chuck kottke

:laugh3: Perhaps a little better than that, but probably not a whole lot better. But if you only drive it on Sundays... just to church and back - that might be alright. ;) I suppose it helps driving when you need the right-of-way and other drivers refuse to yield?

Welcome Back! ||||||||||||

:laugh3: Get your naked aggressions out on the vid, take the chocolate as a boost eh? We all have ways of venting frustrations, so you're quite alright there. feeling a bit less reticent today - for me, I choose the simple inane game of Pakman, and I go for the fair trade chocolate - a little ying with the yang.:) But today, what made me happy was oddly seeing a beautiful thunderstorm with lighting off in the distance - because I got to watch the excitement, but not be underneath it!

Rct - trees are having a hard time of it all over this globe, is it just me, or are any of you noticing changes in the health of your trees? Maybe just cycles, but I can't help but wonder if environmental stresses are not affecting tree lifespan and forest composition.. (Coldplay are into sustainable forestry, as per AROBTTH)

:stunned: "chocolate chip cookies and violent video games" now that's an interesting combo!:laugh3: Glad you had good success David! Ebay has been a pretty good experience for me too, and dare I mention Craig's list? San Francisco hippies:hippy: started it all, and it's a good thing for heavy goods, local exchanges. What does the UK have as a counterpart? Speed of Sound on Clear Vinyl - that's interesting! Something new to me, in a retro fashion - how does it sound played from vinyl? & Don't Panic - which finds it's connection into Life, the Universe and Everything - how amazing, and as a single! I'm amazed.

I was thinking about that today, how certain threads of thought or feeling run though us all around the same time - so we hear a song we resonate with because it fits our times so well, or situations we all commonly are involved with. The strings of the universe have begun to resonate in harmony, in connection to our lives. ** and the shirt is nice, even better with you in it!;)

> I think your observations hold a great deal of merit. Although there are intelligent, well educated citizens in places throughout the country, there are clear patterns and trends which lean in certain directions depending on the region. The center has it's stubbornness in places I agree, which is not all bad in the sense of firm grounding, but does have those issues that you mention. I think the same way at times, although I see the northern tier great lakes states are a broad swath of those with the desire to lean and progress. In some ways by extension we share a common language dialect and cultural roots - that of inland New York - and many of the same ways of seeing the world as well. It is a natural connection, via settlement patterns and common waterways, but the impetus for progress runs along the same veins in our culture here. Never mind the occasional hiccup - this is where east meets west, where Wild Bill Hickock meets Civilized East. It all centers around education and advancement, certainly key elements to progress anywhere. Coastal states are definitely at the forefront, given global connections and centers for learning - liberal socially as a matter of progress, but I understand your desire for less government, given the past excesses of control over citizen's personal lives. Obviously the answer is to keep settling in parts of the country which need advancement and enlightenment (here's my bias coming through as well) - for the world is depending on us to do the right thing, so they can breath a little easier too.;)

> Yes, our spending on the military is incredibly excessive. One sees the results too - that impression unfortunately in some ways fits a certain segment of our population. That is a good observation about feeling happy to live here; I have to agree as well. We have incredible opportunities and freedoms, and need to do more to encourage prosperity in other nations in a real sense. Wresting control of our government from the corporate interests would really make the whole world a better place.. Often what holds back people in developing nations are policies run through our government but crafted by those interests who see profit and control over ethics and respect.

Kudos. And I agree on limiting government as well. Primarily on limiting the military related parts of it, for that has grown to epic proportions and is dangerous, since when the only tool in your kit is a hammer, one tends to use it when something else would fix the problems much better. I think of all the better things we could do to promote the blessings of liberty around the globe and to improve our own country..

When corruption sets in, then yes, states do bad things (like clubbing protesters). It is up to us to be the final check on our own governments, for governments are established by our will and need to be responsive to our values. When they no longer do that, it is time to either revamp them or replace them. I am reminded of two things. (1) in Madison, the beginning of the protests to the U.S. war in Vietnam was a protest against an overpowering corporation researching and producing the agents used in things like napalm and agent orange. Those protesters were struck violently, and all they did was hold a "sit in" in the chemistry building. (2) The U.S. arose from a rebellion against not only a tyrant, but mainly because of the unfair actions of a giant corporation, the East India Company. Those who pull the strings running the government are the problem. When they have more pull than the citizens, it's time to make some real changes. But statelessness still seems to me to be a ways away, if that ever happens.

States are groups of citizens with a common framework and location in my mind, and while societies exist which either transcend states or are contained within states, I see it highly unlikely the near future will be stateless. To protect, enhance, and encourage societies to flourish states exist, and I really can't see us just becoming networks of individuals within various societies irrespective of states. At times I feel stateless, but I realize there is a common set of values, some shared history and a grounding in place that comes with state; and with that comes institutions that provide frameworks for citizens to engage constructively in promoting the common good - such as infrastructure, education, R&D, health, and safety for all who are citizens of that state. Are states necessary, or independent of societies? I pondered that before you posted this. I think yes, and the reason I think this is because civilizations, composed of societies of citizens with common interests, are localized and centralized, and differ enough to want to impose their will on the other civilized areas surrounding their own. Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, - everybody wants to rule the world. Because all aspire to grow and from time to time may think they have the one right "formula" for society, this drive necessitates civilized states to form, to maintain borders, to protect the bee hive of activity within. And in maintaining and enhancing each civilized country, the necessity of militaries arose, as well as public sectors for communications, roads, water deliver systems, education, etc. In times past, lower population densities made it a tribal world, where tribes wandered here and there with individual societal frameworks and beliefs, but tribal fluidity is no longer the case. Add to that states have capitols that epitomize, reflect and seat the governance of the society having established them. But societies do exist irrespective of states, however most states are established around common principles of those societies contained within, forming what appears to be a super-society, a sort of tent that covers all within. Yes, I think Aristotle was correct in his assumption that the necessity of society and the necessity of state are both in play in the modern world. Can we transcend this? Perhaps, who can read the crystal ball and predict the future? One of the great loves of ancient Greek philosophy was the love of place, the love of home. Planet earth is our collective home, but there will always be that innate tendency to see oneself in terms of a more localized order or group among the many. Although, who knows - there are so many threads connecting us all today, place is becoming less and less relevant as prosperity, communications, transportation, and our dreams become more common dreams. It's an open topic as to where we are all headed. It looks like new models and improvements on old ones will be the way forward, and more equity globally, as humanity is at a crossroads, and our collective survival is at stake.

Oman, it's hot there! ok time to plant the WaterMelons......

:rolleyes: ok sneaky, tell us what you know! :P

Good tune for troubled times! Michelle by The Beatles

Any government can be hijacked by a corrupt wealthy minority, so who's wielding the baton behind the baton is one thing to question first. Regaining control of our governments is the question; removing the influence buying is what we need to do. Government is the essential component of civilization. I don't want to live in a world of anarchy, but one of governments of, by, and for the will of we the people. Choose anarchy if you wish, but the rest of us would rather choose civilization.

Congratulations & Happy Birthday Phoebeo! :)

I hope so too! :):hug:

How policies go forth even when one can see they are not working. Why did someone ok the use of depleted uranium bombs and other munitions for use in Libya? I understand the utility of the metal, but for anything but rare occasions when nothing else works, why use it? Blunder forth, as it seems.. or is there a sinister profit motive?

I heard them on the radio! ;) How about .. Led Zeppelin

2. On the Great Depression. If generosity were so perfect, perhaps things would be fine. But such was not the case - vast areas of cities and suburbs were thrown into unemployment, and with no safety net, these people were made instantly dirt poor. Half of the population had work, but it was geographically imbalanced, and the generosity wasn't there as you describe. What happened (as family stories related to me I recall) was government relief wagons were sent about neighborhoods delivering basic commodities such as flour and potatoes. People had to scrounge along rail road tracks and in dumps for fuel to heat their homes and to cook meals with. Homes were being foreclosed on, families were thrown out into the streets, or were taken in by families already living in cramped houses and apartments. All at a time when the means of production and the raw materials were in abundant supply. What bothers me as well is neglect of this thing called individual dignity; all people take pride in their ability to provide for themselves and their family. Having that taken away on a mass scale, and having to beg from others is an unhealthy situation, for it reduces good men and women to positions of serfs, and creates in the minds of the haves an attitude of superiority and aloofness, to which the John Pierpont Morgan's showed no restrain in acting as the arrogant market bosses in their day. Markets allow for such great imbalances that market forces alone diminish the greater social good unless they are regulated and there is a minimum standard for income, and support to catch people when they fall. To promote the growth of the middle class is to promote healthy democracies.

I think what's the matter is some shift that occurred in the media, and how it affects people's patterns of behavior. Not all, but a majority of people are affected by the use of savvy marketing, and what that spells is trouble when it comes to long-term planning and true representative governance. When those who have amassed the most wealth (and have gotten it through less than scrupulous means) can buy the ads and convince citizens of things that are not true, and do so effectively, this sets up a race to the bottom. All others must either follow suit or concede losses in the election cycles. So any real solution based on reasoned logic falls short of happening when we allow money to buy elections. If politicians can placate enough people by allowing things to go on as they have, allow so-called banks to snooker in citizens to take out risky loans that are then tossed onto the market as AAA rated investments, they thus gain both money into their ad coffers, and voters who see things as only getting better. But when the drug wears off, the economy falters, and then these finely-crafted shark loans begin to take their toll on average citizens, we see the whole global economy shake violently. So yes, in the simple sense all is well with markets, but in the larger context, things are not so simple. I firmly believe we have the right to honest candidate races and equal access for all candidates to the media, and this must come above the perception that money is free speech & above the notion that in election matters one can spend unlimited amounts of money. Markets work best when they are properly governed to keep things on the up-and-up. This can only happen if we choose to elect people who all start on equal footing, and the contest is between better ideas and an ability to work with others constructively for the benefit of the citizenry. Letting money buy elections is to me the key problem - since it perpetuates a multitude of destructive behaviors in society, and ultimately reduces the human potential of any nation. In defense of Socialism, it is an instrument through which we maintain our social fabric - we hold certain values in the aggregate, and these things we hold in common require our protection and nurturing. Motivation through markets is not the only means through which citizens are productively motivated - a well designed merit based system is another way. Government institutions sometimes appear to be inefficient but in reality are not necessarily as they may be portrayed. The U.S. postal service does an excellent job and the motivation is one more of devotion to service, following the golden rule, merit for work done well, and unbiased evaluations. Social security is another fine example of what works well from Socialism. Without it, we would be in dire straits every time there was a severe downturn in the markets; it is a safety net where raw market behaviors would otherwise turn retirees into peasants if things go awry. Ah, if only that were true - allowing the banks to fail would have allowed a cascade of market crashes to occur, as the Bear doesn't react based on rational thinking. How the exchange market got so puffy isn't a classical bubble - it's so much more than that. It has a lot to do with deregulation and lack of transparent oversight by governing bodies charged with the mission of keeping things on the up-and-up, and adequately funded to do so. Imagine a sporting event where the coaches were allowed to buy off the referees, change the rules to change the scores, limit what the referees could see, and short-change the fans after offering them a great bargain on the tickets. Of course the referees would have to bought off, as well as the governing boards of directors overseeing the leagues, etc. When it reaches a point of ridiculousness and the sham falls apart, what went wrong? Are checks and balances not essential, and are they not social in nature? The social contract represents the fabric of society.

> A reference in the sense of the use of 'flashcard' intro - with the beatles, it was just color letters in repetition on the screen as "THE BEATLES" - I remember seeing it in high school. But the similarity is there, perhaps a 'flashback' from the past.;) I think I see what you're saying, and with all the loopy lawyer issues, it is a bit ridiculous - only so many ways to phrase things in English, only so many notes and combinations thereof. Hard to even come up with something, since someone will say you borrowed from this or that, and then the Joe Satriani's and others come after you, which is quite ridiculous as well - everyone wants credit for simple simple riffs. Although, maybe Coldplay's Yellow really is a reference to Yellow Submarine :laugh3:

Nat King Cole, the best of!

THE BEATLES did a color letter flash-frame film thing for a video/promo intro once, as I recall. Or maybe it was a documentary on The Beatles. It's been a while!

Wellington, New Zealand :)