2010-01-23 Philosophical Discussion Highlights

Jan 10

2010-01-23 Philosophical Discussion Highlights

Damian and I had a great philosophical discussion about things we’ve learned the past few years. It was the kind of discussion that would make for great Dream Seeker stories, but since there is EARTH-ZERO interest in the Dream Seeker, I am no longer interested in translating that conversation into a great Dream Seeker story or novel.

I have lost all desire to pursue Dream Seeker stuff in this stale world.

I have commissioned a bumper sticker which expresses my views on this — I’ve seen the first draft, and it’s a beautiful yet simple message and look. There is a minor tweak that needs to be done, and it will be ready.

Anyway, here are the points … mainly for Damian and I to record and remember:

- There are no absolutes in life:
– You can’t be against abortion 100% of the time; nor can you support abortion 100% of the time … it’s a case by case thing, dig?

- Fundamentalist Christians who feel superior to Haitians are skewed and wrong … if they want to donate merely to convert Haitians, they should reconsider their holier than thou elitist attitude and help for the sake of helping? After all, Jesus fed the 5,000 without asking them if they believed in Him

- Liberalism is too amorphous for young kids to understand; they need structure and concrete answers to guide them through their early years; let them discover philosophy and question as they get older

- Programs like the 700 Club offer concrete answers … unfortunately, it is disheartening when you grow up and realize what kind of idiot Pat Robertson is

- Shooting holes in Pat Robertson’s assertion that Haitians signed a pact with the devil
– Cecil Adams basically said this:
— Even if the Haitians did sign some crazy pact with the devil, the legend goes that the pact was to last 200 years, so it has expired
— The evidence that they signed a pact with the devil, the way Pat Robertson described, is nonexistent
— Their is no real evidence that Haitians all united and signed some pact with the devil

- There are limits to humanity’s ability to handle disasters:
– We don’t have terra-forming capabilities to prevent disasters
– people don’t get along efficiently
— We’ve known IT pros who all have good intentions and want to get things done … and they could NEVER agree on how to go about doing things!
— Sorry, but sometimes you need a clear leader in charge that everyone can hate
— Having a clear leader (dictator?) can be a focal point for aid workers in Haiti, for example … they can unite via their hate towards the leader, forget their internal squabbles, and work on getting things done, complying with orders, while doing things their way

Anyway … there are so many great elements here that would make for great Dream Seeker stories. The Soul Patrol would be fantastic for some of these concepts, since they’ve been around for 500 years.

Too bad.

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2 Responses to “2010-01-23 Philosophical Discussion Highlights”

Damian Hospital says:

January 26, 2010 at 6:57 am

Some others we talked about:

Some churches take the extreme point of view and "ban" masturbating, but make up excuses (No Prizes) for wet dreams. If spilling sperm cells without procreating is sooooo bad (Onanism), why do modern day churches promote consensual married sex without the intention to procreate? Stop discriminating against masturbation.

The fact is that 99.99% of those Christians who lecture followers about the horrors of masturbation practice it themselves. I know because I checked out their internet browsers. You wouldn't believe some of the sites they visit after church. My point: if "everyone" does it, it must be natural human behavior. But like all human behaviors, there are extremes, so you must find the Middle Way. Stop the judging, man. It leads to self-guilt.

We all have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise we have absurd beliefs and practices. I don't believe in killing or eating sentient beings, yet I wash my hands every day and wipe out millions of bacteria. When I drive I see insects flying on my windshield. I am aware, but it's not an obsession.
Damian Hospital says:

January 26, 2010 at 11:59 am

Also: analogy comparing increasing comic book prices to WWE Pay Per Views (PPV).

Both industries make the price so high that only the addicts and completists are able to buy their products.

Comic books are around $3.99 for one, and both DC and Marvel push their product so you "have" to spend around $60 to $100 a month on comics to "keep up".

WWE has monthly PPVs (three hours) that run $40, with WrestleMania being $55. That's around $500 a year, bro.

TNA also has monthly PPVs, which run at $30 a hit.

Marvel, DC, WWE, and TNA all have determined that they don't have to appeal to the mainstream audiences that generally demand low prices for things. They target the fanatics in their niche. The crazy thing is that it *works* even though longtime fans on a budget are marginalized.

Thanks to the Internet, more and more hobbies and niches go from having a cult phenomena to having a global following. Each hobby has its own fanatical base of supporters and their own internal critics.

It also seems that the way the current system is set up, more people COMPLAIN online about the things they buy.

Will Generation Z continue the trend of buying a product and ripping it? Yes.

I personally no longer spend a DIME on movies, PPV, or books. All of my reviews are from borrowed materials.

With JustinTV and YouTube being unregulated, Hulu, the public library, and generous friends that like to trade or lend, it makes no sense for me to buy DVDs, comics, etc.

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