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  • #65952
    syzygy @replies

    I think someone mentioned Manchester-by-the-Sea? Film with Casey Affleck directed by Kenneth Lonergan. It’s not exactly a ‘happy’ film, but God, does it bring you to your knees.

    Honestly, I’ve heard so many versions and re-adaptations of scores but there’s a superb Jules Massenet featuring Dawn Upshaw and the most uplifting Albinoni adagio I’ve heard in a very long time. Also, a spot of The Messiah in a pleasing gentle walking pace….

    Affleck does a tremendous job.

    Puro

    #65951
    syzygy @replies

    I have to say, as a historically lazy woman that one thing that made me go: “woo!” was the FEEL of it. Just like when I was 7: mud, or corridors, madness, or jokes about my “pricky” de-vice (said salaciously).

    Loved it. Also, Cummings was brilliant to me: tormented, frightened, a little learned and the Doc had  massive-grunt. More of that please. And I really want to see it again. I was looking for that ‘feeling’ or urge.

    I know very little of this historical period, but I thought the dress, the manners, the general poverty and quite obvious misery was pretty appropriate to that period…..and probably for a thousand years before (well, almost).

    But. To the pub for a mention of a film I have just seen…

    Puro

    #65929
    syzygy @replies

    @turntheclock

    “it’s religious bullshit.”

    How the HELL is it religious? It’s POLITICAL. I am 16 and I know this. What are you, 10?

    Thane16

    #65928
    syzygy @replies

    @turntheclock

    I like your handle.  You missed the word “back.”  It speaks of “social messages:” let’s get back to racism, poverty, homophobia, anti-intellectualism, anti-thought, anti-history, pro-gun, pro-shitty messages, pro-bad-television and on and on.

    You came here, made an account, just to complain, right?

    Who would WANT to turn back the clock? To right-wing, deterministic, middle aged, white dominance?

    Yeah, right on.

    Sorry mods, I feel we need to slap ’em down. Sometimes. But not always.

    Puro and T16.

    #65927
    syzygy @replies

    @tardisprototype94

    Yes Lawks! “social messages”

    oooh, oh no! The Social Messages! We will never survive. As monsters of humanity we must band together and stop all social messages. We may become cleverer if we listen to them, less monsters, more human, we may even be kinder…This must stop. We must continue to be marauders against truth, purveyors of false news, we must be unkind, volatile, angry, resistant to change.

    Ah, The social message…..it’s got me……I’m dying……Ah, oh, no, gulp, whimper, I. Am. Dyingggggg.

    #65899
    syzygy @replies

    @fatmaninabox a sort-of kebab (no calculator but with chilli) as I mentioned that….person. 🙁

    @mudlark

    Now, mudders! Definitely you wrote a post describing the furious winter experience from which I took a “whoa, THAT’S a serious winter. That. Right there.” 😉

    Not to worry. If it was more humorous than, “awful. This is awful” awful then that’s a good thing but I apologise for misconstruing it. The other mention of life and death was tagged with other discussions where people -in Aus generally and QLD, specifically, romanticise winter. A little bit like me, at 26, saying to my date: “Oh, a motor-bike. That’s friggin cool, man. It must be awesome riding through the rain on winding roads, in your leathers, hopping into a pub and having a hot meal and a hot drink.”

    He had to marry me -he said. Chiefly because anyone who thinks riding a motor cycle in the rain is “cool” needs to be schooled, taught to ride a bike and hopefully has a damn good sense of humour. Which, to the latter, emerged after about 20 years….as to the rest that’s entirely my business 😀

    @idiotsavon  Savon Manor: I hope things aren’t too challenging??

    @pedant the anecdote regarding winter etc reminds me, yet again, of the lesson: “an anecdote is not the singularity of evidence (if I have that wrong I shall blame Spawn of the Hospitalised who re-told it aka Chinese Whispers).

    @janetteb  It’s awful isn’t it? I think it’s an issue of disposable income/cost of living. Local cafes nearby have ‘mugs’ of weak coffee for $5. A few former colleagues in Sydney changed in the early ’80s to superannuation plans SO good it virtually assures entitlements forever. Daily, they take a 40 min walk to a local beach (Coogee; Bondi..) stop for a $6 coffee and walk home -excellent exercise, buy a paper, or use the one at the café.

    I imagine once retirement has hit fully (where that super option wasn’t open to us) we’ll be attending to every red cent by necessity what with purchases for water equalling $1200 a year, something we didn’t foresee ten years ago. Rates are added on top of that and if we want, say, a ‘green’ bin for emptying garden waste that’s another $15 per month so we plop our garden-ey waste into our normal-size red bin for standard waste (as does everyone on our street).

    Spawn has been attending a few parties recently and whilst we have by no means a life of penury, he’s a bit amazed at the homes visited: 6 bedrooms, two pools, pine trees (apparently hauled in for 1000s of dollars); film theatres, outdoor kitchen (now the standard house includes an outdoor kitchen and a plunge pool no matter how small the land) and so many other rooms, spectacularly modernist in decoration, that he gets lost frequently. Mind you, his sense of direction isn’t that much better than mine   😈

    My ‘grand’ wish:  as this area had a stream running thru it sixty years ago;  boulders pushed out of the earth like the horror film Poltergeist (I think?), I wanted to create a hand ‘operated’ stream with a few old pieces of tile etc occasionally turning on the hose near it, sitting on the grass and popping one’s feet in of a summer night…luvly-jubbly. Who needs a 2nd kitchen or a home-theatre? I just don’t geddit. My parents, originally from Europe, liked to make a $$ ‘splash’ with large formal lounges forbidding entrance unless disinfected, showered and powdered like Rose and the Doctor in the episode New Earth. Eventually they came to their senses.

    Puro-undisguised-rambling-on.

    #65889
    syzygy @replies

    @fatmaninabox

    For thee:

    Puro and T16

    #65886
    syzygy @replies

    @pedant

    uhm? Did I say “no arc?”

    THANE? Did you?

    Definitely hints of arcs. For instance the crack in the wall was very little -at first (as an idea/arc. Cute! The crack had. An. ARC. Geddit?? ROFL!). OK, seriously now, the crack continued right to the end of Smith’s era. Other little arcs and clues such as “I was born under a clock” says Clara-Prime (if there’s ever a prime) I only now recognise as part of the clock-work in PC’s Tardis; so surrounded by books and arm-chairs and other analogues was effectively one birth ‘symbol’ of Clara.

    But off topic. I like the moral arcs and the arcs of people and characters learning. Which I said on the Blog a few mins ago and which vanisho into Chaos and the Problem of Evil…. 🙂  I also mentioned that there is lots to discuss, still. The puzzle and clue might be missing to some….but I think it’s still there. It’s hidden, a different kind of nuance. A bit like the Tardis taking the Doc wherever they need to be, still.

    Someone said the bit of dangerous cloth- was The Remnant. I thought of the series: The Leftovers. I suppose they were leftovers, in one sense.  🙂

    Puro.

    #65877
    syzygy @replies

    @arbutus

    I think I referred to your lentils dispute (Lentil-gate) on The Sofa? But I didn’t catch up on your mention of T16s rather horrendous essay in maths class. Indeedy! Except it nudged him to a ‘B’ what won’t be a B or even a pass in the exam yesterday where he texted me with: “I had 2 on the C level correct and 3 of the D level correct. Out of 16.”

    At first I’d said, “so please tell me that’s 5 out of a top mark of 8 or even 10” which reminded us instantly of a Tommy McTiernan comedy sketch on that exact thing which I must find for a laugh.

    I have to say arbutus that I’ve not heard of an olive oil dispenser! But thank goodness you weren’t eating lentils with your coffee for breakfast. 🙂

    Thane completed his philosophy but the teacher smiled in a way that implied Thane didn’t do this all himself which is quite untrue. Unfortunately, after a stellar yearly start to the subject, he received an C- last term to do with Logical Philosophy which is very ‘mathematics’ and as an exam, without any possibility of cheating or getting help, the teacher is wondering how Thane could do so well with the Problem of Evil and The first task (2 weeks ago -therefore I can’t remember it!). But do it he did, which is terrific. No way on earth I could’ve helped him – the concepts were waaay beyond me. I get the odd syllogism….

    @fatmaninabox good to see you again! I did so love The Invisible Man.  Sounds like a great channel for the UK. Something good needs to happen in your neck of the woods what with Theresa May’s “Brexit is happening next February (?) whether you all like it or not” comment.

    Puro.

    #65848
    syzygy @replies

    @whisht

    Ah, the Eastern vibe 🙂 Yes, absolutely you can hear some non-Western tonal music. Some of it reminds me of the Javanese Kacapi with its particular range/compositions as well as ‘idiomatic’ modes generally not favoured by rock’n’roll but enjoyed by jazz fusion artistes nonetheless.

    Puro  (yes, thank you from upthread. Am home for a pass ‘out’ and night ‘out’ and then fully home on weekend or Monday  –  the pharmacy generally closed Sundays 🙁   But all’s good.

    Puro

    #65843
    syzygy @replies

    watching ABC Happy Hour with Silence in the Library. Tennant was brilliant and it’s terrific to watch Kingston play against such an accomplished actor. His nervous, “who are you to me? what’s in that book?”

    Donna’s suspicious and can’t work out what River is saying with her, “I sent a note and it got here too soon. This is early in his future.”

    I love River’s, “have we done The Crash of the Byzantium? Picnic at Asgar?” Interesting that, based on his face, she -human of a certain percentage-  still isn’t sure which ‘face’ arrived at those places in time.

    Also funny to see attitudes to companions: how Donna is teleported away without any explanation from the Doctor who basically talks very fast and lies in order to protect his companion. The Doctor’s “I’m so sorry, so, so sorry” to Proper Dave who turns into a Vashta Nerada swarm is a regular beat with this particular Doctor. Moffat had terrific monsters! But I think now is the time to change things ‘up’ with the true monsters being ourselves.

    @arbutus I missed your tale of exploding lentils! Awful! I have done this myself with pumpkin soup. Fortunately the apartment had low-ish ceilings and they were a pale apricot (not our choice) so the problem was easily remedied. But I smelled pumpkins for 12 months after… Actually To all Word Smiths: is it “smelt” or “smelled?” Is the former more ‘industrial’ and arcane?

    Puro

    #65837
    syzygy @replies

    @jimthefish

    I never thought about the episode in that way: it’s the first time the Doc doesn’t attempt to destroy the over-arching ‘system.’ And it’s interesting. As my 2nd viewing is happening as I comment, I’m aware of the Doc saying, “you have a great attitude to life, Kira” when she recounts imagining a person receiving a Kerblam!

    Judy, head of People, seems to be genuinely interested in her workers and even Slade after the “find your brain, Kira” comment is concerned about why workers are vanishing. The galaxy is under-employed; but the work, obviously necessary to the Organics, has positive elements: the ‘bots’ don’t ‘harass’ the staff but say, “keep your over-long conversations to leisure breaks” whilst the leisure ‘park’ is quite something in itself. I’m wondering if the work being pointless and “very repetitive” as mentioned by the Doctor at least twice in the first 20 mins could improve -when Judy recognises things are dreadfully wrong with Charlie?

    I got the distinct impression Judy cared and so removing some repetitive  jobs in line with galaxy rules could occur: but the galaxy laws would be difficult for the Doc to do anything about, I think?

    I noticed Charlie looked worried when Graham said, “I can detect even the most subtle of social cues” but corrected himself, saying, “it’s obvious.” If he had detected ‘everything’ maybe Charlie would’ve ‘put Graham away’ to prevent interference with his terrorism?

    I have a nasty feeling Graham will die in this series: “I am 310!” and other hints.

    The bots were similar to Oods to me -a bit, at least. The Ood are a real race used as slaves and now the bots are re-vamped by Charlie….

    Puro

    #65836
    syzygy @replies

    I noticed that the workers are given jobs based on “mental fitness (approximately), stamina etc and the Doc wants the Purple Group Loop but is assigned a ‘white’ one. She then swaps with Graham who initially had the cleaner’s job.

    I thought “hmm” the machines assign the work according to one’s brain/experience etc etc and yet the Doc is a cleaner! Having read @xad4 ‘s comment above, though, cleaner is caretaker -as in PC’s first season and also Tom Baker’s cameo in the 50th Anniversary Special.

    Puro

    #65834
    syzygy @replies

    @blenkinsopthebrave Hail all conquering heroes of the Dark Arts Technology!

    How have you warmed to the series? I use ‘warm’ metaphorically, considering your mention of Jacarandas and Brisbane summers which, I fear, are worsening, but we have air-conditioning which is hardly appropriate to global warming: it’s that or sitting in a bath of ice for the duration. The Junior likes to run in the middle of the day to improve stamina which is fine by me because then he can dig out summer weeds with nary a complaint.

    Generally, I peek out at 5pm to water (the grass meanwhile happily churns out weeds if it rains or yellow dust if it doesn’t), then quickly slam the door, turn on Christmas lights, have an ice-coffee with no milk or sugar -just crushed ice and a cold mince pie with ice-cream (or as I’m doing at the mo: many flavours of cold jellies and a thing I’ve not seen before which could be cold chocolate soufflé).

    Any winters over-seas were an awful long time ago and at just four weeks per visit, head stuck in books, and with no need for driving, I never mastered the other Dark Art of Keeping Safe In Winter Weather: the knack to look for black ice; winter tyres/chains; storm windows; knee-high boots for pushing out cars from muddy-bogs etc. I complain about the heat, but it really doesn’t affect us -obviously the very elderly and the youngest of infants require proper warnings, but I’m fully aware just how dangerous the winter is in so many countries: how dark, how cold and wet; and how miserable it must surely be.  It’s easy to romanticise cold weather when it’s so very bleak for many weeks. No wonder Thane noticed every home and commercial office or shopping centre loaded with decorations and lights!

    So, lots of warm wine, warm mince pies, a log fire (not for fun as it can be here but an absolute necessity without other heating). Last year @mudlark wrote interesting mini-memoirs about winters in the UK when she was moving about with her family and needing both dry clothes, a heated room and hot food. The absolute difference between life and death.

    I also read, ’round the same time, a fantastic blog by our own @cathannabel discussing how the poor in the UK get by in the coldest months, including the use of tea- lights and bubble wrap to ensure they’re warm. People, who in their teens, would never have thought they’d be a statistic ten years later, are barely surviving due to often unrecognised -or ignored- poverty.

    Indeed Mr Blenkinsop: the Jacarandas are out and about. There are only two in this area -more beautiful specimens are  further away in Holland Park or Lower Mt Gravatt and border the river in Auchenflower and St Lucia.  My mother naturally hated them: we had two at one point requiring sweeping up daily. I preferred to let the blossoms lie there but mama would have none of that. She was annoyed that the neighbours let theirs get “completely out of control.” The other thing you’re not missing are changes with J. Packer LTD and the various affiliates such as The Age, TFR and Sydney Morning Herald.

    Puro x

    #65832
    syzygy @replies

    @miapatrick

    I noticed your comments and @janetteb ‘s on dyspraxia? Yes, I worked at bars/waitresses/waiter and was terrible. I have no dyspraxia: I was just generally nervy and bad with numbers. At 16 I was still counting with my fingers. I had to do this to count myself into a musical score which was mildly embarrassing!

    Yes, the boys in the schools I worked in were called “YOU! Mockton, get over here and Strange? Is that YOU in the cupboard?” etc etc.

    Us girls were: “Kylie, get a move on!” No fair.

    Ooh I like “Smock” = S. Moffat? So Toc for Dennant (I mean Tennant) or Woc for Whitakker Doc?  Er, no, actually, that’s awful. SWock….?

    Don’t mind me, I’m eating 4 different flavours of jelly and a milkshake and the sugar is clearly getting to me. I also notice a very large storm heading my way…And not a TenDoc ‘Oncoming Storm’ either. Summer is definitely here.

    Puro

    #65831
    syzygy @replies

    @lionheart564

    Ah I see Thane16 tried to recall your name/handle -for some excellent points you offered for his 1st of 2 incredibly difficult philosophy assignments. I’m his  mother hen, sometimes known as “muvverphucker” when things get tough! So thank you.

    I understand your point about surnames. I have to admit it wasn’t my original concern: I didn’t even think about it! That it occurred to others helped me to understand ‘hang on, there’s something there I should I pay attention to.’ Possibly I would’ve written: PC and Jodi or Tennant and Rose simply because people understand that immediately. I guess the problem is ‘why they understand it so easily?’ In my ancestry names are feminised by the ending thus eliminating the need to place ‘Mr’ or Mrs/Ms at the beginning of their name.

    I JUST managed to watch Kerblam! and thought it was the best so far with echoes of The God Complex and The Beast Below which others above picked up. I didn’t question the fact that JW has actually sided with the corporation rather than blowing it all up! But then as far as I can tell, the Robots would’ve delivered packages to millions of people about to die and the antagonist broke the ‘thingamebub’ so the Doc had very little time to vary the options. I also thought the character beats were very nicely done with tight angles, excellent editing and subtle uses of a dry score -although some Trent Reznor style melodies would’ve added more sophistication  but it’s all about dollars and pounds 🙁

    Also I like how BW calls her “Doc” – it fits nicely.

    Puro

    #65823
    syzygy @replies

    @miapatrick That’s it! He does seem to stand with the contestants doesn’t he? He says “we could’ve won this” not “you could have” even though it would be “you” . The scary guy knows all the answers. His face never ever moves! There’s an Australian show called Letters and Numbers (probably it started in England) and I really like it. It’s something you can make at home. We also have “HARD Quiz” which is hosted by a comedian who tends to be ‘rude’ to the contestants (in a nice way) and they’re rude back. Everyone has 3 different sets of questions and because it’s the ABC there is no prize money. Its all fun.

    Bradley Walsh acts in a subtle way. I don’t why I thought he wouldn’t? I think there were auditions – – for something that causes so much love (and hate) and is so personal. I think there was no way in the 60s this would have been anticipated. But it has become a huge series with unveiled stars. On that, I don’t know what Pearl Mackie is doing now (I love the name).

    I noticed most people didn’t call her “Pearl” but Bill Potts (shorter to type?) whereas people who don’t like Whittaker call her “Jodi” which is an interesting type of insult. It’s not a proper one but a dig.  Just saying that I didn’t notice it with Mackie & that might be because everyone liked her??

    T16. (long post)

    #65820
    syzygy @replies

    @janetteb

    I think Bradley Walsh was or is a host on a question/answer show? mum hadn’t seen it but I used to watch it. It was pretty silly. I saw it again last night and it would be a repeat: his hair was brown and he was a bit less heavy. Not that he’s a fat guy! He just seemed younger. I wasn’t sure about him either but I like him a lot. He’s my favourite of the Adventurers but I think Ryan may take that place: he’s more my age and he’s nervous and funny but he’s kind. I like “kind” and “nervous” and I think that there’s a lot to like and laugh at as @idiotsavon said. “Rosa” was my fav.

    I think the Savon Manor is a major good title . My writing skills have dived after the final theodicy paper on The Problem of Evil. 🙂  I was  very worried . Until I handed in the paper and the two speakers before me didn’t mention the ‘actual’ problem of evil, nor did they refer to any philosophers which is seriously off. So thank you! And big news: I used a LOT of Alvin Plantinga. @bluesqueakpip that’s down to you.

    So, I thank you again: @pedant (you’re being called a ‘fish’ now?) and those just mentioned and  @janetteb for your assistance. Also @kevinwho and there was another person (whose name I have not recalled fully but)  who is Chinese. Thank you also for your excellent points. I have History tomorrow, then Maths then OVER for 8 weeks. Sweet!

    T16

    #65819
    syzygy @replies

    @seeoswald

    You’re back. Personally, I’m SO glad that there are SO many people who are clever, who are thinkers, who are thoughtful who like this new series.

    Things change honey-bunch. And that’s a good thing.

    If you hate it, sweet. More for me to like. As for tweets, the people you like do it: Capaldi, Moffat …. even Whedon. I forget, you mean: Pete, or Stevey or Joss.

    Mate, I’m yawning.

    @pedant me and dad visited the Town Hall for an hour with a writer I like: (bad time, middle of exams) and he made pertinent statements: as a script writer and novelist he said in answer to a question, ” people who proclaim “this is good!” or “this is rubbish” have never ever put pen to paper.”. He says “sure, they’ll say they’ll do, they’ll lie but actually you can bet their knowledge of writing smells of lower school or middle school. Never listen to them. Also, insulting actual writers only makes those writers extremely happy because somebody’s mad (and stupid) enough to make a comment and whatever the comment it can make that writer’s day. If only they realised that for us writers the best insult is silence. They can’t do that so they sit in corners shouting “boo” to mirrors.”

    Awesome!!

    T16

    T16

    #65794
    syzygy @replies

    @geoffers

    The parker-isms are probably my mis-interpretation but I feel the bebop thing & am probably the only one in the world to do so! 🙂

    When you wrote “Keith…” it was on one line and so I thought (I made a bet) you might write… Jarrett but you wrote “Emerson” so I lost…except I actually ‘won’ what with Emerson being awesome ‘n’ all. Totally get being an instrumental over vocal type. I am very close to that….. The track you linked? Fabulous, and very Jarrett and Miles Davis too. A few other hints .

    Puro

    #65689
    syzygy @replies

    @mudlark @pedant

    I think P’ting was satire nicely done.

    Thane16

    #65688
    syzygy @replies

    @mudlark

    sorry to hear about the mole-turning traitor. A few of my 16/17 year old mates have had them removed which is young I reckon. But it’s close by, your hospital or clinic and I think they will numb the area with lidocaine or something?

    Thane16 and Puro

    #65678
    syzygy @replies

    @margaret-blaine

    Things petered out (the ‘countdown’ in series 5), loose ends were left dangling,or written off in a single sentence way down the line (the Silence, Madame Kovarian..

    There were some dangly ends weren’t there?  But I think maybe Moffat writes sparely for us to keep observing? That’s the way I’ve seen it. So that ultimately when we knew how to “kick the Silence out” and they ended up on a different planet Mat’s Doctor could say, “Clara you’ll forget you’ve seen them (from the days of Rory and Amy) but they’re confessors or…there’s a word for that I can’t remember!…and that idea of being able to forget them helps them in their job.”  I’m pretty sure Mat’s Doctor said these things. With Kovarian we eventually worked out that she found River, as a baby, and gave her whatever she wanted to do -which was be an archaeologist – and thus track the Doctor as a personal assassin.

    Kovarian didn’t think River would fall in love with the Doctor in whatever face he had. I think her eye patch helped  ensure you didn’t forget The Silence which also came down to Trenzalore to capture or kill the Doctor and that’s where the crack appeared after all that time from when the Doctor first ‘arrived’ on Earth in Amelia’s garden.

    @blenkinsopthebrave

    I have long stood up for the historicals on Who on this site. Well, let me say that both “Rosa” and especially “Demons of the Punjab” have approached the brilliance of “The Aztecs”. And from where I am coming from the praise doesn’t get much higher

    Great to hear you can see some Who finally! And that you’ve liked those historical episodes. I liked them too and feel there isn’t a burden of theorising about what a little clue is, or what it isn’t? At the same time I think there is some interesting bonkers to be done because of the colour t-shirts, the fact the Doctor was sicker on the ship in the earlier episode but in this particular one it was a stand-alone episode focussing on the Humans as Monsters, wrecking their own creation, using power to ensure superiority with blood dropped as a powerful incentive to do what Power says. I think those are monstrous things and sometimes in society, like what’s happening in parts of Africa and across America now it’s a good time to speak about those things?

    Thank you , Thane.

     

    #65676
    syzygy @replies

    @swordwhale   @missrori

    Wondering how much of the uncertainly some have with the character of the Doctor is because a woman is bringing a slightly different kind of energy to it? Is it different from what all the male actors brought to it?

    Yeah, I think the Doctor has been developed nicely. The episode before this where the Doctor says, “I love this, conceptually and actually [talking about anti-matter and its use]” really made an impact on me. That she paused to explain how she felt and what mattered.

    As always the character development can be nuanced in this show.  She has given us SO many hints as to what makes her tick ? Her attendance at Grace’s funeral; at the mourning of the Pilot; her listing of achievements including, “a Doctor of hope” shows she never gives up. She doesn’t like monsters who take over the planet like the Demons might have, saying “it will stop” but equally when told who they really are she adapts quickly. She also explains to her Adventurers that she can’t always protect them. She’s gabby (like my mum!) and tells everyone what she’s doing without being Time Lord-mysterious  which was part of AG Who with Davies and Moffat.

    Thank you, Thane

     

    #65648
    syzygy @replies

    @ichabod

    I think that would’ve been my relatives hanging out their sheets to dry    🙂

    The amount of times we put sheets out -only to bring them in standing up from ice or frost -I don’t like to count. Prague is a truly beautiful city to me. People cite Paris as the most romantic and yet the buildings are all large and white (still beautiful) whilst Prague’s are capped with coloured, elegant crown mouldings. Many have painted emblems across the top with apartments and official buildings in duck-egg blue, earth, pale-pink and rust colours. I found Salzburg more homely, somehow -though definitely ‘home’ to the richest of cultural groups with modern acoustic concert halls and permanent galleries.  As to plague I must defer to @mudlark our historian of this time-period and @janetteb.

    Puro

    #65643
    syzygy @replies

    @geoffers Thank you for that!! I wasn’t exactly ‘myself’…..In my gut, hind-brain (or maybe I’m thinking from the proverbial rear-end) Snarks reminds me of Bela Fleck and The Flecktones  -the mode & the Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker-isms. It’s a beautifully tight performance at 4:00 onwards till just after 5.00 where the vocal accompaniment didn’t illuminate (to use @whisht‘s excellent word)  -to me- the performance any more. It just muddied the nicely dampened percussive touches?

    But that’s just me (I’m having an attack of ‘blabber mouth’!).  Have you heard any Weedie Braimah and The Hands of Time? There’s a lovely similarity for me with the Snarks and Charles Bird.

    Puro

    #65642
    syzygy @replies

    @whisht  Love those songs you’ve added for ‘Rosa’ and others. I believe a class were listening to these odes nearing exam block & having completed the Rock’n’Roll as History unit   😉

    You express yourself very well whisht.

    T<i>hen there were a few parps of brass around half way… they’re coming into the home straight(!) as you say the crescendo builds and then… the choir…t</i><i>heir introduction is a crystal-bright emotionally-charged illumination – a gorgeous difference to the album version, which is mainly washes of cymbal and synths …though great in its own way.</i>

    Beautifully written. Crystal-bright is a great way of describing it & as you say, illumination of the original sounds in the first two parts, added to with choir & increased percussion, while still maintaining a ‘drone’ in the violins & violas, helps begin that “illumination” which is easy to lose control of too quickly, thus, as you picked up, ruining the surprise.

    Martele is a term used (also ‘martellato‘) for detaching the bow from the strings or an accented bow striking the strings in a ‘hammering’ method & the opposite of what the strings are being instructed to do here in the score/orchestration notes. Also the Ionian Mode is “happy making.”

    Definitely what you like about this is that it’s a combo of a slow pace or adagio increasing slightly but adding more volume to the tutti (meaning everyone joins in) creating a climax & a wall of sound.

    The amount of 4th-6th yr students who couldn’t use normal words to describe a listening experience was frightful.(in other words you have that ability but students deeply mired in music often don’t which is bad!) It takes intelligence and a certain amount of written and spoken knowledge to say/write exactly how a piece of music works for you & so, for others Music students tend to use only musical terminology and when asked by me to describe it without some ‘in’ expressions and terms, they looked utterly blank, but worse, sneery (that might sum up college/uni/TAFE/Advanced College of Education students all over!).

    Thing is, they don’t ‘get’ that the population enjoys listening & singing to the music they also like & many want to find out why it has that emotional or intellectual pull; unless someone is prepared to speak ‘human’ that same population group will shrug & walk away finding some else who might break it down for them.

    Often people say “music is our only common language” except, deep down, under the ‘rubbings’ of that statement, it’s a bit contradictory as different sounds don’t mean the same thing to different cultures. So a Japanese person doesn’t always hear “buzzzz” when listening to a bee & yet I, and probably you, do!  There’s a wonderful book out there, no longer published, called The Illusion of Musical Sounds or The Music Illusion…It would be a lovely preface to the recent The Knowledge Illusion.

    Puro  (hugs)

     

     

    #65620
    syzygy @replies

    Stan Lee of Marvel died  🙁  I might be new to this news.

    @whisht 6/8 time can do it. Reminds me of a few great Beatles songs.

    sweeping up-lift in the choral ‘backing’ as well the music modulating upwards with each set; overtones are also used;  a lovely crescendo leading to —–>  ff (fortissimo) and symmetry within the percussion, strings and choral voices.  Helps when the strings bow carefully. And actually listen to the sound they produce.

    Solo voice unbalanced a bit -but a small problem easily addressed.

    Puro

    #65618
    syzygy @replies

    @cathannabel

    Great to see you  back and ‘not lost’ though #LostinSalzburg should be a thing. I always loved Prague but Salzburg is colourful,  a tad smaller, its river not quite as ….threatening.  Indeed it is a life of luxury. Not uncommon amongst Aussies to spend  $20 000 on a 4 or 2 month holiday in Europe incl fares/accom/cabs/train passes and just…..living, wandering and eatin’

    So much so, one happily chugs  bake beans and devon-‘meat’  for the next 12 months    🙂

    Puro

    #65616
    syzygy @replies

    ratings! awesome!

    @swordwhale

    YOl! Dr Hu…..loved the number plate. Didn’t even though they were …..a thing. Apparently people have ‘life size’  Tardis’ in their garden: I have a Tardis mug which, when you heat things, allows for a disappearing Tardis (it really was awesome in its day).

    Puro

    #65600
    syzygy @replies

    @pedant Don’t “tell her what?”

    I’m sitting in m’bed, begging for my laptop, out of the ICU and wanting to do something in between obs, cleaning out the naso-gastric tube (a real hoot-n-nanny), watching CNN & someone’s had a CAR ACCIDENT??  🙁  Holy mother of them all.

    I’ve seen some of your dash cam vids before -because I like driving & enjoy Christmas lights (any lights, pretty much, to which Thane will attest: garage, rear lights, lights from tall buildings ….) but not a CAR ACCIDENT. Certainly not dash lights that all flash. Diabetes, car accident…..??

    I plan to stay gloomy for the superstitious. A bowl of milk at the door to keep the random ghosts happy; all mirrors checked for cracks; ladders folded and hung;  no salt anywhere unless carefully laid along the perimeter

    @whisht has put up some toons. Outstanding. Not caught up with the latest Who and 1/2 way thru the one Thane calls “the satire with a live troll” which is very interesting….

    Stay safe people. The world is clearly going nuts.

    Puro x0

    #65509
    syzygy @replies

    @blenkinsopthebrave

    It was amazing!! The drive was problematic. But we had several lectures by Indigenous peoples and visited the open -air museum and met one Indigenous actor! It was actually very cold. We had a campfire for the Dreaming which was terrific.

    We now have lots of records and information -primary evidence will does include the supreme court information about how the first trial meant they were all “not guilty” and then this lead to another trial.

    I haven’t slept at all since Wednesday so I need to do this first, see mum and then do some more reading and also watch The Secret River which is our combined History/English assessment. I like that there are two subjects looking at the same concept differently: historically, and English.

    It was very sad hearing about what happened. Two ‘fellas’ jumped into the creek to escape. If they hadn’t they would have been murdered too. They were 14. Children of 12 and 13 (girls) didn’t escape.

    T16

     

    #65507
    syzygy @replies

    Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to Doctor Who’s first species of modern troll, the Pting: eating through wires and metal, never full, always hungry, never actually eating flesh but surviving on constituent computer parts and 0000s and 1000s. Looks like a toy but be aware of what it does…..

    When the Doctor looked at the antimatter machine and said, “I love this conceptually and ….actually,” that’s the way  Dad looks at Mum.

    Love 🙂    T16.

    #65506
    syzygy @replies

    @pedant

    Man, I get back from frought bus trip to Myall Creek (no seat belts and tired drivers) grateful to be in a piece and you are not!! 🙁   Bad for Mr P.

    BMWs: you should hear my dad talk about some of the Beemer Sunday drivers.

    Glad you’re not too injured. But it sounds scary. I don’t have my learner’s yet even. I think no matter how careful you can be, how well you watch the road it is always the “other drivers” my dad says.

    T16

    #65469
    syzygy @replies

    @idiotsavon @blenkinsopthebrave

    Home again, to pack.  Thank you for the link and the mention Mr Blenkinsop. It was an awful time. It is still a depressed community in many areas and this isn’t something, in ‘middle’ Brisbane we are aware of. The gentleman driving the bus may come from that area and I enjoy conversing with adults where I can and I hope that if he is a shy person, that I can be quiet and listen.

    I spelled both destinations wrong which is terrible of me: it would be like spelling ‘Brisbane’ or “Capaldi’ wrong insofar as it is disrespectful and I do apologise for that.

    Unfortunately we will be spending 14 hours on the bus -or more, as the afternoon trip may take longer.  Because of this the learning we do at Myall Creek may be  less than hoped? Mum has not been there in many years but when I was 5 and 6 we would drive nearby when going to Sydney. Without a doubt, now that the 3 other tasks are over, I am looking forward to experiencing this & it’s humbling, as you say.

    I shall report back, Thank you for all your help and I will re-read the link as it will also help in my understanding. T16.

    #65463
    syzygy @replies

    @idiotsavon  ! She does it again!  🙂  Thank you….!!!

    I’ve nipped home to get some stuff for mum and then I’m back to school for a 2 day excursion where we are driving 7 hours there, 7 hours back. We have to bring a packed lunch and afternoon tea AND bring $50 for dinner, breakfast and lunch the next day. It’s NUTS! My school : what a wacked place.

    Anyway, I see you have found the actual QLD National Curriculum. If you stumble into History you’ll see Mum’s involved (or maybe there are no names) -but this was early grades, 7 -10 only. My teacher in answer t o”you haven’t taught us anything” emailed us the pages associated with this topic on Monday. It’s due Friday but for me, today, because of this history excursion to Bergara -or near Miall Creek which is our history topic. It will be 43 degrees @blenkinsopthebrave  in the shade and I think we’ll be sleeping on the bus. So, Monday afternoon I spent the day at home (Oh I was very ill) doing things, seeing mum, and typing out the assignment.

    And darn, I didn’t use Plantinga. Terrific. Except he sneered -I think. Or laughed. Dunno. He’s shy. I read it over. Now, I have Maths and left all my workings-out at home and I’m headed for a c- for that!

    I am thrilled with the philo. Sweet, thank you for the link. It will be SO helpful. I still think I’ll be lucky to get a B-. I’ll be stoked, actually. I should send it to you to read! Bear in mind it’s Semester 2 of 4. I’m 16 (still) and not word perfect (as you can tell). Still, not sure what one can do to get an A when the teacher…is…. well, I’ve said all that. You can tell I’ve had no sleep!

    T16

    #65413
    syzygy @replies

    @idiotsavon

    (I really dislike calling you idiot!). Seriously, that has been very helpful. I clocked 9 hours today and 1000 words.  I think the article was actually referencing “Does God exist in argument or ratiocination?” well. We need to counter the counter-argument, if that makes sense. As of right now, I could achieve a basic pass or a distinction which is odd. I generally have a good idea….

    Thank you.

    T16

    #65404
    syzygy @replies

    @bluesqueakpip

    the latter mentioned Alvin Plantinga who my teacher was not happy about: (sorry ‘Pip) “as a theist he’s morally invested in the God Problem.”

    I don’t agree with what my teacher said, Pip. He is a very young guy who made it clear to us he’s atheist. Because of my Christian background I’m usually getting a lot of ‘wax’ about how dumb I therefore am. It doesn’t help when I add that Kant, Descartes and Hume were believers.

    @pedant (thank you for your response as well as Pip’s) My response & my mates was, “they are ALL morally invested in the God problem.”

    A philosopher asks questions & uses argument to explain positions. They don’t ‘debunk’ an idea but explain their concepts using argument without sneering. Those who sneer don’t succeed.

    ***In my mind and also mum’s mind, this is how you could do it: If you have a question: ” you can/not use rational argument to prove that God exists” you would explain WHAT arguments can be used to prove god exists. You should explain how Kant provided us with answers or suggestions to further our understanding of god such as “the gap between ratiocination and God is faith and hope.” You would also explain the 3 arguments which help us understand the philosopher’s logic:

    cosmological; ontological; teleological. Then explain how each of these can be countered using logical argument according to the expected manner in which philosophers work using a variety from Plato, Hume, Kant, Plantinga

    In our school we write, “no, you can’t prove God exists using argument”  using one of the above methods (I’ve chosen teleological) & two philosophers, mainly. The premise can be argued, too. Each link in the chain does not need support (weird).

    It’s not good enough. And yet it is 1200 words not 500. So, there’s a problem with this too. The way I would do it at *** above would give you an approximate 1200 words whereas the method the teacher used would be more suited to 500 words.

    I understand your frustration. 🙁

    T16

    #65382
    syzygy @replies

    @mudlark

    So, given that many of these concepts were formed long before there was any knowledge or understanding of the vastness and complexity of the universe, is the God of your argument the creator and prescriptive ruler of the Israelites, an omniscient,omnipotent and ultimately benevolent overseer of the universe and our human destiny, the Ground of Being integral to the existence of all living beings, the Atman or universal soul, or what? And how do you construct a rational, logical argument on that basis?

    ‘He/She’ is a “god” but the question did also state 2 other descriptors -nirvana or The Great Emptiness.

    Thank you for your wonderful response -Puro did philosophy years ago at college but it was more an introduction even though it was in 4th year. We are going waaay too fast. Therefore, in arguing whether God exists we need to determine more the word “exists” rather than whether it’s a god/not- god/other not -god thing.

    Exists is essentially the problem according to Kant who talks about predicates some which I found from my teacher when he finally woke up and realised he had to do something and also @bluesqueakpip who recommended the 1st Order Predicates and 2nd Order Predicates. Honestly ‘Pip you were SO helpful. Thankyou. Be our teacher!!

    The latter mentioned Alvin Plantinga who my teacher was not happy about: (sorry ‘Pip) “as a theist he’s morally invested in the God Problem.”

    So, in cosmology we can use Aquinas who argues for God’s existence but we then provide counter-arguments.  Teleological arguments explain the universe is ordered so well there is no other option but to believe in a hidden Designer.  According to Kant (I think, and Hume) Order is only there because our minds are pre-determined to ‘see’ such Order. That argument I get. I also understand  (sort of) how to argue this.

    Most kids thought it was about finding evidence to prove God is or isn’t there. But we had  5 lessons during which the teacher (a stand in) did nothing at all. There’s a limit to how many times mum could complain to the school regarding how pathetic they all are . I now don’t have a single teacher who knows anything. I think I’d know (cue the 17 year old “oh he think he knows it all” 😀  ). LOL

    Dad reckons complain about things next year when grades matter. No grades are used this year determining next year’s overall position or OP. In Brisbane it’s a combination of essays/ exams which give you an Overall Position. An OP of 1 to 2 means Medicine is doable. OPs of the same and a 3-4 means some universities will accept you for Law. So a 4 -6 means higher level courses like engineering/architecture/planning/economics courses are open. If you want to do Physical Education or Human Movements with its emphasis on science you actually need a 2 (most HM students become teachers)

    I had a predicted 5 earlier this year but I’ll be lucky to get a 12 now*. (22 is the lowest) except I have no interest in going to university. I need to be organised which is a sore to Puro:  “organisation is the key to undergraduate existence.” 🙂

    T16

    PS: it’s also about what subjects you take and where, on the Overall Position line you fit. You can be an A- next to a few other A-s in History but if you are a B+ surrounded by no others you could get a higher score than the A-. Also a subject like Chemistry or Physics has a high OP area and the former is equivalent to taking Ancient History, Ancient Greek or Music with composition and performance.

    #65373
    syzygy @replies

    @winston ! It’s good to see your picture and handle again.

    @cathannabel We (i’m typing for Mum and adding in myself) echo those sentiments. Have a great time. And enjoy this time with your Dad: it should be a terrific experience and one your dad should treasure and so will you. Mum also said she spent 3 days on the Danube when she was 25 with grandpa. On one day it was hot & against the judgement of ‘le capitaine’ people jumped in the water.

    @whisht terrific bonkerising: essential element of this site. I don’t have any theories except for the Stenza coming back and being a group whose culture was lost in the Time War, caused by the High Council. I also wonder whether there are other TLs still out there.

    Not the Master/Missy or any mentioned in Mat Smith’s era but a completely different one(s)? Mum is out for a couple of weeks too. I may be checking in or out -depending on assessment which is going to be spectacularly bad. From last semester of 4 As, one B and one C I reckon on losing all but one A.

    None of this year ‘counts’ towards final marks at the end of Year 12. The philosophy assignment has done me in (and mum too) but the English essay on Kate Grenville is torturous because of time restrictions, @janetteb you may know The Secret River because of your extensive research ?

    Also @juniperfish you might have an idea about how to describe “God exists” [or not] using Kant’s theory of ‘predicates?’ It’s not good when our taxes are providing such poor education in some state schools that the teacher actually says, “I have no real idea how to teach this philosophy task because I don’t like Immanuel Kant” and I said: I know you didn’t set the task but everyone knows something relevant. David Hume? And he said, Nup not him either. He’s contracted and doesn’t know us well. Shy but writes thoughtfully.

    @blenkinsopthebrave I hope you can get a Doctor Who soon? Perhaps (mum says) you can work in your celler while you wait for it to show up on DVD? 😀  But that’s a year away!

    T16 and Puro signing off,

    #65352
    syzygy @replies

    @janetteb no worries: I really wasn’t thinking of you as being that type of person -so apologies! It was actually sometimes a newbie: “did anyone notice ..?” it kinda annoys.

    I read that good article @pedant

    I think there are few personal attacks here. But a few rude comments which is different. I know mum handled the one about “phd who gives a shit?” which is pretty personal. She just shook her head. Then did bullet points. It’s the nature of those people. They simply want something to hate, find a discussion and then crap on. Not sweet. With Social commentary I type “OK” and then they get real mad.

    T16.

     

    • This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by  syzygy. Reason: being nicer
    #65345
    syzygy @replies

    @lionheart564

    I understand what you are saying about communism -and I agree. What I wrote next embodied what I believe to be important elements of society which if delivered by profit-focussed competitive markets, won’t happen. This might assist you in your thinking:

    …our taxes pay for the very issues we use to determine the signs and signals of our best selves, the very things that move our civilisation.

    Society should embody our best selves, not our middle-ground selves. We should never anyone behind. Taxes don’t strip us of wealth or potential. Well used, they provide what we need but also store money for the things we don’t yet know we need.

    I think we probably agree about all that, actually! On the ‘God thing’ the 2 paragraphs I gave to teacher 2 days ago weren’t good. We give one draft. But no-one else had done that because shortly we have another one due in 6 days. They could have had a different assessment . A viva voce, or a Socratic circle discussion. We’re all tired of writing! An essay is this semester’s assessment for every subject (maths; science too). Bad planning 🙂

    #65313
    syzygy @replies

    just look at this place @craig! I’m getting a bit weepy. See how people here are explaining things, answering questions, helping others and with absolutely no remuneration to each personally but because talking helps society they talk, and explain, and if one says, “hang on?” another pops in to offer an opinion -a really well-educated thought out opinion.

    So @idiotsavon you absolutely need to write a book about issues with the EU and Brexit. You have a particular way with words that helps me (someone who doesn’t cope with economics)  understand .

    @miapatrick. Exactly, that’s the Social Conscience Question. How far do we go to keep people going? When we look at an individual as a person we can say “we go all the way. We don’t ever stop.” Or: We never give in and never give up.

    Earlier this year, Mum said this and I wrote it and kept it (phew) @bluesqueakpip “Kant was undeniably one of the most intellectually gifted philosophers operating at a time where a intellectual crisis of deep perplexity was occurring. On one hand he had the claim of science to a genuine knowledge of the world and on the other the claim philosophy had on how experience in no way could give rise to knowledge.”

    Then, & I recall this bit from what she said: Kant, like Hume said that if the mind only derived things from the senses and if complex ideas like god came from sensory impressions then anything at all concerning the universe or its nature (definition needed of ‘nature’) that went beyond experience and became speculation was unfounded.  Experience did not produce knowledge. Or, as @pedant might say “anecdote isn’t in itself a truth” -and I might have that totally wrong.  🙂

    T16

    #65307
    syzygy @replies

    @miapatrick

    how would publicly owned and regulated education and health service companies be in competition with each other, though? If they’re not profit driven, their main order of business is to do as much as they can do with the available budget.

    I believe that’s quite sensible @lionheart564  ?

    I really think that you can NEVER expect profit driven companies to produce a service to people. If it’s about profit we know it can never serve FIRST. And service should be first. See, I don’t believe in a society bowing to the Great God Market? People do it all the time.

    I believe in society, first, second and third. I’m also a virtual- socialist -and so is Puro so it’s hard to say that somehow our taxes shouldn’t pay for the very issues we use to determine the signs and signals of our best selves, the very things that move our civilisation.

    Our society should respect the elements which build the space in which we all live, all equally. Profit driven schooling causes nothing but inequality and regression. Our own societies are worthless if we do not care -or help those -who, by design or accident, are hurt, suffering, lonely, illiterate or perhaps unskilled in some way.

    Education is one way to help people to care for those who feel they cannot, anymore, care for themselves. That is why we have -or should have -excellent welfare for everyone who needs it. It’s not impossible. Everybody, by and large, wants to work. They want to produce for their group or family or loved ones or simply to produce for those they’ve never seen but still need the things the former can produce. Certainly they should be remunerated properly. And obviously there are some people (although I’ve never met any) who want to get something out of the system without putting anything in.

    And that is something that be halted through education: of the BEST kind. I’m not speaking of Communist Re-education. No way. That’s something that my grandpa fought against all his life and  before that against fascism. God knows what he’d say about the horrible alt-right rubbish in the States made by people so low, so stupid, so historically underqualified to tell anyone anything, that it “beggars belief.” I have to admit to not knowing that phrase but my dad uses it a lot! I wanted to go and live in America but I don’t now. Not for another 7 years at least. Mum lived there for awhile, but on the East Coast and up North which she said was “rarified” which is like ‘high air’ and I actually don’t know what that means.

    Also, I am avoiding the assignment…..

    T16

    #65306
    syzygy @replies

    Also, if we use Plato at all: and why the teacher gave us a handout on Plato and Aristotle I do not know because, as @bluesqueakpip has said it’s Russell and Aquinas, Plantinga and Frege which are most useful. Plato’s forms and the perfection of the ultimate ‘thing’ are all well and good -these are ways that point to some perfect idea that started the more perfect Form of the pizza, horse, bunny rabbit, time lord. But none of those ‘methods’ or ideas about Perfect Form are in any way “rational.” Neither do they rely on Argument as Hume, Locke and Kant would have us understand.

    The teacher is most displeasing to me: unfortunately we’ve moved on from Plato and into Kant etc…and yet this was his only form of assistance.

    🙁

    I have learned more here, and from Gym Guy! Thank you. Sometimes talking aloud helps. Reading all this aloud helps too. So again, thank you!

    #65305
    syzygy @replies

    @craig

    I didn’t even SEE your post! I’m sorry, thank you, that was awesome! Love Dr Neil.

    @idiotsavon

    Good question! It is: Can God’s existence be established by rational argument?

    We chose. I chose this: God’s existence cannot be established using, or by, rational argument.  You have a toddler. Say no more!

    It’s very very tricky. We cannot use a paradox fallacy. But there’s no reason as @lionheart564 says that we can’t argue that if God is the first beginning, and there is no ‘other’ beginning’ then the very reason we use to establish cause and effect and something being ‘moved’ by another can’t continue to be used because the ‘mover’ has to be the ‘move -ee’ at some point which only suggests that ‘yes, there’s a beginning’ but also ‘that particular beginning was also an end of the thing (or universe, or God) that came before it.’

    So it is paradoxical, in a way, but as @pedant said: there must be 2 things:

    • sound argument across every ‘link’ in the chain of the argument, but also
    • the question must emerge from a sound premise in the 1st place.

    Therefore, you could say: Logical analysis can’t be used to prove His existence. Because we use sound analysis for everything else (and we do…some might say, “oh no, we don’t. Look at love. It’s illogical or babies -look how mothers coo at their infants” when all of those things can be proven nowadays to the extent that ‘love’ isn’t what people necessarily think it is) we must use reason to find for God’s existence and because we can’t, we therefore can’t. I’m at that point: Reason can’t be used to find for God’s existence. We might use other things but then again, you see, that is not the way the question is phrased.

    I believe the problem is IN the question, more than anything else and I suspect when I meet one of the mates in class at the gym, I’m pretty sure he’s going to suggest the teacher re-phrase it. This guy’s pretty amazing. The teacher seems to listen to him.

    A very odd state of affairs mum said. She’s right.

    T16

    #65304
    syzygy @replies

    @lionheart564

    I appreciate your suggestions! Thank you. I’m not sure you can use paradox fallacies in philosophy. Premises and predicates as well as ontological, teleological or Aquinas’ cosmological arguments counter the argument. And are used as expressions of the arguments. Annoyingly, philosophy essays have a very specific method of argument also using Logic (capital L)  -and the other proponents mentioned above.  BUt thank you so very much. BIG thanks.

    @bluesqueakpip So, just getting back to dragons. And thank you -most helpful. Absolutely did I not wish for people to write my entire script. I would never do this or expect this. After all, what would I learn? Very little…

    So:

    If we say that dragons don’t exist, we aren’t saying that there are non-existent dragons in some other dimensions – we are saying that there’s no such things as dragons.

    If we say god doesn’t exist we aren’t saying that there are non-existent gods in some other dimensions. We are saying there are no gods, no nirvana, no such things as a god…

    But the question states: “we cannot say, establish or know that God, or nirvana, the Great Emptiness or all god(s) exists using rational argument.

    We are not saying: “God exists if we use other methods of decision-making (love, babies, sunsets, personal preference, cherry picking from scriptures) ….are we?

    We can use those arguments for god’s existence in the counter argument but yes, the principals you’ve listed as first argument -or strongest arguments – make sense to me. Sort of. I have about 1200 words which is actually a lot. And the counter arguments will take up most of the presentation.

    So much appreciated

    T16

     

    #65287
    syzygy @replies

    I have to apologise for being Teenager From Lazy-land. It sounded like (whining) “please do my whole assignment” but no, not at all. If anyone has a sentence or two I would be very grateful. And if you do not wish to do that then no worries . I enjoy paying attention at school 🙂

    @cathannabel  on Brexit.

    Mum was saying “its a fraught issue”  – I totally get your weariness. A member of my fam in London said she’s worried about her grandkids future too. It’s as if no-one planned it happening when if there are people wanting it to happen and change people’s minds then it seems like having several plans would help in order to change futures. It’s basic thinking.

    Thane

    #65284
    syzygy @replies

    @lionheart564

    You should never put schooling and healthcare into competitive market places (taxes provide those essentials) because it simply cannot work. Look outside China and into the U.S. Then, look at Australia. Really look.

    T16

    #65283
    syzygy @replies

    So, I’m at the pub wanting a very large drink!

    I have a poor philosophy teacher this term -in my remotely not humble opinion. He can write very well but teaching the concepts? Not exactly. He’s so chilled one of the kids sleeps on the floor and he ignores him. If the entire class are on phones, he ignores them and gets on with things. Except, not.

    Philosophy, huh? 🙂

    Anyone who could spend 5 mins (or even 2) on this question will be most favoured with butter beer:

    Can the existence of God be established using rational argument?

    We choose a ‘can’ or a ‘cannot’ and I’ve chosen: “we cannot establish the existence of God using rational argument.”

    It sounds almost simple but I don’t find it so. The fact I have 6 days makes it more difficult due to sweat and panic.

    The 2nd part involves counter-arguments such as the ontological, the teleological (Intelligent Design -clever prime mover) and cosmological (Aquinas =everything has a beginning and everything has a cause [because there’s an effect]  ). The counter arguments I’m absolutely fine with (but not the first part about ‘establishing.’

    Headache, chocolate, running away fast, sweat…

    T16

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