Dialogue
BUZZ!!!
Durwood Eldridge: Good morning.
Andrew: good morning
Durwood Eldridge: I thought you were on your way to Connecticut.
Andrew: no, that's next saturday
Durwood Eldridge: Oh, okay. My mistake.
Andrew: its ok
Durwood Eldridge: I very nearly went to play poker this morning
Andrew: your gambling addiction is heating up again ?
Durwood Eldridge: I don't really know if it's gambling addiction. It felt more like a desire to do
something fun. But then I changed my mind and came back home.
Andrew: now that you have a stream of money
Andrew: who's playing poker this early ?
Durwood Eldridge: At the bricks and mortar casinos they have poker rooms that are open 24 hours a day
Andrew: oh and that is not far from you ?
Durwood Eldridge: The one I was going to go to is two inter-city bus rides away. I thought of a different one attached to a local fair that I can reach in about half an hour, so I changed my mind about the farther away one.
Andrew: ok, will you go to the local fair ?
Durwood Eldridge: Maybe. I just have to check whether the whole grounds are nonsmoking this year. One sec
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: It doesn't say.
Andrew: do you feel like being with people ?
Durwood Eldridge: I feel like not sitting at my desk at home all day. The fair would be something fun to do. It's not just for the poker, but to see what the fair is like this year.
Andrew: the weather is not great here
Durwood Eldridge: One problem is sleep. I went to bed at about 9 yesterday hoping to sleep through the night but was wakened by the phone at a quarter to 11. I've been up all night and my mother says I look like I'm about to fall asleep, although I don't feel that way.
Andrew: do you feel up to the traveling you need to do ?
Andrew: hold on - you say you've been up all night ?
Durwood Eldridge: It's only a subway ride plus a short streetcar ride away. The walking is more of an issue. but you say the weather there is not great? it's already 70 degrees here at 9 am
Andrew: it is 70 here too but it is overcast and may rain later
Durwood Eldridge: Too bad. It rained all day yesterday here and I felt really trapped indoors.
Andrew: oh so thats why youre itching to go to the fair
Durwood Eldridge: It's more for getting out of the apartment. But I had an outing already this morning. took the subway down to the bus station, sat around in the open for half an hour with a coffee waiting for the bus, then changed my mind and took the subway home.
Andrew: so stay home and lets chat
Durwood Eldridge: Okay. What's the plan for today, the usual?
Andrew: at least i wont take your money
Durwood Eldridge: thank you!
Andrew: yes. the usual
Durwood Eldridge: I thought about online poker but have no interest in it. Imagine that.
Andrew: whats the downside of playing online ?
Durwood Eldridge: Much less chance to win. Uncertainty about fairness. Do you think I should just play online?
Andrew: yes, a little bit if you feel the urge
Durwood Eldridge: one sec
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: Yes, I can make an online deposit and play a little bit online. But I'll get to that later
Andrew: maybe im being naive but im very excited about Sarah Palin, the republican vp nomination
Durwood Eldridge: What's got you excited?
Andrew: it's flaunting it in the face of the democrats
Andrew: i cant believe that this choice was made
Durwood Eldridge: You realize vice-president is a largely ceremonial positionAndrew: yes i do
Durwood Eldridge: on the other hand, the existing vice-president has the strongest chance of running for president next
Andrew: i was listening to WOR and they were speculating that 2012 could be Hillary vs Palin
Andrew: now that would be something to write home about
Durwood Eldridge: Yes, it would. Neither side could play the sexism card.
Andrew: it would really turn the political system on its ear - which is always attractive to me
Durwood Eldridge: I don't think it would. They are women, but they're still seasoned politicians. In that respect women are no different from men.
Andrew: yes, but it defies current expectations - this appeals to me on a deep level
Andrew: i always root for the underdog
Durwood Eldridge: It's a mirage. And I don't think either of them is an underdog
Andrew: now every woman - and every hillary voter - has the option of selecting a woman
Durwood Eldridge: The only reason I'd really favour McCain is so that a Democratic president doesn't pull the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and leave behind a mess of the sort the Soviets left when *they* pulled out of Afghanistan.
Durwood Eldridge: Already Somalia is totally lawless and Sudan is very, very close to totally lawless. Two more countries in that situation would create transcontinental chaos.
Andrew: i never quite understood why the soviets went into Afghanistan - what was their motivation ?
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know, either. But when they left the country descended into chaos. Rival warlords fought each other but none was strong enough to take over the whole country, so there were 10 years or more of anarchy until the Taliban restored order.
Durwood Eldridge: If the United States government really believed in all the things it claims to believe in, it would send troops into Somalia to re-establish some form of government there. But in fact the politicos all serve the rich and don't give a shit about ordinary people.
Andrew: why cant we just cut off their food supply and starve them ?
Durwood Eldridge: Starve whom? It's the ordinary people of the country who are suffering. They're already starving. The country is in total anarchy.
Andrew: the warlords
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if the situation in Somalia is also warlords, but those guys always make sure they get enough to eat. It's innocent civilians who starve to death.
Durwood Eldridge: Anyway, I'm afraid Obama would be pressured into pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan too quickly and leaving chaos behind.Andrew: you dont think its time to pack up and go ?
Durwood Eldridge: I think, if that happened, both countries would become anarchy the way Afghanistan already was for over a decadeAndrew: so do you think we should be in the business of nation building ?
Durwood Eldridge: From the perspective of CNN "news" consumers who only have eyes for American soldiers being brought back in body bags, it's way past time to pull out and go. But once you start eating shit in a dish you have to finish the whole dish or you leave shit behind.
Durwood Eldridge: I'm thinking of the poor ordinary people of those countries. They deserve better than to have an occupying power make a mess of their domestic situation. At the very least there has to be a strong central army that can create something like Pakistan.
Andrew: ok, do you know this war is called "The Long War" ?
Durwood Eldridge: Shortsightedly. The Hundred Years War back in 1300 lasted far, far longer.
Andrew: dont you think this war could last 100 years ?
Durwood Eldridge: I doubt it. Maybe at most another 20, while the native militaries build up enough strength to control the whole country. Right now the Afghani and Iraqi armed forces don't have what it takes to control the entire territories of their countries.
Andrew: ok, but is it a guerilla war like in Vietnam ?
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know because Vietnam was before my time. It's really not so much a war as a pacification and order-institution effort. It's still in its early stages because there hasn't been enough focus on creating native armed forces strong enough to control the country.
Andrew: i have always thought that Vietname was lost because it was a guerilla war
Durwood Eldridge: It was a piece of naivete. Again, you thought you could barge into a foreign country without knowing anything about the domestic situation and just impose your view of things on the local populace. but don't forget that their culture is about 20 times older than American culture. That's what made the Viet Cong undefeatable.
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: China is being handled far more wisely. It's being westernized through affluence. Already traditional chinese culture is dead.
Durwood Eldridge: Even if China takes over the world, which it will, it will be just more McDonalds and Microsofts and nothing else.
Durwood Eldridge: Plus nine-tenths of the men in Hong Kong are practising homosexuals because there are no women. The one-child policy led to selective breeding for boys, so Chinese women are in very, very short supply
Andrew: i did not know that
Durwood Eldridge: You want something for the southern baptists to get excited about? Just tell them about hong kong
Durwood Eldridge: Or China in general, for that matter
Andrew: i heard that the evangelicals are very excited about Sarah Palin
Durwood Eldridge: Why? She's not at home making babies.
Durwood Eldridge: coffee--brb
Durwood Eldridge: bacik
Durwood Eldridge: *back
Andrew: no, but she 5 children and the last one was born with Down's Syndrome - she carried it to term and did not choose abortion
Durwood Eldridge: Ah. Is she a devout practising Christian?
Andrew: yes, i believe so - pro-life and pro-gun, being from Alaska
Durwood Eldridge: I forget, does she have to give up her governorship if she accepts the nomination?
Andrew: no, she does not
Durwood Eldridge: It's different in Canada. Here, someone running for office in one level of government first has to give up all positions in other levels of government
Andrew: Obama has been in the Senate for 3 years and he has spent 2 years running for President
Durwood Eldridge: Doesn't say much for how little work he must have done as a senator in that time.
Andrew: i agree, but he is in the right place at the right time
Durwood Eldridge: Well, we'll see how it all works out. If the world ends in 2012, it'll all be a short-term worry anyway.
Andrew: can i put this dialogue on my blog ?
Durwood Eldridge: sure
Andrew: thanks
Durwood Eldridge: Sorry, phone. I'm off it now
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: Wrong number
Andrew: do those still happen ?
Durwood Eldridge: Oh, yes. In fact, with cellphones being so common, they even happen more often
Durwood Eldridge: Someone gets a new number and misprograms it into their phone.
Andrew: oh that makes sense
Durwood Eldridge: I'm still not sleepy. Isn't that remarkable?
Andrew: yes, what did you do all night ?
Durwood Eldridge: Got soccer in about 20 minutes, but we can chat while I'm watchingAndrew: ok fine
Durwood Eldridge: I didn't do a heck of a lot. Tried to sleep, read a book, answered an email, read MSNBC
Durwood Eldridge: Wrote in my journal...listened to music...watched a recorded baseball game
Andrew: ok, sounds like my daytime activities
Durwood Eldridge: Incidentally, for $19.95, you can watch the Mets games after they're over from beginning to end, or watch condensed games, for the rest of the season
Durwood Eldridge: I subscribed to the service in order to watch Brewers and Angels games, since those are the teams I'm following now
Andrew: is that an offer thru MLB.com ?
Durwood Eldridge: yes, it's MLB.com
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: For 19.95 the picture is kind of small. If you pay 29.95 you can get full screen and TV-quality viewing
Andrew: you like the Angels ? i like them too
Andrew: I especially like Teixiera (?)
Durwood Eldridge: They play hard, they stick together, and they have a really good lineup. Last night their starting pitcher went 8 innings, and their closer now has 52 saves, one fewer than Rivera in his top season and five fewer than the single-season record
Durwood Eldridge: I forget the guy's name. They just call him K-Rod. There's talk of him being league MVP
Andrew: isnt he Francisco Rodriguez ?
Durwood Eldridge: Yes, that's the guy. You should see him pitch!
Andrew: i guess they dont want to call him F-Rod
Durwood Eldridge: Lol no.
Durwood Eldridge: He strikes out a lot of batters
Durwood Eldridge: That's why they call him K-Rod
Andrew: you're very perceptive politically
Andrew: as a political thinker
Durwood Eldridge: I don't like to talk politics as a rule. I find the whole thing boring. the rich have always run everything and always will.
Andrew: yes, but we live in a dynamic time, i think
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if it's any more dynamic than any other. Historians and sociologists could say either way with more assurance.
Andrew: there's more talk about politics now than ever - at least that is a truism
Durwood Eldridge: Not really. There was always talk about what the local baron or warlord was up to. It was just more word of mouth.
Durwood Eldridge: In fact, information about such things tended to be more reliable because people's lives depended on it. Now political news is like sports news: It's entertainment. No matter who gets elected things won't really change.
Andrew: im big on international conspiracies
Andrew: perhaps thats the paranoid in me talking
Durwood Eldridge: Perhaps. I don't believe in Star Chambers or Illuminati, but there are various circles of insiders who pull a lot of strings.
Durwood Eldridge: Politics is a lot of overlapping circles
Andrew: i dont believe in the illuminati either but i believe in the tri-lateral commission
Durwood Eldridge: What's that?
Andrew: The Trilateral Commission is a private organization, established to foster closer cooperation between America, Europe and Japan. It was founded in July 1973, at the initiative of David Rockefeller; who was Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations at that time. The Trilateral Commission is widely seen as a counterpart to the Council on Foreign Relations. He pushed the idea of including Japan at the Bilderberg meetings he was attending but was rebuffed. Along with Zbigniew Brzezinski and a few other people, including individuals from the Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations and the Ford Foundation, he convened initial meetings out of which grew the Trilateral organization. (wikipedia)
Durwood Eldridge: So it's acknowledged to exist. But so is Armand Hammer, if he's still alive.
Andrew: ok, i forget who he is
Durwood Eldridge: He's the American industrialist who did a lot of business with the Soviet Union. He kept his name quiet until the country broke up. I only know about him because, on a whim, he bought the Arm N Hammer baking soda company
Andrew: he liked the name's resemblance to his own name ?
Durwood Eldridge: He got tired of having his name confused with the company's, so, with basically a flick of the wrist, he bought the company.
Andrew: wow
Durwood Eldridge: That's how much money he made doing business with the Soviet government, which was allegedly an enemy of the government of the country he was based in
Andrew: do you think Putin is an enemy or a friend ?
Durwood Eldridge: I think Putin is a rich guy who doesn't give a damn about you and me.
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: He's probably bosom buddies with about three dozen American billionaires
Durwood Eldridge: No doubt they meet for cognac at his mansion in Dubai from time to time
Andrew: but do you think money or religion causes wars ?
Durwood Eldridge: Money. Religion is a tool. those who pull the strings don't have any religious beliefs that truly guide them. they are guided by a nose for advantage
Andrew: ok, and advantage is will to power ?
Durwood Eldridge: Nope. Advantage is exactly what it sounds like: advantage. That one word describes it perfectly.
Andrew: so advantage is not a naturally existing condition
Durwood Eldridge: It's very natural. even amoebae and viruses seek advantageAndrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: The most successful people have the most of what makes amoebae and viruses successful
Andrew: ok, but its not something that should be admired because its natural and pre-given to nature ?
Durwood Eldridge: It shouldn't be admired because it's absolutely the lowest common denominator of all life. There are much more human qualities that get short shrift when it comes to what it takes to be successful
Andrew: such as selflessness ?
Durwood Eldridge: That's one of them, although there is dispute as to whether it exists.
Durwood Eldridge: Actually, the most uniquely human quality is one that's not that admirable: It's our gluteal muscles. No other species has them.
Andrew: that reminds me of what Nietzsche said about empathy
Andrew: your previous statement
Durwood Eldridge: He didn't really believe in it, but don't forget that Nietzsche operated on the basis of 19th-century science.
Andrew: i just did a search on nietzsche and empathy and i got a very interesting result
Durwood Eldridge: Which?
Andrew: a paper about schizophrenia and the bi-cameral mind
Andrew: What Would Happen to Nietzsche Today?
If you saw only the description above, without knowing the name of the person, what would you think? If Nietzsche were alive today in our country, what do you think would be the reaction to him? Would he be respected as a great teacher of how to self-manage a deep, healthy metamorphosis? Would he be diagnosed as "a schizophrenic"?
Did Nietzsche go through a classic peak experience in which he achieved a higher level of consciousness and then defied the world to understand? Was he, as he claimed, an example of great health, of abnormal mental health? Did he experience a schizophrenic breakdown which was too much for him to accept, that he tried to deny? What was "Nietzsche's syndrome"?
Durwood Eldridge: I haven't read nietzsche's post-breakdown writing, so I can't comment.
Andrew: There is No Proof That Schizophrenia is An Illness
After all these years, the case has still not been proven that schizophrenia is a disease or an illness. As summarized elsewhere (Siebert, 1985b), no one can catch schizophrenia from someone else, it has a correlation of occurrence in families and twins close to that of IQ, athletic ability, music ability, etc., no one dies from it, there is no known cure for it, people can recover from it on their own with no treatment, the longer a person is given drugs or treated in a mental hospital the worse off they are, the less treatment given the better the recovery, and some people are made stronger by the experience. No illness known to medical science acts like this.
Andrew: But if it isn't a disease or illness then what is it? Is it possible that in some instances of schizophrenia we are observing some sort of desirable development? Does something happen in the human brain during young adulthood that is a version of what Jaynes has described as a breakdown in the bicameral mind? Is there an unrecognized process of neurological integration going on that takes years to occur?
Is there another developmental stage beyond those already identified? Is there a cerebral stage that occurs when a young person tries to take control of his or her brain functions? Are some versions of schizophrenia a developmental crisis that is being interfered with rather than facilitated?
Andrew: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SCHIZOPHRENIC AND AN INTROVERT?
Many have written to me asking how they can tell if they're introverted or schizophrenic. This is an excellent article Dr. Al Siebert wrote about Nietzsche as a "survivor personality". I don't think there is any doubt in anyone's mind that Nietzsche was both. Particularly it raises the question of whether schizophrenia should be considered a mental illness or a characteristic of people who survive exceptionally well as life progress. I think this would be a comfort to many who have questions about why they are so different from other people. One of the discerning characteristics is that one group will fight being labeled "mentally ill" and another group will not.
Andrew: what do you think ?
Andrew: my two favorite obsession - Nietzsche and Schizophrenia
Durwood Eldridge: I think that's very astute. Certainly the voodoo science behind the diagnosis of schizophrenia has largely been exposed.
Durwood Eldridge: I have to _say_ I'm schizophrenic in certain situations, but in fact I'm medication-dependent
Andrew: but isnt risperdal just a tranquilizer ?
Durwood Eldridge: I don't take risperdal, and, no, it's not a tranquililzer. It's an antipsychotic
Andrew: i thought antipsychotics were just tranquilizers
Durwood Eldridge: Nope, they're different. Look up the two terms.
Andrew: but i nurse once explain to me how risperdal works:
Andrew: We do know how Risperdal works. Because it's an antipsychotic and it's mechanism is to block dopamine and serotonin 5-HT2 brain receptors.
Most medications used in psychiatry to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders work by inhibiting dopaminergic activity. It's thought that it's hyperactivation of the ventral tegmental area and dorsal striatum regions that cause the positive symptoms of schizophrenia which include altered thinking.
Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters that affects mood. When serotonin 5-HT2 receptors are blocked, this maintains mood stability. Mood can affect thinking.
Andrew: so its not a tranquilizer - but i thought thats why it made me sleepy
Durwood Eldridge: What about the dopamine and serotonin in the rest of your body?
Andrew: are you suggesting that a drug that blocks dopamine does not do the whole job ?
Durwood Eldridge: I'm saying there is dopamine and serotonin in the rest of your body, too. what antipsychotics do to that is unknown because no one has researched it. There is no financial incentive.
Andrew: ok, should i be concerned ?
Durwood Eldridge: How long have you been taking risperidone?
Andrew: since 2006
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if you can stop taking it any more. Two years is a long time.
Durwood Eldridge: You're probably medication dependent too
Andrew: "too" meaning you, too ?
Durwood Eldridge: Yes
Andrew: well, i think i could stop it no problem
Durwood Eldridge: What makes you think that?
Durwood Eldridge: brb in a sec
Durwood Eldridge: back
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: I don't think you should try to get off risperidone without monitoring. If you want to try, talk about it with your doctors. But IMO it's likely too late
Andrew: are you suggesting i have a psych. dependency or a physical/chemical dependency ?
Durwood Eldridge: physical brain dependency, same as me
Andrew: i dont want to get off risperdal, i am content to take it ad infinitum
Durwood Eldridge: What dose do you take?
Andrew: 3 mg - it has increased every year
Durwood Eldridge: Then stay on it
Andrew: my speech came back when we hit 2 mg
Andrew: it has been very good for me
Durwood Eldridge: If you're content with it stay on it. But be careful about your blood sugar, because antipsychotics tend to promote diabetes
Andrew: i had blood work done about a month ago
Andrew: my bad cholesterol was a little higher than it should be
Durwood Eldridge: Is that all the morning cake?
Andrew: i hope not
Andrew: i eat a very small piece in the morning - no other breakfast
Durwood Eldridge: then that's probably not it.
Andrew: maybe i was eating too many chocolate donuts
Durwood Eldridge: possible. Donuts contain about 500-800 calories each
Andrew: yum !
Durwood Eldridge: I like donuts but don't eat them often
Andrew: is it alright if i take a break ?
Durwood Eldridge: Sure. I need to lie down anyway. How about we chat later?
Andrew: yes, ttyl
Durwood Eldridge: ttyl
Durwood Eldridge: Good morning.
Andrew: good morning
Durwood Eldridge: I thought you were on your way to Connecticut.
Andrew: no, that's next saturday
Durwood Eldridge: Oh, okay. My mistake.
Andrew: its ok
Durwood Eldridge: I very nearly went to play poker this morning
Andrew: your gambling addiction is heating up again ?
Durwood Eldridge: I don't really know if it's gambling addiction. It felt more like a desire to do
something fun. But then I changed my mind and came back home.
Andrew: now that you have a stream of money
Andrew: who's playing poker this early ?
Durwood Eldridge: At the bricks and mortar casinos they have poker rooms that are open 24 hours a day
Andrew: oh and that is not far from you ?
Durwood Eldridge: The one I was going to go to is two inter-city bus rides away. I thought of a different one attached to a local fair that I can reach in about half an hour, so I changed my mind about the farther away one.
Andrew: ok, will you go to the local fair ?
Durwood Eldridge: Maybe. I just have to check whether the whole grounds are nonsmoking this year. One sec
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: It doesn't say.
Andrew: do you feel like being with people ?
Durwood Eldridge: I feel like not sitting at my desk at home all day. The fair would be something fun to do. It's not just for the poker, but to see what the fair is like this year.
Andrew: the weather is not great here
Durwood Eldridge: One problem is sleep. I went to bed at about 9 yesterday hoping to sleep through the night but was wakened by the phone at a quarter to 11. I've been up all night and my mother says I look like I'm about to fall asleep, although I don't feel that way.
Andrew: do you feel up to the traveling you need to do ?
Andrew: hold on - you say you've been up all night ?
Durwood Eldridge: It's only a subway ride plus a short streetcar ride away. The walking is more of an issue. but you say the weather there is not great? it's already 70 degrees here at 9 am
Andrew: it is 70 here too but it is overcast and may rain later
Durwood Eldridge: Too bad. It rained all day yesterday here and I felt really trapped indoors.
Andrew: oh so thats why youre itching to go to the fair
Durwood Eldridge: It's more for getting out of the apartment. But I had an outing already this morning. took the subway down to the bus station, sat around in the open for half an hour with a coffee waiting for the bus, then changed my mind and took the subway home.
Andrew: so stay home and lets chat
Durwood Eldridge: Okay. What's the plan for today, the usual?
Andrew: at least i wont take your money
Durwood Eldridge: thank you!
Andrew: yes. the usual
Durwood Eldridge: I thought about online poker but have no interest in it. Imagine that.
Andrew: whats the downside of playing online ?
Durwood Eldridge: Much less chance to win. Uncertainty about fairness. Do you think I should just play online?
Andrew: yes, a little bit if you feel the urge
Durwood Eldridge: one sec
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: Yes, I can make an online deposit and play a little bit online. But I'll get to that later
Andrew: maybe im being naive but im very excited about Sarah Palin, the republican vp nomination
Durwood Eldridge: What's got you excited?
Andrew: it's flaunting it in the face of the democrats
Andrew: i cant believe that this choice was made
Durwood Eldridge: You realize vice-president is a largely ceremonial positionAndrew: yes i do
Durwood Eldridge: on the other hand, the existing vice-president has the strongest chance of running for president next
Andrew: i was listening to WOR and they were speculating that 2012 could be Hillary vs Palin
Andrew: now that would be something to write home about
Durwood Eldridge: Yes, it would. Neither side could play the sexism card.
Andrew: it would really turn the political system on its ear - which is always attractive to me
Durwood Eldridge: I don't think it would. They are women, but they're still seasoned politicians. In that respect women are no different from men.
Andrew: yes, but it defies current expectations - this appeals to me on a deep level
Andrew: i always root for the underdog
Durwood Eldridge: It's a mirage. And I don't think either of them is an underdog
Andrew: now every woman - and every hillary voter - has the option of selecting a woman
Durwood Eldridge: The only reason I'd really favour McCain is so that a Democratic president doesn't pull the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and leave behind a mess of the sort the Soviets left when *they* pulled out of Afghanistan.
Durwood Eldridge: Already Somalia is totally lawless and Sudan is very, very close to totally lawless. Two more countries in that situation would create transcontinental chaos.
Andrew: i never quite understood why the soviets went into Afghanistan - what was their motivation ?
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know, either. But when they left the country descended into chaos. Rival warlords fought each other but none was strong enough to take over the whole country, so there were 10 years or more of anarchy until the Taliban restored order.
Durwood Eldridge: If the United States government really believed in all the things it claims to believe in, it would send troops into Somalia to re-establish some form of government there. But in fact the politicos all serve the rich and don't give a shit about ordinary people.
Andrew: why cant we just cut off their food supply and starve them ?
Durwood Eldridge: Starve whom? It's the ordinary people of the country who are suffering. They're already starving. The country is in total anarchy.
Andrew: the warlords
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if the situation in Somalia is also warlords, but those guys always make sure they get enough to eat. It's innocent civilians who starve to death.
Durwood Eldridge: Anyway, I'm afraid Obama would be pressured into pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan too quickly and leaving chaos behind.Andrew: you dont think its time to pack up and go ?
Durwood Eldridge: I think, if that happened, both countries would become anarchy the way Afghanistan already was for over a decadeAndrew: so do you think we should be in the business of nation building ?
Durwood Eldridge: From the perspective of CNN "news" consumers who only have eyes for American soldiers being brought back in body bags, it's way past time to pull out and go. But once you start eating shit in a dish you have to finish the whole dish or you leave shit behind.
Durwood Eldridge: I'm thinking of the poor ordinary people of those countries. They deserve better than to have an occupying power make a mess of their domestic situation. At the very least there has to be a strong central army that can create something like Pakistan.
Andrew: ok, do you know this war is called "The Long War" ?
Durwood Eldridge: Shortsightedly. The Hundred Years War back in 1300 lasted far, far longer.
Andrew: dont you think this war could last 100 years ?
Durwood Eldridge: I doubt it. Maybe at most another 20, while the native militaries build up enough strength to control the whole country. Right now the Afghani and Iraqi armed forces don't have what it takes to control the entire territories of their countries.
Andrew: ok, but is it a guerilla war like in Vietnam ?
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know because Vietnam was before my time. It's really not so much a war as a pacification and order-institution effort. It's still in its early stages because there hasn't been enough focus on creating native armed forces strong enough to control the country.
Andrew: i have always thought that Vietname was lost because it was a guerilla war
Durwood Eldridge: It was a piece of naivete. Again, you thought you could barge into a foreign country without knowing anything about the domestic situation and just impose your view of things on the local populace. but don't forget that their culture is about 20 times older than American culture. That's what made the Viet Cong undefeatable.
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: China is being handled far more wisely. It's being westernized through affluence. Already traditional chinese culture is dead.
Durwood Eldridge: Even if China takes over the world, which it will, it will be just more McDonalds and Microsofts and nothing else.
Durwood Eldridge: Plus nine-tenths of the men in Hong Kong are practising homosexuals because there are no women. The one-child policy led to selective breeding for boys, so Chinese women are in very, very short supply
Andrew: i did not know that
Durwood Eldridge: You want something for the southern baptists to get excited about? Just tell them about hong kong
Durwood Eldridge: Or China in general, for that matter
Andrew: i heard that the evangelicals are very excited about Sarah Palin
Durwood Eldridge: Why? She's not at home making babies.
Durwood Eldridge: coffee--brb
Durwood Eldridge: bacik
Durwood Eldridge: *back
Andrew: no, but she 5 children and the last one was born with Down's Syndrome - she carried it to term and did not choose abortion
Durwood Eldridge: Ah. Is she a devout practising Christian?
Andrew: yes, i believe so - pro-life and pro-gun, being from Alaska
Durwood Eldridge: I forget, does she have to give up her governorship if she accepts the nomination?
Andrew: no, she does not
Durwood Eldridge: It's different in Canada. Here, someone running for office in one level of government first has to give up all positions in other levels of government
Andrew: Obama has been in the Senate for 3 years and he has spent 2 years running for President
Durwood Eldridge: Doesn't say much for how little work he must have done as a senator in that time.
Andrew: i agree, but he is in the right place at the right time
Durwood Eldridge: Well, we'll see how it all works out. If the world ends in 2012, it'll all be a short-term worry anyway.
Andrew: can i put this dialogue on my blog ?
Durwood Eldridge: sure
Andrew: thanks
Durwood Eldridge: Sorry, phone. I'm off it now
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: Wrong number
Andrew: do those still happen ?
Durwood Eldridge: Oh, yes. In fact, with cellphones being so common, they even happen more often
Durwood Eldridge: Someone gets a new number and misprograms it into their phone.
Andrew: oh that makes sense
Durwood Eldridge: I'm still not sleepy. Isn't that remarkable?
Andrew: yes, what did you do all night ?
Durwood Eldridge: Got soccer in about 20 minutes, but we can chat while I'm watchingAndrew: ok fine
Durwood Eldridge: I didn't do a heck of a lot. Tried to sleep, read a book, answered an email, read MSNBC
Durwood Eldridge: Wrote in my journal...listened to music...watched a recorded baseball game
Andrew: ok, sounds like my daytime activities
Durwood Eldridge: Incidentally, for $19.95, you can watch the Mets games after they're over from beginning to end, or watch condensed games, for the rest of the season
Durwood Eldridge: I subscribed to the service in order to watch Brewers and Angels games, since those are the teams I'm following now
Andrew: is that an offer thru MLB.com ?
Durwood Eldridge: yes, it's MLB.com
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: For 19.95 the picture is kind of small. If you pay 29.95 you can get full screen and TV-quality viewing
Andrew: you like the Angels ? i like them too
Andrew: I especially like Teixiera (?)
Durwood Eldridge: They play hard, they stick together, and they have a really good lineup. Last night their starting pitcher went 8 innings, and their closer now has 52 saves, one fewer than Rivera in his top season and five fewer than the single-season record
Durwood Eldridge: I forget the guy's name. They just call him K-Rod. There's talk of him being league MVP
Andrew: isnt he Francisco Rodriguez ?
Durwood Eldridge: Yes, that's the guy. You should see him pitch!
Andrew: i guess they dont want to call him F-Rod
Durwood Eldridge: Lol no.
Durwood Eldridge: He strikes out a lot of batters
Durwood Eldridge: That's why they call him K-Rod
Andrew: you're very perceptive politically
Andrew: as a political thinker
Durwood Eldridge: I don't like to talk politics as a rule. I find the whole thing boring. the rich have always run everything and always will.
Andrew: yes, but we live in a dynamic time, i think
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if it's any more dynamic than any other. Historians and sociologists could say either way with more assurance.
Andrew: there's more talk about politics now than ever - at least that is a truism
Durwood Eldridge: Not really. There was always talk about what the local baron or warlord was up to. It was just more word of mouth.
Durwood Eldridge: In fact, information about such things tended to be more reliable because people's lives depended on it. Now political news is like sports news: It's entertainment. No matter who gets elected things won't really change.
Andrew: im big on international conspiracies
Andrew: perhaps thats the paranoid in me talking
Durwood Eldridge: Perhaps. I don't believe in Star Chambers or Illuminati, but there are various circles of insiders who pull a lot of strings.
Durwood Eldridge: Politics is a lot of overlapping circles
Andrew: i dont believe in the illuminati either but i believe in the tri-lateral commission
Durwood Eldridge: What's that?
Andrew: The Trilateral Commission is a private organization, established to foster closer cooperation between America, Europe and Japan. It was founded in July 1973, at the initiative of David Rockefeller; who was Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations at that time. The Trilateral Commission is widely seen as a counterpart to the Council on Foreign Relations. He pushed the idea of including Japan at the Bilderberg meetings he was attending but was rebuffed. Along with Zbigniew Brzezinski and a few other people, including individuals from the Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations and the Ford Foundation, he convened initial meetings out of which grew the Trilateral organization. (wikipedia)
Durwood Eldridge: So it's acknowledged to exist. But so is Armand Hammer, if he's still alive.
Andrew: ok, i forget who he is
Durwood Eldridge: He's the American industrialist who did a lot of business with the Soviet Union. He kept his name quiet until the country broke up. I only know about him because, on a whim, he bought the Arm N Hammer baking soda company
Andrew: he liked the name's resemblance to his own name ?
Durwood Eldridge: He got tired of having his name confused with the company's, so, with basically a flick of the wrist, he bought the company.
Andrew: wow
Durwood Eldridge: That's how much money he made doing business with the Soviet government, which was allegedly an enemy of the government of the country he was based in
Andrew: do you think Putin is an enemy or a friend ?
Durwood Eldridge: I think Putin is a rich guy who doesn't give a damn about you and me.
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: He's probably bosom buddies with about three dozen American billionaires
Durwood Eldridge: No doubt they meet for cognac at his mansion in Dubai from time to time
Andrew: but do you think money or religion causes wars ?
Durwood Eldridge: Money. Religion is a tool. those who pull the strings don't have any religious beliefs that truly guide them. they are guided by a nose for advantage
Andrew: ok, and advantage is will to power ?
Durwood Eldridge: Nope. Advantage is exactly what it sounds like: advantage. That one word describes it perfectly.
Andrew: so advantage is not a naturally existing condition
Durwood Eldridge: It's very natural. even amoebae and viruses seek advantageAndrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: The most successful people have the most of what makes amoebae and viruses successful
Andrew: ok, but its not something that should be admired because its natural and pre-given to nature ?
Durwood Eldridge: It shouldn't be admired because it's absolutely the lowest common denominator of all life. There are much more human qualities that get short shrift when it comes to what it takes to be successful
Andrew: such as selflessness ?
Durwood Eldridge: That's one of them, although there is dispute as to whether it exists.
Durwood Eldridge: Actually, the most uniquely human quality is one that's not that admirable: It's our gluteal muscles. No other species has them.
Andrew: that reminds me of what Nietzsche said about empathy
Andrew: your previous statement
Durwood Eldridge: He didn't really believe in it, but don't forget that Nietzsche operated on the basis of 19th-century science.
Andrew: i just did a search on nietzsche and empathy and i got a very interesting result
Durwood Eldridge: Which?
Andrew: a paper about schizophrenia and the bi-cameral mind
Andrew: What Would Happen to Nietzsche Today?
If you saw only the description above, without knowing the name of the person, what would you think? If Nietzsche were alive today in our country, what do you think would be the reaction to him? Would he be respected as a great teacher of how to self-manage a deep, healthy metamorphosis? Would he be diagnosed as "a schizophrenic"?
Did Nietzsche go through a classic peak experience in which he achieved a higher level of consciousness and then defied the world to understand? Was he, as he claimed, an example of great health, of abnormal mental health? Did he experience a schizophrenic breakdown which was too much for him to accept, that he tried to deny? What was "Nietzsche's syndrome"?
Durwood Eldridge: I haven't read nietzsche's post-breakdown writing, so I can't comment.
Andrew: There is No Proof That Schizophrenia is An Illness
After all these years, the case has still not been proven that schizophrenia is a disease or an illness. As summarized elsewhere (Siebert, 1985b), no one can catch schizophrenia from someone else, it has a correlation of occurrence in families and twins close to that of IQ, athletic ability, music ability, etc., no one dies from it, there is no known cure for it, people can recover from it on their own with no treatment, the longer a person is given drugs or treated in a mental hospital the worse off they are, the less treatment given the better the recovery, and some people are made stronger by the experience. No illness known to medical science acts like this.
Andrew: But if it isn't a disease or illness then what is it? Is it possible that in some instances of schizophrenia we are observing some sort of desirable development? Does something happen in the human brain during young adulthood that is a version of what Jaynes has described as a breakdown in the bicameral mind? Is there an unrecognized process of neurological integration going on that takes years to occur?
Is there another developmental stage beyond those already identified? Is there a cerebral stage that occurs when a young person tries to take control of his or her brain functions? Are some versions of schizophrenia a developmental crisis that is being interfered with rather than facilitated?
Andrew: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SCHIZOPHRENIC AND AN INTROVERT?
Many have written to me asking how they can tell if they're introverted or schizophrenic. This is an excellent article Dr. Al Siebert wrote about Nietzsche as a "survivor personality". I don't think there is any doubt in anyone's mind that Nietzsche was both. Particularly it raises the question of whether schizophrenia should be considered a mental illness or a characteristic of people who survive exceptionally well as life progress. I think this would be a comfort to many who have questions about why they are so different from other people. One of the discerning characteristics is that one group will fight being labeled "mentally ill" and another group will not.
Andrew: what do you think ?
Andrew: my two favorite obsession - Nietzsche and Schizophrenia
Durwood Eldridge: I think that's very astute. Certainly the voodoo science behind the diagnosis of schizophrenia has largely been exposed.
Durwood Eldridge: I have to _say_ I'm schizophrenic in certain situations, but in fact I'm medication-dependent
Andrew: but isnt risperdal just a tranquilizer ?
Durwood Eldridge: I don't take risperdal, and, no, it's not a tranquililzer. It's an antipsychotic
Andrew: i thought antipsychotics were just tranquilizers
Durwood Eldridge: Nope, they're different. Look up the two terms.
Andrew: but i nurse once explain to me how risperdal works:
Andrew: We do know how Risperdal works. Because it's an antipsychotic and it's mechanism is to block dopamine and serotonin 5-HT2 brain receptors.
Most medications used in psychiatry to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders work by inhibiting dopaminergic activity. It's thought that it's hyperactivation of the ventral tegmental area and dorsal striatum regions that cause the positive symptoms of schizophrenia which include altered thinking.
Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters that affects mood. When serotonin 5-HT2 receptors are blocked, this maintains mood stability. Mood can affect thinking.
Andrew: so its not a tranquilizer - but i thought thats why it made me sleepy
Durwood Eldridge: What about the dopamine and serotonin in the rest of your body?
Andrew: are you suggesting that a drug that blocks dopamine does not do the whole job ?
Durwood Eldridge: I'm saying there is dopamine and serotonin in the rest of your body, too. what antipsychotics do to that is unknown because no one has researched it. There is no financial incentive.
Andrew: ok, should i be concerned ?
Durwood Eldridge: How long have you been taking risperidone?
Andrew: since 2006
Durwood Eldridge: I don't know if you can stop taking it any more. Two years is a long time.
Durwood Eldridge: You're probably medication dependent too
Andrew: "too" meaning you, too ?
Durwood Eldridge: Yes
Andrew: well, i think i could stop it no problem
Durwood Eldridge: What makes you think that?
Durwood Eldridge: brb in a sec
Durwood Eldridge: back
Andrew: ok
Durwood Eldridge: I don't think you should try to get off risperidone without monitoring. If you want to try, talk about it with your doctors. But IMO it's likely too late
Andrew: are you suggesting i have a psych. dependency or a physical/chemical dependency ?
Durwood Eldridge: physical brain dependency, same as me
Andrew: i dont want to get off risperdal, i am content to take it ad infinitum
Durwood Eldridge: What dose do you take?
Andrew: 3 mg - it has increased every year
Durwood Eldridge: Then stay on it
Andrew: my speech came back when we hit 2 mg
Andrew: it has been very good for me
Durwood Eldridge: If you're content with it stay on it. But be careful about your blood sugar, because antipsychotics tend to promote diabetes
Andrew: i had blood work done about a month ago
Andrew: my bad cholesterol was a little higher than it should be
Durwood Eldridge: Is that all the morning cake?
Andrew: i hope not
Andrew: i eat a very small piece in the morning - no other breakfast
Durwood Eldridge: then that's probably not it.
Andrew: maybe i was eating too many chocolate donuts
Durwood Eldridge: possible. Donuts contain about 500-800 calories each
Andrew: yum !
Durwood Eldridge: I like donuts but don't eat them often
Andrew: is it alright if i take a break ?
Durwood Eldridge: Sure. I need to lie down anyway. How about we chat later?
Andrew: yes, ttyl
Durwood Eldridge: ttyl
posted by Andrew B. Noselli at 6:36 AM
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