"He calls gays and Hispanics his brothers, and says those who call him bigoted are missing the point of his campaign..." appeared in the print version, but was shortened here. I am working to organize a nonreligious brotherhood and sisterhood dinner group here in Mountain View. Everyone is welcome, including people learning English. You'll need to know a little bit of English to be comfortable at the dinners, but it doesn't take much English to enjoy fellowship and a good hamburger.

It's a sad story, to be sure, but sadder still is a community that cannot tolerate its harmless kooks.

'He yearns for an age where the men are strong, the women are feminine and "nobody uses birth control."'

...and spousal abuse is not a crime. Damn the system for setting him up for failure.

"connect people wholesomely" ... "he hit his wife"

"Ideafarm says his recent troubles with the law are little more than trumped up charges and violations of his constitutional rights."

Everyone is judged by their words and their actions. Sorry, Wo'O, but you have a lifetime of misconduct from breaking the law, using violence, and using foul language repeatedly. Get your own life in order before telling the rest of us how we should live.

Why does the Voice give this man a voice? He needs to move on away from the Bay Area.

I am going to give this forum a try and will be here hourly to converse with anyone who has something constructive to say. I am not going to discuss my past. I am not going to respond to character attacks. But I will answer questions about IdeaFarm (tm) Operations, including the mission, the operating plan, the role that Mountain View plays in that plan, what's in it for Mountain View's businesses and residents, etc.

I will begin by stating that my objective is to organize a nonreligious brotherhood/sisterhood that, in Mountain View, will consist of one group of people in each zip code who meet for dinner every eight days and who sign the pledge that appears on the web site, making public their commitment to living unselfishly. I plan to devote the remainder of my life to empowering such people economically by providing tools that they can use to take control over their own economic lives.

This is not a recession. I am a degreed economist, and it is my informed opinion that the economy and the society in the United States will continue to decline until we come together to fix what my old signs four years ago proclaimed: "The root problem is that you have become a selfish people!"

My plan is simple and legal and will be fun and effective. It is what we need to do, and if we don't do it, then nothing else that we or our government do will be effective.

What would happen if we just "rearranged" the letters on his dog house to share a message that being gay, or hispanic or whatever the current rant is to something that does state brotherhood/sisterhood?

I like Mr. Ideafarm being here. I don't like everything that he writes on his box, but I am glad that he is taking advantage of his rights. If others would like to post their ideas, I think that that would be really interesting as well. We don't need to shut down someone who has a creative idea and actually puts it into practice.

There are type of speech for which you can be prosecuted. For example, inciting a riot. I don't think that he does anything like that. If you want to prosecute someone for speech crimes, go after the talk radio people who ask their listeners to kill the sitting president. Now, that would be worth putting some energy into.

I wish people would realize that he in no way affects them other than maybe irking them. Remind me again...who's the sad one who's got the problem? Every town has their village kook, I like ours just fine because as village kooks go, we could do much worse

Article misspelled "borders"

I have to ask again, why do we let mental health issues like this go on so long untreated!?!

Give this guy the mental health that he needs to understand the world he lives in.

I'm half texan and my father, the Texan, enjoyed people. He was off of the chart in how much he enjoyed people, and this made him successful in business in Coronado, where I grew up. That was in the 60's, before the real estate boom. It was a time when, and a place where, (white) people could take for granted that they could buy a house and have a couple of nice cars and go on vacations and have family meals every day at 6 PM, on one income, with wife/mother at home. People who were greedy or desperate for money lived and worked in LA. San Diego was filled with people who "worked to live", and the focus of life was on enjoying other people and doing all sorts of outdoor activities with them, with family, with employees and business associates, and even with strangers.

I am a mathematician and have thus been much more isolated than was my father, the businessman. But I like and need people at the same level that he did. My dream for my own life has for 15 years been to fill my life with friendly people and do the fun things with them that I remember people in San Diego doing in the 60's.

Hamburgers grilling on campfires and in barbeques are the most prominent images in those memories. My early vision for IdeaFarm (tm) Operations involved organizing barbeques on beaches and in parks and in campgrounds. As the operating plan took shape and became realistic, this became dinners at In'N'Out Burger.

This whole thing I've been doing is basically the impulse of a man with a Texas sized desire for friends and fun, stuck within a mathematician's mind and body and life.

I've invited millions of people to have a hamburger with me, and I've only found one person who get's the concept. I guess it's because this is Mountain View, not San Diego, and this is 2010, not 1970.

To save the United States, all we need to do is convert back into nice people and start having fun together, like joining me for a hamburger.

Ideafarm is Emperor Norton reincarnated, and adds color to our city. However, I would suggest he change his name to Wo Funnyfarm.

Mr. Ideafarm, while I support your free speech rights, if you're going to come in here and debate the other readers, I won't feel restrained in criticizing you. You can say, "I'm not going to discuss my past," yet every word, action, and public appearance you make is clearly a product of your past woundings, which you seem unable to put behind you. For those of us who don't have the same woundings, your positions are bizarre and un-consciously reactive, not to mention out of line with your quoted intentions of "wholesome" connection and building unity. While I agree that a lot of what our society is and does is pure insanity, you haven't convinced me that you aren't even more securely in the grip of an unconscious, reactive pattern that prevents you from seeing absolute truth. Instead, you treat us to your version of the truth, which is no more true than ours. Except that - in contradiction to your criticism of selfishness in others - your continued harangues and rants seem to be the height of selfishness, in which you indulge yourself without regard to the feelings of those around you. You may think that shocking people gets them to listen but in fact it simply turns them off. And then, your message of returning to a paternalistic anti-individualist society is hardly a solution in nation dedicated from the time of its founding to Freedom and Equality, not to mention that such a society wouldn't tolerate you.

Hey, Idea Farm Man, keep exercising your right to the first amendment, you are certainly entitled to that. However, please don't obstruct traffic. Thanks!

I dislike seeing this guy's trash on Rengstorff. It is dangerous placement right on the street as well as a silly distraction, and it brings the neighborhood down as junky. A forum should be made where appropriate, such as here or a billboard. Should we all be able to put our ugly junk signs on the street this way? I don't know why he gets away with it. The rest of us have opinions, too, but we don't display them dangerously. I don't care what value this guy has to some of you, but to me he's the real definition of a nutcase, and I can't even get through this article because it's so ridiculous and not worth my time.

Berkeley is ------->

If I had invited millions of people to have a meal with me and only one accepted, I might begin to wonder maybe it's not those millions of people who don't get the "concept".

Fellow citizens of Mountain View, we have an Emperor Norton in our midst, and should take advantage of this (ref. Wikipedia article: Web Link

I think your idea is fine. Sometimes I enjoy seeing your signs.

HOWEVER, I do not like to see the discriminatory remarks that you write that I have to explain to my young children as they are in the car with me.

IF you could state your comments, your beliefs, etc. in a way that does not hurt other people, I would be closer to your side. As it is now, many times your comments are divisive, discriminatory, and worse than no comment at all.

Emporer Norton - that is awesome. Thanks for sharing. Maybe we do!

If you got rid of the kooks in Northern California, you'd be left with New Jersey. Is that really what you want?

Seer, I'm picking you because you articulated the most meaty question. Which part of, "Hey, let's go enjoy a hamburger together at In'N'Out!" don't you understand? It's such a simple concept. Invite strangers to go do something together that is fun and innocent and fits in nicely to the most crammed schedule. Everyone's gotta eat. And those who do it regularly are no longer strangers to each other. Mix in a common moral orientation, and the result can be deep, possibly lifelong friendships.

I am only the voice of an idea. Focus on the idea, not on me! Organizing a dinner for strangers who want to become friends is such a simple thing, that even a crazy person can do it. So who cares whether I am crazy or not? What does it matter? <s>

>> discriminatory remarks... explain to my young children...IF you could state your comments, your beliefs, etc. in a way that does not hurt other people...

I acknowledge that some of the content is not suitable for children. I have a civic duty to minimize nuisance, and this is part of the nuisance created by the general method of spontaneous direct speech that I use.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, states that:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Today freedom of speech, or the freedom of expression, is recognized in international and regional human rights law. The right is enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. Based on John Stuart Mill's arguments, freedom of speech is understood as a multi-faceted right that includes not only the right to express, or disseminate, information and ideas, but three further distinct aspects:

* the right to seek information and ideas;
* the right to receive information and ideas;
* the right to impart information and ideas.

* the right to receive information and ideas;

I have a mountain of voice recordings and pictures and movies which document the HUGE amount of police officer time that the City of Mountain View has allocated to its effort to silence IdeaFarm (tm) Operations. This isn't about one man's right to speak. It is about 500,000 men and women's right to hear, at their individual options, what that man has to say.

My message threatens significant economic and political interests. The power of the state has been applied in flagrant violation of law to silence this speaker of an unpopular message. The powers that be are not political idiots. They know that the majority either want me silenced or are indifferent (i.e. not paying attention). They know that their special interest constituencies want me silenced. They are expert at using the police powers entrusted to them in unlawful ways that cannot be proved (so they think).

But I have a suprise for them. I am going to teach the City Council, and the Mountain View taxpayers, a lesson that they will never forget. The lesson: do not encroach upon the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of the Republic of California, on the civil rights of the people.

The lesson that I intend to teach here will be heard nationwide. It will be a lesson that, hopefully, this nation will never again forget. Our system is not a balance of power system involving three branches of government. It involves the balance of power involving FOUR branches of government: the EXECUTIVE, the LEGISLATIVE, the JUDICIAL, and the INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERED CITIZEN.

What empowers the individual citizen? Wholesome connection with other citizens does. We either empower each other, or we render each other powerless.

So, I ask one more time. Who will join me for a hamburger?

To the WO Idea Farm Man; Sounds like you have too much time on your hand. Would someone please rescue him from himself and be his friend? He's crossed the line of reality and insantiy too many times. Show him the light and guide him! Smother him with LOVE.

I find WO Idea Farm refreshing in his enthusiasm and exercise of his rights as an American, which most don't bother to. I don't agree with him all on his positions, but where does it say that we all need to agree in order for it to be acceptable for intelligent discussion?

I'd go so far to suggest the most intelligent discussions are borne from disagreements.

"You can say, "I'm not going to discuss my past," yet every word, action, and public appearance you make is clearly a product of your past woundings, which you seem unable to put behind you. For those of us who don't have the same woundings, your positions are bizarre and un-consciously reactive, not to mention out of line with your quoted intentions of "wholesome" connection and building unity"

---------------------------

Let's be honest, a major difference between us and Wo Idea Farm is that his past has been splashed into public view and scrutiny, while we hide behind psuedo-names.

We all bring baggage to the table, and whether you realize it or not, it influences your behavior, even what you write in this forum.

So let's put the stones down.

@Hardin - You have had the most intelligent responses of anyone; thank you! PUT THE STONES DOWN, PEOPLE!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!!

@IdeaFarm - Coronado...... what an idyllic childhood! But the world is so much bigger than it was, even in the 60's; I wish we could go back to those days myself. Please realize: You DO need to soften your delivery; I think you'd have more support if you did.

Seriously I almost got hit by a car because of the trailer once - the car couldn't see me crossing. I hope he works it out with the city.

>> Coronado...... what an idyllic childhood!

Coronado was very sheltered. I was in 9'th grade when the bridge was built. My childhood story would stun you. That experience instilled the values, confidence, and independent mindedness that set the course for my life.


>> You DO need to soften your delivery; I think you'd have more support if you did.

The signs really aren't inflammatory. They just spotlight the issues that divide us. When someone driving by at 35 MPH sees the word QUEER or MEXICAN, they don't read the rest of the sign. They just think "bigot" and then tell all of their friends about the bigot's new signs. The real bigots in Mountain View, the racists who know that I oppose them and that I want to have hamburgers with Mexicans, gleefully join in maliciously. Today's task is to finish compiling a complete set of pictures that document each and every sign that has appeared since I bought a good camera about 14 months ago. I am going to distribute those pics in exchange for a donation. Seeing all of the signs, in sequence, in the quiet of your living room will make them much easier to comprehend.


>> I almost got hit by a car because of the trailer once - the car couldn't see me crossing.

I'm guessing that you were a ped or a bicyclist crossing El Monte at El Camino Real. If so, then the law would hold you and/or the motorist who hit you responsible if you were hit as that motorist made a blind right turn just assuming that no peds would be there, and you crossed just assuming that no motorist would make a right turn into you. If a legally parked vehicle is blocking your view, the law requires you to adjust your speed, look for oncoming vehicles, and proceed only when you know that the path is clear.

At El Monte, I post a sign that says, "CAUTION VEHICLES TURNING RIGHT". I still see peds and bicyclists proceeding right into the crosswalk without slowing or even looking to their left.

I take care to always park legally. I also spend time watching the traffic flow to identify situations such as the above. I post warning signs to remind peds to do what the law requires them to do. I use the lower risk locations more than I use the higher risk locations.

I've been trying to get off of the street and onto the sidewalk for a year. The sidewalk locations are much safer both for me and for other users of the street. Now that I can use the sidewalks, I won't be on the roadway nearly so much, so the safety issue will 75% go away.

Hey Ideafarm, I love that you're blaming the pedestrian or bicyclist for almost being hit because of your obstruction! Are you kidding me? I've seen you run out in traffic with your signs myself - dangerous to others and yourself. I've had difficulty backing out of a parking spot on Castro because your massive box was blocking my view.

Your massive trailer often causes dangerous situations, as do you by walking in the midst of traffic.

Your messages ARE often bigoted and close-minded, and yes, I've read them. Why on earth would I want to have a hamburger with someone like you? I'd much rather spend my time with people who are open-minded and not intolerant.

I've got an idea for your farm: why don't you try to spread your message to other cities who've not yet had the wonderful opportunity of seeing your ideas. Sunnyvale is a short ride, and Los Altos is lovely this time of year! Get a move on!

"locationless" lifestyle? Does that mean homeless? What is his source of income? It takes money to maintain a website Web Link The article did really go into that. Hopefully the taxpayers are not supporting his 'lifestyle'.

>> I've had difficulty backing out of a parking spot on Castro

I acknowledge that the general method of spontaneous direct speech that I use creates this kind and other kinds of nuisance and that I have a civic duty to minimize nuisance.


>> Your messages ARE often bigoted and close-minded

A messsage cannot be closed minded, but the speaker and/or the listener can be. Have you ever approached me to discuss or debate a point raised by a sign?


>> Why on earth would I want to have a hamburger with someone like you?

Because you and I are both open minded, so we would find each other's ideas to be stimulating.


>> Hopefully the taxpayers are not supporting his 'lifestyle'

I work as a temporary worker though an agency. I do not accept donations and am self supporting. All expenses for my civic activism are born by me.

Taxpayers are not paying for my lifestyle, but you are definitely paying for all of the police time ($200 / hour) and other government expenditures made to interfere with my speech operation and to handle the deluge of 911 calls that hit emergency dispatch whenever the signs open a controversial topic. Here's a ballpark estimate of the average per day cost for the year:

$300 100 calls to 911 at $3 per call
$700 1 interference incident (2 officers, 1 sergeant, 60 min)

**** $365,000 for the year directly related to 911 calls

Now add the arrests:

$6,000 three WIC 5150 arrests with psych evaluation
$6,000 three arrests with 8 hour hold at county jail

**** $12,000 for the year related to arrests with detention

Now add the 13 days in county jail:

$2,600 13 days at $200 per day

**** $2,600 for the year for jail room and board and guards

Now add court costs borne by the county:

$10,000 Twenty complaint counts at $500 per count

Now add the likely public defender costs for the current charges:

$100,000 Ten complain counts (prosecution) at $10,000 per count
$100,000 Ten complain counts (defence) at $10,000 per count


**** $210,000 for the year for court and legal costs to taxpayer

GRAND TOTAL: $589,600

But that's not all, folks! I contend that almost all of the above law enforcement expenditure was politically motivated, malicious and unlawful. If I can prove it (and I can), the courts can hold the City of Mountain View (i.e. the taxpayers) liable for damages under 42 U.S.C. 1983, the Federal Civil Rights Act.

The bottom line is that $600K of taxpayer money was spent in an unsuccessful attempt to silence me over the past 12 months. That attempt not only was not effective, but the City is now liable for damages for infringing my civil rights. The rights of the people to hear what I have to say have also been infringed, so there is also a cause of action for a separate class action suit against the city.

No one is asking about the dinners or the vision or the plan, so I am leaving and will probably not read this forum again. You can normally find me at The Doghouse #2 between 4 PM and sundown every day. Comments, debate, and conversation are welcome.

You are also welcome to join me at one of the dinners. 650-804-1311 is only a recorded invitation; it is never answered. At the dinners, I am not allowed to talk about IdeaFarm (tm) Operations. It is just a dinner for strangers who want to become close friends.

So he doesn't like hispanics or gays, or women. He doesn't like the government. He's a Republican!

If we don't show up for burgers between 4 PM and sundown, will you also leave Mountain View?

To Fuwohole,

Are you still giggling about the cleverness of your post? That was really clever of you - the way you took the first letters of the big swearwords and stuck Ideafarm's name in there. And you even ended it with HOLE! My goodness, you are clever!

Here is my take on all the bitterness in these posts - you are jealous that this guy has actually retained the ability to pursue an idea, and you haven't. You go to work every day, watch TV, etc. And he's out there trying to create a community of people who share ideas. And it irks you. Why does this guy get to stand on the street with his box and talk to people while you have to do your drudgery every day? I'll tell you why - because he has chosen to do it his way, and you've chosen to do it yours. And you're jealous!

Let me put this in terms you might understand: Ha ha! you're jealous! Ha ha you're jealous!

To Fuwohole,

Are you still giggling about the cleverness of your post? That was really clever of you - the way you took the first letters of the big swearwords and stuck Ideafarm's name in there. And you even ended it with HOLE! My goodness, you are clever!

Here is my take on all the bitterness in these posts - you are jealous that this guy has actually retained the ability to pursue an idea, and you haven't. You go to work every day, watch TV, etc. And he's out there trying to create a community of people who share ideas. And it irks you. Why does this guy get to stand on the street with his box and talk to people while you have to do your drudgery every day? I'll tell you why - because he has chosen to do it his way, and you've chosen to do it yours. And you're jealous!

Let me put this in terms you might understand: Ha ha! you're jealous! Ha ha you're jealous!

-------------------

+1. The trolls must be hungry this weekend...

Difficult to believe that anyone would be jealous of an individual who has been unfortunate enough to have gone through what Wo'O has gone through. Anyone who really wants to geta message across can take some time out of their schedule to do so if teh commitment is there. So we can all speak our mind if we wish.

I find it odd that he has adopted his beliefs, or at least put them into practice after having gone through the things he has gone through. One could argue that he is the one who is jealous of those who have a life that he once had.

But that aside, he presents his messages on the street in a much different manner than in these posts. His messages could be delivered in a more constructive way. "You Have Become A Selfish People", "F*** MVPD", "Queer..." and such are hardly refreshing and obviously not well accepted by most people.

His attitude seems arrogant and preachy. Personally, I don't have anything against him, but a different, less controversial approach may be more effective...or at least alienate fewer people. Please don't say that would compromise his priciples.

So, when can some of us get together with Wo'O Funnyfarm at InNOut? This guy could be Mtn. View's equivalent of Emperor Norton (see my post above for a Wikipedia link).

So, when can some of us get together with Wo'O Funnyfarm at InNOut? This guy could be Mtn. View's equivalent of Emperor Norton (see my post above for a Wikipedia link).

Belmont has Estrella Benavides, Palo Alto has Victor Frost, Mountain View has Wo'o.

Waldo - when are you going to be in the mood for a burger? My husband and/or I are in!

Let me see if I understand this...a guy who lives in a box is against my gay marriage? Boo-hoo. This guy has gotten way more than his allotted 15 minutes of fame. Spare us all.

How about helping someone who wants help, instead of forcing your drivel on those who do not want it? Go help the homeless, gather food and clothes donations, help them find the resources they need.

To me, it seems like you're a person who just needs attention (the bad kind). Do you really need the attention that badly? Maybe sign up for a Big Brother - a stable mentor might be helpful for you.

misguided effort? maybe. disgruntled citizen? possibly. but folks the name of the game is tolerance. go talk to him if you want, in a civilized way. who knows if one of these days he'll get some sense and try to re-construct his life from a more sensible point-of-view.

Dear Mr. Ideafarm, I cannot help but admire your dedication, perseverance, energy and mental fortitude. You are amazing really, the way you are so focused on your cause. Perhaps you should channel all those qualities where they would be more appreciated such as Save the Dolphins/Whales. Why waste all of your time on people who don't really seem to appreciate your efforts? If you were to join a group with common goals I bet you would make some wonderful friends. Check out Ric O'Barry at Web Link He's a little unusual, but effective and likable. A group such as that would love to have someone like you on their team. Perhaps it's time to re-examine your goals and purpose. You could be our next hero. Good luck!

>>Quote>>
...he then started a family and software consulting business in Milpitas, where he lived until "a repeated kind of craziness" changed the course of his life.

That "craziness," Ideafarm says, came in 1992, when he hit his wife. He was arrested for spousal abuse, the couple separated and Ideafarm lost custody of his two daughters.
<<End Quote<<

Translated = I'm a coward who repeatedly beats his wife, is unsafe around my own children, and can't keep a job.


>>Quote>>
"I became furious at the system for setting my wife and me up for failure and making it impossible for my kids to have what we thought we were going to have."
<<End Quote<<

Translated = I'm a coward who blames others for my own mistakes and shortcomings.


My advice = Grow up and stop acting like a 2 year old who lost her doll. You've hurt more people than you could ever help!

[Post removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]

With all the vitriol that's been aimed at this individual, with lots of "advice" how he should redirect his energies to a more honorable and noteworthy cause in a positive way, I find an astonishing amount of hypocrisy considering the time and effort spent ridiculing and insulting the man.

If this proves anything, its that we all have issues, and most of us rather deal with someone else's, rather than tend to our own.

There's a lot of illogical thinking and misconceptions flying around here - both from WO and the posters.

W'o's "idea" that the message is somehow separate from the messenger may be intellectually pure, but let's face it, this forum itself proves that it is a fantasy. We're all too full of unconscious biases to separate the two. If he wants to succeed, he should start by accepting that.

Hardin's musings are a tautology. W'o's past has been splashed into the plublic forum because he's in-your-face about his message. That automatically makes his past a public matter, which affects the perception of his ideas. This is no different than, say, Sarah Palin, whose past I know little about but I can clearly see that there is one controlling her brainless and mean-spirited brand of politics. If you're in the public forum, you better have done some work on yourself, or your message will be about you instead of something else.

W'o says there are four branches of government (executive, judicial, legislative, and people.) I guess that despite talking up the Constitution, he forgets that our government is "Of the people, by the people and for the people." In other words, the people are NOT separate from the government, and the Tea Party's idiotic "us vs them" approach that makes the government the enemy only promotes lack of civic involvement lack of civil discourse. W'o's ideas are just as wrong and ignorant as those of the Tea Party. You want to change government - then change it, for you are it. What W'o is fighting is not "government" but the crystallized will and attitude of the people of Mountain View, embodied in our laws and civil servants.

This isn't about getting a hamburger at In-n-Out, since the number of people who show up there (if any) are a tiny fraction of those who are affected by his public exposure. If W'o is going to change the course of Mountain View, it will be by standing on the street corner, not getting people to consume fast food with him.

I have no issues with this guy's banner or slogans, even though sometimes they look nutty or funny. Based on this article , he wants to live in the 16th century and also this guy has a severe bent on his own religious beliefs which don't scale to the current life trends. Harassing a nut or loony doesn't really solve anything.

I have just finished assembling a set of about 300 pictures that, when viewed as a slide show, document the past 14 months of signs. The set is about 90% complete; the other 10% are lost because I dropped both of my spindles of archive CD-ROMS eight feet down onto a concrete floor and shattered many of them.

I would like to provide about 8 reviewers with copies for comments. If the commenters like the collection, I am planning to distribute them by offering to copy them onto a user supplied USB flash drive and request a $10 donation (but a donation of any amount will be ok).

If you are willing to be one of these reviewers, please email me at ideafarmcity@gmail.com .

Idea farm may be objectionalbe to some, palatable to others but free speach is all I see in his folkart. If he is in the way, go around him. If he jumps into traffic, it is his choice to do so. Consequences of his bahaviors are of his own doing. None of us can take away his constitutional right of free speach.

I am not surprised that the Voice has given a voice to this guy. After all, it engages the community. Look at how many of us commented. He is part of the social fabric of Mountain View.

This article explains some additional background about Ideafarm that helps us understand and accept him for what he is -- mentally ill. In another time, he would have been quickly shuffled off to an institution. Today, for better or worse, we let those people live outside and ostracize them for being different and offensive.

If I had to compare Ideafarm to anyone, it would not be Emperor Norton. Rather, I think Ideafarm is more like Ted Kaczynski, the unabomber. He's just more sociable (and not violent) in his approach.

Ideafarm: please stop blaming others and making excuses for your situation. The system did not take away your family. You did. You hit/beat your wife. She left and the system did what it should do, restrict access of a known abusive spouse to his/her children. I hope that you and your family have reconciled and speak 18 years after that incident, especially if it was a single incident. We all have the ability to forgive in our hearts and I hope you are still part of their lives.

BTW: I think the city should leave the guy alone unless he is truly a public nuisance, a danger to himself, or to the public at large. By public nuisance, I mean the variety that substantially interferes with the rights of the public such as if he regularly blocked traffic or sidewalks. The rest of us should just ignore Ideafarm. As the Supreme Court said "avert your eyes" it ruled in favor of free speech in a case where a man wore a jacket emblazoned with "fuck the draft" in a courthouse.

"W'o's past has been splashed into the plublic forum because he's in-your-face about his message. That automatically makes his past a public matter, which affects the perception of his ideas. This is no different than, say, Sarah Palin, whose past I know little about but I can clearly see that there is one controlling her brainless and mean-spirited brand of politics. If you're in the public forum, you better have done some work on yourself, or your message will be about you instead of something else."

----------------

Maury Povich and Jerry Springer would agree with you.

However, the distinction I'm making is that there is a difference between free speech, and speech worth reading about. Some of what has been posted on this topic has certainly been free speech, but not necessarily of any literary or cultural value. What you are justifying is the same logic employed by talk show hosts to gain audience. It is neither redeeming nor informative.

It is true that Wo Idea has chosen a method of communication that publicizes his story. It is just as true that each of us is solely responsible for how we treat this story, that in turn reveals more about our character, than it does about Wo Idea.

"Idea farm may be objectionalbe to some, palatable to others but free speach is all I see in his folkart. If he is in the way, go around him. If he jumps into traffic, it is his choice to do so. Consequences of his bahaviors are of his own doing. None of us can take away his constitutional right of free speach."

-------------------

Amen.

I've said it before, leave the town kook alone.

But, now I'll tell you why:

He is an "Economist" and "Mathematician"...

HIS PLAN IS TO SUE THE CITY IN A FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT!
He's planning to get the citizens of Mtn. View to pay to get his life back.

So from now on simply ignore him, he will go away when no one talks to him or yells at him or arrests him... Make him invisible, it is his worst nightmare.

The is a method to bury unwanted posts online: Simply post a fish recipe every time he post on any forum.

Empower speech and you empower each other. What I am saying with my signs is much less important than the fact that I have invented a new general method of "spontaneous direct speech", am using it to speak, and am being heard. It is especially important given the awesome and determined power that has been applied by the City of Mountain View to silence me. I have single handedly beaten back a nearly fatal encroachment by government on the crucial liberty that we individuals have to speak spontaneously and directly to each other. Spontaneous direct speech is siege revolt. My activities have ensured that lawful siege revolt is still feasible in Mountain View.

We need to reempower the individual, to restore the balance of power between the individual citizen and the overwhelming and still growing power of big government and big media. I am doing this, and I am beginning to be effective.

Once a few people in Mountain View are willing to engage me in an INTELLIGENT conversation, the "he's crazy" excuse to dismiss what I have to say will evaporate.

The real challenge for us, for those who are willing to engage me in intelligent conversation, is to overcome the barrier of "schools of thought". When I studied economics at UCLA and then at the University of Chicago, it was difficult for me to take the Keynesian academic literature seriously because it was so obviously "crazy". (Both UCLA and the University of Chicago are of the "Chicago School") But as my understanding of the Chicago School of thought deepened, I became able to read Keynesian literature without dismissing it as "crazy". I came to understand that the two competing schools of thought started from different premises, had different goals, and applied different analytical methods. More importantly, as my understanding deepened, I became humble, because I became aware of what I do not, and never will, know. I came to realize that deep understanding brings deep awareness of the limitations of both self and whatever school of thought one identifies with.

Ten years ago, I intentionally cut the umbilical cord that connected my mind to the information media in the United States. I intentionally adopted a "locationless" lifestyle and made a legally binding commitment to never accumulate wealth. Over the eleven years since making those decisions, I have developed a different perspective on life in the United States. It is a perspective that is informed by my formal education but is not shaped by the media.

You are intelligent, and I am intelligent. But we are of different schools of thought. Your thinking is steered by the information media; mine is not. Engage me intelligently, and you will discover that things are not as they seem to be. I will reveal to you some shocking new possibilities.

Suggestion: let's have a conversation here about the following labels for my ideas on thought steering:

REALITY MODEL
THOUGHT STEERING
THOUGHT ASSAULT
REALITY INVERSION
PERCEPTION WELL

What I have in mind is a respectful engagement where I am the teacher and you, as correspondent, are the student. If a worthy student engages me here, I will try to be a worthy teacher.

The seminal insight that can begin our conversation is the idea that we are programmable creatures. We are "wet computers". If your mind is programmable, then democracy is a sham, and the widespread sense of empowerment that individuals enjoy on voting day is an illusion. The terms above are labels for ideas that give some precision to the notion that our minds are programmable.

I'd like to begin by defining each of the above terms. Is there someone who will "second the motion" for me to proceed?

"I have invented a new general method of 'spontaneous direct speech'..."

"I have single handedly beaten back a nearly fatal encroachment by government on the crucial liberty..."

"...I am the teacher and you, as correspondent, are the student."

"If a worthy student engages me here, I will try to be a worthy teacher."
---------------------------------------------------------------------

There's that arrogant attitude again. I must admit, that's what irritates me about this gentleman. The name Ego\'O Ideafarm seems more appropriate.

This society is so competitive that many of you have lost the ability to connect with others on any terms other than those of a wrestling match. The student/teacher connection is a sacred one; it is a high form of love. It is also the most efficient one for a transfer of ideas such as the one that I have proposed.

It's not about who is smarter than who. I've invited you to an intellectual banquet, not to an intellectual race. I've spent years and incurred a great personal cost to develop the concepts listed above. Now I propose to present these ideas to please and to engage you, at least those of you who are secure in your self esteem so have no trouble assuming the role of student.

If someone will "second the motion", I will begin. Once we begin, the beauty of our conversation will silence those here who are really not capable of more than being babysat in a continuation school.

I think you'd get more people to listen to you, if you wore a Napolean hat with bozo shoes, kilt, and a Che Guevara tee shirt.

Right now, you just freak people out, and drive them away from your "cause".

I present myself as a homeless person because it is the least intimidating; as a homeless person I do not threaten anyone's self esteem. I really am homeless; this isn't an act. But it IS an act in the sense that, though homeless, I could present myself in other ways. (See photos above.) For example, when I work, I wear normal work clothes.

People who tune me out do it because I am the voice of a moral idea; I am a preacher. My core message is, "The root problem is that you've become a selfish people.", or, presented positively, "Be Wholesomely Connected! (to other people, to the Earth, and to our Higher Power) People who reject this moral teaching use me as the excuse or the rationale, but it is really the moral message that they are rejecting.

But let's not be diverted. Is anyone here willing to "second the motion"? Does anyone here have the guts to say, "Yes, I'll second the motion. I want to hear what you have to say on thought steering."?

If someone does so, I will be brief and will write for a general audience so that it will be enjoyable for all present. I am not here to compete or to wear my education on my shirtsleeve or to make anyone feel inferior. For me, this is not a competition. I have utterly zero interest in competition. I am a genius, and I am very lonely.

Mr. Ideafarm, I love how you state "I am not going to discuss my past", then you go on to tell everyone about your childhood in Coronado. So you do want to discuss your past, just not the controversial part where you beat the crap out of your wife.

I do agree that the most effective way to get rid of this mentally ill person would be to completely ignore him. Make him invisible. If he does not get anyones attention, he will move on to a new place that will pay him more attention. Stories in the paper and arrests are exactly what he wants to help spread his insanity.

This is really a sad situation. Where is this close old fashioned family that he grew up with? Did they turn on him too? He really needs professional help.

Dear Mr. Funny Farm, You are nothing but a wife beater and a seriously mentally ill person. GET HELP NOW!

Okay...What is "thought steering?"

Quiet down, class! Before we all go out to play in the sun, we're going to have some fun with our thinking caps! :)

REALITY MODEL
THOUGHT STEERING
THOUGHT ASSAULT
REALITY INVERSION
PERCEPTION WELL

Anyone want to take a shot at what REALITY INVERSION is? Raise your hand; don't be shy! You can even make up a special pseudonym to hide behind. (Wouldn't you have liked to be able to do that in second grade!)

Thank you, Waldo. In practical terms, THOUGHT STEERING refers to any act that anyone does which influences the topics that you think about and/or the opinions that you have on those topics. Examples: advertisers, teachers, parents, peers, churches, law, information media editors and reporters. You and I and everyone else posting to this forum, including the hecklers, are engaging in thought steering.

I like to use the analogy of a supertanker. The hull is huge, and the currents are strong. Awesome forces are at play as the hull meets the current. Yet those awesome forces do not determine the direction that the huge ship moves. Its direction is determined by the much smaller forces at play on the surface of a relatively tiny rudder.

The hull is your mind. The currents are the vast torrent of information that your mind is exposed to as you pass your days. The rudder is your teacher, advertiser, preacher, peer, etc. from the above list. More precisely, it is acts by those people that are designed to lead your mind, to impress upon your mind a sequence of ideas, with the goal of programming your mind.

Is your mind programmed as ideas are presented to it? If your mind cannot be programmed, if you are a "rational being", then the concept of THOUGHT STEERING will not be useful in understanding yourself or your world. Rational minds consume information but are not modified by it. I am of the opinion that our minds are VERY programmable; they are so programmable that neither you nor I can claim to have ever had a single thought that we can call our own.

I'll take a stab at it professor.

Ahem, these are terms that you have concocted while lecturing at the University of Ideafarm.

In real world terminology...gibberish.

>> In real world terminology...gibberish

Here's a real world term not made up by me: "impressions"

Advertisers refer to their work product as "impressions". Every single time that some individual somewhere in the world sees the familiar Ford logo, that impression increments the value of that logo to Ford Motor Company stockholders.

See for example: Web Link

The United States, with its vision of liberty, justice, and democratic self government, sprang from the Enlightenment, a period during which thinkers believed in rationality and the perfectability of man. These thinkers were very aware of, and stood in opposition to, the THOUGHT STEERING industry of their time: The Catholic Church. But as they saw the human being as an entity with a rational mind, they didn't fully comprehend what they were up against. John Stuart Mill, for example, could write about "the marketplace of ideas".

The idea that we are programmable creatures is not my own. What I bring to the party is that, unlike most well trained economists, I have spent decades immersed in software craftwork. I've even had a job writing "probabilistic neural network" software, which is one of the approaches to machine intelligence that is used to bring us voice recognition so that we can speak account numbers into a phone or dictate email using Dragon. Unlike most software craftsmen, I am well trained in economic theory. Bringing the two together, I saw that the idea that our minds are programmable turns much of economic theory upside down. The Chicago School of economics rightly calls its field "political economics". The notion that we are programmable also turns upside down theories of democracy.

The bottom line: If we are programmable creatures, if our thoughts can be steered, then we and our children are in deep doodoo:

(1) our economic system has a good force, THE INVISIBLE HAND, and an evil force, which I call THE INVISIBLE FIST.

(2) democracy is a sham

(3) this is basically a slave system

(4) the United States is no more viable than was the U.S.S.R.

(5) the political and economic collapse of the U.S. will lead to war

These opinions are why I see the situation as urgent and am on the street with my brand of THOUGHT STEERING.

Mr. Ideafarm:

Your comments here sound pretty reasonable yet the signs you post publicly suggest a tenuous hold on reality. Perhaps you can heed the advice of so many on this forum and opt for more balanced, humane signage? Anger and slurs, regardless of your intent, won't win you many converts.

You have removed yourself from the day-to-day bread and circuses world in which most of us live. Good for you; I'm sure you have learned much that is hard to communicate to people so immersed in the TV/Internet age they no longer know what the ground looks like outside. You are a mirror onto which people project whatever they hate and fear the most in themselves. The only way to communicate your insights is with love and compassion, not fury.

I don't know the facts of your past, and neither, I suspect, do most (any?) of the commenters here. If you were abusive in the past you should certainly man up and acknowledge it, perhaps even explain what you learned from your past and how you have grown and evolved. Without that step, your story of persecution rings pretty hollow to many residents.

Furthermore, you are intelligent and educated enough to understand that living outside the mainstream also extracts a price, namely that you don't have to answer to anyone so your views can become calcified and rigid. You seem to have a very high opinion of yourself, claiming to have invented a whole new social order. Surely you realize that kind of self-aggrandizement is a hallmark of schizophrenia, or at the very least a tenuous hold on reality? I'm not diagnosing, here, just suggesting that humility on your part would go a long way towards healing the rift between you and so many in the community.

That said, I always welcome colorful people with unusual ideas. My son has spoken to you on a number of occasions as he has biked by and he has told me you are always polite and friendly. I believe Mountain View benefits from your presence but I encourage you to "soften the belly" (in Aurabindo's words) and work to create peace and love in the community.

Re. Thought Steering...If we do not have unique thoughts, then do we have unique perspectives? In other words do a multitude of thoughts we cannot call our own, when combined, produce a unique perspective? If so, would someone with a unique perspective be capable of unique thoughts?

Reality Inversion:

"It's an example of techno-babble, or words that sound like they are science but are gibberish. Phrases like this get used a lot in science fiction movies.

Anyway, a reality inversion would be the symmetrical inversion of reality, the negative of the inversion inverts the inversion, effectively canceling it out, so you are left with reality. However, there will always be some entropic losses when you invert reality so the reality you get back from a negative reality inversion is *slightly* different than the reality you started with. This is why, in general, negative reality inversions are not to be toyed with. Which is more techno-babble."

PeaceLove: Your post is thoughtful and loving. I will be willing to discuss my past some more, in small installments, after we finish with THOUGHT STEERING. Wo'O's Scrapbook, featuring "An Unfinished Street Essay", which is a collection of about 300 pictures documenting the sign messages over the past year, will help people to understand the context and the meaning of each sign, especially the more provocative ones.

Ican'thelpmyself: Clever. Stay with me.

Waldo: Your post propels us forward. I concede your point, and it is an interesting one. But leave aside the question of uniqueness. What I am claiming is that your thoughts and perspective, whether unique or not, are the product of the sequence of ideas that have been presented to your mind since you wailed your first cry. Who scripted that presentation? Who programmed your mind? Not you. Others.

The brain is not a "von Neumann computer"; it is a neural network. Its job is to recognize patterns, and it is programmed by presenting patterns to it. The most important principle of advertising might be the principle of association. The advertiser wants to sell you his brand of beer by associating his logo with some basic need that you have. So the advertisements are designed to present that association to you repeatedly. Over 10 years of football game advertisements, you see the association thousands of times. So your mind learns the association. You buy that brand of beer because your brain has been programmed to associate that brand with whatever basic need the advertiser is exploiting.

I always either drink Coors or Budweiser. I choose Coors when I miss my father, which is often. My father drank Coors. I drink Budweiser when I want to feel young again, when I want to remember back in the days when I "had a life". I had lots of fun in high school, and did a lot of drinking at keg parties, and it was always Bud that was on tap. (The Budweiser distributor covering Coronado knew what he was doing.) These are basic needs in me, the need for my father and the need to remember back to a time, before I became a mathematician, when I was a party animal and I had a life. These needs are strongly associated in my mind with the visual appearances of a pale yellow Coors can and a red Budweiser can. The other beer brands really don't have a chance with me.

If this is really what we are, think of the awesome power that we entrust to the editor of the MV Voice and to other editors in the "information media" industry! Are they worthy of that power? Can we trust them to exercise it benevolently?

I'll be offline until about 3 AM tomorrow. The dinner is at 6 PM tonight at In'N'Out on El Camino Real at Grant / 237. I invite you to discuss these ideas among yourselves here, and look forward to reading your discussion.

His cart is a traffic hazard when he parks it at the intersection of El Monte and El Camino. Drivers can't accurately see the oncoming traffic when turning right from El Monte on to El Camino.

Dear Professor WO'Idea: Whatever makes you happy. It's your life and your choice to do whatever you want. You have an interesting philosophy and perspective on life, but I don't quite buy it. It doesn't feel right to me. You are entitled to your voice and others can choose not to agree with you or read your posts. Frankly, I'm surpized at all the publicity and attention you are getting from the MV Voice. Makes me wonder if we are all crazy and you are the sane one.... think about that! With this insane economy, you may very well be on to something. I'll keep my ears and eyes open...

There are a lot of laws out there that still require you to use common sense. Common sense should tell you that you are causing a hazard and are endangering pedestrians and other cars, whether you are parked legally or not. So if a pedestrian is hit and killed, because a driver was unable to see him around your cart, I would hold you responsible, regardless of your "legal parking job". It amazes me that you cannot see the danger in the things that you do. I am all for free speech but not at the expense of other people's safety. But then you blame the police for your marriage falling apart too. Do you ever take responsibility for anything that you cause?

I am saddened to see MVers so divided on this issue, at least in the comments. I'd love to see an actual poll of MV resident. I personally don't find Ideafarm's colorful trailer any more or less of a hazard than a parked minivan: you can't really see through either.

Ideafarm: Many have made very specific (if unsupported) statements about your past. You seem to have made reviewing your photo project a precondition for discussing it. Perhaps you are not ready for a true accounting of your own past. If so, I urge you to explore that block more fully.

Make sure all your battles make the world a better place.

PeaceLove, Jonathan

BTW, I'm wholly vegetarian so In 'n Out won't ever work for me. :)

Judy, Shana, Jonathan: I am willing to remain here "after class" to discuss, in small installments, issues not related to THOUGHT STEERING. If people continue to engage me in the dance of student/teacher, we can move quickly toward completion. There are only four terms left to define:

REALITY MODEL

THOUGHT ASSAULT

REALITY INVERSION

PERCEPTION WELL


southbaygal: I am not crazy and neither are you. You are experiencing the "school of thought" effect, which is created by THOUGHT STEERING. My core message is really quite simple, and you will laugh once you grok it. But to do that, you must break free of the grip that the THOUGHT STEERING industry has on your mind.

I'd like to move quickly to and through THOUGHT ASSAULT, since it is an easily grasped concept, so that we can get to REALITY MODEL, which is where things will start to get a bit shocking. Who will be my students for the next dance?

This is my day off, and I will be spending it hiking with my elder daughter and her husband. Thought assault is just thought steering that is malicious or predatory.

I invite you all to (1) list all of the people, beginning with your parents when you were 1 day old, who presented ideas and associations of ideas to your mind in order for you to learn those ideas and associations of ideas. In the terms of thought steering theory, those people were engaged in programming your brain.

(2) When you have your list, put a 'S' next to the name of each person who had a self interest stake in the end result, i.e. were programming you for THEIR benefit.

(3) Now put an 'L' next to the names that were doing this out of love and were programming you for YOUR benefit. (There can be some overlap. Parents are hopefully primarily motivated by love, but they do also have a self interest stake in the outcome.)

(4) For those that have both an 'S' and an 'L', circle the primary motivator.

(5) The people that you marked with 'S' are your thought assaulters. Mark each of those 'M' or 'P' to indicate "malicious" or "predatory". For example, advertisers are predators but, generally speaking, are not malicious. They arrange for your destruction in order to profit from it, but they do not take pleasure in the kill itself.

(6) Come together in this forum to discuss your lists. Consider and discuss: "You live in a predatory world. Your environment is just as filled with predators and danger as was a primeval jungle in Central Africa 400 years ago."

(7) Of course, this idea is shocking and obviously lunacy. Mountain View is a nice place to live and there aren't any predators. The editor of the MV Voice is a nice person who just works hard to keep us all informed. Discuss.

I will be back this evening or early tomorrow.

I will check back here daily, around 3 AM. If even just one person is interested in being my student for the above topics, I will teach "my course" here.

I am patient and am committed to delivering the gift that I have spent my life creating. But if no one will receive it, it will not survive my death. The product of a life of creative work will be lost. I am running out of time. I have bet "the farm" on the people of Mountain View. At this moment, a single person deciding to step forward can determine the outcome of my gamble, both for me and for all of us.

I think the fundamental issue here is choosing truth versus choosing illusion. There are a lot of people who are selling their version of illusion as truth, so it makes it all the more necessary to seek truth within yourself rather than give over your power of discernment to someone else or to an "authority." Unfortunately, Wo'o, you have given me little incentive to choose your brand of illusion over the one you're criticizing. Instead, I see that your childhood shaped your illusion, and from where I stand, it's a very limited, sharp-edged illusion I don't choose to participate in. As Colbert said, "reality has a well-known liberal bias" but my take is that reality has a bias, period, since each of us - unless we challenge it - experiences a reality born of our own projections. Unfortunately, your projections don't serve me.

Wo\'O:

You have three more to go:
REALITY MODEL
REALITY INVERSION
PERCEPTION WELL

BTW...How did you select "Wo\'O" as a first name? How do you pronounce it?

Perhaps if everyone quit responding to Ideafarm he would get bored and go to another city. Sort of like ignoring a 2 year old having a tantrum.

>> Waldo: How did you select "Wo\'O" as a first name? How do you pronounce it?

Nick Veronin answers part of this. It is pronounced with long o's and with the accent on the 'O and with raising the pitch on the 'O, as if someone goosed you as you finished saying "Wo".


>> Seer: I think the fundamental issue here is choosing truth versus choosing illusion. There are a lot of people who are selling their version of illusion as truth, so it makes it all the more necessary to seek truth within yourself rather than give over your power of discernment to someone else or to an "authority."

Yes yes yes YES YES YES! *Y* *E* *S* !!!! You are surrounded by people who want to have thought sex with you, to inseminate your mind with idea seeds that will grow within you and emerge as behavior that will transfer $$$ from YOUR pocket into THEIR pocket. (Me reaching for the Coors can because I miss my father.) The thousands of voices clamoring for you to listen to them are almost, but not all, predators. You will live much better if you avoid watching advertisements and you otherwise limit who you allow to expose ideas, and associations of ideas, to your mind.

Look at the incentives. Always ask, "Where are the dollars in this?" and "Is the speaker acting (1) out of love for me, or (2) trying to prey upon me for profit, or (3) acting maliciously out of hate for me or for someone else?"

The good news is that there is much love out there. Most parents and teachers are motivated by love, and you are wise to allow them to steer your thoughts, to program your mind by presenting it with ideas and with associations of ideas. A good friend, one who is a TRUE friend, will steer your thoughts benevolently. You can also trust the great moral teaching figures of history, such as Jesus Nazareth, Hillel, Muhammad, Buddha, Krishna, and Confucius. You can trust the great works of literature, because they have passed the test of time. You can trust the peer reviewed scientific literature. And you can trust your own powers of reflection and introspection, if you make time for quiet reflection and study.

But most of the voices, and ALL of the most well funded voices, clamoring for your attention are predators.


>> Seer: "choose your brand of illusion"

I am a teacher, not a cult leader. Take my course, and then study under other teachers. I am aware of Keynesian economic theory, but I am still a Chicago School economist, not a Keynesian. You can be aware of "thought steering theory" without adopting it as your school of thought.

I use the signs to give voice to ideas that the thought steering industry suppresses. The signs are intended to reopen your mind to other possibilities, possibilities that are concealed from you by predatory editors. These concealed ideas have good pedigrees; they are not ideas that deserve to be rejected out of hand. They seem crazy to you only because they come from a different school of thought.

IOW, my signs are "scab signs". They are intended to break the monopoly that the thought steering industry has on what ideas you are presented with. I just want you to be aware that there are other schools of thought. We citizens of the U.S.A. need the ideas from ALL schools of thought to be on the table if we are going to find the best path forward.


>> Seer: reality has a bias, period, since each of us... experiences a reality born of our own projections

"Seer" is appropriate. You have just introduced the next concept, REALITY MODEL.

Before leaving THOUGHT STEERING and THOUGHT ASSAULT, does anyone else have something to say or to ask?

To sum up, THOUGHT STEERING theory says that our brain is a pattern recognizer computer that is programmed by presenting ideas and associations of ideas to it. In is basic, simple form, THOUGHT STEERING theory says that our minds really aren't capable of rational thought. What we think is merely the result of how we've been programmed, the result of the sequence of ideas and associations of ideas that have been presented to our brains from the hour of our birth to the present moment.

Wo - So it is costing the taxpayers 600K to keep you in MV (as noted in your earlier post) clearly the majority of MV residents (and police) do not appreciate you, honestly you should move to Berkeley or Santa Cruz where your contribution to society would be valued.

Ok, let's move on to REALITY MODEL. This lecture will be most interesting if I do no more than 1/8 of the posts. So if you want to post a question about THOUGHT STEERING or post your THOUGHT ASSAULT list, please do.

We begin with Seer's statement:

"my take is that reality has a bias, period, since each of us - unless we challenge it - experiences a reality born of our own projections. "

Seer's "projections" sound very close to what I mean by REALITY MODEL. Consider your eye and brain looking at a baseball arcing through the air toward you, an outfielder. Your job is to catch that ball, and it is coming in quickly.

Your brain does not "see" the baseball; it only sees a white splotch moving quickly across the retina of the eye. The retina is sensitive only to a limited range of light frequencies; you do not see the infrared heat radiating from the ball, and you do not see the ultraviolet radiation. (Other creatures, such as dogs, bees, and houseflies, can see frequencies that you cannot see, so those creatures can "see" features of the baseball coming at you that you cannot see.) Your brain can only "see" the retina of your eye; it cannot directly "see" the baseball.

Your retina does not know what a baseball is. It only passes along to your brain an image that is mostly blue, with some irregular unmoving splotches of white (clouds) and a single, very quickly moving, small splotch of white (the baseball). Your pattern recognizer brain must somehow command your arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, neck muscles, and 100 other "motors" so that that small splotch of white ends up in your mitt.

If our waking reality consisted of splotches of light, and we had to rationally think through what each splotch was as the splotch moved across the retina and grew in size, we would never be able to catch baseballs arcing toward us. There are two intermediaries built into our eye / brain system. The first is the eye's retina. The second is the REALITY MODEL. The latter is a subsystem within the pattern recognizer that operates like a "concept retina". On the eye retina, there is a white splotch. On the concept retina (the REALITY MODEL) there is a moving baseball. Thanks to the REALITY MODEL, the brain perceives a reality that consists of baseballs, clouds, sky, and grass.

The eye's retina can present a practically infinite number of splotch patterns to the concept retina. The concept retina maps this input into a relatively small, finite set of objects. A moving white splotch on the eye retina will appear on the concept retina either as a baseball, a golf ball, or incoming bird shit.

The job of the REALITY MODEL portion of our pattern recognizer is therefore to present the rest of our brain with a "concept retina" that allows our brain to see baseballs, golf balls, and bird shit, rather than moving splotches of white. If the REALITY MODEL is doing its job well:

(1) Each and every moving white splotch on the eye retina will result in some object appearing on the concept retina.

(2) Each object appearing on the concept retina will correspond to a moving white splotch on the eye retina.

(3) A glob of incoming bird shit will not appear on the concept retina as a baseball.

Our brain thus does not see objects directly. Nor does it see eye retina images directly. It sees the images on its "concept retina", and those images are constructed from the retinal images by the part of our pattern recognizer that I am calling the REALITY MODEL.

I do not experience reality objectively. Instead, I experience a model of reality that is constructed within my brain. That model might or might not be a good one. If I allow a predator to program my reality model, I might end up with one that enslaves me to destructive behaviors which line his pockets with $$$.

Resist the urge to change the channel. The thought steering industry programs your attention span to be shorter than that of a 2 year old in order to render you intellectually powerless against them. REALITY MODEL is a big piece of meat to swallow, but the remaining concepts, REALITY INVERSION and PERCEPTION WELL, will be easy and interesting. Once we do REALITY INVERSION, I will be able to tell you the real reason that I used provocative signs such as the two that contained the word "penis".

I'm outahere. Anyone interested in these ideas or in any other aspect of IdeaFarm (tm) Operations can normally catch me at wherever The Doghouse is within Mountain View between 4 PM and sundown, 7 days per week.

You are also welcome to join me for dinner by calling 650-804-1311. But at the dinners, no solicitation is allowed, and that includes me; I am not allowed to talk about Ideafarm (tm) Operations at the dinner.

I agree that he is selling his point of view and should operate with a business license. His box is a road hazard to bicyclists, and pedestrians. There needs to be another place he can stand on his soap box away from busy intersections and sidewalks.

>> "I agree that he is selling his point of view and should operate with a business license."

Lori, our system of self government would not work without freedom of speech. That right is the very first right provided for by the Constitution of the Republic of California (CC 1 (2)(a)):

"Every person may freely speak, write and publish his or
her sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of
this right. A law may not restrain or abridge liberty of speech or
press."

In particular, spontaneous speech is considered essential by the supreme court. [Watchtower v. Stratton, 536 U.S. 150 (2002)], [NAACP v. Richmond, 743 F.2d 1346 (1984)]. So requiring civic speakers to have business licenses, or indeed permits of any kind, would violate both my right to speak spontaneously and the rights of your neighbors to, at their option, hear what I have to say.


>> His box is a road hazard to bicyclists, and pedestrians.

It is a NUISANCE, and I have a civic (not legal) duty to minimize that nuisance. But it is not a HAZARD, which is defined in law to be an "unreasonable risk". When it is parked in a manner that does not violate any Vehicle Code provision, there is a rebuttable presumption that no unreasonable risk has been created.

Dear Wo\'O

I am gay and hispanic. If I could spend some time with you in your dog house I would certainly change your views.

Wheww Ooohh, ah!

Secret Admirer:

Thank you for the compliment. You wouldn't be the first, though. When I was a young man, I had such an experience, and the pleasure was intense. I know that I am quite capable of being a queer, but have chosen to avoid that path. My opinion that queer sexuality is perverse, or morally wrong, springs from experience, not innocence.

If you join me at the dinners regularly, we will become brothers. At the dinners, and in our brotherhood, each person is allowed to have different opinions on what it means to be wholesomely connected to each other, and we never debate or argue about what is and is not wholesome. At the dinners, it is enough that you want to be wholesomely connected to others, to the Earth, and to our Higher Power, according to your own understandings of all of these ideas.

Town Square isn't an appropriate venue for discussions of one's sexual history. Let's keep it above the belt from now on, gentlemen.

<chuckle> Andrea, I agree that this forum should not be used as a "meet up" place. It is also important to keep the posts suitable for children.

This exchange with Secret Admirer enabled me to make an on-topic point. I want to destroy the wall that separates queers socially from normals. In particular, I want the queer community in Mountain View to be well represented at the dinners. What better way to bring people together than to reveal that I have a bit of experience on the queer side?

So I welcomed his post. And anyway he did give me a compliment. My thank you to him consisted of an admission that he and I have some things in common. All of this is totally on point, especially for queers reading this.

I really would like to finish the THOUGHT STEERING sequence. I will if even just one person says, "Ok. I'll be your student." If someone posts that, I will define REALITY INVERSION, which will be easy and interesting, since it involves the effect that newspapers such as the MV Voice have on people's perception of reality.

To Professor WO Idea Farm: Get a FACEBOOK page to continue this discussion. We have more important issues to discuss in Mountain View than your psycho babble.I've had enough already. BTW, you look like a lunatic standing on top of your dog house waving to motorists on El Camino Real. Why don't you get a job as a sign flipper? I hear that they make good money these days. You'll get lots of attention . Maybe you can dress up and wear a funny hat.

>> I've had enough already.

So why are you still here? And what issue do you have to discuss (elsewhere) that is more important than understanding the role that THOUGHT STEERING has in your perception of reality, and the role that it will play in destroying the United States if we don't wake up to the danger and do something?

Wo\'O Ideafarm,

If you are as intelligent as you claim you would not need to stoop to putting the word "Nig*er" on your sign. There is really no reasoned argument that can be made for that.

Wo'O, please explain this sign you put up this summer:

"THIS WEEK
SILENCING
AN IDEA BY
REDEFINING
ITS WORD
NI**ER
QUEER
MARRIAGE"

I found it extremely offensive.

test post

test post

That sign was about silencing ideas, which is not a cool thing to do if you believe in freedom of speech.

"the N word" was a hate word, used by whites to communicate hatred for blacks. It has been redefined by those who were its targets. It is still a hate word, but now it is used by nonwhites to communicate hatred for, and solidarity against, whites.

Most of us, including me, applaud the silencing of the white on black hatred that the old usage perpetuated. But since I am very focused on freedom of speech, I don't particularly like the method that was used to accomplish this good result. It set a dangerous precedent in our society of silencing ideas by redefining words.

"the Q word" was another hate word, used by normal people to express hatred for qu**rs (those who are not normal). Perhaps encouraged by the successful silencing of "ni**r hate", the queer community has successfully redefined the hate word that targeted them. As used by them and by academics generally, it is no longer a hate word.

"Ma**iage" is not and never has been a hate word. It is the word for the rights and duties of a mated male and female. The cultural norm puts qu**rs on the defensive by proclaiming, "all should marry". So, although it is not a hate word, "ma**iage" refers to an idea that is inconvenient for queers. So now they are trying to redefine it, in order to silence the cultural norm.

That's what the sign was about.

Wuh'oh,
You couldn't be more wrong about marriage if you tried. The rightwing zealots have used the description that marriage is a "word for the rights and duties of a mated male and female" to promote their agenda of hatred and divisiveness, which apparently you have bought into, intentionally or perhaps by inadvertenly buying into their "THOUGHT STEERING" which is quite intentional on their part. However, the term "marriage" has only meant that for a tiny fraction of recorded history. Prior to 5000 years ago, before patriarchy was the "norm" of society, marriages didn't exist in today's form at all, but rather were social contracts. (Read "The Fall" by Stephen Taylor) Even after mankind's "Fall" from "Eden" into our blood-soaked patriarchal history, marriage has been a contract between royal houses, between one man and many women, a slave arrangement, and a purely economic one where the rights and duties were organized around preserving a family fortune. In other words, every age and culture has defined marriage to suit its society and needs, so it is a completely relative concept. Even marriages of 100 years ago bear little resemblance to what the zealots would have you believe in today.

The redefining of marriage is being accomplished by the so-called Christian right-wing zealots, not by gay people. Gay people simply choose to partner and want the benefits of the body of civil law called "marriage law." In other words, they want legal equality. And as I probably need to point out, equality is not a special right. The "THOUGHT STEERING" comes from those who act out fear and ignorance, as usual, who think they have something to lose: the Christian Zealots. The gay people simply want legal equality. Marriage is not a hate word, it is being made into a platform of hate by the Zealots, and you have fallen for it, despite your vaunted arguments about thought control.

That brings me to another of your terms, which I use often as well, "REALITY INVERSION." Thought steering is accomplished by making good seem bad, and bad seem good. Equality is what our nation is based on, what the founders uniquely promoted, and what we fight for when we think of "freedom," yet the Zealots would have us think that equality makes people unequal - a logical impossibility. This again is reality inversion, in which all that is good and constitutional is painted as unconstitutional and immoral.

Marriage IS ALREADY a moving definition, and it now includes gay people. Those who are redefining it are the Prop 8 zealots who introduced a ballot initiative to define it, and prevent its natural evolution as it has evolved over the millenia.

You have fallen for the reality inversion.

See Wikipedia on "heteronormativity" (Web Link and on "marriage" (Web Link

Let's focus on what I think that Seer and I agree on:

(1) A battle over the definition of the word "marriage" is being waged today, and each combatant sees a vital interest in the outcome.

(2) "marriage: the rights and duties of a mated male and female" combined with "all should marry" together comprise the cultural norm that queers reject for themselves. (Queers and some normals prefer the term "heteronormative" to "cultural norm".)

(3) "marriage: a pair (male/male, female/female, or female/male) who love each other and are committed to sharing each other's lives for life or at least long term" is the definition preferred by people who are not heteronormative and also by heteronormatives who see cultural endorsement of heteronormativity as inconsistent with liberty and equality.

(4) The particular rights and duties of the mated male and female vary across cultures and time, but every culture at every time has prescribed such a norm, and that norm is generally both formalized with ceremony, promoted, and enforced.

(5) A cultural norm that says that all adults should mate male with female and that is celebrated, promoted, and enforced, is inconsistent with contemporary notions of liberty and justice and equality.

(6) Either we can have a cultural norm that says, "you should not be a queer" or we can have liberty and justice and equality. We can't have it both ways.

(7) This is the real bone of contention, and the issue will be decided in the current battle over the definition of the word "marriage".

(8) The concept of THOUGHT STEERING is essential to understanding all of this. Each side views its opposition as engaging in THOUGHT ASSAULT (predatory and malicious thought steering), and there is truth to that.

Now let's focus on a statement of yours that I disagree with, not to debate the point but only to flesh out the role that THOUGHT STEERING plays in all of this:

"Gay people simply choose to partner and want the benefits of the body of civil law called "marriage law." In other words, they want legal equality...The gay people simply want legal equality."

If the queer community really only wanted legal equality, that could be achieved by editing all law to replace the word "marriage" with the word "civil union" and then defining "civil union" in a way that would not discriminate against people who are not normal (heteronormative).

The queer community really wants to silence the cultural norm. It is in their vital interest to do so, and they are attempting to do so. That is why there is a battle over the definition of the word "marriage".

The real issue is whether culture should say things like "you should..." to adults and to children growing up (being programmed). Cultural norms are all about THOUGHT STEERING.

I don't mean to debate the issue here. I only want to use your excellent post to clarify how important the concept of THOUGHT STEERING is in understanding the world that we live in.

I think IdeaFarm is an untreated schizophrenic. I bet if he got the right medications he would stop doing this.

If the government or a nonprofit gave him somewhere to live and something to eat he probably wouldn't be so furious at the world.

In that most recent post by Seer challenging you on your wholesome
beliefs about marriage, keep in mind that the norms of marriage are meant for the respect and protection of children. Marriage is about procreative sexual activity and children are the result.

The norms of marriage are about protecting children from their very beginning at conception and I would say through the rest of their lives by maintaining a cohesive extended family unit. Homosexual relationships have nothing to do with pro creation and marriage and in fact confuse marriage's purpose.

This purpose for marriage exists naturally and marriage norms which codify the experience are natural. They are not thought steering.

>> This purpose for marriage exists naturally and marriage norms which codify the experience are natural. They are not thought steering.

This brings us back to REALITY MODEL and will enable us to proceed into REALITY INVERSION.

THOUGHT STEERING refers to the programming of our pattern recognizer brain by presenting it with ideas and, particularly, with associations of ideas. The REALITY MODEL part of our brain "remembers" the ideas and associations of ideas that have been presented to it since birth.

Consider a loner individual in a purely natural setting such as a prehistoric jungle. That individual's brain is only presented with elemental ideas and associations of ideas. These elemental patterns involve pleasure and pain and predator and prey. That individual's REALITY MODEL will present on its "concept retina" objects such as rain, tiger, berries, hand, skin, and feces. Nature is the only THOUGHT STEERING agent.

Now change the story to add a village of such individuals, and add language and an oral tradition that is passed down from the old to the young. The stories present ideas and associations of ideas. Nature is no longer the only THOUGHT STEERING agent. Now the individual's brain is programmed by both NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL ideas and associations of ideas.

In the late 90's, I became interested in the ratio of ARTIFICIAL to NATURAL experience in my life and in the lives of my contemporaries in the United States. I saw that the ratio was very high, that only a small fraction of the minute by minute experience was not touched by human hands.

In this, I was observing that we spend almost all of our time within enclosed and controlled environments: our bedroom, our car, our office, a movie theater, our television room, etc.

At about the same time, it occured to me to differentiate environments that are passively ARTIFICIAL, such as a bedroom, and environments that are actively ARTIFICIAL, such as a movie theater or the television room in our home. I would now call the latter VIRTUAL environments.

In its basic form, THOUGHT STEERING theory says that the brain is programmed equally by all of the ideas and associations of ideas presented to it, regardless of which of the above classes of environments the brain is experiencing: NATURAL, ARTIFICIAL, or VIRTUAL.

In these terms, I would agree with your statement that "marriage norms which codify the experience are natural". It is THOUGHT STEERING, and the codified norms are ARTIFICIAL THOUGHT STEERING (the oral tradition of the village). But the oral tradition of such a village is likely to be nothing more than a synthesis of the ancestral experience with the natural environment. This is because the elders have a personal vital interest in preserving and developing an oral tradition that promotes the survival of the village.

But the oral tradition is still ARTIFICIAL, and it will not be an untainted synthesis. Each elder involved in its development will have an agenda, and will introduce corruptions that serve his or her self interest at the expense of the village. And this is the beginning of the story of our present day THOUGHT STEERING INDUSTRY, including our host, the MV Voice.

Hey WoO

Have you ever thought about joining up with the Church of Sceintology? aka as Dyanetics.

What is your view on them?

Are you a potential recruit or are they your competetion?

Hey Wo0:

I invited you to breakfast a few weeks ago and you declined. Is In & Out for dinner the only meal that works?

. . . just wondering.

S

>> Confused: "Have you ever thought about joining up with the Church of Sceintology? aka as Dyanetics. What is your view on them? Are you a potential recruit or are they your competetion?"

Participating in the dinners does not require that you join anything or pay anything other than to purchase your own meal. There is no belief system involved, no agenda, no solicitation of any kind, and neither I nor anyone else presents or provides leadership. My only role at the dinners is to fill in for what will eventually be a two person teenager host team; it is basically a sergeant at arms role combined with a greeter / hospitality host role.

The dinners are intended to just be a nonreligious brotherhood / sisterhood experience, like a family meal. IdeaFarm (tm) Associates is nonreligious but is "religion friendly".

The dinners are intended to provide a community experience for people who do not participate in religious activities and for people whose religious activities do not provide the experience of eating regularly with close friends. Participants who are interested in a belief system or the other things that religious organizations offer are encouraged to pursue those interests. But "saving souls" is viewed as solicitation and is prohibited at the dinners.

I am neither a potential customer nor a competitor of any religious organization.


>> Steve Moran: I invited you to breakfast a few weeks ago and you declined. Is In & Out for dinner the only meal that works?

The two experiences aren't comparable. The Seventh Day Adventist "Breakfast with Friends" invites people to a free meal. The IdeaFarm (tm) dinner invites people into brotherhood / sisterhood. My invitation to you to enter into brotherhood with me and with the others stands. At our dinners, the food is pleasant, but incidental. The attraction is the brotherhood.

Hi Wo\'O Ideafarm,

Why do you think the government (TSA), Microsoft Kinect, and Google Streetview are all scanning people's bodies all the time now? Do you think they are about to plug us into the Matrix? What do you think?

Anon: The Desiderata, a beautiful poem, says, "Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness." Add one true friend to your life, someone who is not just in your life because you give them something that they want. With just one real friend, you will escape your loneliness, and will begin to escape your fear.

You can add a true friend to your life by accepting my invitation to brotherhood / sisterhood.

I am not a cult leader. The dinner is in a public place and is first names only. You don't have to join anything or pay anything. There is no catch. Just an offer of real friendship in a city that seems to have forgotten the concept.

Alone, against the evil brought into the world by selfish people, you are screwed. Together, we can withstand it and perhaps even do something about it.

Hi Wo\'O Ideafarm,

What do you think about an artificial intelligence Google Translate that could talk to aliens or God? What do you think about that? Maybe it could translate someone speaking in tongues?

Anon, all of the objects mentioned in your two postings are a part of the reality that you experience:

(1) the government (TSA)
(2) Microsoft Kinect
(3) Google Streetview
(4) the Matrix
(5) Google Translate
(6) aliens
(7) God
(8) someone speaking in tongues

In terms of THOUGHT STEERING theory, these are all objects that appear on your "concept retina", i.e. are presented to your conscious brain by the REALITY MODEL pattern recognizer part of your brain.

If your brain was presented with ideas and associations of ideas only by nature, none of these objects would be on your concept retina i.e. be part of the reality that you perceive.

They are a part of your reality because you surf the World Wide Web and watch TV and listen to the radio and read newspapers and participate in forums like this one and talk to your friends and go to Church and read books.

None of these things would be part of your reality if language did not exist, because they have all been programmed into your REALITY MODEL by presenting it with ARTIFICIAL and VIRTUAL THOUGHT STEERING.

My advice to anyone who asks questions like yours, and indeed to anyone, period, is to change your daily routine to reduce or eliminate ARTIFICIAL and VIRTUAL experience. Don't watch TV. Don't listen to the radio. Don't read fiction. Limit the time you spend in forums and in conversation. Limit what you converse about to nonfictional topics. If you work in an enviornment that forces you to listen to Muzak all day, resolve to retrain yourself and shift into another kind of employment. Be aware of all of the THOUGHT STEERING that presents ideas and associations of ideas to your brain throughout the day.

I was just kidding dude. You take yourself way too seriously. Get initiated into the brotherhood. I went to college too. You sound like a fraternity for homeless people.

Opinions are like [Portion removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language] Everybody has one. But most people don't think they are the chosen one/messiah.

Anon, when I read your posts, I thought that you were probably pulling my leg. But I wasn't sure. About 20,000 people per day see the IdeaFarm (tm) Operations signs, and these include the 1% of people who have serious emotional and mental issues. Those people sometimes have the courage to come up to me and converse. I've had many face to face conversations on the street with people who really are burdened with fears that are even more outrageous than the one that you pretended to have here.

How would you have felt if I had assumed that you were joking when in fact you were not?