PyratePhil

All part of the lop-sided way society has developed, say I. We let Junior play video games where it's cool to shoot cops, blow up everything in sight and interact with virtual hookers, then we're shocked when they become so desensitized to violence that they walk into their classroom and blow away their classmates without a seconds hesitation. You used to be able to count on a Disney film to provide "clean and wholesome" entertainment. That era died along with Walt, IMHO.

Caught the 10:30pm show with my son... I still like #1 best. Don't know if it's because the concept is fresh or the actors are, but that's how it is. I agree with Master Dreadlocke - the sword fighting was uninspired, but the cannon work was excellent. Jack was Jack, as expected. Keith Richards - wish we could have seen more of him. That was a throwaway role if ever I've seen one. M'lady was fun to watch, but no big surprises. Barbossa is still my main guy. Will fleshed out nicely, too. Too many switches of allegiance during too short a period - a bit confusing. Calypso - I thought she was going to do something a little more spectacular than a whirlpool, and connected with that the fact that the entire Royal fleet turns tail and runs after one engagement of their lead ship stretches disbelief too far. All in all, a nice way to end it all but it just seemed to end for lack of wind.

Pat, I've always considered you an Immoral...um... ...never mind. Congrats!

That's me girl!

Rumba dear, you're restricting your thinking. Why must it be legal? Imagine the draw that a pyrate resort / park / whotever would have if it were outside the jurisdiction of the uptight Colonists? Think Jurassic Park with a pyrate theme. Think there be one rule - no rules. You'd have tough guys, painted ladies and everyone and everything in between, it would be a Hell-hole and bloody to boot, but ya know whot? It would be realistic, and I'd be willing to bet large that it would be a smashing success, if only because it was so controversial - at least for a season or two.

Ah, OK. I'm glad the hunters have to pay for their passions. The first time a group of 5 deer came into the backyard in my mountain hideaway here, I almost blew a gasket! Funny thing was, I didn't see the fifth one until he was almost on top of me. I'm almost hand-feeding them at this point, but they're still a bit people-shy, probably because of the hunters a few miles over.

Awwww...cute. They don't have a problem once they go back to the wild with the scent of Man on them? I would think that would make life complicated...

Talk to Eye about that - he's not too shabby when it comes to creating courtroom scenarios.

I've put a lot of thought into this, primarily because several years ago I was in with a group of people that were planning a year-round attraction like that. First rule - keep it out of the Northeast part of the US. You'll be closed half the year due to crappy weather. Body of water - definitely. How about a medium- to large-sized lake? Functional vessels afloat on said lake, of course, with functional pirates. A museum to take advantage of rainy days and visitors that don't choose to participate in the more strenuous activities. Fully-outfitted personnel, of course. And discounts for those who come in gear. Piratical food - expand a bit beyond the old turkey-leg theme. Stores - an entire merchants quarter. Perhaps a small amusement-park area for the kiddies, with pirate-themed rides. Shows during all hours of operation. Classes / lessons for stage fighting, kit designing and creation, pirate history. A separate classroom building with a full curriculum. Of course, as I mentioned at the beginning, you HAVE to locate this thing in a warm-weather area. Otherwise you'll go broke. But given cooperative weather and a historically-appropriate area, I think this could fly.

It seems to be dying out now, but for a while there it seemed the latest thing was to send emails with headings like: "Castle Ford Tillie Wants Goto" and "Shrugging Meatballs Play Candide" Never quite understood what they were trying to accomplish there, unless it was to give me a chuckle with some of the permutations...

Siberians are beautiful and well-tempered, but all except the most hard-core cat lovers will pause when they find the going price is between $500-1,000.

Not at all - I'm being serious. Nope - not all of us, or even most of us, no matter WHAT our thoughts are focused upon. We get what we're meant to get. I understand and agree about NOT understanding what our brain / mind / spirit do - but I don't see the leap from that to getting what we want. I would think that logic would work just as well for NOT getting what we want. RE: the IA tests - had a ton of those in school and could always game them to be whatever I desired. Sorry. I've had far too much training in psych and led far too many counseling sessions to give credence to their tests. Naw - this is like a dark cozy pub; we're having and telling a few tall ones and in-between there are occasional glimpses of "Whoa" moments. If you leak our location here and what we're doing, the Pub Policy Police will come and arrest us for not having a relevant conversation. LOL! Always that element of uncertainty that makes life interesting... No, I'm not. That isn't a cynical comment - it's one based on experience and real-world observation. So if we participate in the mating process we're damned; if we don't, we're damned. PS - nice girls are boring. No, I haven't seen that. I haven't been in residence here for a while and I really don't keep up with many threads. I'm too busy honing my cynical attitude.

Yep. And of course that's why I'm not here much anymore either, aside from my little chats with Caraccioli. Too many judges, critics and self-appointed "Keepers of the Realm". I enjoyed my Golden Period here, and I have good memories of it - now the neighborhood has changed and I've moved on.

There are only the limitations that I place upon it - none other. How's THAT fer happy-happy-joy-joy? And since the world of possibility is firmly rooted in the here and now, since by its very nature it doesn't know the future, you're living in the present. Well done, lad! ;>P You're one of those alumni too, huh? You'd think they'd at least lower the tuition, seeing as how the coursework is so brutal... but I think we must have had different majors. ZING! Boy, I walked into that one eyes wide shut! Eh - I have first-hand knowledge of the topic... Disagree. Agree. Ahhh...no, I didn't quite like that one - not because I haven't played with it myself (I have), but because the results were not forthcoming when I did. It's like when they say "How come the bad guys always end up on top?". My son recently had an encounter with the fairer sex in regards to the Big Prom. She had evidently strung him along for 6 months, promising to attend the prom with him, then when the prom was 2 weeks away she dumped him. Exquisite timing. His comment to me was, "How come they (girls) always go for the bad guys? I'm a good guy, right? How come they flock around the losers and the druggies and the jerks?" My answer? "Welcome to the Game, son." Naw - I was thinking something more along the lines of "Supercalifragilistic..." Evidently you've spent some time checking this stuff out. I'm even starting to think you've owned one at one time or another... Hmph. Didn't know about the surgery - that's a shame. "Driven" and "angry" - no, definitely NOT Taoist (at least in the sense that I interpret it - of course, there are all sorts under the grand umbrella of Tao).

Exactly. My concerns end at the length of my arm - perhaps a limited world view, but as you mention later about the "40 things", it's all I care to take care of at this point - whatever directly affects me or mine. Well, the future will be here whatever we do, and we can certainly shape that future to a certain extent; my argument is against dreaming about it and spending the entire NOW planning for THEN. When we get old, hopefully we'll be happy in the NOW, whether through chance or planning. Which in some eyes makes you even MORE Taoist. Agreed. Interesting - I never thought it was that many bits of data, but it could very well be. It seems there's that many commercials on public TV alone. I choose to focus upon discerning the "truth"... Never, but I'll certainly search for it now - thank you! OK - how's about - "The Truth According To Phil"? Of course there's few if any universal truths that humans can know in this lifetime. I think most declared "truths" are emotionally-derived beliefs or school-of-hard-knocks lessons - both of which are subject to interpretation. LOL - well put. However, when I clear my mental blackboard every morning, I get rid of some of my past associations and try to cover-up the remaining few. I don't want you walking away with the impression that I am an unsmiling, nasty ol' cuss of a mountain-man, because I don't think I am. I'm hermetic in many of my ways, true; but a REAL psychotic loner wouldn't be on these forums, much less post some of the stuff I've posted here over the years. But there's the rub: when I sensed my input on certain forums (most of them, to be honest) was no longer appreciated, I withdrew. Kind of like the Pink Floyd "Another Brick in The Wall" syndrome - each such blessed occurrence drives me more into myself, where I'm doing probably the most important work. My dealings with the "real" world have been, of late, disappointing, whether through my (!) cynical ways or simply due to the way of Fate; previously, I was a bon vivant who reveled in the pursuit of money and the company of fast cars and loose women (...or was it loose cars and...?). Both have taught me valuable lessons in balance, for which I am thankful. No, I'm merely acknowledging that although we can choose to live in self-created prisons, we can also glimpse the outside world and, if it is important enough to us, break out and live in that world. We do what we want in life - some more than others (my main supporting argument on the topic of pirate lifestyle), but all have the same ability to choose. I did that a long time ago. Coolness! Are you going to have pneumatic arms on the doors? If so, will they be electrically actuated? I'm not up on DeLoreans but I always loved their style and the Taoist nature of their creator. I suppose there's a ton of stuff you could do...

I think you're confusing me (labeling me) as a pessimist. Let me explain why I am not. The classical psychological definitions of optimism and pessimism always make reference to the subject's view of the future. This is what their entire categorization rests upon - it's called dispositional optimism (pessimism). Optimists believe the future will be better than the present; pessimists, that it will be worse. I, on the other hand, view the present with an accumulation of knowledge of the past and no expectations, good OR bad, for the future. I see trends. I see what the largest percentage of the populace in my area do, and I make my pronouncements from that. I really don't care if what they do is good or bad - I merely observe, infer and deduce. I am not a pessimist. I am a realist. Although you might not discern the difference between those two terms the exact same way I do, to me they are worlds apart. A pessimist views the world as one large steaming dung pile which will never change for the better (note the future reference). I don't believe that. An optimist believes the world will inevitably get better. (Again, note the future-oriented slant). I don't believe that either. To me, hope is a falsehood. It is a longing, a devout wish, a firmly-held desire. Hope is what you want to get in the future. This person spends so much time thinking about the future that their present is robbed from them before they realize it. Dreamers and schemers live for the future and barely recognize the existence of the Now. Pessimists are no better or worse - they assume that the future will be just as bad, or worse, than their personal pasts. They dread the coming of the future and consequently let their present slip by unnoticed. As for the Law of Attraction - I'm sorry but I don't believe it the same way you do. I don't believe in coincidences, and to me that's what the Law of Attraction is - it gets the benefit of belief when good things happen; when only bad comes into your life, the mantra is to think more positively - you weren't bringing enough good karma in the front door. Sorry - I neither read newspapers nor watch TV; I listen only to classical and/or jazz music on NPR, or my own library of music. In this, I suppose I could be considered an optimist It matters to ME because I want to die knowing I've known the truth and lived it to the best of my abilities. If I've lived a life of lies and padded perceptions, I'll pass on without really knowing if what I did, thought, said and striven for my entire life were worthwhile. That's a horrible death to die, an empty death meant for fools, and I for one don't want it. Unfortunately whenever I do this, they either: 1) Think I am a simpering moron and patronize me 2) Think I am up to something and stay away, or 3) They are so wrapped up worrying about their future, good or bad, that they don't even see me smiling None of those reactions are what I need. People smiling at me all day make me nervous... ... ...because I figure they're either morons, are up to something or...I don't remember the last thing - I was just thinking of something I have to do tomorrow... See my response above about the past - it's the future that shrinks claim defines optimism / pessimism. And why could a pessimist NOT explore possibilities et al just like an optimist? Are they permanently crippled? I believe their path is no more wrong or right than the optimists. I understand the points you've made, and they're all valid - for you. Why could a pessimist not make equally valid points in THEIR defense? The DeLorean kitchen sounds intriguing. Please do post pics as you go along...

China Restricts Foreign Mapping Services There ARE mash-ups available, and one website (Bendi, I believe) is working on, and may have already introduced, a link between Chinese mapping services and Google. It's still all very rough and not very reliable though.

Excellent!

Have faith that technology - probably theoretical physics - will come up with a commercial application soon. Keep telling me John tales, please! I like him more and more... OK, then how about - Jesus, Mother Theresa and other do-gooders never achieved prosperity, at least in the commercial/financial sense we're speaking of. LOL - just once I'd like to win so that I could skew the stats. Very true. And some are chronic... Now I KNOW you're baiting me! By 1980 the fuel injector had indeed improved fuel mileage, which was more than outweighed by (1) cars becoming capable of achieving higher average speeds, thus negating any mileage increases, and (2) the increase in the number of cars, and thus the barrels of oil, produced. The Alaska pipeline? Don't even GO there, bud! Environmental and societal upheaval and destruction in the name of technology (read: greed). Drilling deeper in the ocean? Great. Let's kill off even the bioluminescent critters that live 5 miles down. We've gotten rid of the majority of the species that once lived on land, so let's do it with the other 3/4 of the globe... ...all so we can cruise at 85 in our LuxoPig SUV watching some foul-mouthed comic on the DVD player cater to our base instincts whilst we run over flora and fauna and consume "meat" burgers laden with chemically-suspect substances... Yeah - I'm a proud member of the human race. Yes - once we empty the planet of its last drops of oil, we'll boldly use our advanced technology to rape and pillage ANOTHER resource. Heh, heh - solar power is one of those "inefficient" technologies that was used for thousands of years around the globe. Maybe someday man will figure out the natural order of progression and the inevitability of cycles - but don't hold your breath. Funny, isn't it, how groups like the Amish have managed to avoid many of the "necessities" of society while prospering? It's only when they're infected by our technologically-advanced culture that they begin to have problems. Like the Sentinel in The Matrix said - we're a virus. We reproduce and consume, reproduce and consume, until it's all gone - then we move on to the next fertile field. I had a sister who was killed on the Tappan Zee Bridge in NY on the night of her nursing school graduation by a drunk driver who crossed over the divider going over 75mph. My sister lasted a week before we took her off support. 2 years later, I did CPR for 1/2 an hour on someone on the very same bridge that was also hit by a SOBER driver going too fast and crossing over the divider. I had a good friend in 6th grade get killed by a speeder. It goes on and on. Cycles... If there's any justice at all in the universe, I'll be gone before then. My empathy. Both of my brothers had adult-onset diabetes. One died the day after he was told he'd need a transplant. The other suffered for a year before using his Mossberg 12-ga to end the pain. You're very lucky. I think (without checking any stats) that the majority of travel these days is business-related.

Words are indeed labels - such imperfect ones at that, poets and scribes notwithstanding - but I think that as the categories grow smaller information can also be lost. There, we've reached agreement. My apologies, then - you do indeed have a unique view of "technology"; one which I am not used to hearing. Now you KNOW that's a non-defendable position - John and I could very well have met while strolling a country lane in the merry, merry month of May... Ah, but you confuse the pursuit of pure science with commercial applications, no? I merely stated that PURE theoretical science has no such goals - rather, it is the quest for knowledge for the sake of knowledge. And with all due respect, I don't believe Duchess and I see eye-to-eye on many subjects. Getting us into discussion would be equivalent to caging a dog and cat in a small box and expecting a peace accord to develop. Ahh...since my commute consists of waking up, walking 30 feet down the hall to my office and sitting down, I didn't appreciate the irony there... As I've always suspected, you DO use the subtractive method in your mental quests :>) Now are you purposely baiting me with a comment like that? Of course you realize that drug czars, contract hitmen, insider-trading stiffs and lottery winners live the life of Reilly without performing "good" work. How about if I offer you "The greatest joy is to do the work only to participate in the process, without regard to the final goal"? Actually that seems to be the general direction of my path lately, but why could I not keep myself fed by growing and hunting my own food and having my own stream or well? These things can cost little or nothing and when performed properly have minimal impact upon the earth and its residents. Or to paraphrase Clint Eastwood, that great Western philosopher: "Spirit ain't worth spit without a little exercise". You're hopeless. I "care" about them only because: 1. By creating demand for such products, they are depleting the natural resources of the planet upon which I must live my life 2. While they mess around with all the little buttons as they're going 85MPH down my street, they have been known to run over small furry mammals, stop signs and the occasional child. 3. They clog the earth with themselves and their progeny, thereby denying me a better parking spot at the mall. :>P As in my previous reply, they DO affect my world - in many more ways than I can list here. It would take a book to fully expand upon my thoughts on this subject. Watch for it soon at your local B&N, or preorder NOW at Amazon.com... Perhaps I once again misspoke myself... I don't mean to imply that I want to change them. Only that, in their present form, when they start to impinge upon MY territory I feel a call to action of some sort. Since snuffing them is generally frowned upon when you get caught, I seek alternate solutions. I can't move much further into the mountains, since they always seem to find me there. I've spent years living in their midst in large cities and for a while my "hide in plain sight" approach worked, but then the beasts became self-aware... Right now I make my living teaching a select few students my Way - and believe me, the entry requirements I have for becoming one of those students are stringent. No optimists allowed, for one thing... Well, first i was expecting a vociferous argument over my use of the phrase "modern mass transit" in regards to something like the Plague... What I meant was that, if people would stay separated by a "healthy" distance (ie - low concentration villages and hamlets), most diseases would simply burn out for lack of hosts. Commerce is one of the main driving forces behind travel, hence we once again (!) find ourselves having traveled a circle of sorts in this conversation. Woooo...I'm getting dizzy with all these circles....

To paraphrase that old Rogers and Hammerstein song - "You'll never talk alone..." *sigh* Labels...again with the labels... Sorry - I have no ties to any religion - Eastern, Western or any other style. Merely pushing a time-line backward or forward has, I believe, no effect on its ultimate destiny. It perhaps delays or accelerates mankind's recognition of his folly, but that's all. And hopefully you recognize that by limiting your thoughts to the positive, you effectively negate half of the world. May I inquire as to which half that would be? Interesting view of technology, I grant you. So correct me if I'm wrong (I have utter faith in this request ), but when I have an itchy eyeball...and I relieve the itch by violently poking my finger into my eye...then one day I discover I can merely rub it gently instead of poking it... ...that's technology? It's a better way of doing something, right? And I take issue with your view that technology is always for the GOOD of mankind, but that dog won't hunt right now. (I love that phrase!) Are they indeed? I can think of several technologies right offhand that are not involved directly (or should not be, by their very definitions) with commerce...theoretical physics among them.... Long before the effects of cancer are seen or felt, it is slowly eating away at the core of your being... I still don't understand what the connection is between mastery and prosperity. Are you speaking solely of financial remuneration (as I believe you'd need to be when discussing commerce) as a longed-for result of mastery? How can you ever hope to become master of anything except disappointment if you devote your life to chasing illusions? Are we??? Have we truly conquered our needs for health and shelter and community? Looking around me at the glittering shards of civilization (you can use that phrase elsewhere, if you like - I'll suspend the trademark-infringement proceedings in your favor), I see so many needs unmet, and by the very people that are striving mightily for the almighty dinero. They work themselves into mental, physical and spiritual sicknesses of all timbres in pursuit of...what? A plasma-screen DVD player in their new SUV? They barter their children's birthrights for self-enjoyment purposes, all the while singing the "technology is wonderful" song? They are despicable human beings, unable to show the slightest shred of mercy or humanity to those below them, but I'm supposed to believe they're empowered because they have more toys than I? And with my State Trooper aviators, I see that mastery can also involve the pursuit of Nothingness. Efficiency has little or nothing to do with top-quality output - I'd rather own a hand-made bed by a Master craftsman that took one year to make than a high-quality, quickly mass-produced, efficiently -designed-and-manufactured fiberboard K-Mart special. Not for ALL teachers, I assure you... Just like the stone carving maxim that you remove whatever doesn't look like the finished product, in certain fields of mastery one needs to remove more than they add. Who would be easier to teach Catholicism - a dyed-in-the-sheep's-wool Protestant, or a 5-year-old who has never had a day of church indoctrination that he can remember? The difference is one of subtraction, not addition... LOL! Eh - like everything else in life, they are double-edged swords - useful but dangerous; beautiful but ugly; life-saving yet life-taking. It could be no other way. I just happen to fall on the horse-and-buggy side of the continuum these days. Of course, I've owned my Corvettes and Porsche's, too, so the pendulum in my case has swung full cycle. Without ever having met him, I like John! Or, as in the case of the Manhattan Project, take multiple lives, far more and far faster, with more horrifying effects, than was ever thought possible...yes, that enriched all humanity. Or the spread of AIDS...the Plague...all attributable to modern modes of fast mass-transportation... Which all begs the question, "WHAT is progress?" Another thread, perhaps... You're merely indulging your likes and, I dare say, your dislikes in this manner. If you never knew what a banana tasted like, you'd never miss it. We wait until we become accustomed to a thing, then we vigorously defend it to the death; yet, if we never had its acquaintance, we would never have to defend or argue for anything, thus making our lives easier - one of the stated goals of technology - hence, through subtraction we can achieve what many believe only addition can offer. BTW - When I was 7 years old, I almost ordered a Cappuchin monkey from the back of a comic book. It was... ... ...umm...never mind. Your serve, M'Lord.

Now see...we're both going to the same place, but we're once again taking different paths. I would say that perpetual motion does indeed exist as regards human endeavor, but I would place the motive force upon greed, ego and constant nerve-wracking striving. Creativity, although an amazing tool in the proper hands and initially a wonderful thing, is usually co-opted and corrupted by the merchants and "visionaries" of the world. Look at the automobile. Fine idea; initially it was limited production, low speed, few problems other than availability of parts and petrol LOL. Then - Ford came along with his mass production - quality dropped and death rates skyrocketed. Advance to the beginning of the 21st century - we have Volvos that warn the driver that there's a car in front of them, so maybe they should think about getting their mind back on the road instead of ogling their female companion. Ever see that commercial? They drive like hell to get to a food stand. Nice. Can you see what a development like that says for the human condition? That you're either too stupid to know there's something in front of you, or you're going so damn fast that you need Longbow radar to see it in time. Either choice is pitiful. Technology has outstripped human development 4:1. Mores the pity. But since it IS a recurring theme throughout history, I think that we, or our children or grandchildren, will see another major collapse. Whether its economic or social I don't pretend to know, but the signs are there for those willing to see them. Now - stoke the flames for the ol' Doomsayer...

Never been to one, never plan to be. They're good for friends who like to chatter aimlessly and fill spaces on their social calendars.

Sorry - too many big words to get my hands around

Oh - is THAT what this thread is about? I agree - you have to make a conscious decision to master anything. But you know something funny? The longer you stay on that path, the more you hate the idea of stopping, of giving up - I suppose it's related to the investment of time thing... I also believe that mastery of any subject will follow the 1/9/90 Rule: 1% of the people will achieve mastery 9% will be making the effort to achieve mastery 90% will sit back and watch the masters