Dam..

 

Commander..

 

Beyond..

 

Before epilepsy was understood to be a neurological condition, people believed it was caused by the moon, or by phlegm in the brain. They condemned seizures as evidence of witchcraft or demonic possession, and killed or castrated sufferers to prevent them from passing tainted blood to a new generation.

Today we know epilepsy is a disease. By and large, it's accepted that a person who causes a fatal traffic accident while in the grip of a seizure should not be charged with murder.

That's good. That's progress and still a long way to go, says Stanford University neurobiologist.  Robert Sapolsky.

After more than 40 years studying humans and other primates, Sapolsky has reached the conclusion that virtually all human behavior is as far beyond our conscious control as the convulsions of a seizure, the division of cells or the beating of our hearts.

Command..

 

The world is really screwed up and made much, much more unfair by the fact that we reward and punish people for things they have no control over," says Stanford University neurobiologist.  Robert Sapolsky. "We've got no free will. Stop attributing stuff to us that isn't there."

We know we make worse decisions when hungry, stressed or scared. We know our physical makeup is influenced by the genes inherited from distant ancestors and by our mothers' health during her pregnancy. 

Abundant evidence indicates that people who grew up in homes marked by chaos and deprivation will perceive the world differently and make different choices than people raised in safe, stable, resource-rich environments. 

A lot of important things are beyond our control.

But, like—everything? We have no meaningful command over our choice of careers, romantic partners or weekend plans?   Just a thought.

War..

 

Human..

 

Ntionals

 

President Joe Biden urged Americans in an Oval Office address on Thursday evening to stand with Ukraine and Israel, arguing that U.S. leadership abroad and congressional aid to both countries is essential.

Biden sought to drive home the value of continued U.S. support for the close allies to a war-weary public less than a day after his visit Israel to meet with the country's prime minister. 

 "So let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America's national security.".......

Seems that "continue killing" somewhere is essential for our National Security.

Blast..

 

The US government assesses that Israel “was not responsible” for the blast at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, according to the National Security Council, following President Joe Biden’s comments that a Palestinian militant group was behind the strike.

A spokesperson for the NSC, Adrienne Watson, said the assessment was based on available reporting, including “intelligence, missile activity, and open source video and images of the incident.”

Israeli officials have released audio of what they say is Hamas militants discussing the blast and attributing it to a rocket launched by PIJ.

 "Intelligence " ...available reporting!!!!!!  Just a thought.

Forced..

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that Egyptians in their millions would reject the forced displacement of Palestinians into Sinai, adding that any such move would turn the Egyptian peninsula into a base for attacks against Israel.

Humans..

 

News of the deadly explosion came just hours before President Biden departed for Israel for a visit Wednesday to deliver a message of support to a key U.S. ally following Hamas' terror rampage in southern Israel. 

Mr. Biden had also planned to meet with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority on a stop in Jordan, but that meeting was canceled in the wake of the hospital tragedy.

Ahead of the president's visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. and Israel had "agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multinational organizations to reach civilians in Gaza," the small, densely populated Palestinian territory.

Relentless Israeli airstrikes and a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, imposed by Israel in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, have driven roughly half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents from their homes and created a humanitarian crisis as food, fuel and water all run desperately short.