Sunday, March 15, 2009
Trusting Strangers on the Internet
I simply approve every request. You can always delete them later. And you might be missing out on something very interesting that someone will one day post. I mean, just look at their info, and posts, and see if they seem genuine, and if they share some interests in common with you. If one feels that no one can be trusted, then the Internet is not the place to be.
Besides, in my situation, everyone who is an alumnus of St. John's Annapolis or Sante Fe Great Books program automatically shares something in common with me. How will you ever meet new and interesting people if you never trust anyone. Is it not the case that all of your friends were, at one point, a stranger that you got to know. I am a stranger to 6 billion people on the planet, but that does not make me strange. And a large percentage of violent crimes are perpetrated by relatives or acquaintances.
I have been on the Internet non stop since 1998, and talked to everyone. An online friend from Univ. of Oulu, Finland, came with his 11 yr. old son and stayed at my apartment for a few days, to save on hotel costs. I went to Tampa, FL once and had dinner with 3 yahoo chat acquaintances. An AOL friend from Great Britain spent the day with me while visiting NY. And I am guessing that about 50,000 people over the past 10 years have read my blogs on philosophy, religion, poetry, etc. I have never regretted giving everyone a chance.
What would Jesus have done? The Samaritan women at the well, the adultress, about to be stoned, Zaccheus the tax collector, the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot, reading Isaiah, Apostles Andrew and Nathaniel.... they were ALL TOTAL STRANGERS. America amazes me, because we pay such lip service to Christianity, and demand that
our presidential candidates take Jesus as their personal savior, but what do we choose to do in daily life. Dont get me wrong. I am Hindu and Buddhist in my personal beliefs. Gandhi rejected Christianity as his personal religion, but the beatitudes of the sermon on the mount were his favorite. Kurt Vonnegut wryly observed that Americans clamor to erect monuments to Moses' ten commandments, but no one thinks to have a plaque for the beatitudes.
And the Torah and Talmud say to welcome the stranger, so dont any of you weasel out of this by saying you are Jewish.
Dennis the Menace asked someone "are you a stranger". The old man replied "No, I lived her all my life." Dennis said "Good, cause my Mom says not to talk to strangers.
It's like the Lotto ad says, "You can't win if you don't play."
One of my tutor's at St. John's, Mr. Main, I think, said in seminar "you can't have too much money or too much whiskey." I guess I would add to that sentiment that you can't have too many friends (though you can have too many enemies). Lincoln said "If I make my enemy into my friend, then have I not destroyed my enemy?"
My practice for years is to pick up a book at random, a book I might not otherwise read, open it and read a page at random, and try to understand something from that page.
People on Facebook and Myspace are like books. I randomly look at what some of the 300 people on my list are saying, and I am glimpsing into the soul and life and heart of that person. They mention something entirely new to me. I look at something in a way that I have never seen before. I google and read some. I reflect, react and post. Others randomly read my thoughts.
These activities are very enriching. Even a fool has something to teach a wise man.
Where would philosophy be today, if Socrates had said to The Eleatic Stranger, "Oh, sorry, I can't talk to you 'cause you're a stranger."
Somewhere in the Talmud it is observed that "when a great king stamps out coins with his image on them, each coin is the same, but when God creates people in His image, each and every one is different." Now, YOU are a stranger to all the people who might possibly add YOU. Do you feel they should FEAR you?
No, of course not. And you know that you are totally unique. There has NEVER been another person just like YOU, and there never shall be. And you have much to offer others.
Aristotle said, "A friend is another I." Well, consider the reflexivity of this I-Thou relationship. As we esteem others, so, in a labyrinthine fashion, we come to esteem ourselves.
There is a saying in India, "When a saint meets a sinner, all he sees is saintliness, but when a sinner meets a saint, all he sees is sin."
Also, "when a pickpocket meets a saint, all he sees are pockets."
Besides, in my situation, everyone who is an alumnus of St. John's Annapolis or Sante Fe Great Books program automatically shares something in common with me. How will you ever meet new and interesting people if you never trust anyone. Is it not the case that all of your friends were, at one point, a stranger that you got to know. I am a stranger to 6 billion people on the planet, but that does not make me strange. And a large percentage of violent crimes are perpetrated by relatives or acquaintances.
I have been on the Internet non stop since 1998, and talked to everyone. An online friend from Univ. of Oulu, Finland, came with his 11 yr. old son and stayed at my apartment for a few days, to save on hotel costs. I went to Tampa, FL once and had dinner with 3 yahoo chat acquaintances. An AOL friend from Great Britain spent the day with me while visiting NY. And I am guessing that about 50,000 people over the past 10 years have read my blogs on philosophy, religion, poetry, etc. I have never regretted giving everyone a chance.
What would Jesus have done? The Samaritan women at the well, the adultress, about to be stoned, Zaccheus the tax collector, the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot, reading Isaiah, Apostles Andrew and Nathaniel.... they were ALL TOTAL STRANGERS. America amazes me, because we pay such lip service to Christianity, and demand that
our presidential candidates take Jesus as their personal savior, but what do we choose to do in daily life. Dont get me wrong. I am Hindu and Buddhist in my personal beliefs. Gandhi rejected Christianity as his personal religion, but the beatitudes of the sermon on the mount were his favorite. Kurt Vonnegut wryly observed that Americans clamor to erect monuments to Moses' ten commandments, but no one thinks to have a plaque for the beatitudes.
And the Torah and Talmud say to welcome the stranger, so dont any of you weasel out of this by saying you are Jewish.
Dennis the Menace asked someone "are you a stranger". The old man replied "No, I lived her all my life." Dennis said "Good, cause my Mom says not to talk to strangers.
It's like the Lotto ad says, "You can't win if you don't play."
One of my tutor's at St. John's, Mr. Main, I think, said in seminar "you can't have too much money or too much whiskey." I guess I would add to that sentiment that you can't have too many friends (though you can have too many enemies). Lincoln said "If I make my enemy into my friend, then have I not destroyed my enemy?"
My practice for years is to pick up a book at random, a book I might not otherwise read, open it and read a page at random, and try to understand something from that page.
People on Facebook and Myspace are like books. I randomly look at what some of the 300 people on my list are saying, and I am glimpsing into the soul and life and heart of that person. They mention something entirely new to me. I look at something in a way that I have never seen before. I google and read some. I reflect, react and post. Others randomly read my thoughts.
These activities are very enriching. Even a fool has something to teach a wise man.
Where would philosophy be today, if Socrates had said to The Eleatic Stranger, "Oh, sorry, I can't talk to you 'cause you're a stranger."
Somewhere in the Talmud it is observed that "when a great king stamps out coins with his image on them, each coin is the same, but when God creates people in His image, each and every one is different." Now, YOU are a stranger to all the people who might possibly add YOU. Do you feel they should FEAR you?
No, of course not. And you know that you are totally unique. There has NEVER been another person just like YOU, and there never shall be. And you have much to offer others.
Aristotle said, "A friend is another I." Well, consider the reflexivity of this I-Thou relationship. As we esteem others, so, in a labyrinthine fashion, we come to esteem ourselves.
There is a saying in India, "When a saint meets a sinner, all he sees is saintliness, but when a sinner meets a saint, all he sees is sin."
Also, "when a pickpocket meets a saint, all he sees are pockets."
Is God A Mathematician?
Is God A Mathematician?
by Mario Livio. Simon & Schuster, 2009
"The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics creates many intriguing puzzles: Does mathematics have an existence that is entirely independent of the human mind? In other words, are we merely discovering mathematical verities, just as astronomers discover previously unknown galaxies? Or, is mathematics nothing but a human invention? If mathematics indeed exists in some abstract fairyland, what is the relation between this mystical world and physical reality? How does the human brain, with its known limitations, gain access to such an immutable world, outside of space and time? On the other hand, if mathematics is merely a human invention and it has no existence outside our minds, how can we explain the fact that the invention of so many mathematical truths miraculously anticipated questions about the cosmos and human life not even posed until many centuries later?"
by Mario Livio. Simon & Schuster, 2009
"The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics creates many intriguing puzzles: Does mathematics have an existence that is entirely independent of the human mind? In other words, are we merely discovering mathematical verities, just as astronomers discover previously unknown galaxies? Or, is mathematics nothing but a human invention? If mathematics indeed exists in some abstract fairyland, what is the relation between this mystical world and physical reality? How does the human brain, with its known limitations, gain access to such an immutable world, outside of space and time? On the other hand, if mathematics is merely a human invention and it has no existence outside our minds, how can we explain the fact that the invention of so many mathematical truths miraculously anticipated questions about the cosmos and human life not even posed until many centuries later?"
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Blessing and Curse of Imagination
Our gift and our curse is our IMAGINATION, which enables us to imagine a perfection in theory which is far beyond anything that can be actualized in practice. If it were not for the blessing of imagination, we would never strive for change. If it were not for the curse of imagination, we would never feel the sense of sadness and loss for "what might have been." "Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda" is the title of an old self-help book from the 1980s, in cognitive therapy (my cup is not half empty but half full). The Old Testament has a long and fascinating motif about "the darkness and wickedness of the imagination and the human heart". Of course there is also a beauty and light side to the imagination. The mind is a wonderful servant but a cruel master. We are the authors of our own "handwriting upon the wall" saying "you have been weighed and found wanting" or saying "good and faithful servant."
Labels: philosophy psychology spirituality happiness
Krishna In Singapore, Friend for 6 years now
[03:22] Sitaram: is your work going ok, are you hard hit by the recession
[03:23] Krish: not really
[03:23] Krish: the recession is a scam
[03:23] Krish: my business is getting better
[03:23] Sitaram: well, that is great!
[03:23] Krish: i am planning to come to the US soon
[03:23] Krish: i wish to meet you soon when am there sitaram
[03:23] Sitaram: well, come and visit
us in nyc
[03:23] Sitaram: certainly
[03:24] Krish: yes
[03:24] Krish: was travelling the region
[03:24] Krish: last month
[03:24] Krish: learnt alot
[03:24] Sitaram: which region which country
[03:24] Krish: was my first traveling experience in my life
[03:24] Krish: in 23 years
[03:24] Sitaram: are you in usa yet
[03:24] Sitaram: were you in calif.
[03:24] Krish: nope am not
[03:25] Krish: was in indonesia
[03:25] Krish: kl, penang
[03:25] Krish: then bangkok
[03:25] Sitaram: aha,.... they speak Bahasa there, right
[03:25] Krish: yes
[03:25] Krish: bangkok is a beautiful place
[03:25] Sitaram: i knew some indonesians on internet
[03:25] Krish: respectful and cultured people
[03:26] Sitaram: actually, it is one of largest muslim countries, and things
are very stable
[03:26] Sitaram: honor killings are unknown there
[03:26] Sitaram: that is what i heard
[03:26] Krish: indonesia was alright
[03:26] Krish: but i still felt quite unsafe
[03:27] Krish: compared to thailand
[03:27] Krish: i was in jakarta and kalimantan
[03:27] Sitaram: right, i am sure it cannot compare to singapore for law and order
[03:27] Krish: yes
[03:27] Krish: singapore is safe haven to me
[03:27] Krish: i feel so safe here
[03:27] Sitaram: i knew a woman in jakarta on internet
[03:27] Sitaram: just friends
[03:28] Krish: oh i see
[03:28] Sitaram: but she was a heroine addict
[03:28] Krish: oh
[03:28] Krish: gosh
[03:28] Sitaram: she claims to have lost the habit
[03:28] Sitaram: it was 2 years ago when i met her
[03:28] Krish: ohhh
[03:28] Krish: wow
[03:29] Sitaram: she said she would inject like 6 or 10 times per day, and
it would take a LOT to actually make her really high
[03:29] Sitaram: they build up a tolerance
[03:29] Sitaram: and then they need it just to feel normal
[03:29] Sitaram: i never tried any drugs myself
[03:29] Sitaram: i was always scared of addiction
[03:29] Sitaram: someone offered me some cocaine in the 1980s, but i
didnt even want to know what it feels like
[03:30] Sitaram: i figured once i had a taste, i would crave it the rest of my
life
[03:30] Sitaram: i have not had a drop of liquor or any tobacco for 1
year now
[03:30] Krish: gosh
[03:30] Krish: wow
[03:30] Sitaram: i never want to go back...
[03:30] Krish: thats good
[03:31] Sitaram: when you get over 60 which i am, then, your body cant
take it any more
[03:31] Krish: yes
[03:31] Sitaram: and i take 6 different medicines each day, so,
alcohol would interfere
[03:31] Krish: gosh
[03:31] Krish: yes definitely
[03:32] Krish: sitaram
[03:32] Sitaram: 1 for high blood sugar, 2 for pressure, one for stomach
acid, one flomax for urine flow, and a sleeping pill
[03:32] Krish: can i ask you something
[03:32] Sitaram: sure
[03:32] Sitaram: anything
[03:32] Krish: i started talking to you abt 5-6 years ago
[03:32] Krish: i think
[03:32] Sitaram: yes, i was thinking of that today
[03:32] Krish: my life has changed so much
[03:33] Krish: today my business is moderately successful
[03:33] Krish: and all this wouldnt have happened
[03:33] Krish: if you didnt make me think
[03:33] Krish: years back
[03:33] Krish: i owe alot to you
[03:33] Sitaram: well, i think you might have been influenced by
someone or something else
[03:34] Sitaram: because, i really only repeat like an old parrot what i
have heard and read for years
[03:34] Krish: i take it as my spiritual journey really began when i started
talking to you when i was rejected by the pentecoastal woman
[03:34] Sitaram: oh, yeah, i remember about that
[03:34] Krish: yes
[03:34] Sitaram: they are BAD news
[03:34] Krish: hahaha
[03:34] Sitaram: i mean, protestants in general
[03:34] Krish: yes
[03:35] Krish: the funny thing is she left the church
[03:35] Sitaram: catholics and orthodox (greek/russian) are much
nicer to deal with
[03:35] Krish: yes
[03:35] Sitaram: protestants can be fanatical
[03:35] Sitaram: and unstable
[03:35] Krish: very
[03:35] Sitaram: judgmental too
[03:35] Krish: yes
[03:35] Krish: gosh
[03:35] Krish: seriously sitaram
[03:36] Krish: do you think putting ur works in a book can be done?
[03:36] Krish: i think it might help alot of people
[03:36] Krish: i want to give something back
[03:36] Sitaram: well, hmmm.... i am happy for anyone to edit it...
[03:36] Krish: i want to do something
[03:36] Sitaram: i am not certain i could see it clearly myself...
[03:37] Sitaram: i mean, it might take someone else to make excerpts,
and edit and organize
[03:37] Krish: ok
[03:37] Krish: i wouldnt mind doing it but i dont know how or what to write
[03:37] Sitaram: well, you know, as long as it is alive in some form on the
internet, then, people can access it
[03:37] Sitaram: and it stays in the
search engines
[03:38] Sitaram: that is perhaps enough
[03:38] Krish: are you sure?
[03:38] Sitaram: perhaps the age of books is over....
[03:38] Sitaram: i mean, google
search engines....
[03:38] Krish: true
[03:38] Sitaram: that is where the great influence is
[03:38] Krish: of course
[03:38] Krish: i just want this knowledge
[03:38] Krish: to be spread
[03:38] Krish: to many
[03:39] Sitaram: it is sufficient if you keep the files archived
[03:39] Krish: yes i do hve it with me
[03:39] Krish: sitaram
[03:39] Sitaram: that is sufficient, and you are skilled in computers, so,
you will preserve them
[03:39] Krish: you spent many years in a monastry
[03:39] Krish: and then as a buddhist and then as a hindu
[03:39] Sitaram: well, i spent one year as a novice when i was age 25
[03:39] Sitaram: 13 months actually
[03:40] Krish: ohhh
[03:40] Sitaram: and i spent several years living as a layperson in the
monastery,... and visiting it a lot
[03:40] Sitaram: several actually
[03:40] Sitaram: one russian, one greek
[03:41] Krish: perhaps this spiritual journey can be noted
[03:41] Sitaram: yes,.... all together i have had many experiences of
several different religions
[03:41] Krish: yes this is something i would like to write about
[03:41] Krish: bcos thats the fundamental problem.. people get
stuck to religion
[03:41] Sitaram: i suppose in a nutshell, some theme about my life,
where i attend st. johns annapolis great books program for 4 years
[03:41] Sitaram: and seek truth in western philosophy
[03:42] Krish: and ur journey was what inspired me
[03:42] Krish: ohhh
[03:42] Sitaram: and then, i seek it in orthodox christian monasticism
[03:42] Sitaram: and then i spend several years reading many books on
psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis
[03:42] Krish: wow
[03:43] Sitaram: then i start blogging in 1998 with a geocities free site,
using only a few html commands
[03:43] Sitaram: so i was blogging before there was a word BLOG
[03:43] Krish: haha
[03:43] Sitaram: so, then, the 2 years around the Guyanese Hindu Mandir in
brooklyn, across the street from the apartment
[03:44] Sitaram: and then a year or two , nights and weekends at a
korean zen center in nyc (Chogye)
[03:44] Krish: ohhh
[03:44] Sitaram: and then, a year or so with the Hare Krishnas
[03:44] Sitaram: and then, my great battle with islam
[03:45] Sitaram: and then, reconciling myself to islam
[03:45] Krish: hmmmm
[03:45] Sitaram: so, that might be the framework for a story
[03:45] Krish: yes
[03:45] Sitaram: a biography, weaving in all the various blog posts
[03:45] Krish: yes
[03:45] Sitaram: perhaps all that is necessary is the story, and highlights
[03:45] Krish: i have never written a book before
[03:46] Krish: i have no idea how to do this
[03:46] Sitaram: perhaps a 100 page book, with links or search engine
arguments to find more on internet
[03:46] Krish: yes
[03:47] Krish: i did my business so that i will have money to study
[03:47] Krish: after a year of stopping school
[03:47] Krish: i have now saved enough
[03:47] Krish: for my school fees
[03:47] Sitaram: that is good
[03:47] Krish: now i wish to get back into the journey
[03:48] Sitaram: there is time, there are some years for you
[03:48] Sitaram: you will succeed when the time is right
[03:48] Krish: sitaram are u familiar with osho's writings
[03:48] Sitaram: well, yes, and he was very talented,... but there is a
dark side to osho
[03:48] Sitaram: i have one of his books on Heraclitus
[03:49] Krish: ohh
[03:49] Sitaram: the ancient greek
[03:49] Sitaram: but, i spoke for hours with a woman who was in his
oregon ashram when she was 18, for 6 months
[03:49] Sitaram: and she described the sexual activities
[03:49] Krish: they had sexual activities in the ashram?
[03:50] Sitaram: actually, she became a sex addict, with hundreds
of partners, and she went regularly to Puna to the Osho center
[03:50] Sitaram: they are required to have AIDES HIV tests, and then, the
engage in sex as a kind of religious practice
[03:50] Krish: gosh
[03:51] Sitaram: it is 4am i am forgetting the words
[03:51] Krish: thats messed up
[03:51] Sitaram: but this woman, said that after 6 months in Osho's
ashram, she was bleeding from the rectum (anus) because that was an
activity which was encouraged
[03:51] Sitaram: tantric
[03:51] Krish: holy smokes
[03:51] Sitaram: that is the word
[03:52] Sitaram: she was really convinced of the value of tantric sex
[03:52] Krish: its a god damn harlem
[03:52] Krish: not a ashram
[03:52] Sitaram: well, harlem is a nice place now,.... so, better not to
say that
[03:52] Krish: HAHAHA
[03:52] Krish: HAHAAHAHAHAH
[03:52] Sitaram: i live very close to harlem, like a 40 min train ride
[03:52] Krish: ahhh
[03:53] Krish: i see
[03:53] Sitaram: and Bill Clinton has his offices there
[03:53] Krish: why gosh
[03:53] Sitaram: former pres. clinton
[03:53] Krish: and osho
[03:53] Krish: has such a following
[03:53] Krish: in the US
[03:53] Sitaram: he is very popular with African Americans
[03:53] Krish: i know the whole hippies loved it
[03:53] Sitaram: well, the woman i knew was with Osho in Oregon in the
1980s
[03:53] Krish: oh
[03:53] Krish: tantric sex and all
[03:55] Sitaram: i know,... not
necessary,... but, contact me at my
gmail address, when you are coming
[03:23] Krish: not really
[03:23] Krish: the recession is a scam
[03:23] Krish: my business is getting better
[03:23] Sitaram: well, that is great!
[03:23] Krish: i am planning to come to the US soon
[03:23] Krish: i wish to meet you soon when am there sitaram
[03:23] Sitaram: well, come and visit
us in nyc
[03:23] Sitaram: certainly
[03:24] Krish: yes
[03:24] Krish: was travelling the region
[03:24] Krish: last month
[03:24] Krish: learnt alot
[03:24] Sitaram: which region which country
[03:24] Krish: was my first traveling experience in my life
[03:24] Krish: in 23 years
[03:24] Sitaram: are you in usa yet
[03:24] Sitaram: were you in calif.
[03:24] Krish: nope am not
[03:25] Krish: was in indonesia
[03:25] Krish: kl, penang
[03:25] Krish: then bangkok
[03:25] Sitaram: aha,.... they speak Bahasa there, right
[03:25] Krish: yes
[03:25] Krish: bangkok is a beautiful place
[03:25] Sitaram: i knew some indonesians on internet
[03:25] Krish: respectful and cultured people
[03:26] Sitaram: actually, it is one of largest muslim countries, and things
are very stable
[03:26] Sitaram: honor killings are unknown there
[03:26] Sitaram: that is what i heard
[03:26] Krish: indonesia was alright
[03:26] Krish: but i still felt quite unsafe
[03:27] Krish: compared to thailand
[03:27] Krish: i was in jakarta and kalimantan
[03:27] Sitaram: right, i am sure it cannot compare to singapore for law and order
[03:27] Krish: yes
[03:27] Krish: singapore is safe haven to me
[03:27] Krish: i feel so safe here
[03:27] Sitaram: i knew a woman in jakarta on internet
[03:27] Sitaram: just friends
[03:28] Krish: oh i see
[03:28] Sitaram: but she was a heroine addict
[03:28] Krish: oh
[03:28] Krish: gosh
[03:28] Sitaram: she claims to have lost the habit
[03:28] Sitaram: it was 2 years ago when i met her
[03:28] Krish: ohhh
[03:28] Krish: wow
[03:29] Sitaram: she said she would inject like 6 or 10 times per day, and
it would take a LOT to actually make her really high
[03:29] Sitaram: they build up a tolerance
[03:29] Sitaram: and then they need it just to feel normal
[03:29] Sitaram: i never tried any drugs myself
[03:29] Sitaram: i was always scared of addiction
[03:29] Sitaram: someone offered me some cocaine in the 1980s, but i
didnt even want to know what it feels like
[03:30] Sitaram: i figured once i had a taste, i would crave it the rest of my
life
[03:30] Sitaram: i have not had a drop of liquor or any tobacco for 1
year now
[03:30] Krish: gosh
[03:30] Krish: wow
[03:30] Sitaram: i never want to go back...
[03:30] Krish: thats good
[03:31] Sitaram: when you get over 60 which i am, then, your body cant
take it any more
[03:31] Krish: yes
[03:31] Sitaram: and i take 6 different medicines each day, so,
alcohol would interfere
[03:31] Krish: gosh
[03:31] Krish: yes definitely
[03:32] Krish: sitaram
[03:32] Sitaram: 1 for high blood sugar, 2 for pressure, one for stomach
acid, one flomax for urine flow, and a sleeping pill
[03:32] Krish: can i ask you something
[03:32] Sitaram: sure
[03:32] Sitaram: anything
[03:32] Krish: i started talking to you abt 5-6 years ago
[03:32] Krish: i think
[03:32] Sitaram: yes, i was thinking of that today
[03:32] Krish: my life has changed so much
[03:33] Krish: today my business is moderately successful
[03:33] Krish: and all this wouldnt have happened
[03:33] Krish: if you didnt make me think
[03:33] Krish: years back
[03:33] Krish: i owe alot to you
[03:33] Sitaram: well, i think you might have been influenced by
someone or something else
[03:34] Sitaram: because, i really only repeat like an old parrot what i
have heard and read for years
[03:34] Krish: i take it as my spiritual journey really began when i started
talking to you when i was rejected by the pentecoastal woman
[03:34] Sitaram: oh, yeah, i remember about that
[03:34] Krish: yes
[03:34] Sitaram: they are BAD news
[03:34] Krish: hahaha
[03:34] Sitaram: i mean, protestants in general
[03:34] Krish: yes
[03:35] Krish: the funny thing is she left the church
[03:35] Sitaram: catholics and orthodox (greek/russian) are much
nicer to deal with
[03:35] Krish: yes
[03:35] Sitaram: protestants can be fanatical
[03:35] Sitaram: and unstable
[03:35] Krish: very
[03:35] Sitaram: judgmental too
[03:35] Krish: yes
[03:35] Krish: gosh
[03:35] Krish: seriously sitaram
[03:36] Krish: do you think putting ur works in a book can be done?
[03:36] Krish: i think it might help alot of people
[03:36] Krish: i want to give something back
[03:36] Sitaram: well, hmmm.... i am happy for anyone to edit it...
[03:36] Krish: i want to do something
[03:36] Sitaram: i am not certain i could see it clearly myself...
[03:37] Sitaram: i mean, it might take someone else to make excerpts,
and edit and organize
[03:37] Krish: ok
[03:37] Krish: i wouldnt mind doing it but i dont know how or what to write
[03:37] Sitaram: well, you know, as long as it is alive in some form on the
internet, then, people can access it
[03:37] Sitaram: and it stays in the
search engines
[03:38] Sitaram: that is perhaps enough
[03:38] Krish: are you sure?
[03:38] Sitaram: perhaps the age of books is over....
[03:38] Sitaram: i mean, google
search engines....
[03:38] Krish: true
[03:38] Sitaram: that is where the great influence is
[03:38] Krish: of course
[03:38] Krish: i just want this knowledge
[03:38] Krish: to be spread
[03:38] Krish: to many
[03:39] Sitaram: it is sufficient if you keep the files archived
[03:39] Krish: yes i do hve it with me
[03:39] Krish: sitaram
[03:39] Sitaram: that is sufficient, and you are skilled in computers, so,
you will preserve them
[03:39] Krish: you spent many years in a monastry
[03:39] Krish: and then as a buddhist and then as a hindu
[03:39] Sitaram: well, i spent one year as a novice when i was age 25
[03:39] Sitaram: 13 months actually
[03:40] Krish: ohhh
[03:40] Sitaram: and i spent several years living as a layperson in the
monastery,... and visiting it a lot
[03:40] Sitaram: several actually
[03:40] Sitaram: one russian, one greek
[03:41] Krish: perhaps this spiritual journey can be noted
[03:41] Sitaram: yes,.... all together i have had many experiences of
several different religions
[03:41] Krish: yes this is something i would like to write about
[03:41] Krish: bcos thats the fundamental problem.. people get
stuck to religion
[03:41] Sitaram: i suppose in a nutshell, some theme about my life,
where i attend st. johns annapolis great books program for 4 years
[03:41] Sitaram: and seek truth in western philosophy
[03:42] Krish: and ur journey was what inspired me
[03:42] Krish: ohhh
[03:42] Sitaram: and then, i seek it in orthodox christian monasticism
[03:42] Sitaram: and then i spend several years reading many books on
psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis
[03:42] Krish: wow
[03:43] Sitaram: then i start blogging in 1998 with a geocities free site,
using only a few html commands
[03:43] Sitaram: so i was blogging before there was a word BLOG
[03:43] Krish: haha
[03:43] Sitaram: so, then, the 2 years around the Guyanese Hindu Mandir in
brooklyn, across the street from the apartment
[03:44] Sitaram: and then a year or two , nights and weekends at a
korean zen center in nyc (Chogye)
[03:44] Krish: ohhh
[03:44] Sitaram: and then, a year or so with the Hare Krishnas
[03:44] Sitaram: and then, my great battle with islam
[03:45] Sitaram: and then, reconciling myself to islam
[03:45] Krish: hmmmm
[03:45] Sitaram: so, that might be the framework for a story
[03:45] Krish: yes
[03:45] Sitaram: a biography, weaving in all the various blog posts
[03:45] Krish: yes
[03:45] Sitaram: perhaps all that is necessary is the story, and highlights
[03:45] Krish: i have never written a book before
[03:46] Krish: i have no idea how to do this
[03:46] Sitaram: perhaps a 100 page book, with links or search engine
arguments to find more on internet
[03:46] Krish: yes
[03:47] Krish: i did my business so that i will have money to study
[03:47] Krish: after a year of stopping school
[03:47] Krish: i have now saved enough
[03:47] Krish: for my school fees
[03:47] Sitaram: that is good
[03:47] Krish: now i wish to get back into the journey
[03:48] Sitaram: there is time, there are some years for you
[03:48] Sitaram: you will succeed when the time is right
[03:48] Krish: sitaram are u familiar with osho's writings
[03:48] Sitaram: well, yes, and he was very talented,... but there is a
dark side to osho
[03:48] Sitaram: i have one of his books on Heraclitus
[03:49] Krish: ohh
[03:49] Sitaram: the ancient greek
[03:49] Sitaram: but, i spoke for hours with a woman who was in his
oregon ashram when she was 18, for 6 months
[03:49] Sitaram: and she described the sexual activities
[03:49] Krish: they had sexual activities in the ashram?
[03:50] Sitaram: actually, she became a sex addict, with hundreds
of partners, and she went regularly to Puna to the Osho center
[03:50] Sitaram: they are required to have AIDES HIV tests, and then, the
engage in sex as a kind of religious practice
[03:50] Krish: gosh
[03:51] Sitaram: it is 4am i am forgetting the words
[03:51] Krish: thats messed up
[03:51] Sitaram: but this woman, said that after 6 months in Osho's
ashram, she was bleeding from the rectum (anus) because that was an
activity which was encouraged
[03:51] Sitaram: tantric
[03:51] Krish: holy smokes
[03:51] Sitaram: that is the word
[03:52] Sitaram: she was really convinced of the value of tantric sex
[03:52] Krish: its a god damn harlem
[03:52] Krish: not a ashram
[03:52] Sitaram: well, harlem is a nice place now,.... so, better not to
say that
[03:52] Krish: HAHAHA
[03:52] Krish: HAHAAHAHAHAH
[03:52] Sitaram: i live very close to harlem, like a 40 min train ride
[03:52] Krish: ahhh
[03:53] Krish: i see
[03:53] Sitaram: and Bill Clinton has his offices there
[03:53] Krish: why gosh
[03:53] Sitaram: former pres. clinton
[03:53] Krish: and osho
[03:53] Krish: has such a following
[03:53] Krish: in the US
[03:53] Sitaram: he is very popular with African Americans
[03:53] Krish: i know the whole hippies loved it
[03:53] Sitaram: well, the woman i knew was with Osho in Oregon in the
1980s
[03:53] Krish: oh
[03:53] Krish: tantric sex and all
[03:55] Sitaram: i know,... not
necessary,... but, contact me at my
gmail address, when you are coming
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Learning Debate to Support Our Views
Youtube introduction
A neighbor of mine, Mary, is a devout Republican conservative who admires Bush and Cheyney.
She would like to find a place to learn and practice the art of debate, so that she may better defend her views in arguments with liberal Democrats.
I have offered to help find debating resources.
Here is what she writes to me:
I would like to defend Bush on the War! Why he is blamed by the left wing and hated so much. This man is sincere and his only concern was to protect his country regardless of the polls. He inherited Clinton's recession and 9/11 same along....After all it was with the vote of both houses that we went into Irag...so why do they blame him and Cheney, etc. - and of course, they automatically connect Cheney with Haliburton and Bush with oil?
If any of you have ideas for arguments which defend her position, or arguments against her views, please let me know.
Here is one resource for debating societies that I have found so far:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Parliamentary_Debate_Association
APDA members stage weekly debating tournaments, each at a different university and occurring throughout the academic year. Some weekends have two debating tournaments, one north of New York City and one south of New York City, in order to shorten transport time. However, centrally located tournaments or particularly prestigious tournaments, such as those at Columbia, Fordham, NYU, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, will frequently be "unopposed", meaning that they will be the only tournament on that particular weekend. While APDA does play a role in creating a tournament schedule, the tournaments themselves are only loosely coordinated by the APDA body. Individual schools must ensure that their tournaments meet a broad set of APDA guidelines, but are free to tinker with their tournament formats.
...
Debates at APDA tournaments follow a debating style known as American Parliamentary Debate, which is modeled loosely on the procedure and decorum of the UK Parliament. This style emphasizes argumentation and rhetoric, rather than research and detailed factual knowledge.
Mary has presented some arguments to me in support of Pres. Bush. She makes the good point that Bush is sincere in his beliefs, and has persevered even at the cost of popularity in public opinion.
She is reading books about Obama, and books by Obama, in order to build her arguments against Obama.
She loves McCain and Palin.
Mary is very pro-life. She admires McCain for immediately stating that the beginning of personhood is the moment of conception. She feels that Obama gave more vague and evasive answers regarding the status of the embryo.
It is quite true that my personal views lean in favor of people like Obama and the Democrats. But I do value the opportunity to explore the arguments of the opposition, and exercise my own judgment and understanding.
Mary's difficulty arises when she becomes so emotional during arguments that she loses focus and concentration and focus, and forget which points she want to make and how she wants to make them. She feels that practice in the art of debate will remedy this weakness.
I do think one is strengthened by the exercise of arguing both sides of an issue, pro and con.
Flow of the round
A round of debate features two teams of two debaters each: the Government team, including the Prime Minister and the Member of Government, and the Opposition team, including the Leader of the Opposition and the Member of the Opposition.
Six speeches in all are delivered, varying in length:
* Prime Minister's Constructive: 7 minutes
* Leader of the Opposition's Constructive: 8 minutes
* Member of Government: 8 minutes
* Member of the Opposition: 8 minutes
* Leader of the Opposition's Rebuttal: 4 minutes
* Prime Minister's Rebuttal: 5 minutes
Points of information
A debater may rise to ask a point of information (POI) of an opponent during the opponent's speech. POIs are only permitted during the first four speeches, except in the first and final minutes of the speech. The speaking debater can choose to hear the POI or to dismiss it politely. Traditionally when standing on a point of information some debaters extend one hand palm up, holding the back of the head with the other. This pose originated in old British Parliamentary etiquette: an MP would adopt the position to secure his wig and show that he was not carrying a weapon.[1] It is generally considered good form to accept at least two POIs during a speech.
The resolution
In most rounds, the resolution is squirrelable, meaning that the Government team can propose any topic it wants for debate. (Certain tournaments provide both teams with the topic of debate 15 minutes before the round.)
Since the Opposition team arrives at the round with no prior knowledge of the case, some kinds of resolutions are not permitted to ensure a fair debate. If Opposition feels that the round fits any one of these categories, they may point this out during the Leader's speech. If the judge agrees, Opposition wins. There are five kinds of disallowed resolutions:
* tight resolutions, which are deemed too one-sided ("racism is bad", for example);
* truisms ("Bill Clinton is the greatest Democratic president of the U.S. since Jimmy Carter");
* tautologies ("Good citizens should help the poor," with goodness defined as "a willingness to do charitable acts");
* status quo resolutions ("The United States should have jury trials");
* specific-knowledge cases, i.e., cases which are unfair toward the Opposition team because they require highly obscure knowledge to oppose effectively ("NASA should replace the current sealant used on the space shuttle with hypoxynucleotide-C4598")
Aside from these five limitations, virtually any topic for debate is fair game, as long as there are two coherent and debatable sides. Debaters may also present opp-choice cases, in which the government team offers the opposition team the chance to choose which side of a topic the government team will defend in the round.
I suppose such debate, and parliamentary procedure is at the fabric of a constitutional democratic republic.
Time-space
One type of case, common on APDA but rare on other circuits, is the time-space case. This places the speaker in the position of some real-life, fictional, or historical figure. Only information accessible to a person in that position is legal in this type of round. For instance, "You are Socrates. Don't commit suicide" could not reference events that took place after Socrates' death. The speaker can be a fictional character ("You are Homer Simpson. Do not sell your soul"), a historical character ("You are Abraham Lincoln. Do not sign the emancipation proclamation") or virtually any other sentient individual.
One notable type of time-space case is the historical hypothetical case, in which decisions made by particular historical figures are debated from their historical context. Debates surrounding, for instance, Civil War strategy or World War I alliances are commonplace. These types of debates often require a detailed knowledge of history.
Time-space cases are a particularly sensitive type of case for the government, because their setting must leave room for the opposition to defeat the case even if that would go against the historical outcome already known to everyone in the room.
...
National Collegiate Debate Championship (2006)
Upsets abound as students from Michigan State, Northwestern, Wake Forest & Harvard compete in the 2006 National Collegiate Debate Championship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT8t4liEHwU
++++++
++++++++
Yale University BP debate 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34IXnyEUk3U
Final Round
Yale University British Parliamentary
Oct 26th-29th/2007
Courtesy: University of Waterloo Debating Society
I find this debate quite impressive, since it pertains to recent events in Pakistan, which I have been following with interest.
Notice the emphasis on the the debater's speed of speech as a desirable ability.
Yale University British Parliamentary
Oct 26th-29th/2007
Courtesy: University of Waterloo Debating Society
I find this debate quite impressive, since it pertains to recent events in Pakistan, which I have been following with interest.
Notice the emphasis on the the debater's speed of speech as a desirable ability.
++++++++++++++
333333
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWh7PATwAvA
..
Yale debate Debate university University tournament BP british parliamentary
++++++
44444
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcZMh__AvOY
Charlie Rose show is a good source of debates as reasoned discussions.
Lyndon B. Johnson often quoted the Old Testament verse "Come, let us reason together."
+++++
555
Friday, September 05, 2008
My Ustream Webcam Feed/Chat
Follow the link to see my ustream broadcast! Thanks!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Misty (my seventh attempt)
The transition at "You can say that you're leading me on" was very difficult for me to figure out.
Misty - Johnny Mathis
Look at me,
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud
I can't understand,
I get misty, holding your hand.
Walk my way,
And a thousand violins begin to play
Or it might be the sound of your hello
That music I hear,
I get misty the moment you're near
You can say that you're leading me on
But it's just what I want you to do
Don't you realize how hopelessly I'm lost
That's why I'm following you.
On my own,
Would I wander through this wonderland alone
Never knowing my right foot from my left,
My hat from my glove,
I get misty, and too much in love.
I'm too misty, and too much in love
Sweet Georgia Brown
NO GAL MADE HAS GOT A SHADE
ON SWEET GEORGIA BROWN,
TWO LEFT FEET, OH, SO NEAT,
HAS SWEET GEORGIA BROWN!
THEY ALL SIGH, AND WANT TO DIE,
FOR SWEET GEORGIA BROWN!
I'LL TELL YOU JUST WHY,
YOU KNOW I DON'T LIE, NOT MUCH:
IT'S BEEN SAID SHE KNOCKS 'EM DEAD,
WHEN SHE LANDS IN TOWN!
SINCE SHE CAME, WHY IT'S A SHAME,
HOW SHE COOLS THEM DOWN!
FELLAS SHE CAN'T GET
MUST BE FELLAS SHE AIN'T MET!
GEORGIA CLAIMED HER, GEORGIA NAMED HER,
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN!
NO GAL MADE HAS GOT A SHADE
ON SWEET GEORGIA BROWN,
TWO LEFT FEET, OH, SO NEAT,
HAS SWEET GEORGIA BROWN!
THEY ALL SIGH, AND WANT TO DIE,
FOR SWEET GEORGIA BROWN!
I'LL TELL YOU JUST WHY,
YOU KNOW I DON'T LIE; NOT MUCH:
ALL THOSE GIFTS THOSE COURTERS GIVE,
TO SWEET GEORGIA BROWN,
THEY BUY CLOTHES AT FASHION SHOWS,
WITH ONE DOLLAR DOWN,
OH, BOY! TIP YOUR HAT!
OH, JOY! SHE'S THE CAT!
WHO'S THAT, MISTER? 'TAIN'T A SISTER!
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Cheryl Lynn will leave Myspace
I stayed up until almost 4 am. this morning copying pasting and saving all of Cheryl Lynns emails from Myspace, because once she does delete her profile, those messages disappear. Reading them again was like watching a movie of our friendship, reliving everything. I am surprised that it never occurred to me before to save them. But, I am glad I did. A few tears trickled down my cheek while I was doing it.
For some reason, at this moment, Myspace is not allowing me to blog, so I will just blog here.
I made a new friend, from Bangladesh, a man who has been in New York for 16 years. I went out of my way to help him network in his job search, and he wanted to say thanks by taking me to dinner.
We went to a neighborhood that is mostly people from Bangladesh. We had a leisurely meal of Banglash style food (rice and meat), followed by several cups of tea prepared with milk.
I spent a long time telling him about my friendship on Myspace with Cheryl Lynn. He spoke about his various relationships. He is tall, handsome and physically fit. He could easily have any number of different women as a girl friend. But, his great desire is to find a Bangla woman (from Bangladesh). Except, well, he has been in the USA so many years, that he is changed in certain ways, in values and attitudes.
We cannot have our cake and eat it too.
And we always seem to want the one thing which is hardest to obtain.
He said that the non-Bangla women that he dates are looking for commitment. This is most understandable. Most women want a relationship that builds and goes someplace (like home and family), rather than simply "Fun Fun Fun until my Daddy takes the T-Bird away" (an old rock and roll song").
He was on a date with one girl, and she made some joke about "what if we were on a cruise, and I jumped in the ocean?" So he said "well, I would jump in and save you, and swim to an island and build a house." She looked at him in wide-eyed wonder, and exclaimed "oh, that is so wonderful." He realized that he had given her the impression that he seeks commitment. And she was looking for commitment.
He explained to me that he had become very distant from his fellow countrymen in the city. They seemed to distance themselves from him, and view him as alien. So, he has made a point, the past several years, to come to this Bangla neighborhood, to make friendships. In the summertime, there are various pic-nics and social gatherings.
Of course, he was raised and is Muslim. We spent some time talking about Islam, and various religious matters.
One of his several wise comments is his observation that people such as Gandhi, will go abroad, and study in another culture, and then return to their native land with an idea to implement some change among their people. Sometimes, the change succeeds, and other times it is disaster .
For some reason, at this moment, Myspace is not allowing me to blog, so I will just blog here.
I made a new friend, from Bangladesh, a man who has been in New York for 16 years. I went out of my way to help him network in his job search, and he wanted to say thanks by taking me to dinner.
We went to a neighborhood that is mostly people from Bangladesh. We had a leisurely meal of Banglash style food (rice and meat), followed by several cups of tea prepared with milk.
I spent a long time telling him about my friendship on Myspace with Cheryl Lynn. He spoke about his various relationships. He is tall, handsome and physically fit. He could easily have any number of different women as a girl friend. But, his great desire is to find a Bangla woman (from Bangladesh). Except, well, he has been in the USA so many years, that he is changed in certain ways, in values and attitudes.
We cannot have our cake and eat it too.
And we always seem to want the one thing which is hardest to obtain.
He said that the non-Bangla women that he dates are looking for commitment. This is most understandable. Most women want a relationship that builds and goes someplace (like home and family), rather than simply "Fun Fun Fun until my Daddy takes the T-Bird away" (an old rock and roll song").
He was on a date with one girl, and she made some joke about "what if we were on a cruise, and I jumped in the ocean?" So he said "well, I would jump in and save you, and swim to an island and build a house." She looked at him in wide-eyed wonder, and exclaimed "oh, that is so wonderful." He realized that he had given her the impression that he seeks commitment. And she was looking for commitment.
He explained to me that he had become very distant from his fellow countrymen in the city. They seemed to distance themselves from him, and view him as alien. So, he has made a point, the past several years, to come to this Bangla neighborhood, to make friendships. In the summertime, there are various pic-nics and social gatherings.
Of course, he was raised and is Muslim. We spent some time talking about Islam, and various religious matters.
One of his several wise comments is his observation that people such as Gandhi, will go abroad, and study in another culture, and then return to their native land with an idea to implement some change among their people. Sometimes, the change succeeds, and other times it is disaster .
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Meeting Chris Noth In The Street
Meeting Chris Noth in the street
with comments on Sex In The City (the movie)
recorded on youtube at literarydiscussions (click link below title)
or click on my 8 minute youtube recording
I was outside Chris Noth's building, standing 3 feet from his open car window, startled to see my favorite actor, and stammered "You are my hero"
Here is my tribute to actor Chris Noth, along with my reflections upon the newly released movie, "Sex In The City."
P.S. - Here is my little trick to test if my blog is in the search engines:
I include some rumplestiltskin word. My word is anekantavadaellada
Ellada is the modern Greek word for Greece.
Anekantavada is a Jain religion term meaning many-pointedness or
"Any attempt to express the truth of being and reality is but some partial aspect of reality."
An = not
ekanta = one
vada = view, path, truth, knowledge (or something like that)
with comments on Sex In The City (the movie)
recorded on youtube at literarydiscussions (click link below title)
or click on my 8 minute youtube recording
I was outside Chris Noth's building, standing 3 feet from his open car window, startled to see my favorite actor, and stammered "You are my hero"
Here is my tribute to actor Chris Noth, along with my reflections upon the newly released movie, "Sex In The City."
P.S. - Here is my little trick to test if my blog is in the search engines:
I include some rumplestiltskin word. My word is anekantavadaellada
Ellada is the modern Greek word for Greece.
Anekantavada is a Jain religion term meaning many-pointedness or
"Any attempt to express the truth of being and reality is but some partial aspect of reality."
An = not
ekanta = one
vada = view, path, truth, knowledge (or something like that)
Labels: Chris Noth Hero Sex In The City
