Karl

That might be true, but you are describing a condition you find yourself in. Many people don't have friends who share their view, does that define them. Think of an item like a car. What things defines it as a car and not some other form of transport (differentia). What makes it similar to other things in its group/class (genus) A car is a....genus....with the ........differentia......

:-) It was an absolute that this is how you felt, you felt that way and no other way X is X. I don't know what you mean by linear except from the point of view of direct proportionality ? There was no doubt about your likes and dislikes in that situation. However, again I must caution you that you are mixing philosophy with psychology. These things aren't the same thing. That you like a steak, hate a carrot, or are ambivalent about an artichoke doesn't change the philosophy that this is how you are about these things. X is X even in the case of the ambivalent artichoke. However, there are good things and bad things, good and evil things. There are difficult decisions of course and the worse your philosophy, the more difficult it will be for you to see which one is which. What you should and shouldn't say to your wife is not a case of right, or wrong, just as it isn't wrong to choose a steak over a carrot. You do know you shouldn't slap your wife, bludgeon her to death, or put the dog through a blender. Whether the dog stays, or doesn't, won't affect the world, it's just something you will have to resolve. If you find that it cannot be resolved then you will either accept it, she will accept it, or neither will accept it.

Perhaps in time you will change your view.

Well this goes to the heart of ethics- which is a science. A proverb of the kind I quoted is most definitely logical. From an Apple tree comes Apples. Whatever we do echoes throughout history is causality in action. So, the question must be to ask what should I do ? What is good and bad, right and wrong, good and evil. It's the old RI/RO. You do what you know to be right, do not worry about what that means to anyone other than you and those you care about. A good act is a good act X is X.

Then you are independent. So, when you are asked 'what defines you?' Then you are saying you are independent which is implied in the question because of the word 'you'. However, you have made it explicit. Can you define the independent you ?

Its good practice to look for causes, but in the case of justice the law is one of equality for everybody. There is no excuse for murder unless it's in self defence. The law does not require to know why a person behaved in a certain way, it is only necessary to prove that he did. Empathy does not sit well with the law. The law is black and white. By making it grey you dismiss it as law and make it a subjective exercise and open to flag aren't abuse by multiple interpretations. X is X. The law must be clear and applicable to all. Those that are proven to have broken it must accept judgement. Tolerance is a dirty word, empathy is a necessary human trait. 'Unbridled' is an attempt at an appeal to emotion. Capitalism is simply free, voluntary, peaceful exchange between people. Adding 'unbridled' doesn't bring anything to the party. It's like unbridled happiness, joy, peace, wealth and in that respect unbridled capitalism would be magnificent, but I will settle for just plain old capitalism. In no way does that mean people 'getting away with anything they want'. There are those black and white laws you dislike so much that provide justice in the case of bad actors. There can be no 'getting away with it' within free, peaceful, voluntary exchange because each person walks away wealthier. I don't know what 'plot lines' you are referring to. I don't like the phrase 'rugged individualism' because it gets reinterpreted by collectivists as 'dog eat dog' or some such thing. Just as you keep saying 'unbridled' capitalism in a way that suggests it is a bad thing. Let's make it plain and call it rational selfishness.

Aw Stosh :-/ You can know it. What we do in life echoes throughout eternity. 'You will know the tree by its fruit' is not only a proverb applied to others, it's applied to self. Are you satisfied with the fruit that you produce ? This is how to assess.

Of course you are having an impact on world affairs. Why do you take the approach that you are insignificant ? If you want to make the world a better place then you must start with yourself. The most powerful force is consistency of thought, speech and action. No compromises ever. Ghandi said 'be the change you wish to see in the world'. It's clear that if you want to clear up the weeds in a field then you must start somewhere. It is no good waiting for others or to evade the work yourself. Remove just one weed and then another and another. Pretty soon others will notice and see that it isn't impossible, then they will join in.

I don't like the description 'rugged individualism' it could mean anything including being a murdering tyrant, thief, liar, or fraudster. I agree that there has been a push towards 'the public' 'society' and other collective phrases in contrast to maintaining independence and independent thought. Rugged individualism, like capitalism, is used as a perjorative by collectivists. It's easy to massage the words into whatever form an attacker wishes effectively utilising the enemies strengths against them. Collectivists are amazingly adept at this redefinition of words because, in the main, the chief protagonists are the intellectual elite that deplores the masses and their activities, wishing to Marshall them into one cohesive homogenous whole which can be utilised like an Ox.

No one has, only its results can be seen as the nature of objects reacting and interacting. Pure energy is like pure consciousness-unknowable, invisible, indivisible and hence an axiom.

History confirms it Stosh. Take a look at the decline of the Roman Empire, which, in the West had fragmented by 500AD, led to the beginnings of the Dark Ages from the 4th to 14th century before the Renaissance began. This was the time of the rediscovery of reason. Every time we discover reason then good things happen. We get rapid advances in every area of life literature, art, music, medicine, wealth, health, prosperity, life span. If we could just stop buggering it up by falling back into irrationality, we could continue forward with rapid advancements. Imagine a thousand year enlightenment period, or even better, one without end. Think how productive such a period would be. Just a couple of hundred years during the Greek, Renaisance and the 19th century made immense improvements to human life compared to the relatively stagnant/backwards periods in between. If we look to reason once more then this can happen. If we continue our obsession with pragmatism, sacrifice, hedonism, collectivism, spiritual and muscular mysticism then we will continue on a path that, because of the global situation, we won't be able to recover from. I hope that is not the case, my aim is to continue to shout warnings as civilisation commits slow suicide, to advance the cause of reason to promote enlightenment. I will do that for as long as I'm able in the hope that a few others take up the torch, but it seems to me it is too little too late.

Civilisation is going down the drain. We have been drifting since the 19 th century. Things don't appear to be improving. People on this forum are surely looking for something that they haven't found in their present lives-what is that do you think ? Declines of civilisation have been cyclical, but, one thing has prevented complete collapse and that is autonomy of the individual in certain countries. In other words some countries have had law, protection of property rights, private property and Liberty. However, we have been moving ever faster towards globalisation. That means fewer places for people to seek a place to flourish outside of the control of Government. Is it any wonder they seek entertainment and nullification of the mind. You believe it's just a bit of benign drifting, but reality isn't kind to drifters and entire populations that are drifting are ripe for conquest by those with more dogmatic attitudes. The more the population is lured into escapism and pragmatism, the less the mind functions independently and the closer people come to accepting tyranny.

That's because democracy is absolutely all about opinion polls and everything we see is an attempt to sell us something. TV has, from very early on, been entertainment. Few people hear the music that accompanies the news these days, but it always has a dramatic sweep that tugs at the emotions. It took a while before TV understood what its role was, it was always going to pander to the sensational because it's fundamentals belong in the world of film and acting. It's a visual and aural extravaganza, take away either and it loses its USP. Even silent movies had to be accompanied with music to make them work. It's easy to get upset with tv, but to do so is ridiculous really, we watch it only because the producers have the format properly figured out. They understand the medium and present it in the way we enjoy it. If we didn't, then we wouldn't watch. Imagine if newspapers were light print on a light coloured background with the main story buried in the centre and advertising on the front page. We wouldn't buy them. It must grab our attention and hold it. That's what advertisers and marketing people pay for. Once the technique is understood, then the novelty fails to hold us any more and so it must be constantly refreshed with new studios, pretty presenters, greater dramatic impact, cleverer messaging and ever more unusual/inventive styles. Coffee was once just water and some ground up beans for flavour, but just look at the way it is marketed and served these days. Coffee is entertainment and a lifestyle. 10 years ago, a coffee in a polystyrene cup was the preserve of roadside vans and truck stops, but now it's a metropolitan lifestyle accessory. The cigarette was once marketed in a similar way until it's health effects were identified, but eventually it got around the problem and vaping was born. It's moved into the realm of new age, it appeals to the same people that once smoked pipes and put their cigarettes in long tapered holders, it is becoming sophisticated in one sense and slightly anarchic in another.

Oh those extremists and their crazy conspiratorial ideas. ;-)

Oh you really, really definitely don't. :-/ :-)

Not cultural, Just weird ;-)

It was a very good version which is better than the original.

Lederhosen and Scottish tartan are pricey.

I shall take your DR and raise you one night in San Fransisco

A cover is someone singing someone else's song, or an arrangement of that song. It's a cover of the Nine Inch Nails song 'hurt' as originally sung by Trent Reznor. I know what hedges is doing and it's called 'tapping' not shredding. I can tap, but I can't do it with one hand, the best I can manage is multiple hammer ons and pull offs like you hear in Spanish guitar. Hedges appears to be finger picking a melody with the left hand and playing lead, bass (and slap bass), rhythm guitar with the other. Listening to this through a decent system brings home just how impressive the technique is.

I would say that yours is the most pertinent comment. Not what is being reported, but what narrative are we being sold. It's quite true that modern art and the turn up/tune in/drop out scene was CIA fronted. Aldous Huxley didn't completely imagine Brave new World, he had a template, because he was involved in the CIA operations as an adviser. The media news is tied to the opinion polls and they manipulate the data and wording to tilt the table whichever way the Government wants. Any news outlet that refuses to play the game, or any reporter that can't be bought/manipulated is refused access to the law makers. The world is never more dangerous than when the media are telling us everything is fine, when they start spouting off about something dangerous happening you can guarantee the Government is wanting to mobilise its troops, increase spending on arms/surveillance/police, justify a new law, or like in the recent Florida murders, change a law.

I have a copy of the album and on a good system it's even more stunning. The lows are really punchy.

Nope, but then I definitely can't do this either https://youtu.be/4P9mmZyGb4s

Lead belly where did you sleep last night.

It's a cover Jim, of a Nine inch Nails track by Trent Reznor, but I prefer Cash's version. I also like playing Nirvana cover of Leadbelly 'where did you sleep last night'.