chuck kottke

I think we put too much emphasis on what might happen once we're dead, when the reality we face, and the conditions we make for ourselves and our fellow travelers in life are so much more important in the real sense, than any perceived "hell" or "heaven", either of which I think are just figments of over-active human imagination. Although, I have to say, for dramatic effect, it is amusing and entertaining to imagine such a place! What reality does not provide, our vivid imaginations can conjure up.. I found it interesting to think of the planes of Hades, and the one tale where one poor soul goes to drink water by dipping a cup in a river, but because the cup has holes in it, all the water drains out before they get a drink! And they keep trying over, and over, and over...:laugh3: What seems better is to think of cause and effect, outcomes, and lessons learned. If we are taught empathy and understanding at a young age, we begin to sense what others go through from their expressions and experiences, and since no sensitive person wants to see another suffer, we then act to comfort and reduce that suffering, and to reduce the probability of the cause of the suffering to reoccur; If we act too selfishly, then we run the risk of forgetting the needs of others at times of great need; and if we act cruelly towards others, the suffering done reverberates throughout the human world, and weakens our efforts to attain higher states of enlightenment. But some individuals act cruelly to gain the control of others through unjust means, and some act cruelly just to get attention, or to cause others to suffer in a like manner (misery loves company); these traits are destructive to human society and human advancement, and lead to repressive cycles that need to be ended.

Jaguar Corridor!Path of the Jaguars — Photo Map — National Geographic Magazine

Ricardo, it's not on the north, but runs down the mountains near the coast, and then into the Jaguar population areas in the Yucatan, and down into the Central American countries, and then well into South America. Perhaps it's at the NGS website - I'll go check. I haven't any way to digitize the magazine, or else I would!;) Pretty Cool Cats!

Very Interesting, Carla!:smart: I was unaware of a silica or silicone glue product! I'll have to check it out, and see what it's made of - nifty stuff, and probably great bonding, no doubt! Thanks!!;)

Basically, there's some multinational effort underway to sustain or restore Paseo del Jaguar - Path of the Jaguar, or the connections between Jaguar populations, so they can continue to breed successfully, and stay strong as a species. It's in an article in the US National Geographic March 2009 issue, on pp.122-133. "Catch a Tiger By the Tail"

I prefer Robert Reich's line of reasoning as to the economic slowdown: Not enough pay for the working classes, and too much concentration of wealth in the hands of the top 1% income bracket. I think he may be right, because of the basic fact that wages have only improved slightly for median income Americans, yet costs for things such as houses and cars, health care, and the like have skyrocketed. In the late 1980's the wealthiest Americans controlled only 8% of the wealth, and by today, they control 23% of the wealth. This would be fine in a growing economy, except the median income Americans have been working longer and longer hours for little more pay and less job security - plus, two family earners are now commonplace. And that's not enough to keep up, so those in the middle have taken out loans on their homes, further endangering their financial stability. As the bankruptcies began, and people started loosing homes, the cascade effect of fear rippling through the economy, along with real manufacturing loss, has gradually reduced people's confidence, and diminished their purchases, which is a feed-back loop, slowing even further the economy, and causing more job losses. Here, it's been a general scenario - less purchases of equipment and vehicles has slowed our area's manufacturer's, and they're laying off and cutting hours for workers; but we may be near the bottom of the recession, if the stimulus is enough to boost the investment in much-needed infrastructure, such as building new bridges, rebuilding crumbling roads, water lines, internet, and solar/wind/geothermal/efficiency investments in the energy sector. The sub-prime loan crime was really the fuse that ignited this whole thing, for Reich's perspective, and I think he's getting at the heart of the matter.

Celebrity.. a breed apart!:laugh3: Madonna's "material girl" comes to mind when I read this! It's nice to have nice things, though - if it makes it feel like home. Is that a stuffed Wolverine on the table I see??

I am well, but need to get more work done. Gotta go back to the goldmine..;)

Liquid silicon, Carla? Hmm..!:inquisitive: What is that? Do you mean watchglass solution?? (sodium silicate). Or maybe silicone? The silicones are a group of related chemicals, with the Si-O-Si-O bonding structure in chains, similar to hydrocrabons.. they're made into various caulking formulations, lubricants, sealants, rubber gaskets, etc.. How do you use it? Is it a cement?? Watchglass, or sodium silicate solution, is useful for things such as sealing eggs for long-term storage, or for special cements to bond glass or ceramics. Also, it is useful in preserving lumber, as an alternative and non-toxic method to prevent wood decay and I think it's good at preventing surface oxidation/ photodegradation. But for greeting cards - oh, do you mean glass beads? Silicate dessicants??:confused:

And how's Carla tonight on the island of San Marcos??;)

I'm starting to think like a Tiger..:escaping::vanish:

SPAM was good once. It was essential to winning WWII, and without it, people would have had to resort to eating beans, which could have led to an explosive situation in places. Thankfully, the good people at Hormel saved the planet from destruction, and gave us delicious SPAM. Now, a millenia later, we've used a phrase coined from that can-shaped product, and have begun to associate it with verbal fluff. I propose we call computer spam something else, like popcorn, or fluff, to help preserve the integrity of the real deal.:P

What was this thread for again... oh yea, "how do you get tens of thousands of millions and millions of posts?? :laugh3: Buy jabbering semi-coherently about almost nothing at all, that's how! :lol: To take this to a higher plane, maybe we should ask "how do you get 10,000 posts with significant content and meaning?" Where's the Dali Lama when you need him??:P

Hola & Hello! Pardon my interrupting here, but I was just wondering how everyone felt about the proposed corridor for Jaguars in Mexico?:inquisitive:

I'm thinking about how everyone eventually just starts chattering normally, like the birds in the trees in the morning, after a jaguar passes through on the ground below.. (been reading national geographic a lot lately!:laugh3:)

Welcome to Coldplaying! And, I haven't a clue!!:laugh3: But someone here knows the answers.

Aww, poor Carla!:( That's no fun!! Please get well, and get lots of rest sweets!:hug:

Hmm.. about the same here. Somebody in the know should do it; how about Debs Wild, or someone who's on tour with them then?

Interesting! You're not alone in your assessment, but some have begun to like it, now that it's been played more often.. I've heard a few of the songs on it, but I'm more apt to go back to their earlier works as well. Joshua Tree is my favorite, but there's been many, many great albums from U2 over the years..

Hmm... wonder who wrote the Wiki article..:thinking: Maybe the author needs to update it then! (actually Wiki is open for all to improve upon, but I haven't participated in writing or editing any articles, so I haven't a clue as to how to proceed..) You could update it, if you wish..

@ Ian - Same here - their music is sincere, and riveting. What do you like best about their act/music??

Welcome Ian - nice to meet you! Same as our site administrator's name, though half a world away;) Wiki must have a pretty good reference - we've been getting quite a few new members through there.. Have you heard 'high speed'?

Drove the BMW getaway car for the band..:laugh3:

Yes, first name's sufficient. Or, if you prefer, we could just call you 'Infogatherer'.. - but that's a bit of a klunky, complex title - got a nickname you'd like us to use?;)

:PWilco makes good magnetos. U2 Walk On - Live.