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I'm gonna go, grab a glass of wine, plop myself in front of a big screen and watch this video Good night y'all

When I was ready my astrology teacher was looking for a student.

Objectivity is more elusive than thinking for yourself. At least it is for me.

Hopefully, in the process of thinking for one's self, one will make the choice to be objective. A difficult aspiration.

You can verify this simply by going to Ted.

Yes, when the klansman is placing the noose around your neck the validity of the concept of race matters not, so I too agree with @zaji last statement @Pioneer1, the jury is still out your you application of logic in this case, as out resident logic expert @Delano, has chosen not to express his opinion in this case. It is fascinating to see how malleable your thought process is. Rather that just concede that you now agree with what I've been saying all along you have the balls to write; "The fact is, race is a CONCEPT.....an idea" and make it seem like you are making a revelation?! At any rate, given that statement, one you've seemly integrated, unconsciously, that idea that race is just an idea without basis in genetics.

Well, that settles it! Harassed "Me too" damsels in distress have nobody but God to blame for men being unable to resist their charms.

The choice is between doubting everything. Believing everything you've been told. (Thinking for yourself ) (Allowing others to do your thinking for you ).

not to me. clearly you and I are different.

Zaji If we build a Utopia, it has to be built based on BLACK THOUGHT or the way the BLACK PSYCHE operates. Bellamy's work was entertaining, but it's impractical for Black people because what motivates White people to behave a certain way aren't necessarily the same things that will motivate Black people. This is one of the reasons that the type of Communism and Socialism that Marx and Engles promoted didn't produce the results among Black societies who tried it the way it did for Europeans societies. The societies of color where it DID work....China, Cuba, North Korea....it had to be modified from it's original doctrine. One of the major reason for this is despite Communism's atheistic approach....because of it's European origins...it's basic social morals are is still rooted in the Judeo-Christian moral ethic that so dominates the psyche of most Europeans. Meaning, even those who call themselves ATHEIST still believe in Christian priciples of morality. So for example.......... The EUROPEAN vision of a Utopia would still hold up the NUCLEAR FAMILY as ideal and probably still ban prostitution and sexual liberation; however we know that for Black people the EXTENDED FAMILY is best and we also know that sexual oppression and suppression is one of the major reasons there is NOT a Utopia on the planet currently. So the very principles OF those who claim they want a Utopia are the very principles that will CANCEL OUT that Utopia for others.

Troy {deep sigh} @Pioneer1, Racism is real. The claims being made by so called Black people are perfectly valid. However, the foundation for the claims made by racist, like white superiority, are baseless. Lol........ See, this is what Del is talking about when he refers to you and Cynique having "emotional" reactions to what I say instead of meeting me on a strictly logical level. Instead of sighing and groaning and talking about how baseless and silly the argument is, why not just DISPROVE it? The fact is, race is a CONCEPT.....an idea And it's very hard and next to impossible to invalidate a CONCEPT. Zaji Yes. I agree. It is irrelevant whether race is real or not real in this context. Racism is real because it is a behavior based on a belief. If a psycho BELIEVES that I am a demon and that all demons sent by Satan should be killed, he/she will ACT based on this erroneous belief. Am I a demon? Maybe. Maybe not. But it won't matter to the psycho who has power over me and thinks I'm a demon, and, who might even be hallucinating and physically seeing me as a demon. He will try to kill me based on what HE sees, NOT what I see and believe I know to be true about myself. Absolutely, and to add on to what you said...... One of the problems with trying to deny the existence of race is the fact that racists are RUNNING much of the society we live in! Whether TROY believe in the concept of race or not: The DOCTOR he goes to see might. The POLICE OFFICER who stops him on the street might. The PRESIDENT who lead the nation he's living in might. The STAFF of his place of employement may have individuals who DO see race. And if THESE people not only believe in the concept of race but also see THEIR race as superior and TROY'S as inferior then this will pose very real problems for him. So it would be wise to understand and accept the concept of race whether one thinks it's valid or not.

Bottom line, 99% of what we know we get from methods we cannot personally confirm. It's a sad truth I really think we should pay closer attention to this fact and the reasons behind it. Why is it that so much of the information that we as AfroAmericans put our trust in and shape our lives around come from OUTSIDE of our community? Malcolm X said if a man won't TREAT you right, what makes you think he'll TEACH you right. I also believe RELIGION in general plays a major role in conditioning our minds to just "accept" certain things as true whether we have verified them or not.

Just finished listening to the lecture which i found very compelling, and all of your comments were even more so. i agree that everything can and should be questioned. The idea that time brings change is not hard to accept. There are those who offer a metaphysical concept claiming: "as above, so below", which posits that the answer to everything is above, just waiting to be channeled from this higher realm by those below whose minds will process the question into an answer. But, frankly, the whole subject boggles my mind. i do believe that we inexplicably know things that we've never been taught. One of the caveats that i recently posted said: "He who knows and knows not that he knows, is asleep. Wake him! We are all on a journey, seeking answers which require an open mind.

This old song which on the surface is just a nonsense rhyme, can also be taken as a metaphor: Row, row, row, your boat, Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.

@Cynique The only ones I've never experienced, not even anything close to it, are the late for class, not ready for test, don't have paper that is due dream. Yes. Life is but a dream.

@zaji , I'm sorry for the loss of your sister. <3 Yes, a loss of a loved one will close us up tightly! In fact, loss of love seems to get us tangled in veils of darkness I believe that's how lower vibrations work - it takes away our innocence, our connection to ALL - so we can't "see", "hear" but mostly "feel". I think that's another reason why non-attachment is so necessary but at the same time, It's difficult to let go loved ones.

@Mel Hopkins Yes!!! I have had far too many "coincidences" for it to be only a coincidence when I tap into folks. I dreamed a rather frightening dream 12 years ago. I have found that I tap into numerous aspects of my abilities, in dreams, clairvoyance, clairaudience, telepathy, etc. In the dream, I was losing my teeth. I learned from my grandmother about what this dream means, but never took much stock in it. I figured it was foolishness, old wives' tales, whatever. So I went about my life not thinking about such nonsense. Typically in the dream, one tooth falls out. In my dream, all my teeth were coming out. This was strange to me given that at 50 years old, I've never had a cavity. Ever. I was terrified and woke in a frenzy. Given that I've had other strange occurrences, some dream related some not, which i always shared after an incident happened, I decided this time I would tell someone about it in advance. I called up a friend and told him about the dream. I then sent myself an email, typing out the entire dream. Although I wasn't fully on board, it was unnerving this time around because it was the third time I dreamed of teeth coming out and someone died shortly after. So by this third dream, I was virtually converted. The first two dreams, only a single tooth came out. This was on a Sunday. My father called me on Wednesday to tell me that my 16 year old sister, with no illness, no previous medical conditions, collapsed during outdoor gym and died on the spot. Throughout my life, I've had numerous things like that happen. I would say something to someone and they would tell me they were just thinking that. Knowing who was calling when my phone rang...before caller ID. Now, with caller ID, sometimes knowing who I will soon get a call from. Thinking about someone heavily for a day or two, someone whom I hadn't spoken to in over a year, then they call me. My lover saying something that I was thinking, but we'd never discussed. So many stories. Too many. I agree on how THE ONE MIND expands and how we seek peace. THAT is the crux of how I see it, at the end of it all. When we return to one mind, seeing each other's thoughts, we return to peace. Nothing in me panics when I imagine sharing one thought with numerous people, or not so much a single thought, but a connection to all thoughts. In Deep Space Nine, there is a being called a Changeling. This Changeling comes from what could be called a sea, or ocean. The ocean is all the Changelings together in their original form, knowing every thought and experience of every Changeling that has gone into the world to form as a "solid" to experience what it is like to be a bird, or human, or object. That is how I view The ONE. The Changelings individuate to learn, then come together to share and be at peace.

@Del, it is not about doubting everything it is about doubt everything except what you want to believe. The analogous question would be; Is there much difference in believing the words of others except what you want to believe or doubting everything except what you want to believe? The answer is no.

If you doubt everything it sounds more like uncertainty than disbelief.

Zaji Bottom line, 99% of what we know we get from methods we cannot personally confirm. This is one of the reasons that if I were to operate a school one of the subjects I would NOT teach is "history". Not only can't most things that occured prior to 150 years ago actually be proven (by human beings atleast)....but every time you turn around "new facts" are coming out about events in ancient history. Everytime you open up Time magazine you're sure to find an article where some White man with glasses has "discovered" some new interesting fact about an ancient civilization. It makes you wonder if he's making it all up. ....or if it's true, how long he's beeing sitting on and hiding this knowledge before he DECIDED to release it. Del Yes along those same lines I want to thank @Pioneer1. You're more than welcome bro. Cynique Del is ACTUALLY trying to be objective.....something you only preach about. He's trying to take emotion out of his views and look at things from a more logical way so that they aren't colored with emotion and self-interest which too often contaminates the conclusions people come to and force them to reject TRUTHS that they would ordinarily accept. Which is why i can't resist taking pot shots at Pioneer. i guess i should congratulate him on acquiring 2 new choir members for his preaching. Meanwhile, i await his next post, ever ready to disagree, - if he shows up. I KNOW you can't resist.....lol. That's what I kept trying to tell you in the other thread. You THRIVE off of the energy you get from my giving you attention, negative or positive. Now be a good girl, stop attacking people just because they agree with me, and run along- .....before I call up your 72 year old boy toy and tell him to stop "lighting your fire", lol.

In some ways I am the same. I think and if someone makes sense I acknowledge them especially if i disagree with them. Pioneer said that he did not go to University. Yet he will debate those of us who have gone to Uni. His statement was honest and I was humbled by it. So I can't be an elitist nor attack him or anyone else personally. When he was debating with Troy. I said that his position was logical and Troy's wasn't. That wasn't an emotional response. I have softened my stance on climate change but not on the science. Based on the discussions I have seen here, Pioneer isn't less open minded than anyone else. Or at least not by much. If you look at my post about Viola Davis I wasn't on either side. There are two things that are important to me. Being able to think in a full circle. And in order to do so I need to be open minded. I idolise none. However Pioneer wants to improve the lot of Black Folks. Something that appears important to a few of the active contributors. While i may disagree with his solutions or even what he thinks are the causes of said problem. I commend him and any other person who wants to make the world better. I have learned at various times that my self perception can be skewed. I believe I have addressed your queries. If my position or motivation is unclear say so.