Aaron

You might be thinking of someone else. The person in the bottom picture was Fred Rogers. Mr Roger's Neighborhood was the show on PBS, but he wasn't a psychologist, he was a Presbyterian minister.

It recently occurred to me that most of the people who've been posting in this thread have little to no actual knowledge of history, but rather are pushing their own racist agendas, some under the guise of not being racist. Regardless here is the fact of the matter, the Roman Empire didn't fall until 1453 when the Ottomans finally conquered the Byzantine Empire. Europe never lost any of the knowledge handed down by Rome, because it was preserved in the East in the libraries and schools of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire. Again, much of this thread has little to do with history. Also keep in mind that trying to convince a racist that they're wrong by providing pseudo science that has little to no evidence, is essentially like trying to put out a fire by throwing vodka on it. Aaron

So this is interesting and a bit surprising to me. Up until recently I knew I had Jewish ancestry, but always assumed it was through my mother's father's side, but I found out that in actuality it was through my mother's, mother's, mother... well you get the picture. So previously I thought I had Jewish ancestry, but now I found out that I am actually Jewish according to most rabbinical laws. I'm wondering if anyone who knows a bit about these things might point me in the right direction to learning more about Judiasm? I'm particularly interested in learning about the history of my ancestors, the Isler's. Aaron

The greatest teachers don't teach through their words, but through their actions. If you're looking for authentic, that has nothing to do with Chinese "superstitions" I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed, because both Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu were well entrenched in these "superstitions". It's important to remember that Taoism didn't begin with either of these Masters, rather they elaborated on what was already occurring. So perhaps what you meant to say was that you wanted to hear from people who are primarily following the path of these two teachers? Well you might first begin your lesson by remembering that the sage can move through life without anyone noticing him, yet everyone is helped by him. Also keep in mind that a man who asks for help by calling others fakes, liars, and impostors has obviously missed the point of Taoism. You catch more flies with honey and all that. Thirdly how can you learn everything and nothing? Well when you become enlightened (learn everything) you also learn that you know nothing. Aaron

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you, I have a job that requires a great deal of my attention. I'm checking out more of my lineage now. I'm also saving up for a vacation, so maybe I'll make it Israel, who knows? In the meantime I'm just trying to be me in the moment, keeping things as simple as I can. Aaron

[Note- Although posted in the Taoist Discussions section of this forum, this thread is intended to be a chapter study of Chapter four of the Hua Hu Ching. With that in mind please restrict your responses to the chapter at hand. Any discussions regarding the validity, origins, or intent of the Hua Hu Ching should be directed to another thread and not this one. I welcome everyone to participate. Questions are welcome, as well as answers. Please follow the FAQ rules located in the Tao Te Ching subforum (changing Tao Te Ching to Hua Hu Ching where needed).] Hua Hu Ching Chapter 4 Every departure from the Tao contaminates one's spirit. Anger is a departure, resistance a departure, self- absorption a departure. Over many lifetimes the burden of contaminations can become great. There is only one way to cleanse oneself of these contaminations, and that is to practice virtue. What is meant by this? To practice virtue is to selflessly offer assistance to others, giving without limitation one's time, abilities, and possessions in service, whenever and wherever needed, without prejudice concerning the identity of those in need. If your willingness to give blessings is limited, so also is your ability to receive them. This is the subtle operation of the Tao. (tr. Brian Brown Walker) http://brianbrownewalker.com/hua-hu-ching/

[Note- Although posted in the Taoist Discussions section of this forum, this thread is intended to be a chapter study of Chapter three of the Hua Hu Ching. With that in mind please restrict your responses to the chapter at hand. Any discussions regarding the validity, origins, or intent of the Hua Hu Ching should be directed to another thread and not this one. I welcome everyone to participate. Questions are welcome, as well as answers. Please follow the FAQ rules located in the Tao Te Ching subforum (changing Tao Te Ching to Hua Hu Ching where needed).] Hua Hu Ching Chapter 3 Those who wish to embody the Tao should embrace all things. To embrace all things means first that one holds no anger or resistance toward any idea or thing, living or dead, formed or formless. Acceptance is the very essence of the Tao. To embrace all things means also that one rids oneself of any concept of separation; male and female, self and other, life and death. Division is contrary to the nature of the Tao. Foregoing antagonism and separation, one enters in the harmonious oneness of all things. Translated by Brian Browne Walker http://brianbrownewalker.com/hua-hu-ching/

I've been a big fan of Anime my entire life, ever since I first watched Battle of the Planets when I was just a wee lad, but it wasn't until I saw Akira that I began to appreciate it as an authentic form of cinema. Anyways, I was wondering what series or movies people enjoyed and would recommend to other Tao Bums. Aaron

Hah... my last name is Hamm and I don't even read the bible.

I fear that the tide is one that can't be stopped. In the next twenty years democracy as we know it will be a distant memory. Everything we say or do will be monitored LEGALLY. The mere sign of dissent from the masses and government controlled ideology will warrant swift action. People advocating liberty will lose their families, their children, their property, and in some cases, their lives. They will be incarcerated and detained under the guise of security, when in fact it will be for monetary reasons. We started the system when we advocated unfair criminal sentencing out of fear. We started the system when we stopped caring about the civil rights of those the government has called enemies. We started the system when we were more worried about running out of oil than losing our freedoms. The tide is coming, it's rising every day and most people don't even notice because it's so gradual, and even when someone stands up and screams "look at this!" We've been taught so well to ignore the blatant facts and focus on the mundane and non-consequential, that we ignore it, or only address it in passing. There will come a day when they knock on your door, or the door of your neighbor, and you have been so well trained in thought and mind, that you let them in smiling, and when they take your loved ones you encourage them, all for the sake of patriotism. 1984 may very well be 2034. If we don't wake up, open our eyes and fight back, then it will almost certainly be so. Aaron

I've been a Libertarian for the last few decades, but recently I've been drawn to its ideals more and more. I think it's the only party that's sincerely trying to limit the amount of government intrusion into our lives. Most people's complaints about the LP is that the party's platforms are unrealistic, for instance they tend to believe the government needs to provide welfare as a form of economic relief for the poor, yet most people fail to realize that the private sector provides nearly three times the amount of financial assistance the government does. I also think that the more one depends on the government for assistance the more they become beholden to it. The only way for us to be free to question the government is to lessen our dependence on it. This doesn't mean I oppose assistance to the poor, just that I believe that people are much more compassionate than we give them credit for. I think people would receive much more assistance in times of need from the private sector, if the government wasn't subsidizing that assistance. Another major complaint is their stance on drug laws. The LP believes people have the right to put whatever they want in their body and the government has no right to regulate it. The only people that are getting rich from drug laws are cartels and corporations. Take away the laws and you take away the power these entities have over us. Of course that doesn't mean we don't regulate what goes into our food, especially in regards to labeling, but rather we allow people to choose what they put in their bodies, not the government. The LP also believes in our right to privacy. It's members were among the few politicians opposed to the Patriot Act. The LP understood that there was no justifiable reason for taking away a person's right to privacy. Now that we're living in a police state, for all intents and purposes, it's even more important for people to remember that we had those rights in the first place. Many kids who are of voting age now don't even realize that these laws are unconstitutional. They've grown up in a world of warrant-less wiretaps and government propaganda that taught them that the ends justify the means. It's the responsibility of those who still remember to stand up and fight for those rights now. The LP is also the only party that is against censorship in any form, because it understands that the government's job is not to morally police people, but rather to ensure that people have the right to read, and ultimately think, whatever they want. Censorship is the most dangerous threat to freedom, because it allows the government to regulate our thoughts and ideas, to deem what is appropriate and what isn't. Anyways I could go on, but I do feel that the Libertarian Party is the most enlightened party in regards to the dangers of government interference in our lives. The problem is that most people cry freedom, but really don't want freedom, but rather a sense of safety in their lives, even if that sense of safety is false. The only real freedom comes from our abilities to live our lives as we see fit, unless it interferes with the rights of someone else. The constitution was meant to ensure this, but because of unconstitutional actions taken under the guise of protecting us, we've lost our freedom. Anyways, I'd like to hear what other people think about these things, in particular the Libertarian Party, our rights, and the best way to protect them. Aaron

Nungali and Isimisiz Biri, you're conversation has become very personal and you're both insulting each other. I would recommend that you tone it down before moderator action is needed. Aaron

I'm in Western Washington... Aberdeen to be exact, about an hour west of Olympia. We should try and hook up some time, it's always nice to meet with other bums.

Jeesh. Is the constant bickering really necessary? No thread stays on topic 100% of the time, it's just the nature of conversations, however we should try to stay on course as much as possible. I don't see anyone intentionally taking the thread off-topic, so why don't we all just quit pointing fingers and worry more about what we're saying than what everyone else is. Aaron

I thought people might enjoy this . http://consciouslifenews.com/houston-anthropologist-reveals-irrefutable-proof-recorded-history-wrong/ I never really doubted that there were advanced civilizations prior to recorded history and to be honest I'm not sure how valid this is, but it is a start towards a more objective understanding of history. Aaron

I'm going to try and live small and remote, but I'm not willing to give up electricity. I'll buy a generator and solar. I plan on building it myself once I find someplace to build it. It will be one room with a loft. I'm not sure whether I'll go composting toilet or not, but it sounds good if you plan on growing your own veggies. Aaron

Isimsiz Biri, you obviously failed to understand what I was saying. I don't care who you're talking to, the forum has rules regarding polite discourse and your pattern of behavior in this thread has been less than polite. This policy doesn't apply to only those people you think deserve respect, but to everyone. If you can't talk nicely to others, might I suggest ignoring them?

They're not explosions, just bursts of light. The lights also have no effect on the surrounding area, nothing gets brighter, which means they were inserted into the footage, rather than actually occurred. If it occurred for as long as it was supposed to have occured, you would've had fighter jets scrambled, but none ever appear. My analysis, as a layman, this was a hoax. Aaron

I never watched the movies, but I read the entire Manga as a teenager and absolutely loved it. The story is amazing and it certainly had an impact on my view of the idealized ronin. Aaron

This thread, like every other thread is about polite discourse. What you have engaged in here isn't polite discourse. There is a much nicer way of saying this and you really have no right to demand anything of anyone, so I would recommend asking politely instead. Aaron

HI Nungali, No need to try and carry on a conversation with me, when people reply to me with an attitude like you have, I tend to ignore them, which I will be doing with you in the future. Obviously your opinion seems to be the only valid one, so why bother, right? Aaron

Well I don't know either way, but I thought it was interesting. I still believe that there is more than enough evidence to support the idea that advanced civilizations predate recorded history, if not simply because of Athena Statuettes, the numerous forms of currency that we've found that we have failed to link to any known civilization. Add to that the numerous similar tails of a former civilization that seemed to be known throughout the world, Atlantis for one, and one wonders why there hasn't been anything found to date, unless there might be some kind of cover up to keep it hidden from the rest of us. Of course I don't believe that's so, but I'm not going to discount it. Think about it, if there was an ancient civilization capable of producing energy through natural means, that would seriously put the current energy companies in jeopardy. Since these companies hire the best intelligence agents in world, as well as former special forces operatives, one wouldn't be surprised if they tried to discount any evidence that might support these finds. Aaron

One of the major causes for the War of 1812 was the impressment of American Sailors into the British Navy during the Napoleonic War. Because the sailors were born in Britain, they were not recognized as Americans and were forced to man British Naval vessels during wartime, resulting in numerous deaths. Also, the War of 1812 ended in a stalemate, with neither side really winning over the other. However I'm certain if the only people fighting against the American's were the Canadians, they would've most certainly have lost, since without Britain's naval superiority and additional soldiers, they wouldn't have been able to hold up against the superior training and numbers of the American military. Aaron

I was the second sleeping on the beach. I'll bring my sleeping bag and a can of mace. As long as the stray pit bulls don't maul me in my sleep, I'm not worried. Aaron

This doesn't surprise me. The goal of the NSA is to be able to crack any form of encryption and follow any data transmission to its source. With systems like TOR in place, it makes that very hard, the only feasible way to do that is to have a backdoor that makes it impossible to hide one's location. Of course they say this is to catch criminals, but the reality is that it's to track what everyone is doing at any time. This is fundamentally unconstitutional, in fact the notion that they have made it illegal to use some forms of encryption is illegal as well. This all violates our right to privacy, but when we began to let fear rule our conscience, we seem to have given up that right without even knowing it. Until we wake up as a nation to these intrusions and stop listening to the propaganda justifying these types of intrusions, we will never have freedom, because we will never have privacy. Aaron