Yiuel
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Posts posted by Yiuel
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Master Fluff :
And what about the Creation and Apocalyptical stories of other religions?
Would you accept being taught that the world began with a point and then unrolled itself widening, giving birth to situations that themselves untie, forever, until it has become too wide? This is the actual traditional beliefs of Japanese : time began, and for ever widens becoming greater. (Note how Japanese believe that the world didn't began for a superior being, it began at a point, and the Kami and the Hito (people) all interact within it, having no existence, no meaning, outseide it.)
The Bible isn't the only sacred scripture in this world.
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Yiuel is somewhat angry.
It has worsen... I don't know on which side to go. I do understand the idea of cultural/relgious insult. I have been insulted quite a few times for what I am, and well, it isn't fun. And breaking a taboo is indeed a strong feeling.
But now, violence has arised. Would I destroy and kill, just because of this. This I don't especially understand. I still don't know how to explain it, but I feel that those cartoons brought up a reflexion and perhaps something more, and I think that, actually, they were something that had to be done : are we ready to express what we think should be expressed, show how we feel? Those cartoons aren't made to be hilarious, they are expressive of how people feel. And now, what happened in Damas recently (burning down of a Danish representation) show perhaps what we dislike about what happens.
I feel this way, those cartoons, how open may they be, shows exactly how I feel, how strong may my ideals be about not judging before acting.
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Liberals aren't necessarly open to everything. A lot aren't open at all at economical freedom, after all
. No, to me, being "liberal" (in its English meaning, in French, I would never use that word), is more of being open to various ways of life, being open to any private way of life. <- Private is the word, as long as everything stays private (Entre quatre murs, as we say in Québec), no one bothers. But when it becomes public, liberals are in favor of thousands of laws about interaction, the basic idea of which is that each much be free of how he relates, as long as no one else is personally concerned. This is why, here in Quebec, gay marriage doesn't bother : they stay privately in their house, and it won't stop me living my own private life. You can feel the trend, when we come to economy and history, this is society-wide problems, that can bother everyone in their private life : a society built over lies may be strong, but when truth comes out (or what is now thought as truth), everything collapses and must be rebuilt. ---
I wonder something, and it might be of great interest. Could you laugh at your own beliefs? That is, taking what you think as the most profound truths of existence, and draaw a cartoon, tell I great joke about it? It would be something to try.
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Some insults can be destructive. I know this too much. Words (and, more broadly, expressions) aren't mere whispers of winds, they may carry meanings. It happened a few times here, even, that I was somehow "harmed by words". When words attempt to destroy your own personality, or tries to deny your self-being, it may be as powerful as any bodyfight act. You can learn to get over them (I have, now), but still, it may hurt.
I see no future in complete "freedom". Imagine a world where people do not, someway or another, control themselves :
- It is so annoying, I am seated in the bus, but there is someone sitting on me, and another is sitting on him.
- I'll go and kill you, just for fun.
Indeed, this is merely physical. But imagine a world where 100% of what you think, you say it. Insults every second, tossings away, etc. It isn't fun at all.
Freedom has some limit, when we want to live together. Together means bonds, and bonds means things that you may not cross.
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In how many ways did Jesus have been negatively depicted. I would guess thousands of times
And in Québec, we have Raêl (if you know about him) and he has been depicted so many times that he could be more offended than others...Freedom of Speech...
Oh! The great quest in balance between insulting (something verbally violent) and expression of one's own ideas. In fact, the question here is not if there is too much freedom of speech, it is to see if someone was verbally violent (insulting). In Quebec, to be "verbally violent", harassing, is something quite hard. But there are manners that are harassing : adressing jokes directly to someone, jokes that are intended to hurt someone's feeling and being in the way. Generally, when there is no name, there's usually no problems. But it is indeed hard to tell the difference between a great joke and an unwelcomed one. Some humorists in Quebec were clever : when bringing taboo jokes, they rely on their own existence. Lise Dion brought stereoptypes about foolish girls, but taking herself as the adressed one, and Michel Mpambara is rather brilliant with his racial jokes, but he alwayys spoke about himself.
As for in this situation, I indeed do not understand the taboo of not drawing Muhammad (well any human at all). Because to me, nature always copies itself, it is rather strange not to make such things. But to some Muslims, these cartoons might be a bit too strong. (I myself dislike the bomby one...) But then again, someone could probably find thousands of such profane jokes about Christianism in the Muslim circles and show them in their face.
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I'd have a lot to say, but my first words will be these :
They have chosen.
Some people seem to forget that democracy isn't necessarly a political system that will always befriend with other democracies. Democracy means "The Power of the People", and nothing else. The people have spoken, now we must live with their voice, would we like it or not.
If democracy ment "he'll be my friend" for you, than you were misled : it means the people choose. If they choose what you think wrong, well, there is something you missed in their reflexion. Why did the Palestinians -- in their "folly" -- choose Hamas? I think that noone can pass on ideas of destruction when there is no problem. The most stupid people will not look for the problems, overlooking it, only yelling "they're bad!".
So, what is the problem? This is what I looking for. Clearly, the problem is NOT the coexistence of two people in the same region. As far as I know, there are quite a few people in Canada, and for the last years (since 1970, actually) we do not wage war on each other anymore. That some may wish to get alone, this is possible, but I never heard any independantist Quebecker yelling "DESTROY RoC!" (in French, naturally). I sure that most people can actually live side by side with not so much trouble. There is something else.
The Quest for Fundamentalism
I recently heard a great comment, on the national radio station (I don't have TV in my college room), and it is quite brilliant.
Fundamentalism is not only found in Islam regions, but is gaining popularity everywhere. You might not be aware, but I would have thousands of problems with "Christianic laws", and we can here people in Canada advocating for such laws. The means may be quite different (law suits), but the result is quite the same. And, in Canada, we have experience of Islam using the same means. In Canada, there are no shortage problems, a majority can decently live, and a huge majority can apsire to such decent life, somehow. Large scale terrorism will not arise in such situation. But there are constitutional laws about the right to follow any religion you wish (would it be Jedi!), and good lawyers can use them quite well at time. So, we see that Fundamentalism is everywhere with everyone.
Judaic, Islamic, and Christianic Fundamentalism can be found quite easily.
Some forms are personal : in Montreal, we have a fundamentalistic group of Jews who, only for themselves, follows the complete Mosaic law. They may wish to live so, but they don't expect other Jews (or at least, doesn't force others) or the Rest of the World to follow them. To me, such way is not as different from Vegetarianism, or, as for me, live by my own philosophy.
The problem comes when you MUST follow a way. In Canada, some fundamentalist speak of "social rights", rights of groups to live by their own laws. I agree, as long as one can exit the situation. But sometimes, in fact, most of the time, you cannot exit it. I am still officially catholic, and I still don't know how to get completely out of the Church (as it would be my wish*). Imagine in groups where friendship and relation is really important : you can thorn people with "group laws"...
* I can hear some : why would I wish this? Well, the same way someone being held in any organization would wish. Imagine laws restricted to those baptized in a Catholic church, as I am. I would really be oppressed, against my will. It will perhaps never happen, but then again, we never know. (And imagine, again, with groups more tightly linked, how problematic it can be...) Oh, and for those who worry for my marriage : I never wished to do it in a church, I prefer in the midst of Nature and the World, and have it civil (that is, social, more than religious or saint).
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With Klaas's comments, I changed them a little bit. I tried also a few others. The second one (Manga-Anime) is a little bit charged, but I took a chance on it.
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I'm not a GREAT supporter of the Green Party, but I do fear that project, as I am a Kyoto Accord supporter. Same thing about the ame-misi-defe-plan.
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I have my own reasons :
I am bored with centralizing federalism (and with the Tories, well, I am not pleased by other ideas) and I am bored with the Bloc, always yelling Quebec Quebec Quebec (I live in Quebec) : Canada is not only Quebec, wether you are Regionalist or Centralist, think globally. But, I will probably never find my "panacée", a regionalist party... So, totally bored, I chose the party that holds the ideas closest to my stand.
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I say at least there is a minority
I am not pleased by those results, as most values and ideals Tories have I do not share, but, I am at least half-happy because of the minority status.
I voted Green Party (as 4% of those who voted), if anyone cares.
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Here are new versions.
For the first banner, I have reduced the opacity of the 14 names, and I have modified the text. I also added a small heptacle of green and blue, behind the main name.
For the second one, I hesitated between blue and green. I truly prefered the blue, but I wasn't sure, because then, most of my subsites will be blue-colored. Oh well, it's just better. I also added a few details. And the text is also less opaque, so it's not as annoying.
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An interesting myth is the Japanese : the Universe will go on forever, building itself on what came before. Humanity, in this, is seen to be an ever-going thread, never ending, only changing as everything might change. Rather positive
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Here is what I have yet about my website, two banners, one about Sakamoto Maaya, a Japanese voice actor and signer, and the other one is the Island of Melville. I'm slowly building my site...
How are they?
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Think of an analogy. We'll use money.
First, try to represent each number in the same way, so it will not confuse you anymore.
(-18) + (+10) = (-8)
(+12) + (-8) = (+4)
(+3) + (-7) = (-4)
(-4) - (+10) = (-14)
(+6) - (-5) = (11)
(-11) - (-7) = (-4)
Each time you have a + in front of your number, you have that certain amount of money. +10 would then be a ten dollar buck. Each time you have a - in front of a number, you have a debt of money. So, -4 is a debt of 4 dollars.
So, in the first one, you have a debt of 18 dollars, but then, you add to it 10 dollars. So, you can pay off 10 dollars, so you have an 8 dollar debt. (Hence the answer (-8))
Then, you have 12 dollars, but you have a debt to pay off of 8 dollars. What is left is for dollars, so (+4)
Now, for substractions : you have a debt of 4 dollars (-4), but then, you also spend ( - ) 10 dollars (+10). Now, you have a debt of 4 and a debt of 10, together making a debt of 14 dollars (-14) Now, you have 6 dollars (+6), but you also get rid ( - ) of a debt of 5 dollars (-5). So now, together, you have a whole 11 dollars (+11) since you don't have to pay your debt.
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Well, for the Fine Tuned Universe, I give no credit to the anthropic principle. Here's my own reflexion :
"Only in universes where the particular forces and beings are tuned in some way can evolve in it beings that can think about itself." Here, the idea is not to say : oh, the world was made for us, but quite the reverse : we exist because our universe had the needed rules.
(Here, we must then distinguish two universes, the first, The Universe, would be a überwide world encompassing varying "universes", worlds with distinct sets of physical laws. We would be in one of those small ones that could bring out life.)
We can look for other universes, other sets of laws where "information" can pattern itself (non-hazard) without being simple (so, you need complexity). There are, probably, more than one pattern that can complexify a universe.
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HistoryGuy : Well, as far as I am concerned, I am happy to have "liberal" (socially open, economically regulizing) governments. Note though that I prefer the socially open part. And I don't have problems with Michaëlle Jean as our Head of State (well not much problems).
There are fears, don't know if they are justified though, that true conservatism would utterly destroy Canada. I know I'll have the greaatest problems with it, and that I would flee if ever it happens, or protest in front of everyone.
Why send the leadership to the frontlines, when they're thousands of Americans who are willing to sign themselves up for the military each year?In French, such quote can be resumed into a single expression : chair à canon. It litterally means "canon-flesh", and it is, indeed, depreciative. I would dream to see a New Alexander, who instead of just sending canon-flesh, would go in front of everyone, and battle the battles they wish to battle. Then, and only then, would I be inclined to follow. (What is left is what are the ideals behind, and I have shown elsewhere for what I would battle without question.)
Being played around by ivory-towering officers never on the line is rather depressing. You feel alone, played on, merely a pin on a war field, or perhaps does your whole group is so represented on deep-laying walls. Having the leaders right beside you, having everyone along, this is a great way, to me.
(I must actually admit that, when I first read that sentence, I was there in my room thinking :
HEIN? C'EST QUOI ÇA? ON ENVOIE DE LA CHAIR À CANON, PIS LES ON SAUVE LES NIAISEUX QUI VEULENT LA GUERRE? AH NON! JE NE PROTÈGERAI PAS CELUI QUI NE VEUT PAS DU DANGER, SEULEMENT DE LA VICTOIRE. (Huh? What is it? To send canon flesh, saving the stupidlings who want war? Oh no! I won't protect one who wishes only victory without danger.)
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And we have just discussed about the possible fates of the Universe in our Astrobiology class.
According to the Big Bang theory, there are four possible scenarios, three of them being variations of a single one.
On one side, you have a Big Crunch : the Universe has begun, and is expanding, and at some point, would stop and reverse itself back into a point. Most astrophysicians and cosmologists now reject his possibility for our Universe.
On the other, you have the Big Freeze : it will expand forever, forever getting bigger. There are variations : there can be a limit on the width, and the universe will slow down its expansion until at infinity (the formost never) it reaches its maximum. On the other side, it might never stop growing having no limits. This is what is thought by most cosmologist. Being so, at one time, there will be so much space that nothing will ever interact again, leaving a cold unchanging universe, empty of activity, having reached its highest entropy.
Don't like this fate? You have a few billions of billions of years before it ever happens.
As for the Sun, in about four or five billions of years, it will expand, and heat us to the bone. That is for sure. And perhaps, in a billion years, it'll overheat us because it will be too hot. Mars will then be our paradise
But this is all astronomy. What about humans.
We'll probably evolve, as we ever have. If we don't, and disappear, well... an entire genus will have disappeared (the homo genus).
How will we evolve, if we do? Our world is too complicated to predict it. Some think that culture will eventually be our sole path of evolution (thorugh technologization of our body), some think it already is, but I don't believe this stance. Will we go beyond our basket Earth and walk in the World? Will we evolve in multiple spiecies, some having qualities, some other having other qualities? Will we kill ourself? Perhaps.
Will some asteroid bring our end? Or perhaps some sickness, like some form of AIDS?
We have tons of pssibilities. But I would hope our evolutional end will come only when the Universe will be too cold. That would be great
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I went to the movie theatre, and I had fun for two hours and a half.
The movie was great, truly. Especially the scenics, but this is what is expected with New Zeland, isn't it. I have only one problem with the movie : the characters are sometimes quickly brought up. The story is somehow speeded up, as if they did not have enough time. I feel that some characters are way underdevelopped. Seems I have a great read for next year, when I'll be on the Helian Archipelago, to read the book, that is.
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Made the first 6 levels in about an hour, maybe less.
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My history is a little hasy Belisarivs, didn't the Founding Fathers put in Congress, and all of the other branches of government for the sole purpose of ensuring that power is not in one set of hands?
Thousands of mechanisms could be built, yet, none of them is totally sure. When all parts agree, you can't do much, especially when you're sure you know that they are going wrong. (As of today, I only found one mechanism that can prevent anything perfectly. Unfortunately, such mechanism is so demanding at times that the mechanism itself is problematic with some important issues.)
So how can you say that Bush would've become a dictator... and also, there are still Liberals in Congress and the other branches, despite the fact that the majority is Conservative...I have only one quote here, to answer :
It is not intended as a joke. Julius was chosen by the Senate, even though a large minority of it was patrician. Along history, some of the most powerful dictators have evolved from democraties (The Thirty Athenians, Caesar, Augustus, Hitler (he was elected!)), and they had made protections against it (the famous Ostracism of Athens)Ave Caesar!
It depends on what you call progress. Yes, they now have an official parliament, in Iraq. Same thing about Afghanistan. But, at the most, to me, it is only facade. Having a group of people babbling on issues is not that difficult to have : having those babblings turning into laws and resolutions, and having them enforced, now this I would call progress. No, to me, little progress have been made, and what I actually look (how people live their daily life) is getting worse everyday. To me, progress will be there when I'll see their daily life becoming less threatning, and, perhaps, if lucky, fun to live. As for now, every day, you have bombs exploding, not the best life. Or in Afganistan, full insecurity (and about this last one, we get fresh news here in Canada, as Canadians are there, a total mess as well).You people tend not to think about the progress that we have made in the past few months.BTW, you are incorrect about your assumption of "no terrorist camps".Perhaps is he incorrect. But there are some even in your own country (we have as well in Canada, and I'm not afraid to say so, it's not a secret), so it doesn't count much. The problem is when they multiplicate, with a factor of ten or more : THIS is what happened after the invasion. And even more problematic is when they actually go in action.
Most camps here in North America are small headquarters, only about plans, with groups of ten people : those exist about everywhere, and we don't actually care, because they do nothing. (My friend has made some researches on extreme-right groupuscules in the United States, this is how she describes the situation, and she's one who loves the United States)
It was probably the same situation in Iraq, except perhaps in northern (Kurdistan) and southern Iraq, where protection was less garanteed by the state (there were flightless areas there, imposed by the UN, led by the US then). But then again, when who have a land of only relative peace (as Saddam was only able to give) surrounded by "oppressed" regions, you train where it is more confortable, and less protected. Terrorism exploded partially because it was only a relative peace (hatred was already made by Saddam), but also because it became a no-law land. And then, seeing that no one would get out, the only thing to do is to oppose it (well, so do they see it), and, indeed, finally, some want to make fun (money) of this situations as well. Welcome in the world of terrorism.
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Perhaps must we remember what Nazi means.
But as well, what the whole picture is? Shall we look all the Universe when thinking and, well, it's really fun how insignifiant all this is
. Hard to see the whole picture at once. Think of how people solve problems. Some go and punch, while others parlament. Both techniques may or may not work. Perhaps do San Franscisco wishes more parlamenting than "punching", and this is what bothers you, as you may think otherwise. Or maybe the problem is another way of seeing the problem, a way of seeing I never had.And perhaps do the people you cite as being "left-wing nazi" just feels the problem in another way, someway you might not see.
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The greater good of the people is often called upon. It IS something scary when one asks "more power" for "security".
Yet, security is something that most people wish to have. Look at insurance companies, and there are other ways to say how a lot people wish to be in security. Some people are ready to let go a lot of things to feel secure.
But, as I am now stating to my friends : life is not secure, life is dangerous. Don't take me wrong : it doesn't HAVE TO be dangerous, but the best you can do is make your best for security. But security has its price, and I'm not ready to go as far as some people would go to have security. Full security (to be sure of everything) is to me the worst life : everything in control, you have no decision...
(Those notes on coffees about being hot... or sesame stickers to make sure the client knows there is sesame... I feel sorry. People no longer know the "danger" of life, they are falling into confortablilism. Life doesn't need to be a daily struggle, but it doesn't need to be programmed from A to Z. Live and do
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Et voilà,
A new year has begun.
Have a happy new year, everyone
And some are already in their second day, and some don't care a lot about this day. Oh well, just have fun then
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We can find tasteful erotica in the Japanese Urban culture. You know about the Geisha, do you?
Well, even though they are well dressed and look quite clean, details of art (Geisha, the Artful One) expresses erotica. You may recall that Geisha are covered with white on their face. But, a detail stands : between hair and white, there as space uncovered : this is a mark of nudity. The Obi is also a detail : the higher you wear it, the bigger your breast looks. This is what I would call tasteful erotica : discrete and well-made, yet suggesting.
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Well, here in Québec... We have... so much laughed when it happened. And when we saw all this grudge, we even more laughed : how pathetic. I wondered if Britney Spears really is an American citizen, then
As for "decency", most people find us, Quebeckers, quite... indecent. We don't have many days as for our summer, and since we were stuck in our heavy outfits all winter, people don't hesitate in summer : people are shocked here by how people dress. Oh, and were not afraid of sex matters here, or at least, we are... easier on speaking about it. Just went to the barber today, and I heard some quite... phallic jokes...
(Yet, that doesn't mean we don't have values : but we place our values elsewhere then covering our natural cloth. Take the day and have fun with the Sun... I really liked the comment about morality being a cultural affair. To me, spying my conversations is way more immoral than having been shown a breast... Note : I intended this one.)
How will the world end?
in Hall of Intellectuals
Posted
Nothing never made begin that point. It was there, at the beginning, and it unfolded, giving birth to World in the process. Time itself is the "unfolding process". In the Kojiki (Chronicles of Old Things, the first written mythology in Japan), no details are actually given about that point. In it, we are told that after the beginning, a "triumvirat" formed within the Universe, later giving birth to three generations of fundamental Kami, and these later give birth to lesser Kami, and it goes all the way down to Izanagi and Izanami (those who inivte, man and woman), the ancestors of all Japanese. At no point are they said to create the universe or control it, they are beings within it, only they are not made of matter... Not even the primordial triumvirat. A reason perhaps is from classical Chinese belief, that tells us that the Qi has always been, ever-mixing, and that our world is from a small mix of that Qi.
Well, I will use the famous "What was the cause of God?".
If the Japanese have Kami, the Kami aren't exactly "gods". They are shown a lot powerless against something greater to all Japanese : Nature. Nature is not a sentinent being, but Existence itself : it is neither friend nor foe. To Japanese, the cycle of Nature is something that should go that way. It is something that is, without cause. The reasoning behind this is that Existence cannot be caused : it can only be. Only parts of existence can be caused, divisions in the Great Unfolding, and the original parts were probably caused by existence itself.