Off-Topic Elections

It's a matter of only moderate interest to most of us here in the Ivory Tower of the forums. However, I'd suggest that, as current events drive history, we ought to take an interest in that which surrounds us, that we may directly impact future forum discussions that will take place long after we are gone.

Yes, I'm advocating a vote for Conrad. But more importantly, I'd like to suggest that we, the educated, take an interest in the world around us. I'd like to suggest involvement in deserving local charities, support for independent booksellers and those that make a good cuppa coffee, activity in local recycling and reduction programs, and (if I can say it without violating the Forum rules) participation in local politics -- regardless of one's position, so long as it's an informed one.

There are four specific topics for debate and one general (not counting Conrad's campaign, the merits of which seem self-evident). Feel free to disagree with me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gnerphk

But more importantly, I'd like to suggest that we, the educated, take an interest in the world around us. I'd like to suggest involvement in

deserving local charities,

support for independent booksellers and those that make a good cuppa coffee,

activity in local recycling and reduction programs,

and (if I can say it without violating the Forum rules)

participation in local politics

-- regardless of one's position, so long as it's an informed one.

There are four specific topics for debate and one general (not counting Conrad's campaign, the merits of which seem self-evident). Feel free to disagree with me.

---

Local Charities: it is the sad decline of these very institutions that mandates a rise in the need for some form of government to step up and fill their place. if a government would reduce the cost of its "well-fare" programs it would do well to encourage its citizenry to this cause.
but how does one encourage participation and donation to such organizations? tax breaks is the only thing that has come to the mind of the government i live under and i can tell you it is not incentive enough.
once the domain of the religious minded charities have opened up and now cover a wide variety of social ills from a multitude of angles. but i find in my place of residence that people are trained not to see the problems of others "dont notice his limp Johny its rude" "don't stare so Susette you'll make her uncomfortable" ect. if we dont see that there are needs how can we see that those needs NEED to be filled? if its rude to notice that someone is living on the street, how will anyone see that they are there to be helped? if you dont see the need for donating to local or national charities i would advise you first to look at the way you look around you. perhaps you were just trained not to see the need is there.

i'm all for supporting local economy and would add to your list, "local farmers" as well.

Recycling: i will always be an advocate of thrift-full use of resources. no mater what that resource is. most people forget the first two parts of the recycle slogan. but i would argue that they are there and before the recycle part for a very good reason.
REDUCE
REUSE
reducing what you use can be extended to any part of your daily life. how many spoons does it take to make breakfast? do you leave the knife on the butter dish for later use? how often do you wash your towel? how long do you stand out of the water in your shower? do you need to triple wrap your lunch in plastic wrap before you put it in the lunch box?
reusing is equally as easy we do it all the time. i mean you dont thow out your dirty cloths and buy new every week do you? you dont toss out your bed every morning and buy a new one do you? no, so you are already reusing things. simply look around and see what else that could extend to. for example when i buy a water bottle i usually fill it back up at home a few times before tossing it in the recycle bin. A) it costs me less to refill it then it does to buy a new one every day B) i'm lazy and dont want to walk up to the third floor just to get a drink of water, so i bring it with me C) its reusing before i recycle which reduces the waist in my recycle bin.
coffee grounds are excellent for some flowers. i dont know which ones but i do know that there were quite a few ppl who wanted to BUY our USED coffee grounds when i worked at a coffee stand. sadly company policy said no.

and to your last point i am afraid i have nothing to say, because i chose to remain ignorant of politics and the politicians who practice them at this time.

There are 2 main book stores I shop at. Both are local stores, not large retail chains like Barnes & Noble, or Borders.

I also recycle. Our local recycling company is great, we have to sort NOTHING. All they ask is that you don't give them cans/bottles with any liquid left in it. Other than that, you can chuck EVRYTHING in the same bin and set it on the curb. You can toss all the plastic, glass, and paper, and whatever. They'll pick it up and sort it. I also have a compost barrel in the backyard to toss non-meat foodstuffs in, like coffee grounds and banana peals. There are non-food compostables I toss in there, too, like leaves.

Does pooping in the woods count as recycling?

*facepam* no because human fecal matter is the least nutritious fecal matter there is.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rota

There are 2 main book stores I shop at. Both are local stores, not large retail chains like Barnes & Noble, or Borders.

I also recycle. Our local recycling company is great, we have to sort NOTHING. All they ask is that you don't give them cans/bottles with any liquid left in it. Other than that, you can chuck EVRYTHING in the same bin and set it on the curb. You can toss all the plastic, glass, and paper, and whatever. They'll pick it up and sort it. I also have a compost barrel in the backyard to toss non-meat foodstuffs in, like coffee grounds and banana peals. There are non-food compostables I toss in there, too, like leaves.

---

If you have room, and your climate doesn't get too extreme, I would suggest a worm farm would better suit your needs than a compost heap*. A compost heap needs to be about a cubic metre of material in volume to be active, unless you have a tumbling bin or something. Whereas a small worm farm can deal with your vegetable scraps ,even (shredded) newspapers and some garden waste in a very efficient manner that gives you a nutrient rich water soluble plant food and some excess earth worms to either release into your garden soils or take fishing.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/flowe...armDiagram.jpg

You simply put your (shredded) waste in at the top and collect the good stuff at the bottom. Minimal effort, maximum return.

*A compost heap or a combination of both may still be suitable if you have a large garden area and a lot of compostable material to recycle. All soils benefit from adding organic matter, all of them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rodri

unless you have a tumbling bin or something

---

I do.
As I said, I have a compost "barrel" and it is on a stand that lets me spin it with a handle. :bunny:

I have a compost bin ontop of a good size hole and everyonce and awhile i add water and i turn it. once a year i spread it over the garden.

There is an old saying that goes; Reduce, re-use, recycle.
It is actually a good way of thinking about how we live our lives with a minimum impact upon the world.

REDUCE

The your consumption of anything* you can, be it energy, consumer goods, plastics, building materials, land, water, anything you can think of. For example, reduce the distance you travel to work or shop or play. It reduces wasted fuel, time, money, etc. Buy clothes that are either practical or classic in style, in that they will not go out of fashion in a couple of months but can be worn many times, with minor changes to accessories, on any occassion.
*Information and knowledge excluded.

RE-USE

Re-use what you already have in your possesion. Sometimes this can be as simple as re-using plastic bottles to fill with fresh water and drink cold, or saving glass jars and bottles for making jams, chutneys, sauces, etc, to capturing the excess heat generated by the sunlight on your building to re-use for heating or even cooling. (heat exchange - it can be done)

RECYCLE

Recycle as much as possible of what remains as waste. This should be done only after all options under reduce and re-use have been practically exhausted. In time even if you are fully recycling, your recycling bin will be nearly empty.

This phrase is often used in conjunction with this symbol:

http://embokashi.com/recycle%20gradient%20smaller.gif

To me, this oversimplifies the thinking process that is involved. To me the heirarchy should be as the phrase is written, so first, reduce, then reuse, then recycle. Then you can create feedback loops in the process to deal with more complex processes and by-products but all with the final aim of reducing all consumption and waste.

New subject. Or more precisely, back on subject.

The Off-Topic elections are a bit of fun and all but it is a good chance to get people thinking about real things in a light-hearted manner as well. That is why I am running my campaign with as much good humour as I can. So far I think it's been fun. I have especially enjoyed my back and forth with Conrad so far and I hope you have as well. ;)

Many may have wondered why I chose to run for Anarchy?

If you recall, my first promise was to dismantle all forms of government and do nothing to exercise my power. By definition, that results in anarchy but in reality it empowers the people to form their own conclusions about how they wish to be governed and how they choose to live their lives. Of course it is also important to promote love, peace, sustainability, along with a message of individual responsibility as a member of the community to participate in the discussion and contribute for the common good.

That is the broader message that I am trying to pass on to people in this play election along with a message to guard against tyranny and war-mongers. I still believe that even the most benevolent dictator is still ultimately a dictator and that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I have been accused of fear-mongering and that is true but it is only because I think it is important. I fear sometimes that we the people have already sacrificed too much of our freedom, in the names of expediency and necessity on the altar of security (both physical and economic).

It seems that every day now (in the 'real world') there is a new crisis and a new proposal that involves removing another small bit of freedom in return for our security. How many of these crisis are real? How many have been manufactured to remove our individual freedoms?
I don't know.

I missed the part where the reasons for voting for Conrad were self-evident. (sorry Conrad!)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Boleslav

I missed the part where the reasons for voting for Conrad were self-evident. (sorry Conrad!)

---

he's smexy? *secret giggle because he doesnt think so and would be shocked to think anyone thought he was*
in other news
@Rod
fear-mongering never has justifiable applications. one should inform whom ever one wishes to sway and let them see the good sound reasoning behind the advice or admonition one is giving.

a simplified example would be:
"GET THE :modedit: OUT OF THE ROAD OR I'LL KILL YA!"
vs
"Quick get out of the road before a car comes, they might not see you and you might get hit"


in the second scenario one knows exactly why one is leaving the road, in the first one does it simply so that one will not get yet another lashing from an already angry "caregiver".

It is unfortunate, Boleslav, that you are unable to instinctively grasp Conrad's superiority as a ruler, his natural fitness for such, and his capacity to model dynamic thought along classical lines.

Moreover, the thought of a (relatively) powerless Emperor is, I find, a pleasant one; I do agree with some of your principles, Rodri. However, I'd like to suggest that the proverb is not entirely true. Power doesn't corrupt so much as it attracts the corruptible. Remember the tale of Cincinnattus.

Finally, I'd like to suggest that the pageant and splendour of an Imperial court would improve the overall look and feel of the O.T. -- and anything that attracts more people to the Forums is a glorious thing indeed.

---

Now, back to the thread: What about local politics? Protests, marches, causes? Are they worthy of your attention? Bear in mind, I'm not interested in specifics save in person; in my "professional" capacity as a Forum poster, I'm merely curious what you think about the individual's power to change the world through political action. (Nonviolent, of course, save in popular uprisings.)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gnerphk

It is unfortunate, Boleslav, that you are unable to instinctively grasp Conrad's superiority as a ruler, his natural fitness for such, and his capacity to model dynamic thought along classical lines.

---

I respect Conrad's right to have opinions, but I completely disagree with his conclusions. Beware of instinct, Gnerphk.

As a supporter of his philosophy, perhaps you can shed light on this post:
http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picture1-5.png
from this thread: http://bbs.evony.com/showpost.php?p=...&postcount=321

I assume you agree with these sentiments, otherwise you wouldn't be so proud about pushing Conrad's candidacy as his "demagogue."

I will also be very grateful if you could refrain in the future from making assumptions about what I can and cannot grasp. Perhaps you might want to look in the archive to discover that I am one of few people on these forums prepared to give Conrad critical pushback on his ideas.

I do believe individuals can make a difference, especially as volunteers. Whether it's as a census taker, petition person, a judge at a voting poll, or just taking a couple of hours to read to kids at a library, or walking a roadside, picking up trash. It's more along the line of 'How much of a difference an individual WANTS to make?'

I got my brother this for Christmas:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nTVgyqyqZG...g+STC33301.jpg
It holds 11 Cubic Feet and works great. His current compost is just a pile.

Bole: Your use of humor and irony here escapes me. Perhaps it is too subtle.

But back to the thread...

Aye; I'm a fan of composting. One of the greatest problems I've had with shoebox-living (I'm presently stuck in one of the world's largest housing complex conglomerations) is the lack of backyard space; as well, while I've adapted to growing my herbs indoors, there's no space dedicable to even one of these lovely devices. I've attempted to use the balcony for similar purposes, but there seems to be a complex-wide ordinance restricting the uses for which one might employ said excresence. I've been contemplating the art of forced-perspective painting on a semipermeable screen; this, placed at the balcony's edge, would disguise my outdoor furnishings (and my off-colored curtains - not quite the proper white, it seems) and grant the illusion of full compliance.

It makes one wonder, rather, why it is that in this age of ocean-dumping and nominal recycling (especially as compared to the famed London 'rag-and-bone man' of an earlier age) nobody in this country has yet taken up the role of mass-composting for profit. I've seen information on methane pile plants, but they tend to contain factory-agriculture waste instead of post-consumer scrap food etc. Perhaps petroleum-distilled fertilizers are cheaper in bulk, but they're mostly useful for maize production -- and I think we've got enough of that.

If you live in a high-density housing area with no room for gardens, then perhaps you could consider getting a community garden established. Normally it is a matter of finding some wasteland near your buildings that is council owned and not marked for development, then raising local support amongst other tower dwellers and getting names on a petition to show support. If you take this to council along with a proposal for a not-for-profit community garden and show you are prepared to do the work required yourself to get it established, many councils will contribute the land for this use.

If you think it is too much work, hold a public meeting, get some support and establish a committee to do the planning and organise supporters into working groups. After all, it's going to be shared public space, so you don't have to do it all yourself.

Here's a link to a site about starting a community garden if the idea interests you at all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gnerphk

Bole: Your use of humor and irony here escapes me. Perhaps it is too subtle.

---

I'm not using humor or irony. You claimed that I didn't understand Conrad's philosophy and suitability to be a leader. I posted a source for you to respond to. Please respond. One of the purposes of this thread is, after all, for you to urge us to vote for him. So tell us - do you agree with his philosophy as pertains to women or not?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dawnseeker

I got my brother this for Christmas:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nTVgyqyqZG...g+STC33301.jpg
It holds 11 Cubic Feet and works great. His current compost is just a pile.

---

i thought it was a astrolabe and was all excited, then i realized what it was and though still excited, it was for a different reason.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gnerphk

there seems to be a complex-wide ordinance restricting...
It makes one wonder, rather, why it is that in this age of ocean-dumping and nominal recycling (especially as compared to the famed London 'rag-and-bone man' of an earlier age) nobody in this country has yet taken up the role of mass-composting for profit. I've seen information on methane pile plants, but they tend to contain factory-agriculture waste instead of post-consumer scrap food etc. Perhaps petroleum-distilled fertilizers are cheaper in bulk, but they're mostly useful for maize production -- and I think we've got enough of that.

---

the answer to both of those questions is the smell. if consumers complain about having to wash out their garbage before recycling it, what will they say when you ask them to collect their compostable organic matter? if there is already confusion about weather or not you can recycle plastics that dont have a number on the bottom to tell you which recycle category thay fall into, wont there be multiple questions about what is and isnt compostable materiel?


@Bole, i think his non-answer was your answer. you see it all the time where people dont want to face down a hard issue they pretend it isnt there. like the people who deny that global warming is an issue, they dont feel they can deal with it, they dont want to deal with it so they insist it isnt real. you see the same things in familys about to divorice, the children will fight tooth and nail to deny that any such thing is about to happen.

Mhh... I don't deny that climate change is likely from atmospheric pollution; I'm not convinced we'll see warming rather than cooling or that sea levels will rise. The Antarctic ice lens is actually thickening due to local subclimates, reversing a 6000-year trend. Likewise, when my parents got divorced, I was quite angry but I faced it directly.

As for Conrad's comments, however: I can't find the original post, so I'm uncertain of the context in which they were written; however, I'm confident that the original post must have existed and was not merely created to make a good quote. Still, it may well have been withdrawn by the writer, and it would be most impolite of me to comment on any statement that was retracted. Moreover, I cannot be said to speak for him, whether on a personal level or as a candidate.

What I can do is answer the question as phrased: "...do you agree with his philosophy as pertains to women or not?" The best way to answer this, it seems to me, is to state my own philosophy regarding the relevant issues.

The first of these is judging by a group rather than by the individual. To make specific judgments regarding individuals based only on empiric knowledge of the group, especially without any theoretical foundation and also when individual evidence is readily available, is both unwise and potentially offensive. When such data is unavailable, one can only judge empirically and from experience; in those cases, one is well-advised to keep one's conclusions tentative and to express them tentatively or not at all.

The second is of women. Now, I have known several women who quite closely fit the description in the text at hand (and I'm sure I've read something similar to this in a classical work); in my experience, they tend to be members of the immature and irresponsible groups, those for example without meaningful work experience. As well, many of these are skilled at little other than manipulation and exploitation.

And yet, I've also known many that are intelligent, competent, kind and generous. Some of my most intelligent friends happen to be female, and I greatly enjoy social intercourse with them (not to be confused with forms of intercourse of which a gentleman ought not speak). Again, this is mere empiricism and should not be confused with hard data or general theory.

As a general statement, then, I would say that I believe women to be much like men, with the group generally consisting of the useless and the useful intermingled - ofttimes within a single individual. Both genders are subject to the chemical interference of their bodies, not merely the hormonal influence but also blood sugar levels and the impact of regularity of excretion, among myriad other factors.

Again, I cannot speak for Conrad; could I, I would not. He's extremely capable of speaking for himself. But my support for his candidacy is undiminished by this; after all, the original post no longer exists, and I must judge by what is, not by what was or what might be.

============

On mass composting: It's likely that there's a compact technological solution to this difficulty, one that deals with convenience and with the smell. It simply hasn't been invented yet.

Both men and women are equally vulgar, terrible, brutish and savage. In this regard, I discard the Lockean viewpoint on human nature and uphold the Hobbesian viewpoint. In addition, both men and women confuse their lascivious desires for love. The statement that you quoted Boleslav is not my philosophical viewpoint and it is not degrading to women for it is merely a truth depicting the vulgarity of people in general and women in particular. Also, keep in mind that your optimistim regarding the human species and humanity in general is delusional as humans are driven by impulses, avarice, lust and passion. Perhaps, it is correct to say that humans as a whole are devoid of reason and rationality.

As for my political philosophy, the masses are unenlightened, ignorant and savage. I uphold the rule of a benevolent figure as did Socrates and Plato compared to the rabble rule featured in the extremely flawed Athenian model of democracy. The great multitude of people are ignorant and obsequious to their passions. To man, we can only attribute fickleness, deceit, avarice, hypocrisy and malevolence.

I'd add some virtues to balance the scales - loyalty, honor, valor, humor, charity, and the occasional selfless act of phileo - but in general I agree. Humankind makes war, imposes justice, brutalizes the Earth, disregards decency - and seems to revel in it. Modern society imposed the 40-hour work week and increased prices to slightly exceed the wage, inventing the cubicle in its spare time. Religion is known for its flaws rather than its virtues. Politics is no longer a gentlemanly contest between oposing viewpoints in an effort to better serve the public.

In all this, there is little positive to say about the masses, the narod. Only the exceptional are virtuous (though even they are merely human).

This is humanity - for better or for worse.

It is also unavoidable that we should live in the world of our creation. Perhaps, on an individual basis, we can change it to something in which one might prefer to live. Education is an excellent tool, though necessarily limited in range and scope. The art of the possible in modern politics does not preclude systemic change. Common values can readily be encouraged with appropriate measures.

I do not say this will be an easy task -- but it is our task, for this is our world and no other. I charge you, therefore, to accept it as your life's work -- for again, it is your life's work will ye or nil ye, accept it or no; there is no other work worth doing, and indeed most of our jobs are in aid of this great undertaking. We just tend to look at life on a smaller scale and forget the grandeur that is our birthright.

my siblings and i were scattered to the wind to protect us from those who would devour us before the light of day ever touched our fragile skin. thus we came into the world meek, lowly, fodder for many, the prey of all we encountered with no guidance to show us our potential but that born within. still we struggled, we strived for life. and hatching from our egg sacks we began to crawl about in search of that which would fill our needs. not all of us made it that far, but we few who did struggled harder and higher, into the very treetops searching for we knew not what along with our quest for food light and life. some were devoured in the tree tops, we are still prey for many and i have a feeling we always will be.
i have heard though that we will not always be as we are. i have seen some do it, and i know its what i want. i want to fly. we all want to fly, somewhen from the ancient past calls to us and we strive to get there.
i am on that quest, having filled my self full enough to last the immesurable time needed for the final transformation i locked my self within to make it a reality.

i will fly.

http://www.howardthompson.com/create.../butterfly.jpg

I like that. :o)

I hope you boys don't forget to include your-self's into the human race and remind yourselves that even you are flawed and driven by base instincts such as a lust for power and an over-riding desire to exercise control. Perhaps instead of continuously putting down your fellow man (and woman), you might consider raising them up through teaching and love?

The intellectual elite must guide the unenlightened, base and vulgar masses. In society, only the benevolent and wise should rule.

In a true democracy, all men are created equal and the intellectual elite can contribute to the discussion as best they can but in the end they are no more than the lowest of the low when it comes to their human rights and their political power.

Well, I agree with Socrates and Plato who were anti-democratic.

In Plato's The Republic, a benevolent ruler in the form of the Philosopher-King would control the political affairs of the state as opposed to the ignorant, savage and licentious rabble.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rodri

In a true democracy, all men are created equal and the intellectual elite can contribute to the discussion as best they can but in the end they are no more than the lowest of the low when it comes to their human rights and their political power.

---

How exactly are men created equal under a democracy? I thought democracies operated under the assumption that men are inherently equal (which everyone should know by now is a false statement).

Or we could educate the masses and enlighten them?
In ancient times, there was a certain tyrrany of labour because almost all work had to be done by hand. If you have to work from sunup to sundown for your livelihood then you don't really have much time left for anything much other than eating and sleeping. In the modern world we really don't have to work so many hours and have more free time to pursue learning. But we are discouraged from doing so and encouraged to focus on triviallities and fluff. In most western democracies, the standard of general education is dropping and instead of teaching students how to learn and how to apply critical thinking to everything they are told, we cram their heads full of facts and figures (most of which, they will never use) and tell them that the final exam is more important than anything they have learned. Fail that and it's game over. Your education is finished and now you must join the chain-gang, wherever you can get in. A good education would not punish the student for failing but rather look for the reasons why they failed to teach that student and work to correct that.

Elitism is dangerous because an elitist believes he knows better than you how you should live your life and that he can act to force you to comply.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Conrad_Jalowski

The intellectual elite must guide the unenlightened, base and vulgar masses. In society, only the benevolent and wise should rule.

---

The masses are none of the things you claim them to be, and to agree with you on this point is to write off the greater part of humanity. I note with some pleasure that Gnerphk, who "instinctively" grasps your philosophy and leadership potential does not agree with you on this point. Maybe it's time to anoint a new demagogue.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gnerphk

I cannot be said to speak for him, whether on a personal level or as a candidate.

---

So when you rather patronizingly posted this:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gnerphk

It is unfortunate, Boleslav, that you are unable to instinctively grasp Conrad's superiority as a ruler, his natural fitness for such, and his capacity to model dynamic thought along classical lines.

---

You weren't speaking for him, on a personal level, or as a candidate?

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picture1-6.png

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gnerphk

But my support for his candidacy is undiminished by this; after all, the original post no longer exists, and I must judge by what is, not by what was or what might be.

---

The original post no longer exists because forum members complained and it was removed to prevent a riot. That was the action which the masses took to prevent sexist prose being posted on the forums.

Mr. Boleslav, I did not attempt to denigrate women but to merely report the truth. People in general are solely concerned with appearances as opposed to substance and the majority of people are concerned with their lust and vulgar passions as opposed to true love. Both men and women are equally lascivious and care only for satiating their lust.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Conrad_Jalowski

the majority of people are concerned with their lust and vulgar passions as opposed to true love. Both men and women are equally lascivious and care only for physical pleasures.

---

including you?

No, I am asexual.

I have dedicated my life to the acquisition of knowledge and not to petty and frivolous things.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Conrad_Jalowski

No, I am asexual.

I have dedicated my life to the acquisition of knowledge and not to petty and frivolous things.

---

This is the problem!
Conrad I respect your intellect and wish you well in life but I think you are living a life that is unbalanced. Placing too much emphasis on one part of your life over all other aspects is not healthy. If I may use a little eastern philosophy here, your chi is out of alignment. Try to find some ways to have fun and socialize more broadly and above all, learn to laugh. It's all a cosmic joke after all. People enjoy each other's company for a reason, none of us is complete on our own.

http://chimeofmaine.org/Interfaith%2...ist_symbol.png

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rodri

This is the problem!
Conrad I respect your intellect and wish you well in life but I think you are living a life that is unbalanced. Placing too much emphasis on one part of your life over all other aspects is not healthy. If I may use a little eastern philosophy here, your chi is out of alignment. Try to find some ways to have fun and socialize more broadly and above all, learn to laugh. It's all a cosmic joke after all. People enjoy each other's company for a reason, none of us is complete on our own.

http://chimeofmaine.org/Interfaith%2...ist_symbol.png

---

Licencious behavior is not needed.

I must admit, my view is bias, as I whole-hearted side with Conrad on this issue.

Licencious behavior detracts from ones' life, the pursuit of knowledge is best undertaken without such frivolities.

To echo the sentiments of Conrad:

People are far too often concerned not about the inner person, but only the exterial. Beauty is held to be a precious commodity by the masses (higher sales for those stores with "beautiful" sales reprentitives supports this)... And it is in rare exceptions that a person is judged only on their mental abilities, or their inner-self.

Also, to go into eastern philosophy, I believe it was one of the earliest religions that stressed a view of life centered on academic pursuits. And as for Chi, as I understand it, I would say that licencious acts, would, in all propability, disrupt the Chi, not cultivate it.

~John

Look at the symbol. The yin and the yang in balance together and both containing a small potion each other. This is harmony.

People behave how they are taught to behave. If people are focused on the baser physical aspects of love and attraction, then that is because they have been taught to do so.
By whom?
By that electronic picture box in the corner for a start, and the billboards on the highway and the songs that they are told to listen to and most of all, by the 'role-models' they are given to emmulate. Given a lifetime of such conditioning, is it any wonder that people are focused on lust and physicallity rather than seeking their soulmate? Why do you think there is so much divorce and acrimonious seperation these days?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rodri

Look at the symbol. The yin and the yang in perfect harmony and both containing a small potion each other. This is harmony.

People behave how they are taught to behave. If people are focused on the baser physical aspects of love and attraction, then that is because they have been taught to do so.
By whom?
By that electronic picture box in the corner for a start, and the billboards on the highway and the songs that they are told to listen to and most of all, by the 'role-models' they are given to emmulate. Given a lifetime of such conditioning, is it any wonder that people are focused on lust and physicallity rather than seeking their soulmate? Why do you think there is so much divorce and acrimonious seperation these days?

---

Because people seek not to better themselves...

Demons are easy to invent, by the handfull: Billboards, fashion models, etc.. In reality, forms of these existed in the ancient world as well, yet the marriage rates were considerably higher.

The truth is hard to face...

The truth is, it is a persons decision. And people choose to focus on lust and physicallity, rather then things of more substance... Out of choice...

~John

You sound like you're judging the whole world but really, you are only judging yourself.