incipit vita nova

Right to Choose: Usurped by Doctors and Professors?

Thanks to the posts I've written about my son Anthony who died in Jan. 2005, and about children and young adults with Down Syndrome, my attention was drawn to this disturbing article and commentary.  A biology professor [intershunned] at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill told his class that he believed it was a "moral imperative" for older mothers to have amniocentesis and, should the results find that the baby had an extra 21st chromosome (Down Syndrome), they should abort the child.

The professor's evidence for this claim?  "I know somebody who had a child like this, and it ruined their life," he said.

Well, I'm sure the family he spoke for appreciates his telling them they should have retroactively murdered their child so as to not "ruin their lives." 

Also from the original article:

[The Professor] says he wouldn't follow his own moral position.

If he thought his wife was going to have a child with Down syndrome, he would still want to have the baby.

That's it in a moral nutshell.  The [intershunned] professor believes that his right to choose supercedes the right of the unborn child of other people, and in the case of his own family, believes his right to choose outweighs that of his wife.

And he faced that situation.

His wife, then 34, was pregnant with their third child when she suffered major bleeding. Doctors told the couple to prepare for the worst.

They did, now?  Bleeding has nothing to do with Down Syndrome.  It has to do with miscarriage, which could be for any number of reasons.  Miscarriages are most frequently the result of genetic abnormalities, in which the fetus cannot develop properly (fatal defects).  Later in pregnancy, bleeding can mean placenta previa, or other conditions, not one of which are more common with Down Syndrome babies who are developing -- or not.

This man, who as of the writing of the article (earlier this year) was 64 years old, has been teaching college students for three decades.  He states that he has frequently brought up his opinions regarding the abortion of Down Syndrome babies, and that it had never been controversial before.  His other reason for bringing up this topic to his students was to "encourage discussion" and "controversy." 

I am anti-abortion for myself, yet I believe that I cannot, and should not, make that choice for others.  I do not think that choice should be encouraged, however, and I especially do not think that Down Syndrome should be regarded as a condition deserving of being put to death before the baby's life even has a chance to start.  I would never force a couple to have a child that they believe they would hate, even though I find it difficult to believe that, given the chance, they would not love the baby beyond all measure. 

But to turn this into a moral imperative?  That is unspeakably bankrupt.  This man -- and it's always a man -- wishes to put all these children out there to death because he knew one couple whose lives he believes were "ruined" by the Down Syndrome child.  He is so consistent in his beliefs that he would not  choose this alternative for "his" baby.  What would his position be if his wife insisted she did not want the baby?  Force her to have it anyway? 

The "right to choose" does not mean "daddy's choice."  I was just sitting last night with a fellow who was happily chatting about his recent ex-girlfriend, stating, "I got her pregnant twice."  And asked her to have an abortion (apparently, she did) both times.

As the recipient of internet abuse on this very topic, I was appalled at the time even more than by all of the rest of the extraordinary idiocy.  I was told via the internet by a virtual stranger that I should have aborted my baby.  I was then told that I should "burn in Hell" for not having an abortion.  The "man" (I use that term very loosely) is an avowed Atheist.  That's not the first time I've seen an Atheist referring to "Hell."  So which is it they believe?  Hell in general, Hell without Heaven, or Hell only for one's enemies? 

I'll tell you what about the "abortion debate" in general.  It is largely fomented by men.  There's a lot of anger among feminists who believe that men are trying to force them to have babies they don't want.  I've seldom, if ever, seen any feminist refer to the far more common and nearly universal issues raised here.  Men are the ones who encourage, pay for, and push abortions.  They are the ones who want control of the "choice."  They'll go so far as this professor here, teaching students of their "moral beliefs" -- beliefs they will not even adhere to themselves, for their own children. 

Physically, women must be less hypocritical.  Despite all the control, the abuse, the bullying, the decision-making, the ordering around, the woman is the one who carries the baby.  She is the one who gives birth.  She is the one who chooses, if she wishes, to not have the baby. 

And they wonder why we have wars.  As long as it's someone else doing the dying or killing, it's so very easy to give orders.  So hard to do it right.  It isn't that difficult to do it right -- if you're human.

Can People Keep Lying Via The Internet?

It should come as no surprise to people who hire that lying on one's resume (increasingly available via the internet) is very common.  According to Forbes, about 40% of job applicants fudge or outright lie on their resumes.

I was thinking about some interesting comments of Kathi Kimbriel regarding the evolution of social responsibility.  Kathi discussed her ideas of the difference between tolerance of differences between individuals, and tolerance of behavior harmful to others.

Tolerance of difference between individuals is, I believe, essential to our moving forward as human beings.  Tolerating harmful behavior is, conversely, a factor that limits positive social change.  Some of the work done by the Future of Humanity Institute applies here, as does, certainly, the illuminating analyses of Steven Levitt (the Freakonomics God).  As far as the Bagel Man's experiences with who would pay fairly, and who would not, the answer to why the level of bagel cheating is approximately 13% (higher for "executives" and lower for "ordinary workers" - surprise, that - NOT!) and resume lying is 40% -- a pretty substantial order of magnitude -- I think it's just plain money and the difference between small day-to-day cheating and "I can't be caught" or "magical thinking" cheating.

Magical thinking certainly applies here.  I would wager that real studies of resume cheats would be strongly weighted toward older job applicants, and among the younger group of applicants, a much smaller percentage would take that chance of getting caught.  Why?  Because it really was much easier to get away with lying on one's resume as recently as 4-5 years ago.  People's degrees can be instantly verified on the internet.  At a cost of $25 for slick, quick background checks, and $50 for really good ones, any responsible employer can determine whether or not the applicant is truly the person he or she presents as being.  Anyone in management knows that being assured of the truthfulness of new hires isn't just a "nice to have."  After the rampant explosion of Workers Compensation suits, the prevalence of "white collar crime," and various other nuisances and hindrances to business in recent years, insurers have gotten wise and have basically insisted that employers do some form of due diligence when hiring. 

Anyone who contracts with the government has to take steps to ensure that new hires are qualified and can pass basic security (or other) checks that ensure compliance with contracts and regulations.  Someone who actually has experience hiring and firing (look, I never wanted to have to do that again, but guess what?? Yep) knows all of this.  It should go without saying that "once burned" - never again.

So why do people still lie on their resumes?  In the areas of education and experience, it really is counterintuitive.  If one gets a job that one is not qualified for -- how long will that job last, even if the lie isn't discovered?  There is a reason why various professional or "white collar" jobs require a certain level of education and experience.  Blue collar jobs also require experience, or the ability to be trained and to learn.   

I think this behavior pattern is one of the past, before the internet made it simple to discover basic facts about applicants.  Many people will avoid lying on their resumes for a variety of simple reasons, the main one being -- they don't need to lie.  They possess the appropriate qualifications.  As far as the more generic lying about one's self via the internet, I think this lies in the Bagel Man's 13% category.  If one considers the genetic imperative, these people will eventually breed themselves away.  What a difference our world will experience in . . . how long?  Two generations?  Three?  Genetically reducing the tendency to lie about one's qualifications, abilities -- and about others.  That's a sci fi concept.  Hard to believe entire books written by previous generations have extolled the virtues of, basically, being dishonest antisocial misfits.  I'll take Teela Brown any day (Larry Niven's genetically lucky - not dishonest - heroine). 

* * * *

I was recently asked by a responsible party (retired law enforcement - best character) if there was anything I would have done differently in my life.  We all have regrets.  Clearly, if there had been anything I could have done, including sacrificing my own life, to save my baby's life, I would have done it, and were there a time machine, I'd use it in a heartbeat.

But there is a reason we all go through Ages and Stages (see questionnaire for child development).  As I cross the mid-forties, I am acquiring the perspective that the majority of people do upon growing older.  I used to be very hurt and very bothered by other people's miscreancies and malfeasance.  I am much less bothered today, because I can see a lifetime of evidence that such behavior never turns out well for the miscreant.  It isn't just karma, though I believe strongly that karma is real and that people who harm others are always paid back in kind, or worse.  I am now someone who is able to be there for those who are hurt by others, and able to explain the pitfalls and hurts, and comfort them, and provide some hope that the hurt won't continue forever.  Yes, there is a benefit to growing older, and I think the best word for it is "perspective." 

Why is Iron Man so good, Speed Racer so bad?

I've seen so many clumsy, confused and awkward movies in the past two years that I almost hesitate to discuss film storytelling.  Iron Man deserves every penny it makes (and Robert Downey, Jr. too - of course he's my hero).  Speed Racer, in contrast, is getting deservedly poor business. 

I actually haven't read any reviews of Iron Man.  What I have to say about Iron Man is probably colored by the fact that Robert Downey, Jr. is my fave, and I can't imagine anyone more deserving of a big, fat paycheck for playing an action or superhero.  Who would have chosen the troubled, famously-waste case Robert Downey, Jr. to play any supercharacter?  People who know what they're doing, that's who.  Not only is he similar to the comic version of Tony Stark (I am told the original comics were kind of boring and sucky), he is one of the greatest actors of our really messed-up generation.  And of course he makes Tony Stark about as Tony Stark-ey and Robert Dow-ney as possible . . . he carries the film.  Everyone I've talked to loved his portrayal.  It made the comic guy "real."  He let us imagine what it might be like to be a genius like that, making those choices, and becoming Iron Man.  Everyone's favorite moment so far?  At the end when he's asked "Who is Iron Man?" and he says with quite a bit of pride, "I'm Iron Man."

The movie had a great shot at being very entertaining and well-done because the story was very focused and well-done.  One could quibble that the underhanded machinations of Obadiah Stane don't make a lot of sense.  But I really couldn't have cared less when Iron Man flew into the oppressed village and wiped out the evil warlord terrorists - or whatever they were.  A classic "Marvel" moment.  That's what the Marvel storytelling was/is about and they didn't lose sight of it.  A superhero is supposed to defend the weak, right wrongs, and just generally do things ordinary people can't do. 

The movie is so great because they focused on the basics of Iron Man's origin story, they didn't stray too far from their star (or forget that in the case of Iron Man, the man in the suit is the story, not the suit around the man), and they let their great performers shine.  The script was clean and well-written, perfect for the story.

And there's the other side.  Speed Racer.  I feel badly because the only part of the movie I was able to connect with were the occasional moments where I felt that "Speed" might have some type of person in those tight white leathers.  Only at the end of the movie did I realize that the reason I liked "Speed" despite all the film's negatives, was that he was played by Emile Hirsch, the fantastic young actor who starred in Into the Wild. 

It should go without saying that by the time ten minutes of Speed Racer has run, any person not dropping acid is going to be totally confused.  I was utterly lost -- and I used to watch the original cartoon, so I knew who the monkey, little brother, girlfriend and Racer X were.  I don't know what to say about Speed Racer except that it had marginally better music than the sucktastic music chosen for Matrix films two and three (after the unbelievably awesome Prodigy tunes from the original Matrix).  The story made little sense, the script was hellishly complicated and ridiculous, and most of all, the pacing was . . . well . . . it can be best described as oscillating madly between tweaker twitchy and slow and sappy. 

"Speed, when you go out on that racetrack, you do things that take my breath away . . ."  That's still-sexy Susan Sarandon BREATHING DOWN Emile Hirsch's neck.  It's theoretically a family film, but bizarrely pervy (I don't mean foul language or even exposure -- there are just pervy BDSM-like moments that a kid probably wouldn't notice, but, for example, there are at least two lengthy scenes where Susan Sarandon is mooning over "Speed" in a non-mommy way).  I understand there are Wachovski Brothers fans that will see anything they make, but the brothers definitely run hot and cold.  Speed was somewhere in confused badness between the second and third Matrix films. Tweaky, random and bizarre scripting, the supposedly "awesome" special effects (if you can't tell WTF is happening - WTF???), and horrid pacing (farrrrrr too long).  They were too in love with whatever it was they were doing, too little in love with the audience.

And that's why Iron Man is so awesome, and Speed Racer sucks.

Lying: A Way of Life and . . .

I heard a news report on the radio last night of a woman who had faked having brain cancer, and collected more than $21,000 in her co-workers' sick days -- time they'd donated to her out of sympathy, believing she was seriously ill.  I was debating intershunning her, but I think her motives were to get off work and still collect a paycheck -- the brain cancer scheme was her method.  So, I see no point in intershunning her -- exposing her is probably better in this case.  She is 40-year old Sandra Dee Martinez, a social worker from Arlington, WA.  Apparently Sandra Dee has left the state and won't cooperate with investigators.  Gee, I wonder why?  Just like people who "dine and dash" or who welsh on credit card bills, or who receive money in error from a bank teller, she ripped off her co-workers -- ordinary people who cared.  Some people may not be aware that wait staff have to pay for any errors they make in checks to the diners' advantage, or for "dine and dash" losses.  They may not know that tellers who make mistakes pay directly out of their own checks, and that every time people fail to pay their credit card bills, the charges are just distributed around in higher interest rates or fees to the customers who do pay.  Hey, if you're like Sandra Dee Martinez, you don't care.  You think you are smarter than all those dumb people who actually have to get cancer for real to get all the money and sympathy she got. 

Then, others began calling in with their stories of similar situations.  Cancer seemed to be the popular fake illness.  It just gets so much sympathy.

This behavior is well-known and is called Munchausen's Syndrome.  The even sicker version, where a parent makes her child ill, or forces the child to pretend to be ill to gain sympathy, is called Munchausen by Proxy.

Apparently -- it's spread to the Internet.  And why not?  It's far easier to lie via the internet to people who can't see you, than it is to keep up such a pretense in person.

Extreme dysfunction doesn't last forever.  I think this Munchausen's Syndrome is something that is always eventually discovered. 

It should go without saying that this is one of my particular pet peeves.  I had a little karma boost on Monday evening when I came home from Work #2 and went to the bank to get (urp) - hated to do it, but yes, money.  When I drove through the drive-through, there was a cute black Porsche in front of me.  I could see a man's hand putting checks into the ReadyTeller's "mouth" (we have a new machine that doesn't require envelopes - it just accepts checks directly and makes a digital image of the actual check verifying the deposit). 

He quickly drove off and I drove up.  The screen looked different, and in fact -- it was asking me to put another check in.  I was confused for a bit and pressed "no."  When it took me back to the main screen, I realized that it was still "on" and I could easily withdraw all of his money.  I immediately pressed "no" again and out came his card.  It was evening and I couldn't even quickly read his name.  I looked over to the branch and saw there were still lights on and tellers in there, so I decided to quickly get my money and swing back around and take his card into the branch.  I hoped he'd soon discover what happened and come back.

No sooner had I gotten my money out than a guy in scrubs ran up, out of breath and asked if I'd seen a card.  "Omigosh! Of course -- here it is!"  So glad he came back, etc.  The guy was definitely hospital staff -- either physician or anesthesiologist -- and obviously, he'd done a very long shift, possibly hours of surgery.  He was exhausted-looking, and so relieved I had the card, he nearly cried.

So, like, I guess I was his angel.  It was dusk so he probably couldn't see "worn-out, high-mileage angel."

Imagine if this Sandra Dee Martinez or The Intershunned were behind the man, not me.  He probably saved somebody's life in surgery and fortunately, karma does work -- he was so tired and made a big mistake, but it didn't cost him.  I hate liars.  I hate cheats. 

Extra this a.m.:  He who laughs last, laughs best.  Apparently the lifestyle choices that earned me the abuse of dysfunctional, asocial, disturbed aggregations of biofilm has also earned me this.  That's right, teachers are #2 on the "eternal" job list, right behind doctors.  Homeowner?  Yep.  Current credit rating: A+ again.  I hope I'll have the opportunity to be the top teacher again.  Give me 20 hours a week and I'll write with everything I've got. 

I am not at all pleased about the economic downturn, or like to think of people (except The Intershunned) suffering.  It truly is frightening to think of young people looking for jobs and having as hard a time as when I was their age -- or even harder.  But I am glad that the best The Intershunned could do has gotten them where they clearly are: up life's feces creek in a leaky canoe with no paddle.  Or, as we used to say back in the day:  in a world of hate, hating life.  You get back what you pay out. 

There's an eternal thing here, I think.  If one is able to operate on principles that mean something, then that is absolutely one of the keys to personal happiness.  I freely confess it's not in my nature to resent what others have or to desire what they have (So I don't have a problem with the "covet" portion of the Ten Commandments) and my inner rage is PTSD-fueled, as well as based in reality.  No good writing is truly a lie -- that's a wicked aphorism told by substandard writers of low mentality and morality.  The best fiction always contains elemental truth.  Always, eternal truth -- 87% of people have no trouble understanding this.  13% as determined by Dr. Levitt, have "issues."  How ironic that the people leading our world into the future are anything but science fiction writers, and that the field, I believe as a result of its initial, one would think - kind and beneficial tolerance, nurtured in its breast some of the world's stupidest, most narrow-minded and useless people. 

I'm not the person to pick up that torch.  I hope -- I believe that there are many others who are.  I will be cheering them on as they do so, and leave the cavedwellers in the past and shut the door on them forever.

But Karma is real.  I cannot believe it!  I wanted to Intershun her but -- Lori Drew, the now 49-year old woman who instigated the internet abuse scheme that cost young Megan Meier her life in October, 2006 - HAS BEEN INDICTED BY THE LOS ANGELES FEDERAL GRAND JURY.  Karma.  Karma.  Karma.  Federal charges!  It's a Federal case!

Check this out:  in the indictment, they withheld the young victim's name. "Because of juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the indictment refers to the girl as M.T.M."

Oh.  Imagine that.  Privacy, respect and dignity for a minor -- even one who is deceased. 

Intershunning

I chose not to name the "author," blogger, or whatever he is that attempted to malign Jamiel Shaw on the internet in my previous post.

That's because I don't want to provide the individual with even one iota of additional publicity.  I hope his website fails, and maybe it will, though clearly he is being paid by special interests who want to harm Jamiel's reputation to help their own greedy, at-best amoral cause masquerading as exploitation "compassion" for undocumented workers.

So if you object to someone's behavior, attitude or lack of morals, don't name them if you are writing about them, or on subjects that could be related to them.  For example - the woman who encouraged her teen daughters to pose as a fake MySpace teen to deceive Meghan Meier, who became so distraught at the fake boy's internet abuse, she hung herself.  No more attention for her - I'll shun her in cyberspace the same as she was shunned in real life.

As another example, some people use tricks to make their poorly-written, moronic inter-spewings appear higher in Google searches than would be appropriate under ordinary circumstances.  One dumb blog has hundreds of "tags" -- certainly more than its "content" (and I use that term loosely).

If you see this cheap trash, just ignore it.  I select carefully who and what I cover -- and now I'm formalizing my policy.  If I don't like what you do, how you do it -- and above all, feel that you are abusive of others, either by taking economic advantage of them, or you're just a bottom-feeding piece of stinking biofilm, I'll be intershunning you.  And I hope others will follow the same procedure as well in cases where they also disapprove.  Remember, you can cover the issue -- you don't need to give those who feed off negative attention any extra energy.

Jamiel Shaw: Victimized Again

I feel sick linking to this, but this internet article by a "gang expert" states that Jamiel Shaw II was shot down in cold blood near his house because he was wearing a red belt.

If Jamiel's tragic death, and the loss felt by his loving family, friends and the community is going to be politicized in this manner, then I have my own political two cents to add.  People who support no restrictions on illegal immigrants, up to and including the protection of criminal behavior beyond that which is afforded to U.S.-born or legitimately naturalized citizens are not doing it because they are "friends to the Latino community."

Once again, ordinary people are exploited by greed.  The only reason "illegal immigrants" are protected is that many companies benefit from using them for cheap labor.  Other interests appreciate the money and luxuries provided by the illegal drug importation of cartels.  Good-willed, soft-hearted people might be convinced to feel sympathetic to open border discussions -- but I can't imagine anyone listening to the facts and not supporting Jamiel's Law.  The man accused of Jamiel's murder was an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record, and a known gang member.  He was released from jail only 24 hours prior to shooting Jamiel, and was apparently driving around the neighborhood in a murder party just looking for someone to kill.  And he should have been deported -- not released directly on our streets to kill.

Who are these people protecting?  Relatively honest, hardworking and decent undocumented immigrants?  No -- they are victimized even more by illegal gang members than most other people.  They live in the gang neighborhoods.  They are the parents who won't let their children play outside, and who are fearful of muggings, robbings and shootings.  Protecting the immigration status of illegal gang members doesn't help these families -- it doesn't help anyone at all except gang members, criminals, drug cartels -- and one would assume, people who are paid by the money of those cartels, and by big corporations who know perfectly well they are exploiting people whose legal status they hold in their hands.

The lies need to stop.  A grieving family and community is once again dragged through the mud for political reasons of the worst kind.  Once again, my thoughts and prayers to Jamiel's courageous family and friends.  Shame on the political officials who've tried to pressure Jamiel's father into stopping the campaign to pass Jamiel's law.  Shame on people like this man who maintains the website (no extra publicity from me, dude - you don't deserve a web site or payments for being a "gang expert") for taking money to blacken a young man's name -- as if getting shot down in cold blood was not bad enough.

Benefit for Gene Colan

Artist Gene Colan is very ill with liver failure.  He and his wife Adrienne tried to keep his illness under wraps, but the news is out now.  They need help with high medical bills. 

This is a terrible thing for a family to have to cope with.  Clifford Meth is organizing a fundraiser, and writers and artists are already participating by donating signed work as a benefit.  If you can help, please visit Clifford's blog and do all that you can.

Glorious Reunion

This past weekend was my 25th college reunion at Scripps College in Claremont, CA.  Scripps continues as a women's college -- unlike a number of other traditional single-sex schools, it has been able to maintain this tradition because it is one of the five Claremont Colleges, of which the other four are coed.

I saw friends who I literally had not seen for 25 years -- but I was emotionally pre-prepared, as I had experienced the Miraculous Jennifer Cohen story about two months ago.  After twenty-five years, I was able to speak to one of my dearest college friends again.

The reunion experience (and seeing Jennifer for the first time after so long, prior to it) was so emotional to me that I couldn't speak much about it, or write about it.  It was the most powerful, emotional experience ever, to remember all the many good times we all had, and to walk around the campus (I had barely driven around the campus, even when I was living not far away for a period of time a few years ago).  In fact, it was a Friday afternoon, and here were the same classrooms I'd studied in, filled with students actively learning, taking notes.  Scripps is truly a place of learning.  It's a "walled school," originally designed by noted architect Gordon Kaufmann.  Crossing through the gates, with the motto "incipit vita nova," it's like passing into a different world, and a different time.

And last night was Beyond Shelter's 20th Anniversary gala at Paramount, at which the life's work of Tanya Cherry Tull, Scripps '64, recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award in 1986 (while I was a recent graduate trustee) was celebrated, including by some Scrippsies - Jennifer and Eriko Niwayama . . . and me!  Tanya is my beloved boss, and "second mom" and I couldn't help but think while on the campus at the incredible tradition Scripps has provided for all of us women, over all the generations.  Another of my "second moms," Barbara Cook Wormser, Scripps '59, received the distinguished alumna award more recently in 2004.  I might have had a little bit to do with that.  Both Tanya and Barbara have received this award for going above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of poor families and children. 

And of course, "author Casil" here . . . well, I was astonished to see what I was so blind to see when I was a young student hiding my science fiction and fantasy books and magazines behind other, "better" books, so people wouldn't "know" about my little problem.  Of the student library collections on display in the amazingly gorgeous library, which still has the incredible aura today that it always had back then (thank you for graciously allowing us into the rooms I thought were "secret" and blocked away forever, Judy Harvey Sahak, '64!) -- one was a science collection, coinciding with many that I possess, one was science fiction, and the third -- fantasy!  And of my own class, why would I have been hiding my books and my interest?  There are so many who are interested in SF/F and active readers.

Well, you live and learn.  Even if it takes 25 years!  I will never regret my four years at Scripps.  As I told some friends, the time spent there truly did make me the person I am today.  I was shy and very fearful when I went.  I graduated, a confident young woman, having already taken positions of leadership, and prepared to go on to take future leadership positions throughout my life. 

I do not advocate a single-sex education for everyone, but I think for many, it can be an invaluable experience.  I am very glad that we are able to maintain these traditions, while still respecting everyone's rights and dignity.

Anything for a High

Well, all I can find on the internet is cat feces coffee.  Apparently this Java is made from beans collected from the feces of the palm civet. 

But yesterday in class, we discussed the fine information that some people are getting high from putting cat feces in a plastic bag, letting it ferment, then sniffing the byproducts.  This is from South Park! somebody declared.  Maybe so, but it could be real as well.  Apparently, jail inmates desperate for a toot will do the same process with their own feces.  And of course, there's the methamphetamine urine recycling program.

We didn't get to "people are pigs" yesterday, but since hackers decided to attack the Epilepsy Foundation's website by posting images and links that could - and did - cause seizures - hey.  People are pigs.

Resources and Information on Bias - Current Research

Sponsored by the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford, the website devoted to "Overcoming Bias" is an amazing resource.  I barely possess the math to understand much of what is presented, however, it's worth it to read carefully and review what is being presented.  It might change your mind about many things; however, I think they may be pursuing some odd directions (certainly, this must be my genetic BIAS against herd-instinct policies) in politics.  Another related link is Nick Bostrom's blog.  Here is an example of his writing.

According to Nick writing about transhumanist ideas, "Some transhumanists take active steps to increase the probability that they personally will survive long enough to become posthuman, for example by choosing a healthy lifestyle or by making provisions for having themselves cryonically suspended in case of de-animation."  I have a sci-fi story related to this.  According to my friend (well known fantasy/SF writer), Greg Benford plans to do precisely that:  have at a minumum, his head removed and cryogenically preserved after death.