Perhaps I come to this thread too late and it has gone cold? I found it by chance and read all 150 posts. It has been very interesting and the jousting between the adversaries has thrown up a host of points. Broadly speaking, the topic seemed to be that of the “meaning” or “purpose” of life and humankind’s place in the “scheme” of things.
It would be nice to think that I could write a succint post that addresses all the points raised, to everybody’s satisfaction. How we all long for a blueprint. How useful to have the Truth, on a planet full of lies and false trails. We need to examine our premisses. Back to first principles.
It’s a big place, the known Universe.
They’ve just discovered another galaxy, a little smaller than the Milky Way (itself a minor affair) that contains several thousand billion stars. Extrapolate. The human species exists somewhere between the unimaginably vast to the unimaginably minute in terms of distance, size and time. The dimensions involved are totally, utterly beyond our capacity to grasp. We grope towards an understanding of matter and energy, talk of quantum physics, whilst still dragging ourselves from the primeval sludge, malodorous, murderous monkeys all. Any entity responsible for (what we already grasp as constituting) Creation must be as beyond our understanding as nuclear physics is to an oyster’s.
If anybody can truly explain the nature or will of “God”, then I can receive colour television on my electric toaster. Can we agree on this at least? We are completely unequipped to know or to understand “God”, or whether it exists. All we can say is Man has always made God in his own image, not the other way round, so I believe I should be able to suggest without fear of rational contradiction that no “God” would give a flying feck whether someone names a toy bear Mohamed, or puts a latex hat on his dick. Anyone who tells you different claims knowledge they simply do not possess.
So, Religion. That’s come up a lot in this forum. It’s a complicated balance sheet: it’s produced some wonderful art and music and formed and shaped civilisation and our culture. But we have had the Enlightenment; we are capable of rational thought and scientific methodology, it’s time to grow up now and put the silly stuff away. I am less tolerant of people’s “faith” and “belief” than others on this site, because I’m sick of how it impinges on other people’s lives. Spirituality is a private, individual thing. Religion is always a public thing, hijacked by power-brokers and twisted to evil ends. This could be worth a book, but space here is limited.
The Human Condition then: see Survival Value. Want something explained? Look to that: it ‘s the first and last court of appeal. We are all in competition for resources and mates. That’s the deal. Cain slew Abel, his brother, we are told. We’ve been competing for gene pool survival ever since. Do unto others before they do unto you? Take a look around and go figure. You know it’s not a lie. All our ills “come with the territory”. We are born, live and die alone. Form allegiances to assuage the loneliness - family, friends, lovers. Look at the songs written about loneliness. We hate it. We are all exiles. How many of our impulses, for good or bad, derive from this state of solitary confinement?
Back full circle. Vonnegut. Flawed? Negative? Cynical? Probably, but brave and honest enough to grasp the nettle. Would that our leaders and captains of industry were made of the same stuff as he. Yes, a humanist, and as such, with every right in the world to feel as full of sadness and despair, often presenting as resignation, as he did. For he is now departed, to share what is the fate of us all, in all probability, to disappear like a lost sock in the Laundromat of Oblivion for eternity. And so it goes.
Posted by robstalux on Dec 4, 2007 at 12:12 PM
Have to disagree with you there. The world has become increasingly more wealthy, peaceful, and educated with every generation. It may not seem like that much has changed in 80 years, but it really has. Building the perfect world for the human race, a people who are at once violently casting aside the shackles of nature while simultaneously clinging to it for dear life, is going to be our greatest feat ever. We know better now how corrupt our governments, peoples, and companies are. Only now can we begin to change them.
Posted by cyberella2002 on Nov 29, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Cold Turkey Indeed
Posted by Omer Altay on Jul 3, 2009 at 3:13 PM
I was a total jerk with a bad habit of posting jerk comments in a grouchy mood. I must’ve thought I was Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces or something. I don’t know what I was smoking.
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By 2007 Ralph Lauren had over 35 boutiques in United States. There were 23 locations that carried Ralph Lauren Purple Label, including Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Boston, Charlotte, Wisconsin Avenue, Chicago, Costa Mesa, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Manhasset, New York, Palm Beach, Palo Alto, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Short Hills, and Troy.[citation needed] The Financial Times reported in its edition of January 2–3, 2010 that the firm had revenues of 5 billion for the fiscal year 2009. The article addresses succession plans and the future of the overall business.
In 2010, Ralph Lauren was decorated Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in Paris.
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Posted by thomas sabo on Dec 8, 2010 at 8:45 PM
I read a book by Stephen King recently “ Hearts in Atlantis”. Allot of the book takes part around the Vietnam story. If Kings portrayal about how people protested and questioned why the troops were there, it sounds like history repeated itself in Vietnam. The war in Iraq was before Vietnam, right? Or have we learnt nothing from history. This makes your last statement Mister Fruitcake redundant.
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Reader Comments
Perhaps I come to this thread too late and it has gone cold? I found it by chance and read all 150 posts. It has been very interesting and the jousting between the adversaries has thrown up a host of points. Broadly speaking, the topic seemed to be that of the “meaning” or “purpose” of life and humankind’s place in the “scheme” of things.
It would be nice to think that I could write a succint post that addresses all the points raised, to everybody’s satisfaction. How we all long for a blueprint. How useful to have the Truth, on a planet full of lies and false trails. We need to examine our premisses. Back to first principles.
It’s a big place, the known Universe.
They’ve just discovered another galaxy, a little smaller than the Milky Way (itself a minor affair) that contains several thousand billion stars. Extrapolate. The human species exists somewhere between the unimaginably vast to the unimaginably minute in terms of distance, size and time. The dimensions involved are totally, utterly beyond our capacity to grasp. We grope towards an understanding of matter and energy, talk of quantum physics, whilst still dragging ourselves from the primeval sludge, malodorous, murderous monkeys all. Any entity responsible for (what we already grasp as constituting) Creation must be as beyond our understanding as nuclear physics is to an oyster’s.
If anybody can truly explain the nature or will of “God”, then I can receive colour television on my electric toaster. Can we agree on this at least? We are completely unequipped to know or to understand “God”, or whether it exists. All we can say is Man has always made God in his own image, not the other way round, so I believe I should be able to suggest without fear of rational contradiction that no “God” would give a flying feck whether someone names a toy bear Mohamed, or puts a latex hat on his dick. Anyone who tells you different claims knowledge they simply do not possess.
So, Religion. That’s come up a lot in this forum. It’s a complicated balance sheet: it’s produced some wonderful art and music and formed and shaped civilisation and our culture. But we have had the Enlightenment; we are capable of rational thought and scientific methodology, it’s time to grow up now and put the silly stuff away. I am less tolerant of people’s “faith” and “belief” than others on this site, because I’m sick of how it impinges on other people’s lives. Spirituality is a private, individual thing. Religion is always a public thing, hijacked by power-brokers and twisted to evil ends. This could be worth a book, but space here is limited.
The Human Condition then: see Survival Value. Want something explained? Look to that: it ‘s the first and last court of appeal. We are all in competition for resources and mates. That’s the deal. Cain slew Abel, his brother, we are told. We’ve been competing for gene pool survival ever since. Do unto others before they do unto you? Take a look around and go figure. You know it’s not a lie. All our ills “come with the territory”. We are born, live and die alone. Form allegiances to assuage the loneliness - family, friends, lovers. Look at the songs written about loneliness. We hate it. We are all exiles. How many of our impulses, for good or bad, derive from this state of solitary confinement?
Back full circle. Vonnegut. Flawed? Negative? Cynical? Probably, but brave and honest enough to grasp the nettle. Would that our leaders and captains of industry were made of the same stuff as he. Yes, a humanist, and as such, with every right in the world to feel as full of sadness and despair, often presenting as resignation, as he did. For he is now departed, to share what is the fate of us all, in all probability, to disappear like a lost sock in the Laundromat of Oblivion for eternity. And so it goes.
Have to disagree with you there. The world has become increasingly more wealthy, peaceful, and educated with every generation. It may not seem like that much has changed in 80 years, but it really has. Building the perfect world for the human race, a people who are at once violently casting aside the shackles of nature while simultaneously clinging to it for dear life, is going to be our greatest feat ever. We know better now how corrupt our governments, peoples, and companies are. Only now can we begin to change them.
Cold Turkey Indeed
I was a total jerk with a bad habit of posting jerk comments in a grouchy mood. I must’ve thought I was Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces or something. I don’t know what I was smoking.
Not bad ,thanks for sharing this article~!
By 2007 Ralph Lauren had over 35 boutiques in United States. There were 23 locations that carried Ralph Lauren Purple Label, including Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Boston, Charlotte, Wisconsin Avenue, Chicago, Costa Mesa, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Manhasset, New York, Palm Beach, Palo Alto, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Short Hills, and Troy.[citation needed] The Financial Times reported in its edition of January 2–3, 2010 that the firm had revenues of 5 billion for the fiscal year 2009. The article addresses succession plans and the future of the overall business.
In 2010, Ralph Lauren was decorated Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in Paris.
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I really enjoyed the quality information you offer to your visitors for this blog.I will bookmark your blog and
have my children check up here often.This blog is valuvable for me.
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capability to be custom-made by its prospects, variety of styles and availability at these value which might
effortlessly fit into everyone’s spending budget. [url=“http://www.pandorastore.uk.com/pandora-bracelets-c-
74.html”]pandora bracelets[/url] are great presents for any type of event like birthdays, anniversaries and other
features. You’ll be able to opt for from an limitless numbers of designs and add pandora of your respective personal option to make an exclusive
glimpse. You’ll be amazed to know that these beads can be found in greater than 800 chic designs and are
entirely handcrafted! You can get them in sterling silver, gold and add valuable stones, gems of your option.
You can organize these beads in any way you would like and achieve a exceptional style. You can actually make
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charms[/url] and so on. These can be found in a great deal of mind-boggling designs which may be personalized as
per your personality. You may insert pandora or gems for example
ruby and sapphire or get gorgeous Pandora jewelry made of silver. Alphabetical allure beads can be found in
several designs such as triangular, which have alphabets inscribed on all 3 faces and rectangular, which
possess a specific letter inscribed in gold in background of other letters inscribed in silver. These beads can
be used to spell different phrases like your personal name, initials, name of your respective favourite teams
and so forth. Although developing these phrases, you will be limited only by your creativity. Besides these, it
is possible to opt for pandora charms according to foods,
birthday cake, fruits and many others. Actually, these can be found in some cool hues which may enhance your
personality once you are going to put on them. Grape charms, which became a rage amongst women, are available
in glittering green and royal purple. It is possible to choose the a single which suits your personality,
jewellery, you ought to verify out the Silver line of jewelry which has obtained some definitely cool designs crafted from silver
I read a book by Stephen King recently “ Hearts in Atlantis”. Allot of the book takes part around the Vietnam story. If Kings portrayal about how people protested and questioned why the troops were there, it sounds like history repeated itself in Vietnam. The war in Iraq was before Vietnam, right? Or have we learnt nothing from history. This makes your last statement Mister Fruitcake redundant.
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