Category Archives: 4- HOW WE THINK

BURNING MAN; THE MOST UNUSUAL PLACE ON EARTH

June 23, 2016 listerlogic@hotmail.com Leave a comment

Every year on the first week of September, a barren area of desert about a 3 hour drive from Reno Nevada becomes a camping city of 70,000 people. So unlike any other city in the world it can only be described as another dimension.

Like living in a Dr. Seuss book, burning man is a combination of Alice in Wonderland, Halloween, art, music and partying. It’s a place where you are encouraged to express and be yourself without ridicule. So bizarre, it stimulates the mind beyond social and cultural limits. Most people that have heard of Burning Man but never been, know it only for the stigma of nudity and drugs attended only by hippies and freaks. The fact is, “burners” the name given the people that attend, are in general, intelligent regular people that come for variety of reasons. At my recent attendance in 2015, I was surprised to meet people from all over the world and all walks of life from teenagers, doctors and teachers to great grandparents. Anyone with an open mind that attends is guaranteed a powerful, personal experience that can’t fully be explained. You don’t have to be an artist or consider yourself different to go. You will however leave a different person.

WHAT IS BURNING MAN?

A circle with an area of 7 square miles is temporarily fenced off in the Red Rock Desert Playa. The bottom half of the circle is the city complete with streets that quickly become lined with motorhomes and tents. The other half of the circle is empty desert doted with scores of art displays, most of which are burned at some point during the week. In the middle of the circle is the symbol of the event, a giant wooden man. The highlight comes at the end of the week when the man is set on fire.

Aside from some basic rules for respecting other peoples rights and the environment almost anything goes. If you don’t feel like wearing clothes or want to wear something you would never dream of wearing anywhere else, no problem. Burning man is unconditional acceptance, and encourages you to discover and be your true self. This is a place where people dress and act the way they feel and not to impress anyone else.

The atmosphere inside Burning Man begins at the front gate. People that have been before are warmly welcomed home. For first timers or “virgins” as they are called there is an initiation, they are encouraged to get out of the car and asked to lye down and make snow angels on the ground. The fine desert sand is ground into their clothes and deep in the pores of their skin. The result is an immediate loss in the value for self looks, and a skin tone that soon matches that of the entire city.

Perhaps the biggest part of the atmosphere is that nothing is for sale, it can only be given away as a gift. Ice and coffee, sold by the event organizers are the only exception. I met one man that brought in $3,000.00 worth of soft drinks and water to give away in exchange only for conversation and the opportunity to meet other people. Many people join one of hundreds of theme camps that hosts a free activity or gives a product or service away for free. Food, alcohol, souvenirs, all free. The giving and goodwill becomes contagious, creating a constant need for you to always look for ways to give back in return. The friendly, excepting atmosphere created allows you drop your social guards, including some you never new you had. Feeling as comfortable talking to complete strangers as you are with your closest friend. A chance to totally be yourself with people that are totally being their self’s.

The harsh environment also brings the people together. When going, you must bring everything you need for the week with you including water. At night the temperature drops to the low teens and by 10:00am soars to over 100 degrees Celsius. When the wind picks up sandstorms are created reducing visibility to near 0. There are no showers or running water. Washing in the morning and evening for me was with several wet naps. After a few days dust had worked its way into my tent, sleeping bag and everything else that wasn’t sealed air tight. It is these extreme conditions that help bond the city, similar to what happened during the ice storm in Quebec in 1999 or the more recent flooding in Calgary a couple of years ago. There is something about going through hardship that unites people.

Once parked at your campsite you can no longer drive your car until you leave. Burning man is a city of bicycles and almost a necessity to get around. The exception to driving rule is the hundreds of Mutant vehicles (art cars) that cruise up and down the streets and open areas. Everything from a 50 foot yacht on wheels, complete with sound system, dance floor and bar, to a replica of Fred Flintstones car. The Imagination and creativity in the art cars is a reflection of everything at Burning Man.

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?

WHAT ISN’T THERE TO DO?

When entering you are given a book listing over 1000 free activities and events put on by different theme camps. Everything imaginable and a lot of things unimaginable. From “The Naked Pub Crawl”, open to anyone, where thousands of people strip naked and travel around on bikes to different theme camp pubs, to viewing endless interactive works of art. How about a game of pool on a giant pool table where billiard balls are substituted with bowling balls or shooting off a flame thrower. Live DJs attract thousands of people in an area called the Deep End. The list goes on and on making it impossible to see or do even a fraction of what’s available. There is something for everyone and somethings definitely not for everyone.

At night time the city lights up like Las Vegas and goes all night. Mutant vehicles lit up and with powerful sound systems crisscross the open area amongst a sea of lighted bikes.

Flames and fire shoot from some of the vehicles, another has a topless women hanging from a long pole extended out the back doing tricks on a trapeze. Fire dancers and marching bands travel up and down the streets. The art too is lit up, some with moving lights set to music. In another area, an open steel frame dome that viewers climb on to watch 2 people battle it out on swinging harnesses with foam bats in a Mad Max type atmosphere.

Despite all this Burning Man is a safe place. All levels of US police patrol the event. Most enjoy it and look forward to working it every year. Burning man even has their own volunteer rangers that try to help out should there be a dispute.

ORIGIN

In 1986 Larry Harvey, Jerry James and a few friends got together on a beach in San Francisco on the summer solstice. In a spontaneous act of self expression they set fire to a 9 foot wooden man they had put together.

The event continued every year, and continued to grow. Eventually so many people showed up it had to be moved to the Black Rock Desert where it is held now. Still based on 10 main principles it has grown into so much more, evolving every year it continues to take on it’s own form. Run as a non profit organization, each year the 70,0000 tickets sell out in seconds.

SUM UP

Burning Man can best be described as a 7 square mile petri dish for the mind to grow. As one person having attended over a dozen times in the past said “You don’t come here with expectations, you just get out and wonder through the city and let it happen. Every time you come it’s different experience.”

Still confused what Burning Man is all about after reading this? You’re supposed to be. Burning Man is different for everyone, and remains an enigma even for those that have been. The potential for someone to learn and study unique human behavior is limitless here.

At the end of the week, the desert is restored to its natural barren condition. No trace remains that 70,000 people had just been there or this portal to another dimension ever existed.

Dave Lister

“Interstellar”

listerlogic.com

4- HOW WE THINK, 5- SCIENCE THEORIES

IS YOUR COGNITIVE THOUGHT INWARD OR OUTWARD FOCUSED?

April 29, 2016 listerlogic@hotmail.com Leave a comment

When asked to imagine what a brilliant scientist would be like, most people picture the common stereotype of an absent minded professor so caught up in thinking and thought he is totally oblivious of everything going on around him. Could there be truth to the stereotype?

Also known as daydreamers, it seems that the consciousness of some people is more inward focused on the thinking area of the brain than on the sensory input area of what is going on around them (outward focused). We have all experienced short times when we are lost in thought and tuned out the world around us, similar to what happens when we get involved in reading a good book. Why is it that some people are more prone to cognitively exist in this area of the brain? Is the reason genetic? Can it be learned or unlearned?

OUTWARD FOCUSED

When we are outward focused we are more aware of details of what is going on around us and less focused in the thinking area of the brain.

INWARD FOCUSED

When we are inward focused the things going on around us seem blurred and the thinking part of our brain is focused.

If a mainly inward focused person can ignore the distraction of stimulus from the senses, can that add to better analytic abilities of the brain? Not to say that people that inward focused are any more intelligent than outward focused people but could the combination of both inward focused and intelligent equal genius?

If cognitive consciousness can in fact be focused in certain areas of the brain, what if it was focused in an area that wasn’t sensory or thinking? Could that explain some causes of mental illness?

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

4- HOW WE THINK

ARE YOU AN ANIMAL KILLER?

November 6, 2015 listerlogic@hotmail.com Leave a comment

The judge entered the court room and announced he had come to a decision in the murder case. In the defendant box sat 3 women, all had admitted to combining their money to hire a hit man to kill Victor, the man that had done them wrong. Although they admitted to hiring the hit man, they each pled not guilty of his murder for a different reason.

The judge ordered the first women to rise. She had pled not guilty because she did not actually kill Victor herself, the hit man she hired did it. The judge found the women guilty and said “had she had not hired the hit man, Victor would still be alive”. He went on to explain that she was just as guilty as the hit man and that hiring someone was a cowardly act to distance her from the responsibility and dirty work of the killing.

The judge ordered the second women to rise. She had pled not guilty because she had only contributed a small amount of the hit man’s fee. The judge found her guilty as well. He explained that even small contributions can still add up to murder and she too, was just as responsible as the person that pulled the trigger.

The third women was ordered to stand. She had pled not guilty because Victor was small, ugly and not too smart, so his death didn’t matter. This reason outraged the judge the most and she was also found guilty. He explained that murder is not OK regardless of size and looks. On the inside everyone thinks and feels the same and we are all equal.

Do you agree with the judge’s decisions? What happens when we apply this simple logic to animals? Does our reasoning become like that of the 3 women? Are you an animal killer?

Most people believe that humans are in a category of their own above animals but what about animals themselves, are there different category’s of importance for them and if so what are they and why? What is the difference between a Lion and a spider besides the obvious ones of size and looks? Both have brains, some form of conscious existence and feel pain, common elements found within all animals. Should we not considered all animals equal like we consider all humans equal? If so, if a person kills a spider, do they have the right to condemn someone that kills a Lion or are they no different then the 3rd women in the murder trial that believes because of size and looks, killing the spider is OK. Are looks and size amongst animals as superficial as a Halloween mask covering their conscious existance? Why do we have conflicting feelings from the killing of different animals?

What would you do if you just spent your life savings on a house and found out afterward there were mice inside and it was infested with thousands of termites? Would you put down poison yourself, hire an exterminator to kill them, or just let them destroy the house? What if instead of mice and termites the house had squirrels and racoons that were doing an equal amount of damage? Now suppose the method of killing the squirrels and raccoons caused no more pain to them than the termites and mice felt, would you have a problem with exterminating them? Not only do some people have a problem even thinking about killing a pest like this just because it’s size and looks, in many places it’s illegal. Are we again using the 3rd women’s reasoning for these attitudes and laws?

In the Summer of 2015 a black bear wondered into the highly populated city of Newmarket just outside of Toronto. After some time police deemed the bear a risk to public safety and fatally shot it, the video later posted on the news. A large protest of the killing followed on social media. Looking back to the 3 women’s defences for murder, how many cows, chickens, etc. do you think the people that protested killed that same day alone by buying a fast food burger, bucket of chicken, or meat at the grocery store. Would the protesters have the same reaction to the bear if they had been taken to the slaughter house regularly and shown the animals they eat being killed? What if instead of paying the slaughter house, the protesters had to kill the animals themselves? How many would be able to do it and if they couldn’t, in the eyes of the judge from the murder case would they be considered cowards for hiring other people to kill for them? Although the bear was not killed for human consumption it’s death was still not a waste. Nothing goes to waste in the food chain, besides have you ever thrown out meat that you let go bad or left an unfinished a meal in a restaurant? Not only that what if while waiting for someone to capture the bear it killed an unsuspecting child as it ran through unsecured residential areas? What if someone died because police were busy with the bear and could not respond to another 911 call in time?

Have you ever ordered lobster from a restaurant or cooked it yourself? Does it upset you when other people in a restaurant order lobster? In most cases the lobster is killed by dropping it into boiling water yet unlike the bear there are no large protests on social media to stop the horrific way lobsters are killed.

Hunting, even when it is done for food, is a sport that is not well perceived by most people now, even though the natural death of an animal in the wild can be much more violent and painful then by a bullet. It would seem some people think it is better that animals for food be raised and kept in small pens their whole lives for their own safety so that they can be killed quickly and humanly. Few people themselves would spend their whole life in the house just to avoid any possible violent injury or death from the outside world, why would animals be any different?

Fishing on the other hand is still relatively popular and familiar to most people today and for the most part considered acceptable. More and more people believe they are being morally responsible by practicing catch and release instead of keeping the fish for food, but are they? How moral is it to trick a fish into driving a hook through it’s mouth and have it fight for its life until completely exhausted from trying to get away. After being pulled from the water and while suffocating in the air the barbed hook is ripped from its mouth with a pair of pliers, then it’s thrown back into the water. A lot of times the hook cannot be removed without ripping out some of the fishes internal organs and the fish is released only to die a slow painful death. Acts considered unimaginable cruelty to some animals are done to fish for no other reason but for our personal enjoyment. We even encourage kids to take part.

“I’m a vegetarian, I don’t kill animals” is something you hear more and more people say. What about buying leather shoes, down filled winter coats, cosmetics, fur and other products made from animals? By purchasing these items are you not like the 3 women in the murder case above?

Have you donated to cancer or any other medical research. A lot of human lives have been saved through research that involved necessary testing of animals. Healthy animals are injected with diseases and suffer in pain before dying. By donating money to some medical research are you responsible for these animals pain and death?

I don’t know of anyone that I would not consider an animal killer, myself included. Is it not as normal and acceptable for humans to kill animals as it is for some animals to kill other animals? Has the powerful human emotions of empathy and protecting the weak and innocent, combined with our lack of exposure to some species of animal deaths caused a hypocritical lack of logical reasoning and denial in todays society? If you could go back in time 100 years, how would you explain your feelings to a farmer that killing a troublesome squirrel or bear is wrong? What if you were born and raised on a farm 100 years ago, with no store nearby, when you wanted chicken for dinner you had to kill it yourself. Would your current views on killing animals be any different? Would they make more sense?

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

4- HOW WE THINK, 5- SCIENCE THEORIES

RECIPE FOR CREATIVE THOUGHT

June 28, 2015 listerlogic@hotmail.com Leave a comment

Another long busy week of physical and mental stress has come to an end. I grab a beer and head to the front porch to just sit and relax before dinner. The bagel I had for lunch is the only thing I’ve had time to eat since breakfast so I soon start feeling the effects of the alcohol. Feeling quite relaxed, I grab another beer from the fridge and it begins.

As I become more and more relaxed the view from the porch turns to a sort of visual “white noise” and I end up deep in thought. I start thinking about things in a whole new way, a more creative way. I can figure out new innovative solutions to problems I had at work and in life that I have never thought of before. Don’t get me wrong, I seem to have no end of creative thoughts all the time but this is different, it seems to allow the brain to have more abstract thoughts and not use conventional neuron paths.

Time after time I have been able to duplicate this state of mind as long as the following conditions are present:

a long period (at least 5 days) of mental and physical stress that has suddenly ended and has been fully resolved
an empty stomach, if I have a full stomach I don’t feel the alcohol and it doesn’t work if I drink more.
by myself
some sort of visual “white noise”
1-3 alcoholic drinks, any more and it doesn’t work

I’m not sure why this happens. Could the long period of physical and mental stress “rev up” the brain and body? There is already strong evidence that using your mind improves it. Elderly people that do activities that involve using there mind keep and improve there memory and ability to think longer then those that don’t. With the brain “revved up” from all the problems over the last week, and the source of the stress suddenly gone, does a small amount of alcohol impair traditional embedded thought processes just enough to allow new innovated and creative ones? I’m not sure why the visual “white noise” helps, but it seems to distract a subconscious part of the brain that interferes with abstract thought processes.

Am I the only one this combination of conditions works for, or does it work for other people? Are there other conditions that can enhance the creative thought process even more?

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

4- HOW WE THINK

HELPFULL TIPS TO GET HEALTHY BY STARTING A REGULAR WORKOUT

June 10, 2015 listerlogic@hotmail.com Leave a comment

When it comes to exercise, your brain will lie to you. “Its too late”, “it’s too cold”, “I’m too tired” are just some of the things our brains will try to convince us of when it comes time to workout, all these excuses should be considered lies unless proven otherwise. “What’s the big deal” your brain will argue “Its only 1 workout”. It may not seem like a big deal to miss 1 workout, but 1 soon turns to 2 and the next thing you know your back to couch potato status with a dusty pair of running shoes in the closet. Ok, maybe if running is your thing and there’s a category 4 hurricane going on out side or it’s your 25th wedding anniversary you can skip the workout that day, otherwise just get at it. You will feel so much better afterwards.

This is one of many things I realized that helped me go from 2 chins to 1 and feel so much better by just doing a one hour workout every second day. Most people give up after a few months of starting a regular exercise routine, myself included but by learning first hand what pitfalls to watch out for and how to get through them, I have been able to stay on a regular routine for the past 10 years and what I’ve learned can help you do the same.

Know what your in for. The first thing you have to ask yourself is are you ready to commit 60 minutes every second day FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE to staying healthy? A popular misconception is you only have to exercise long enough to loose weight then you can stop and go back to what you were doing before, but most people that do this soon put the weight back on and start feeling the same as before. To succeed you have to be mentally prepared to keep it up year after year. This may sound hard but if you can make it through the first year it starts to become a regular part of your life’s busy schedule and requires a lot less motivation to keep up.

What do you have to do? I recommend any cardio workout, that can be anything that gets your heart rate up to a point just before you are not so out of breath you can’t speak and keeps it there for 60 minutes. It’s important to know that if you exert yourself too much you will not be able to maintain it for more than about 5 minutes no matter how tough you are. If your doing it right and exercising at room temperature your t-shirt should be wet from sweat by the end of the 60 minutes. I found that any activity I’ve chosen that does this has resulted in weight loss on all parts of my body, including my chin.

See your Doctor. Ok this is nothing you haven’t heard before but it’s important enough to stress again. Get a complete physical done and if that’s not possible at least see your doctor for a regular visit and let him/her know that you are planning to start working out and follow any advise or warnings you are given.

Starting out When you first start out try a 10 minute workout every second day, then add 5 minutes every 2 weeks until you get to 60 minutes every other day.

Ok, you are now mentally ready and committed to a regular workout and your doctor has given you the all clear. “What do I do and what will it cost?” I recommend you keep it simple and try to exercise from home by jogging, using an elliptical machine, or even an exercise bike with the moving handles. By exercising at home there is no added driving time to cut into your busy schedule. The 60 minute workout will take you 60 minutes and you can do it any time of the day or night. More than a few times over the years I’ve finished my home workout after midnight.

Choosing your exercise

Jogging- Jogging from your house is probably the cheapest and easiest thing to do but can be hard to get started (see “mentally surviving the workout “below). The cost of a pair of running shoes is all that’s involved and there is the mental stimulus of changing scenery. Jogging at night I find to be very peaceful and if there’s a coffee shop mid run stop and take a break. The negative things about running are the incredible pounding your joints take, so if you are starting off on the heavy side, have foot, knee or ankle problems jogging may not be right for you. Also on the downside you have weather, traffic, and sometimes unsafe neighborhoods. I have ran in all types of weather, and it is possible. In winter always wear a hat and gloves as these 2 extremities always seem to get cold. Wear something reflective and when crossing the road always check for traffic especially if your wearing earphones. I used to jog in a rough neighborhood with the belief that most gang members are lousy shots and few are willing to chase someone running. If you decide to run in a bad area or at night never stop to engage in a conversation with anyone, if someone talks to you just smile and keep going, carry one piece of ID, enough money for a coffee, your keys, and maybe a cell phone.
Elliptical machine or exercise bike -After an ankle injury a few years ago I can no longer take the pounding from jogging so the elliptical is what I use to work out now and I highly recommend it. Look for a machine that has smooth even tension. You can pay up into the thousands for an elliptical machine or exercise bike but if your under 200 pounds, I recommend spending no more than $200.00 for either at a reputable department store. If you find it’s not right for you most stores will allow you to return it. (The elliptical I use in the photo above cost $169.00). If your confident buying used there are deals to be had for as little as $40.00 or less at garage sales. Avoid buying used in the month of January when everyone is buying up exercise equipment for their New Years resolution (if you have used exercise equipment to sell January will get you the biggest buck).
Treadmill – I’m not a big fan of the treadmill but they do work. You will find that you have to run on the treadmill to get your heart rate up enough so you will need to spend a lot of money for one that will take the pounding.
Weights– Weights won’t get your heart rate up and are used more to build up muscle. I would wait until you’ve got through doing one year of cardio. If after a year you feel you could devote more time to working out and want to advance, weights are a great idea.
Joining a club -Having the use of some of the better exercise equipment and more variety, access to a personal trainer, and a variety of fitness classes make joining a club quite appealing. There is also the social aspect where you can meet and make friends. On the downside clubs can be expensive, if your busy, the time needed to travel to and from the club can turn a quick 60 minute workout into most of your evening. Even the variety of exercise equipment will become boring after a while and if it’s busy you may have to wait for a particular piece of equipment to become available.
That new revolutionary “Seen on TV” exercise machine – We have all seen the commercials for the machine that exercises every muscle in your body in half the time. Don’t waste your money, most are just gimmicks and although they will get your heart rate up, the novelty well wear off quickly and they will become just as boring as any other exercise method. There are no short cuts, you have to put in the time.
Sports, exercise classes, and other physical activity Great!! This is the best way. When ever possible substitute your workout for anything that is fun, gets your heart up and keeps your mind busy. Most of these rarely happen every 2nd day so you still need something as a backup.

Mentally surviving the workout

Its time for your workout and you are just too tired. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to just get started when you feel like this. Even if you start your workout at a snails pace, in most cases after 5 or 10 minutes your body will begin to wake up and before you know it your energy will return. Not only that but at the end of the workout you will usually feel like you have more energy then before you started. It doesn’t seem to matter how many years you have been exercising or what shape your in, there is always going to be times when you feel too tired to start.

Give your body time to adjust to a repetitive exercise. When doing any repetitive exercise like the elliptical or especially something hard to start like jogging, start out as slow as possible to keep your heart rate down to a sustainable level until your body adjusts. You should not be breathing so hard you can’t talk. If you can do this for 10 to 15 minutes something amazing happens. Its as if your body increases blood flow to the muscles being used and restricts blood flow to the ones that aren’t and the exercise becomes easier. So don’t give up too soon thinking you can’t do it. Also because of this be careful after stopping a repetitive exercise, some of muscles used for walking may not work right for a minute or two.

Surviving the boredom- Once your body gets over the initial strain of starting a repetitive exercise (about 10 minutes) it becomes easier with just a constant moderate discomfort from the physical exertion. At this point the brain numbing boredom soon begins. Your brain needs something to distract it from the exercise and get it to stop thinking about time. I have seen some people read or watch TV but I find listening to music is the best way to both take your mind off the exercise and give you motivation.

Music – Music is the best way to overcome the boredom of the workout, classical won’t cut it here, the fastest motivational music you are into at the highest safe volume the better. I prefer an MP3 player to the radio because you can have all music. It’s hard to get motivated by news and commercials which is all the radio seems to play when it comes time for your workout. Work on getting a large quantity of songs to avoid getting sick of the same ones over and over.

Once you have been exercising for more than 10 minutes and one of your favorite songs comes on, this is the time to push yourself to the limit. Forget everything I said before about not exerting yourself too much. Use the motivation from the music and go as fast as you can. You should be breathing so fast it’s hard to talk. Try to keep it up until the end of the song then slow back down to the speed you were doing before, don’t stop. Everyone’s exercising heart rate is different and you will soon start learning your own personal limits based on how fast your breathing is.

Benefits of Working out

It won’t be long before you start loosing weight and feeling better with more energy and more confidence in yourself. This healthy feeling from exercise becomes contagious. I have found since I started working out I’m not as hungry and feel full without eating as much. When I do eat I tend to make healthier decisions because I want to, not because I should.

If you can get through the first year, Congratulations! You have made it past the hardest part and will find it so much easier to keep going, so don’t stop. Not only that, if you’ve ever dreamed of completing a triathlon or climbing a mountain, you are now closer than you think. With determination, a longer workout and proper training I have no doubt you can accomplish amazing things.

I know…….I’ve done it.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

Lister Logic

Category Archives: 4- HOW WE THINK