The guys who gave me my user name:



Never been near a university,
Never took a paper or a learned degree,
And some of your friends think that's stupid of me,
But it's nothing that I care about.

Well I don't know how to tell the weight of the sun,
And of mathematics well I want none,
And I may be the Mayor of Simpleton,
But I know one thing,
And that's I love you.
When their logic grows cold and all thinking gets done,
You'll be warm in the arms of the Mayor of Simpleton.

I can't have been there when brains were handed round
(Please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton),
Or get past the cover of your books profound,
(Please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton),
And some of your friends thinks it's really unsound,
That you're even seen talking to me.

Well I don't know how to write a big hit song,
And all crossword puzzles well I just shun,
And I may be the Mayor of Simpleton,
But I know one thing,
And that's I love you.

I'm not proud of the fact that I never learned much,
Just feel I should say,
What you get is all real,
I can't put on an act,
It takes brains to do that anyway. (And anyway...)

And I can't unravel riddles, problems and puns,
And the home computer has me on the run,
And I may be the Mayor of Simpleton,
But I know one thing,
And that's I love you (I love you).

If depth of feeling is a currency,
(Please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton),
Then I'm the man who grew the money tree,
(No Chain of Office and no hope of getting one).
Some of your friends are too brainy to see,
That they're paupers and that's how they'll stay.

Well I don't know how many pounds make up a ton,
Of all the Nobel prizes that I've never won,
And I may be the Mayor of Simpleton,
But I know one thing,
And that's I love you.

When all logic grows cold and all thinking gets done,
You'll be warm in the arms of the Mayor of Simpleton.
You'll be warm in the arms of the Mayor of Simpleton.
You'll be warm in the arms of the Mayor.
(Please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton.)

Songwriters: PARTRIDGE, ANDY


Thanks Andy!!!

Meow!

GREG

I would suggest that if anyone here who wishes to invite someone from PF to this site (TPF), do not invite them or make an appeal for them to leave PF.

Simply inform them of the site and the address. They can come if they so choose and should have that right to decide. We really are not in need of advertisements. The list of members speaks for itself.

No guerilla marketing necessary!

Indeed this still cuts into the membership of PF, but honestly... these guys (guy) running PF should have taken that into consideration and gotten to know the members and community first.

Sorry if I sound a bit angry, but my former house has been burnt to the ground and all I had was a glass of water in my hand.

I raised that glass in a toast to good ol' PF and drank to my good health and have now moved on.

My brain is tired and I'll take a bit of a break now, but I'll be back soon. ;)

I suppose the true test of one's principles would be when one holds to them even more tightly when it is quite obvious they are very much to one's disadvantage.

Cheers!

Meow!

GREG

btw...

Since I'm the King of Non Sequitur Music Videos of the 80's...

... one for the road: X-)




When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Sometimes you're made to feel as if your love's a crime --
But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight --
Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight

So, I'll channel my inner evil chakra into the universe and hope all falls into place, and different people get what they deserve. — discoii

Amen! (Y)

Meow!

GREG

That makes sense...

... truth is, I'm very surprised I have not yet been banned as I have been using the PM modus to 'inform' members of PF about this as an alternative or a possible means to keep the community intact.

I have managed to send out nearly 80 PMs.

Perhaps he's just not paying that much attention to PMs sent. Something good... I guess.

Meow!

GREG — Mayor of Simpleton

I was correct.

Get this...

... I have had my status as 'sponsor' eliminated for what I have posted here in TPF.

Indeed in PF a sponsor can be banned, but keeps the status of sponsor, but I was not aware that the status of sponsor could be removed.

Also... the only 'Administrators' in PF are "Eric", "_will_" and "the Soren".

Guerilla Marketing 101?

All of the former Ads have been demoted to Moderator.

Again...



Meow!

GREG

I also noticed that there are no Administrators from old PF left.

PF R.I.P.? :’(

Meow!

GREG

Diplomacy, eh?

"Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.”
― Winston S. Churchill

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes.”
― Harry S. Truman

“War is the art of killing each other brutally, diplomacy is the art of killing each other softly.”
― Bangambiki Habyarimana

Whatever...

Meow!

GREG

I tried a few things there, posts... are automatically deleted, no internal replies (and that for me!); I did send out another PM, if that actually works...

... I especially like the 'under review' without an notice whatsoever.

Things have really changed there in a very sad way.

Meow!

GREG

Indeed...

... but it's time for a new start. :D

Meow!

GREG

It took a bit of time, but it happened...

... I no longer have an option to send PMs.

For that matter, I cannot read and PM replies or read any past PMs I have sent or received.

I wonder f they were able to delete all of the PMs I had sent that were not opened as of yet?

Interesting, as I was not telling people what to do, but stating that if all hell breaks loose in PF that this was an option to save the community.

In short...

... I have been silenced.

Meow!

GREG

That was the first reaction of my wife. (she's wicked smart!)
Explains why I'm happily married. (L)

Meow!

GREG

... and it's worth it for an advertiser to have only 100 sets of eyeballs see their ads? :s

So you understand why I was so confused at this purchase too...

... good to know I'm not alone. ;)

Meow!

GREG

btw... maybe it's like Chinese Restaurants here in Austria? They are what Chinese Laundries used to be in terms of 'laundering' dirty green to be cleaner greener green. :-$

My wife just ask me to check the assumption that the new members of PF simply join and never really post.

Since October 1st there have been 205 new members and only 5 have posted 10 or more posts, whereas 128 of them have never posted anything.

Indeed we have some people here who have joined for the sake of 'playing the safety net card' in case PF goes sour, but really... 50% of new members since October 1st have never once posted a single thing. :s

Interesting if nothing else.

We are making the effort to attract 'active members', as far as I can tell.

Quantity vs. Quality... ;)

Meow!

GREG

P.M.S. Hacker — jamalrob

:-O

That has to rank as one of the worst possible names in the history of history.

Nothing against the guy/gal, but seriously... that reads like a cruel joke by his/her parents.

anyway... I'll vote for this one just because of the name. NO matter how frustrating the debate could be, one can always smile when seeing that name. :D


I'll try to over come my dyslexia and maybe participate. I haven't dealt in the world of academics for a long time, so if my rather casual language can be abided, perhaps I can rant a bit too.

Meow!

GREG

btw... I sure hope I haven't voted for a relative of J. Random Hacker!

I think the only way to save spirituality when faced with an unsavory picture of reality is to re-define spirituality — darthbarracuda

Perhaps here's a more fair gambit?

Can you provide a definition of what is "spirituality" or what is "spiritual", then we can make a case if that is worth saving in the first place?

I have to be careful here, as I personally lack all qualities of "spirituality" or what is "spiritual" by all common definitions. Beyond a placebo effect of 'self-assumed well being and self-assumed self-importance' I fail to see what these two bring forth that is indeed productive beyond there means of deceptions and distraction.

At the moment, I really fail in being able to come up with a case where "spirituality" or "spiritual" are worth saving, bit maybe you can do better.

In terms of 'impressive'...

... indeed the universe itself has nothing impressive unless we happen to be impressed by it and express that this is the case for us.

After all, we are the agents who place such a value forth known as 'impressive'. I somehow fail to see that anything is in and of itself innately 'impressive', but it does nothing to prevent me from being impressed from time to time.

Until then, a bit of irony, as I find this woman to be very 'impressive' in that she is not 'impressed much':



Meow!

GREG

btw... Psychotick once said something along the lines of "science works from the bottom up and spirituality works from the top down" when it comes to investigating things (I didn't really agree fully with the perspective that science does this exclusively, but anyway...)... it was meant as a defense of the positions and perspective of the spiritual minded, which seemed rather flimsy too me, but anyway... maybe this sort of difference needs to be taken into account?

I did invite Psychotick to join us... (might have been difficult for many to believe that I did that, but one needs other perspectives to consider; thus refining one's own perspective... anyway.)

I don't know if anyone 'belongs' on a philosophy forum. I know you are really welcome here and much appreciated.

I know I'll miss the posts you write.

Indeed there are reasons, good reasons, personal reasons to take a break. As Baden said...

The door is always open... — Baden

The Philosophy Forum will be here for you when you need it.

In turns of 'fun' like we can have here in TPF... it's a small world. I really think you are a big part of that small world.

Do what you must, but I really (my ego speaking) how to meet up with you again. It was fun and can be again, but if you need some time... I fully understand.

All the best and a big MEOW to you! ;)

GREG

They ought to have written books, then. What they're doing is not art. But if they freely admit to being unskilled smartasses, then nothing more needs to be said. — Thorongil

I'm curious...

... what exactly did the artist prior to this time do?

Did they (as I have sort of always supposed) try to 'communicate' via their art at all and if so... why didn't they simply write a book or just say what they had in mind rather than to go to all the trouble of making us sort of 'feel their intentions' via paint of a canvas?

Maybe I'm off here, but I would say that the reasons as to why the artists of the time you seem to detest painted and choose to 'communicate' as they did was that the past options of 'vocabulary' just did not fit what they wished to expressed in the context of the time in which they lived. In short... the 'vocabulary was old' and simply did not speak to their new ideas.

Instead of living in the stagnation of past rules and constraints to become a 'master of what indeed has been done many many time before' they chose the expand the vocabulary of art and chose to take a risk and pursue a new vocabulary that would question the very establishments they felt kept and maintained stagnation.

New techniques and new technical advances occurred resulting in an expanded vocabulary of art...

... exactly how is that bad?

Perhaps these unskilled smartasses were simply exposing the limitations and lack of continuation of creativity the establishment of smartasses had established as the standard of measure for all upon their own self-assumed authority?

I don't know... perhaps it would be good to inquire and who knows.... maybe they really aren't as much smartasses as one might assume?

Not all art is for everyone...

... I can live with that.

Can you?

At the moment, I'd assume you can't live with that, but I'll ask you first.

"They ought to have written books, then."

To be fair...

... any realist after the invention of the camera should have just take an photo and saved us the effort of bothering to look at their efforts of representation, eh?

Meow!

GREG

This might help, as it must be one of the earliest documented cases of your 'affliction':



Meow!

GREG

I'm not going to say a word about my final exchange with a certain eric on another forum — unenlightened

No need to speak of it, as it is... it speaks volumes.

This morning I took one good look at the past...

... I'm out of there. Link deleted.

No need for goodbyes. All my friends have more or less made it over here, so time for fun.

Meow!

GREG

EDIT: If you guys see my name as 'logged in' over there, it has mostly to do with my recent blast of PMs sent. I have a responsibility to the PMs and there are at least 30 of them that have not been read; thus some responses may come my way.

Unless something radical changes there, I really have no plans of ever posting there again.

I'll keep the account as maybe I'll need something from the 6700+ post I spit out over the years, but other than a 'rant log' I fail to see any real reason why I would want to go there again.

BASTA!

Bak bak bak!



Meow!

GREG

The sort of funny thing about the brain tumor was that I 'figured it out' on my own.

I had to have a good number of 'anti-doping tests' due being a competitive cyclist. (they test more than any other sport, so it sort of figures that they catch people, eh?)

I keep track of my own records and began to make a 'blood pass' before there was such a thing. To do this, you need to have a history of blood tests that cover hormones as well as the usual blood test results.

After having 16 tests done over a 3 year period I noticed that all of my hormones, except for one (prolactin), were all over the chart with no consistency. Unlike most people who I mentioned this too, my thinking was the one factor that stayed more or less steady (consistently on the upper level) must be the problem. After numerous tests and doctors I sort of eliminated everything from a list of possible problems except for 'brain tumor'.

Problem is, this sort of tumor is very hard to diagnose and usually they find it when a patient begins to lose eyesight as it presses and kills the optic nerve.

I had to find a Neurologist who would allow me to get an MRI.

Difficult enough, but in Austria Neurology is connected with psychiatry and most of the Neurologist are also Psychiatrists.

Great!

So here I am a rather stressed person suffering from massive sleep deficiency going to a Neurologist/Psychiatrist ask for an MRI because I think I might have a brain tumor.

It took everything I had to sell the case and not be put into an observation clinic. :-O

Indeed, tumor about the size of a golf ball.

Get this...

... I was so happy to see that result. It was an explanation of what was going on and I knew what the next steps would be. Well... I thought so, as I ended up with nearly every complication possible.

Truth is, every injury and such I've had has been an ordeal that has somehow help me develop into who I am today. When I play baseball and do other activities I can honestly say this is a lot of stuff i really could have lived much better without, but hey... shit happens and I seem to have the ability to deal with this and move on.

If the next things finally kills my sports career, I'll be a bit disappointed, but hey... there is always another rock for me to shove up my own private Mt. Olympus. ;)

As I see it, it's all experiences to fill up a lifetime... the meaning comes after the fact, but that's not everyone's cup of tea.

Meow!

GREG

I thought you attended the church of Baseball. Ever see Bull Durham? — Mongrel

One of my favorite baseball films (a work of 'Art'), but I don't attend the church of baseball. I'm too much like Crash and think Annie is full of crap.





... but unlike Crash, I wouldn't go to the batting cage.

I suppose I'd miss out on this type of moment:



Then again, unlike Crash, I have this place. :D

Meow!

GREG

If it helps, I also believe that religion is anything (or what) you can get away with; thus it's similar nature to art. ;)

Meow!

GREG

This is just commentary... nothing more.

I ended up sick today and couldn't make it out the the border today. It was my last day of work.

One thing I can say...

... I rarely saw much Police violence and the Austrian Police have not really the best track record in that regard.

Most of what I saw was crowd control that was met with resistance only a handful of physically and emotionally exhausted refugees. The Police were not what I would consider violent. They were involved physically in breaking up fights due to frustrations among refugees trying to get at the from of the line.

My current concerns are more of the fallout this has had upon Austrian residents. The spin and buzz by the media was not slanted in too much of a negative way regarding the refugees, but what the people in general speak of is how disorderly the refugees are acting and how much trash they are leaving behind them.

Truth is...

Austria is just a transfer land. The refugees that crossed the border were somewhere around 58,000 in the past week, yet I think it was less than 200 who applied for asylum here in Austria.

Something tells me knowing that they are not staying here for good makes it easier for the Austrian to be somewhat pleasant. I really wonder what they'd say if most intended to stay.

I know that the Austrian seem to be an open and helpful folk, but I'm not too sold that they really are that indeed.

Sometime I forget that I am an immigrant as well, but I can honestly say I do not feel like I'm Austrian in spite of my 22+ years of living here. My neighbors are for the most part fine with me, but I am certainly not considered Austrian. It's clear to me that I'll never be Austrian. I'm no longer American either.

Truth is...

... I'm no longer from anywhere.

I suppose I could say it's a permanent vacation, but there is far too much that has not been a vacation.

I wonder just how many people out there think the refugees are migrant workers or on a vacation?

I would not be surprised if the number of those who believed that to be the case was a large one.

I suppose this is just one of my cynical days...

Meow!

GREG.

Question...

Which would be of interest?

My dyslexia I deal with daily that was undiscovered until I was 20 (while in college).

My brain tumor which explained a lot of my 'grouchy behavior' as well as cause me to sleep on average 2 hours and night over 10 years, while still being a full time athlete.

The subsequent drama of the ruptured artery in my head with no one home leading to a loss of 3 liters of blood in about 90 minutes, artificial coma, 4 operations, dramatic audio visual hallucinations, paradox reaction nightmares to anti-depressants for 3 days straight and oh... it nearly killed me. (sports career ending #1... uhh NOT!)

The mega comeback to cycling (one year after two previously mention things) only to have it cut short 2 days before the comeback race. Freak accident on the bike causing me to lose my bursa in the right elbow and my bet with the surgeon, during the surgery, that I can indeed still throw a baseball after the surgery. Oh... and I had a 20 year pause from baseball prior to this surgery too. (sports career ending injury #2... uhh NOT!)

My completely torn Achilles tendon that I walked on for the better part of 2 weeks before anyone discovered that indeed it was completely torn. (sports career ending injury #3... uhh NOT!)

My 70%+ tear of the calf muscle from the Achilles after playing a come back game of baseball, pitching (throwing a lot), but torn not from the game, but while walking to my car in the parking lot... I stepped into a hole) (sports career ending injury #4... uhh NOT!)

My torn meniscus left leg (40% removal), after my comeback from the previously mentioned Achilles issue. (sports career ending injury #5... uhh NOT!)

My fight with degenerative cervical radiculopathy, cause a whole host of problems. (sports career ending injury #6... uhh NOT!)

My mega torn meniscus on the right leg (70%+ removal), surgery about 8 weeks ago, that I played on the whole last season and was told that this is FINALLY it... it's over. (sports career ending injury #7... uhh NOT! ... went to training last Saturday and I can run faster than half the guys and still have game...)

Currently I have an issue with a 'loose body' in my throwing elbow. It's been there for over 4 years now and is finally giving me some pain. Here's the funny bit. It's invisible on the X-ray and Ultrasound, but you can feel it with your fingers. I sort of have a 'metaphysical loose body' inhabiting my elbow and need to get a willing surgeon to serve an eviction notice.

I keep wondering if this will be sports career ending injury #8 or if they have finally given up telling me that?

This might well describe my sports career thus far:



Meow!

GREG

I noticed something that I'm not sure what it is or means or does... yep... I'm not sure.

When going to the 'All Discussions' page, some of the topics are 'highlighted' (normal looking) and other are 'lowlighted' (somewhat dim in appearance).

Is there any reason for that?

Thanks!

Meow!

GREG

... could it be if the OP is online?

I really agree with bert1 and Moliere and Jamalrob...

I think there is a bit of a 'honeymoon phase' as well, with the new set up.

There has been a great deal of banter regarding how the Forum functions and what features are needed. Also, one cannot forget that we have a common topic in 'old PF'. Indeed we might have a few philosophical things to say about this, but indeed it is a bit of a 'watercooler topic'. There is a 'good to see you here' and 'you too' vibe that cannot be ignored.

Oh...

... and not to forget, we know a lot about one another, so there is a bit of relaxed trust involved which makes things settle down to more casual modus.

As the novelty eases a bit and we get settled, I feel the more 'philosophical side' will take the upper hand.

At the moment the 'glad to see you here too' will hold on for a bit, which I find quite nice. ;)

Meow!

GREG

God is not a solution to absurdity because God risks absurdity par excellence. — Soylent

Agreed!

It seems more that the concept of god just pushes the absurdity aside, but does nothing to solve it.

I always sort of thought the 'solution' to absurdity (as if one can call it that) would be acceptance of the absurd and simply moving on.

Meow!

GREG

My stance is one would first have to define 'art' before being able to judge its quality. — Sentient

I agree, but here is where the conversation for me ends.

I quite agree with McLuhan:



(including Andy Warhol being credited with McLuhan's quote, with only one word being changed)



What makes art 'bad' is not getting away with it as 'good' art according to someone saying it isn't, because it doesn't fit their personal standard of measure.

All debates over art are basically clashes of personal standards of measure and who has the upper hand in saying 'my standard of measure is the one to be accepted' and subsequently 'getting away' with that too.

As I see it, the art itself matters little in such debates, but rather the personal standards of measure and potentially the 'egos' of those who feel they hold the absolute answers as to what art ultimately is supposed to be for everyone in all cases. (a sort of neurological disorder of self-importance/megalomania via aesthetics)

Meow!

GREG

"You ought to do X, because it has beneficial consequences." — Pneumenon

I always sort of finding myself at odds with statements like that before the debates even begin.

I'd suggest that it would red a bit better as:

"You ought to do X (as in it seems advisable to do so), because it seems to have beneficial consequences insofar was we have taken potential consequences into consideration."

Problem is, my redux would sort of derail the conversation. (sorry)

What makes a particular consequence, or set of consequences, "beneficial?" — Pneumenon

Anticipated effects/affects upon a current contextual perception... (best guesses)?

As for the value notion of "beneficial", this would have a strong tie to intentions and agendas, as well as preferences one might have within a given context and given a particular perspective.

Why are some consequences good? — Pneumenon

Did you just ask 'what is good' and simply use consequences as the particular vehicle to field that question?

Again... I place this into value notions and theories about value notions.

We have a set of preferences. We look for things that fit to these preferences. When confronted by other things yet to be valued, we establish a sort of standard of measure of other things by the 'understanding' we have from the patterns and effects/affects of what we prefer as opposed to what we do not prefer... indeed this might have a bit of refinement, as the context in which such a fielding of value notions will play a large role.

I suppose I'm saying that we simply make our (sometimes 'best') guesses according to our experience of what is prefered in a given context muddle with our (sometime 'best') guesses over what can be anticipated if events and actions play out as they do.

Sorry I'm not much help here...

... problem is I view certainty of anything (including consequences) to be an ever expanding process of adaptive refinements; thus I find no fixed points in the relativity of certainty.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for the real question about the two being a spectrum...

... I'm not too sure I follow, as my understanding of a spectrum has more to do with physics. Other meanings and application beyond physics become a bit metaphoric or vacuous.

Could you elaborate of how you wish to use this term in this context?

Meow!

GREG

I think that one of the problems here is that if life is absurd, and you (choose to) draw the conclusion that 'one must have faith', then there is really no compelling reason as to why this 'faith' should be exclusively faith in a god.

Indeed, it might be an option, if one should so choose ('conclude'), but faith as the result of absurdity does not indicate or guarantee that a (religious) faith where god is the center must be that faith.

Meow!

GREG

Who doesn't like fish in a barrel? — Wosret

... or do you mean a barrel of monkeys?

Meow!

GREG

By my count 64 people have joined the old PF in the last week. — Monitor

... and how many have posted anything or been active online more than 2 hours?

Meow!

GREG

Please...

... you need to use that as your signature! ;)

Meow!

GREG

I really like the way the 'moderator/editor' indicator icon makes your avatar look as if you have been decapitated and your holding your own head. :D

Meow!

GREG

Glad you could make it.

I have been sending out info/invites, but the PMs per day are limited in PM, so I have sorted things through number of posts and recent activity.

After a bit, I found I've written so many people (nearly 100) that I'm beginning to lose track of who and what I've written.

anyway...

Glad to see your name here and no need to be silent. ;)

Meow!

GREG

May I dedicate a song to you, since you are now 'the white' (probably ala Gandalf)?



Gotta love that bass!

Meow!

GREG

btw... no hidden message or such, I just like this song and figured it might be something you'd find cool too.

Indeed... I am the very rare exception.

I do know that in Austria the penalties for speeding (as an example) are at near dumping prices (also, such things are not reported to insurance companies like in the USA, so no raise in insurance premiums either), as well as it taking an act of extreme horror for anyone to actually lose their license (that they get one at a heavy cost, but never ever need to renew or be re-evaluated if they can still drive safely within the law); thus we lead Europe in the category of 'most aggressive drivers'. (Cars replaced god a long time ago in Austria as the deity of choice.)

Considering the disproportion of wealth to cost of penalty (consequences), I suppose one might find a correlation between if a crime costs little no one will really pay much heed to following the rules. :-$

Indeed I am wealthy... in terms of time. I suppose taking that would make more sense than my cats. If you try to take them, they will probably hit you where it hurts. Remember they have claws and teeth and are in really good shape. >:)

Meow! (emphasis upon the OW!)

GREG

I did send one out to Sam26.

As for PMB, Incision, andrewK and Nagase, I wasn't too sure as they are in the mix of mods and ads, so I wasn't sure if my name might get a 'red flag' if I jumped the gun with the 'authorities'.

Meow!

GREG

The only question for me would be how does one set such a penalty for those who have no income? (such as myself)

Meow!

GREG

Did so this morning.

Why they haven't figured out that I'm just inviting one after the next to come over here is beyond me?

Meow!

GREG