• uniquely-ironic said on Nov 06, 2007....

  explain critfumble to me.

• silverwhisper said on Nov 06, 2007....

  [looks embarrassed]
  
  oops, copied & pasted w/out editing properly. it's another place i frequent.
  
  ed

• beyondtheveil said on Nov 06, 2007....

  Ed- I'm left a bit confused. Do you mean by "unique to yourself", that no one else on all of SoulCast has these views at all? 

• uniquely-ironic said on Nov 06, 2007....

  Whew!  I thought I was down a cup of coffee or something. 
   
  Let's see ........ (searches recesses of mind)  I can't think of any that are unique to ME, but I pretty much defend all my opinions against all comers unless the comers have a much better opinion then me.

• silverwhisper said on Nov 06, 2007....

  beyond: unique to yourself, that to the best of your knowledge just about nobody else shares, or at least that perhaps nobody champions as you do.
  
  u-i: yeah, that would be my undercaffeination at play... :>
  
  ed

• the_infernal_optimist said on Nov 06, 2007....

  Hmm...I hold some rather unpopular opinions, but unique? Probably not...
  
  I'm a staunch pacifist and probably the one of the least nationalistic Americans here right now. (Note that I didn't say patriotic, as I think that's a term that has been roundly abused in the current administration). Also, my view of the Civil War (as in, the North and South of the United States) seems to be extremely unpopular, but I know it's not unique here.
  
  Since I don't get into political discussions in general here, I won't be defending my relative nationalism/patriotism or lack thereof or what I think of the Civil War, most likely. I've learned that I'm not a good debater on topics that make my blood boil, and the last thing I want to do is incorrectly express myself on something that matters a lot to me.
  
  My pacifism...eh, that's open to fire, I suppose, and I would answer challenges there, as I have been from various people since openly declaring myself as such. It's not something I'd back down on, and I'd be willing to risk loss of friendships here for that particular belief, if things got that ugly - but most people I care about here are willing to accept me for who I am, even though they don't always agree with me, and I feel that I could rationally debate philosophical topics (which is really what that boils down to) and principles without losing their friendship or respect - just as I retain respect for those friends I don't always agree with, even on some major stuff.
  
  /novel
  
  ~Infernal
  

• pookiedookie said on Nov 06, 2007....

  yeah!  well, I don't know if it unique to soulcast or not, i have only been here a few days. First of all, I don't smoke "pot".  I know anyone can start out with that disclaimer, but I really don't, however; i think it should at least be decriminalized.
  it is ridiculous to send people to jail for potsmoking.  aren't there enough people in jail already?
   
  another thing i haven't seen argued on soulcast but like i said i have only been here a few days and maybe haven't uncovered it as of yet.  "Polygamy".  No one wants a "Warren Jeffs", but there are many, many others who believe in it and practice it who are nothing like
  warren Jeffs.
   
  Did anyone catch Oprah the other day?  She had an entire segment on it, and i didn't think she was totally against it.  Of course, she didn't comment one way or another.

• Fallyn said on Nov 06, 2007....

  i haven't made any posts on it......cause i'm not terribly good at debate.....and i don't want to start something i can't finish
  but my beliefs in the preservation of diversity in life, even to the detriment of humans......my beliefs that humanity is ultimately destroying itself by homogenizing everything.....my beliefs in putting a COMPLETE stop to ALL new development.....
  i don't generally argue things to the point of losing friends over......but those are pretty hard fast things to me that you will have a VERY hard time convincing me otherwise on.
  

• CreativeWoman said on Nov 06, 2007....

  I don't know if it's a unique viewpoint, but I get on my soapbox occasionally about apathy toward voting.  I consider it a civic duty in a democracy.  The majority simply does not rule if only a minority votes.  I think it's disgraceful that such a small group of citizens actually go to the polls on both local and national issues.  The United States would be a much different, and dare I say, even better place if everyone participated.  In my opinion every vote counts.  Period.  A democracy is by the people for the people.
  
  Lots of people argue politics, but do they really stay informed and go to the polls so their voices can be heard? 
  
  Jeesh....I better stop.  That's one issue I never back down from.  It's a huge reason why I rarely argue politics.  I always want to ask, "Did you vote?"
  
  CW
  

• pookiedookie said on Nov 06, 2007....

  voting is a must!

• Fallyn said on Nov 06, 2007....

  i agree.

• TinSoldier said on Nov 06, 2007....

  Hmm. I'll have to think about it... What are my pushbutton issues? Private property and property rights. Privacy. Taxes. The role of government (although my views of that are undergoing near constant change). Copyrights/patents/trademarks. The Constitution of the United States. Free speech and freedom of religion. Gun control. Torture and the morality and applicability of it.
  
  And of course, the Big Two -- Abortion and Capital Punishment.
  
  But I did vote and will continue to do so.
  

• Eilan said on Nov 06, 2007....

  Probably my extreme hatred of men. Present company, for the most part, excluded.

• Fallyn said on Nov 06, 2007....

  i just hate one particular one.

• ElatedContinued1 said on Nov 06, 2007....

  Well i have a few odd veiws im sure. Whereas i often dont agree with alot of veiws from Peta. I agree with some. But an odd veiw that i have is this. One...how do we REALLY, measure intelligence. I mean what exactly equals intelligence. And how can we see us and only us as the suypreme beings? What so then we dont have to feel bad about destroying other creatures homes.etc.etc. And i do hold pets i.e. companiion animals, to different standards than say farm animals. Farm animals should be treated humanely, but honestly theres not really a good way to buther. Ands yet i feel vegetarians go too far. Wer are OMNIVORES we have different kinds of teeth for different reasons, and our bodies for obvious reasons dont take well to eliminating all kinds of meat. Also on a seperate note; Anthropologists and the like, how the heck do you honestly KNOW for sure what ancient people were thinkging 100% or heck even 80%, point taken!:) im a bit off huh?:)

• Fallyn said on Nov 07, 2007....

  elated, i agree with you on us not being the only supreme beings among animals......
  
  

• Actorguy said on Nov 07, 2007....

  Holy cow!  there's enough opinions here for a lot of really interesting blogs!
   
  As a Canadian, my unpopular opinion would be support of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan.

• carmachu said on Nov 07, 2007....

  I hold the lone view that you are a dumbass.

  :D

   

• TinSoldier said on Nov 07, 2007....

  I thought of two new ones this morning -- my belief that the electoral system is the right and proper way to elect a president in the US, and that I would also like to roll back direct election of US senators. Those are probably pretty unique and minority opinions that I hold.

• husbandhater said on Nov 07, 2007....

  Bush S-U-C-K-S! And I'd defend this against any takers today,tommorrow,and for all time if I needed to. ENOUGH SAID?

• silverwhisper said on Nov 07, 2007....

  infernal: i hold some pretty unpopular ones, too. conceptually, i respect pacifism, but it isn't one that i share with you i'm afraid. but then again, i think you know that. re: the civil war, do you refer to it as the war of northern aggression?
  
  duke: the reason marijuana is illegal is probably in no small part the fault of william randolph hearst--but heck, i imagine you already know that. about polygamy: i don't think it's anybody else's business what people do in their bedrooms or hearts, quite frankly. i don't watch oprah so i guess i missed it. ?
  
  fallyn: ah, i somehow guessed that. i'd be interested in seeing a post by you about your beliefs re: development/ecosystem preservation.
  
  CW: i always knew that voting is a topic that inspires passion in you, and i admire that. :>
  
  TS: you're striking me as less of a conservative and more as a libertarian, man. :> hm...perhaps a discussion re: the big two are in order? :D re: your second comment--i know we've discussed the electoral college but i'm not sure i follow re: senatorial elections. ?
  
  eilan: [nana!]
  
  elated: hi, welcome to my blog and thank you for visiting. :> how we measure intelligence is a very interesting question. the formal study of measuring intelligence is called psychometry. i wouldn't consider you off for that--i think you're making sense. :>
  
  actorguy: holy crap, i think that makes you unique in the world! what precisely is the extent of canada's presence in afghanistan?
  
  carm: bah, that isn't unique--hell, have you not met LG or zayda? :D
  
  HH: hey, have you seen bush's approval numbers lately? that's nowhere near a unique opinion these days! :D
  
  ed

• Eilan said on Nov 07, 2007....

  [nana-slap]

• skald said on Nov 07, 2007....

  If you are asking whether I keep some opinions for my self. I am introverted in some ways and I do. I think maybe most people do. 

• the_infernal_optimist said on Nov 07, 2007....

  I do not refer to it as the war of Northern aggression - but I think a lot of people do villainize the South unfairly there. The truth is simply that in a war, neither side is squeaky clean and it's seldom painted that way.
  
  I did know you aren't a pacifist. Doesn't bother me a bit. There's a huge difference between non-pacifism and the warmongering end of things.
  
  It seems to be your turn to answer the questions. ;-)
  
  ~Infernal
  

• silverwhisper said on Nov 07, 2007....

  eilan: :D
  
  skald: not exactly, just curious to know if you have any unusual stances, that's all.
  
  infernal: i didn't think you did. :D
  
  me, i have a few stances that are unusual:
  
  1. for various reasons, this is foremost on my mind, but football is meant to be played in all manner of weather, and the super bowl absolutely should theoretically be played in all 32 possible pro stadiums.
  
  2. i believe RPGs are not just a fun game and way to have fun w/ friends, but also useful in honing certain life-skills, such as developing empathy and finding creative solutions to problems. :>
  
  i'm thinking there's more but i'm not sure.
  
  ed

• beyondtheveil said on Nov 07, 2007....

  Ed- I'm going to sound like eilan- I hate men, in general that is, not only in today's world, but throughout history. If you eliminate disease, accidents, natural causes and  catastrophe, men have been responsible for virtually all of the rest of suffering and death of mankind. 

• silverwhisper said on Nov 07, 2007....

  well, that's kind of a function of the fact that for much of human history, women had no decision-making power though, no?
  
  ed

• beyondtheveil said on Nov 07, 2007....

  Ed- Thanks to men, that is true. However, I don't believe for a minute considering women's role as a nurturer and their general make-up, if turned around, it would have been the same. 

• TinSoldier said on Nov 07, 2007....

  I do. But maybe I'm just influenced by the times in history that it has happened.
  
  I don't think that women are all that different from men after all.
  

• carmachu said on Nov 07, 2007....

  "carm: bah, that isn't unique--hell, have you not met LG or zayda? "

   

  No ed, I just happen to LIKE them....:D

   

• Fallyn said on Nov 07, 2007....

  we shall see if i post something on that or not......bravery isn't something that i'm good at......and i'm not great at debate either. cause i know it will be debated.

• TinSoldier said on Nov 07, 2007....

  That's debatable, Fallyn
  
  :-P
  

• silverwhisper said on Nov 07, 2007....

  beyond: i'm sorry, but on that we disagree. it would have been IMHO every bit as vicious and unpleasant: just in different ways.
  
  carm: well, clearly you have good taste. :>
  
  fallyn: i think you should give the matter some thought.
  
  TS: :D
  
  ed

• Actorguy said on Nov 07, 2007....

  Silver: Since the Second World War, Canada’s role internationally has been mainly one of peace-keeping.  In Afghanistan, our role is quite different. This from CBC news:

   

  Canada has steadily increased its involvement in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime in the fall of 2001.

  In July 2006, Canada began a major role in the southern part of the country, with a battle group of more than 2,000 soldiers called Operation Athena, based around Kandahar. For six months ending Nov. 1, 2006, Canada also held the command of one of the main military forces in the area, called Multi National Brigade for Command South.

  There is more to Canada's commitment in southern Afghanistan. It is what Foreign Affairs calls "a whole of government approach." While the mission is largely military, the "Provincial Reconstruction Team" (PRT) also has personnel from Foreign Affairs, the Canadian International Development Agency and the RCMP. The PRT has a double aim, providing military security while at the same time working with local leaders in reconstruction efforts.

• Fallyn said on Nov 07, 2007....

  ed...i'll definitely think about it.

• ZsuzsiO said on Nov 08, 2007....

• Eilan said about 10 hours ago....

  Probably my extreme hatred of men. Present company, for the most part, excluded.

• Fallyn said about 8 hours ago....

  i just hate one particular one.
• hEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!

 

That was funny!

Well, I have a few views on life that are totally against the popular ones. I can list some extremely nevative, yet I think, absolutely real and exsisting parts of our lives. Having children, getting married, adopting pets, and there are some more to follow. I know I will blog about these sooner or later, it's just that not many people actually read and respond to my blogs, so I often feel that it is absolutelly useless to blog unless I am doing it to kind of let the steam out. But that's a blog in itself.

The one I do want to mention right here, right now is a local issue in Israel. 11.4. is the date when our Prime Minister, Itzchak Rabin was murdered in 1994 ( Or 95?). It has bacome a national rememberence day, and a day agains violance especially because he was murdered by not a Palestinian terrorist, but an Israeli citizen, a religious Jew, who was against Rabin's movement in helping peace in Israel. Who doesn't know Israeli history, the main arguement, of course, is about land, and Rabin was ready to give some very important parts of Israel to the Palestinians. Without getting into politics or religion, these are the facts.

Now there is a disturbing story here, in Israel, about another religious family, who just happened to have a newborn baby exactly 8 days before the date of anniversery of the death of Rabin. In our religion, we must wait exactly 8 days after a baby boy was born, and on the 8th day we must perform what we call "Brit Mila" - and I know you all know what it is, right? Yep, you all guessed right-Circumcision. Anyway, the story made the news, that a religious family was planning to celebrate on 11.4, and of course the whole country is in total shock. Even the local TV talk show host is making over the limit jockes about the family and the baby, and it really looks like people in general agree that it was wrong for the family to have the Brit on this day. Moreover, some people assume that the family even planed it this way, in order to be able to celebrate on this day.

Now, I know this is not a typical blog subject on an American blog site, but I just cannot get over this one. I am against violance, murder or terrorism, and of course I am shocked to know that Rabin was murdered by a religious Jew, an Israeli citizen. This is not at all what our country needed, it is not what we are about, and in no way reflects the love and respect we have for Rabin.

BUT! Religion is religion, and circumcision is a big deal for us. Not only for the eye-folded extremely orthodox Jews, but to every Israeli, and most Jews around the world. I really do not think that ANYONE would have a baby on a given date (earlier the baby's due date maybe?) just so they can celebrate a religious event, a traditional act, on a day the rest of the country is remembering a noble man's death, a political murder. I just don't see it.

For some reason I cannot agree with the rest of the country. I feel it is a simple case of an unfortunate combination of two events, but because it is a religious family, the rest of the country jumps on it and turns it inside out.

I wonder if it is possible that this baby was the only one to be born on 11.4, and I'd love to find out what did those other families do, and why we didn't hear about those other babies.

I cannot say I am talking about this here, in Israel. I don't really want to get into it, and I was not yet personally involved in the subject. But if anyone would approach me about this subject, I know I wouldn't keep my mouth shut. Of course, I could make a long list of the thngs I think are wrong in this country, and I am sure that most people would agree - yet argue with me about it just to defend themselves. But that is a whole other blog......

• ZsuzsiO said on Nov 08, 2007....

  I've started writting last night, and finnished this afternoon (Israeli time), so I kind of missed a lot in the mean time. But I really think that although it is a shame that for all kinds of reasons our civilization turned out to be a male dominated one, women were NEVER really out of the picure. Behind every grait men there is a smart woman. If the man is the head than the woman is the neck. I truely believe that everything that happened in any social circle, no matter the size of the circle or the event, it was only possible with both male and female part of that given social circle. Of course, physical male power is needed to make sure things are going the way the leaders of that circle decided, but the process of decision making was for sure graitly effected by females as well. The only difference is, that while the strong male is obvious, the smart female takes no credit, therefore she cannot be blamed either.

  Think about it.....

• silverwhisper said on Nov 08, 2007....

  actorguy: ah! you know, i think that's a good thing too.
  
  zsuzsio: good to see you again, you haven't been around in a while. what the heck do the critics expect, that they'll have the bris on a different day? come on, i agree that's nutty! hm...i want to think more about your second comment before responding to it, though...
  
  ed

• TinSoldier said on Nov 08, 2007....

  See, you learn something every day. I thought that Canada had removed her troops from Afghanistan after a group of Canadian soldiers was killed by an American bomb a few years back.

• silverwhisper said on Nov 08, 2007....

  i come here to learn. and i certainly did there! :>
  
  ed

• lfbno7 said on Nov 08, 2007....

  Views that are unique to me. Okay. I think some criminals should be tortured. To qualify, first they would have to be found guilty of an unspeakably heinous crime. Second, there would have to be enough hard scientific evidence of their guilt to absolutely convince a panel of forensic experts. Third, there would have to be no circumstances in the case that warrant sympathy.
  
  Here's an example of a criminal I would want to be tortured. A man got out of jail, and that same day he went to a shopping center and carjacked a woman and her baby. He forced the woman to leave her baby on a sidewalk somewhere, and he then raped and murdered the woman. That man, in my opinion, should be tortured. His life should be prolonged in agony. His arms and legs should be removed and he should be placed to live in a zoo among other animals, preferably animals that will beat him. He should be physically tortured several times a day until he dies. I just think he needs a bit of sensitivity training. Screaming until he can scream no more, for years, should give him the sensitivity he needs.

• Fallyn said on Nov 08, 2007....

  ah....so not tortured for information gathering purposes....just tortured for the sheer punishment factor......i think if i was that womans family i'd possibly agree with you.

• ZsuzsiO said on Nov 08, 2007....

  yep, it's nice to be back - thanks Silver.

  About that Brit - I did some more research on the story and it turns out that the reason it is a big deal is because the baby's daddy IS the actual guy who murdered Rabin!!! That sure puts a twist into the story doesn't it?

  My immediate question was "how come this guy is still capable of making children - isn't he in jail?" Well, he is, but after years of asking for visitation with his wife, as a young religious male who has religious duties to beacome a father of at least one male and one female child, this visitation was given to him. Now I do understand how people feel that it is suspicious of HIM to celenbrate for ANY reason on the day of anniversary of this horrible act. Still, I find it hard to belive that it is possible to calculate and create a child with such perfection. Next question: was it a Ceasarian ordered by the parents on that exact day? I mean, this really is a wierd story, but just how much of it is based on hater, and how much is the reality?

• Fallyn said on Nov 08, 2007....

  i think i missed something.

• silverwhisper said on Nov 09, 2007....

  lbf: i'll confess that idea has some visceral appeal, although it would seem contrary to existing sentencing guidelines and the constitution ("cruel and unusual").
  
  zsuzsio: OK, that's colossally screwed up!
  
  ed

• lfbno7 said on Nov 09, 2007....

  oh yeah, i'd want it to be cruel and unusual all right. i'd want to leave it up to the victim's family what to do with the person.

• silverwhisper said on Nov 09, 2007....

  i know what you mean. worse still if you know someone who's been through it.
  
  ed

• moonriver said on Nov 09, 2007....

  i'm sure this isn't a unique position, but unusual enough at sc... i will refuse any antibiotic-based or mind-bending medication, or vaccine, except when a doctor i fully trust tells me that not taking it would mean death, permanent disability or long-term impairment. i believe that the human body has an immense capacity for self-immunization and self-healing, only if we allow it to develop that capacity.
  
  
  

• silverwhisper said on Nov 09, 2007....

  i think that's a pretty reasonable stance, myself.
  
  moon, i know you're asian but am not sure if you have had much exposure to it, but how do you feel about traditional chinese medicine?
  
  ed

• moonriver said on Nov 09, 2007....

  ed, i'm ok with most kinds of traditional chinese medicine (acupuncture and herb-based), which are only minimally invasive and chemicalized. 1/2 of my medical kit are herbal teas, capsules and ointments. my sister and her husband practiced acupuncture for many years; they treated me for minor ailments when i was in my 20's. they knew how to make their own needles from piano wire. two long-time colleagues are specialists in chinese medicine. i have a dozen books on herbal pharmacopoeia... i could go on... :-)
  
  

• desertsienna2 said on Nov 15, 2007....

  Classical liberalism.

• beyondtheveil said on Nov 16, 2007....

  Ed- I actually do consider it rather improper to hold strong feelings about this having facts only of one side with isolated incidents on the other. But let me ask this. If control had been reversed somehow and women ruled all without that testosterone aggressiveness with it's attending macho ego that so many men have in abundance, don't you think the outcome would have been different just from that alone? 

• silverwhisper said on Nov 16, 2007....

  moon: ah...i might've guessed. :>
  
  desert sienna: are you by any odd chance familiar with cotterall adams?
  
  beyond: that's a hard question to answer, but it would seem at least to me that as cruelty, selfishness, small-mindedness and conflict are not solely the province of men, i don't think that things would be substantially different, no. sure, the details would be different, but honestly, not the broader strokes of history, not IMHO.
  
  ed

• Fallyn said on Nov 16, 2007....

  i think things would be VASTLY different....but not necessarily BETTER.

• silverwhisper said on Nov 16, 2007....

  [shrugs]

• desertsienna2 said on Nov 18, 2007....

  Eh?  Canada's policies put its own soldiers at risk.  They are fighting the Taliban while they invade villages and attempt to enforce their values through use of force on civilians, even going to lengths to kidnap people.  Canadian foreign policy has never been based on fighting in the streets and villages of a desert tribal country with mlitants who quite happily die for their politics and beliefs about rewards in heaven for being 'martyrs'.  Nothing has been achieved in five years.  It costs too much money and encourages this type of activity as demonstrated by the hostage-taking crisis involving Southeast Asian Christian missionaries.  We are fighting for nothing.  Korea and Vietnam serve as fine examples of military failure when attempting sociopolitical engineering overseas.  In the eyes of the natives of those countries, it is seen as akin to colonialism.  They did not ask us to decide what is good for them.  They didn't ask us to enforce our rule of law on them.  It's wrong.  It's racist and colonialist.

• silverwhisper said on Nov 18, 2007....

  no, colonialism is if the canadian soldiers were holding ground and sending resources and money back to canada. as that is obviously not happening, i think it fair to characterize your little blogjack as typical reactionary hyperbole.
  
  ed

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