posted September 05, 2007 05:50 PM         

Funny how you always get all giggly and chummy with people
whenever you've managed to identify a common enemy.

Funny how you always laugh hardest
whenever you are laughing at someone else.

What a beacon of love and light you are.

Juni,

The pontificating is nothing new. Its just how I talk. Its how most people talk who think mostly about universal principles, and who tend to see the general principles being expressed in various particular instances.

The ouchies are another story. Yeah, I'm a little touchy. I'm disappointed you guys didnt like my comic. I'm disappointed that the things I appreciate are often overlooked, ridiculed, and degraded by those who don't understand them, while others get standing ovations for repeating the same safe, unoriginal, cliched crap. After a while, it gets to me. And sometimes, when I offer something original and profound, and it is met with criticism and frivolity, I lose my cool.

I came back here because I felt I had gone too far with some of the things I said. Then I found you two laughing at me. Maybe I deserve it, I don't know. I may have been a jerk in my delivery, but everything I said about you was true, and you know it, don't you? I guess I left the two of you no defense but to laugh nervously (or pretend to laugh), and change the subject. If you had legitimate objections to make you would have made them. I know it would be expecting too much to think that you might turn around, admit to your shortsightedness, and say something like, "You are right. I was totally focussing on insignificant details, and I missed the message. I do that a lot. And its probably no coincidence that this happens to be one of the major pitfalls of the signs Capricorn and Virgo, which are both strong in my chart, and which you diagnosed without even seeing my chart!" Or that Solane might say, "Hmm, yeah, I guess it was pretty thoughtless and cruel of me to join the chorus and encourage others to miss the point, by pretending to reflect on how absolutely hilarious it would be to see a Jew go to Confession (when everyone knows this is about as funny as a giraffe wearing rollerskates), while my real motive was just to sabotage HSC's thread because I dont personally like him,". Nobody ever admits this stuff. But its the truth.

posted September 05, 2007 05:55 PM         

Ibn Arabi

------------------
~
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted September 05, 2007 05:59 PM         

I wanted people here to feel some of that silliness with me and lift the vibrations somewhat. I wasn't laughing at you. In fact, I've been watching the boys most of the time that I've been on here so I haven't read everything through carefully.

Now, I was looking for a picture of a group hug, but so far I've only found this one- not sure it was quite what I was looking for.

posted September 05, 2007 06:02 PM         

Theorizing about and discussing religious principles
is precisely what your favorite saints do best and most often.

Do you think these saints,
who published volumes of poetry,
who posed numerous questions about God,
who pointed out the mistakes and foolishness of others, -
do you think they said not a word?

posted September 05, 2007 06:10 PM         

You are not bothering me.

Although I dont know how you can be so sure that your playful mood is a manifestation of your Capricorn Ascendant and not your Gemini Sun. Both signs have a mischevous streak, but it is Gemini who generally likes to keep things light. And then there is your Libra Moon, which would naturally want to keep the peace and avoid conflict, if at all possible.... hmm.

posted September 05, 2007 06:15 PM         

Yeah.

posted September 05, 2007 06:15 PM         

quote:

---

if at all possible.... hmm.

---

Yes, I am empathizing with the 'hmm' bit right now!

"Blessed are the cheese-makers!"

posted September 05, 2007 06:43 PM         

I am used to being laughed at so I don't take any of that seriously anymore.

posted September 05, 2007 06:47 PM         

I was replying to what was said before by others and explaining my interpretation of what I thought you may have meant and I said it was funny. It was funny to me interpreted from my perception.

I was not "dissecting" your joke, HSC. Nor was anyone else. We were just trying to figure it out. When it comes to humor most people don't want to work that hard at figuring it out and do all that thinking. So if you were trying to get us to think didn't you succeed in doing that? The objection on your part, hence the put down, seems to be due to our not having the same perception as you do.

You came on finding fault with myself and others, HSC and excusing AG due to his astro chart.

Let's stop blaming others all the time and projecting what you do onto them. Anyone here can see it was not I who was fault finding until you came on putting me and others down in your superior condescending manner. I thought your joke was funny. I did not realize that your religious bigotry was behind the conception of the joke until you said it. I at least try to think the best about people's intentions until proven otherwise.

posted September 05, 2007 06:54 PM         

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10wa5RRuDUQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uz80zTMO40

posted September 06, 2007 12:33 AM         

The notion of "Happy People" was tossed around in the Robert-Lost-His-Mind posts as something ridiculous at best, dangerous at worst. One blogger equated "happy people" with "vacuous". The idea seems to be that "happy people" implies those who are oblivious to the realities of life, in a fantasy of their own creation, and without the ability to think critically. The science, however, suggests just the opposite.

Neuroscience has made a long, intense study of the brain's fear system--one of the oldest, most primitive parts of our brain. Anger and negativity usually stem from the anxiety and/or fear response in the brain, and one thing we know for sure--when the brain thinks its about to be eaten or smashed by a giant boulder, there's no time to stop and think! In many ways, fear/anger and the ability to think rationally and logically are almost mutually exclusive. Those who stopped to weigh the pros and cons of a flight-or-fight decision were eaten, and didn't pass on their afraid-yet-thoughtful genes. Many neuroscientists (and half the US population) believes that it is exactly this fear != rational thought that best explains the outcome of the last US presidential election... but I digress.

Happines is associated most heavily with the left (i.e. logical) side of the brain, while anger is associated with the right (emotional, non-logical) side of the brain. From a Society for Neuroscience article on Bliss and the Brain:

"Furthermore, studies suggest that certain people's ability to see life through rose-colored glasses links to a heightened left-sided brain function. A scrutiny of brain activity indicates that individuals with natural positive dispositions have trumped up activity in the left prefrontal cortex compared with their more negative counterparts. "

In other words, happy people are better able to think logically.

And apparently happier = healthier:

"Evidence suggests that the left-siders may better handle stressful events on a biological level. For example, studies show that they have a higher function of cells that help defend the body, known as natural killer cells, compared with individuals who have greater right side activity. Left-sided students who face a stressful exam have a smaller drop in their killer cells than right-siders. Other research indicates that generally left-siders may have lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol."

And while we're dispelling the Happy=Vacuous myth, let's look at a couple more misperceptions:

"Happy people aren't critical."
"Happy people don't get angry."
"Happy people are obedient."
"Happy people can't be a disruptive force for change."

Hmmm... one of the world's leading experts in the art of happiness is the Dalai Lama, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Just about everyone who hears him speak is struck by how, well, happy he is. How he can describe--with laughter--some of the most traumatizing events of his past. Talk about perspective...

But he is quite outspoken with his criticism of China. The thing is, he doesn't believe that criticism requires anger, or that being happy means you can't be a disruptive influence for good. On happiness, he has this to say:

"The fact that there is always a positive side to life is the one thing that gives me a lot of happiness. This world is not perfect. There are problems. But things like happiness and unhappiness are relative. Realizing this gives you hope."

And among the "happy people", there's Mahatma Gandhi, a force for change that included non-violent but oh-most-definitely-disobedient behavior. A few of my favorite Gandhi quotes:

In a gentle way, you can shake the world.

It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings.

But then there's the argument that says "anger" is morally (and intellectually) superior to "happy". The American Psychological Association has this to say on anger:

"People who are easily angered generally have what some psychologists call a low tolerance for frustration, meaning simply that they feel that they should not have to be subjected to frustration, inconvenience, or annoyance. They can't take things in stride, and they're particularly infuriated if the situation seems somehow unjust: for example, being corrected for a minor mistake."

Of course it's still a myth that "happy people" don't get angry. Of course they do. Anger is often an appropriate response. But there's a Grand Canyon between a happy-person-who-gets-angry and an unhappy-angry-person. So yes, we get angry. Happiness is not our only emotion, it is simply the outlook we have chosen to cultivate because it is usually the most effective, thoughtful, healthy, and productive.

And there's this one we hear most often, especially in reference to comment moderation--"if you can't say whatever the hell you want to express your anger, you can't be authentic and honest." While that may be true, here's what the psychologists say:

"Psychologists now say that this is a dangerous myth. Some people use this theory as a license to hurt others. Research has found that "letting it rip" with anger actually escalates anger and aggression and does nothing to help you (or the person you're angry with) resolve the situation.

It's best to find out what it is that triggers your anger, and then to develop strategies to keep those triggers from tipping you over the edge."

And finally, another Ghandi quote:

"Be the change that you want to see in the world."

If the scientists are right, I might also add,

Be around the change you want to see in the world.

Remember the flight attendant's advice... you must put on your own oxygen mask first.

http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/04/angrynegative_p.html

posted September 06, 2007 01:08 AM         

great pic!

and was that an intended pun, Ltt, about your "cheeky" capricorn asc, coupled with the group hug pic?? because if so, that's very funny...

(p.s. my asc is cappy also).

and dear Stephen ~

posted September 06, 2007 02:36 AM         

quote:

---

I'm disappointed that the things I appreciate are often overlooked, ridiculed, and degraded by those who don't understand them, while others get standing ovations for repeating the same safe, unoriginal, cliched crap.

---

What you fail to see and understand, HSC is that what you judge to be safe, unoriginal, cliched crap that others keep repeating are very deeply held beliefs of the soul and heart.

Even though it's old and nothing new and has been taught by the ancients and saints doesn't make it cliched. Perhaps it seems stale to you but the reason it is repeated all through time is because truth endures. Just because something is new and original does not make it truth.

Disagreeing with your new theories is not ridiculing them, HSC. And just because we don't agree to them and jump on the band wagon of the new thought of the day does not mean that we don't understand them. We understand them all too well. It is for each individual to come to know truth for theirself. And truths that touch us deeply and profoundly become deeply held in our hearts. No amount of badgering and hammering of anothers truth is going to change what is known and held in the heart.

Normally it is our beliefs and what we say about them that is being ridiculed by you, HSC. As you are doing here by calling them cliches and unoriginal. We repeat it because we believe it deeply in our hearts and souls. You cannot dictate to another what they should believe and what they shouldn't. You can't force your truth on them. And it isn't cool to hold your truths higher than the truth of others and dimiss their faith as just not being bright enough to understand your truths.