Geography of a southern redneck

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A cable guy originally from Romania told me this true story: one day he came to a single house in the woods of North Carolina to do his job. The owner of the house was a guy about 30s. This guy lived alone there with dozens of dogs and cats. He noticed the cable guy's accent and politely asked him where he came from.
"Romania." The cable guy answered.
"Oh? How long does it take to drive there?"
"Eh? ... Oh, Romania is a country in Europe"
"Oh? I thought Europe is in Poland."

Is compassion really a human nature?

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My experience starts telling me that people usually would turn away from you if they heard that you were sick, especially if you are chronically ill. It seems that people either don't really know how to act in such a situation or, they simply don't believe you are sick (unless you stay in hospital).

I cannot tell how many time when I mentioned that I wasn't feeling well to some of my "friends" they just shrugged me off by saying "you look fine", or "you sound fine". I knew clearly what they really said was "don't even try to draw my attention by saying that you are sick", or, "you just don't know yourself". I also noticed that quite a few times people (or friends) just ignored my emails when I mentioned I was not in good shape.
By the way let me just clarify here that I was not the type of person who like to whiny over nothing.

So as time goes by friendships are jeopardized. As matter of fact I had to drop a few friends (which was not easy to me), because I simply cannot imagine I would do the same things like what they did to me. I can't even recall a single time of turning away from a friend when she/he needed me.
Am I abnormal here? Or, am I just too good to be a human being?

Does knowledge have limitation?

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I think it does. If we admit that our human being has limitation, so does our reason and our knowledge. Thus I believe that being skeptical is the right attitude to have for a real scientist or a rational human being.

However, this does not mean that we should go for superstition. It only means that while we acknowledge our limitation, we would still respect our reason as the most reliable pathway to reach the truth.

Dexter

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I would recommand this show to whoever enjoy mystery, crime and suspense movies. I knew this show from an online friend. Now I am totally hooked. It is absolutely addictive. If you really want to have a good time, start watching it from season one.

Mel Brooks, a genius filmmaker

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After having great fun with "High Anxiety", I started looking for Mel Brooks' films. "History of the world: part 1" just proved my impression of him, he really is a genius filmmaker! He is not only one of greatest filmmakers, but also a great thinker. He put some very serious subjects into comedies and made your laugh and think at the same time.

Watch these clips and see if you would laugh:
Last supper
10 Commandements

"Dressed to kill", a "must watch" suspense movie

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Just watched "Dressed to kill". Totally NOT disappointed! It is one of the best suspense movies ever made. Erotic, fun, kinky, suspense and scary, it is a Hitchcock like film but not any less than Psycho. The story line was carefully crafted and full of surprises until the end. Not only just fun and scary but also it shows a complex distortion of human mind. Absolutely an unforgetable piece!
Too bad we don't see many this type of movies anymore.


The openning soundtrack was amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQZ2NYqSovA&NR=1

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Ardipithecus ramidus --- new evidence of evolution

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2 hours documentary last night at discovery channel "discovery ardi" told us one thing: "we evolved".
Good news: we did not evolve FROM chimpanzee;
"Bad news": we and chimpanzee are still "siblings" --- both evolved from the same ancestor :-(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyfcnW5K9Xc&feature=related

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Loneliness

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For majority of people, loneliness is the most fearful thing that needs to be avoided by any means; for some people, loneliness can be an adornment for their ego --- it gives special touches on their personlity so their existance becomes more visible; for very few people, loneliness is a welcome challenge --- a challenge we must take in order to reach the ultimate peace.

Was America founded on Christianity?

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Many people believe that this country was based on Christianity, but by reading history I know at least something called: Separation of church and state. What's more, I found this from the movie "Religulous":

Thomas Jefferson: "Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man."

Benjamin Franlin: "Lighthouses are more useful than churches. "

John Adams: "This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no religion in it! "

Is this all about the perspective?
However, it is true to say that American people live in a Christian community. And I do believe that's what makes this country's ideology relatively behind even though the economic, scientific and social system are absolutely advanced.

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"Tolerance"

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When people are unable to tell right from wrong by their own judgement, they are easily puzzled and distressed. Thus "brotherhood" of all --- the "tolerance" literally for everything becomes the best sulotion.

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ART CANNOT LIE!

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I have never in one second in my life believed that Michael Jackson was a child molester. Not because that I am his fan, not because he is such a hugh celebrity, because ART CANNOT LIE!
Listen to some of his songs, like "heal the world", "we are the world, we are the child", "earth song", how beautiful, how deep and touching! They cannot be written by a person who didn't have a beautiful heart.
So, if you have doubt to the law, doubt to the fame, doubt to people that beyond your cognition, please, do not doubt art. It shows artists' heart!

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Ethic rules, do we need to be told?

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Jesus Christ: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you;
Confucian: if something you do not want people do to you, do not do to people (己所不欲，勿施于人)
This is absolutely what I follow for my life. But, my question is: do we really need to be told to know this “golden rule”?
Honestly, I understood this principle before I read it from these masters, or, “god”, if you prefer.

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SEX SEX SEX!!!

Why people were (are, still) so concerned about Michael Jackson's sex life? i am watching Larry King and this lady (don't know her name) was so protective toward MJ and confirmed repeatedly that he (MJ) DID have SEX with that lady (debby?). I remember MJ also tried so hard to prove his sexuality ("yes, we had sex", he said so in front of audience while holding a lady's hand. Oh my God!).
What would be so wrong if he didn't have sexual interest toward women? What would be so wrong if he just didn't have any sexual interest at all?
SEX SEX SEX! Do we have to have sex at least once a day to prove our normality? And what exactly made people so proud of such a biological function which even an animal can handle (probably even better)?

I am not saying that sex is bad. Of course sex is good. But there are some people on this earth who don't have very strong sex drive (some of them are even asexual) and they are just fine. We don't have to be the same.

My view on Sotomayor's remark about "wise latina"

"I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life"

As a member of minority, I understand completely what Judge Sotomayor meant. In this country, political correctness can only help, but not guarantee that everyone can live under equal right. In a lot of situations, mainstream has unspoken power to secure majorities social position. No matter you like it or not, white people certainly have much more privilege than colored people regarding to social success. So, Judge Sotomayor did speak out truth and what she said should be understood under certain context as an inspirational remark and encouragement for colored people.
Of course, what she said would cause trouble if the sentence were reversed into what senator Lindsay Graham suggested today. And the reason is simple, because white people is already in advantageous social position thus they do not need to be inspired by such kind of remark.

Please don't get me wrong, as an immigrant I do recognize lots of good things about this country, such as relatively advanced law system and social structure, but that doesn't mean this is a perfect society and that doesn't mean "race" no longer an issue (under political correctness slogan).

Michael Jackson's death might be homicide or drug overdoes

Just got news from CNN that "Jackson death may have been homicide or overdoes".
I suspected foul play from beginning. The reason I suspect it was because I knew that there are some people hated him that much. But I cannot say anything. Now, as investigation getting deeper, more complex situation it gets...

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Child abuse in China?

Yes. While child abuse exists anywhere in this world, China is not an exception (probably worse than many other places).
Supported by traditional morality --- the very "strict" way to raise children is well accepted by Chinese people for thousands years long --- child abuse had been not an issue for Chinese people at all until recent couple of decades. By Confucianism --- the most important traditional philosophy that governed Chinese ideology for over 2 thousands years, parents were absolutely power over children and children have inescapable filial responsible to obey their parents. "Obeying to parents" had been absolutely #1 moral credit for Chinese people. It is not exaggerated to say that the whole Chinese traditional ethic is based on this "Xiao" principle: unconditionally filial piety. Thus Chinese people learned the obedience since they were born, and the quality of rebellion is very rare among Chinese people.

Michael Jackson and "2 different moral standards"

It is a coincidence that Michael just passed away at the time I have been thinking about this 2 different moral standards thing.
Yes, by social moral standard, sleeping in the same bed with children is not "morally" right for an adult. But what if really nothing sexual happened? What if Michael really just loved those children as friends, because he was not mentally grown up? And what is so wrong about sleeping with kids in same bed (without any sexual behaviors involve)?
I personally believe nothing is wrong with that. I only have one moral standard myself: do not hurt others for my own good.

Michael Jackson, a genius that lives forever! ----“people“ killed him!

May 25, 2009, Michael Jackson passed away suddenly, shocked the world. As one of his fans and unconditional admirers, I am not only shocked, but also sad and angry.
I am in deep grief for his leaving; I am also in tremendous anger for the cruelty that the society had been put on such a genius. It seems that Michael Jackson's life, started right after he was born, was a victim of ignorance and greed. First from his abusive father, later from the society. People, under the banner of morality, had been violently attacked his personal life without mercy.
If we look at the history, there were plenty of extraordinary human beings had been put on trials by “people”. Intelligence and talent have been always judged and condemned by mediocrity and ignorance. I have acknowledged that “people”, in many cases, stands for “ignorance”, because whenever they found something out of their understanding, they tend to accuse them and try to deprive the right of their existence. They believe that “difference” means sin; “abnormal” means harmful. What “People” can never, ever learn is "tolerance".
Greedy, selfish, endless rumors and accusations continuously devastated such a prodigy, a soul that could never grow up due to his miserable childhood. Now he is gone, without saying goodbye, as a lonely soul and a traumatized “child” who never stopped explaining his innocence to “people". But look what he left to the “people”? A huge and the most precious contribution to our human creation! And also, of course, an unexplainable emotional shock and confusion to those “people”, who hurt him consciously or unconsciously. . .
Heal the world, let’s make a better place for Genius!


To Michael Jackson

With a style that destroys mediocrity
You blazed through the mankind –
Talent strikes, normality fades
Flaming dance emblazes the passion,
over a stage that is beyond the touch of human
Michael, may your soul rest in a better place
Your vitality continue to shine on this earth…

Incest in Bible

I am always wondering how Bible can self justify about incest. Why we human had to start from one single couple and inevitably produced offspring by family incest? And then later on (thousands years later) God suddenly forbidden any incest relationship without any explanation? If someone say, we started from incest because God want us to be sinful from the begining. Why? Why can God make us in a better way? If he is so powerful and kind?

A brief about Buddhism

China is not a very religious country by the strict view of monotheism. Buddhism might be the most "religious" religion in China. And even this religion is not domestic, it was imported from India longtime ago (around the first century). The original Buddhism was very much of "Indian style" which was ascetic and abstinent. Later, especially at Tang dynasty, Buddhism had adapted some Taoist concepts and became more "Chinese style", which was more "down to the earth", much less formidable.
Generally speaking , in China anything can be divided into northern and southern, same as ideologies. Buddhism, just like art or life styles, also divided in to this 2 different styles: Northern sect focused more on stringent practice and southern sect enjoyed more on suddern enlightment. Zen, as an huge influencial Buddhist sect, was famous on its' artistic "practices" --- reach the truth by following natural path of life itself. Zen went to Japan after Tang dynasty and later came to western world in earlier of last century, through the efforts made by artists, philosophers and psychologists.
I dont' think Buddhism to Chinese people has same impact as Christianity to western world. Especially during culture revolution, Buddhism was limited in a very small community. Now, as more Chinese people started to pick up some ancient religions to fit their spiritual needs, Buddhism seems more popular than decades ago, but still within very limited population.

Know and needs to know

This passage of GRE reading practice enlightened my day. I have same thought about knowledge of mankind, but never put into such lucid description:

For me (anonymous author), scientific knowledge is divided into mathematical sciences, natural sciences or sciences dealing with the natural world (physical and biological sciences), and sciences dealing with mankind (psychology, sociology, all the sciences of cultureal achievements, every kind of historical knowledge). Apart from these sciences is philosophy, about which we will talk shortly. In the first place, all this is pure or theoretical knowledge, sought only for the purpose of understanding, in order to fulfill the need to understand that is intrinsic and consubstantial to man. What distinguishes man from animal is that he knows and needs to know. If man did not know that the world existed, and that the world was of a certain kind, that he was in the world and that he himself was of a certain kind, he wouldn't be man. The technical aspects of applications of knowledge are equally necessary for man and are of the greatest importance, because they also contribute to defining him as man and permit him to pursue a life increasingly more truly human.
But even while enjoying the results of technical progress, he must defend the primacy and autonomy of pure knowledge. Knowledge sought directly from its practical applications will have immediate and foreseeable success, but not the kind of important result whose revolutionary scope is in large part unforeseen, except by the imagination of the Utopians. Let me recall a well-known example. If the Greek mathematicians had not applied themselves to the investigation of conic sections, zealously and without the least suspicion that it might someday be useful, it would not have been possible centruries later to navigate far from shore. The first men to study the nature of electricity could not imagine that their experiements, carried on because of mere intellectural technology, would eventually lead to modern electrical technology, without which we can scarcely conceive of contemporary life. Pure knowledge is valuable for its own sake, because of the human spirit cannot resign itself to ignorance. But, in addition, it is the foundation for practical results that would not have been reached if this knowledge had not been sought disinterestedly.

Religions and tolerance, do they really go together?

People are always talking about religions* and tolerance, as if they always go together. I just don't get it!
Look at any religions' doctrine, which one would tell you that other Gods are also Gods, deserve your repect? Which one would NOT tell you that their Gods are the "only one God"? In other words, other religions are all Lies, other Gods are all forged, or even worse, are Devils. So base on this logic, how could those believers who hold "only one true belief" also respect others' "wrong beliefs"? How could people who follow one certain religion would not feel like they are "superior" than others?
I truly believe, the real tolerance only go with none-religious minds.
Please prove that I am wrong if you can.

Ellen Degeneres's Tulane Speech

This is a "must watch" Ellen's speech by my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYbMY13THH0&feature=related
It is one of her best, maybe the best ever! I can watch again and again. She briefly mentioned about her up and down life experience and made wonderful points out of it. And her sense of humor was absolutely at its best!
Not only the role model for lesbians and gays, but for all human beings!
Ellen, you are amazing!

3 different type of christians in this country

1. Believe in Jesus Christ in great piety. They are all nice poeple. However, I can hardly call them intelligent because all they do in their life is just follow Scripture. This type of christians take most portion of whole christian population.

2. In search of power over others. They are not honest type of people and usually quite smart about manipulating others. They are small portion among christian population.

3. Believe in God and also intelligent. They usually grew up in religious environment and well educated but somehow, they never doubt anything about Bible. They are also only small portion among whole christian population.

4. Believe in God also intelligent. They grew up in religious environment but somehow, they have a nature of questioning things. So this type of people don't take Bible literally but they still hold faith as inspiration.

Wait, did I just say "3 different type of Christians..?" Well, the last one I don't really count them as Christian.

What do you think my analysis?

Are all communists evils?

I think they all are human. However, about all the disasters happened under the rule of communist party, I personally believe that we cannot blame them only to a single political party.
China was a feudal empire with long history. Along over 2 thousand years, Confucianism, both as a philosophy and political idea, successfully controlled Chinese people's minds. The core of Confucianism is its strict moral doctrines set for relationship within family members and social roles. These well established principles did hugh contribution for the feudalist monocracy. Thus the individualism could never take place in China. I believe that under this cultural background, individuals would take any opportunities to explode their oppressed ego, thus man-made disasters occur time to time, and the terrible events happened under communist government were just a continuation of the consequence of this extreme "collectivism".

My favorite apothegm:

Is God a mistake of human, or human a mistake of God?
I forgot who said this.

Why there are so many"techniques" about sex in Taoism?

Unlike any other Chinese ancient philosophy, Taoism teaches many techniques about sexual practice. By my understanding, this is because Taoism focuses mostly on human's physical health. Ok, don't get me wrong, it is not that Taoists don't care about spiritual matter, but they believe that physical health is the fundation of our mental health.
Well, did Lao zhi really said that? I am not sure... but this is how I understand Tao.
By the way, I am personally not so crazy about this part of Taoism. I think if you exercise often and eat well, you will have awesome sex!

Question about China: #1 Are Chinese people believers?

I think it depends on the definition of "believer". If "believer" means who believes only One God (monotheism), or believe lots of Gods (polytheism), I would say NO. There have never been such kind of religions existed in China. Or if there were some, they must be too weak to be influential. However, if the meaning of "religion" or "believer" in your dictionary is border than those I listed above (monotheism and polytheism), you may consider some of Chinese are "religious" because they believe or even practise Buddhism and Taoism. The former is closer to religion than later, by my opinion, due to its' more strict on its practices.
Even though there have not been any "serious" religions in Chinese history, there were some ancient myths about the creation of universe (Nüwa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCwa).