Yes, I’ve had decades of Tai Chi experience in my life and found it to be a true blessing, along with being very very hard work. Not the teaching, the practice itself. Even though it wasn’t as difficult for me as say for a football player, I wasn’t very coordinated when I began. Yes, I loved living in Sonoma county…and trips to Goat Rock, lived in Hacienda (sp?) for a while, was awakened in the mornings in Windsor when the balloons hissed overhead, loved the absolute silence of the red woods, even was on the beach standing on the fault line during the ‘big one’ back in about 90-91, I forget. Oh, I did drink lattes back then, something learned while living in NYC. Would sit with my friend and watch the world go by and chat too. And, I too appreciate the scientific method. It has been around for a long time and has it’s function. I just don’t deify it! ; - )
On Oct 29, 8:51 am, CrossBow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Oh yes, per your last sentences... > > You teach Chi? I am so jealous of you living near the pacific and all that > entails. I dream of Jenner, the Avenue of the Giants, and the Russian river > often. Ha, absolutely as far as possible Darwinist, though some would just > call me adherent to the scientific method not worshipful of a dead scientist > :) > > On Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 5:10 PM, ornamentalmind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > > > > > > "… as for being bombastic and prone to hyperbole...well, this is a > > public forum and we all have personalities and I > > will not apologize for mine as repugnant as it may get." – CB > > > Ditto!!! > > > "…it is extremely lovably niaive to imagine we can know all the cards > > and players in this international playground of bullies." – CB > > > I wonder who imagined that? Shall I "choke and swallow" now, or > > later? : - ) > > > "I have been unable to join the conspiracy that "W" caused the 9/11 > > strike by action > > or inaction,…" – CB > > > That is fine. I don't know how much you have studied the issue nor > > what you take to the arena. And, of course, the terms 'join' and > > 'conspiracy' in this context when used by most people are at least > > subtle forms of and/or loosely veiled forms of derision. For now, I'll > > retain a suspension of judgment. > > > "… and if/when we cause agression from other countries of this > > retaliatory nature, that does not mean they are right for attacking in > > this manner." – CB > > > Until now, I hadn't seen the notion of right/wrong brought into the > > discussion. In the current context, I would expect nothing else and, > > empathetically might feel desperate enough to reply in kind. > > > "This is not a cadre of bio-altruist we are talking about here, but > > murderous fundamentally bent cruelty experiments masquerading as > > humans." – CB > > > Ahhh, yes, the dehumanization of the 'enemy'. A necessary tactic for > > warfare. And, one of the first tools of most military and social > > programmers. Again, more of an observation than much of a forceful > > criticism. I have read Qutb and get a sense of how his views have > > influenced many of 'them'. > > > "…I have to bring up the perspective that we have to learn the same > > lessons over and over thoughout history." – CB > > > Well, have to or not, 'we' do appear to go in cycles. Again, the word > > of the day is ignorance as I see it. This of course can apply to each > > new generation that does not share the same memories and lessons and > > must learn on their own. So, as much as my personal exasperation oozed > > through my reflections upon the past and present, I do know the way of > > things in general. > > > "…Why do you think that is? I am not saying we havent improved from > > the sacrifice of children and slavery of > > ancient Rome, but really, we deal with the same human foibles, time > > removed." – OB > > > I've addressed the 'why', in general and ask, sort of tongue in cheek, > > sort of not…do you equate 'human foibles' to original sin as a > > concept? Additionally, you are NOT saying we haven't improved, a > > double negative, so I'll guess that you are at least implying that we > > HAVE improved. This too is a common meme that I don't subscribe to. > > > "Aren't you giving Bush a bit too much credit here?" – OB > > > Yes, it (Bush) was a reference to Rove, Wolfowitz and the rest of the > > neocons that formed the PNAC among others groupings and 'think tanks'. > > I'll even include Leo Strauss here to some extent since he taught many > > in this clique. > > > ".. be specific with me when you have time about all that has been > > ruined? At least he never overturned > > Roe vs. Wade...." – OB > > > I'd love to. For many years, almost daily revelations were being > > rushed by the media, or not. The onslaught was so mind numbing as to > > help many people think they were alone in seeing that he wore no > > clothes and was actively fulfilling the vision of the advisers for > > Bush the Elder. So, a well researched review might be valuable now. > > I've heard some others present 'short' lists already. > > > As an aside, see the movie 'W'. > > > "Having no belief in the 4 horsemen, I have no fear of them either, > > just an overriding bio-altruistic fire to make things better right > > here, right now - for you, for me." OB > > > Perhaps my ignorance about my own reference makes your reaction opaque > > to me. While I didn't mean it in a theological sense, but more of an > > allegorical one, I do see humanity at a potential brink of > > destruction. The original four were: Conquest, War, Famine and Death. > > I would update it a little and include issues like nuclear > > proliferation and the associated risk of not only 'suitcase bombs', > > but full bore Thermal Nuclear War, shall we play a game? Also, famine > > is real and, as overpopulation continues, will increase greatly. This > > is also exasperated by the passing of peak oil and our foolish > > continuing reliance on a global garden. When it comes to pestilence, > > AIDs will do nicely even though many others have arisen recently. And > > when it comes to the design of a distribution method, our current > > transportation system couldn't be much more efficient. > > > I won't belabor the point since I feel certain I've already made it. > > > And, your apparent wish to be in the here and now is something we can > > share. > > > "We do have many bases, but so many have closed or downgraded. Our > > military has been stripped of many bases, maybe for the better as > > logistics and economy goes, as it is a business of sorts." – OB > > > There was a movement here in the states to do that for a while and as > > I understand it, few have closed on a global scale, and we are > > currently building our largest one ever, in Iraq. Again, I'm not > > saying better/worse, merely what is. In general, you help me to make > > my point(s). Here you support how our zenith is long gone. We have to > > reduce our standards for the military to include both felons and > > idiots today. A sign of things to come I fear. And, when you mention > > as a sort of an aside that the military is a business, I'll assume you > > are not entirely versed on the history of how, long ago, the US > > decided to base it's economy upon the military, long before you or I > > were born. So, in that sense the money goes into local economies. > > However, on a much larger scale, it is an industry which produces > > nothing. All of it's resources are destroyed. This analysis has been > > made by those far wiser than I. Do a comparison between a business > > that 'creates' bombs and planes that become destroyed and almost any > > other. There is a net loss for all of the funds used up. And your last > > comment shows the truth of the matter, "…Not all countries boo them…". > > In the spirit of universality, do 'we' boo those military personnel > > marching down our streets? Oh, wait, we won't allow that…never mind. > > > "I mean deluded by "W" not by the very fact of enlistment itself. I > > know several soldiers with master's degrees, that do not feel deluded > > by the idea of what the military represents. Understanding violence is > > not the same as being attracted to it. If you are refering to me as a > > violence monger, you would be incorrect. I am however very passionate > > by nature. Your reference to heroes probably includes the brilliant > > work of Ghandi, No? We can agree there." – OB > > > Again I just don't get what is meant. Why did master's degrees come > > up? I was talking about ignorance. I know many with such degrees and > > more that remain quite ignorant overall. And, enlistment? Do you mean > > some people decide to join the military these days? Of course. The > > draft is long over, sadly. And as to what anything 'represents', we > > could start numerous topics on this alone, no? : - ) > > > I don't know if you are a violence monger, an enabler, an ideologue or > > peace activist. I'll take you at your word for now. I'll also be > > forewarned about your passionate nature too!!! > > > And, overall I did appreciate the brilliance of Ghandi. > > > RE: Darwin > > You consider yourself a Darwinist I take it? If so, as I understand > > it, his method and theory has gone through numerous iterations over > > time, is this the case? Oh, in a way it (Charles) is well know here. > > There are the obligatory footed fish found on numerous car behinds. > > Mine has a fat fish with "Buddha" written in it. Iconoclasm has it's > > place. > > > PS Perhaps I learned tenacity as a principle during decades of > > teaching Tai Chi. : - ) > > > The beat goes on.... > > > On Oct 28, 1:29 pm, CrossBow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Your conclusions are appreciated as is the tenacity of your response, > > > however do not put imagined words into my mouth expecting me to choke and > > > swallow them:) It is easy to assume I do, but I have very little hidden > > > meaning in my writing and less harmful intent than you might imagine. > > > > Idealistic and Appealing outlook - Allways. Everyone has an agenda and > > > vested interests are the only coin beside the sword, eh? I am happy to > > join > > > the ranks of Idealism and as for being bombastic and prone to > > > hyperbole...well, this is a public forum and we all have personalities > > and I > > > will not apologize for mine as repugnant as it may get. > > > > *<<<<I am not so naïve as to think that the US military industrial > > complex > > > does not hold great sway over how resources are used here and > > > elsewhere, however the current result of the Madness of King George is > > > clear to all now. Add to this that Clinton had DAILY meetings on > > > terrorism while 'W' had only ONE IN FOUR MONTHS!!!! . . . well, you > > > get my drift. I clearly believe that since we knew who was doing the > > > attacking and why and where they were - we even had airport pictures > > > that the reason that 'things are different since 9/11' would never > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
