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To: Raymond Duray who wrote (41631)	11/17/2003 8:59:11 PM
From: Mark Adams	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

Ray, I happened to flip on the four or so cable news channels this weekend, for a few minutes each, to see if there happened to be any discussion of the energy bill post conference meshing and mangling. I then turned the tele off, as it appeared the signal to noise ratio was off the chart. All I had was the impression that behind the cover of current news reporting, much more newsworthy things taking place went uncovered. Programming can be very subtle. You have "24" using a drug look alike as a potential bio vector, an intriguing concept in it's own right. Unfortunately, I'd been exposed to parts of the alleged follow on to the Patriot Act (aka Victory Act). This included changes related to drugs and their illegal importation. So rather than enjoying the show as I would like, I'm left wondering if my mind is being manipulated in preparation for yet another step towards a neocon vision of a grand police state. I suppose there is a subtle link here to my brief paper on 'Dangerous Ideas', which posits a darwinian battle of survival of ideas, you and I being 'hosts'. There clearly are ideas which impact our abilities to enjoy our lives. I presume you are familiar with the 'memetic virus' phrase and concept. On a more pleasant tangent, I woke from my sleep period in the midst of a dream. I was using browser like, peer to peer distributed app, that allowed file sharing/retrieval in a distributed, cooperative computing model, but also included the ability to search the web and present organized results. I was told of a unique feature that actually examined content, and highlighted documents containing unique concepts. In otherwords, it could weed out redundant noise and highlight where true info might reside. "cool!", I exclaimed.

To: Raymond Duray who wrote (41631)	11/17/2003 9:12:36 PM
From: Mark Adams	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

A few thoughts on ideas (left unedited, as written on 12/17/2002) I think the beginning of wisdom for me was the realization that my answers might not be right for others. If that is the case, then my gathering of wisdom is quite young in tooth, if you will. Recently I was pondering my own examination of how ideas I've held in the past have guided my choices in this life, for better or worse, and drew a parallel to some experiences I've witnessed in others. I came to a conclusion: Ideas are perhaps the most important unseen factor guiding destiny I have known, regardless of actual validity. A casual statement made be someone, accepted and internalized by another, can guide and even rule an individuals' choices for decades. Perhaps too few of us have the chance to discover and evaluate these ideas. I doubt any of us ever discovers all of these hidden thoughts or beliefs. This understanding of the power of ideas on an individual at first made me reluctant to interact with anyone, lest I pollute or perhaps in some way damage them for decades. (Mematic Virus- from Meme for idea: a concept that changes a persons perceptions, outlook, path or destiny). I thought I could try to limit the damage I did others by avoiding any statements at all. Since I'm not in a position to know enough to know which ideas are ultimately pro-survival and healthy and which are faulty, it is best that I suppress them all if possible. Censoring the bad ideas is just not possible given my rather limited view of 'The Big Picture'. Eventually I tried looking at this exchanging of ideas as a bazillion random particles (humanity) bouncing off one another inside a balloon (our shared coexistance in this time/space). It might be part of natures design that out of bazillions of random idea exchanges, some paths would ultimately result that not only ensured individual survival, happiness and success, but would guide future generations. A darwin contest of ideas, if you will. If this is the case, then I can happily go about expressing ideas to any and all who will listen without worry about consequences. Yes, some individual life paths may be 'damaged'. Which implies a judgement that some lives are more worth living than others, I suspect inappropriately. Perhaps perceived 'damage' is the price of the larger process in place. Having considered the impact of my ideas on others this far, I realize mass media presents tons of ideas, more to any typical individual, than I could ever hope to express to every single person I'd interact with in a lifetime combined. Ideas like my teeth are too yellow. Perhaps an idea I can reject without much effort. May life bring you unexpected pleasures...