What does this curse say?
On 23 Feb., 04:07, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote:
> I saw the Body Worlds exhibit last week and it was fascinating(last
> day was today). I always enjoy seeing art and science combined to
> create something extraordinary although I'll never look at a rack of
> BBQ ribs quite the same way again.
>
> The neo-con in me doesn't want to give up the ground we've gained(not
> worth the blood and treasure surely, but still gained). I see
> problems ahead and we need entrenched military posts in that region.
> I don't trust Saudi Arabia or the UAE or Turkey to remain our
> 'friends' when all hell breaks out. I'm afraid our enemies smell
> blood with all the weakness we are showing and will take every
> advantage. Isolationism in this day and age is simply not in our best
> interest. Or the interests of the world I'd wager.
>
> I hope I'm wrong. But I don't think I am. I'm afraid we'll need all
> of the President's prodigious charisma to get this country through the
> coming hard times. He may very well reinstate the draft and compulsory
> service. Democrats have been pushing for this for some time and now
> they can pretty much get whatever they want. It would be one way to
> remove young people from the domestic job pool and shore up a
> stretched thin military force. The future is scary.
>
> We certainly live in interesting times. Ancient Chinese curse and all.
>
> dj
>
> On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 6:35 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Don, really, the abandonment may be a good thing, though as you say it
> > might turn out to be the killing field. What I'm thinking is, let it
> > happen and it will all settle out one way or another. The reason we
> > are always concerned about it is because 'We' want it to turn out in
> > our favor. We, the US, have had our own killing field here,
> > historically, and so it just settled out the way it did. How many
> > lives have been needlessly lost thanks to intervention? I think
> > barbarianism spans multiple cultures and in a sense has permeated
> > societies in cult oriented microcosms. We are not aware of the
> > atrocities until they appear on the nightly news and then we are
> > shocked and dismayed to think that this stuff still goes on.
> > The exhibit sounds intriguing and I might consider a drive over from
> > SA. My wife is always hinting that she wants us to go somewhere. It
> > 's only a few hours off and I'm thinking about the great restaurants
> > available there. It's something to consider and her birthday is on
> > the 3rd but in all actuality I will first have to decipher her desire
> > to witness a Genghis Khan exhibit. Maybe I can Khan her into it!
>
> > On Feb 22, 5:02 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> I get your point Arch. When I use the word 'barbarian' I generally
> >> think of the Mongol variety rather then the Germanic variety. Not
> >> that it matters much. Who am I to judge? I am eagerly awaiting the
> >> Genghis Khan exhibit coming to HMNS at the end of the month. I plan
> >> to learn something.
>
> >> dj
>
> >> On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 4:33 PM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> > The 'barbarians' have just turned out generally to be more peaceful,
> >> > cultured and so on the Roman (Church) history led us to believe Don.
> >> > It's only that use I have a bit of a problem with. In Francis' sense
> >> > the awful stuff sometimes seems everywhere.
>
> >> > On 22 Feb, 22:21, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> >> It does my heart good to hear Iran and N. Korea referred to as 'piss
> >> >> ant.' I concur. It remains to be seen whether the 3rd former 'axis
> >> >> of evil' country will remain liberated after we abandon them to their
> >> >> neighbors. This is one Obama promise I really hope he does break.
> >> >> One can argue against the judgment of the original invasion and
> >> >> certainly the way the war was conducted but abandonment now seems
> >> >> unconscionable. It will be the killing fields all over again. Is
> >> >> Obama really prepared to be responsible for such an atrocity? With
> >> >> his history of voting 'present' I think not. Obama has many favorable
> >> >> qualities but courage does not seem to be one of them.
>
> >> >> I confess to being a big fan of Dirty Harry. Magnum Force was a
> >> >> thrill. I highly recommend Eastwood's newest crime drama "Gran
> >> >> Torino." That said I would never dream of confronting 'punks' like
> >> >> he does. I am not a police officer. I would only use my weapon to
> >> >> defend life and for no other reason. Since I have moved to a much
> >> >> nicer neighborhood there is little chance I will get my day
> >> >> made.(knock on wood)
>
> >> >> dj
>
> >> >> On Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 11:49 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> >> > Don, I would strongly agree on the rapid and sometimes rabid
> >> >> > dissemination of information point. Exposure has it's way of
> >> >> > awakening those who think their atrocities are OK in their own private
> >> >> > little minds. China seems to still be chopping heads off in the
> >> >> > public square and issuing death penalties for corporate mismanagement,
> >> >> > so I don't know that it is a universal concept. As you say the
> >> >> > reduction of blatant offenses may be attributed to global exposure but
> >> >> > the fact is some countries just don't really care.
> >> >> > Concerning Pinker's historical splay of violence, he might as well
> >> >> > added the stepping on of ants and insects as a demonstration of
> >> >> > humanity's penchant for violent behavior. I don't see humanity's
> >> >> > reduction of violence but rather see it as simply wearing a different
> >> >> > costume, like the wolf in sheep's clothing. Predators, in recognition
> >> >> > of the exposure risks, seek new ways to camouflage their devious
> >> >> > practices. Pinker fails to produce statistics concurrent with
> >> >> > modernist methods of concealing violence, as in the trendy practice of
> >> >> > human trafficking for various exploitations. While it is true we no
> >> >> > longer burn cats for entertainment purpose it is also true that we now
> >> >> > find reason to exterminate our own children for convenience, and
> >> >> > anyone else who gets in our way. You have your concealed weapon
> >> >> > permit and it's only a matter of time before someone will actually
> >> >> > make your day. Piss ant countries are fine tuning their pernicious
> >> >> > weapons capability ready to dispense death in a perfunctory manner,
> >> >> > essentially rendering Pinker's view imaginary.
> >> >> > I don't know where religion fits in as I don't have any inclination
> >> >> > towards it.
> >> >> > I think you are realistically cynical.
>
> >> >> > On Feb 21, 4:17 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> >> >> Does anyone else have problems taking seriously a grown man in such
> >> >> >> dire need of a haircut? It's distracting. Anyway, I think he's on
> >> >> >> to
> >> >> >> something here. The biggest reason violence is down is the rapid
> >> >> >> dissemination of information and the difficulty in disguising gross
> >> >> >> injustice. Governments want the rest of the world to think highly of
> >> >> >> them and aggressively promote themselves with favorable PR. This
> >> >> >> reduces the likelihood of blatant, uncalled for aggression. I don't
> >> >> >> think we are at all nobler but I do think we all like to at least
> >> >> >> appear to be so.
>
> >> >> >> It ties in nicely with my theory of why religion was invented. An
> >> >> >> Omnipotent being judging your every move is motivation to behave. I
> >> >> >> don't believe in Santa Claus any more but I do believe in the power
> >> >> >> of
> >> >> >> the Press. And the internet. I wonder how long before our leaders
> >> >> >> find a way to suppress it or bend it to their will? Oh wait, we're
> >> >> >> already there. Google in China. Most major American newspapers
> >> >> >> except the WSJ are in the tank for President Obama. All cheerleaders
> >> >> >> for waste. We are squandering our global advantage. I understand
> >> >> >> why
> >> >> >> international news agencies like the AP and Reuters would be in favor
> >> >> >> of a socialist president but the fawning of our own papers is a
> >> >> >> little
> >> >> >> disconcerting.
>
> >> >> >> Am I a cynic or a realist? Or sadly misinformed?
>
> >> >> >> dj
>
> >> >> >> On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 8:47 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> >> >> > I do have this tendency to throw public notables out on a bed of
> >> >> >> > nails
> >> >> >> > to see which of you are inclined to take some steps across them.
> >> >> >> > Ouch! However, this is not just about curiosity but evaluation of
> >> >> >> > my
> >> >> >> > views for either reinforcement or modification.
> >> >> >> > Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of
> >> >> >> > Psychology at Harvard University has a lecture video in which he
> >> >> >> > asserts humans to be peaceful by nature and merely corrupted by
> >> >> >> > modern
> >> >> >> > institutions and concluding that we are living very peaceful lives
> >> >> >> > by
> >> >> >> > historical comparisons.
> >> >> >> > Pinker writes, "Now that social scientists have started to count
> >> >> >> > bodies in different historical periods, they have discovered that
> >> >> >> > the
> >> >> >> > romantic theory gets it backward: Far from causing us to become
> >> >> >> > more
> >> >> >> > violent, something in modernity and its cultural institutions has
> >> >> >> > made
> >> >> >> > us nobler."
> >> >> >> > This approach is a combination of empirical and biological study in
> >> >> >> > contrast to former assertions formed upon human cultures and
> >> >> >> > socialization without regard to biological recognition.
> >> >> >> > Steven Pinker concludes that violence in the world has actually
> >> >> >> > decreased, and conveys this idea in his "A History of Violence"
> >> >> >> > lecturehttp://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/163
> >> >> >> > I for one never conceived of the notion but have tossed some bones
> >> >> >> > around with my good friend gruff, who also asserts that mankind has
> >> >> >> > made significant strides in the
>
> ...
>
> Erfahren Sie mehr »
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