Displaying 211 To 240 Of 1,384 Comments The Crisis of Reality:Conclusions “The path wasn’t inherently true—it was my process of verification that made it true. If I had chosen (believed) in the wrong path, would the path I had not taken remain true? No. Truth is a concept, an idea and not a thing. An idea is a thought that arises out of a process. As I understand it, our minds are like manufacturers for the processing of ideas— a sort of factory that takes raw personal experiences, mixes them with all kinds of emotions and wants and needs, and processes these into ideas. Since a path is a thing and not a concept, it cannot be truth in and of itself. Only we can imbue it with truth in our process of trying it. I’m not buying this. There is such a thing as truth, regardless of verification or observation, in my opinion. The notion that nothing true exists outside of one’s own experience is somehow anathema to my own notion of how things works. Following that solipsistic path leads to what we have now in politics, society, and interpersonal relationships… a very self-centered and narcissistic view of the universe. It leads us back several hundred years to the Earth (and thus ourselves) as the center of our very individual universe. “If a tree falls in a forest, and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” Silly question! Air moved and vibrated, whether anything was around to sense it. We are a very strange class of creature, we humans. On the one hand, we are like all other creatures, in that we have a sense of the moment, that we are captured within our own skins, and that we are simply reacting to those events around us, separate. My cat doesn’t have any notion of the future or that the back door is essentially the same as the front door. She experiences things as they come, moment by moment… the ultimate narcissist. Humans have developed a stronger sense of the future, and what can happen as a result of their own actions. Consequences. And thus, we consider our “place” in the world and make efforts at times to understand and validate the consequences of our individual and collective actions. But we forget that the universe doesn’t care whether we validate that path out of the woods or not. It still exists. It still leads from point A to point B whether we exist to sense it or not, and our elevated sense of self has absolutely nothing to do with it. » Posted By PocketWatch On February 28, 2011 @ 6:36 am Montana tea party on crack … or something choice – several studies have shown that HS kids in areas that have made an “abstinence pledge” have MUCH higher rates of teen pregnancies and STDs than areas where there is comprehensive sex ed… go figure! I guess “Just Say No” doesn’t go over too well. In addition, I know LOTS of very religious and hard core conservatives that have gotten their daughters abortions on the “down low” while advocating this pledge nonsense and no sex ed. Logic is NOT a part of their makeup! » Posted By PocketWatch On February 27, 2011 @ 7:54 pm I have a suggestion… Instead of “TeaParty,” maybe we need to call these guys the “B&B Party” (Burquas & Beards Party) You gotta know that mandating how women dress and men wearing beards is coming real soon! » Posted By PocketWatch On February 27, 2011 @ 2:26 pm An Ill-advised Rant on the Nature of Arguments Just after I got out of the service where I spent a few years teaching electronics for the NSA, I went to work for a company on “Electronics Row” up on Route 128 north of Boston as a Field Service Engineer. These guys did it right. At the height of their dominance in their niche (commercial typesetting computers) they had over 400 service guys nation-wide. And they trained the hell out of us, not only in installation, repair, and maintenance, but also in real, live customer service. And one of the things they drummed into all of us was “Never be afraid to say ‘I don’t know’ because you never know who you might be trying to bullshit.” This goes for opinion and changing your mind about something, which is really at the base of any technical service job anyway… I used to teach people how to troubleshoot and repair complicated equipment. If you go into any problem with an unshakable opinion or think you know it all, you might as well go home. You HAVE to be able to change your mind on the fly when faced with new information. And that information is NOT opinion-based, but is hard evidence based in physics and reality… you can’t change it. My ramble is about this… being able to change your mind is NOT a weakness, but a strength. WHEN did we start to think that unbending stances were somehow “manly” or “strong” and that to have a public figure change their mind about an issue was a weakness? Finally, I just want to say that I am NEVER wrong. I thought I was, once. I was mistaken. 8) » Posted By PocketWatch On February 27, 2011 @ 8:21 pm Save the American Dream Rally in L.A. Thom Hartmann show is going over this right now as we speak! » Posted By PocketWatch On March 2, 2011 @ 9:18 am Good Catch!!! This looks like LA or Florida, maybe. Also, as far as I know, MadTown cops do not have horses. » Posted By PocketWatch On March 2, 2011 @ 8:35 am coffee – As a Cheesehead born and bred, I know this… As mild mannered and polite as that culture is (I used to get ribbed a lot when I was in NYC as being “Midwest nice” or “too polite”), do not piss ’em off. Once that happens, a rabid dog with a bone is no contest for how tenacious (and still polite, LOL) us Badgers can be. » Posted By PocketWatch On February 28, 2011 @ 9:13 am team – It apparently scared the crap out of SOMEONE! 👿 » Posted By PocketWatch On February 26, 2011 @ 9:28 pm Re: HB Gary email and socks… I used to post the following on HP {spit!} and it cleared a thread of trolls faster than just about anything. It was pretty damned funny how that happened…
I’m becoming mildly annoyed with some of the posters/poseurs here who are being abusive, so I have been doing some research. I’ve run into this phenomenon in the past, mostly in AOL chat rooms, where a nice, quiet chat room of actual adults talking about their kids, grandkids, etc. was invaded by people that just disrupted things to the point that everyone abandoned the room. It turns out that with the right software and some patience, a person can track posters’ back to IP addresses. With that information, you can find out a physical location, who pays for the IP address, who uses it, and how often. With THAT information, you can get actual names, address, credit history, criminal records, marriage and divorce records, names of children and even associates. There are some VERY interesting things about the half-dozen or so people with as many as 30 names posting here on HP. Most track back to only 3 or 4 IP addresses. The physical locations might surprise people, but let’s say it was unexpected. This brings up some possibilities. Is this just some people sitting in Mom’s basement or a 2-wide sharing a wireless network, or maybe one person with several machines? I discount them using a library or internet cafe for obvious reasons. If I get REALLY annoyed, I may dig further. Just sayin’… None of it true, but it WAS effective. » Posted By PocketWatch On February 26, 2011 @ 9:10 pm Pessimism in the Age of Mass Manipulation and Plutocracy… Abby – I operate on the principle of “do what you can to leave your little part of the universe better than when you found it.” That’s it for me. I can’t do anything about a big corporation that cares nothing for me or my ideals. I can’t do anything about a government run by sociopaths and liars. I can’t do anything about what people think about me or what they do, in general. What I CAN do is change one person’s outlook, or perform random acts of kindness and ask people to do the same, or fix one small business that begins to see itself as a little force for good in the ocean of crap we all swim in. Little things. I am not a “people person” by nature. I’ve been a curmudgeon all my life, even as a kid. But I have always also been a “fixer.” If someone’s hurting, I can’t stand it. If something’s broken, I’m compelled to fix it. I guess what I’m saying is I do what I can do to fix things around me, and that has to be enough. As for existing in a corporate world and keeping your ethics and morals, I did find a way. I made myself so entrenched in so many different areas, no one wanted or dared to fuck with me, even the CEO. I terrified them because I was so competent, was always totally prepared, and knew the answer to every question they ever asked of me. I was known as totally non-political, so everyone told me what was REALLY going on, and they all thought I did nothing with any of that information. While it IS true I never told anyone anybody else’s secrets, I used ALL that information behind the scenes and invisibly to get things done my way, making me probably the MOST political guy in the company. No one knew that, though. I don’t know… I really don’t have any answers. All I know is that it makes me pleased to leave things a little better for me having been there. To clean up my tiny corner of the beach… In the end, maybe that’s all any of us can do. » Posted By PocketWatch On February 26, 2011 @ 4:31 pm Friday Music Thread – Favorite Films and Film Music
Who Sold You This, Then? This is a remake of a training film I saw in 1975 starring John Cleese. This one stars Hugh Laurie. How NOT to do customer service… » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 6:42 pm And yet another movie where the corporation screws over a bunch of people! » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 6:29 pm fox – don’t tell anybody, but when I was a little kid, I cried when I watched Disney’s “The Ugly Duckling.” I’m such a softie… » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 6:26 pm Fox… I have it on DVD.. sappy, but I can’t help myself! » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 6:11 pm ADONAI – From Con Air: “Make a move, and the bunny gets it!” » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:55 pm Cher – no shoes…. but you DID say Oscars and movies in the header… music was mentioned in there somewhere, I think. 8) » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:47 pm Cher – just for you, from Love Actually.. Bill Nighy channeling his inner rock star… hilarious!
» Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:42 pm fox… » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:35 pm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuhmBwILpMc And a great film to watch, again with Bill Nighy and Kelly McDonald.. Every activist should see it for inspiration! » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:32 pm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFnSgPC-VXA One of my favorite sappy movies… Love Actually » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:29 pm Repost:
» Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:24 pm Of course, the very best modern vampire movie… Underworld. Anything with Kate Beckinsale in leather and latex gets MY vote! And Bill Nighy gets the award for the creepiest vampire in all of filmdom in this one!
» Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:20 pm Boodah… For years, I referred anyone I talked to about boot camp to the first half of that movie… still brings back memories when I think about it. » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:14 pm LG… I LOVED Slim Pickins in this one! » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:10 pm Gransview…. I was a boot at FLW in 1970! Had a ton of fun with Upper Respiratory Infection… hacked my way through the whole thing.. » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:05 pm Not gonna post links, but had a thing all through my childhood for vampire movies.. anything with Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing… Oh hell… here’s one…
» Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 5:03 pm Cher – I’m just a sucker for sappy romantic comedies with happy endings. Dunno why… » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 4:48 pm Hi fox! Yup! In this one, he played the classic ratbastard CEO. Who knew it would be the model for today? » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 4:44 pm The Apartment, Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, & Fred MacMurray. Favorite scene: The last one just before the credits… “Shut up and deal!”
» Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 4:37 pm KT: That was the scene that made me fall in lust with Salma Hyek. She has yet to disappoint! » Posted By PocketWatch On February 25, 2011 @ 4:31 pmComments Posted By PocketWatch
Girl in the Cafe.
Of course, the very best modern vampire movie… Underworld. Anything with Kate Beckinsale in leather and latex gets MY vote! And Bill Nighy gets the award for the creepiest vampire in all of filmdom in this one!
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