Ask questions

What is good and what is evil? How does one know? How do YOU know? How do I know?

Are cyclones and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and tsunamis and floods and diseases and accidents and crimes and suffering and death and exploitation and abuse evil?

Are compassion and knowledge and skills and happiness good?

Should evil be punished or better still prevented? Should there be reparations for evil? For example, should the direct beneficiaries of European colonisation of most of the rest of this planet make reparations for colonisation, slavery and slave-trade?

Is it good or is it evil that the wealthiest 10% of humanity owns and controls 90% of the resources of humanity? Shouldn’t 100% of humanity own and control 100% of the resources of humanity? Isn’t that what real democracy is about? But then, should the vote of the ignorant and the incompetent and the cruel count as much as the vote of the informed and the competent and the compassionate? Evidence shows that what we have is meritocracy, not democracy.

What is good? How can we guarantee good? What is evil? How can we prevent evil?

As Morpheus asked in ‘The Matrix’, “What is real? How do you define real?”

We don’t know reality directly. We appear to know our sensory-cognitive-affective model of reality as it appears to be generated by the brain. One is considered psychotic if one perceives things, not perceived by others or at least others with power.

Are you familiar with the concept of Maya in Hinduism? Maya means illusion and states that this perceptual world that is sensed by our senses and measured by science is an illusion i.e. not what it seems. It is impossible to disprove it. This is why I am a strong agnostic about the ultimate nature of reality although I am not agnostic about the apparent nature of reality.

Does the workings of the brain produce the mind or is the brain an illusion perceived by an immortal soul? How would I know for sure? How would you or anyone else know for sure? Do any of you really exist or are you all part of a dream or a hallucination I am experiencing?

helps avoid misunderstanding and cleans the ambience so often.

I want to bring up any question I have in mind. I used not to do it the past (out of fear of being rejected) but it’s over now. Step 1 done today: raised the topic with my boss.

Less than a year ago, the specialty Volvo garage that I normally take our Volvo to “supposedly” flushed out our cooling system and replaced it with new antifreeze coolant.

This week, I got the coolant checked as part of an oil change & winterization checklist at Mr. Lube and they are telling me that the radiator coolant is now only good for -25C and should be showing -40C (-40F, too); and should be replaced with new coolant. The colour of the radiator coolant is quite clear, as well, suggesting to me, a high water content.

My question to my 43Thinger friends with cars, shouldn’t the vehicle antifreeze coolant last longer than 1 year and how often do you people out there get your radiator antifreeze coolant flushed out (i.e. replaced)?

I have a feeling that the previous shop watered down the replacement coolant when they last flushed out the radiator.

(Another thing they found at Mr. Lube was that the battery in the Volvo was showing 83 cranking amps and it’s supposed to be at 850! Consequently, I bought a new replacement battery. I’m not going to fool around with something like that, given that winter is just around the corner and my son is the main driver of this car.
I don’t have a problem with the battery issue, as the battery was already used when I bought the car 3 years ago.)

i want to ask him he loves me but im afraid hell say no.

first i’ll give you some background, and then ask a question:

from time to time i try internet dating… lately it seems i am getting a lot of responses from married men. To my romantic heart, that is just plain depressing, as I would never want to encourage a man to betray his wife.

why oh why are married folks looking for something else, before they resolve their own problems…

i guess that there are a myriad reasons. but still… some insight would help. i don’t want to sit in a seat of judgement, especially as i’ve never been married, but still… i can’t help but be disgusted by being approached by attached men. i am worth much more than that.

I am excited to report that I have two, count that, TWO, credits for books on http://www.paperbackswap.com and i intend to use them…

now, can anyone give me good recommendations for fun reads? (i enjoy reading nick hornby, david sedaris, etc)

the state of the union speech.

your thoughts?

the ideal picnic lunch? (for you?)

for me:

-nice sourdough rolls
-sharp cheddar cheese
-marinated artichoke hearts
-juicy tomatoes
-some greens
-sangria (chilled)
-some dark chocolate to round things off…

yummm…. darn. i just made myself hungry.