manitou

And I'm guessing that all these guys were older than the current shooters. There isn't even as good a reason as "I've gotta conquer Asia" or something as far as these kids go. It's murder for murder's sake. It seems to me that something has changed. If violent games repeatedly played over and over don't desensitize these young people, I would be very surprised. But if that's the case, then the onus goes back on the parents. Is it even possible to monitor your kid's entertainment these days??

I despair getting rid of anybody, as we are all the same entity. But as to answers to the problem, I have none.

I think altruism may even be a stronger motive than profit; it's just that most folks haven't gotten to the point where they place the welfare of the communal over their own desires. There is an assumption that is often repeated by the talking heads on TV that people always vote according to their own interests. There really are those of us who consider first the welfare of All, and reflect that in our votes. There just aren't enough of us.

Those types of games must certainly accustom a kid to violence. How could they not get desensitized?

bellyflop

burnt yolks

splat

Aaah. I love that picture. I am picturing either you, Rene, or Decibelle, lol.

Aww, the government would just deny it and say they were UFO's.

OMG! Blasto! I'm so glad to see you back! I've been on a rather long hiatus myself. The old gang seems to be reassembling a bit. The right wing conjecture lives on... Thankfully Sean has come back just in time. Honestly, I don't remember a lot of hostilities or arguments you were in. But the fact that you are apologizing for those episodes is a wonderful thing - and I think that someone willing to undress themselves in front of the group is a very spiritual thing. A person who has the courage to admit a shortcoming is the teacher for all the rest. How often do we really get to see an honest self-evaluation of errors made? Personally, I believe this particular ability for humility is the stuff that enlightenment is made out of. So glad to see you! I'll PM you. Barb

What a beautiful post, Walker. I think the problem lies between those who take 'the path' seriously (whichever one is being walked) and those that are building up stores of information in their brains. For those walking their path - in other words, living day by day as a manifestation of the source, in awareness that 'I am That' - or, alternatively, learning about Daoism or Buddhism from an intellectual space. There are those here, I've noticed, that seem to be addicted to the potential for argument on these threads - sort of like teenagers in a chronic state of rebellion against anything. It's the argumentation that's the real draw. And there are some here who are really trying to walk the talk. Who take the knowledge of the Sage as the template of their own being. Who ride the ox of self-examination and readily admit to mistakes. There are just different breeds of animals here. I think Sean has come back just at the right time, perhaps to bring TDB's back in focus. He must have picked up a vibe in the ethers that told him to get the heck back here. We'll be fine. Those of us who have been here forever just need to maintain our place in the foundation, be kind, speak our truth, and wait while things unfold.

effervescent

LMAO for the drunk husband!!! Back in Ohio, in the winter, my 'practicing' alcoholic husband crawled in through the doggie door and passed out on my kitchen floor.

Funny you should mention Dr. Strangelove. I was just thinking about that same scene the other day. I may have been watching the news at the time, I'm not sure...

elevated

Do nice to see you back, Taomeow! I see your kitty has had his way with your screens...

A total drag

Tell him we miss him and to come back soon. Have him give us a heads up as to what his new handle will be.

For a moment there I thought you were talking about the government. Maybe we're a template to put out into the universe for synthesizing new and evolving governments. It all starts with Sean flapping his wings on this side of the world.

mildmouse23 - thanks for posting that wonderful piece on the Norweigan prisons. It would be wonderful if the U.S. could do that. Cost effective in the long run, and hopefully an improved human being as a result. That could be a very inspirational project for this country to do - and I think the grass roots nature of it could breathe new life into our society. Maybe even tie it in somehow with the necessity for the green industry to be established, researched, and implemented. The Way Things Have Become would appear to also have hidden opportunities in it.

The thing that's unfortunate is that it's only because of LABELS that we are afraid to embrace what would otherwise be common sense solutions. I think we need a third option in here; something where our capitalism can be directed to the kinder and gentler, where greed isn't the only thing that's rewarded. There are surely some concepts that fall under the Socialist category that we need to adopt, to adjust to the present times and conditions. Would it ever be possible to find representatives with backbones enough to draw outside of the lines a little? I was in an American founding fathers groove for a while. I remember reading where one of the founding fathers (and I think it was Thomas Jefferson) believed that the Constitution should be reviewed every 20 years for adaptations to the times. It's like now we're chained to this huge cement block of a Constitution that was poured and frozen in time nearly 250 years ago. But the fear of the label of Socialism keeps us immobilized

What an interesting thread this has turned into. I feel that it should continue. It's my guess that we are all born with a little 'fear of difference' in our genetics and conditioning. As to who has the deeper and stronger fear of difference to the point of prejudice and religious zealotry, we all fall into the spectrum somewhere. I think that as intelligent human beings it's incumbent upon each of us to dig down under this fear and uproot it once and for all. Some roots are deep and strong and it's very difficult to get it all at once; it may require a lifetime of vigilance. I was brought up with a very heavy imprint from a man who would now be considered something close to a white nationalist. This odd turn of events that the forum has taken can be a mirror to use as a tool to see back into our own hearts. Enlightenment is a prize that many here seek; I hate to see anyone leaving; after all, we are all One. It's like asking one taste bud on a tongue to go away. Doesn't it make sense to stay here and learn from our discussions and spats? But most important, we love each other. Our actions here in this community are a template/mirror of our outer life. The dynamics are the same. We need to work this out.

(From the article:) It was years before Vasily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Piet Mondrian, and others would take similar strides to rid their own artwork of representational content. I see this as a worthy goal! To rid the artwork of representational content. Over to the right brain indeed.

Hi Sean, I remember how much I enjoyed the forum before it broke up into so many smaller specialized sections. Part of the problem might be of fermentation; folks sticking with the same topic category and not exposing themselves to other viewpoints. When folks are talking to each other under the same umbrella, day after day, maybe things get a little rank.

You possess an aura of beauty and compassion around your words. Thank you. And I'm very glad to be meeting you now. I'll have to look up Aashaa monetoo now. Unless you want to tell me... You may be causing my thinking to evolve even as we speak. The Stockholm thing, to some extent, could very well figure into it. Certainly the 'blunting Of outrage' must be one of the first steps in someone developing the willingness to be a participant rather than a hostage, or in this present communal-consciousness case, about one third of the U.S is willing to go along with the current trajectory because of deep recesses within their heart that have never been dealt with from childhood imprints. Doesn't it seem as though our senses are being hammered day after day, one side of the earth and then the other? What I question is the unintentionality of all of this.