Open Thread - Friday, July 31, 2015
The meaning of life is a philosophical and spiritual question concerning the significance of living or existence in general.
“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”
― Albert Camus
Philosophers have believed for centuries that no intrinsic meaning exists in the universe. Here we will summarize three of the major responses to this belief.
Existentialism is the belief that through a combination of awareness, free will, and personal responsibility, one can construct their own meaning within a world that intrinsically has none of its own.
Nihilism is the belief that not only is there no intrinsic meaning in the universe, but that it’s pointless to try to construct our own as a substitute.
Absurdism is the belief that a search for meaning is inherently in conflict with the actual lack of meaning, but that one should both accept this and simultaneously rebel against it by embracing what life has to offer.
Happy end of July, I hope it means.
It helps construct your reality or escape from said reality.
I have settled on a reality and welcome all to practice the tenets of this philosophy.
Have a great weekend!
Comments
Good Morning
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
you ask too much of thinking from me early in the morning
I believe in God and nature, unaltered by human intellect. Is that good enough to pass as a decent person?
Thanks for all you do. It's just good.
https://www.euronews.com/live
What a wonderful Open Thread today, Tim!
You are the perfect person to do the Friday Open Thread. Thank you!
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Just wanted to add
something I noticed at dkos is that Meteor Blades has been absent from the front page lately, so I checked his profile. He is still recommending and occasionally commenting on diaries, but it has been ten days since he last posted to the front page. Interesting.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
He is on vacation
He stopped by the EBs to let us know.
http://www.dailykos.com/comment/1401537/56928198#c2
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Thanks
I guess he still reads while on vacation because i have seen his recs to a couple of diaries. Thanks for letting us know.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
he said on CUA that he is still a Sanders supporter
despite Markos diary.
Isn't all that tiring?
https://www.euronews.com/live
Armando is in full voice.
I wonder why he is so angry. Do you think he's upset because Kos got called out. If so, he should shut off his computer and go for a walk.
I don't even understand what Armando is talking about. Seems everyday there is something new on the list of what is not ok to say.
Packing up, heading home. Enjoy the rest of the day.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
This comment by Kos, most interesting...
"Identity and/or issues" politics
Was a topic covered in Crashing the Gates. I went back and read that section this morning. At the time Kos/Jerome discouraged the emphasis on groups and issues, feeling they had all failed to gain ground since the 80's or so, dividing and distracting from larger partisan interests and goals. That was when people powered politics were a thing for Kos, for GOS. Now? Not so much. And we all know well which groups and issues Kos still disrespects and disdains. Racial issues, particularly African American issues, do have his favor though, apparently the more divisive rather than results oriented the better in his view. So I do question his sincerity in that interest, and wonder if it mostly about the popularity, outrage and clicks. Armando, on the other hand, I do believe has sincere interest in the issue and has since the beginning, even if he still is the biggest asshole on the internet, heh.
It would be great if something beneficial came out of all the energy expended on racial politics at GOS. As with the I/P and other religion oriented debates there over the years, instead it seems mostly to provoke and wound the participants - all participants involved. It is simply a bad environment, that blog, to resolve any kind of problems. That's what I think after being a regular there for over 10 yrs and then walking away from it for a good while.
For those of you still in the thick of it there, please don't let it eat you up or bring you down. It ain't worth it!
Ok, that's all I got for now. One happy bit of news, I picked my first home grown organic casaba melon today! Yummy!
It would be great
and it could be great. But it won't be because it isn't being approached that way.
If all the racial talk/tension on DKos was being approached with the idea of bringing people together for a common cause then this would be an awesome thing.
However, many on DKos are doing the exact opposite.
I finally saw a story on a American Indian that
was killed by the cops. If you read the promo on why Rev. King was brought on board, it was to address injustice to people of color. I don't see people of color, I see black only. I think if they had approached police abuse from a human rights issue with a spotlight on black people and other people of color, it would have been unifying.
In Michigan, we have a kid they entangled as an informant at 14 and threw in prison for life, literally, at age 17. He's still there 27 years later with no maximum sentence. Murders, robbers , pedophiles and rapists have spent less time in jail then this guy. They didn't kill him, but he might wish they had. Think Obama will pardon him?
The Fascinating Story of 'White Boy Rick': Feds Made Him a Drug Kingpin at Age 14, Then Threw Him in Prison for Life
I think our criminal justice system makes N. Korea look good. Police killings may be the most urgent, but it is the tip of the iceberg. Everywhere we look, we find abuse in the form of militarization, mass incarceration, prison conditions, poor people in revenue traps, destroying employability wholesale and killing more people in a day than Norway has in 10 years. While all of this is going on, we have Obama, the Clintons and Holder making sure no banker ever sees the inside of a jail. Yet, Kos and BLM dare to call everybody else wrong and racist while they support the status quo. Makes no sense to me.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Excellent comment, CD! When
we return, I'll add my 2-Cents on this topic.
But quickly, for the Dem Party Elites, it's all about 'changing demographics.' And I say this based upon what I've heard [on C-Span] from political analyst Charlie Cook, and Dem Party-aligned political scientist, pollster, and demographer, Ruy Teixeira.
Interestingly, Teixeira "did his dissertation on declining voter turnout."
Regarding the pie fights over there, maybe Markos thinks it's cool for now (click bait, etc.), but I doubt seriously that he's going to allow this level of rancor to continue.
At least not well into the Dem Party Primary Debates. So, I look for more diaries from him, and from his FP staffers that go after the main 'opposition' (for lack of a better term) diarists.
And, if that doesn't work, I'm guessing that the banhammer will come out--big time.
One stupid question: I don't know how to manuever very well over there. So, on occasion, if I stumble across a diary that I want to go back to (but don't want to bookmark, because it is to difficult for me, already, to find anything because of the numbers of them)--I've been known to "rec" a diary. IOW, it may be one that I totally disagree with, but I do it, so that I can find it later (for info).
Is there another way around this?
I really don't like putting my endorsement on something that I may totally disagree with--it's just a last resort, so that I can relocate a diary. Hey, I said that is was a "stupid question!"
Enjoy the melon--one of my favorite things about the summer months!
Mollie
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."--Helen Keller
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
To save a diary without recc'ing it
You can hotlist the diary. That button is next to the Recc button at the end of each diary. Another way is to remember the title or part of the title and consult the google machine. Bookmarking the link will work too.
Markos is not sincere and Armando is arrogant and obfuscating,
both are arsonists. Dailykos brought me down since a long time. I tried to handle it. I have no usage for it anymore other than to recognize how people manipulate others. In that kind of "research" I have reached the end of the road.
Well, now I have to study why someone becomes an arsonists. Forgettaboutit, I am going fishing.
https://www.euronews.com/live
well, sorry about being so blunt, it's rude, I know that and
I don't think I ever said this anywhere before, but basically that's how I felt about both since a very long time. I had to say it once.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Very interesting Smiley
BLM as #1 traffic generator would explain a lot. I try to stay in topic friendly diaries, but even that offers little protection from all the angry people. I am sorry to see Bob sucked up into it.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
He outdid himself
in being disingenuous, illogical, contradicting himself and his former self, and being a bully. Talk about assholes. To top it off he never even referenced his obnoxious hit piece. If #BLM is the number one 'issue' instead of the horse race he loves do much why doesn't he go after the Democratic perpetrators like the disgraceful DoJ and Holder/Lynch. Then there are the prison's and deportation camps for profit, privatizing education turning schools into freaking punishment centers, cutting food stamps, the safety net and reforming 'welfare queens' not to mention arming the pigs with military grade weaponry and refusing to give us back our rights civil and human cause they are tools they need to fight their mad illegal war on terra.
Identity politics that tell you the very people who mean you and yours harm including people of color, are who you should identify with and support unquestionably is creepy and a freaking lie. My 'CT ' theory is that he is being made redundant by the dissatisfaction and growing populism that isn't about party or identity but about the by-partisan freaking authoritarian, lawless, undemocratic hell hole this country is becoming. It's not inevitable nothing is especially politics. If the polls of mass deception tell him Most Likely Democratic voter love Hillary why then it means old white dudes are driving Bernie's disruptive campaign and out of hand supporters.
My favorite was his twisty explanation of Crashing the Gates and how just like with Obama we didn't read it right or listen properly. Guess Bernie's didn't feel #BLM's pain enough like Big Dog did as he turned the knife in all our backs and called it inevitable and a NWO. Then he has the nerve to talk about 'tone'. Hey assholes STFU and be a lemming because Hillary is going to win and implement some more of the same isn't any 'tone' that's going to help poc or anyone's pain. Maybe he ought to consider the source of where the pain inflicted is coming from? Killing black people with impunity needs to be addressed by the Feds, the DoJ and our long gone rule of law. I bought his book and read it. I'm thinking of mailing it back to him and demanding a refund. I'd also like a refund on all the money local and national I have poured into the coffers of dirty bent pols who refuse to represent or fight for 'we the people'. At this point I need to to fix my roof and get an electrician as I'm stone broke because of the austerity war on workers economy.
The Democrat's with power we elected are missing in action on this appalling war on black people on every level, city state and federal. They sicced the goon squads with no restraints and even Bernie has the nerve to tell me most police are good people. Law and order minus the law. How about black sub-African people's lives Hillary and Susan? Don't their lives matter? I also think he is 'low information' as all he seems to bother with is his tea reading of the polls and his obsession with 'demographics' that match his own sick vision of what public opinion should look like. So keep catapulting the fear on the FP, and pump the double speaking lying D pols policies and agenda, that will get some informed voters to turn out for Hillary the Hun. The queen of outsourcing who once said she would have no problem being elected mayor of Punjab, India. Jeeze how stupid does kos think people are. He's the wanker of the day everyday.
There is a hidden message with Trump's popularity
I'm betting that most of the people who support him think he's an asshole too.
The fact he is leading the polls is sort of a "Big F U" to politics as usual. No one is going to get excited over an establishment candidate
this year, including Hillary.
Hillary's core voters are uninspired.
That's why Sanders has a chance that he normally wouldn't have.
On the flip side, Sanders stands out from every other candidate: he's not hated.
I was having a hard time following Kos' logic.
Clintons, Obama, Holder are the ones that sold people of color and old white guys out. Women too I might add. We have less reproductive rights now than when Bill took office and last I heard, we're still getting killed by men. I think Kos is just pissed because his website is full of Bernie. Must be an embarassment when he gets his talking points each day from the Debbie. Armando is also angry as hell. The folks over there are really pushing their buttons [Kos and Armando] and not backing down.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
really convoluted
and illogical. Guess he didn't like the fact that people with a brain in their head didn't buy his nasty hit piece and selective reading of polls of mass deception. bs. The comment thread at the Hill not just dkos extreme lefties and a lot of them ripped his hit piece apart. There is an good diary up now by lucid who has been there since 2003 that shows kos's idiotic tantrum dairy for what it is. He/she really points out the gaping holes and destructiveness of kos latest desperate tear. That's the ticket kos get a new demographic set that doesn't vote in your stupid site polls at 60+% for Bernie. Tell be again who's 'tone' deaf.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/31/1407453/-And-I-Thought-I-Was-th...
dkos is redundant
and a lot of that is due to kos himself. While the entire diary was condescending, this one response stuck out for me. This is what started it, but the entire comment thread is worth reading, especially the comment by Nada Lemming which reveals that basically kos is a thin skinned egoist.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
edited above to add link...duh! (n/t)
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
He more or less said "why are you here?"
My response was that it's too bad that he can't write that well. If he could, he would be able to get his point across without being so offensive. He writes an essay or an editorial in blogger-stream-of-consciousness style which is okay for informal debate or conversation. It's hard to take it seriously.
To thine own self be true.
Bingo
Another STFU, GTFO diary by the great kos.
Yeah, that works well in the real world.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Isn't there a DKos rule against GTFO diaries?
Or maybe I'm thinking about something else.
the world is lawless, run by outlaws
that rule you mention is only for the likes of you or me. Denise can say GTFO as much as she likes.
Hey I'm a blogger
who uses stream-of-consciousness writing and I'm dead serious. Then again I'm a professional unpaid lefty commenter not a professional rich want to to be a Democratic machine insider/ villager.
heh, we need to provide more coverage of candidate house parties
hell, kos is an internet wunderkind, who are we to argue? B)
followed you link
I missed this exchange the first time through his tirade. I can't believe he would rip into J&H who is one of the sites most respected posters and a real mensch to boot. Kos really hates liberals and the Democratic wing or anyone who isn't a rabid authoritarian tool.
Page views? Viral growth?
Why is that important? For what purpose?
Please help the Resilience Resource Library grow by adding your links.
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Growth
is a result of the capitalistic nature of our economic system. It is like a cancer. It requires growth. And it requires eating away at what was a healthy part of our system.
Great comment, Martha.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Thanks GG - n/t
Please help the Resilience Resource Library grow by adding your links.
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The quote belongs to
BobSwern. Sorry, should have made that clear.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
I love it when Presidents tells us something really important
but it goes through one ear and out the other. Like when Kennedy warned us about the Secret Societies. Or when
Wilson warned us about the Federal Reserve System.
Or now, when Jimmy Carter tells us that the U.S. is now an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery.
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Jimmy_Carter%3A_The_U.S._Is_an_%E2%80%9CO...
That is why I don't trust any of them
Wake up sheeple!
Ode to HRC->
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Bribery is not a crime anymore
it's just savvy businessmen (and women) doing god's work and practicing the new law of the land that says money is speech and capitalism is freedom. However politically speaking the optics when bribery and stealing is reported are not good. Wouldn't be right to prosecute the corrupt crooks in office as they have so much money they can hire the likes of Holder from Covington Burling. If they say it's legal it is.
Good day Tim, great OT...
I recall struggling to understand Camus as a college student under the notorious philosophy professor, Dr. Rosenberg, at the Hill, who dominated his theatre-styled classroom; wearing a chain around his neck under his long beard and flowing hair; smoking camels and writing on the walls with chalk.
A one-paged paper was due each class period; being late was not acceptable; but after getting to know him, we unearthed a heart of gold.
Stay cool in this heat.
guess I'll go read markos' snit fit
as we remember, he biased his last poll, giving reasons not to vote for Sanders, wishing that the results were more like the national polls and that didn't help enough. I suspect his next one will be "vote for Hillary in this poll, puppets!", followed by a poll that doesn't include Sanders.
Then he ChuckTodded with his Hill article. But, you know, he does have an expensive bicycle and "a lovely family". And what was that fleecing of the community with his nephew's illness? Weird! He didn't dare try to raise cash at Sports Nation. He'd have been flayed!
Ok, here I go, into the pit...
a little later....
that was sad. No wonder c99 is growing!
Congratulations
You read it all and lived through it.
It was really sophomoric. And even worse, he attacked people who asked valid questions respectfully. It is very clear that Markos does not respect the people who make his site what it is. Markos has a very thin skin. Pathetic.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I couldn't "read it all". I lasted 12 minutes
there's an awful lot there, with the emphasis on "awful".
Some Hillary supporters sound like Peggy Noonan with their "your criticisms of Hillary are not legitimate because you're so uncivil."
I got thru one sentence. It sounds like stuff from another
planet. Who are these people and what are they debating about?
It has nothing to do with democracy.
I wonder if we want democracy as a people. It doesn't appear so to me. Maybe the rich bastards were right from
the start, we can't handle democracy.
My thoughts, exactly! ;-) N/T
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
freedom and democracy cost money
here in Portland.....well, you probably know this since you're so close but maybe others don't...parts of the city are being demolished by money-grubbing developers. Not only are they buying up old buildings with character, tearing them down and putting up large apartment buildings that are renting for insane amounts, they're also buying beautiful old houses, tearing *those* down and building new houses in a semi-old style that sell for twice as much. They leave one outside wall of the old house in order to declare it a remodel rather than a demolition.
These demolitions can be appealed. You can ask the city to stop them (not that anyone in charge would stop a developer) for the low, low price of $1380 per appeal. And you better have your appeal packet ready because they won't look into it unless you lay it all out for them...and, of course, grease their palms.
Meanwhile, protesters dangled on ropes off the St. John's Bridge yesterday to stop Shell Oil from passing. A judge in Alaska (? why there?) then ordered the protesters to pay $2500 *per hour* in fines.
So if you want to preserve the character of a city, pay up. If you want to preserve the environment, pay up. And in pretty large amounts, too.
More like
this current lot of rich bastards broke the system of checks balance of power and our basic rule of law and declared their coup Yankee Doodle Dandy. "The pump don't work cause the vandals stole the handles.' Next they totally trashed the electoral process and declared money was officially speech. Then the Clintonion Democrat's removed the few checks on power that were left bad for business and deregulated and privatized every damn thing that was public. The system is now defunct. The rich psycho bastards own it lock stock and oil barrel.
While they where at it they took away the 4th estate, free press and catapulted the propaganda, fear and jerked history around until democracy became a pony and two legs better reality. Don't even get me started on separation of church and state and how about those text books written by Texas asshole bible thumper's and Bill Gates drone factory version of education.
People can handle democracy but these days a lot of people wouldn't know it if it bit them. Their is no real parliamentary structure for democracy left. Ask me the pig ignorant loyal by-partisans of both antidemocratic parties are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Ass backwards, fearful cowards and fighting hard to keep their oppressors in power.
right on, toots! (nt)
What he needs is
a course in journalism.
To thine own self be true.
That alone wouldn't do it - he needs a career change, imo/nt
https://www.euronews.com/live
IMO,
he needs an ego transplant to gain a little humanity and humility.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
The Beltway is filled with em.
They're part of the problem all righty. The establishment. Marcos is part of the establishment, he made it.
A class in civics would help too.
there are plenty of civics courses being held, too
as we all remember, Senator Obama promised that if he were elected President he would see to it that we had more arts classes and more science classes and more civics classes. Now, in our wonderful alternative world, public schools are flourishing, especially since President Obama laughed when someone named Arne Duncan suggested charter schools. This, along with the end of our invasion of the Middle East and my health insurance (I'm on the public option plan!) is why I love my President!!!
Today's record bad economic news
GDP
Wages
Hi gjohnsit
So glad you are here so I can comment to you again. That wage data is really terrible. Given the risings costs of all our necessities our wages haven't only stagnated, they have declined in power at the very least. Do you think this data will cause Yellen not to raise rates this fall? Do interest rates even mean anything real anymore? Or have they become another kabuki indicator like so much in the "Economy"?
Hey Cosmic
Yes, interest rates have never meant more than they do now. Why? Because of increased levels of debt in most areas of the economy (corporate, financial, and government).
Will Yellen raise rates? Probably. How much is an open question. I'm guessing not much.
Most economic indicators are accurate, but they often don't show what they tell you they show. They often are only indicators over a specific part of the economy, rather than the general economy.
and then they get revised when no one is watching. For instance, the BLS revised the GDP for the last three years yesterday. Almost all the revisions were downward. No one cared because it was in the past.
Muchas gracias! n/ t
Developing countries currency trouble
link
If this keeps going in the same direction we'll have a crisis by fall.
Developed countries too, like Canada
Our dollar is worth 76 cents US today but it dipped to 68 cents last month
To thine own self be true.
Another attack on poor Hillary. This didn't go over well either
No way Hillary can win.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
don't cha know
that the story and the diary are 'regurgitation right wing innuendo.' When I asked why a news story talking about Hillary's 'crooked dealing with UBS' was RW innuendo I got this.
I also got this for saying 'her really dubious 'charity' foundation's finances'
Swift boating, Karl Rove, was flung about. These people are so low information they think article published in Atlantic or the Guardian that aren't PR campaign releases are purveyors RW innuendo's and swiftboating poor liberal Hillary. How is this any different from the RW idiots they fear and loath, it's just as ass backwards and delusional. Do they ever read the news other then the Dem. pundirts of mass deception? Don't they even care about what they win? Seriously mind boggling and kos eggs them on with his FP's classifying/framing any breaking news story about the Clinton's skullduggery with this kind of crap
'My goodness, Hillary Clinton, don't upset the press just because they peddled lies about you'. Inquiring minds besides Republicans would like to know what was in those state department e-mails and what really went on in Libya the Ukraine or Sub-Africa. Classic deflection on both sides here. The Dems get to cry RW conspiracy and the Republicans are so ass backward they get to call Obama a socialist and meanwhile the real story gets lost and becomes finger pointing at the media instead of getting some truth out.
Yeah don't mess with Hillary cause she's a bad ass. Maybe the Clinton's could get legitamate traction and distraction for yelling RW conspiracy! at any story they didn't like in the 90's but this is ridiculous. I'm not saying swiftboating and innuendo from the RW loonies doesn't exist or that our media isn't anything but tabloid bs. but this seems to me to be a case of using the RW to obscure whats behind the security curtain and the odious 1% latest doings. So no stories about corrupt financial non crimes and no stories about what Clinton was up to as SoS.
"No way Hillary can win."
Isn't that what we all said about Bush Jr. - twice?
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