Did the legacy media run cover for “family is racist” teacher training?

 My Day With The FBI

In January 1980, the FBI raided TSR—the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons—after receiving a tip about an alleged plot to assassinate a corporate executive named William Weatherby. The plot and the “target” were both fictional, part of internal playtest notes for TSR’s upcoming espionage RPG Top Secret. A concerned citizen discovered the notes (on TSR letterhead) and reported them. Two FBI agents investigated and quickly realized the “operation” was nothing more than game designers at work.¹

This accidental raid became legendary marketing, highlighting the “realism” of Top Secret during a period when Cold War spy fiction captured American culture.

Designed by Merle M. Rasmussen, Top Secret was released as a boxed set and included a 64-page rulebook and the adventure Operation: Sprechenhaltestelle.² It introduced a skill-focused percentile system and placed players in one of three bureaus—Assassination, Confiscation, or Investigation—within a fictional espionage agency. Early rules were uneven, leading to the later Top Secret Companion, which refined combat, reintroduced character classes, and leaned into the James Bond-style “super-spy” fantasy.³

The incident remains a cautionary tale and a piece of tabletop folklore:
Never leave realistic assassination notes sitting around on official company stationery.

---

Chicago-Style Bibliography

1. Zambrano, J.R. “Top Secret: The Espionage RPG That Got TSR Raided by the FBI – PRIME.” Bell of Lost Souls, July 30, 2021.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

 

 So... are Japanese macaques self-aware?

❌ No strong evidence (yet)

• Japanese macaques generally fail the mirror test.

• They often treat their reflection as another monkey — showing aggression or social behavior rather than recognizing themselves.

• That said, some individuals have shown ambiguous behavior, like using mirrors to look at body parts — but these are inconclusive and rare.

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BUT — it's complicated.

Scientists are rethinking the mirror test as the only measure of self-awareness. For example:

• Some animals may understand the reflection but not care about a mark.

• Others may be self-aware in different ways — like having theory of mind, deceptive behavior, or long-term planning.

Japanese macaques do show:

• Empathy-like behaviors (like grooming injured members)

• Deception (e.g., hiding food from higher-ranking monkeys)

• Memory of social hierarchies and allies

These suggest a kind of practical or social self-awareness, even if they don’t pass the mirror test.

---

Summary:

• 🧠 Mirror test: No

• 🔍 Social awareness: High

• 🤔 Practical intelligence: Strong

• 🤯 Philosophical self-awareness: Unlikely, but we can't rule out more subtle forms

  

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🧬 The Scientific Foundations and Evolution of the Zombie Virus in The Walking Dead

In its earliest seasons, The Walking Dead framed the undead phenomenon as science fiction, grounded in biology and virology rather than fantasy. Over time, however, the show’s internal logic shifted—moving from scientific plausibility toward symbolic horror. Tracing that change reveals how the “walker virus” evolved both within the story’s world and its creative intent.

---

1. The CDC Episode: A Biological, Not Mystical, Outbreak

The Season 1 finale, “TS-19,” remains the most scientific moment in the franchise.
Dr. Edwin Jenner at the CDC demonstrates that the pathogen reanimates the brainstem, restoring only primal motor functions while leaving higher brain activity dead.
He describes this as a limited metabolic reboot:

“It restarts the brain, but only the brainstem—not memories, not personality, just the primal drives.”

This establishes walkers as biologically altered organisms, not supernatural entities.
They move, consume energy, and decay, all under the control of a parasitic agent.

---

2. Universal Infection and Extinction Logic

Jenner’s revelation—that everyone is infected—implies a global, airborne or waterborne spread.
He fears this dormant infection will eventually cause species-wide extinction, as every death leads to reanimation.
At this early stage, the series still treats the virus as an evolving pandemic, not a static curse.

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3. Mutation and Transmission Ambiguities

In early seasons, it’s unclear whether bites transmit the virus or merely introduce lethal infection that triggers it.
Later series clarify that all humans already carry the pathogen; the bite simply kills through sepsis.
Yet the early episodes hint at a stronger, more contagious strain—one that could spread through bites or contaminated water.
This supports the idea that the virus mutated over time into a milder, universal carrier state.

---

4. The Existence of a Viral Metabolism

Jenner’s analysis implies that the reanimated body still uses energy.
Walkers exhibit muscle movement, heat generation, and slow decay—suggesting a rudimentary metabolism powered by the pathogen itself.
Rather than functioning like humans, the virus may induce anaerobic biochemical reactions (without oxygen), explaining how movement continues despite death.
This means the undead burn through limited internal reserves and degrade faster without feeding.

---

5. Dormancy and “Hibernation” Behavior

Early episodes show inactive walkers in low-stimulus environments—such as the barn walkers or the motionless herds in Atlanta.
This behavior resembles energy conservation, much like hibernation in animals.
The walkers reawaken when sound, scent, or light triggers them, implying packs may roam only when prey is sensed from miles away, while others remain inert.
Such dynamics could make large regions appear completely human again between activity cycles.

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6. Later Retcons and the Shift Toward Fantasy

After Season 1, the franchise gradually abandons scientific explanations.
Spin-offs like Dead City and Daryl Dixon feature hordes still active decades later, without accounting for biological decay.
Robert Kirkman later remarked that “how it works doesn’t matter anymore,” signaling a move from science fiction to mythic horror.
The walkers become eternal symbols of collapse, not metabolically plausible organisms.

---

7. A Hybrid Theory of Evolution

Combining both eras of lore suggests a coherent internal timeline:

• Early outbreak: The virus operates with an active, energy-dependent metabolism requiring feeding and allowing dormancy.

• Later years: The pathogen stabilizes into a low-activity variant, slowing decay and enabling long-term survival without sustenance.

This interpretation preserves the scientific depth of the original CDC storyline while explaining the later, more fantastical depictions.

---

8. Reclaiming the Scientific Vision

The series can still remain within the science-fiction genre if later developments are read through human ignorance and viral complexity rather than mysticism.
Off-screen dormancy, environmental mutation, and behavioral adaptation could plausibly explain the persistence of walkers over decades.
Such mechanisms would revive the story’s speculative rigor: a study of biology, evolution, and entropy, not a static myth of the undead.
The push toward the mythic, while visually powerful, risks freezing the narrative in metaphor.
Restoring the scientific dimension—grounding the horror once again in biology and uncertainty—could rejuvenate The Walking Dead universe and reconnect it with the curiosity and dread that defined its beginning.

https://edmunds-playersbook.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-scientific-foundations-and.html

Key words World Building, Undead, 2025,FILM,watchlist,youtube, AMC, WORLD BUILDING

Smartest People Read Books Like This (you can too)

🧪 Lesson: The Chemistry of a Meal — Nutrients and the Body

https://honorificabilitudinitatibus1.blogspot.com/2025/11/lesson-chemistry-of-meal-nutrients-and.html

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🧠 1. Introduction: Chemistry on Your Plate

Every time we eat, we are performing a chemical experiment inside our bodies.
Our food contains molecules that react, combine, and release energy through metabolism — a series of chemical reactions that keep us alive.

Let’s analyze one real meal: liverwurst, fried potatoes, and a bread bun (fried in canola oil).
Each part provides different chemical compounds your body uses to build, repair, or energize itself.

---

🍗 2. Proteins — The Builders

Main Source: Liverwurst
Chemical Class: Organic compounds made of amino acids (C, H, O, N)

Proteins are the building blocks of muscles, skin, and enzymes.
In your body, proteins are broken down into amino acids, which are reused to create new tissues.

Equation (simplified):
Protein → Amino Acids → New Proteins + Energy (if needed)

Too little protein: slow healing, fatigue, weak muscles.
Too much: strain on kidneys and dehydration.

🧩 Check Your Understanding:
Why do you think your body reuses amino acids instead of creating them from scratch?

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🥔 3. Carbohydrates — The Fuel

Main Source: Potatoes and the bread bun
Chemical Class: Carbon-based molecules (C₆H₁₂O₆ type structure)

Carbohydrates are made of sugars and starches.
They are broken down into glucose, the body’s main fuel.
Your cells “burn” glucose with oxygen in a reaction called cellular respiration.

Chemical Equation:
C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + energy (ATP)

Too little carbs: tiredness and brain fog.
Too many: stored as fat, leading to weight gain.

💭 Science Note:
This process is similar to how fuel burns in a car engine — except your “engine” is a living cell!

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🧈 4. Fats — The Long-Term Energy Source

Main Source: Canola oil and liverwurst
Chemical Class: Lipids (chains of carbon and hydrogen)

Fats are energy-rich molecules (about 9 kcal per gram) and help absorb vitamins like A, D, E, and K.

Canola oil contains unsaturated fats — a healthier type with flexible chemical bonds.
If oil is heated too high, it oxidizes, producing unwanted compounds called free radicals.

Too little fat: dry skin, low hormones.
Too much: clogged arteries, obesity.

⚗️ Chemistry Focus:
Unsaturated fats contain double bonds (C=C) — these are what make the fat liquid at room temperature.

---

🧬 5. Vitamins and Minerals — The Micronutrient Chemistry

Nutrient	Chemical Role	Too Little	Too Much
Iron (Fe)	Forms part of hemoglobin for oxygen transport	Anemia, fatigue	Liver damage if excessive
Vitamin A (C₂₀H₃₀O)	Needed for vision and cell growth	Night blindness	Headaches, bone pain
Vitamin B12	Helps DNA and nerve function	Numbness, brain fog	Very rare toxicity
Sodium (Na⁺)	Maintains nerve impulses	Muscle cramps	High blood pressure
Potassium (K⁺)	Balances sodium and fluids	Weak muscles	Irregular heartbeat

💡 Key Concept:
Micronutrients don’t provide energy, but they control reactions that do.
They act like “chemical assistants” (called cofactors) that enzymes need to work.

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⚖️ 6. Chemical Balance in the Body

Healthy eating is about maintaining chemical equilibrium — just like balancing a chemical equation.
When you eat too much of one nutrient (like sodium or vitamin A), it shifts the balance and causes side effects.

For example:

• Too much vitamin A → liver overload, nausea

• Too little iron → not enough red blood cell formation

Think of your body as a living chemistry lab constantly trying to stay balanced.

---

🧩 7. Summary Table

Molecule	Example in Meal	Function	Chemical Concern
Protein	Liverwurst	Builds body tissues	Excess → kidney strain
Carbohydrate	Potatoes, bun	Provides energy	Excess → fat storage
Fat (lipid)	Canola oil	Stores energy, absorbs vitamins	Oxidation if overheated
Vitamin A	Liver	Vision, cell growth	Toxic in high doses
Iron	Liver	Oxygen transport	Toxic in large amounts

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🔬 8. Review Questions

1. What chemical reaction provides energy from glucose?

2. Why does overheating oil change its chemistry?

3. How are fats and carbohydrates chemically different?

4. Which element (Fe, Na, or K) helps carry oxygen in your blood?

5. What might happen if you ate liver every day for a month?

---

 make a diagram version next (molecule structures + body pathway flow chart)

  

🔬 Macronutrients

Nutrient	Level	Common Symptoms if Too Low	Common Symptoms if Too High
Protein	🟢 Moderate	Fatigue, slow wound healing, muscle loss, brittle hair/nails	Kidney strain (rare), dehydration if protein > need
Fat	🔶 High	Dry skin, low hormones, fatigue	Weight gain, fatty liver, sluggish digestion
Carbohydrates	🟡 Moderate	Low energy, brain fog, sugar cravings	Blood sugar spikes, sleepiness after meals
Fiber	⚪ Low–Moderate	Constipation, bloating, unstable blood sugar	Gas, bloating, nutrient absorption issues

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💎 Micronutrients

Nutrient	Status	Helps With / Functions	Low – Deficiency Symptoms	High – Excess Symptoms
Iron	🟢 High	Energy, red blood cells, oxygen transport	Fatigue, pale skin, shortness of breath	Joint pain, fatigue, liver overload (if chronic)
Vitamin A	🔴 Very High	Vision, skin, immunity, growth	Night blindness, dry eyes/skin	Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bone pain, hair loss
Vitamin B12	🟢 Excellent	Nerve function, mood, red blood cells	Tingling hands/feet, low mood, brain fog	Rare excess toxicity — body stores safely
Folate (B9)	🟢 Good	Cell division, mood, DNA repair	Fatigue, irritability, poor focus	May hide B12 deficiency if too high
Sodium	🔴 Very High	Nerve function, hydration	Muscle cramps, low blood pressure	Water retention, high blood pressure, headaches
Potassium	🟡 Moderate	Heart rhythm, fluid balance, muscles	Muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat	Tingling, heart arrhythmia (only with supplements)
Omega-3 (ALA) (from canola oil)	🟢 Mild	Reduces inflammation, supports brain & heart	Dry skin, poor concentration, joint stiffness	Thinning blood, easy bruising (only with large doses)

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⚕️ Overall Analysis

• Helps with: fatigue prevention, blood health, nerve function, skin repair, and energy stability.

• Potential excess symptoms: dizziness, nausea, or joint stiffness if vitamin A and sodium remain high for days.

• Potential deficiencies avoided: good iron, B12, and omega-3 levels protect against anemia, low mood, and poor focus.

HEALTH, PUBLISHED

 Ontario’s Legio XX Valeria Victrix

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Secret Societies That Didn’t Know They Were Secret Societies

When we think of secret societies, the first images that come to mind are often shadowy figures in robes, arcane rituals, or conspiracies whispered behind closed doors. But what if I told you that a group doesn’t need to consciously call itself a “secret society” to function like one? The essence of a secret society isn’t the label—it’s secrecy, exclusivity, and shared esoteric knowledge. In fact, many groups throughout history, and even in modern life, have been secret societies in practice, without ever realizing it.

At its core, a secret society is defined by a few key characteristics. There is secrecy—deliberate concealment of meetings, knowledge, or even existence from outsiders. There is exclusive membership, where only those “initiated” have access to the group’s rituals, knowledge, or goals. There is shared knowledge or purpose, a kind of insider wisdom or structured experience understood only by members. And finally, there is the social context: these groups are often misunderstood or mythologized by outsiders, creating a feedback loop of secrecy and mystique. Notice that nowhere in this definition does a group need to know it is a secret society. Functionally, the secrecy and structure matter more than the label.

Consider the Carbonari, a loosely organized network of revolutionary groups in 19th-century Italy. Their members used coded messages, secret rituals, and passwords to organize politically against oppressive rulers. Many participants didn’t think of themselves as part of a “secret society”; they were simply patriots working toward reform. To outsiders, though, their hidden meetings and esoteric symbols painted the picture of a classic clandestine organization. Here, the function of secrecy created the society, even if self-awareness was absent.

Similarly, in medieval Europe, craft guilds provide another example. Guilds controlled trade secrets and restricted knowledge to apprentices, often requiring years of training to access the full range of techniques. Most members didn’t consider themselves part of a secret society—they were artisans learning a craft. Yet the exclusivity, rituals, and hidden knowledge effectively mirrored secret society structures. Outsiders could not access the guild’s “arcane” knowledge, and thus, from a structural standpoint, the guild functioned exactly as a secret society would.

The Invisible College, a precursor to the Royal Society in 17th-century England, followed the same pattern. Early natural philosophers gathered privately to share experimental results and discuss ideas that could attract religious or political scrutiny. Their correspondence and meetings were restricted to a trusted circle, and the public had no access to their discussions. Members viewed themselves as scholars and collaborators, not initiates in a secret society. But by meeting in private and exchanging exclusive knowledge, they fulfilled the operational definition of a secret society. History, then, can sometimes label groups as secret societies long after the fact, based on structure and secrecy rather than intent.

Even more contemporary examples exist. Resistance networks in Europe during World War II—small civilian cells hiding Jews, sabotaging occupiers, or transmitting intelligence—exhibited extreme operational secrecy. Many participants saw their work as simply helping neighbors or serving their country. They didn’t imagine themselves as part of an organized secret society; survival was the priority. Yet from a sociological perspective, these cells had all the hallmarks of secret societies: hidden membership, shared esoteric knowledge, structured activities, and a clear purpose. Functionally, they were clandestine organizations, whether they used that label or not.

This phenomenon is not confined to historical or political contexts. Even everyday hobbies and cultural activities can create secret societies without explicit self-awareness. Take, for example, a group of friends playing Dungeons & Dragons in the 1980s, during the height of the anti-D&D movement. Weekly meetings were private, membership was exclusive, and game mechanics, campaigns, and character roles constituted esoteric knowledge. Some members even lied to outsiders about what they were doing, to avoid misinterpretation. To the participants, it was simply a game—a shared hobby. To outsiders, however, it carried an aura of mystery, suspicion, or even danger. The structure and secrecy of the group mirror classic secret society characteristics perfectly, demonstrating that intention is not required for a group to function in that way.

Why does this matter? Understanding that secret societies are defined by their function rather than their self-awareness reshapes how we see human social structures. Many organizations, networks, and hobby groups might operate in secrecy for reasons as benign as privacy or as serious as survival. Yet in sociological terms, they share patterns with historical secret societies: initiation-like processes, insider knowledge, shared rituals, and deliberate concealment from outsiders.

In the end, the label is less important than the mechanics. The secret exists in how knowledge is shared, who is allowed access, and how outsiders perceive the group. A secret society can be deliberate or accidental, formal or informal, ancient or modern. From clandestine political networks to craft guilds, early scientific circles, wartime resistance cells, and even D&D campaigns, the defining thread is secrecy combined with shared insider knowledge. And whether the members ever realized it or not, they were, in practice, secret societies.