Conversing about Nothing (Split from Disc Susp List)

Quote: DMSCR

As long it is the Ring of Royal Grandeur with a socket and proper crit with cooldown reduction.

I'm going to venture that the answer is probably no, for I'm not up on my socket, crit or cooldown reduction. My ring is from the 12 century. It has been with me when I have engaged in falconry. Its provenance can be verified.

Quote: AxelWolf

I'm sure there's a personal insult here somehow. I'll let it pass since you are doomed for life playing -EV baccarat with ugly dealers.

If you take that as a personal insult I truly feel for you. It was really a compliment. Now also your personal -EV is through the roof red hot. Yikes. There are some great yoga places here in Vegas please join one. You will resent your comment afterwards. It is funny how you tend to take things in the wrong way. I guess that Vegas Roll Over card is not working out for you.

Quote: DMSCR

If you take that as a personal insult I truly feel for you. It was really a compliment. Now also your personal -EV is through the roof red hot. Yikes. There are some great yoga places here in Vegas please join one. You will resent your comment afterwards. It is funny how you tend to take things in the wrong way. I guess that Vegas Roll Over card is not working out for you.

lol "Roll over" love it.

It can't work if you don't try. I didn't want to hit it and quit it.

Edit:
I don't have a full understanding of Occam's Razor. To my underestimating it means the simplest answer is usually the best one.

Usually thats true, but oftentimes simple non thinking people go to that, because they don't want to think and they believe everything they see or hear.

Quote: AxelWolf

It can't work if you don't try.

Thank you Yoda. May the Force be with you.

Quote: AxelWolf

Usually thats true, but oftentimes simple non thinking people go to that, because they don't want to think and they believe everything they see or hear.

So this means you support the Tea Party. Okay great to know!

Really hope Babs changes the title of this thread to Topics of the Fifth and Sixth Dimensions. Now can we go and aim for the eighth and ninth? LOL.

Quote: DMSCR

Thank you Yoda. May the Force be with you.

Thank you, and may the Yoga be with you. I prefer not to join a girls sport.

On second thought http://forums.bicycling.com/fileSendAction/fcType/0/fcOid/54635607119941289/filePointer/54635607132067036/fodoid/54635607132067034/imageType/LARGE/inlineImage/true/hot-girls-in-yoga-pants-19.jpg

Nah I don't do Yoga either. I tend to fart a lot with all that twisting and bending. But nice visuals btw.

Quote: DMSCR

. But nice visuals btw.

butt nice visuals indeed .... http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m419mdTW5p1qhmu4ao1_500.jpg

Quote: DMSCR

Really hope Babs changes the title of this thread to Topics of the Fifth and Sixth Dimensions. Now can we go and aim for the eighth and ninth? LOL.

Yes, I don't know why it's entitled Conversing About Nothing. (Wasn't that a Shakespeare Play?)

One person's nothing is another person's something.

The exchanges, the matching of wits--it's been fun.

For me, a nice break from the last couple days. There's value in that.

Is the Fifth Dimension even around anymore?

Quote: Greasyjohn

Yes, I don't know why it's entitled Conversing About Nothing. (Wasn't that a Shakespeare Play?)

One person's nothing is another person's something.

The exchanges, the matching of wits--it's been fun.

For me, a nice break from the last couple days. There's value in that.

Is the Fifth Dimension even around anymore?

Exactly! It was never meant to offend or humiliate anyone in anyway. It is about having the wits and carrying it out in ways on its own. I say this could be our very own version of Lost in Translation and just run with it. After coming back from a very long break I log on and see all that vileness especially the bigotry and racism I was like this is unnecessary. Thought I lighten things up and glad that someone like Greasyjohn and a few others joining in. Yeah that goes for you to Uncle Axie. LOL. As for EvenBob, LOL. I hope your kids still talk to you.

Quote: AxelWolf

butt nice visuals indeed .... http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m419mdTW5p1qhmu4ao1_500.jpg

You can bounce quarters off that!

Quote: Greasyjohn

Yes, I don't know why it's entitled Conversing About Nothing. (Wasn't that a Shakespeare Play?)

One person's nothing is another person's something.

The exchanges, the matching of wits--it's been fun.

For me, a nice break from the last couple days. There's value in that.

Is the Fifth Dimension even around anymore?

I called it that because of the many Seinfeld (the show about nothing) references in the posts I moved. I thought it was funny.

The Fifth Dimension is around somewhere playing tribute concerts to the Age of Aquarius and all that. Maybe only in my mind. That Hair soundtrack found me at exactly the point of adolescence where the music gets seared into your head.

"When the moon is in the 7th house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then Peace will guide the planets
And lo-ove will fill the stars."

It was the dawn of something, but not the age
of Aquarius..

Quote: DMSCR

You can bounce quarters off that!

Again I can't open the video.

A quarter bouncing off a Marine boot camp bunk?

Quote: beachbumbabs

I called it that because of the many Seinfeld (the show about nothing) references in the posts I moved. I thought it was funny.

The Fifth Dimension is around somewhere playing tribute concerts to the Age of Aquarius and all that. Maybe only in my mind. That Hair soundtrack found me at exactly the point of adolescence where the music gets seared into your head.

"When the moon is in the 7th house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then Peace will guide the planets
And lo-ove will fill the stars."

Remember "Hair." A bigger deal than Deep Throat, which I'd never seen either. Then about a year ago I saw it on my computer. Right there free on YouTube. For those of you thinking of watching it, save your time unless it's just for historical purposes. It ain't anything great,

Maybe we should all just come to embrace Conversing About Nothing. It sounds so empty and yet it's not.

Quote: EvenBob

It was the dawn of something, but not the age
of Aquarius..

Many people thought the Hippie movement might radically change the world into a better place. But it was kind of like a commune that four years later is inhabited by bums and addicts instead of the original insightful and loving, healthy people.

They grew up.

We are seeing what I'd call a "pollinating effect" as their offspring have been raised in a much more free way than did the prior generations, resulting in a more liberal, less uptight and conformist citizenry.

As a corollary we have roadside panhandlers now, a black (well, half black anyway) President, and a whole bunch of slackers.

Life is change.

Quote: MrV

They grew up.

We are seeing what I'd call a "pollinating effect" as their offspring have been raised in a much more free way than did the prior generations, resulting in a more liberal, less uptight and conformist citizenry.

As a corollary we have roadside panhandlers now, a black (well, half black anyway) President, and the Occupy movement.

Life is change.

You mention something I find especially interesting. President Obama is mulatto, and yet I've never heard of him referred to as such. People refer to him as black, and he does look black, but he is half white. Yet he is never referred to as white. I mention these things to point out the walking-on-eggs absurdity of it all.

I'm guessing that some individuals have an issue with referring to Obama as mulatto. They might prefer that he be referred to as mixed race. But mixed race isn't specific. It tells you almost nothing. Or some may say he should be referred to as half black and half white. But look at the definition of mulatto and with one word you've defined his racial heritage. It is true that some words just sound uncomfortable to some people when they are being used. You would probably never hear of a black woman being referred to as a Negress. Quadroon is another word that has an archaic sound to it. Negro, colored, black, Afro-American, African-American. All words used, and most fallen out of favor, in the past 60 years.

John Stossel used the n-word on the air during a 60 Minutes piece about 15 years ago (if my time line is correct). He was referencing it's use of course, not referring to someone. I know that some newspaper publications won't print the n-word, they'll use "n-word" instead. Perhaps today no mainstream publications will use this word directly. It was during the O.J trial 20 years ago that I first heard the term "n-word." Prior to that people would reference the n-word using the word itself (this is my recollection of the history of this word's usage, but I can't be certain).

I wonder if in referencing the n-word, if you used the n-word directly in this forum, would it be allowed? Now there's an interesting question, but I have no desire to find out and do something that would be very controversial, upsetting to some, perhaps many, and open up a Pandora's box. Dissension would rain down like golf-ball-sized hailstones. Please, let me stress, I have absolutely no desire to test the limits of this forum's tolerance or upset any members. I only bring this up to show how much emotion, indignation, acrimony and controversy is associated with many things we normally keep quiet about.

Race: I had a girlfriend a long time ago that referred to herself as Italian and Colombian. Her mother was from Barranquilla, Colombia. Her father, Italian, had deserted the family when my girlfriend was very young. Our relationship lasted about a year. You know, it wasn't until 25 years later that I thought to myself that she had made up her father being Italian in order to promote a more mainstream, European, perhaps more socially acceptable ethnic heritage. When she mentioned her ethnicity she always mentioned being Italian first, and being that she was raised in a Colombian family you would think that she'd refer to that heritage first. The chances of an Italian man coming to Barranquilla in the late-50s, getting involved with a simple, uneducated woman... No, I think her father was Colombian. Could I be wrong? Of course. But I don't think so.

Jews: There’s something I have noticed about many Jews. They don’t like to refer to themselves racially as being a Jew. They will insist that being a Jew is a religion. But I’ve seen the word “Jew” or “Jewish” in encyclopedias as referring to a race. In one encyclopedia I referenced it said that Jews are a people that share a common racial origin. But in another encyclopedia it states that a common modern myth persists in defining Jews as a “race.” It goes on to say that Jews by no means share the same physical character, but reflect the physical and mental characteristics of the people among whom they live. I find this latter definition laughable and incorrect.

The Jewish people share a middle eastern heritage, living mainly in the same geographical region for centuries, marrying and bearing children within their clans, eating the same foods, being susceptible to the same diseases that might visit their region, formulating their customs and preferences. They endured hay fever from the same plants and air borne pollens. The list goes on and on. This all creates similar physical features.

What makes an ethnic Greek look different, generally, from an Italian? What makes an ethnic German look generally different than someone ethnically French? It is for all the differences I point out in the prior paragraph and many more.

Sure, Jews marry non-Jews, live in different geographical areas, but thousands of years assimilating with each other geographically, eating the same foods and on and on, has created a similarity of look that is undeniable. I’m not saying that Paul Newman looks like Albert Einstein, I’m saying that generally there are ethnic physical similarities. Whether you want to refer to their ethnic origin as Jews, Jewish, Semitic people or Hebrews, they’re ethnically of one race.

The point is, is that many Jews don’t want to admit that they share a common ethnic identity. A Jew that was born in Poland might refer to himself as ethnically Polish. But he isn’t ethnically a Pole. His citizenship, or country of domicile, or where he was born may be Poland, but unless his ancestors married an ethnic pole then he isn’t ethnically Polish.

Can I ask you an honest question? In the section above about Jews that started by me writing, "Jews:" did you cringe just a little when I wrote that one word? I would have cringed a little if I was reading it. Regrettably, the term "Jew" was used in so many negative connotations by the Nazis during WWII that the term conjures up some negative images. The Nazis weren't the only ones to stir up negativity, but you get the idea. I think many Jews also cringe when they hear the word Jew, and perhaps that's why they don't like the appellation.

It's funny though how many Jews love driving Mercedes Benz, a car developed in Germany, and by a company that could have used slave labor during WWII. I don't know the role that the car manufacturer played in the Nazi era, so I could be suggesting things about Mercedes that are not true. But the point is, is that Jews like driving a car that is drenched in German culture. Germany, a country that systematically tried to wipe out the Jews during WWII. But Jews drive this symbol of status and luxury without even a thought. Amazing. And many Jews don't even know how to add a quart of oil. Generally, Jews aren't the most savvy race when it comes to blue collar pursuits. For that, Latinos excel as few other racial groups. They can do things for 1/5th the cost. I must have a little Latino in me. If I do I'm fairly certain that my mother would not have admitted to having this ethnicity in our family tree; unless my grandfather was Peruvian or something and the truth was glaring. I said fairly certain but "positive" is more like it. Of course, I was referring to myself as an "honorary" Latino. Comprende? The term "Mexican" has a similar cringe quality to it. It has been used as a default negative term for Latinos.

And Latinos are generally hard workers. They'll finish a job that if done by me would wipe me out. But they're off to another job. Look at all the Latinos looking for work by standing around on street corners and in front of home improvement stores. You will rarely see black men standing around looking for work because, in my opinion, it is generally not part of their culture to do so. In my opinion, there's generally too much of a false scene of pride and arrogance for black men to look like they want to be productive members of our society--to need anything from others, especially whites who would often be a likely employer. Of course, this false sense of pride and arrogance that black male culture perpetuates has a lot of its foundation in their history of discrimination and goes all the way back to the era of slavery. But there are less justifiable reasons for these attitudes as well.

Very, very few people are racist. If someone helps you, does something that gets you out of a bind, gives from the heart, I guarantee you that just about everybody will look beyond that persons race and just see a person that helped them, including Mickey Crimm. Apparently there were some blacks at Fort Riley in 1973 that were targeting whites with beatings and such just because they were white. How the whole race riot started I don't know, but Mickey was not going to put up with that and he retaliated. It is regrettable if he indiscriminately targeted all blacks and not just the ones that needed a good thumpin'. But Mickey was reacting to what he saw as wrong. It's too bad that he can't talk about his thoughts and be more civil. He has an overriding desire to throw down the gauntlet; like his most profound moment in life was when he swore a solemn oath to do so if wronged. Some seminal event probably forged his living by the sword; he is alive when defending what he feels is right, risking it all. His words in all their unbridled glory not couched in civility but provocation. And alcohol does bring out our dark emotions as well as our passions.

Did some of what I wrote hit home? Do you see how race is often a subject filled land mines, or simply not discussed because of the potential for misunderstanding, acrimony and heated dialogue.

There, I’ve mentioned some of my thoughts and observations on race. Obviously, this isn't a thorough examination of these subjects or issues.

I know subjects like this attract passionate exchanges that can boil over. It's to bad that this happens. It's much like a uber-liberal talking to a conservative republican. Insults, claims of ignorance, misleading and out of context snippets used to promote one side. It's regrettable that we can't look for the truth in the bigger picture of what people are trying to say.

I just wanted to share my thoughts. I'm responding to something that interested me in a post, and I wandered to write of other things.

If you are easily offended don't watch.

If you want the full gantlet on amusing Asian stereotyping.

The Amazing Racist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWO7CMF5otY

If you find it humorous he has more

I only watched a little of it. It is over the top offensive. It is probably my post that sparked your post since it came right after mine. I'm not sure of your intention but perhaps you'll make it known.

Edit: Okay, I watched the whole thing. It's actually pretty funny. Full of stereotypes we rarely talk about but in the video you're bombarded with them. I'm leaving up my first two sentences of this post because it shows how one's attitude and impression can change so quickly. It shows how what at first looks incredibly offensive can really diffuse the discomfort if you give it a chance. All the participants went along with it after all. Anyway, I did an about face.

Quote: Greasyjohn

I only watched a little of it. It is over the top offensive. It is probably my post that sparked your post since it came right after mine. I'm not sure of your intention but perhaps you'll make it known.

Edit: Okay, I watched the whole thing. It's actually pretty funny. Full of stereotypes we rarely talk about but in the video you're bombarded with them. I'm leaving up my first two sentences of this post because it shows how one's attitude and impression can change so quickly. It shows how what at first looks incredibly offensive can really diffuse the discomfort if you give it a chance. All the participants went along with it after all. Anyway, I did an about face.

TBH I didn't read you're post, it was to long.

I posted it because all the racial talk and women hitting men (it has that in it) I don't find this stuff offensive, it's comedy it actually show how dumb stereotypes can be.
I don't care if people make fun of white people either.

serious racist hate talk is an entirely different animal.

Quote: AxelWolf

TBH I didn't read you're post, it was to long.

I posted it because all the racial talk and women hitting men (it has that in it) I don't find this stuff offensive, it's comedy it actually show how dumb stereotypes can be.
I don't care if people make fun of white people either.

serious racist hate talk is an entirely different animal.

The part where she is hitting the guy is great. So often in life we'd like to have that reaction but of course we don't. It had a sort of sexual tension to it too. I'd like her to really be mad at me, see anger in her face, get it out of her system, have that kind of rough foreplay with her before make-up sex.

There I go, letting my imagination run.