Clearly, stoicism provides a robust way of life.......
The common criticism of stoicism is that it is fatalistic.
To my mind, there are two forms of fatalism..... optimistic and pessimistic. Stoicism is generally viewed as favoring the latter.
But, hey, Doug, that's not me........
I'm just Pollyanna.........? Well, maybe I'll have to own up to that.
When I suggest that this might be the best possible world, many might think....... well, sure, it's just that the best possible happens to suck!
But, no, that's not my understanding of the BPW. My understanding is that the world will turn out to be far better than we can even imagine. Imagine that.
And what proof do I have......?
My proof is right between your ears. That such a word is possible, even probable, is just a matter of sheer, cussed logic.
And why has it taken us so long to compute this simple bit of logic.....?
Why did it take me so long.........?
How long did it take.......?
Actually, it didn't take that long after I learned about the anthropic principle. It took about seven years, from 1975 until 1982. But I also had a big push from Sophia.
And, even that was not enough. It was not until I met the Frog, the Beast and the Cheetah that I had the courage to entertain, even evangelize, the secret service. It all took awhile.
But, better late than never.
I'm doubtful that Seneca could have imagined such a situation, even on one of his best days.
And does my insanity in front of the White House lend even a shred of credence to the BPWH.......?
Well, it might if, for instance, that intruder's intrusion turns out to be something other than totally nominal. The intrusion I refer to is the one that brushed against my back.
But that would just have been an amusing trick. I put very little faith in tricks.
The Princess falling off the mountain in Kashmir......? Was that a trick? Did it even happen? I sure don't have any proof. But, as with that instance of water being turned into wine, the proof, such as it is, is almost entirely in the pudding. Yes?
The not so subtle point, my friends, is that the BPW, such as it is, will exist mainly in the eyes of the beholder. And what is the very most important thing in any world? I shouldn't have to tell you that, that very most important thing exists entirely in the eyes of the beholder.
If there exists a physical thing that will save the world, it is a portal. Does one exist? I'm told that it exists mainly in the eyes of the beholder.
Love is interpersonal. Faith is just slightly more personal, but it is rather similar. It is trust. Trust in what..... ultimately?
It is trust in a truth that can be trusted. Not quite......
It is trust in a truth that must be trusted. Or else, life is an absurdity in a meaningless universe. Some claim to believe that, but I find it difficult.
But, hey, sports fans, you pays your money, and you takes your choice.
3:30----------
And where's the pudding......?
There's precious little, so far. There is just barely enough to keep me blogging....... keeping my nose to the OMF grindstone.
What is my persistence worth? My persistence and $4.25 will get you a cup of coffee in Times Square. Or is it $4.75, now?
But this is the best possible test of faith. No? And, for me, it's much more a matter of logic than faith. Yes, it took Sofia to break the consensual/conceptual barrier that we've constructed for ourselves. But, once broken, there's no turning back. Once you've seen the logical simplicity of the BPWH, everything else looks like a dog's dinner..... and no disrespect to the table manners of our furry friends.
Do I trust Ron, the Princess or Kashmir? If truth be known, I have far more faith in Kashmir than I do in her dad. No disrespect to her dad, it's just that I trust him to do his patriotic duty, which may not totally align with whatever mission I've construed for Chicken Little.
Do I trust the secret service to do their patriotic duty? No. I trust them to do their professional duty, which is to protect the President, regardless of any personal/political feelings.
Suppose they were confronted with evidence that the President were not abiding by his oath of office? There may well exist a channel for them to share such evidence with some appropriate authority, God forbid.
Supposedly, in the furtherance of that duty, there exists a unit within the service, which is charged with monitoring crazies such as myself. I regret to report that my little excursion, last month, somehow managed to cause embarrassment to that unit. They were not amused by my shenanigans. And so it goes.
5:55-----------
Now we have a ticklish situation........
Ron is suggesting that I lied to a government agent. According to the service, I stated that Ron encouraged me to visit the White House. I did not say that. Rather, I reported to them that Ron simply said that he would let them know that I was coming.
He goes on to say that he remonstrated with me concerning said objective. I would be unable to honestly testify in a court of law that he had actually failed to attempt to dissuade me from my stated objective. I am simply unable to recall that fact.
But all of this should be a moot issue. The fact is that those parties were already responsible for recording any such conversations. It's not a case of she said he said. Yes?
But, in any case, we now have an additional party to, at least, monitor the conversation here, as suggested above. I apologize to any such parties for having been dragged to this party. It's boring work, but somebody's gotta do it, or so I've been told.
7:30---------
So, what's next........?
One of our team members is attempting obe/lucid-dream work. This person even reports the inadvertent return of some substance from such an excursion. That's a new one on me. At the least, it suggests that pk/teleportation may be associated with such phenomena.
Oh, yes, and about the proposed article that would bring some aspect of the BPWH to wider attention........ The nyt had been suggested, here, and my counter suggestion was something in the NYer.
I believe that the NYer has reviewed a book or two that may have been favorable to the paranormal. Annie Jacobsen's recently publication might possibly motivate another impartial review.
It might also do a follow up on Nagel's Mind&Cosmos, pointing out the failure of the secular establishment to drive such thinking underground, even amongst respected intellectuals. However, any such article is likely to alienate a sizable portion of its subscribers. What could motivate such a shot to the foot? Going up against the fortress of materialism is going to elicit screams of protest.
I understand that Kashmir has put in a good word for me with her mom. If anyone could get me out of the doghouse, it would be Kashmir.
Another media tack would be to take on the Transhumanists. That could be the Achilles heel of the materialists. If you're gonna fire a shot across the bow of materialism, that might be your softest target. Point out, in no uncertain terms, that Transhumanism is anti-human. Someone's feet are going to have to be put to the fire.
If no respectable publisher/editor is willing to take the heat, then Ron will have to turn on the spigot of historical information concerning government involvement in this field. This would entail going to a whole new level beyond Annie. Or he could simply be more forthcoming about his own involvement. In the process he would probably have to violate a security oath or two. But who would prosecute? Any prosecution would only add credence to the violation.
(cont.......)
Last edited by dan on Mon Jul 03, 2017 6:45 pm; edited 24 times in total
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