We have been following the increasing crackdown on passengers wearing T-Shirts on airlines deemed offensive or threatening. These cases often raise free speech questions, but also raise serious questions of the increasing irrationality of airline staff and some passengers. The t-shirt of Wynand Mullins is a good example. Mullins wore a t-shirt on a Qantas flight from Sydney with the well-known quote from Princess Bride by character Montoya (played in the film by Mandy Patinkin): “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die.” Some passengers became alarmed by the t-shirt, presumably convinced that a terrorist would not only advertise his intent but choose a fictional character from a children’s book to represent his deep homicidal beliefs. Flight staff insisted that he change his shirt. Presumably, there was a passenger with five fingers that felt personally threatened by the quotation.
After he boarded his flight home to Auckland, New Zealand, a flight attendant took on the role of Count Rugen who insisted he did not like the line and told Montoya “Stop saying that!”
In this case, however, the flight attendant told him that the t-shirt was unacceptable for travel. He was only allowed to continue after he established that he did not have a change in shirts. You can see Mullins and his t-shirt at this site. I simply do not get how some passengers are so fearful that a joke t-shirt triggers such alarm. These are the same people presumably favoring greater and greater limitations on passengers and citizens under anti-terror laws. Fear has been wiped up to such a frenzy that passengers believe Al Qaeda is going into suicide missions wearing quotes from Rob Reiner films.
I only wish that when he was asked to change his shirt, Mullins pulled out a shirt quoting the character Vizzini: “you are friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless!”
The alternative lines may not be much an improvement for general acceptance of the passengers:
Westley to Buttercup: “Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.”
Westley: “DEATH FIRST!”
Westley: “We are men of action, lies do not become us.”
Vizzini: “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line”! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha… “
Of course, Montoya was warned that his “over-developed sense of vengeance is going to get you into trouble some day.”
Source: Daily Mail
idealist707 1, January 26, 2013 at 10:06 am
dread Dredd,
Don’t force me to expose to the full my scepticism of all things medical, scientific, etc., not endorsed by Leonardo da Vinci.
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Yep, wasn’t he the one who said “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance”?
The tie-in to some relevant issues to fear of T-Shirts:
(Viruses: Essential Agents of Life, Chapter: From Molecular Entities to Competent Agents … Natural Genetic Engineers, by G. Witzany,
Dr. Tony The Tiger,Dr. The Greatest Gene). This low-level genetic engineering may be how the pathogen Toxoplasma Gondii learned to do brain surgery which alters the amygdala’s fear system in the brain:(Hypothesis: The Cultural Amygdala, quoting Dr. Sapolsky). The fear factor of those who freaked at words on a T-Shirt are symptoms of fear based cognition that is irrational, out of whack.
“a” is not the same article as “the” which is what you in the “symbiosis is everything” camp are usually contending, Dredd. Thanks for proving you don’t understand what you are reading.
The oldest and greatest-number-population on Earth:
(Virus Universe, from the book Viruses: Essential Agents of Life, by Hanna M. Oksanen, Maija K. Pietila,
Tony The Tiger,The Greatest Gene, Ana Sencilo, Nina S. Atanasova, Elina Roine, and Dennis H. Bamford, page 1, emphasis added).Otto West: Apes don’t read philosophy.
Wanda: Yes they do, Otto. They just don’t understand it. Now let me correct you on a couple of things, OK? Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not “Every man for himself.” And the London Underground is not a political movement. Viruses aren’t the cause of fear in humans unless that person has a phobia. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.
Fear is caused by learning (and as such is influenced by cultural conditioning) and the capacity to fear from an evolutionary psychology standpoint came about by adaptation which – once again – is a response to multiple environmental inputs combined with genetic predisposition.
The problem here isn’t viruses or bacteria, Dredd.
The problem is you really don’t understand evolutionary processes or the microbiology that you are reading. Just because viruses and microbes can share information does not directly translate to them being causes for responses in complex organisms unless they are somehow attacking parts of the brain. In a healthy brain, fear is a natural conditioned and adapted response to stimuli.
Cite all you like. None of them will mitigate that you simply don’t know what you are talking about when you conflate viruses and bacteria into being a something they are not.
*************
id707,
“PPS Or is it a case of “I need attention, so let’s make them fight””
Yep. I very often ignore Dredd’s huge scientific ignorance on the subject of biology for that very reason, but every so often I have to rattle his cage about his lack of understanding of biology and evolution as a process. I’ve never even bothered to point out another flaw with his pet theory which is differential information throughput in simple versus complex organisms.
Also, in re translations, I have several translations of Go Rin No Sho and I really can’t suggest one or the other over the rest. Even with the slight differences, the underlying material tends to shine through in part because Mushashi was a very bare bones kind of author. There isn’t a lot of imagery or flowery language to be lost in translation.
PS I did not rise above the lowest level in rank. But I mocked them at intl banquets, and backtalked their stupidity when addressed. and all of them knew who I was. I had some value as they could have bought me out instead of listening to my repudiation of their arguments when advanced to me.
And all those in between. suffered my tongue.
Stop depending on citation of authorities as proof of whatever.
dread Dredd,
Don’t force me to expose to the full my scepticism of all things medical, scientific, etc., not endorsed by Leonardo da Vinci.
Whenever I see some devil who is leading a “center” of whatever kind, I get bad feelings. to express it in normal words.
Academic pretentiousness is rife. It must be as it is the result of competing for attention, resources, recognition, sourcing by other who cite you etc etc.
Study an academic and you will see his warts Read Lee Smolin’s book on the Problem with Physics (?).
The guy who runs the reknown (here) Center for bla bla on Stress and De-stressing got his doctorate in 1986 fooling around with me.
He is, everytime I see him on TV and we meet very occasionally on the street, still the stressed out poor guy who mishandled me. Hopefully his techniques handling patients has improved, but his own nerves have not.
Please excuse me, I have been kicking the shins of authorities since a child. And I have suffered for it. They have gone on unaware of their insufficiencies.
We, a hundred thousand multinational employees had a CEO who was promoted at least 3 steps higher than agt which his competence was last proven.
And after each colossal failure seen by all, he was advanced further.
He did not have apparent connections, just a poor set of superiors and lastly a poot board of directors.
It’s all mostly bullskit.
Yep. They sure do.
idealist707 1, January 26, 2013 at 9:39 am
Dredd,
Good advice proffered is never welcome unless asked for, but anyway.
So you used MikeS as an pawn in your game! Bad boy.
You do seem a bit inebriated today. Go back to Koolaid.
BFN
PS I note that you cite but ignore my chief points. How does that advance your points?
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I am proffering quotes from experts on a given subject that is relevant to irrational fear like the people on the plane exhibited.
It happens everywhere.
People have a right ot cling to ignorance, but they have no right to avoid the consequences of so doing.
idealist707 1, January 26, 2013 at 8:39 am
… Would like to see more on virus.
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In Chapter one, these things were said in the first paper in the book:
(Revolutionary Struggle for Existence, Matti Jalasvuori,
Tony The Tiger,The Greatest Gene, page 1). That is an interesting chapter.Dredd,
Good advice proffered is never welcome unless asked for, but anyway.
So you used MikeS as an pawn in your game! Bad boy.
You do seem a bit inebriated today. Go back to Koolaid.
BFN
PS I note that you cite but ignore my chief points. How does that advance your points?
Just a word of caution—-to all.
Just anybody can claim a name, even nuts in all forms.
And just a “good” name doesn’t mean skit.
I have not researched this society named by Dredd and don’t intend to.
It is the similar technique primarily used by conservative pols and orgs.
The American Society for Microbiology
Maybe it is good, or maybe it is a nut fringe with a rant to drive.
idealist707 1, January 26, 2013 at 9:01 am
Dredd,
You are a naughty boy. How and when did I provoke you. You are a fully responsible, which you show very often. Now retract these words.
Call ID707 for more information. He made me do it.”
Shame on you.
I would otherwise consider you inebriated on the proceedings you have read.
Nasty hangovers!
PS I have never heard MikeS enter an opinion on viruses. Are you feeling well today?
PPS Or is it a case of “I need attention, so let’s make them fight”
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That is what happens when “T-Shirts” with words on them scare people.
Mike S has not had time to realize the revolutionary concept of Good Microbes and Good Viruses in the sense that organisms cannot live without the help of the good ones.
He does understand Good Vibrations however.
He will come around in his own time like the rest of us have.
Shano,
Thanks for the tip. I did too after a model supported by those using the method of a living Chinese woman.
My chief achievement was, apparently from the envious comments, to drop my stomach and let it rest on the floor after only 5 sessions.
If you want Berns method for the six-second relax exercise, I can relate it.
Help! Since taking SSRIs nothing works as well, particularly “nowness” and meditation. Any suggestions. And don’t say yeasted veggies.
I would like to but don’t have the energy to make them. What do you do besides cabbage?
Restoring the microbial fauna/flora of the colinic area is important. We got them early from others, but multi-use of penicillin for childhood ear aches has depopulated the system of most 8 year olds in a study. Don’t recall it being indicative of any similar results. So probably not fatal. 😉
But fermented food is one way to go.
Idealist707,
Here are some other scientists and institutions who contributed papers to the book Viruses: Essential Agents of Life,, which is a collection of peer reviewed research papers:
(from pages xv-xvi of the Forward or Preface of the book)
Revolutions in science cause events similar to this T-Shirt episode, in that fear causes all kinds of abnormal, irrational reactions.
Dredd,
You are a naughty boy. How and when did I provoke you. You are a fully responsible, which you show very often. Now retract these words.
Call ID707 for more information.
He made me do it.”
Shame on you.
I would otherwise consider you inebriated on the proceedings you have read.
Nasty hangovers!
PS I have never heard MikeS enter an opinion on viruses. Are you feeling well today?
PPS Or is it a case of “I need attention, so let’s make them fight”
Dredd said to me.
“Aren’t you excited ID707? (fermentation is microbial!) …”=========
Why this now? What fermentation are you celebrating?
In reply in the meanwhile: Yes, I am, every time I fart. And the Inosotol (sp?) is a favorite food for the beasties which I get in my nutrition supplement beverages. Hooray in effect although they express themselves otherwise.
idealist707 1, January 26, 2013 at 8:39 am
Virus are component parts of the biological stressors that can test our “fitness”, ie survival potential and repro.
But the value of bacteria resident longterm has been well demonstrated and now is accepted. Would like to see more on virus.
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JT’s post illuminates, among other things, the fear people expressed on the aircraft in response to words on a T-Shirt.
This is a function of fear conditioning though signaling, a.k.a. messaging, a dynamic that is quite subject to interpretation even at the microscopic level.
While Dr. LeDoux deals with the aspects of fear at the high level within the amygdala, Dr. Guenther Witzany deals with signalling by microbes (prions, phages, viruses, and bacteria) at a lower level.
A level between molecules and the cellular world within the amygdala, as well as within the greater brain.
Dr. Witzany wrote the forward to the book Viruses: Essential Agents of Life, which I quote from up-thread (cf. Weekend Rebel Science Excursion – 13).
Among other things, Dr. Guenther Witzany is an editorial board member of the World Journal of Biological Chemistry, and is involved in Biosemiotics (see Wikipedia, International Society for Biosemiotic Studies) which involves signaling and communication between and among microbes and other organisms, including humans.
OMG, Re virus et al.
I did not know that there was a war going on.
I flee the scene. Don’t shoot those with a Red Cross and yellow stripe on their backs.
Virus are component parts of the biological stressors that can test our “fitness”, ie survival potential and repro.
But the value of bacteria resident longterm has been well demonstrated and now is accepted. Would like to see more on virus.
BTW, our chief tester of influenza vaccines (here) says she does not take the shot.s She prefers to let her immune system “improve itself” by exposure. We can suppose she got them as a child against the common diseases. And watch out for mutations—–a very good point.
It us easy to predict who will win the war (not us). And then they who survive will become predators on the others. Might be an interesting outcome in a billion years if the climate change has not taken all life out.