For what it's worth, it looks like a lot of the stuff on Midjourney. — T Clark

What is important is not what we find, but what we are looking for. — Angelo Cannata

No pornography, although a bare breast from time to time. I don’t know whether this is because the program has limits built in or if sexually explicit images are not selected. — T Clark

I can certainly see why it frightens graphic artists. — T Clark

I am running out of time and this might not help but logos is universal law. It happens this way because that is how the laws of the universe make it. This can be completely mechanical. Creativity can try new things and if the new thing isn't compatible it becomes extinct. We can call that chaos but we don't have to judge it as a bad thing. However, I am fascinated by the Egyptian and Aztec efforts to use math to understand the order of things and live in harmony with that order. — Athena

The way to apply science to superstitious notions is to think in terms of a prime mover, logos, universal laws, and nature. — Athena

I think anyone who is excessively wealthy must be scrutinised by that domain. That is my version of 'big brother is watching you.' Big brother would become a label for the mass of the population of the planet. This is the way a good 'big brother,' was always supposed to be, in a human family. A guy who helped protect the family from nefarious b*******. — universeness

What was the point? — Vera Mont

I think the bottom line here is that sapiens are not rational beings and therefore suggesting that morality is essentially rational, that it "is a matter of cause & effect" is false and misguided. Morality involves personal and shared values, identity, and intuitions that we may not even be consciously aware of. — praxis

Fine. I didn't say a word about morality. But now it's here... — Vera Mont

God is a manifestation of thought - meaning we think it and it becomes a shared notion. Atheists can not argue against the existence of God without sharing the same notion of a God that they argue does not exist. — Athena

By a nonhuman god, I mean the prime mover and logos, reason, the controlling force of the universe. The gods that are worshipped are made in the image of man. That is not so for the prime mover or logos. I do not mean a jealous, revengeful, punishing God is an inhuman God. :lol: — Athena

Abrahamic religions most certainly do not have a concept that would lead to scientific thinking. they do not have a concept of a Prime Mover or logos. Their brains have zero thought patterns for thinking in such terms. — Athena

They [atheists] shot themselves in the foot by refusing to use the word "God". That just proves all the religious people right because the Bible says there will be people who reject God and they are "evil" and reality is a fight of good over evil, and we are on the damn merry-go-round of arguing about God and no one can get off it. — Athena

You just threw the prime mover and logos out the window and destroyed the reasoning of democracy. Can we discover the laws of the universe and base our laws on such knowledge? Isn't that fundamental to democracy? — Athena

Of course they do! Lots of women who can't give birth adopt babies from women who could and didn't want to, or children taken away from parents who could not or would not adequately rise to parenthood, or import one from a country too poor to care for all of its children, or commission a surrogate or buy one on the black market. All those children are available and negotiable. — Vera Mont

I will say now that forcing parenthood on the unwilling will always have bad consequences, especially for the unwanted child. — Vera Mont

I did not identify the birth as the cause of a bad result, but rather the forcing of a child on unwilling parent(s). — Vera Mont

Unwilling is not the same as unable. — Vera Mont

Yes, some able but unwilling parents have 'risen to the occasion' in some ways. Usually by giving up what they wanted to do with their own lives for what they needed to to do for the child. However, many more able but unwilling parents either attempted to rise to the occasion and failed, having to give child up, willingly or more often by force, and some end up hurting or killing the child while some raise the child so badly that he or she becomes another liability to society. Overall, not a happy outcome for the people involved or for society. — Vera Mont

When we say ... that pleasure is the end and aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasures of sensuality, as we are understood to do by some through ignorance, prejudice or wilful misrepresentation. By pleasure we mean the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul. It is not by an unbroken succession of drinking bouts and of revelry, not by sexual lust, nor the enjoyment of fish and other delicacies of a luxurious table, which produce a pleasant life; it is sober reasoning, searching out the grounds of every choice and avoidance, and banishing those beliefs through which the greatest tumults take possession of the soul. — Epicurus

I understand that maybe some of you do not understand why we care if we are not Americans. Well, I want to highlight my words again: The USA has a big impact on the world and this is why we are interested. My participation in this thread is not with bad faith nor silliness. And, if you do not mind, I will keep in touch on this topic, and see how this matter ends up. Respecting your nation, of course! — javi2541997

If she does not want to be a mother and/or does not have the ability to provide for the child, the effect of her pregnancy will not be good. — Athena

Wow— very well thought out and elaborate. Thanks Praxis! — Mikie

One of the main interesting things about this amazing debate we are having, is that you folks are given for granted that I root for Republicans when I am not even American. — javi2541997

Why did they have such confidence in this system when it is clear that it is flawed? — javi2541997

I am sorry, I do not follow what you are saying. You are saying "no" to what? — Athena

Even atheists are sure what a god is and it is not possible to discuss logos and the prime mover with them because they absolutely can not give up their understanding of a humanized god. — Athena

They absolutely insist all discussions of god match the Christian notion of a god and therefore it is impossible to discuss a notion of god as forces of nature with no human qualities. — Athena

Democracy can be a religion. — Athena

Anyone who does not hold our understanding of truth is an idiot, right? — Athena

Why do I have to believe in the mail voting system? — javi2541997

2) the "mob" (as flannel jesus says) tend to be more active in the right, because, believe it or not, these voters tend to have more confidence in the state. Meanwhile, leftists just do not go to vote because it is an act "against the system". — javi2541997

people vote left because they are fearful. — javi2541997

• Increased Blood Flow: Walking gets your blood pumping, including blood flow to the brain. This enhanced circulation ensures that your brain receives more oxygen and nutrients, which can improve cognitive function.
  
• Stress Reduction: Walking can help reduce stress and anxiety levels. When you're less stressed, your mind can focus better and think more clearly. The rhythmic and repetitive nature of walking can also have a calming effect on the mind.
  
• Creative Thinking: Many people find that walking helps stimulate creative thinking. The combination of physical activity and being outdoors (if you're walking outdoors) can provide a change of scenery and break from routine, which can boost creativity and problem-solving abilities.
  
• Mindfulness and Reflection: Walking can serve as a form of mindfulness or meditation. As you walk, you may become more aware of your surroundings and your thoughts. This mindfulness can lead to increased self-reflection and a deeper understanding of your thoughts and ideas.
  
• Enhanced Connectivity: Walking can foster connectivity between different regions of the brain. Researchers have found that it can improve the connectivity of the default mode network (DMN), which is associated with introspection, daydreaming, and creative thinking.
  
• Break from Screen Time: In our increasingly digital world, taking a break from screens and technology by going for a walk can be refreshing. This screen-free time allows your brain to relax and recharge, potentially leading to improved cognitive performance afterward.
  
• Mood Enhancement: Physical activity, including walking, can release endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. A better mood can lead to clearer thinking and improved decision-making.
  
• Problem Solving: Walking can provide a conducive environment for problem-solving. As you walk, you can mull over challenges and come up with creative solutions. The rhythmic motion of walking can help your mind process information and generate ideas.
  
• Increased Dopamine Release: Walking can lead to the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with reward and motivation. This can make you feel more alert and motivated to engage in mental tasks.
  
• Improved Memory: Some studies suggest that physical activity, including walking, may improve memory and cognitive function, particularly in older adults.

I’m saying it’s propaganda, written by Nancy Pelosi’s biographer, no less. — NOS4A2

You’re simply repeating the propaganda, while avoiding their admission. — NOS4A2

I’m arguing the election was rigged. Everything from changing election laws behind the backs of Americans, flooding the system with dark money, threatening riots should they lose, suppressing and controlling information…it’s all there — NOS4A2

A glittering generality or two and praxis is persuaded. — NOS4A2

There was “a well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information”. This is according to their own admission. — NOS4A2

That’s why the participants want the secret history of the 2020 election told, even though it sounds like a paranoid fever dream–a well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information. They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it. And they believe the public needs to understand the system’s fragility in order to ensure that democracy in America endures.

Trump and his allies were running their own campaign to spoil the election. The President spent months insisting that mail ballots were a Democratic plot and the election would be “rigged.” His henchmen at the state level sought to block their use, while his lawyers brought dozens of spurious suits to make it more difficult to vote–an intensification of the GOP’s legacy of suppressive tactics. Before the election, Trump plotted to block a legitimate vote count. And he spent the months following Nov. 3 trying to steal the election he’d lost–with lawsuits and conspiracy theories, pressure on state and local officials, and finally summoning his army of supporters to the Jan. 6 rally that ended in deadly violence at the Capitol.

Who: They are the modern aristocracy. — Vera Mont

subliminal messages — Vera Mont

And when the vote was challenged, not a single mainstream media outlet wanted the ratings bonanza of turning it into a scandal. — yebiga

From the last page alone: praxis @universeness @Vera Mont @180 Proof
How would you describe this thread? — Amity

Is it only a 'chat' or is there more to it? — Amity

Has it touched on philosophy? — Amity

How valuable have the exchanges been? — Amity

What ideas/posts have made you think? — Amity

Moral, is a matter of cause and effect. When the consequences are good it is moral. If the consequences are bad it is immoral. — Athena

Would it be out of place in the main area? — Amity

time to make a break from Japanese folks — javi2541997