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Emil El Zapato
10th October 2017, 15:50
A number of posters and obviously the Forum Moderators have voiced concerns about thread derailment and obfuscation. As a inherent problem solver I wanted to do something about that. So I am dedicating this thread as the locale for the most ridiculous, outrageous, and nonsensical 'thoughts' that anyone can conjure. Of course, it is subject to moderation but there will be no complaints from me regarding the content.

I'll start: The Non-sequitur shall remain profound! Long live the non-sequitur!

The world is not insane! At every level of civilization, at every level of societal functioning, and even at the level of the minutest social interaction (including forums) we see the root cause of conflict. It is the primordial battle of survival as hopelessly misguided as it is in a contemporary context. It is the fear held by the authoritarian and the sentience of the human that are locked in mortal combat. Any humanity we witness is a harbinger and any actor in favor of humanity is the vanguard of the future. Have heart, we are evolving!

If there is a need to delete this thread, no problem, I am a human! :onthequite:

Aragorn
10th October 2017, 16:55
If there is a need to delete this thread, no problem, I am a human! :onthequite:

I don't see any such need, but I do feel that it would better belong under Off-Topic than under Alternative Ways Of Living, so I'm moving it there. :p

Emil El Zapato
10th October 2017, 16:58
aaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Kathy
10th October 2017, 20:43
aaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

is this a protesting scream, lol? I ask because I don't see 'ggggrrrrrrrrr'.

Dumpster Diver
10th October 2017, 21:17
Since I have been demoted to derailer #2 by Donk, I’ll derail this thread and go after others in an attempt to regain my prior #1 status.

...where’s my dynamite? Probably in a box in the garage somewheres.

Emil El Zapato
10th October 2017, 21:26
Hey Dumpster, Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! ... but, unfortunately, I'm one step ahead of you...it is a simple mathematical/logical impossibility to derail this thread! Hah! I really should insert the evil laugh thing here, but I'm sure you get the picture!

No, grrrr in aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggg gggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I guess I should have added that this thread didn't belong in the off topic section because it is impossible to be off topic! In fact, I would encourage anyone feeling stifled by thread stiffness can post here and openly refer to the other threads. All in the interest of good intent, you understand. :)

enjoy being
10th October 2017, 21:55
*

Emil El Zapato
10th October 2017, 21:58
lol...why not, I'm all for it, but you gotta deal with the fallout... :)

Aianawa
10th October 2017, 22:10
Oh, conflict, >


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL710Iky6pE

All starts with you NAP lol

Emil El Zapato
10th October 2017, 22:16
Classic Bruce Lee:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usdcpWXPaDY


Oh, conflict, >


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL710Iky6pE

All starts with you NAP lol

This guy does have a way...seems entirely sincere...sincerity counts high on my scale...

Dreamtimer
10th October 2017, 22:17
Ribbit! Croak! Peep! Chirp! Cluck! Bark! Grunt! (I'm a frog)

:lol:kek:lol:kek:lol:

Emil El Zapato
10th October 2017, 22:46
yayyy!!!! Dreamtimer...I kind of like...j;lkjl;askdjrweo[iru[pewfjas;ldas; dlkf sa;dlfkuwe[oriuwe'oifu. I often get this urge... :)

modwiz
10th October 2017, 22:47
Ribbit! Croak! Peep! Chirp! Cluck! Bark! Grunt! (I'm a frog)

:lol:kek:lol:kek:lol:

Shadilay!:cloud:

Emil El Zapato
10th October 2017, 22:52
Ribbit! Croak! Peep! Chirp! Cluck! Bark! Grunt! (I'm a frog)

:lol:kek:lol:kek:lol:

Today in Houston there was a discussion about flooding and what 'green' approaches there were to be had...at the end of the discussion they played this song:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco


Shadilay!:cloud:

I was going to use that emojicon for the start of the thread....but used a different one!

enjoy being
10th October 2017, 23:15
*

sandy
10th October 2017, 23:30
""""How do I love thee??....let me count the ways"""" what is that quote that goes something like that.........:frantic:

modwiz
10th October 2017, 23:56
""""How do I love thee??....let me count the ways"""" what is that quote that goes something like that.........:frantic:

When I was an active musician some decades ago, that phrase was a popular one of mine. Count the ways? I came up with a dozen or more.:getcoat:

Dreamtimer
11th October 2017, 01:33
This thread (https://jandeane81.com/showthread.php/10416-A-T-L-Carver-Meme-Magic-Pepe-Trump-The-Cult-of-Kek?highlight=pepe+chaos) was quite interesting.

Emil El Zapato
11th October 2017, 13:55
""""How do I love thee??....let me count the ways"""" what is that quote that goes something like that.........:frantic:

I had a very hot-headed teacher once upon a time that did a Michael Jackson impression during a lecture. Just in teasing, I commented, "How do I hate thee??....let me count the ways". He lost it and threw a "magic" marker that hit a desk, exploded and splashed a student with ink ruining their shirt. The student got a new shirt and the teacher got fired. I really felt bad about that one!

Emil El Zapato
11th October 2017, 16:41
Response to Gio's thread on 'ghost caught on camera'

My guess: Prank!

I lived in a house where a fellow high school student's father murdered his mother...The front door had a large gash in it that looked as if was made from an ax but a shotgun had been the weapon used...I could hear footsteps in the hallway often and it scared the hell out of me. I had a girlfriend spending the night with me and she could hear them also. She would get up to see if anyone was there, as I would refused to do it. Her brother about a year later (after I had moved) was burned to death in a fire. (Total coincidence, as it was a rental). The lights would often flash on and off. One day the front door actually flew open outward. I ran out to see if anyone was playing a prank and no one was in sight and it was a wind free day/night.

Another time this huge scary looking guy walked in my front door and saw me sitting on the couch and said, 'sorry, I thought my sister lived here'. It was a small town where most people knew each other and I had never seen this guy before. I saw him again a couple of years later in a bar in another midsize city...That was weird!

Emil El Zapato
11th October 2017, 17:38
Light My Fire:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUkIkRmUr0Y

A mellow dude!

Emil El Zapato
11th October 2017, 17:53
I went to a Catholic grade school and was very 'conservative' as a youngster. I had a close friend whose parents were divorced which was scandalous at the time and I always had serious reservations about his mother especially when she bought him books on sex education and allowed him to buy an album featuring the Doors. Listening to it was my first foray into 'hard rock'. I fell in love with it and the Doors has always been one of my all time favorite bands. They were so COOL!

Dreamtimer
11th October 2017, 18:11
Are you still Catholic, NaP? I was raised Episcopal and always was amazed at how our churches and services were so close as to be almost identical and yet I was not seen as Christian by Catholics growing up. Our neighbors were very leery about me playing with their daughter and forbade it at first.

enjoy being
11th October 2017, 18:55
*

Emil El Zapato
11th October 2017, 19:33
Are you still Catholic, NaP? I was raised Episcopal and always was amazed at how our churches and services were so close as to be almost identical and yet I was not seen as Christian by Catholics growing up. Our neighbors were very leery about me playing with their daughter and forbade it at first.

yes, I am but I don't spend much time in church...I went everyday for 8 years and I figure I've got that covered. :)

Personally, I always thought those schisms were kind of silly. My stepmother who died recently was married to a methodist or episcopalian minister before she met my dad. She did continue to attend an Episcopalian church. However, our parish priest refused to marry her and my dad because of the previous divorce which was legally well founded....abuse...he was actually adjudged schizophrenic and hospitalized. In any case, there were serious issues that my father had with the local church (it's a very long story) and so in the end said the hell with it and was married by a justice-of-the-peace. They were married almost 50 years!.

Anyway, don't feel bad about the christian thing. I'm betting the Catholics were affronted by the fact that you weren't Catholic. Most denominations don't consider Catholics Christians... :_

Emil El Zapato
11th October 2017, 19:53
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xTLs5dFoTw

Blind Guitaristgod - athon

wow, that's good! It' beautiful in its theme!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9K0l-hZeRA

You should check out this guy if you're not familiar... Johannes Linstead.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrvOHGeJ_8Q

Emil El Zapato
15th October 2017, 16:19
drew breeze

it seems Drew Brees had a chance to set an NFL record today...he didn't :)

Emil El Zapato
15th October 2017, 17:16
well, this morning I had a sun induced vision of going down a square rabbit hole.

In my post to Modwiz' video, I commented in hope that Modwiz would discuss the higher higher aspects of Gnosticism. In my naivete, I say that I understand the connections of Sophia and Gaia and their significance to Earth/world but at the same time there are the aspects that transcend the physical and even the metaphysical of those considerations.

As Ken Wilber would examine.

NAP

https://markmanson.net/ken-wilber

Emil El Zapato
17th October 2017, 21:05
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsFBskshl5E

Notice at around 6:00 minutes how the host sets up the guest to seem credible. I have to admit this kid's knowledge is incredible. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

I smell conspiracy!

Emil El Zapato
12th December 2017, 15:45
My TV started talking to me in a squeeky alien language this morning! :nails:

Elen
12th December 2017, 16:06
My TV started talking to me in a squeeky alien language this morning! :nails:

I would turn that thing off and tell whoever is responsible that they don't have your permission for anything! How creepy NAP. :getcoat:

Emil El Zapato
12th December 2017, 17:25
yeah, it was weird...never seen nor heard anything like it before... :scrhd:

I tried to listen very carefully to see if I could pick up anything but anything I thought I might have heard would be total speculation really...

Dreamtimer
12th December 2017, 17:31
This is not about electronics. There have been a couple of days recently where hundreds of crows have been passing through and staying around. They like the dogwood berries and the tall trees. They do a lot of talking to each other. I recently heard that a group name for crows and ravens is a 'storytelling'. They seem to do that at times.

The weird thing was I kept thinking I heard human voices, but it was only the crows around.

Dumpster Diver
12th December 2017, 20:44
This is not about electronics. There have been a couple of days recently where hundreds of crows have been passing through and staying around. They like the dogwood berries and the tall trees. They do a lot of talking to each other. I recently heard that a group name for crows and ravens is a 'storytelling'. They seem to do that at times.

The weird thing was I kept thinking I heard human voices, but it was only the crows around.

The proper name for a group of crows is a ‘murder of crows,’ be they discussing Edgar Allen Poe or not.

Emil El Zapato
12th December 2017, 21:10
The proper name for a group of crows is a ‘murder of crows,’ be they discussing Edgar Allen Poe or not.

Once upon a midnight dreary as I pondered weak and weary...

I think that was the only poem I ever liked...

Dreamtimer
12th December 2017, 21:43
I've heard the "storytelling" name before but can't find any other reference. Crows are a 'murder' or a 'horde' or a 'muster' or a 'cauldron' or a 'congress', Ravens are an 'unkindness' (also horde, cauldron, congress).

The closest I can find to 'storytelling' are:

squabble of gulls

scold of jays

exaltation of larks

cry of loons

clamour of rooks

quarrel of sparrows

lamentation of swans

chattering of starlings


Edit: I found a reference to a book on hawking and heraldry from 1486 called The Book of St. Albans. In this book one can find the name 'storytelling'.

Dumpster Diver
12th December 2017, 23:11
Once upon a midnight dreary as I pondered weak and weary...

I think that was the only poem I ever liked...


Walt Whitman (1819–1892). Leaves of Grass. 1900.

Sparkles from The Wheel

WHERE the city’s ceaseless crowd moves on, the live-long day,
Withdrawn, I join a group of children watching—I pause aside with them.

By the curb, toward the edge of the flagging,
A knife-grinder works at his wheel, sharpening a great knife;
Bending over, he carefully holds it to the stone—by foot and knee,
With measur’d tread, he turns rapidly—As he presses with light but firm hand,
Forth issue, then, in copious golden jets,
Sparkles from the wheel.


The scene, and all its belongings—how they seize and affect me!
The sad, sharp-chinn’d old man, with worn clothes, and broad shoulder-band of leather;
Myself, effusing and fluid—a phantom curiously floating—now here absorb’d and arrested;

The group, an unminded point, set in a vast surrounding;
The attentive, quiet children—the loud, proud, restive base of the streets;
The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Emil El Zapato
13th December 2017, 00:01
I really think I got zapped this morning. I've had a splitting migraine all day...that is unusual.

Dumpster Diver
13th December 2017, 00:30
I really think I got zapped this morning. I've had a splitting migraine all day...that is unusual.

Mercury is retrograde until the 22nd.

Emil El Zapato
13th December 2017, 01:32
Interesting, that could do it...

modwiz
13th December 2017, 01:33
I really think I got zapped this morning. I've had a splitting migraine all day...that is unusual.

Must be the Russians.:rolleyes:

Emil El Zapato
13th December 2017, 02:19
Damn Russians...no, not this time...I thinks it was 'them' checking on their implants... :)

Dreamtimer
13th December 2017, 03:21
I'm Jonesin' for this Alabama election to be called.

Dreamtimer
13th December 2017, 03:28
I think this horse ride (https://twitter.com/Molly_Kats/status/940662427083001862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailykos.com%2Fstory%2F2 017%2F12%2F12%2F1723648%2F-Roy-Moore-s-horse-riding-skills-are-on-par-with-his-knowledge-of-the-law) is a symbolic representation of how things have gotten out of control for both Moore and his party.

Dumpster Diver
13th December 2017, 04:35
Alabama: either result is bad for the GOP.

...maybe the Trumpster Fire really is playing 4D chess?

Emil El Zapato
13th December 2017, 13:23
:) Just not very likely Mr. Dumpster, unless he wants to be ashes and maybe he does.

Dumpster Diver
14th December 2017, 03:04
I’ll admit it, in spite of all the alt-world love for Trump, I’ve always thought him a clown and frankly not very smart. An example: The USFL Generals football team was a real case of not-smart business that affected his dealings in sports for years afterward. Ham handed all the way round. He was born rich and went bankrupt 4 times and yet was brought back from the brink by somebody(s) who had a plan for him.

I tease the GF with ‘Trump is just playing 4D chess,’ but frankly I think he is a pawn in a much larger game. If he turns out to be the Abe Lincoln of our time, I’ll be totally surprised.

Aragorn
14th December 2017, 04:03
I’ll admit it, in spite of all the alt-world love for Trump, I’ve always thought him a clown and frankly not very smart.

My sentiments exactly. ;)


I tease the GF with ‘Trump is just playing 4D chess,’ but frankly I think he is a pawn in a much larger game.

That could be true, but on the other hand, there's also such a thing as Hanlon's Razor...:


"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

:eyebrows:

sandy
14th December 2017, 05:13
I would add a willing pawn D.D. :eyebrows:

Dreamtimer
14th December 2017, 08:55
Willing pawn. I can see that. He serves himself first, so he'd be willing if he can get money or status.

I appreciate what you say, Dumpy. There is so much on record about Trump and it's terribly unfortunate that people simply knee-jerk reject it as 'mainstream' or 'fake' or 'smearing' or some other excuse.

Dumpster Diver
14th December 2017, 15:17
I play chess...my pawns are very willing to die for me in my games. Some of them become queens and finish off the other king at the end of the game.

Yeah, I just can’t see much positive about this guy. He’s got to be a tool for somebody or THE best actor on the planet.

Dreamtimer
14th December 2017, 15:24
He was a good actor. He's losing those mad skills. I think his life and attitude are taking their toll. Certain things, made a life practice, catch up with you. It could be TV or diet, the toll of being a bully and conman, who knows. But I think he's reached his limit and what went around is coming around.

Emil El Zapato
15th December 2017, 14:19
I play chess...my pawns are very willing to die for me in my games. Some of them become queens and finish off the other king at the end of the game.

Yeah, I just can’t see much positive about this guy. He’s got to be a tool for somebody or THE best actor on the planet.

Hi Dumpster,

Are you familiar with Gameknot.com? Want to join an online team? Gameknot has over 20,000 players and 200 teams. Our team is ranked 2nd on the wins versus losses chart. We are always looking for dedicated players. The Immortal Kings fight till we bleed out. At least some of us do and those that don't leave the team. I'm taking a break from my co-captainship right now but am suppose to start back up after the 1st of the year. All our Captain really asks is that we be team players, do our best, and never give up....rating is irrelevant. We have and had players ranked in the top 10 in the world, and those that literally have mental/physical challenges.

Did I scare you away?

NAP

Dreamtimer
15th December 2017, 15:41
I just stumbled across this and am still chuckling from the title. Has anyone ever heard of "The Encyclopedia of American Loons (http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2010/05/)?" Many of our community favorites are in there. It is a blog with entries on various individuals going back to 2010.

The blogger credits Fredrick Haraldsen (https://www.facebook.com/fharaldsen) with the writings.

Dumpster Diver
15th December 2017, 16:18
I just stumbled across this and am still chuckling from the title. Has anyone ever heard of "The Encyclopedia of American Loons (http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2010/05/)?" Many of our community favorites are in there. It is a blog with entries on various individuals going back to 2010.

The blogger credits Fredrick Haraldsen (https://www.facebook.com/fharaldsen) with the writings.

I didn’t see Darth Hatman, Blue Chicken Corey, or Dave Will-talk-about-his-cock in there.

...so not very complete. But Kryon and Al Bielek made it (Al being long dead now).

Maybe we need our own directory of alt-world ‘personalities’ but a bit less caustic.

Dumpster Diver
15th December 2017, 17:12
Hi Dumpster,

Are you familiar with Gameknot.com? Want to join an online team? Gameknot has over 20,000 players and 200 teams. Our team is ranked 2nd on the wins versus losses chart. We are always looking for dedicated players. The Immortal Kings fight till we bleed out. At least some of us do and those that don't leave the team. I'm taking a break from my co-captainship right now but am suppose to start back up after the 1st of the year. All our Captain really asks is that we be team players, do our best, and never give up....rating is irrelevant. We have and had players ranked in the top 10 in the world, and those that literally have mental/physical challenges.

Did I scare you away?

NAP

I’ve played there. The problem? They allow computer cheats. Normally not an issue below ~2000 Elo, but I ran across a 1500 player (I was ~1700 at the time) who was beating me up, so I put the computer on him and he played computer perfect chess for 20 moves and actually gained ‘strength’ during that period. I then resigned the game (made an agreement with myself to do so before bringing in the computer). Last I checked, he is still there running a team at Gameknot.

Chess.com checks for this, also has real time play and chess 960 (Fisher random chess) for those who hate learning openings, which you don’t need to worry about at Gameknot with their two very good opening databases.

Computer cheating at Gameknot gets worse above ~2100 and virtually everyone uses them at the highest levels at least in self defense.

Team play at Gameknot tends to add to the cheating at lower levels as it is so very competitive.

I peaked at 1948 (I remember this as I was born that year) in OTB play but had a few tournament performance ratings in the low 2100s. When I played in tourneys it was very streaky, played well in the morning and badly at night/evening.

Dreamtimer
15th December 2017, 18:43
I had never heard of Tuck Buckford until recently. Hilariously, Alex Jones actually did his own Tuck Buckford, in apparent response to the Colbert character.

There's definitely something fishy about this guy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St_G4_k78Es

(Stephen has consumed some amazing things over the years)

Dumpster Diver
15th December 2017, 22:06
I had never heard of Tuck Buckford until recently. Hilariously, Alex Jones actually did his own Tuck Buckford, in apparent response to the Colbert character.

There's definitely something fishy about this guy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St_G4_k78Es

(Stephen has consumed some amazing things over the years)

When Colbert did the hatchet interview job on Andy Basiago several years back, that's when I caught a clue Colbert was probably working for the other team. Since then I'm starting to get a sense that in order to succeed in music, TV, or the Movies, you gotta give them something. Your soul is old hat, usually now it's a significant person in your life + soul + ?

Emil El Zapato
15th December 2017, 22:35
I’ve played there. The problem? They allow computer cheats. Normally not an issue below ~2000 Elo, but I ran across a 1500 player (I was ~1700 at the time) who was beating me up, so I put the computer on him and he played computer perfect chess for 20 moves and actually gained ‘strength’ during that period. I then resigned the game (made an agreement with myself to do so before bringing in the computer). Last I checked, he is still there running a team at Gameknot.

Chess.com checks for this, also has real time play and chess 960 (Fisher random chess) for those who hate learning openings, which you don’t need to worry about at Gameknot with their two very good opening databases.

Computer cheating at Gameknot gets worse above ~2100 and virtually everyone uses them at the highest levels at least in self defense.

Team play at Gameknot tends to add to the cheating at lower levels as it is so very competitive.

I peaked at 1948 (I remember this as I was born that year) in OTB play but had a few tournament performance ratings in the low 2100s. When I played in tourneys it was very streaky, played well in the morning and badly at night/evening.

wow, that's really good and yeah, cheating is rampant. OTB is real chess and a rating around 2000 is not a common chess player. If you change your mind let me know. Our team needs players of your calibre...we actually have a gap around 2000 - 2200. So you would fit in nicely... :)

I started playing again (since high school) about 5 years ago. I've improved from around 1300 to around 1800 lately...but that's with all the aids.

I've played against 1300 level players that would kick Magnusson's buttocks. My claim to fame...I split a match with Jessica Biel... :) She was on our team awhile back but I couldn't get her to respond to any of my messages ... :)

Aianawa
15th December 2017, 22:42
Maybe true, and the way Fox is narrative changing somewhat and obviousely, will have your other so called team a wondering , yes ?.


When Colbert did the hatchet interview job on Andy Basiago several years back, that's when I caught a clue Colbert was probably working for the other team. Since then I'm starting to get a sense that in order to succeed in music, TV, or the Movies, you gotta give them something. Your soul is old hat, usually now it's a significant person in your life + soul + ?

Dumpster Diver
16th December 2017, 03:11
Maybe true, and the way Fox is narrative changing somewhat and obviousely, will have your other so called team a wondering , yes ?.

The other team is the so called ‘deep state’...I still think Fox is a part of that group.

Dumpster Diver
16th December 2017, 03:22
wow, that's really good and yeah, cheating is rampant. OTB is real chess and a rating around 2000 is not a common chess player. If you change your mind let me know. Our team needs players of your calibre...we actually have a gap around 2000 - 2200. So you would fit in nicely... :)

I started playing again (since high school) about 5 years ago. I've improved from around 1300 to around 1800 lately...but that's with all the aids.

I've played against 1300 level players that would kick Magnusson's buttocks. My claim to fame...I split a match with Jessica Biel... :) She was on our team awhile back but I couldn't get her to respond to any of my messages ... :)

Well, as I say, at the 2000+ level you begin to get the cheats. So no thanks, rather not.

Btw, this was the real Jessica Beil and not just someone using the name? I don’t see chess listed as a hobby at her IMDB or Wikipedia sites.

Emil El Zapato
16th December 2017, 03:30
I asked the Captain and according to him the scuttlebutt was that it really was her. She did star in a chess-themed movie... :)

b.t.w. You are too gracious... :) I almost tripped avoiding that response... :)

Dumpster Diver
16th December 2017, 03:56
I asked the Captain and according to him the scuttlebutt was that it really was her. She did star in a chess-themed movie... :)

b.t.w. You are too gracious... :) I almost tripped avoiding that response... :)

“too gracious”: thanks, not many folks apply that term to me. I once was a ‘slit your throat and dance in the blood’ type of chess player, but those days are, thankfully, long past.

Your note got me looking, I don’t see a Jessica Biel listed at Gameknot, so she was playing under some other name? I didn’t see her on your team or as a former member. She is of some interest since she is married to Justin Timberlake, who is of some ‘deep state’ notoriety.

Aragorn
16th December 2017, 06:01
I started playing again (since high school) about 5 years ago. I've improved from around 1300 to around 1800 lately...but that's with all the aids.

I occasionally play via FICS (Free Internet Chess Server) (http://www.freechess.org/). However, my rating for standard games — i.e. 15 minutes or more — has gone all over the place. I'm not even sure what it is anymore now, because lately — and I haven't been playing all that often anymore — I can't find any registered players of my level, so I always play against unregistered guests, and they don't have a rating, nor does such a game change my existing rating.

FICS also uses a kind of fuzziness factor in its ratings, i.e. if you haven't been playing any rated games in a long time or you're a still new player, then this fuzziness factor allows for a greater deviation. So for instance, if you win, then your rating will go up quite a bit more compared to when you've been playing regularly, and conversely, if you lose, then your rating will go down quite a bit more too.

The amount of points that your rating goes up or down also depends on the rating of your opponent. Your rating will go up more if you win from an opponent whose rating is higher than yours, and so on. And the difference in rating between both players even affects the adjustment of their rating if the game ends in a draw.

Let's just say that my rating should normally sit somewhere in between 1200 and 1700, but due to technical difficulties with my previous version of Knights — the KDE/Plasma-specific chess client for GNU/Linux — my rating had been going down for quite some time while it should actually have gone up, and it took me a while before I realized. The problem was that when I checkmated my opponent, the user interface would tell me I was the winner, but it would sever the connection with the server before the last move had been registered at the server end, with as a result that the server considered me to have forfeited by disconnection.

Here's a Knights screenshot... ;)



http://users.telenet.be/stryder/Linux/KDE4/FICS_28.12.2017_-_AragornCF_(black)_vs_Chuckccac_(white).jpeg


I've beaten 1700+ players and I've lost from 1300+ players. My blitz rating doesn't even rise above 1000 anymore, but then again, blitz games at FICS are usually 5-10 minutes — sometimes less — and in a blitz game, I usually end up running out of time, rather than that I resign or that I get checkmated.

Some of those unregistered guests do indeed use a chess engine. You run into lots of weirdos on there too. There's this one guy who always plays anonymously — i.e. as an unregistered guest — and he's brilliant as a chess player, but he's also a psychopathic sadist. Instead of finishing you off when he has a chance, he'll toy with you, just so as to annoy you, and then he starts mocking you, laughing at you and insulting you, as if the only thing that matters in life is chess, and nothing else you do matters. And you can't report him to the staff, because guests have a different name with every connection they make — "GUEST" followed by four randomly chosen alphabetic characters. He's also a racist, because if I tell him I'm from Belgium, he'll refuse to believe it and he'll say I'm an Asian, and he hates Asians.

You also get a lot of unregistered guests who don't appear to know how to resign, and so when they think they can't win the game, they'll just disconnect. The more annoying kind doesn't even do that. They simply stop playing and let the timers expire. So if you're playing a 15-minute game and they stop playing after 3 minutes on their own clock, then you're going to have to wait until the remaining 12 minutes have expired, or else you forfeit the game.


:fpalm:


I've played against 1300 level players that would kick Magnusson's buttocks.

I take it you mean Magnus Carlsen, rather? :p

By the way, we have a member who signed up under the name magnuskarjakin, but whoever he or she is, he or she hasn't been back anymore since they registered — which was around the time that Carlsen and Karjakin were playing against each other in the World Chess Championship earlier this year.

This behavior is not uncommon, though. We get a lot of drive-by registrations. People stumble upon The One Truth, they sign up in a whim, and then they forget that they have. People have such short attention spans. :rolleyes:

Dumpster Diver
16th December 2017, 11:30
If you don’t play that frequently, chess.com is essentially free. So is Gameknot, but again, no online interactive chess.

As chess is a war game, and can open very selfish emotions, I’m now seeing it as a gateway ‘drug’ to poor behaviors. I use it to keep myself mentally challenged and I really try to bite down on the ‘win at all costs,’ ‘I’m better than you are’ tendencies.

Dreamtimer
16th December 2017, 11:53
I think you hit on why I never got into chess, Dumpy. It wasn't fun. That's not fun. I like a challenge, but not that throat-cut level. And it's worse if you're a woman playing against men, or better if you like that kind of thing.

I am fascinated by the game and it's origins. I still have some stuff to learn.

My friend can always roll just what he needs in backgammon. He's so good at rolling the dice that his father eventually refused to play the game with him. We play other kinds of games with him and he's got some truly mad dice rolling skills. He never used them in Vegas. He thinks that would be some kind of bad karma.

Dumpster Diver
16th December 2017, 12:12
I think you hit on why I never got into chess, Dumpy. It wasn't fun. That's not fun. I like a challenge, but not that throat-cut level. And it's worse if you're a woman playing against men, or better if you like that kind of thing.

I am fascinated by the game and it's origins. I still have some stuff to learn.

My friend can always roll just what he needs in backgammon. He's so good at rolling the dice that his father eventually refused to play the game with him. We play other kinds of games with him and he's got some truly mad dice rolling skills. He never used them in Vegas. He thinks that would be some kind of bad karma.

Chess is a two edged sword (you gotta love the war terminology). It can seriously develop critical thinking, decision making, pattern recognition, multi-move calculation, difference between short term tactics and longer term strategy. And it can engender a narcissistic blood-lust that can alienate you from others. As a club game, it can be used to befriend folks, or alienate them. You learn the unwritten rules. As you get better, you learn the rules, then the exception to the rules, and then the exceptions to the exceptions. Life boiled down to an 8x8 board.

So does your friend think he can control the movement of the dice? If so, he is correct in staying away from Vegas. I have traveled that path in sports forecasting and IMO, he can get conjure real karmic issues on that road.

Dreamtimer
16th December 2017, 12:21
He trusts his instincts on that.

It's interesting. Why would using natural talents to gamble and win money bring bad energy? Is it the gambling itself? Is it the money? What about the intent of the player? If I'm betting on horses to feed my family (not unheard of) is that bad karma?

Certainly religions frown on gambling. It can easily undermine the family if the gambler is irresponsible. And there is the phenomenon of money screwing with peoples' heads.

:scrhd::wry::hmm:

Aragorn
16th December 2017, 12:24
As chess is a war game, and can open very selfish emotions, I’m now seeing it as a gateway ‘drug’ to poor behaviors. I use it to keep myself mentally challenged and I really try to bite down on the ‘win at all costs,’ ‘I’m better than you are’ tendencies.

I think you hit on why I never got into chess, Dumpy. It wasn't fun. That's not fun. I like a challenge, but not that throat-cut level. And it's worse if you're a woman playing against men, or better if you like that kind of thing.

I am fascinated by the game and it's origins. I still have some stuff to learn.

I play chess because it's a cool game which stimulates the brain, and I like playing against human opponents because they are fallible, just like I am. I used to be able to beat the computer at the "easy" level, but the latest version of GNU Chess already plays at a level of 2400 on a first-generation Pentium — which is a 32-bit processor with clock speeds up to 100 MHz, I believe — and this refurbished machine has two 64-bit cores running at 2.2 GHz. It's impossible to beat that, unless you are Magnus Carlsen himself — I believe he's rated at 2800+.

Chess is a noble sport, and therefore I play the game as a gentleman. I'm not interested in winning at all cost. Winning is nicer than losing, but in the end, it doesn't really matter. It happens quite frequently that I'm having a friendly chat with my opponent while we're playing — sometimes they're the ones to initiate the conversation, sometimes it's me. Some never reply when I greet them, but it is possible that they've hidden their chat window so as to not get distracted. And there are some cool people on there, just as there are quite a few nasty ones on there as well.

I've played against girls a couple of times, as well as against younger kids. You never really know whom you're playing against until they introduce themselves to you — if they're registered, then the name doesn't necessarily tell you anything. Many of those young kids then immediately want to hook up with me on Facebook, and when I then tell them that I'm not on Facebook, they seem confused. :lol:

Some are also way too inquisitive about my personal life. I never give them my real name, although I will tell them I'm from Belgium if they want to know where I live, and I will also tell them my age if they want to know about that.

Some of the unregistered guests are funny too, but that's in the public chat room. They seem to connect primarily just to fool around in that chat room, and some of them are truly hilarious. In the run-up to the US elections, one of them would always come online as "The_Real_Donald_Trump" or something equally silly — he was always Donald Trump, but the exact spelling of his screen name differed depending on the day, e.g. "Donald_Trumps_Hair". And then he would talk about how his hair is real and all that, and about the wall at the Mexican border that he plans on building. :p Hilarious. :p

Dumpster Diver
16th December 2017, 12:36
He trusts his instincts on that.

It's interesting. Why would using natural talents to gamble and win money bring bad energy? Is it the gambling itself? Is it the money? What about the intent of the player? If I'm betting on horses to feed my family (not unheard of) is that bad karma?

Certainly religions frown on gambling. It can easily undermine the family if the gambler is irresponsible. And there is the phenomenon of money screwing with peoples' heads.

:scrhd::wry::hmm:

Vegas is a house of mirrors that can truly unleash the deep state monsters. Totally controlled by them, it’s built to make you believe you can win, but will most likely unleash all the soul crashing urges best left untouched.

It’s like the diagram at the edge of old maps, ‘here be monsters’.

Emil El Zapato
16th December 2017, 13:32
“too gracious”: thanks, not many folks apply that term to me. I once was a ‘slit your throat and dance in the blood’ type of chess player, but those days are, thankfully, long past.

Your note got me looking, I don’t see a Jessica Biel listed at Gameknot, so she was playing under some other name? I didn’t see her on your team or as a former member. She is of some interest since she is married to Justin Timberlake, who is of some ‘deep state’ notoriety.

I don't know how long it's been since I checked for her presence on the site. She left our team after a couple of months and started playing for another team...I can look it up on our team stats and I'll pass it on to you...

I just checked...I could find no trace of the name, not even in my game history...I"m going to keep looking by date and rating to see if I can find a trace. I'm not sure what to make of it right now...I don't know how things are handled if a player changes their name.

Emil El Zapato
16th December 2017, 13:40
I think you hit on why I never got into chess, Dumpy. It wasn't fun. That's not fun. I like a challenge, but not that throat-cut level. And it's worse if you're a woman playing against men, or better if you like that kind of thing.

I am fascinated by the game and it's origins. I still have some stuff to learn.

My friend can always roll just what he needs in backgammon. He's so good at rolling the dice that his father eventually refused to play the game with him. We play other kinds of games with him and he's got some truly mad dice rolling skills. He never used them in Vegas. He thinks that would be some kind of bad karma.

The dice story is interesting. I read a short sci-fi/paranormal story when I was a kid about a guy that had supernormal abilities to 'roll' things. He ended up in a match with the Devil. Funny, I can't remember how it turned out... :)

I think Chess is more of a guy thing, I tried getting my daughter interested for years and she wasn't enthused, she just wanted to draw things... :)

There is an open invitation to anyone that wants to play on my Gameknot team, though.

:)

Emil El Zapato
16th December 2017, 14:14
Vegas is a house of mirrors that can truly unleash the deep state monsters. Totally controlled by them, it’s built to make you believe you can win, but will most likely unleash all the soul crashing urges best left untouched.

It’s like the diagram at the edge of old maps, ‘here be monsters’.

Studies conducted with pigeons suggests that they are smarter than people when it comes to gambling. When they lose, they know they've lost...people don't...they get the same rush from almost winning as they do when they actually win. I have a friend that struggled with addiction to gambling as well as other things.

Dreamtimer
16th December 2017, 15:08
I know women who play chess and it's often their fathers who teach them. I would have played more with my brother but he was so unpleasant.

I don't have a poker face. My husband and I often look for cooperative games. There is an excellent Lord of the Rings game where this is essential or everyone dies/is consumed by Sauron.
https://cf.geekdo-images.com/hLdmEos_x1kxljXJXPqI7HKh6rw=/fit-in/246x300/pic479124.jpg
http://www.erzo.org/shannon/images-rpg/lotra1.jpg

Emil El Zapato
16th December 2017, 15:12
there are some truly great women players...my absolute favorite is

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/FM_Alisa_Melekhina_L.jpg

Alisa Melekhina is an amazing woman...trained ballerina, attorney, and of course, chess player... :)

Emil El Zapato
16th December 2017, 15:51
I did find this:

http://www.bignoisenow.com/images/artistphotos2008/jessicabiel2_bnpic.jpg

Because of Big Noise's efforts, the Original Motion Picture Score for Jessica Biel's film producing debut, 'Hole In the Paper Sky,' along with the film's composer Kerry Muzzey ('Glee') was placed by The Recording Academy on the Official Ballot for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in the following categories:

Actors Jessica Biel (who produced the film), Garry Marshall and Jason Clarke headline director Bill Purple's melancholy short about an anti-social math wiz and chess fanatic whose misanthropic worldview is challenged by a lovable little canine. Howard (Clarke) is a 'perpetual student' whose uncanny knack for numbers has resulted in a false sense of superiority. Simply put, Howard sees himself as superior to nearly everyone he encounters - including the aging chess champion that he defeats in a high-profile tournament. Now, the man who views the world through darkened shades of contempt strikes up a most unexpected friendship.


Album of the Year
Kerry Muzzey - Hole In the Paper Sky:
Original Motion Picture Score

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Kerry Muzzey - Howard Sees the Sky

Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture,
Television or Other Visual Media
Kerry Muzzey - Hole In the Paper Sky:
Original Motion Picture Score

Jessica's fiance at the time (and now husband) Justin Timberlake enthusiastically joined in on getting the word out about the soundtrack's recognition!


Watch the film's trailer now


Update: Kerry Muzzey has composed 'Looking Back,'
the love theme from 'Glee.'
Click here to enter Kerry's Official Website

Elen
16th December 2017, 16:22
I know women who play chess and it's often their fathers who teach them.

Oh yes, my father tried to teach me to play chess, but I wasn't even a teenager when I sussed it out. Pawns, knights, King and Queen etc. etc. ??? Ouch...it wasn't going to happen! :getcoat:

Dumpster Diver
16th December 2017, 16:36
https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Bitch-Women-Ultimate-Intellectual/dp/189008509X?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ipad-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=189008509X

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BoqjlzgML.jpg

Great book from the female ‘chess tigeress’ perspective.

Dumpster Diver
16th December 2017, 16:45
http://web.chessdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/World-Champions-Guide-To-Chess-by-Susan-Polgar-460x368.jpg

Susan Polgar, of the chess Polgar sisters. Probably THE best chess teacher and coach in the world right now:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Polgar

Her sister, Judit, is no slouch either:

https://www.365chess.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/judithpolgar.jpg

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judit_Polgár

Describing an individual encounter with Judit Polgár, former U.S. Champion Joel Benjamin said, "It was all-out war for five hours. I was totally exhausted. She is a tiger at the chessboard. She absolutely has a killer instinct. You make one mistake and she goes right for the throat."

Dreamtimer
16th December 2017, 17:24
Coolio. I saw a show where two well-matched players played each other after a particular meal to see which one was better fueled. One had a high protein meal, the other had a high carb meal. Each time, the player who had the high protein meal was able to play better longer. I forget how long they ate before playing, enough to digest a bit.

Dreamtimer
16th December 2017, 17:43
Make of this what you wil (https://medium.com/wordsthatmatter/driving-back-chaos-aadae9725824)l. Chaos heads the page and these are the words of a dying man who did much for his country.

Emil El Zapato
16th December 2017, 18:04
Words do indeed matter...

I saw on the news this morning that 'certain' words are being banned from the lexicon in governmental health policy circles. Really? Are they serious? People laughed at me when I warned them (in plenty of time) what a Trump presidency would mean. My biggest regret raising my daughter was being wrong when I told her to not worry about things because Trump simply could not be elected in the United States. I care what no one says, he is the False Prophet and I'm sure the Anti-Christ is halfway to his goal.

Dreamtimer
16th December 2017, 18:12
Yeah. You can't say science-based and you can't say evidence based. You have to say with consideration of science and community standards and values.

Religious right-wing PC anyone?

Fred Steeves
16th December 2017, 21:44
Make of this what you wil (https://medium.com/wordsthatmatter/driving-back-chaos-aadae9725824)l. Chaos heads the page and these are the words of a dying man who did much for his country.

Dying man or not, so far as I'm concerned John McCain can take his cherished "Liberal World Order" and shove it.


Globally, the institutions of the post–World War II liberal world order continued their tragic decline. After 70 years of the greatest stability, security, and prosperity the world has ever known, we are letting that order slip through our fingers. If we do, we will find that the chaos left behind will neither protect our interests nor promote our values — and it will surely not secure the peace.

He's a fine one to speak so piously of values and peace, when the man never saw a war or an arms deal he didn't like.

Stability... Ask areas like Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, how valuable America has been to their stability. Hell, he probably still considers "the gooks" to be the bad guys in Vietnam...

Question: Does the changing of one word from "New World Order", to "Liberal World Order", suddenly make it a good thing now?

Emil El Zapato
17th December 2017, 00:00
It's always been a good thing...propagandists live their lives trying to hide that fact.

Wind
17th December 2017, 00:28
To my American friends and not only to them I pose this question...

What does liberty mean to you?

Does this symbol stand for anything in reality?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DQvvVf1VAAA1REy.jpg

Dreamtimer
17th December 2017, 00:57
One of the most important liberties we're supposed to have is freedom from religious oppression. This has been turned on it's head to become people fighting for their religious 'right' to make others live by their religious rules.

What liberal world order is there? If people are trying to control your behavior they're not liberals. Liberal is a word directly tied to freedom. Liberal. Liberty.

The pursuit of happiness is a liberal idea and value. There are many religions that frown on happiness, leisure and fun.

Owning your own property is a liberal value. The conservative values which existed when this country was founded were that the monarchy owned it all. This country was not founded on any kind of conservative values. It was liberal and revolutionary.

Throughout my life a great many Americans have worked to turn liberal into a bad word. It's a great tragedy, imo.

Emil El Zapato
17th December 2017, 01:53
if there was ever any doubt, Twitter says the U.S. govt led by Harry Reid has admitted to funding a UFO research program between 2007 and 2012

Fred Steeves
17th December 2017, 03:37
It's a great tragedy that even here on these supposedly enlightened forums, the Left/Right - Liberal/Conservative paradigm can still exert such an intoxicating and divisive influence.

Gang colors abound at every level, curiouser and curiouser observed Alice.

Dreamtimer
17th December 2017, 13:48
Where's the division, Fred? You said we were divided before when we weren't. I'm not seeing it.

What am I missing?

Emil El Zapato
17th December 2017, 14:09
It's not a left/right division...It's a division of human values. If I were to defy all political identification I would still maintain that ALL human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion by virtue of their God given humanity. And it's a done deal, that's all there is and there ain't no more.

Fred Steeves
17th December 2017, 14:47
Where's the division, Fred? You said we were divided before when we weren't. I'm not seeing it.

What am I missing?

Not so much division between me and you Dreamtimer, much respect there we just differ on some things. When so many subjects are just boiled down to Left vs. Right - Liberal vs. Conservative (this means you too NAP), division inherently becomes part of the overall equation. That's why I keep referring to colors. "Which side are you on, what colors are you wearing". When it boils down to that in deciding who's the good guy and who's the bad guy, that is what I see as needless division.

John McCain's Liberal World Order (aka New World Order) has absolutely *zero* to do with America's founding Liberal principles, and neither does today's Liberal Left for that matter. If we have to label everything we could label him a neocon, which of course has nothing to do with America's Liberal founding principles either.

Does this explain where I'm coming from a little better?

Dreamtimer
17th December 2017, 14:48
As long as we're still talking, we're still doing good.

I've complained about this before: my brother has spent decades saying, "I don't have time to think. I don't have time to listen." He's not alone in his attitude. He was all over Gingrich's drive to stop dialogue with liberals and stop talking to the media. Gingrich is one of his heroes.

It's ironic because he used to work for a TV station managing ad sales.

Dreamtimer
17th December 2017, 14:54
It does, Fred.

My colors are American. That's all. I was just talking about this a couple weeks ago when I was out west. I grew up in the Southwest, the South, northern CA, and New England. All of that is in my roots because I had formative years in each place.

I have family in all those places and more. My son went to the northwest and I have connections there now.

Secession, Civil War, North/South or East/West or Coast/Center divisions are stupid-ass. Nothing more.

Kids were the same in school wherever I lived. People are the same. If you(whoever) think you're different from the rest of America because you're from the South, think again. You're the same as New Englanders. It's amazing. You're just like the Yanks and you don't even know it.

We're all American and my colors are red white and blue.

Wherever I go in the world I will be American and could never hide it. (not without professional help, anyway)

Emil El Zapato
17th December 2017, 15:24
Perhaps Mr. McCain has had an epiphany? If you notice he did manage to get his dig in against Obama's 'lead from behind' style that was overwhelmingly supported by the American people. Despite the fact they complained about it every step of the way.

Aragorn
17th December 2017, 16:14
My colors are American. [...] Wherever I go in the world I will be American and could never hide it. (not without professional help, anyway)

Identifying with one's nationality is silly, in my humble opinion, and especially so in a universe teeming with life. How about "my color is 'human'"? :eyebrows:

Elen
17th December 2017, 16:25
Identifying with one's nationality is silly, in my humble opinion, and especially so in a universe teeming with life. How about "my color is 'human'"? :eyebrows:

Yeah WTG Aragorn! ;)

Emil El Zapato
17th December 2017, 16:25
That's where I'm coming from, Aragorn...

Earth is not considered the most habitable planet in the Universe. Planets twice the size of Earth with slightly dimmer suns would be a much better place to live and are much more common than the blue marble. Not to mention that Earth is currently on a downhill slide.

Dumpster Diver
17th December 2017, 16:30
Identifying with one's nationality is silly, in my humble opinion, and especially so in a universe teeming with life. How about "my color is 'human'"? :eyebrows:

I gotta agree with Argon, National ‘Tribalism’ is akin to racism. If you live outside of the US borders for any length of time, you find us humans are pretty much the same. There are some tribal differences, but they should be embraced and enjoyed not viewed with suspicion. Sometimes I really think everyone in the US should be forced to take international vacations about once every 2 years...and I don’t mean to Canada or the Bahamas. I find too many in the US to be ‘provincial.’

Dreamtimer
17th December 2017, 17:14
I'm not running around wearing the flag and chanting "we're number one". I am what I am.

I'm an earthling of painfully obvious American origin. Human like us all, and culturally American. I could try to pretend to be Canadian but beyond that I wouldn't fool anyone.

Aragorn
17th December 2017, 17:35
I'm not running around wearing the flag and chanting "we're number one". I am what I am.

I'm an earthling of painfully obvious American origin. Human like us all, and culturally American. I could try to pretend to be Canadian but beyond that I wouldn't fool anyone.

With my collection of different accents in English alone already, I bet I could. :p

In the Voices of the Forums videos, you've been hearing me speak with a North American accent, and that has been my natural way of speaking English for the last ~30 years or so, but up until then, I had an unmistakable Oxford English pronunciation. And in the meantime, I've also learned how to speak...


Aussie English;
South African English (in two different accents);
Scottish English (in two different accents);
Irish English;
Central African English (even though my skin color would of course give me away);
German English (great for making fun of the Nazis from television :p);
Russian English;
Flemish English (which is an absolutely horrible accent :p);
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Austrian English :p;
French English ("'Allo 'Allo! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Allo_%27Allo!)"); and
a bit of rastafari English (I do a great impression of King Willie from "Predator 2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator_2)" :p). ;)


:p

enjoy being
17th December 2017, 20:34
*

Dumpster Diver
18th December 2017, 02:04
With my collection of different accents in English alone already, I bet I could. :p

In the Voices of the Forums videos, you've been hearing me speak with a North American accent, and that has been my natural way of speaking English for the last ~30 years or so, but up until then, I had an unmistakable Oxford English pronunciation. And in the meantime, I've also learned how to speak...


Aussie English;
South African English (in two different accents);
Scottish English (in two different accents);
Irish English;
Central African English (even though my skin color would of course give me away);
German English (great for making fun of the Nazis from television :p);
Russian English;
Flemish English (which is an absolutely horrible accent :p);
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Austrian English :p;
French English ("'Allo 'Allo! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Allo_%27Allo!)"); and
a bit of rastafari English (I do a great impression of King Willie from "Predator 2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator_2)" :p). ;)


:p

How about Cockney rhyming slang? Maybe the next you learn?

enjoy being
18th December 2017, 06:11
*

Aragorn
18th December 2017, 07:24
In the Voices of the Forums videos, you've been hearing me speak with a North American accent, and that has been my natural way of speaking English for the last ~30 years or so, but up until then, I had an unmistakable Oxford English pronunciation. And in the meantime, I've also learned how to speak...


Aussie English;
South African English (in two different accents);
Scottish English (in two different accents);
Irish English;
Central African English (even though my skin color would of course give me away);
German English (great for making fun of the Nazis from television :p);
Russian English;
Flemish English (which is an absolutely horrible accent :p);
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Austrian English :p;
French English ("'Allo 'Allo! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Allo_%27Allo!)"); and
a bit of rastafari English (I do a great impression of King Willie from "Predator 2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator_2)" :p). ;)


:p

lol couldn't resist.
https://vocaroo.com/i/s18iJFNg6bEf
https://vocaroo.com/i/s0Zr3tbxKqLZ
https://vocaroo.com/i/s0baRBBqu6Zh

I don't have a microphone attached to this computer. :onthequite:





How about Cockney rhyming slang? Maybe the next you learn?

I used to be able to speak Cockney too, yes — albeit without the rhyming thing — but that was a very long time ago, back when my main English was still Oxford. I haven't spoken any Cockney anymore since, and there's a good chance that if I were to try, it would quickly shift into Aussie English. This is a quite normal neurological phenomenon among people who speak multiple languages, especially if those languages are very similar.

I do indeed speak multiple languages — i.e. English, Dutch, Afrikaans, French, a bit of German, and a few words/phrases in Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Russian — but given that we're talking of multiple different dialects of the same language, this crossover effect is very real in my case. ;)

Dumpster Diver
18th December 2017, 13:27
I don't have a microphone attached to this computer. :onthequite:






I used to be able to speak Cockney too, yes — albeit without the rhyming thing — but that was a very long time ago, back when my main English was still Oxford. I haven't spoken any Cockney anymore since, and there's a good chance that if I were to try, it would quickly shift into Aussie English. This is a quite normal neurological phenomenon among people who speak multiple languages, especially if those languages are very similar.

I do indeed speak multiple languages — i.e. English, Dutch, Afrikaans, French, a bit of German, and a few words/phrases in Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Russian — but given that we're talking of multiple different dialects of the same language, this crossover effect is very real in my case. ;)

I speak spaghetti Italian, taco Spanish (really Mexican) and I suppose ‘rice taffle’ Dutch...I was going to say ‘olle bollen’ but it would probably gross out Dreamy and I don’t eat ‘em anyway.

Aragorn
18th December 2017, 14:42
I was going to say ‘olle bollen’ but it would probably gross out Dreamy and I don’t eat ‘em anyway.

Do you mean "oliebollen"? They're nice, but quite heavy on the stomach. ;)



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Oliebollen.jpg

Dumpster Diver
18th December 2017, 14:53
Yes, the Dutch oil balls ‘Christmas Treat’

...but only the Dutch speakers really know about it.

I should have said Gouda Dutch, but I hate the way English speakers mangle the pronunciation of it.

Aragorn
18th December 2017, 15:12
Yes, the Dutch oil balls ‘Christmas Treat’

...but only the Dutch speakers really know about it.

I should have said Gouda Dutch, but I hate the way English speakers mangle the pronunciation of it.

Well, Gouda is quite a different thing — it is a very popular cheese, even here in Belgium. :)



http://www.kaasservicelimburg.nl/producten/kPbdtGx8-thickbox.jpg


And by the way, we Belgians eat "oliebollen" too, but not at Christmas. :p You often find them at a market stall during one of the weekly markets, and you'll typically also find them whenever there's a fair in town. Just follow the smell. :p

Dumpster Diver
18th December 2017, 15:40
yup, us Americans pronounce it 'Goo-da' cheese...makes my inner Dutchman cringe.

...by the way, I like Zwarte Piet. I guess that makes me a Christmas racist?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

Emil El Zapato
18th December 2017, 16:02
I don't have a microphone attached to this computer. :onthequite:






I used to be able to speak Cockney too, yes — albeit without the rhyming thing — but that was a very long time ago, back when my main English was still Oxford. I haven't spoken any Cockney anymore since, and there's a good chance that if I were to try, it would quickly shift into Aussie English. This is a quite normal neurological phenomenon among people who speak multiple languages, especially if those languages are very similar.

I do indeed speak multiple languages — i.e. English, Dutch, Afrikaans, French, a bit of German, and a few words/phrases in Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Russian — but given that we're talking of multiple different dialects of the same language, this crossover effect is very real in my case. ;)

I be speaking American, in several different dialects...Hick, which is quite natural for me, street/ghetto, and an approximation of Midwestern tech business. All very badly...

Oh yeah, and a touch of Joisey...you all have hoid my Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! :)

Dumpster Diver
18th December 2017, 16:06
I be speaking American, in several different dialects...Hick, which is quite natural for me, street/ghetto, and an approximation of Midwestern tech business. All very badly...

Oh yeah, and a touch of Joisey...you all have hoid my Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! :)

I thought that was Three Stooges lingo?

...by the way, there is a dilect of old New Orleans, we termed 'channel Irish' that has boids (birds), earl (oil), all in all very 'Joisey'

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Channel,_New_Orleans

Emil El Zapato
18th December 2017, 16:09
I thought that was Three Stooges lingo?

Same thing... :)

Aragorn
18th December 2017, 16:12
yup, us Americans pronounce it 'Goo-da' cheese...makes my inner Dutchman cringe.

...by the way, I like Zwarte Piet. I guess that makes me a Christmas racist?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

Gawd yeah, that whole racism thing. :fpalm: It's ludicrous, because Zwarte Piet ("Black Pete" in English) was never supposed to be black because he'd be from Africa — in fact, he's supposedly from Spain — but rather because he's covered in soot from climbing up and down the chimneys when bringing candy and toys to the children. (By the way, in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas has lots of helpers, and they are all called Zwarte Piet. In Belgium, there's only one helper.)

But yeah, some busybodies had to Phuket up for everyone again. :rolleyes: Next thing they'll probably be discussing his sexual orientation, just like they did with Bert & Ernie from Sesame Street and with the Teletubbies. :rolleyes:

Seriously, some people need to get a life. :fpalm:

Dreamtimer
19th December 2017, 04:19
God I remember when I started hearing the nonsense about Teletubbies. The show was already weird. No need to get all hung up on whether utterly non-sexual beings were gay. Good Lord.

Remember the show Arthur? PBS was forced to not air one episode because one of the characters had a friend with gay parents. :omg::fpalm:

Aragorn
19th December 2017, 07:22
God I remember when I started hearing the nonsense about Teletubbies. The show was already weird. No need to get all hung up on whether utterly non-sexual beings were gay. Good Lord.

Remember the show Arthur? PBS was forced to not air one episode because one of the characters had a friend with gay parents. :omg::fpalm:

I don't know of any show named "Arthur", nor do I know what PBS is — those are probably Acronymian things — but now you're talking of two very different situations. It is one thing to not broadcast a show because of a reference to homosexuality — which is censorship, even though nowadays we're seeing the exact opposite, with almost every show having at least one (mandatory) gay character on it — and it is another thing to discuss the sexual orientation of characters whose sexuality is either absent or irrelevant.

Take Bert & Ernie for instance. Hasn't anyone ever pondered the idea that they could simply be brothers? For that matter, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were also often seen sleeping in the same bed together in their movies, and they certainly weren't gay either. Back in the old days, people sharing a bed together just for the sake of having a place to sleep was not all that uncommon, and in many large households, the children would often sleep in the same bed together, except when they were approaching puberty, in which case the girls would be segregated from the boys.

But then again, those two things do appear to have something in common, which is a desire to bring homosexuality into the attention — and ad nauseam even. In the one case, it's the censorship, which is bound to stir up reactions. In the other case, it's the questioning of the sexual orientation of non-sexually-active or even totally asexual characters. And that then again ties in with what I've already said higher up, as well as earlier on another thread — I think it was on Jengelen's thread about the alleged reptilian transgender agenda — i.e. the fact that many TV shows now have to have at least one openly gay character on them, which reeks of an agenda.

For instance, all recent Star Trek movies, as well as the newest "Star Trek: Discovery" series, as well as the Star Trek parody series "The Orville (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orville)" have at least one character on them who either is or could be considered gay. In "The Orville", it is a character of a species with only one gender, i.e. male, but they do still have a mate — possibly as a requirement for procreation, but I don't watch television anymore, so I don't know.

In the Star Trek reboot by J.J. Abrams, it is Lt. Hikaru Sulu who is portrayed as the gay character, even though Sulu was never gay in the original series and movies — he even has a daughter who will later on also join Starfleet and serve on the Enterprise B in "Star Trek Generations". The character of Dr. Okun in the original "Independence Day" movie wasn't gay either, nor did actor Brent Spiner — primarily known as Lt. Commander Data from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the movies based upon that series — portray him as such, but for the sequel, it was decided that the character would be gay.

In the movie "Alien Covenant", which is a sequel to "Prometheus" — with both of them being prequels to Ridley Scott's Alien movies — there is also an openly gay (and married) couple, and at least one homo-erotic scene, involving the evil android David. (I have not actually seen "Alien Covenant", because I don't have television anymore, and I choose not to waste my time on movies anymore unless they're really worth watching. Too many of the newest movies and some TV series are merely remakes/reinventions of older movies anyway — e.g. "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "The Bionic Woman", "Battlestar Galactica", "War Of The Worlds", and I believe they're currently working on a remake of the original "Highlander" from 1985 as well.)

Not so as to offend or diss on people with a different sexual orientation, but I can't help but notice that, while autistic people such as myself are considered defective — and with autism still considered "a disease" at worst or "a disorder" at best — at the same time, there seems to be an artificial promotion of sexual orientations which do not correspond to the normal psychological profile and the associated biological mechanism for human procreation. Not only is this considered perfectly natural, but it's being actively promoted as "the new normal", while — again — autism acceptance is being fought tooth and nail by fanatics and people who believe that autism would be the result of the neurotoxins used as conservative agents in vaccines.

So that then begs the question why (a non-standard) sexual orientation would be so important that all of these TV shows — even cartoon series such as "South Park" and "The Simpsons" — must have gay characters on them, and that non-sexual characters like Bert & Ernie from "Sesame Street" or the Teletubbies must be "diagnosed" with a non-standard sexual orientation.

Come on guys, we're supposed to be conspiracy researchers. Not that I believe a word of what Jengelen claimed on his reptilian transgender thread, but doesn't anyone other than myself see that there's an agenda being played out here? And I consider myself reasonably progressive, but this agenda does appear to come from the so-called progressive/liberal camp, with the core of this agenda also clearly originating in the USA, even though the phenomenon is pretty much worldwide by now.

Again, I am not trying to stigmatize homosexuals — I support every human being's right to find love and happiness on this godforsaken planet, with the exception of those whose idea of happiness comprises of hurting or otherwise violating their fellow human beings — but there's an elephant in the room and nobody seems to notice it. :hmm:

Dreamtimer
19th December 2017, 11:38
I think I was just looking at it as part of a spectrum. Paranoia about a character who's secretly gay or paranoia about someone who is openly so. It's the same ridiculous dynamic to me. Malign public television, malign tolerance of alternate lifestyles, punish those who watch these 'immoral' shows. Punish the liberals.

What in the world would a liberal agenda be regarding gay people? I honestly cannot make any sense of that idea. What would be the purpose?

I believe it's a well known fact that around 5-10% of people are gay. I don't recall the specifics of the research that's been done on this but it seems to be a naturally occurring percentage. Christians have been trying to 'cure' being gay for a long time now. And they continue to fail because it's not a disorder to be cured. Any more than the fact that I'm attracted to men taller than me will.

What agenda? Someone please tell me because it makes no sense to me at all.

Star Trek has always been on the cutting edge of social norms. It was HUGE to have a woman on the bridge in a command position in the 70s. And she was BLACK! OMG.

Fast forward a couple of decades. My friends were screaming their heads off over how PC Voyager was. OMG. They had a (kinda) Native American as number one and a half-breed female as engineer and a WOMAN as captain. Ahhhhhhh! Run for the hills!

Seriously, some of my male friends were really upset. WTF?

What agenda? That the white straight man is not the pinnacle anymore?

Aragorn
19th December 2017, 12:42
What in the world would a liberal agenda be regarding gay people? I honestly cannot make any sense of that idea. What would be the purpose?

[...]

What agenda? Someone please tell me because it makes no sense to me at all.

[...]

What agenda? That the white straight man is not the pinnacle anymore?

In my previous post, I wrote this here-below, but I will accentuate a few passages with color.



[...] But then again, those two things do appear to have something in common, which is a desire to bring homosexuality into the attention — and ad nauseam even. In the one case, it's the censorship, which is bound to stir up reactions. In the other case, it's the questioning of the sexual orientation of non-sexually-active or even totally asexual characters. [...]

Not so as to offend or diss on people with a different sexual orientation, but I can't help but notice that, while autistic people such as myself are considered defective — and with autism still considered "a disease" at worst or "a disorder" at best — at the same time, there seems to be an artificial promotion of sexual orientations which do not correspond to the normal psychological profile and the associated biological mechanism for human procreation. Not only is this considered perfectly natural, but it's being actively promoted as "the new normal", while — again — autism acceptance is being fought tooth and nail by fanatics and people who believe that autism would be the result of the neurotoxins used as conservative agents in vaccines.

As an observation — and merely that — I will also note that those who call themselves "liberal" have traditionally always been more libertine. We see that here in Europe as well among left-wing politicians. Insofar as I can observe, it would appear that the promotion of "non-traditional sexual behavior" — which is by far not limited to sexual orientation, mind you — and a loosening of moral values are what's being pushed down the pike. And in my opinion, even though it's the liberal factions which are pushing this, in itself this has nothing to do with being liberal, nor with human rights, but rather with a push toward chaos and disarray. On Jengelen's reptilian transgender thread, one of our members, who is herself an open lesbian, stated that she too had observed this obvious push of an agenda.

Not to bring religion into this, but you do know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and why they were allegedly destroyed by Yahweh, don't you? If society were to adopt an ethic of "everything goes" — and again, and very importantly: this has nothing to do with homosexuality in and of itself, but I believe that the promotion of homosexuality in the media et al is merely the gateway vehicle for the ultimate agenda — then may $DEITY help us all.

As an example, twenty years ago, the left-wing politicians over here — most notably the socialists — were already handing out packs of condoms to very young teenagers outside of school buildings in preparation for summer holidays, officially under the guise of AIDS prevention. The signal they were sending out by doing that was quite another one, though. They were sending out the signal that (1) it's okay to start with sexual relationships at a very young age, and (2) it is normal to be sleeping around as part of your summer vacation relaxation.

As another example, about ten years ago, there was an official government-issued pamphlet — coming from the left-wing — in Germany which stated that it's perfectly okay to sexually stimulate children and/or allow yourself as an adult to be sexually stimulated by them if this happens as a result of touching/cuddling a child. Really? Seriously? Pedophilia is okay now? I'm sure Marc Dutroux (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Dutroux) will be delighted to hear that. :shocked:

Lastly — and I've already mentioned this elsewhere — there are all these Gay Pride parades all year long, even in countries where gay people enjoy the same rights as straight people, and often with multiple such parades on different dates within the same country, and there are things happening during such parades that you wouldn't even be able to legally get away with as a straight person. Double standards are so convenient, aren't they?

You always have to think deeper and farther than what meets the eye. It's not what is on the surface that matters, but that which sits underneath. :hmm:

Anyway, I think I better shut up now before anyone accuses either myself as an individual or — $DEITY forbid! — The One Truth as a whole of homophobia. It's okay to post about how Hitler was supposedly a hero and the Nazis were supposedly the good guys, but you can't say anything about gays or you'll be branded a hatemonger. It's not "politically correct" to say these things. Just like speaking out against the atrocities committed against the Palestinians by the Israeli government will automatically brand you as antisemitic.

That, and then there's the fact that certain people always seem to read something into my posts that is quite different from what I've actually written. One of the first things they teach you in elementary school is how to read and write, but it would appear that this is totally wasted on a lot of people. :rolleyes:


:fpalm: :getcoat:

Dumpster Diver
19th December 2017, 13:37
I don't know of any show named "Arthur", nor do I know what PBS is — those are probably Acronymian things — but now you're talking of two very different situations. It is one thing to not broadcast a show because of a reference to homosexuality — which is censorship, even though nowadays we're seeing the exact opposite, with almost every show having at least one (mandatory) gay character on it — and it is another thing to discuss the sexual orientation of characters whose sexuality is either absent or irrelevant.

Take Bert & Ernie for instance. Hasn't anyone ever pondered the idea that they could simply be brothers? For that matter, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were also often seen sleeping in the same bed together in their movies, and they certainly weren't gay either. Back in the old days, people sharing a bed together just for the sake of having a place to sleep was not all that uncommon, and in many large households, the children would often sleep in the same bed together, except when they were approaching puberty, in which case the girls would be segregated from the boys.

But then again, those two things do appear to have something in common, which is a desire to bring homosexuality into the attention — and ad nauseam even. In the one case, it's the censorship, which is bound to stir up reactions. In the other case, it's the questioning of the sexual orientation of non-sexually-active or even totally asexual characters. And that then again ties in with what I've already said higher up, as well as earlier on another thread — I think it was on Jengelen's thread about the alleged reptilian transgender agenda — i.e. the fact that many TV shows now have to have at least one openly gay character on them, which reeks of an agenda.

For instance, all recent Star Trek movies, as well as the newest "Star Trek: Discovery" series, as well as the Star Trek parody series "The Orville (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orville)" have at least one character on them who either is or could be considered gay. In "The Orville", it is a character of a species with only one gender, i.e. male, but they do still have a mate — possibly as a requirement for procreation, but I don't watch television anymore, so I don't know.

In the Star Trek reboot by J.J. Abrams, it is Lt. Hikaru Sulu who is portrayed as the gay character, even though Sulu was never gay in the original series and movies — he even has a daughter who will later on also join Starfleet and serve on the Enterprise B in "Star Trek Generations". The character of Dr. Okun in the original "Independence Day" movie wasn't gay either, nor did actor Brent Spiner — primarily known as Lt. Commander Data from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the movies based upon that series — portray him as such, but for the sequel, it was decided that the character would be gay.

In the movie "Alien Covenant", which is a sequel to "Prometheus" — with both of them being prequels to Ridley Scott's Alien movies — there is also an openly gay (and married) couple, and at least one homo-erotic scene, involving the evil android David. (I have not actually seen "Alien Covenant", because I don't have television anymore, and I choose not to waste my time on movies anymore unless they're really worth watching. Too many of the newest movies and some TV series are merely remakes/reinventions of older movies anyway — e.g. "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "The Bionic Woman", "Battlestar Galactica", "War Of The Worlds", and I believe they're currently working on a remake of the original "Highlander" from 1985 as well.)

Not so as to offend or diss on people with a different sexual orientation, but I can't help but notice that, while autistic people such as myself are considered defective — and with autism still considered "a disease" at worst or "a disorder" at best — at the same time, there seems to be an artificial promotion of sexual orientations which do not correspond to the normal psychological profile and the associated biological mechanism for human procreation. Not only is this considered perfectly natural, but it's being actively promoted as "the new normal", while — again — autism acceptance is being fought tooth and nail by fanatics and people who believe that autism would be the result of the neurotoxins used as conservative agents in vaccines.

So that then begs the question why (a non-standard) sexual orientation would be so important that all of these TV shows — even cartoon series such as "South Park" and "The Simpsons" — must have gay characters on them, and that non-sexual characters like Bert & Ernie from "Sesame Street" or the Teletubbies must be "diagnosed" with a non-standard sexual orientation.

Come on guys, we're supposed to be conspiracy researchers. Not that I believe a word of what Jengelen claimed on his reptilian transgender thread, but doesn't anyone other than myself see that there's an agenda being played out here? And I consider myself reasonably progressive, but this agenda does appear to come from the so-called progressive/liberal camp, with the core of this agenda also clearly originating in the USA, even though the phenomenon is pretty much worldwide by now.

Again, I am not trying to stigmatize homosexuals — I support every human being's right to find love and happiness on this godforsaken planet, with the exception of those whose idea of happiness comprises of hurting or otherwise violating their fellow human beings — but there's an elephant in the room and nobody seems to notice it. :hmm:

Agenda? Yes I believe it is a trans-humanist agenda. We got a glimpse of it in Joe Haldeman’s SF novel ‘The Forever War’ where everyone on Earth was homosexual and the state controlled all reproduction, and the protagonist being heterosexual male having lived a few thousand years by traveling through wormholes, was seen as a pervert. Haldeman got a Hugo for it, SF’s ‘Oscar’.

I’m convinced The Vatican priesthood is more than the stated ‘5-10%’ gay. And they are actively trying to procreate their own by attacking children.

IMO, If you can dislodge the natural duality of the female-male structure, you have gone a long way towards state control of everyone in terms of reproduction.

Aragorn
19th December 2017, 13:37
I'm only going to say one last thing about this, and then I'll shut up. What do you consider most important? That we promote certain political movements, religious convictions, sexual orientations, skin colors, names of countries, et al — all of which are meant to accentuate that we are not all the same — or that we find common ground and promote that which unites us all*?

Zwarte Piet is the helper (or one of the helpers) of Sinterklaas, and his job is to climb up and down chimneys in order to bring candy and toys to the children. The Teletubbies are colorful and (for a toddler) cuddly looking creatures, whose job it is to entertain the little ones with animated stories that appeal to their intellectual and social development. Bert and Ernie are intended to make kids laugh with their antics.

We are all human, and we are all mortal. And we're all living on a planet ruled by psychopaths, and governed by an equally psychopathic control system called "the financial sector". Our job as human beings, is to make this world a better place to live in, for ourselves, for our children, for our grandchildren, and for everyone else who comes after us. There has been enough division already. It is time for unity.

Now that is a truly liberal thought. :wiz:


:unity: :fire: :group hug:




* And wasn't that the core message of "The Lord Of The Rings"?




Gimli:
Legolas:
Gimli:
"I never thought I'd die side by side with an Elf!"
"What about side by side with a friend?"
"Aye, I can do that."




:eyebrows:

Dreamtimer
19th December 2017, 14:20
So the concern is moral degradation. That is no doubt a valid concern.

I'd never heard of the govt. issued pamphlet about it being OK to have sexual arousal with children. That is most certainly disturbing.

Here's the catch about morality. You can't enforce it through law. You can try to control behavior and the harder you try the more authoritarian you get. And that does not mean that we just have to let everyone do what they want. It's not a simple one or the other choice.

We teach children to obey because they don't have experience and judgment. The idea is that when they're adults they make the right decisions by choice. This is one of the primary functions of family. The more peoples' choices are dictated, the less moral and grown up we all are. We can't be each other's parents. We're supposed to be each other's brother (or sister).

Libertine or not, we all have tendencies, some of which are not OK. If we believe that people who wave the flag of morality are actually more moral we're deluding ourselves. They just put up the right appearances while they're doing stuff behind the scenes and hiding behind their robes, or suits and ties, or uniforms.

There are many who make the case that the moral degradation is a symptom (rather than cause) of decline of empire.

The coupling of pedophilia with homosexuality blurs things terribly, which is why it's done so much. The two are not the same. If aberrant people want to glom onto gay rights to defend their own pedophilia we need to be vigilant and call it what it is.

This is one of the reasons we need real and strong science. It tells us straight out that children aren't made for sex and it's wrong to force it on them. Period. It also tells us how stupid racism and sexism are. I could go on. Take a look at who is undermining science in society 'cause it ain't the liberals where I come from.

We can have social standards and we still need laws because we haven't figured out how to weed out the sociopaths yet. But it's sociopaths who want to demonize and scapegoat so they can keep on doing their stuff behind the scenes.

I don't see the gay marches or women' marches as anything more than people saying "Hey! We're fed up with being treated like shit and second class citizens. We're sick and tired of being ignored, pandered to and swept under the rug. We matter."

Look up Matthew Shepard. He was brutalized. People had tremendous prejudices around AIDS to the point that they were afraid to talk to hemophiliacs. Those prejudices cause just as much moral degradation as anything.

Aragorn
19th December 2017, 14:58
So the concern is moral degradation. That is no doubt a valid concern.

I'd never heard of the govt. issued pamphlet about it being OK to have sexual arousal with children. That is most certainly disturbing.

I don't remember the exact time anymore, but it was while I was still on Facebook, so that must have been between 2007 and 2010, I think. One of my friends — who was also into the kind of subject matter that we discuss here at the forum — brought it to my attention. It was published in Germany.


Here's the catch about morality. You can't enforce it through law. You can try to control behavior and the harder you try the more authoritarian you get. And that does not mean that we just have to let everyone do what they want. It's not a simple one or the other choice.

Agreed. Making laws to regulate people's behavior is only going to do three things:


It externalizes the moral compass and the sense of ethics, just as religions do. If you do this, you go to hell, and if you do that, you go to jail.
It stifles people's mental evolution into responsible adults, keeping them in perpetual need of an authority which rules over them.
It punishes the good people and allows the perpetrators to go underground and/or find loopholes in the system.



We teach children to obey because they don't have experience and judgment. The idea is that when they're adults they make the right decisions by choice. This is one of the primary functions of family. The more peoples' choices are dictated, the less moral and grown up we all are. We can't be each other's parents. We're supposed to be each other's brother (or sister).

Exactly!


Libertine or not, we all have tendencies, some of which are not OK. If we believe that people who wave the flag of morality are actually more moral we're deluding ourselves. They just put up the right appearances while they're doing stuff behind the scenes and hiding behind their robes, or suits and ties, or uniforms.

Yes, and here it is actually predominantly the conservatives who are to be blamed. They hold up the flag of morality, while continuing to do their own dirty deeds in the dark.

There is actually a song about this from a Dutch singer, Rob de Nijs. It is a song in which he sings to a girl who is a prostitute, and he describes how they all want a piece of her when they've been drinking, but on Sunday, they are sitting inside the church, next to their wife, their head down under a sense of guilt, and then they put a few coins in the donation scale to buy back their soul from God.

The song was a big hit, but it's hard to translate the words into English without violating the artistic aspect of the lyrics. But just for those of us who speak Dutch, I'll include the video, even though I'm pretty sure that we all know the song very well. ;)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnnmYjMpWf4




There are many who make the case that the moral degradation is a symptom (rather than cause) of decline of empire.

It could be. Moral degradation was either way quite abundantly present in the ancient Roman Empire. Others on the other hand believe that it's bound to eras rather than to empires. The French call it "fin de siècle" — the end of the century, with the expectation that the world is going to come to an end and that therefore people are indulging in decadence because they think they've got nothing left to lose.


The coupling of pedophilia with homosexuality blurs things terribly, which is why it's done so much. The two are not the same. If aberrant people want to glom onto gay rights to defend their own pedophilia we need to be vigilant and call it what it is.

I suspect that this collation stems from the Roman Catholic Church. They believe that sexual orientation is determined only later in life — as opposed to that it is genetically determined — and that homosexuality and pedophilia are stages that one goes through on the evolutionary path to becoming a heterosexual adult.

There was actually a high-ranking official of the Roman Catholic Church who stated the above out loud on television somewhere in the past decade, when the circumference of the pedophilia scandals within the church started reaching the mainstream news. There was a lot of angry reaction to that, especially from gay people.


This is one of the reasons we need real and strong science. It tells us straight out that children aren't made for sex and it's wrong to force it on them. Period. It also tells us how stupid racism and sexism are. I could go on. Take a look at who is undermining science in society 'cause it ain't the liberals where I come from.

True. And in the USA more than in any country, the conservatives — read: the hardline Republicans — are the ones most opposed to scientific development. Donald Trump built his entire campaign on how cool it is to be stupid. That should tell anyone enough. ;)


We can have social standards and we still need laws because we haven't figured out how to weed out the sociopaths yet. But it's sociopaths who want to demonize and scapegoat so they can keep on doing their stuff behind the scenes.

Correct. Divide and conquer, and regulate the good people so that the bad people can go underground.


I don't see the gay marches or women' marches as anything more than people saying "Hey! We're fed up with being treated like shit and second class citizens. We're sick and tired of being ignored, pandered to and swept under the rug. We matter."

Look up Matthew Shepard. He was brutalized. People had tremendous prejudices around AIDS to the point that they were afraid to talk to hemophiliacs. Those prejudices cause just as much moral degradation as anything.

Yes, but I maintain that we must look at what unites us, as opposed to looking at what sets us apart from everyone else. Identity is a good thing. Sense of self is a good thing. But we're never going to get anywhere as a global civilization if we keep on focusing on our differences, whether it's through vilification or through promotion. Unity is the key word here.

Elen
19th December 2017, 15:47
So the concern is moral degradation. That is no doubt a valid concern.

I'd never heard of the govt. issued pamphlet about it being OK to have sexual arousal with children. That is most certainly disturbing.

Here's the catch about morality. You can't enforce it through law. You can try to control behavior and the harder you try the more authoritarian you get. And that does not mean that we just have to let everyone do what they want. It's not a simple one or the other choice.

We teach children to obey because they don't have experience and judgment. The idea is that when they're adults they make the right decisions by choice. This is one of the primary functions of family. The more peoples' choices are dictated, the less moral and grown up we all are. We can't be each other's parents. We're supposed to be each other's brother (or sister).

Libertine or not, we all have tendencies, some of which are not OK. If we believe that people who wave the flag of morality are actually more moral we're deluding ourselves. They just put up the right appearances while they're doing stuff behind the scenes and hiding behind their robes, or suits and ties, or uniforms.

There are many who make the case that the moral degradation is a symptom (rather than cause) of decline of empire.

The coupling of pedophilia with homosexuality blurs things terribly, which is why it's done so much. The two are not the same. If aberrant people want to glom onto gay rights to defend their own pedophilia we need to be vigilant and call it what it is.

This is one of the reasons we need real and strong science. It tells us straight out that children aren't made for sex and it's wrong to force it on them. Period. It also tells us how stupid racism and sexism are. I could go on. Take a look at who is undermining science in society 'cause it ain't the liberals where I come from.

We can have social standards and we still need laws because we haven't figured out how to weed out the sociopaths yet. But it's sociopaths who want to demonize and scapegoat so they can keep on doing their stuff behind the scenes.

I don't see the gay marches or women' marches as anything more than people saying "Hey! We're fed up with being treated like shit and second class citizens. We're sick and tired of being ignored, pandered to and swept under the rug. We matter."

Look up Matthew Shepard. He was brutalized. People had tremendous prejudices around AIDS to the point that they were afraid to talk to hemophiliacs. Those prejudices cause just as much moral degradation as anything.

:bump2::hugs: Now that is sense speaking out loud!

Dreamtimer
19th December 2017, 15:56
I keep on harping, in a nice way, in face to face life about how important it is to talk and communicate. I was talking with my sister-in-law about this just after the election. About how communication goes from family to community to society and back in the other direction. And I used examples so she could understand.

Her response was to say, (no joke) "Do you listen to yourself? It's just 'I', 'I', 'I'. You're all about yourself aren't you?" Apparently I used the 'I' pronoun too often. This is how easy it is for people to divide. To simply not even listen.

But I try anyway. So I stay on topic, tell her she knows that's nonsense, and try to make my point.

But I can't make horses drink. I know you know about that, Aragorn.

Aragorn
19th December 2017, 16:28
I keep on harping, in a nice way, in face to face life about how important it is to talk and communicate. I was talking with my sister-in-law about this just after the election. About how communication goes from family to community to society and back in the other direction. And I used examples so she could understand.

Her response was to say, (no joke) "Do you listen to yourself? It's just 'I', 'I', 'I'. You're all about yourself aren't you?" Apparently I used the 'I' pronoun too often. This is how easy it is for people to divide. To simply not even listen.

But I try anyway. So I stay on topic, tell her she knows that's nonsense, and try to make my point.

But I can't make horses drink. I know you know about that, Aragorn.

I had a girlfriend once whose every sentence started with the pronoun "I". ;) But then again, she was a narcissistic psychopath, and she treated and regarded people as mere objects. She was also arrogant, full of herself, a racist, and utterly unfamiliar with both the concepts of shame and gratitude.

The relationship lasted for about three months in total, with various bouts of "on and off" throughout, always at her own whim. Eventually I was so sick and tired of her that I decided to dump her myself. Even though she was physically attractive, she was an awful woman, and I felt a great burden falling from my shoulders after I had walked away from her.

I could say even more about her, but given that this is an open thread and all... :p :eyebrows:

Emil El Zapato
19th December 2017, 17:23
It's repression that leads to debauchery, not the other way around. Plenty of social science backs that up. It's almost a head spinner to understand it... :) Completely counter-intuitive but examples abound. By the way, Aragorn, liberal vs. libertine...that's an excellent turn of phrase and quite dangerous in my opinion... :)

One has to admit that the thread exists, but are they really liberal? Philosophical facades remember? I doubt Caligula will continue to be portrayed in history as a bleeding heart.

Dumpster Diver
19th December 2017, 17:29
Libertine or not, we all have tendencies, some of which are not OK. If we believe that people who wave the flag of morality are actually more moral we're deluding ourselves.

.

Flag of Morality:

http://horobox.co.uk/u/Reag_1436506735.jpg

Emil El Zapato
19th December 2017, 17:52
Here's an example of a phenomena that among others have far reaching consequences on human perception. As Dreamtimer said approx. 7% of the population is gay. So, in a balanced portrayal of humanity one would expect to see about 1/12 characters to be gay. It would be higher in the performing arts... :)

People viewing a group of African Americans of 6 people will see 12. It's all pretty weird.

Article: “The Essence of Innocence: Consequences of Dehumanizing Black Children,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published online Feb. 24, 2014; Phillip Atiba Goff, PhD, and Matthew Christian Jackson, PhD; University of California, Los Angeles; Brooke Allison, PhD, and Lewis Di Leone, PhD, National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Boston; Carmen Marie Culotta, PhD, Pennsylvania State University; and Natalie Ann DiTomasso, JD, University of Pennsylvania.

Aragorn
19th December 2017, 18:27
By the way, Aragorn, liberal vs. libertine...that's an excellent turn of phrase and quite dangerous in my opinion... :)

One has to admit that the thread exists, but are they really liberal? Philosophical facades remember? I doubt Caligula will continue to be portrayed in history as a bleeding heart.

I was not the one to draw that semantic parallel — it has been around for quite a while already. But it is no secret that the socialists here in Belgium are quite libertine — many of them have extramarital affairs or lead promiscuous lives — and this does also appear to be a tendency among US Democrats, if the mainstream news is to be believed. And well, Bill Clinton certainly felt very comfortable in his promiscuity. ;)

I'm not saying that Republicans wouldn't be stepping all over morals and/or the concept of romantic fidelity either, but they tend to cover it up more carefully than Democrats. ;)

Anyway, that brings us back to the "Democrats versus Republicans" debate, and that's like comparing horse dung with cow dung, so I was hoping we could leave that behind us now. :p

Dreamtimer
19th December 2017, 18:57
Where in the world did you find that flag, Dumpy? Wow.

I definitely liked the coexist bumper stickers when they came out.

The last thing I want is a wolf in sheep's clothing. I'd rather deal with an openly libertine person than a fake moral one.

If we follow TargeT's rule then the image of the Democrats being the promiscuous ones is what the media wants you to believe, so look for the opposite. ;)

I forgot to say, now that we have CRISPR, people can do way more than cure "the gay".

Fred Steeves
19th December 2017, 19:33
Anyway, that brings us back to the "Democrats versus Republicans" debate, and that's like comparing horse dung with cow dung, so I was hoping we could leave that behind us now. :p

Personally I much prefer cow dung, so according to your analogy does that make me a big R? :)

Dumpster Diver
19th December 2017, 21:01
Where in the world did you find that flag, Dumpy? Wow.

I definitely liked the coexist bumper stickers when they came out.

The last thing I want is a wolf in sheep's clothing. I'd rather deal with an openly libertine person than a fake moral one.

If we follow TargeT's rule then the image of the Democrats being the promiscuous ones is what the media wants you to believe, so look for the opposite. ;)

I forgot to say, now that we have CRISPR, people can do way more than cure "the gay".

Well, I go to my favorite browser, which right now is duckduckgo but you can use Google too, type in "gay nazi flag" then puck the image tab at the top and a bunch of images will pop up. You will see a ton of gay nazi flags. I selected one that was only moderately offensive.

Emil El Zapato
19th December 2017, 21:40
moderately offensive...not really.

Just a really really stark example of 'cognitive dissonance'

Hey Dumpster...your the research guy...Check this one out. "I'll bet that left-handers are also over representated in Hollywood." Brain damage you know... :)

Dumpster Diver
19th December 2017, 22:35
moderately offensive...not really.

Just a really really stark example of 'cognitive dissonance'

Hey Dumpster...your the research guy...Check this one out. "I'll bet that left-handers are also over representated in Hollywood." Brain damage you know... :)

??? A bunch of Hitler’s top guys were gay.

Careful, the lefties here at TOT will gang up on you. I’m sorta ambidextrous, I do several things lefty. From the stats, about 11% of the population is Lefty, I’ve no real idea of how to calculate the portion of Hollywood air-head lefties to regular air-heads. But since a large proportion are Jewish, and the Ashkenazi Jews have about a 15 IQ point advantage over the avg. population in the US, And if lefties are really brain damaged, which could lower IQ, I would guess that lefties are a lower % of the Holly air-head population.

How’s that for twisted logic?

Btw, I had to hold myself back from posting the really offensive flag this time...

Aragorn
19th December 2017, 23:48
Personally I much prefer cow dung, so according to your analogy does that make me a big R? :)

Not necessarily. ;) I didn't specify which dung would be associated with what party. They're both dung to me, and they smell just as badly. :p

Emil El Zapato
20th December 2017, 00:07
Nope, your logic is flawed...this is how I arrived at my idiot-savant theory... :)

One of the arguments in the past was that left-handedness was caused by brain damage, since discounted I think. But, gawd can you imagine how smart I was before I suffered the damage. Wow!

Just kidding, but not of necessity about the logic. It applies to many aspects of socio-cultural reality.

Aragorn
20th December 2017, 00:10
One of the arguments in the past was that left-handedness was caused by brain damage, since discounted I think.

Jimi Hendrix was left-handed. I'd hardly call him brain-damaged, even though he was quite often high. :p

Dreamtimer
21st December 2017, 00:51
Upon further examination...(I don't know much about this guy but he demonstrates both critical thinking and logic)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh5jJpfd33A

Emil El Zapato
21st December 2017, 01:17
cool, a good clarifying explanation...this is what Fox News does correct?

Dumpster Diver
21st December 2017, 15:52
Nothing new here. In the Defense Dept budgets there were many, many words that were ‘changed’ to sell line items, i.e. don’t use the original word, so ‘we’ invented new ones.

One that comes to mind, Staballoy for Depleted Uranium. Uranium was an unsellable word to Congress.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staballoy

Emil El Zapato
1st January 2018, 18:01
I didn't want to blow up the New Year's thread with my negativity, but I stumbled on this looking for my local colloquialisms.

This is how they speak in my hometown:

http://ksnt.com/2016/05/26/video-of-man-shouting-racist-remarks-at-emporia-restaurant-goes-viral/

Emil El Zapato
1st January 2018, 18:19
I just read that my hometown was voted in 2017 as the best small town in America - to escape from... really.

I got you beat on this one Mr Dumpster... :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHvOORhn3c8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=284v9zz6L_M

Dumpster Diver
1st January 2018, 23:02
My hometown:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtLWvPr5KIU

Emil El Zapato
1st January 2018, 23:28
My hometown:


https://youtu.be/JtLWvPr5KIU

I tend to be gullible sometimes...That's not really your hometown is it? :)

Dumpster Diver
1st January 2018, 23:32
I tend to be gullible sometimes...That's not really your hometown is it? :)

Yup, born in Augsburg. Dad was American soldier, Scottish surname, mum was German War-bride.

Euro-trash.

Emil El Zapato
1st January 2018, 23:33
wow, that place is beautiful...

Dreamtimer
2nd January 2018, 04:43
Nice. My son was in Bavaria this summer, Munich.

Elen
2nd January 2018, 07:48
My hometown:


https://youtu.be/JtLWvPr5KIU

Ehh...hmmm :batman The link you used won't work showing the video. Copy the address in the "Address Bar" on top of the Youtube page, and use the "Insert Video" on the post, to activate the video, hey? Like this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtLWvPr5KIU&feature=youtu.be

If this doesn't make sense...then ask Aragorn will show you...

Lovely place to be born :D

Aragorn
2nd January 2018, 13:14
Ehh...hmmm :batman The link you used won't work showing the video. Copy the address in the "Address Bar" on top of the Youtube page, and use the "Insert Video" on the post, to activate the video, hey? Like this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtLWvPr5KIU&feature=youtu.be

If this doesn't make sense...then ask Aragorn will show you...

Lovely place to be born :D

I've fixed the link. The problem is with those abridged youtu.be links. They won't work for embedding a video here. One must use the full link as it appears in the address bar of one's browser, as you said. ;)

Dreamtimer
2nd January 2018, 13:55
Emporia can't be all bad. They have a disc golf course. PDGA championships happen there. Wait, really? Gotta look that up...

I've gotten a hole-in-one. It's a good feeling.

Elen
2nd January 2018, 14:23
I've fixed the link. The problem is with those abridged youtu.be links. They won't work for embedding a video here. One must use the full link as it appears in the address bar of one's browser, as you said. ;)

I left the link as it was so that Batman could see that it doesn't work...:p.......do you think he will notice it now? :batman did you see it? :D

Dumpster Diver
2nd January 2018, 14:40
I left the link as it was so that Batman could see that it doesn't work...:p.......do you think he will notice it now? :batman did you see it? :D

Yeah, Aragorn’s Explanation clicked for me. As I’m almost always on the iPad I’m lazy.

Elen
2nd January 2018, 14:57
Yeah, Aragorn’s Explanation clicked for me. As I’m almost always on the iPad I’m lazy.

I would never have thought "lazy" never.

Dreamtimer
2nd January 2018, 15:30
Things are way easier on a laptop and it's portable so it's still my machine of choice. But I'd still like to get a new machine for linux. Perhaps I can get started this year.

Aragorn
2nd January 2018, 15:49
Things are way easier on a laptop and it's portable so it's still my machine of choice. But I'd still like to get a new machine for linux. Perhaps I can get started this year.

You can already buy laptops with GNU/Linux pre-installed these days. Check out this article (https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-linux-laptops/). ;)

Dreamtimer
2nd January 2018, 17:14
Je vous remercie. :)

Dumpster Diver
2nd January 2018, 22:42
I would never have thought "lazy" never.

...yup, since the GF sez I’m lazy, I believe her. My Mother said as well. So, I wear it like a crown.

Emil El Zapato
2nd January 2018, 23:41
Emporia can't be all bad. They have a disc golf course. PDGA championships happen there. Wait, really? Gotta look that up...

I've gotten a hole-in-one. It's a good feeling.

I think it was the World PGA Amateur that he said...maybe he did say pdga...hmmm...

That place is famous for a number of strange reasons. William Allen White was a New York Socialite back in the 20's/30's that had a local newspaper that he made famous. One of the more 'infamous' bigots of the century would be my opinion. A couple of movies have been made there one about the daughter of William Allen White and one about a local minister and his girlfriend murdering there respectives spouses... I lived through that one...Actually met JoBeth Williams and one of the other co-stars...but not Keith Carradine. I had the honor of getting a ticket from the State Police Officer that uncovered the crime...during the filming of the movie even. His name was, wouldn't you guess it...Rule. The name of the movie was called "Murder Ordained" I knew a lot of people that appeared as themselves and as extras in the movie. The locals were ragged off because as they claimed the movie portrayed them as a 'bunch of hicks'. I thought that was hilarious because the movie settings and costumes were very typical and authentic...lots of coveralls. :)

Funny, i'm wearing my classic golf sweater at work today... A hole-in-one...yeah, that would be very exciting...

Dreamtimer
3rd January 2018, 01:30
It was in Emporia in 2016 and Augusta, GA in 2017. (no joke)

Dreamtimer
12th January 2018, 13:33
For the record, I'm not on board in any way with a leader who calls our White House a dump and our allies Shithole countries. We have important allies in Africa and our DB-in-chief seems to be utterly clueless.

Jesus told us to love the least among us. The American Evangelicals who still support him are no followers of Jesus, imo.

A man of the people doesn't speak this way. A populist president doesn't go to Davos.

Emil El Zapato
12th January 2018, 13:53
Funny thing is that he doesn't even upset me much anymore, I was more concerned about other people recognizing what a misanthrope he is...now he can be stymied. Psychopathic and suffering co-morbidities.

Aragorn
12th January 2018, 15:26
Funny thing is that he doesn't even upset me much anymore, I was more concerned about other people recognizing what a misanthrope he is...now he can be stymied. Psychopathic and suffering co-morbidities.

I already had Donald Trump pegged as a narcissistic psychopath long before there was ever any mention of him running for president. I'm talking at least as far back as the mid 1980s. But then again, a person with a conscience would never run for president of the USA, given that the job description automatically entails that you leave the White House with blood on your hands.

So it's almost as if you actually have to qualify as a clinical psychopath first in order to even be eligible for the job. And you know what? I wouldn't even be one bit surprised if psychopathy turned out to indeed be one of the official criteria. Just like in the business world.


:fpalm:

Emil El Zapato
12th January 2018, 19:29
I find that hard to disagree with...it takes a special breed...starting with narcissism...

Wind
12th January 2018, 21:15
I definitely agree with the narcissistic personality trait, but I just can't see him as a psychopath. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton is a verifiable psychopath.

Emil El Zapato
13th January 2018, 01:58
wow...all you have to do is look a little closer...he is classic...People debate if he's racist or not...I say it doesn't matter. Psychopaths will exploit anyone, they don't discriminate. Ask all his poor white supporters that he lies to non-stop.

Incidentally Wind, as a Norwegian you may get no respect in your part of the world, but you have a standing invitation from Trump (I hope that hasn't clouded your vision) ... :)

Aragorn
13th January 2018, 02:08
Incidentally Wind, as a Norwegian you may get no respect in your part of the world, but you have a standing invitation from Trump (I hope that hasn't clouded your vision) ... :)

Actually, Wind does not reside in Norway but in Finland. ;) Elen is our resident Norwegian, albeit with a Scottish twist. ;)

Emil El Zapato
13th January 2018, 02:24
Actually, Wind does not reside in Norway but in Finland. ;) Elen is our resident Norwegian, albeit with a Scottish twist. ;)

In the words of the [in]famous Vinnie Barbarino ... I'm so connfuused!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29BoqCMRBFk

Elen
13th January 2018, 11:04
Actually, Wind does not reside in Norway but in Finland. ;) Elen is our resident Norwegian, albeit with a Scottish twist. ;)

Yes indeed, here's a map for clarification. UK means The United Kingdom, i.e. England, Scotland, Wales etc.

http://scandinaviansolutions.dk/wp-content/themes/scandinavian_solutions/images/pic15.jpg

Emil El Zapato
14th January 2018, 19:00
There was either a private pilot flying over my house all night or we might be headed for another terror attack. When this hit me I was outside when I came back in there was a segment of China's air force on tv so that could have been it.

Emil El Zapato
14th January 2018, 22:35
Emergency vehicles across the street at my sweet sick neighbor's house.. First time I've seen an emergency vehicle in this neighborood in 6 years...Well, except for the time the swat team had the entire section of the city cordoned off for some as yet undisclosed reason (active shooter is the rumor I heard, but it apparently was a false alarm)

Emil El Zapato
19th January 2018, 15:50
Mankind's cruelest jokes on itself and the psychopaths that perpetrated them:

Electric wires : Thomas Edison

Dreamtimer
19th January 2018, 16:57
He kinda used terrorism to scare people away from his competitors, didn't he?

Emil El Zapato
19th January 2018, 17:37
:) yes he did, that might be forgivable for a guy that thought he had little people living in his head ... :)

Dreamtimer
19th January 2018, 20:17
Ah, that fine line between genius and insanity. It's not always so clear.

The uncertainty continues. Will people get paid? Will they have jobs? Will they get sent out of the country? Will they get sent to somewhere grossly different from their place of origin? (Like, say, the middle east when they came from South America).

Times of chaos.

Wind
19th January 2018, 23:38
Talking about an antidote to chaos... I’m going to dive into this book real soon:
https://jordanbpeterson.com/12-rules-for-life

Sort out your life and the messy & chaotic world can become sorted out too. Why? Because the right man/woman at the right time could change the course of history. Now imagine seven billion people doing the ”right thing” at once.

The author is no less than a inspirational genius.

Dreamtimer
20th January 2018, 02:21
Cool. Sounds really good. He says:


Tell the truth.

Do not do things that you hate.

Act so that you can tell the truth about how you act.

Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.

If you have to choose, be the one who does things, instead of the one who is seen to do things.

Pay attention.

Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you need to know. Listen to them hard enough so that they will share it with you.

Plan and work diligently to maintain the romance in your relationships.

Be careful who you share good news with.

Be careful who you share bad news with.

Make at least one thing better every single place you go.

Imagine who you could be, and then aim single-mindedly at that.

Do not allow yourself to become arrogant or resentful.

Try to make one room in your house as beautiful as possible.

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.

Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens.

If old memories still make you cry, write them down carefully and completely.

Maintain your connections with people.

Do not carelessly denigrate social institutions or artistic achievement.

Treat yourself as if you were someone that you are responsible for helping.

Ask someone to do you a small favour, so that he or she can ask you to do one in the future.

Make friends with people who want the best for you.

Do not try to rescue someone who does not want to be rescued, and be very careful about rescuing someone who does.

Nothing well done is insignificant.

Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.

Dress like the person you want to be.

Be precise in your speech.

Stand up straight with your shoulders back.

Don't avoid something frightening if it stands in your way -- and don't do unnecessarily dangerous things.

Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.

Do not transform your wife into a maid.

Do not hide unwanted things in the fog.

Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated.

Read something written by someone great.

Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.

Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.

Don't let bullies get away with it.

Write a letter to the government if you see something that needs fixing -- and propose a solution.

Remember that what you do not yet know is more important than what you already know.

Be grateful in spite of your suffering.




He says the book is based on 12 of these. I wonder which ones?

Wind
20th January 2018, 03:30
He says the book is based on 12 of these. I wonder which ones?

They are listed here (http://insight.randomhouse.com/widget/v4/?width=600&height=860&isbn=9780345816023&shortCode=&author=Jordan%20B.%20Peterson&title=12%20Rules%20for%20Life&refererURL=www.penguinrandomhouse.com) in the book.

Joe Rogan said that his first podcast with Jordan was his favorite one from the over 1000 podcasts he has made, I guess that’s saying a lot. Jordan is a very compelling speaker, but he actually rose to fame for being politically incorrect in matters related to language and the freedom of speech. He’s a Canadian professor who’s also a clinical psychologist. Besides that he’s an expert on mythology and a student of Jung.

Here’s his recent lecture about the content of his new book.


http://youtu.be/-5RCmu-HuTg

Here’s a shorter version of his view on life.


http://youtu.be/F7DaMfneZhE

Dreamtimer
20th January 2018, 13:27
Thank you, thank you. :)

Wind
21st January 2018, 10:59
My pleasure. :)

Dreamtimer
29th January 2018, 12:37
I just saw an ad for the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. It struck me as hilariously funny. Makes the college videos of Stephen Miller going off on janitors even funnier. I totally want to go get some swag. A nice hoodie with the words emblazoned on the front. (I'd probably have to settle for a golf shirt and visor:wry:)

Dreamtimer
1st February 2018, 23:36
Since this is about chaos, I've extracted this from another post on the Joe Rogan thread.


I'm on a roll w/the Jordan Peterson/Rogan shows. In #958 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USg3NR76XpQ) at 1:33 they speak of Kek and Kekistan. At this point, May 2017, Joe knows the frog Pepe but not the connection to Kek and Kekistan. I'm gonna quote Jordan here, this is lusciously ironic to me:


"...Kek was an Egyptian God, and he was a frog, and he was between categories. Sorta like a transexual, by the way." Joe lets out an "Ooh" worthy of Trevor Noah's big jar.

Jaime pulls up an image of the memorial to the 2015-2016 Meme War and Joe reads the words and says, "What in the ---- is going on?" and throws his arms up and Jordan says, "That's the question you've been asking me. And my answer was I don't know, we're in a period of chaos...[wherein] the time horizon shrinks."

At this point Joe had not yet been familiarized with the term 'normies'.

***

In #877 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04wyGK6k6HE) at 36 min. Jordan talks about the space between categories: "...[C]haos...ensues when you start to blow up standard categories. There is a chaos in between categories that is made up of an infinite multiplicity."

So... agents of chaos on both sides and, as Jordan observes, conservatives are better at order. Hmmm...:scrhd::hmm:

enjoy being
2nd February 2018, 00:44
*

Dumpster Diver
2nd February 2018, 01:07
http://www.ripopmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EDDIE-I-CD-REISSUE-copy-300x300.jpg

Emil El Zapato
2nd February 2018, 01:48
Since this is about chaos, I've extracted this from another post on the Joe Rogan thread.


I'm on a roll w/the Jordan Peterson/Rogan shows. In #958 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USg3NR76XpQ) at 1:33 they speak of Kek and Kekistan. At this point, May 2017, Joe knows the frog Pepe but not the connection to Kek and Kekistan. I'm gonna quote Jordan here, this is lusciously ironic to me:



Jaime pulls up an image of the memorial to the 2015-2016 Meme War and Joe reads the words and says, "What in the ---- is going on?" and throws his arms up and Jordan says, "That's the question you've been asking me. And my answer was I don't know, we're in a period of chaos...[wherein] the time horizon shrinks."

At this point Joe had not yet been familiarized with the term 'normies'.

***

In #877 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04wyGK6k6HE) at 36 min. Jordan talks about the space between categories: "...[C]haos...ensues when you start to blow up standard categories. There is a chaos in between categories that is made up of an infinite multiplicity."

So... agents of chaos on both sides and, as Jordan observes, conservatives are better at order. Hmmm...:scrhd::hmm:

That post has a 'cool' feel to it... :)

Wind
2nd February 2018, 19:42
So... agents of chaos on both sides and, as Jordan observes, conservatives are better at order. Hmmm...:scrhd::hmm:

And having too much order leads to totalitarianism.

Dreamtimer
3rd February 2018, 13:13
I love to watch the smoke of incense as it curls and moves in waves and spirals and myriad shapes. It's beautiful as it dissipates.

https://www.wildmind.org/images/incense.jpg

Too many chaotic breezes just makes it shapeless and misty before it goes.

Emil El Zapato
3rd February 2018, 13:38
Since this is about chaos, I've extracted this from another post on the Joe Rogan thread.


I'm on a roll w/the Jordan Peterson/Rogan shows. In #958 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USg3NR76XpQ) at 1:33 they speak of Kek and Kekistan. At this point, May 2017, Joe knows the frog Pepe but not the connection to Kek and Kekistan. I'm gonna quote Jordan here, this is lusciously ironic to me:



Jaime pulls up an image of the memorial to the 2015-2016 Meme War and Joe reads the words and says, "What in the ---- is going on?" and throws his arms up and Jordan says, "That's the question you've been asking me. And my answer was I don't know, we're in a period of chaos...[wherein] the time horizon shrinks."

At this point Joe had not yet been familiarized with the term 'normies'.

***

In #877 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04wyGK6k6HE) at 36 min. Jordan talks about the space between categories: "...[C]haos...ensues when you start to blow up standard categories. There is a chaos in between categories that is made up of an infinite multiplicity."

So... agents of chaos on both sides and, as Jordan observes, conservatives are better at order. Hmmm...:scrhd::hmm:

This guy is interesting...It does seem he's trying to frame the argument about 'political correctness' in a deeper context. While doing that he crosses the 'borders' of the typical concept and it might be that many people are misunderstanding him. I wonder if he makes an effort to clarify his position for those that have a lack of understanding without 'confronting them' I'm guessing not and I suspect his passive-aggressive personality likes it that way. His arguments are based on his games and perhaps not relevant to the greater society and what political correctness is intended to accomplish.

The other thing is that the arguments he levels at 'pc' are the obverse of the classic arguments leveled at the 'haters'. I'm left wondering which is which and that makes it viable in a specious manner.

Later in his presentation he actually refers 'to the game' and that belies his true motivation...I'll call it a 'Freudian Slip' on his part

Dreamtimer
3rd February 2018, 14:06
Jordan talks about life in terms of games (this community calls it a ride) and even told Joe to be a monster. Joe pushed him on that because of the negative implications linked to that word. Jordan seems to believe that life is hard for everyone and we have to bring out our inner strength to live it fully. He also talks about the inner shadow and how everyone has one. He's not shy about saying we all could fall into the trap of being oppressors.

I went through the interviews with Joe in reverse order, so I saw his story unfold backwards (sort of). In the very first one he's clearly on the beginning sides of change and struggling hard, worried about losing his job, and really concerned about this Canadian law governing how you can talk about what it means to be human. He testified before the Canadian legislature.

He's much more dour and serious in the first interview as compared to the most recent. He's riding the wave right now, because so many more people are being exposed to his work.

He's a clinical psychologist which means he's been doing clinical studies for a long time. He has posted all his University lectures on his You Tube page so you can see it all for free.

His most recent work is around the Bible.

It isn't fluffy stuff. The lectures are two hours plus.

Emil El Zapato
3rd February 2018, 14:22
That's brilliant...words are a virus...that underscores my argument for political correctness even beyond that words are inescapably a reflection of the mind that speaks them. Hate speech is undoubtedly a pathogen. He makes good points and it resolves to the lowest denominator once again. Authoritarianism is the manifestation of the archontic, the animal, the demonic, the non-human.

In the interest of chaotic thoughts :)

A study done on Trump supporters evidenced the notion that there was only one correlative connection between them...not racism, not economics, not even politics...it was a desire for authoritarian leadership!

Emil El Zapato
3rd February 2018, 14:44
A book was written many years ago which many are familiar with called 'The Naked Ape' by Desmond Morris. Peterson is reframing that fundamental argument as a need to bargain with the future/a.k.a the other thing and applying that inclination of human behavior as one inherited from the 'chimpanzee'. Indeed, screaming protesters has always evoked an image of panicked monkeys to me, but I still don't buy the argument. Peterson's point of failure, in my opinion only of course, is his lack of a spiritual nature. That trait lays him squarely in his philosophical paradigm and one that I reject on the premise of 'incompleteness'. :)



lol...kek... He says one must be a warrior to navigate chaos...whhaaatttt?! A truth warrior? how about a social justice warrior?!

Elen
3rd February 2018, 14:49
http://www.ripopmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EDDIE-I-CD-REISSUE-copy-300x300.jpg

Is it snowing where you are Batman...I can't see anything :belief:

Wind
3rd February 2018, 15:30
He's a clinical psychologist which means he's been doing clinical studies for a long time. He has posted all his University lectures on his You Tube page so you can see it all for free.

His most recent work is around the Bible.

It isn't fluffy stuff. The lectures are two hours plus.

I'm just getting into his lectures and recently watched this one, there's so much material to browse through that it's going to take a me a while to listen to it all! My gosh, if this wasn't one of the better lectures I've seen in a Youtube in a good while then I don't know what else is.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c3m0tt5KcE

Emil El Zapato
3rd February 2018, 15:34
My superordinate principle for the day...Kindness!

my hell if I fall off the path...becoming a Walmart greeter....or maybe the window person at McDonalds... :)

when they moved away from Peterson's area of expertise to more general philosophy Rogan was out thinking him. Peterson is determined to expect the worst from humanity. That's ok, someone with a functioning intellect has to do it.

Dreamtimer
3rd February 2018, 15:36
Rounding up .25, the Dow was down 666 points on Friday.:omg:

(I can't help but imagine the frenzy that would be ensuing if Hill was prez)

Emil El Zapato
3rd February 2018, 16:25
guarantee of outcome equality is a false premise...not sustainable in our current state of culture and not maintained by anyone with a smidgeon of intellectual or philosophical honesty or understanding. That is for the future. But we can argue it now, of course. :) but it is totally academic.

I'm going to get hooked listening to this guy for all the wrong reasons. but wait...he's just telling his truth...oy vey! He's looking at things in one skewed way, though. It is that he is not considering the 'pressure' that mainstream society places on itself. It is what creates the 'box' we all live in...one that I've enjoyed jumping out of my entire life.
Like the time my daughter and I kept an inflatable swimming pool in my 2nd floor apartment's living room. Now that was fun! Or the other times when I would wheel my 3-year old in the baby's carriage part of shopping carts. It was hilarious...people would freak including my ex but my daughter and I would have a great time pretending she was a baby and couldn't talk. Everytime she would say something, I, would in effect, coo at her and tell her she couldn't talk because she was a baby. Crazy, yes...but it was a blast! It's all b.s.

Dreamtimer
3rd February 2018, 18:56
Jordan doesn't believe in equality of outcome, if that's what you're saying. He's explicitly against equality of outcome.

What he supports is equality of opportunity. He lays out how nature demonstrates that there is no equality of outcome. A huge tree in the forest dominates, etc.

He's also utterly opposed to and gravely concerned about social marxism and neo-marxism and he makes his case pretty clearly.

In addition, the conversation with Bret Weinstein, as in stein of beer, on Rogan's show was a great debate with no fighting.

He says people should read the Gulag Archipelago. He recommends it highly.

Dreamtimer
3rd February 2018, 19:12
In #1070 at 10:21 Jordan discusses the Pareto distribution, or the 80/20 principle.

According to Wikipedia,
Mathematically, the 80/20 rule is roughly followed by a power law distribution (also known as a Pareto distribution) for a particular set of parameters, and many natural phenomena have been shown empirically to exhibit such a distribution.

So he's saying it's natural that some will end up with more. But poverty upsets the balance and brings everyone down so we need, at least, equality of opportunity.

Dreamtimer
3rd February 2018, 19:23
Whoa, didn't know the Trump's 13th wedding anniversary was last month.

Emil El Zapato
3rd February 2018, 20:08
Jordan doesn't believe in equality of outcome, if that's what you're saying. He's explicitly against equality of outcome.

What he supports is equality of opportunity. He lays out how nature demonstrates that there is no equality of outcome. A huge tree in the forest dominates, etc.

He's also utterly opposed to and gravely concerned about social marxism and neo-marxism and he makes his case pretty clearly.

In addition, the conversation with Bret Weinstein, as in stein of beer, on Rogan's show was a great debate with no fighting.

He says people should read the Gulag Archipelago. He recommends it highly.

No, I agree with that completely, what I mean to say is that to argue against it and maintain that guaranteed outcome is what is driving certain social movements is a false argument and a very narrow issue to tackle in any other way but academically.


In #1070 at 10:21 Jordan discusses the Pareto distribution, or the 80/20 principle.

According to Wikipedia,

So he's saying it's natural that some will end up with more. But poverty upsets the balance and brings everyone down so we need, at least, equality of opportunity.

sure, but Peterson is flailing at windmills, to paraphrase Cervantes

Dumpster Diver
3rd February 2018, 22:12
Is it snowing where you are Batman...I can't see anything :belief:

It’s an Eddie and the Cruisers album.

Snow? Wuzzat? Someone told me it’s frozen water falling from the sky...never seen such on SoCal beaches.


Rounding up .25, the Dow was down 666 points on Friday.:omg:

(I can't help but imagine the frenzy that would be ensuing if Hill was prez)

....the sky is falling...the sky is falling...:frantic:

Wind
3rd February 2018, 22:36
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrlCjU3xBZQ

Dumpster Diver
4th February 2018, 01:14
Yeah, sit back and enjoy the rollercoaster ride...perhaps, even hold your hands up to show ‘em you have no fear...

Aragorn
4th February 2018, 03:31
Is there anyone else here who is just as baffled as I am that we are once again wasting our time discussing a YouTube talking head and pulling in US-centric party politics? :rolleyes:

Come on guys, we can do so much better than this. :hmm:

modwiz
4th February 2018, 08:34
Is there anyone else here who is just as baffled as I am that we are once again wasting our time discussing a YouTube talking head and pulling in US-centric party politics? :rolleyes:

Come on guys, we can do so much better than this. :hmm:

Is your bafflement is accompanied by nausea? :fpalm:

Aragorn
4th February 2018, 08:44
Is there anyone else here who is just as baffled as I am that we are once again wasting our time discussing a YouTube talking head and pulling in US-centric party politics? :rolleyes:

Come on guys, we can do so much better than this. :hmm:

Is your bafflement is accompanied by nausea? :fpalm:

I'm not sure, but my stomach does feel weird. :p

Elen
4th February 2018, 09:16
Is there anyone else here who is just as baffled as I am that we are once again wasting our time discussing a YouTube talking head and pulling in US-centric party politics? :rolleyes:

Come on guys, we can do so much better than this. :hmm:

Thank you...:smiley hug::tea:

Dreamtimer
4th February 2018, 11:27
Thanks for the Wonderful Chaos video, Wind. It was fun and informative.

We must be like water. (as Bruce Lee says)

Emil El Zapato
4th February 2018, 15:45
but, but, this is the Chaos and the Anti-Thread thread

Dreamtimer
4th February 2018, 18:44
Indeed.

So...we farm using the equality of opportunity method: GMO seeds, kill as many weeds as possible, acres of the same crop with expectations of maximization...

N'est pas?

(don't know how that applies to societies of people, 'cause we're not clones)

Dumpster Diver
4th February 2018, 22:23
Is there anyone else here who is just as baffled as I am that we are once again wasting our time discussing a YouTube talking head and pulling in US-centric party politics? :rolleyes:

Come on guys, we can do so much better than this. :hmm:

Ok, I don't watch TV much, but by all accounts the war against the deep state (DS) is winding down and the white hats are winning. Much of that fight is happening underground and overhead here in the US, where, let's face it, much of the deep state's stregnth was/is. Apparently, the eclipse last year was a real turning point; so many folks turned out to meditate positively that the DS was shorn of much of their power even though they apparently had massive ritual murders during the same period to negate us.

Over the last few months, I've felt a "lightening up" and feel the globe is on a very positive path and I'm about as empathic as a brick.

Rightly or wrongly, the US is centric to all this and the clown show/train wreck in Wash DC is so crazy you can't hardly look away from it. Besides, nobody else has a Ringmaster like Trump and it seems, we're just about the only circus in town.

Emil El Zapato
4th February 2018, 22:35
Actually Peterson is Canadian and his prime nemesis is Jacques Derrida, a Frenchman. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could have missed that... :hilarious:

Dumpster Diver
4th February 2018, 22:42
Actually Peterson is Canadian and his prime nemesis is Jacques Derrida, a Frenchman. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could have missed that... :hilarious:

Canadians are just 'mericans with dog sleds...:hilarious:

Emil El Zapato
4th February 2018, 22:53
yeah, i know... :)

Wind
5th February 2018, 00:22
Rightly or wrongly, the US is centric to all this and the clown show/train wreck in Wash DC is so crazy you can't hardly look away from it. Besides, nobody else has a Ringmaster like Trump and it seems, we're just about the only circus in town.

If Trumpet is truly working with the white hats, where are the visible signs?

There could be a power struggle behind the scenes, but it doesn't seem to affect the common man much. Except that Trump's policies are benefiting the corporations, making the mega wealthy people more rich and the poor even more poor. So far his decisions have been terrible which makes the US look even more ridiculous in the eyes of the world. His idol is Reagan who was a warmongerer and a class A puppet.

Dumpster Diver
5th February 2018, 00:34
If Trumpet is truly working with the white hats, where are the visible signs?

There could be a power struggle behind the scenes, but it doesn't seem to affect the common man much. Except that Trump's policies are benefiting the corporations, making the mega wealthy people more rich and the poor even more poor. So far his decisions have been terrible which makes the US look even more ridiculous in the eyes of the world. His idol is Reagan who was a warmongerer and a class A puppet.

Well, The Trumpster Fire is certainly not my first choice to “save the world”...

...he’s not even in my top 100...or 1000.

It’s probably a karma thing: you get the “heroes” you deserve.

Dreamtimer
7th February 2018, 14:05
The Pentagon has been asked to look into having a military parade. Oh boy! Trump was so impressed by the Bastille Day parade he wants to start having them here. Wow. Inspired by the French. Just what we need to spend our tax dollars on. Actual dog and pony parades. For Realz.:fpalm:

Did I fail to come down from some kind of mushroom trip? 'Cause this sh!t is bananas.

Fred Steeves
7th February 2018, 15:35
Wow, no shit, had to go look that one up. God bless that great American tradition of gaudy, goose stepping, military parades.

Not sure if I've ever mentioned this here, on inauguration day I saw a different Trump that the man I had followed during the campaign. It was at the parade being flanked by his generals. When the West Point cadets passed by saluting, a look of military fervor came over him and I hardly even recognized him. Even commented to my wife something like "that's a different Donald Trump than I've ever seen before".

Now that I see he wants this ridiculous missile waving display, it sure makes me go back and revisit that moment.

enjoy being
7th February 2018, 15:47
*

Dumpster Diver
7th February 2018, 18:26
While we're on the American jingoistic schtick, anyone catch all the military grandstanding at the start of the Superbowl? Happens every year, if not every NFL game, and I'm just wondering how it strikes the non-USAans here at TOT. FWIW, I think it is totally overdone especially considering how much war grief we have inflicted on the world.

BTW, the half time show had no illuminati symbolism this year. I guess they really are giving up.

Emil El Zapato
7th February 2018, 19:06
i was working and watching but I thought the halftime show was kind of understated which was 'interesting' to me. Incidentally, I don't believe justim timberbrook is the schmuck he has been portrayed as.

Wind
7th February 2018, 23:15
He does seem like a schmuck though, but then again that's just my personal opinion. I could be wrong!


BTW, the half time show had no illuminati symbolism this year. I guess they really are giving up.

Puh-lease... That's a cute thought, but they don't give up until they're dead. Not to say that they're all-powerful, because they're not. There are just different ways to play the game and different ways to influence people. The magician has been succesful if you didn't even notice that you were played.

Octopus Garden
7th February 2018, 23:24
The deep state installed Trump. Military intelligence. Watch the U.S become more and more overtly militaristic, on native soil. Part of the parade crap is the result of having an emotional 5 year old enthroned, the first idiot King, in what may be a long succession of them. The other part is not to show go foreigners what great weaponry the U.S has. They've learned that the hard way. It's to cow their own citizens. Shock and awe.

enjoy being
7th February 2018, 23:34
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Dumpster Diver
7th February 2018, 23:46
Well, some of the Aussies have Auzzie-Rulz Football, which I think is the king of spectator sports.


He does seem like a schmuck though, but then again that's just my personal opinion. I could be wrong!

Puh-lease... That's a cute thought, but they don't give up until they're dead. Not to say that they're all-powerful, because they're not. There are just different ways to play the game and different ways to influence people. The magician has been succesful if you didn't even notice that you were played.

Yeah, I was just schucking...

enjoy being
7th February 2018, 23:49
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Dumpster Diver
7th February 2018, 23:52
Oh yeah true, they have their own game over in Australia. Which is interesting as I always consider Australia as comparatively, and in certain ways, a republic of USA. I would say that Australia would dearly love to become USA. They have a senate and everything!

Why would they ever do such? Obviously you’ve never been there. Much more like Britain with good weather and a massive desert but a very distinct culture and great vibe. Increasingly they think USAians as being nuts.

enjoy being
8th February 2018, 00:13
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Dumpster Diver
8th February 2018, 00:29
Why would they do what? Start their own sport? Want to be USA? Have a senate?
I have had plenty of dealings with Australians, but no I haven't been there, OR the USA.
Not sure what that is meant to mean either!

It seems they invented the game as a conglomeration of other football games being formed in Britain, as a pastime to keep cricket players fit during the winter.

My surmise on why they seem more appreciating of Americana could be that they started off as a prison colony and perhaps rebelled against mother England?
Also, they have lots of snakes and poisonous critters there, where Britain doesn't, neither does New Zealand, maybe there is something in that as to how it affects the mind?
However, they DO still play Cricket, Rugby, and Rugby league so get their fill of international team sports.
Maybe it is a size of continent thing?


Oh you added more to qualify the statement. I refer to Australians having a more American culture than New Zealanders. Sure, they may seem more British to an American.

Well, I lived in Britain and the US and spent 5+ months in OZ. I never ran into any Australians who wanted to be part of the US, they simply knew they had it so good where they are now. As my business partner at the time said, “be an American and give all this up? No way, Mate.”

enjoy being
8th February 2018, 00:49
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Dumpster Diver
8th February 2018, 01:06
They are my neighbours, I have lived with them my whole life, they STILL are very Americanised compared to New Zealand.
Oh, AND they name their provinces and regions, as states! lol

...oh, ok. We’re working with the Kiwi-Ozzie school of putting each other down...I’ve seen a little of that as well. I’ve never been to the land you folks stole from the Māoris.

enjoy being
8th February 2018, 01:39
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Emil El Zapato
8th February 2018, 02:24
I think he was joking Nothing

enjoy being
8th February 2018, 02:45
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Aragorn
8th February 2018, 02:57
Oh dear, I think you may be creating something out of nothing again. No we are not working in that mode, I was certain it was quite clear that within the conversation, we were talking about USA and its invented sports, at which you brought up Australian rules and I drew off handedly a comparison with Australia seeming more American than here in New Zealand..that was the point ALL along... and the next comment points to you having a fair way to go with your self. All I get from that post is attempts to claw at me for reasons you only know. Sigh.

I think he was joking Nothing

Really? He just does the "pull my finger" type jokes from what I thought.
That was more in a vein of trying to create animosity by starting some kind of slur towards which band of white people in the world stole the most land from their natives and treated them the worst.
I have seen those kind of behaviours and arguments going down before and that was a classic attempt at it, I thought I was back in one of those public poo slinging forums again where people try as hard as they can to get reactions by being confrontational.

Lego Batman's humor is somewhat of an acquired taste and you have to get used to it, but yes, I agree with NotAPretender that he was only joking. He tends to throw cynical humor into everything, just like a standup comedian would. ;)

enjoy being
8th February 2018, 03:14
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Dumpster Diver
8th February 2018, 04:28
Well, Nothing. You can take it as a joke, or you can take it as confrontational. Let me hold up a mirror. :tea:

enjoy being
8th February 2018, 04:34
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Dumpster Diver
8th February 2018, 04:44
http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/browbeat/2011/09/29/hugo_chavez_caption_contest/Kermit_Mirror_Routine.png.CROP.promo-mediumlarge.png

Dreamtimer
9th February 2018, 15:40
Kermie? Kek? Is that you?

I smell chaos.

I didn't realize that New Zealand doesn't have the dangerous, poisonous creatures that Australia has. I learned about the New Zealand ecosystem. It's one of the few that has not changed so drastically over millions of years. You have paleolithic plants and what can be called living fossils.

I find myself wondering why there would be more danger and poison in the newer ecospheres? This very ancient one is not filled with them. Is it an example of a balance that was finally achieved in nature?

The other thing that I can't get my head around is how come snakes haven't been reintroduced into Ireland and the same with New Zealand? Humans have been spreading things around for a long time.

enjoy being
9th February 2018, 16:01
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Dreamtimer
9th February 2018, 17:45
If Hope gets thrown under the bus it will be exquisitely apropos and very sad for her. (Hope Hicks, I mean)

Dreamtimer
10th February 2018, 05:32
I was listening to an interview of Cody Snodgres, different than the one with Ole Dammegard.

Although he spoke of Iran/Contra, illnesses in Desert Storm, government working with the mafia, drug and gun running, the one actual name he mentioned was....

Clinton, of course.

Playing to his audience?

enjoy being
10th February 2018, 05:51
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Dreamtimer
10th February 2018, 14:27
I like your attitude, Nothing. Nothing's gonna get to you! (and I only partly mean to be punny)

People come up with a grand plan. Plans are guaranteed to fail in some way or have a different outcome than expected. I'm no expert planner. I suppose one must work in wiggle room for the unexpected, uncontrollable, and margin of error stuff.

Something this big has so many opportunities for failure or different outcome so even if it's a real plan it's still not gonna work as planned. Like war. We do it all the time, no one is master of it. Though I guess some aspire to that.

I hope we turn into some kind of Xmen who then go teach these folk a lesson or two.

Emil El Zapato
10th February 2018, 14:44
I have always been skeptical about chemtrails until someone posted a image of planes filled with 'stuff'. The documentation was pretty thorough so I re-assessed. My theory was that 'someone' was experimenting with atmosphere cleaning agents designed to help with countering ozone destroying chemicals. Evidence that has been 'officially' released since back up that theory. This is the departure point of my 'feeling' about conspiracy theories. It seems many conspiracists are determined to believe 'they are out to get us' while I believe that at least in some cases 'they are trying to help us'.

Someone asked the question of why 'they' would do that and not let us know. My surmise was that like any parent they wanted to help but they also want us to learn self-responsibility.

My personal theory of 9/11 follows the same line of reasoning. The 9/11 stream of events in my estimation supports actions that took place 'AFTER' the plane impacts sought to minimize physical and social damage.

Dumpster Diver
10th February 2018, 17:33
I like your attitude, Nothing. Nothing's gonna get to you! (and I only partly mean to be punny)

People come up with a grand plan. Plans are guaranteed to fail in some way or have a different outcome than expected. I'm no expert planner. I suppose one must work in wiggle room for the unexpected, uncontrollable, and margin of error stuff.

Something this big has so many opportunities for failure or different outcome so even if it's a real plan it's still not gonna work as planned. Like war. We do it all the time, no one is master of it. Though I guess some aspire to that.

I hope we turn into some kind of Xmen who then go teach these folk a lesson or two.

We ARE X-men. We seriously don’t know how to use our extraordinary powers. But being told (indoctrinated) we don’t have any keeps us under control.

enjoy being
11th February 2018, 02:02
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Dreamtimer
11th February 2018, 02:02
Excellent. I'll have to go into the lucid state and start working on my powers.


I know a child who is entering adolescence and discovering the stupidity of the control system. He has acted in ways that are entirely normal yet the system reacts like he's a budding criminal. It's pretty insane.

The stuff we did as kids would put us all in juvenile detention nowadays. Except maybe me. I never wanted to get in trouble. But I would do things like jay-walk between the swings on the playground which was dangerous and against the rules. :rock::flame:

Emil El Zapato
11th February 2018, 02:06
I can see that, Nothing...that surely is a feasible notion. It happens all the time. Decisions, decisions...we all have to make them, including people with the power to really screw things up. It's a big part of it.... So, if i was going to check a box...I would check 'all of the above'