This year has been a rough ride, but it seems to be ending better than it started. I think the importance of the U.S. election cannot be overstated. It marks the beginning of the end of the divisions that Nixon cleverly exploited to create thirty years of Republican ascendancy based on hate and fear. This has importance that goes far beyond the U.S. I am hopeful that, with the Republicans isolated (the importance of the election goes beyond Obama and extends to a solidly Democratic Congress), the U.S. will once more act as a member of the world community. It will need to--the challenges we face, both in economics and on issues of war and peace--require a great deal of world cooperation.
On Dec 30, 5:27 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Well thanks arch. I was thinking the other day (imagine that) about > how it is the same for everyone in the world regardless of cultural > difference. Everyone everywhere experiences the same human traits > (crap) whether good of bad. Small peaceful lives, now that is the > closest description of my life that I have ever heard. Why people > strive for the grandiose existence is beyond my comprehension. Were I > to become a millionaire tomorrow, no one would have a clue. Simplicity > is the key, moderation is the cure, pleasure is the goal and tomatoes > make a good sauce. > > I think this new year is significant in that it represents a milestone > in global progression. We will see changes over the next five years > that will make your head spin and question your sanity. Our vocal > orifice will remain agape at the site of global events. Catastrophe > will not be solely attributed to mother nature and the obvious flaws > of humanity will shroud the celebratory facade. > > Mushrooms anyone? > > On Dec 29, 11:32 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote:> It will be a > better New Year for me knowing you are in it Slip. It > > does matter to me that there are people I can agree with and differ > > with under some kind of rational code. I can't bear the standard of > > public debate and action. I have travelled a lot and must say the > > problems we all mutter about are world-wide. Idiot regimes collapse > > around us, but we seem dumb enough to want to return to old ways that > > are palpably wrong. Not sure yet what I intend to do, but I hope at > > least to get in print this coming year with some slagging of what does > > go on. Mostly, I guess we need to be less scared of small peaceful > > lives and much more scared of people with big "answers". If we could > > adjust to this, we might have a big answer on our hands. > > > On 30 Dec, 03:40, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Thanks for your response and your predictions! The apologies were > > > just an attempt to cover that which I may not have been aware of and > > > because I am a being of compassion. Actually if anyone has any real > > > complaint they can call 1-800- Eat Crow ext: kma. If the line is busy > > > just keep trying. > > > I didn't feel I had anything to apologize to you about either, fran. > > > Basically I'm preparing to sign off for the year and enter into a new > > > dimension. It is somewhat like molting or the shedding of the skin, a > > > rebirth in a non religious sense. I do it every year and it gives me a > > > great sense of freedom to move into the new year. I hate baggage, > > > though I can talk about the past I don't carry it around with me as a > > > scar. I can view the new year as a new day, fresh and open for me to > > > do whatever I want within it, whether that be hiking a few thousand > > > miles and living off the land or taking on a position within a > > > corporation. People have become too accustomed to having something > > > else dictate to them what their lives should be. All that you talk > > > about really has no affect on me in my personal world, it is the world > > > outside of my world. I guess you can say that I live in a microcosm, > > > which works very well for me. I don't really want any part of the > > > world, not the religions, the economic systems, the global markets or > > > the political facades. I don't mind being a witness to it all or > > > experiencing it all as a voyeur. I guess I live a life that is beyond > > > the reality of this life because I live it on the basis of my inner > > > being, which takes precedence over all else. I think the people in > > > the world actually buy into the fallacy of this world and begin to > > > live their lives in accordance with the fallacy. People are told how > > > to live, what to buy, where to go and what to wear, like puppets in a > > > puppet show they dance. As Orn had once stated "We The Sheeple of the > > > USA". Again, I wish the best for all of you, the richness that life > > > has to offer, the abundance of the universe, and the good health to > > > enjoy it all. > > > > I remember about 35 years ago I rented some property. I lived on > > > several acres adjacent to several hundred acres of preserved forest > > > and every morning had the enjoyment of an abundance of wildlife > > > dancing about my world. One year I invited several members of my > > > family to make a long trek out to visit and several arrived with their > > > extensions. I remember standing out back telling my grandfather "isn't > > > this really great?" to which he responded "but slip, you don't own > > > this". I realized the foolishness of his comment, because I was > > > living there and enjoying what the owner, who lived in Cincinnati Ohio > > > wasn't enjoying. One year the owner came down to visit me and offered > > > the entire place to me for a mere $2900. Needless to say, my ex wife > > > loves the place. The idea of owning life is totally ridiculous and the > > > downfall of humanity. We don't own and will never own anything, we > > > don't even own the flesh bags we walk around in. > > > > Chime in Minds Eye for the hour of 2008 is near it's end. For some > > > reason numbers play an important part in life. The year of our birth > > > and the year of our death is always noted. This year is about to > > > dissipate into the annals of history and though the repercussions of > > > it may still be felt in the years to come, the milestone has been set > > > indelibly in time. > > > > My prediction is the New Year will bring enormous change, no longer > > > will people be duped by unscrupulous politicians and business > > > entrepreneurs. The corruption has been exposed and those that have > > > perpetrated the crimes will sink into the abyss of dismal reality. > > > Over the next few months the ultimate bottom will have been reached > > > and the ideals of mega wealth will have recognized the success of it's > > > own demise. Consumers will realize the power of their consumerism and > > > learn to control market value through consumption practice. We the > > > people will make or break. Wars will persist as puny nations strive > > > for occupation of small segments of land mass. Somehow the primitive > > > aspects of humanity will maintain presence in the modern world. Our > > > innate power struggle will extend from our primordial beginnings to > > > our present existence. > > > World War III is looming over the horizon as former 3rd world > > > countries vie for recognition. Venezuela is conspiring with cuba and > > > russia as we speak. Israel has yet to achieve a climate that is lower > > > than that of a simmering pot. India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Blah, Blah, > > > Hisbollah, the list goes on. The future of humanity is bleak. Of > > > course if you want a more positive outlook, consult with your local > > > gruff, who maintains a slow, nearly unnoticeable positive advancement > > > in human kind through centuries of time. Perhaps in another 4000 years > > > we will reduce the killing by 40%, if we don't experience complete > > > annihilation before then. > > > > On Dec 29, 7:20 am, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Like you, Slip, the fag end of the year inspires me to take stock of > > > > what has happened and to look ahead. Personally, I don't have the > > > > feeling you need to apologize to me for anything. > > > > > For me the past year has been ... challenging, containing as it did, a > > > > personal earthquake involving the traumatic and unexpected end of a > > > > relationship which had lasted almost a decade - and everything that > > > > that brought in its wake. But there's a German saying that that which > > > > doesn't kill us makes us stronger(!) and, as the new year approaches, > > > > I look forward with an inner attitude (mostly) of peace and serenity. > > > > The old year contained much that was difficult and stressful, but also > > > > had its share of beautiful and positive moments and experiences. > > > > > On a worldwide scale, 2008 was, I believe, very significant. I have > > > > trained as an historian, among other things, and its a basic truism > > > > for historians that one should let at least 20 years elapse before > > > > making historical judgements on trends, patterns and structures of > > > > events. Nevertheless, I will venture out on a limb here and say claim > > > > that 2008 saw the end of an era of unquestioned triumphant globalised > > > > capitalism, whose beginning can be dated to November 1989 with the > > > > fall of the Berlin Wall (the collapse of the "socialist"/"communist" > > > > experiment). The financial crisis and ensuing recession/depression > > > > into which we are now heading will change the world in fundamental > > > > ways. There will be much suffering and many will die as a result (as > > > > always, the poorest of the poor worldwide, who do not have the > > > > personal resources and who live in societies where the resources are > > > > not - for manifold reasons - available to enable them to survive). > > > > There will be a reordering of economic power, with China (and perhaps > > > > India and Brazil) gaining and the USA losing comparatively. > > > > > But there is also hope. The neo-liberal dogma that markets are best > > > > left to look after themselves with (to mangle metaphors) a benign > > > > invisible hand ensuring that continually rising tides lift all boats > > > > has taken a very hard - hopefully fatal - knock. It is serendipitous > > > > that the financial crisis/economic depression coincides with the end > > > > of the Bush administration. In the current chaos, there may be more > > > > willingness to try out new models and develop new paradigms of living > > > > with 6 billion + on our planet so that we don't screw things up > > > > completely for ourselves. Times of change are also times of > > > > opportunity and living in interesting times need not always be a > > > > curse. Obama won't build a New Jerusalem, but, maybe, some things > > > > might just get done a bit better. > > > > > Francis > > > > > On 29 Dez., 08:59, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Happy New Year to All of You!! > > > > > > It has been a fun ride here in Minds Eye. I hope the new year brings > > > > > more joy. > > > > > > Traditionally for me the end of the year is a time of reflection and > > > > > renewal and not a time of hoopla and revelry. I bury all hatchets and > > > > > close the book on the past. There may have been times that I have > > > > > offended some and for this I apologize. I'm not well versed in many > > > > > areas and subject matter but somehow jumped into the pool anyway just > > > > > for the sake of learning, for the imposition I also apologize. Thanks > > > > > for putting up with me! > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > > Slip > > > > > > What are all of you doing for New Years and what will you be focusing > > > > > on for next year? > > > > > > What are your thoughts about this past year?- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
