information on the Web, how do you stay organized online?

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