Youch

I make near-constant love with my wife. I play with my kids. I work (a dream job). I play golf. I exercise. I write. I drink. I eat. I seldom sleep. That's about it.... LOL I dream of you.

Yep. A very interesting family story. They left their mark, for sure....

Another year and a sugar buzz... good times!! Looks like a healthy and happy little dude.... Gosh, time sure flies by....

Thanks Murph!!! This really is an excellent group of music.......

Any opinion or news on masculinity or normalness???

The government only has an interest in itself. The PUBLIC, however, has an interest in the question you pose. And thier apathy and laziness often defer that sort of thing. Local politicians take advantage of ths.

Thank you for the time you took to answer the question!!

Of course not. I was trying to briefly create situations in which our kind-hearted Buddhist might come to realize that certain circumstances might lead to a 'do or die,' 'you or me,' type choice. I understand some people cannot ever imagine such a decision-making situation, even if such decisions have historically been very natural, so I am just curious to hear the opinions of others. You only very rarely disappoint!!

I am so happy you have returned to the forum, as your reasoned and logical positions are...what is the word? Missed? However, I am concerned about your desire to live "outside nature." How is that possible???

As an aside, since you obliquely asked, among other things, I am making the point that to kill is utterly natural and normal. It is what happens in nature as a natural course of events. And yet, people have been molded in an unnatural way to assume/assert some other "normal." This coinsides with my long-posted assertion that (western) humans now live outside nature.

You don't see this as a survival instinct? Do you really find issue in the nuance of "spiritual development" as opposed to real interactions? If I am taking all your possessions, you do nothing? If I am raping our family, you do nothing? At what point do you escape the mule fitters of political correctiness and instead act as an alpha male in your species? Thank you for your honest answer.... Per usual, you miss the point entirely. Care to answer the question?

Others? Not you?

I believe I was asking, what could cause you to do so. The question remains largely unanswered.

I disagree. There are many people I would kill in a heartbeat, if I were given the opportunity and freedom to do so.

I ask for a reason. I appreciate any and all honest responses......

Oh, please do go on!!! Tell us more of the things and issues about which you are ignorant. It will increase your post count and provide informed people a platform from which to launch. In the abstract, I agree. It would not be natural. It would be totalitarianism.

Not the law, but certainly some law enforcement. The market place can provide better services to the public for almost everything, except those things inherently governmental.

So, you are just prone to being a sad person?

You picking a fight, Ryper Heal? Touche!! Well played... Did you read his/her previous post with the intent of understanding it? Hyper, Dude, Dudette, Whatever, So, is it your stance that people with children cannot also hold views for or against abortion or "population control?" The NATURAL proclivity to create proginy is somehow antithetical to a philosophy or ideology that may support "pro choice" or China's "one birth" policies??

I can relate to all that!! But I cannot relate to this. Why do you feel that parenthood, resonsibility and family are "sad" things??? They are natural things. And if cultivated correctly, joyous things...

Bare with me, as we are finally getting to a point I tried to make very early in the thread. So, you guys assert that our increasing self-awareness is changing our behavior (for the better). YET, we continue to have more and more government in our lives. Do you not see the contradiction??? If our behavior was changing due to our increasing self awareness, why would we need more increasing levels of regulation?? You speak of "growth of trends on lawmaking." Yes, we have MORE AND MORE regulation, which logically means humans are NOT improving their behavior. What you guys are advocating is not a self-awareness and changes of behavior, but CONTROL of behavior. We (meaning folks like you) don't like reality, so you impose more and more regulation and government to control natural behavior. You both have admited this, in so many words. Until humans act as angels, we will require government. And because government CONTINUES to grow and expand, one can agrue that we are not progressing toward angelic behavior. So, what is this new enlightement of which you speak?? I, of course, have very specific views on this issue. But I refrain from exposing them here, as it tends to prevent open dialog. Plus, this may not be ther correct area of the forum to espouse them. But perhaps you guys get where I'm going with this??????

Interesting....

Finally a conversation. Thank you Fawzo. So, in "light" of this "recent enlightenment" of our "darkenss," you point to laws that govern man as examples of self-awareness changing our behavior, is that correct? And THAT is what Senor Alpa was talking about? Social contracts in the western world?

Do you have children? If so, is this how you describe your parenting role and obiligation?