What's in it for Me?

We all love you Letty, sincerely While I may still bear a smattering of youth, I was even younger once, and like most angst-ridden teens developed an interest in the philosophies common to depressed youth: exisitentialism, nihilism and German expressionist writing and movies. I developed an interest in philosophy, but quickly gave it up because I just didn't have the patience for pedantic rambling. Then I discovered 'opinion' and not being afraid to voice it. Wow....all of a sudden, problems started to be addressed, and solved, something philosophy has never done, to this day. I don't believe in philosophy as a concept, as all of us live in the realm of opinion, and voicing a sincere opinion is the cornerstone of building bridges, and relationships. Also, don't you dare call that a philosophy!

Hi Letty,

Nothing to rant about today. Maybe tomorrow

Grrrrrrrr - I am happy to have studied philosophy - though I confess we did not spend overlong on the persons of whom you speak, Cav, but on the discipline of thinking clearly and rationally and considering arguments and counterarguments with care and reason.

I show little evidence of such in my postings on these boards, but I am very happy to have studied it for three years.

Sigh - I seem doomed at present to be standing up for every unpopular academic discipline! Must be smegging Mars in myanus, or summat....

Cav, "Feed my sheep". Hey, my young friend. I'm not lookin' for love, I already have that. I'm looking for discourse in the simplist way possible.

Stradee, Onmymarc? Oh, my Gawd. Did I get that moniker right? Knowing you from Abuzz, I know that you won't care.

Now Astrology is far more credible....

I am not against studying philosophy, just against living by it. The world is a strange and wonderful place, and the more knowledge you have the better. I just feel that one who calls themselves a...let's say 'anything ending in ism or ist' is ignoring the very point that the bunny is making about philosophy. In fact, you may just be on our side in this rant, and just not know it....

I'm trying Letty....thankfully, I'm just a chef, no ism or ist there at all

Knowing God and Jesus Christ is like finding a tarnished coin on the ground that has been passed over a million times because many thought it was of no value. Removing the tarnish you find that it's a most exquisite and priceless treasure. Anyone who makes the discovery would eagerly trade everything they had owned and treasured.

Trying to describe the value to passers-by; the benefits of having Jesus in your life sounds as hollow and self-centered, and draws controversial fire immediately. And it sounds just too good to be believable or true, being attacked as a weak person who needs a crutch to believe this.

I've been made to enjoy the God who made me. I've learned that I can live with eternal importance and peace. I know that I'm loved and that nothing - not even death - will rob me of this endless joy. I know that God is working within me to make me more and more like Jesus daily.

The fact that someone else religious here irks you terribly is proof enough for me that you're a good soul, husker I suppose there is a 'grey area' between a religious outlook and a philosophy, but so what. The binding factor between the two is (or should be) respect for one another's beliefs and opinions, without bias. That includes living the way you wish, the way that makes you happy, and not pushing it on others, which husker never does, unlike some. I'm not religious, but my family and my work are paramount in my life. I like to think of those feelings as 'human' values. One strength of Christianity over Philosophy is something Letty was ranting about: simplicity of language. However, for some, that simplicity is lost. It's time to clarify things, and just chat honestly, express an opinion, have a coffee...conflict really can be solved by an open mind. Uh oh...am I preaching again? Letty!! Stop me! I am supposed to be ranting....

Oh, I did include a subtle rant there, heh heh....

Ok..ok..ok...(god, I love that word). Know what? The best philosophy in the world is ..Oops...stuff....er..eh...reckon....and Gosh all hemlock.

Prove me wrong! .I just made myself laugh.

Hey, we can't all be cultured gentlemen.

For you, Cav and Husker.
'How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! The joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.'

Solomon's Song


Now, my song:

Hello, yeah, it's been a while.
Not much, how 'bout you?
I'm not sure why I called,
I guess I really just wanted to talk to you.
And I was thinking maybe later on,
We could get together for a while.
It's been such a long time,
And I really do miss your smile.

I'm not talking 'bout moving in,
And I don't want to change your life.
But there's a warm wind blowing,
The stars are out, and I'd really love to see you tonight.

We could go walking through a windy park,
Or take a drive along the beach.
Or stay at home and watch t.v.
You see, it really doesn't matter much to me.

I'm not talking 'bout moving in,
And I don't want to change your life.
But there's a warm wind blowing,
The stars are out, and I'd really love to see you tonight.

I won't ask for promises,
So you won't have to lie.
We've both played that game before,
Say I love you, then say goodbye.

I'm not talking 'bout moving in,
And I don't want to change your life.
But there's a warm wind blowing,
The stars are out, and I'd really love to see you tonight.

jjorge liked this song, too.

eager to please--a penchant for honesty..no, they are not mutually exclusive.

Music to my ears

so this is off topic, and I don't want to start a big thing as I know you guys have probably discussed it, but I'm really angry - because of the supreme court ruling, my school, UT is reinstating "affirmative action."

Affirmative action is rascism in the disguise of charity, and I was angered with the supreme court's ruling. It legalizes rascism by allowing racial preference to be a factor in admissions (and it already is in hiring). I think academics should be based on academics, not a rough judgement of skin color. And now my school is bringing it back, as if the top 10% rule wasn't bad enough *sigh.*

And no, opinions aren't the same thing as philosophy, although it's hard to do straight philosophy on a chat forum.

Morning, Portal Star. No, this is not off topic because to me philosophy begins with a germ of discontent and develops from there.

Affirmative Action was originally intended to make certain that discrimination was not factored into the equation of education or other considerations, but like most things that come before our highest court, we can expect the heavy hand of politics to pull some silent strings. I am most concerned with the shifting of the balance of power.

Don't get me started on unions....another well-meaning idea gone horribly wrong...

Hey, Cav. So true. It's the rank and file that always gets the short end of the seemingly magic wand in today's world, as well as the small business man who is attempting to make a go. Inherent in every organization is the factor of greed.

If people aren't getting enough education, focus on getting them education. Making the assumption people of a certain skin color cannot survive in society without governemnt help is biggotist, and some of the language the politicians use when describing affirmative action sounds paternal. Affirmative action takes in no consideration of socio economic backround, previous schooling, etc. it makes the assumption someone will do poorly based on their skin color alone.

I think the government should damn well go after rascist hiring preferences, civil rights issues, etc. but it should have no business being the discriminator.

Portal Star. I think it was Thoreau that observed: They govern best who govern least, (more of a paraphrase). I noticed today in the news that some teachers may be required to take Federal tests. What in the world? The pendulum in America is always swinging from one extreme to the other. Never does seem to stabilize in the middle. I see what you mean, Portal Star, a foot in the door, then the government becomes the "man who came to dinner"..

OK; a rant about the rant;

philosophy as a part of 'culture' is what life is about!
Not the nitty gritty workings of maintaining a body, a relationship, and passing that on to another generation (that's just what we do, what we have done for millenia, what is 'expected' of us);
philosophy is what we are 'about'(who we are, why we are; and wherefore)!

It is the 'love' of knowledge; never for knowledge's sake, but in order to 'be'.
and to seek out the relevance of 'being'.

True when it seems to detract from the nature of life, the fullness of life, the chaos of life; philosophy can take on a mantel of obfuscation, the muddying of wisdom rather than its purifying; but the fault lies either in the unwillingness of the enquirer to allot the mental energy required to climb the conceptual mountain, or frequently the flaws in theory, exposition, or capacity to share, of the author.

Knowledge, notwithstanding, remains intact and full of mental nourishment for those hardy souls who will lift the cup.