“Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.” Frank Leahy

brentan comments on Dec 10, 2019:

I think stupidity wouldn't have to protect itself so aggressively in a kinder world.

"You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the...

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

I would be disappointed if God thought less clearly than I do.

45 places you can download tens of thousands books, plays and other literary texts completely ...

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

Thanks!

We lost a few celebrities this past week.

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

Auberjonais was very versatile. I saw in a live version of King Lear years ago and he was terrific!

We are evolving

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

That's a hoot but Ezekiel goes back a good bit further than that!

Self explained..... 😂😂😂

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

Canine curmudgeon!

[youtube.

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

That was super!

New Evidence Suggests Mary, Joseph Watched 'Die Hard' On First Christmas Night | The Babylon Bee

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

I hope there's a general resurrection so everyone gets to watch Bruce Willis at Christmas.

😂 just needed to tell you all something 😂

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

They must have forgot!

James Taylor - Something In The Way She Moves. [youtube.com]

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

A class song by a class artist. I read this song prompted George Harrison's Something. Taylor was recording at Apple Studies at the time.

Yup funny

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

Puddy's a victim!

If anybody knows of any lonely old people who will be eating Christmas dinner alone because they ...

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

That's very witty even if I probably will eat Christmas dinner alone. Oh well, more stuffing for me!

Those who remember the past are condemned to say “Those who don’t remember it are condemned to ...

brentan comments on Dec 9, 2019:

Wow - that's like predestination!

How it really happened

brentan comments on Dec 8, 2019:

Was Jesus born of a Virgin pure With narrow soul and looks demure? If He intended to take on sin The Mother should an harlot been, Just such a one as Magdalen, With seven devils in her pen. - William Blake The Everlasting Gospel

Shoulda, woulda, coulda...

brentan comments on Dec 8, 2019:

We must have the idea of the correlation of beauty and goodness in our part of the world.

I smiled. I won’t be going in.

brentan comments on Dec 8, 2019:

I think the Anglican Church has managed to separate the spirit of Christ from the body of doctrine. Perhaps this means it is a form of Gnosticism, I'm not sure. I would go to see what kind of community was there, just like I would go on the Camino to Compostela to see what kind of people I might meet there..

I'm a 70+ moderate and even Ican see that modern Capitalism, with it's blind and unreadonable faith ...

brentan comments on Dec 7, 2019:

Yes, this growth thing is a big problem. You borrow money and invest it as capital and then the return on your investment must at least cover the interest paid on the loan through economic growth. All going well, you do it again. The dog is continually chasing its tail while the market is flooded with consumer goods and services to keep the process going. Right now, I can only see social democracy as a way to help the situation but that's only in terms of how fairly the pie created by this sick economic process is shared out.

Fictional character but still a good message.

brentan comments on Dec 7, 2019:

But, but, but.......they're evil!

The "season of giving" is upon us.

brentan comments on Dec 7, 2019:

It's a nice time where we can aspire to a better world. We don't want to contribute to it, though.

exile in happy valley: Dennis Kucinich, Tulsi Gabbard and the Slow Death of the Democratic Delusion

brentan comments on Dec 7, 2019:

Yes indeed, he's the symptom. And I feel sure America will deal with the underlying problems by voting in another 'same ol' president. I don't think society is producing the kind of leaders we need right now.

Would you rather higher someone that sat in a classroom getting an education that is hundred of ...

brentan comments on Dec 7, 2019:

I got a degree in business a good few years ago. It was interesting but not really nor me. I would have preferred sometime in the Humanities, like English literature. But here's the thing - third level education taught me how to think and how to research. These skills can go a long way in any business so long as you don't let morality get in the way.

No matter how widely you have traveled, you haven't seen the world if you have failed to look into ...

brentan comments on Dec 7, 2019:

"But they haven't got Sweet N Low"!

You've Got a Friend - Carole King & James Taylor [youtube.com]

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

I couldn't speak too highly of these people.

sometimes I have to fight hard not to post some REALLY offensive shit.

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

That's really nice!

Is this an advise or...just directions?

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

It might even get rid of the parents.

All those 'Free Thinkers" must be so busy of thinking something to say, or they are just busy ...

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

Free thinking consumers, the bad bastards!

“Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years.

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

You can get good training at Pamplona.

Hitting just a little too close to home!

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

LOL. That's for me!

Joseph was not the sharpest tool in the shed.

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

Didn't they make a musical out of that, or was it they turned up when the child herself was getting married?

My daughter has been talking college psychology and criminology courses.

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

Do we want to create little versions of ourselves? It's quite likely that we do. It would add another layer to the idea of reproducing ourselves. Perhaps the parent would need to be quite dominant to make this happen in the face of the child's natural desire for self-determination and also all the environmental factors involved in shaping a mind. In the other thread, I was talking about children taking after their parents but this situation might be showing the difference between taking after and being a clone of the parent.

I just previously posted a comment i made about my daughter and her mother.

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

I think the heredity factor can be (like a lot of things) looked on as on a spectrum. Where my own children are concerned, one takes after his mother and the other takes after me. The term 'takes after' was never meant to be a scientic determination but you know what I mean.

I always get so enamored of the theory of surplus value.

brentan comments on Dec 6, 2019:

Yes indeed. There are some things, like going to see a particular artist in concert, that I think are priceless.

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that...

brentan comments on Dec 5, 2019:

I want my money back.

John Vervaeke on the necessary merger of science and religion: [youtube.com]

brentan comments on Dec 5, 2019:

There is an opinion out there that we have been on the road to nihilism ever since the Greeks started philosophising. That opinion stretches to say we are now suffering the worst of the negativity involved in rationality and materialism. That’s where our new batch of intellectuals on the Internet come in. My feeling about the different approaches used by these guys is that while Peterson tracks the human imagination through the centuries, Vervaeke breaks down out thought processes into the nuts and bolts of thinking. I’ve watched 46 lectures in the series so far and my conclusion is that proper thinking is how to awaken from the meaning crisis and John covers the huge amount of ground where wrong paths can be taken. I really like his talks with religious thinkers on the Internet – Jonathan Pageau, Mary Kochan and Sevilla King, even if Sevilla is really focused on Pirsig’s take on Eastern philosophy. So will proper thinking solve the problem and give back meaning in our lives? Or will we be forced to consider a return to spiritual thinking and the community of religion? Time will tell but I feel very strongly that our left-hemisphere ways of thinking have led us into a blind alley and we desperately need a way out.

Movie music quiZ!! What do 3 of my favorite movies - The Caine Mutiny, Gone With the Wind and ...

brentan comments on Dec 5, 2019:

I was sure it was Bumpy Gokart but I guess he wasn't in Gone With The Wind.

Today's News .

brentan comments on Dec 5, 2019:

Church of Atheism, that's a strange one! I hope the appeals court wasn't biased.

Spock's guide to childcare.

brentan comments on Dec 5, 2019:

It's reassuring to see justice done.

I'm not buying it.

brentan comments on Dec 5, 2019:

LOL. That's one thing we can all manufacture ourselves.

Is graham Hancock a nut job?

brentan comments on Dec 5, 2019:

I think he's becoming more accepted all the time. I can relate to his theories.

Good to know.

brentan comments on Dec 4, 2019:

Oye como va, fictional fuckers!

Dangerous cougars.

brentan comments on Dec 4, 2019:

If only I could be their prey!

Sussinct and concise.

brentan comments on Dec 4, 2019:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IoSiqhEBIA

I've just been notified that my tired, old ass has been accepted into grad school.

brentan comments on Dec 4, 2019:

Congratulations! Enjoy that bottle!

“Mistakes are, after all, the foundations of truth, and if a man does not know what a thing is, ...

brentan comments on Dec 4, 2019:

Known unknowns, better than nothing!

Modern problems

brentan comments on Dec 4, 2019:

I think that's what the wonderful song The Trapeze Swinger is about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USom8PhOXgs

Good Morning my Hippies.

brentan comments on Dec 4, 2019:

Hey, it's Christmas there already! I hope you enjoy the benefits of living alone. I don't choose it but there definitely are things about it that I like.

File this one under ChristianShariaLawPence (or, Be careful what you wish for!) Why Christian ...

brentan comments on Dec 4, 2019:

God forbid that lot ever get what they want!

Head scratcher 🤔

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

They've got their feet on backwards!

Doc Watson - I'll Fly Away - Final Performance [youtube.com]

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

Wow! The last time I saw him he looked 40 years younger!

why the name change?

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

The agnostic name justifies my being here so I'm obviously happy with it.

Letter From America I am guessing this is about the Highland Clearances.

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

That's a beautiful song enhanced by the accents. Here's a couple more you might enjoy, Mary Black and Duke Special (Peter Wilson): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRdDnpkR3AQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dpUqeOC1Hw

Damnit Karen....

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

That's what they do in the fairy tales.

We ARE ALL PRODUCTS OF OUR EXPERIENCE as we get older our experience differs from our fellow ...

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

I'm reading Kant at the moment and he's a big believer that's it's our experiences plus what we make of them. He says we all have the same faculties of mind to process our experiences so I think that would mean that if we all had the same experiences, we would all deal with them the same way. That can't be true. We seem to have different qualities of intellect. The only way I know an intellect can be made more efficient is education. John Vervaeke on YT discusses in detail the elements of rational thinking which I'll put here in his formula for the heck of it: rationality = intelligence + psychotechnologies + active open mindedness Psychotechnologies just means facilities we use such as language

And on a similar theme, a group that is a composed/improvised hybrid and a mix of bluegrass, jazz ...

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

I love that folky stuff in small doses. Can you believe the rawness of that fiddle?

Smart cop. :)

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

That's a man who is house-trained.

Simon & Garfunkel - Song for the Asking [youtube.com]

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

Quality stuff!

I cross out the god on nearly every bill that passes through my hands.

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

I didn't know that!

I wanna see I wanna see

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

No flies on that cat.

John Cleese Born John Marwood Cleese in Weston-Super-Mare, England in 1939.

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

He has aged well.

Angelique Kidjo -ACL. [youtu.be]

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

That's a fine, lively song but I'm disappointed to find out I don't live on planet Earth!

Lord Daniel did what he had to do. [youtube.com]

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

That's a classic. It's nice to hear the song has travelled well. Great finger-picking!

“At the still point of the turning world.

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

He's a tough nut to crack. I think he's talking along the lines of 'the power of now', as per Tolle, but I've no idea what he means by the dance.

george benson - Take Five 1976 Montreux 1986 [youtube.com]

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

That's a class act.

A good saying....

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

Yeah, and sails bend.

Need an honest opinion.

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

I'm surprised people think the Chinese are still fair game for racist comments. We should cut that shit out.

Stop telling people to take chances

brentan comments on Dec 3, 2019:

Yeah. Bugger that.

I came across something regarding the Westboro Baptist Church.

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

'By their fruit you will know them'.

I started watching YouTube regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses.

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

I can relate. I used to do a lot of ex-JW stuff but it was a neverending bout of sadness, anger and bitterness. I only watch KimMikey nowadays on YT because they are a likeable, happy couple who know all the latest nonsense from the Watchtower.

Consider all aspects before deciding

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

What's that in the foreground?

Let the war begin with only 250 points to go.... Whoring for a few more points!....

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

That'll do it!

I understand.

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

I'm told it's to do with the mind-body connection. What exactly I don't know.

Well I got booted out of the Bernie Club trying to explain to them how socialism doesn't work all ...

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

Bernie's not a socialist. He's a Social Democrat.

Walking the trap line this morning a surprise.

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

Aw! Poor Reynard!

So sayeh the lard....

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

Yes indeed, that's definitely jumping the shark.

Inclusive art

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

Thank goodness - that was really bothering me!

“Don’t wait for the Last Judgment. It takes place every day." - Albert Camus

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

We should cut out that shit.

Made with love by Grandma. It’s only polite to wear it. She worked extra hard on it.

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

I remember when grandmas were obsessed with ovens.

Poor little kitty😱

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

P.C. Tree.

Yes, I know the organ version can't be beat, but this is interesting. :) [youtu.be]

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

I love all of Rick Wakeman's tunes.

Q: What has six wheels and flies? A: A garbage truck.

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

That's dreadful. Keep up the good work!

Wait... what??!

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

The closest I get to knowledge of Asian sex is turning Japanese.

Do democracies need heroes?

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

There's a saying that goes something like '20% of people are negative about everything, 20% positive and 60% open to suggestion'. I think charismatic leaders carry the day because they get the majority enthused enough to do something different. My favourite hero of this type is Jordan Peterson because he motivates people to clean up their own act first, then extend that sense of responsibility out to the world they live in to help change it for the better.

A New Discovery About Prehistoric Rock Art Suggests Ancient People Had Technology We Are Only Now ...

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

It makes me wonder was the IQ spread across human populations always much the same while the contexts of their worlds they lived in changed over time.

"Freedom of knowledge" is a thought I had to discuss.

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

I think the extreme view is the Calvinist notion that free will is impossible due to our fallen nature. In this case, it seems to be a matter of the fallen intellect. If Kant is correct, our mental faculties create knowledge from sense perceptions. In computers, raw data is processed to become knowledge. My guess is that access to knowledge - or to put it another way - the freedom to gain knowledge, is bound by the processing power of our intellect.

The Psychology of Awakening .

brentan comments on Dec 2, 2019:

It seems that if we want to lose our sense of self, we need to find out who we are first. I loved the idea of spiritual by-passing. I've been watching something very similar to the topic of the book in terms of Western psychology and Eastern teaching in John Vervaeke's Awakening From The Meaning Crisis on YouTube.

Bing Crosby wasn't just a Yankee in King Arthur's Court, he was a double agent!

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

Can anything good come out of Tacoma?

But He's coming back in my lifetime. 😂

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

"Soon". That's all I ever got.

"Do not go gentle into that good night." - Dylan Thomas

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

He was depressed over his father's submission to the thought of his death and surprised because his father had always been a very strong, tough man.

Baby goblin bat. Squeeee!

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

That's a cute little devil!

Mark 9:43-47 (NRSV): If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter ...

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

It's a wonder there weren't more castrations than there were.

Boobs Or Ass?

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

Maybe it's just as well the Devil didn't tempt him with a woman when he in the desert. I think propriety demanded that the Gospel writers not go there.

Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth. - Albert Einstein

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

I was brought up in a middle-class environment that was like that.

Middle of nowhere🤗

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

So that's where I was all the time!

Atheism for the cure....

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

A guy on YT said cancer comes from bottling up your shit inside you. Religion causes problems by not bottling your shit inside you.

Here's a quote from a woman's profile on POF: "I’m passionate about life, love, family and ...

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

That's a pity. She sounds like a nice woman.

Do you feel advanced enough?

brentan comments on Dec 1, 2019:

That looks like my cup of tea. I've been watching John Vervaeke's Awakening From The Meaning Crisis lectures on YT and it's focus is also on how to think properly.

freshly minted ex-facebooger: I just deactivated my Facebook account.

brentan comments on Nov 30, 2019:

Welcome to the forum! If you have come to expect people problems on social media but consider yourself a nice-enough person, could you be somewhere on the Asperger's Scale?

I'd remember too.

brentan comments on Nov 30, 2019:

Wow! He might have even thought it was his fault.

It's really important to know your history.

brentan comments on Nov 30, 2019:

Bruce Invictus !

How soon is too soon for bondage?

brentan comments on Nov 30, 2019:

Is it time for a partner or time for a counselor?