drummer

well, thats just it ... I think it can be solvedfrom a logical perspective. I don't think logic dictates that matter must have ben created somewhere. Logic is perfectly OK with accepting "it was just always there" ... It is our minds which force the conclusion because of how they are set up to think.

Likewise, everything we see that acts purposefully has something driving it. Cars have drivers that tell them where to move. A chess oard has a player who controls the piece. We *seem* to have one singular consiousness that makes our decisions, but, really, we don't. Logic is OK with that, IMHO.

"You are not separate from your beliefs. When your precious beliefs and illusions come to an end, you come to an end

...

"You have a self-starting, self-perpetuating mechanism, which I call the self. This does not mean that there is actually an entity there.

From my undertanding of how the mind works, this seems to be quite accurate for me.

There seemed to be a major presupposition in the article that I took excpetion to from my study of the mind, which is that it asked "what changes thoughts"

I would say that thoughts change thoughts. Neurophysiologically speaking, you have a great many 'thoughts' banging around your head at any one time, all speaking at different volumes. Only the very loudest ever make it to conciousness. To change thoughts, either the thought itself thinks it has become more important(outside event) , or anyther thought modifies it to make it more important (an act of concentration).

(personality, then, would be the general tnedencies of your brain - tnedencies toward jumping to conlusions (making swift decisions), depression, agorophibia, lovingkindness, whathaveyou.

To change the subject to astrophysics for a moment, the seems to be a human foible to anthropomorphize. We project what we know and expect everything to work similarly. In astrophysics, everyone is looking for the 'origin of the universe' ... For me, whats to say that it wasn't always just there?

Similarly, what to say there there is someone 'driving' the mind, changing thoughts at will? I remember from Psych 101 that there is a lot of evidence that physically speaking, this does not exist.

Read today that this was a case of suffacation and auto-erotocism gone awry.... Apparantly the poor guy was trying to jack off and at the moment when his senses were most dulled, well, anyways... At least there wasn't a horrible accident involving a broom handle and ladies underwear... suffocation is a much better way to go....

So maybe the details of this 'suicide' were to save a little bit of face for the poor schmuck.

there's a thai movie about a boy whos family gets slaughtered by drug lords; gets saved by monk, gets tattooed, and then gets revenge on drug lords, his tatooes render him immortal like.... dont know the name cause its written in thai but have the movie (friends gave it to me ) apparently its a popular movie just ask thai's....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There was also "The Bulletproof Monk" ...

My wife has started to go to a faith healing Buddhist cult on On Nut.

They sit fo hours with their open palm facin someone else, letting their rays cure medical problems, financial problems, etc.

Anyone have any knowledge about this?

Anyone understand how this related to Buddhism? Seems to me to be quite outside mainstream Buddhist practices, but she ssuers me it is quite inside them. She doesn't like to talk to me about it, though, as I don't believe. she tells me this is a very mainstream practice, that many famous monks and even the King do this.

It strikes me in form and function to be extremely similar to other practices from the West, associated with other religions. Many of which have ben exposed to be run by con men. I keep an open mind, but this really seems to rnu counter to what I understand Buddhism to be about.

Thanks

QUOTE

and if you are not Hindu - then Ganesh isn't good or what? he helps only Hindus to prosper?

He doesn't help because you don't believe if you are not a Hindu. i'm pretty sure he's a personality more than a force of nature.

Buddhism - "hidden" atheism acording to learned pundits and not considered as real religion at all - because there is no concept of God or even soul there. topmost level is  - mind and ultimate goal - nirvana or "nothingness" .... that's why it became so popular in modern world - for its concept that in the end there is nothing .... so, booze around, drink and be merry - after all it is nothing, right? very convinient - can justify any sort of actions....

I think you are mixing in existentialism here - Existentialism states that there is no god (not one thats going to intervene or has a plan, anyway) and is used to justify boozing it up and to counter imperialism... I haven't seen nor heard of Buddhism achieving that end in any meaningful capacity... Not to mean that it hasn't or can't, though. As I nuderstand it, there isa concept of soul, although not the same as in Western thought.

For me, at least, there are 2 reasons its pupolar. First is it's compatability with scientific thought. I am a strong believer in the scietific philosophy, (what I consider to be the philosophy of the practical)

The second reason, is that many of the litle observations I have made, on my own, about myself, people in general, and life, I have found mirrored in Buddhist philosophy. Enough to make me sit up and take notice. I do not consider myself a Buddhist, although I am an 'interested party'.

particular religion. especially during last few centuries with developement of science (empirical knowledge) - many facts about misuse of religion were exposed and that's why Marx had hit the point - that religion became like an opiate for masses.... but there are many other such opiates for masses nowdays, right? list can be long...

I'm pretty sure that religions "back in tha' day" did exactly te same thing. Ecept that it was easier back then, I reckon' Just because Science showed what the religions were doing doesn't change what they were doing before.

BTW - atheism is also just one of such religions or mere belif.

I'm an athiest and I agree it is just another mere belief. Of course, what isn't, really a mere belief? You seem to be quickly approaching a nihilist conclusion...

most popular trend nowdays is what I call as "escapism" - person's attempt to find cause of / solutions for one's problems in life in external or "outside" world

I don't believe for a moment that 'nowadays' is any different than 'back in tha' day' in that respect. I also think that there has always been the tendency to abuse power, and organized religion cerainly has power.

  that is the main problem  - why most of religions deteriorate eventually. because followers have strong tendency to adjust their religion to more suiting ways - relaxed and easier to follow

I wouldn't exactly say easier to follow, but maybe easier to understand. many religions gradually require a lot more effort, but less thinking... But again, I do not think that "today" is any different than yesterday, last year, last millenium etc.

Actually, I have a deviated septum and usually can't breathe through my left nostril. What are my options around here for fixin' it up? Was thinking of making it the size of a duckbill while I was at it... (;p j/k)

Would a cosmetic surgeon be qualified? I don't really want a lot of cosmetic changes - just a little straightening out. Suggestions? Thanks

And castration cures the problem. You can let 'em go afterwar with no worries about them hurting other folks

Doesn't it make them feel even angrier?

Have you ever tried rubbing your balls with sandpaper? (Just for experimental purposes)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Its the sexual drive that underpins it - without yer balls you don't have the desire to sexually abuse kids (or yourself, for that matter) This wouldn't work for child abusers, just pedos.

even with the reduction he will be 68 when/if he makes it out...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

26 + 30 =

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, you kow what they say ... there are 3 kinds of people in this world - those who can and those who can't.....

Interestingly, pedophles usually choose the age at which they themselves were abused.... Anyway, I rather favor castration via belt sander for pedos. Mental problems or not, it is controlable and they are hurting people. And castration cures the problem. You can let 'em go afterwar with no worries about them hurting other folks. Actually, on occaision, some pedos ASK for it (albiet not via belt sander )

AHH the israelites real god MAMMON!!

Uncalled for, shortsighted and ignorant comment. Like you don't find that anywhere else.

Wel, what do you want out of your photography experience? There are some really cheap chinese made cameras in Panthip - a few thousand baht - but the don't have a manual zoom. if you are just looking to tak som pics and don't worry about settings or anything liek that, you might consider something like that. If you want features to play with, though, you gotta spend a little more. I've got the Canon A75 - its great and easy to use. Well designed. You can use all of the features using 1 hand only, which is nice. Sony makes nice stuff but the controls make it a 2 handed camera. - oh, and keep in mind that the digital zoom is utterly worthless, unless it is a Canon, which has a program to clean up the digita zoom to make at almost utterly worthless. the manual zoom works quite well, though.

re: Orion ... There are a heck of a lot of people here for 'legitimate' reasons (like me) My son was just born 2 weeks ago in Koh Samui. If you think that Thaksin's immagration reform does *anything* to stave off sex tourism you are off your proverbial rocker. I kindly suggest you take off your moral blindfold.

Or not. I recalll someone's signature on this board ... I strongly support everyones right to worship anything they choose - its just a shame so many people choose stupidity....

Regarding Thaksin himself - He's better than the US president. At least *some* of Thaksin's ideas make sense... Bush has a longer history of shady dealings than Thaksin.

Not that I'm a bigsupporter - he's made my life MUCH more difficult here in a few ways. And you just can't trust the guy. But maybe some of the good stuff he says will get done will - the rail link to the new airport, for example.

Heres to hope over experience....

I wonder if they'd hire the Soi Dogs Blues Band?

well why not u got to siam discovery its free wireless internet near the starbuck apple  shop...i hang around there every day till 2 of my Notebook batteries ent flat then i go home

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

thanks for the tip - I wqas hopinbg to get someplace Icould walk to, tho, as the cost of getting to Siam and back is higher than the internet charge would be...

He's planning a US$25 billion makeover of the mass transit system in Bangkok.

It was all over the news the other week, that he was professing to be a TEXAN!.......   LOL

spending money like a governer of texas.....

So whats the news on the fuel subsidy? when is he stopping that? the day after the election?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, coming from a city that has recently made a rail link to the airport, I think its a fantastic idea. I'm not so sure about the sister city idea.

Not that I'm a fan of Thaksin, I'm not- but at least some of his ideas make sense. Can't same the same for some Texans...

I cna't play some games on my laptop because of driver conflicts, which I presume to be because I've never had my version of windows (6 months old) updated - so, is there anywhere near Ramkhamhaeng U that has a wireless network I can patch into? Much thanks

Makes perfect sense to me.... some of those smokes are pretty nasty, and it would create an incentive to not make them quite so nasty - good for everyone except the manufactures.

like you, I had initially bought happy dtac SIM...and just successfully converted it to their 1 baht/minute for 18 hours a day... and that's the 18 waking hours for most people. I imagine you can do the same just as well. As I have mentioned, I don't think this deal can be beat. No minutes to track and virtually no time limitations for that rate (when most people sleep). Orange is in second place, because of their limited coverage area, which excludes many areas around here and many other places in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hmm, I have not found a place here yet where I could not use orange. But I did find spots in BKK where AIS does give you a strong signal, but you cannot make a call, and if someone calls you, you cannot here the caller speaking, and it cuts after a short time. And that in the middle of BKK. And just where I had to stay for some time.

Many people say that AIS has the best coverage, but I assume that was looong ago. The others did catch up. And what does coverage help if it does not work anyway.

I also tested AIS GPRS and DTAC GPRS, and DTAC seems to be more reliable (still not perfect though. I will test Orange next.

Another thing I heard is that TOT is slow with new landlines because they got told to be slow. Someone powerful prefers the people to buy mobile phones

Overall, DTAC is fine, Orange is fine, but throw away AIS / 1-2-call.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

oarnge is great in BKK, but if you tavel around at all, it sux. Wa sin Koih Samui and I couldn't make or recieve calls from my place. The highest reception I ever got was 3 bars (out of 5), and with that you never knew when you were actually on the network... If you nevr leave BKK orange is fine, though

A friend of mine is quite sad at the impending demise of Thai Mobile - seems he gets free unlimited text messages. Never EVER calls me,m but I do get some lengthy messages

[

Got a SMS from DTAC

Would you like to enjoy a solid 18 hours/day of the best network for 1 Baht/per minute? Dial *1003 to register into our special Happy promotion

Sender HAPPY

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

are you working for DTAC as this number does not exist

I just called,. and signed up for that promo -= I get 1 BHT/Min from 11PM to 5PM now. Hope its a good as it sounds

Looks like I will be in Pattaya for a while. I'm looking for a place for the missus and the newborn, someplace quiet and not by the bar scene. Pattaya is not my favorite place, but I may have a job there for a while. Any ideas in varying price ranges? Any advice about the city? May only be there for 2 months, but maybe a longer, don't know yet. Also, I may be looking for a cheap car. Should I try looking in Pattaya in BKK? What can I expect? Thanks

I'm planning to get married and my fiancee, 22 y/o from Nakhon Si Thammarat said 50K THB would be appropriate. not he richest guy, and our son was just born last week. (her priority is to get the kid's stuff paiod for before we get married, so its a long engagement )

There are far more than 5 senses, and at least 2 of them can be used as early warning systems.... The first is hearing - earthquakes make noise - a lot of noise, but it is usually below the human threshold of eharing. The other is there is a huge piezolectric change, wich can be detected by many animals .... including humans, (although, granted, not particularly well) Purely sepculation, but I would reckon that the increased processing power of our brains hampers the actual detection of stimuli, also we don't need it as much as most, and if you don't need it, it becomes wasted resources rather than added skill...

/joke removed

/unappropriate post in this forum

just another day of shooting your mouth off - it's been a great year for it - get rid of all drug dealers - increase the Thai IQ by 25% in 4 years- stamp out drink driving - rid the country of bird flu in 1 month - oops - what bird flu- etc etc

After awhile you get sick of hearing it and just ignore it all - welcome to amazing Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree, but what an improved Thai student ( who knows that (critical) thinking won't kill him ;-) ) said me is that most of the people just believe what the government says, so even if the PM or somebody else from gvt knows that they are telling shit, they prefer to tell it because people will only remember that he succeed to get rid of all drug dealers - increase the Thai IQ by 25% in 4 years- stamp out drink driving - rid the country of bird flu in 1 month, etc... So even if it is bullshit, it's good to get the votes!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not at all limited to Thailand ... some 80% of Bush supporters actually thought SAddam was behind 9/11 and more than 60% actually thought they found WMD in Iraq... What an interesting world it would be if people actually paid attnetion for more than 5 years at a time...

One mans obstruction is another mans good advertising ....