Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

At bottom.

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » DU Groups » Science & Skepticism » Atheists and Agnostics Group Donate to DU
 
fshrink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-05 12:35 AM
Original message
At bottom.
At bottom, it's a question of childish pleasure and fantasy. Either you feel excitement, curiosity and wonder at the unknown. Or you feel fear, shame and powerlessness. In the first case, the mysteries will inject the passion to understand in your life. In the second, you'll believe. At bottom there's more mystery in one atheist's wonder than there is in all religions combined.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
Tafiti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-18-05 01:24 PM
Response to Original message
1. Nice assessment, short and to the point.
Reminds me of a song:

"Lost again, broken and weary
Unable to find my way.
Tail in hand, dizzy and clearly
Unable to just let this go.

Higher, surrendering to gravity and the unknown.
Catch me, heal me, lift me back unto the sun,
I choose to live."

It seems to me, in this song, he recognizes the feeling of "fear, shame, and powerlessness" as you put it, but chooses not to let it control or affect him that way; instead, he surrenders to "gravity and the unknown" and chooses to LIVE - as opposed to falling into, I suppose, a virtually somnambulist, if comfortable, state of belief...

You know, you need to start a daily "And now deep thoughts, by fshrink" thread. Except yours would be serious and thoughtful, like this one, or they could just be silly, like Jack Handey's, depending on your mood.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fshrink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-18-05 09:00 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. Lol! Believe me I NEED to vent now and then.
Particularly now that I am so incredibly pissed at what's happening (what HAS happened should I say). My patients are the only ones, aside from a few posts here and occasionally on LBN, who can cheer me up! Thanks to you for doing just that for me after this long depressing day!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Tafiti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 08:51 AM
Response to Reply #2
5. Glad I could help out! n/t
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
opiate69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 12:19 AM
Response to Reply #1
3. Yet another example of Rev Maynard's genius..
Best lyricist in music these days.. bar none.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Tafiti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 08:53 AM
Response to Reply #3
6. Yes, I emphatically agree.
For awhile now, I've been having trouble taking "Thirteenth Step" out of my CD player. What can I say, I'm addicted.

I cannot wait until Tool's new one is released. Although, do you get the feeling he's enjoying his stints in APC more and more? He seems to express himself in a much different way than he has on Tool albums. I don't know, maybe I'm overanalyzing.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
opiate69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 09:20 PM
Response to Reply #6
8. Yeah.. I kind of get that.. but then again,
the rest of Tool have always seemed like reluctant geniuses to me, so I can kinda see why he would have enjoy APC more.. less stress, and the work schedule seems to be more steady. I'm still waiting for the official live tool dvd I keep hearing about too..
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
slutticus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 01:27 AM
Response to Reply #1
4. Nice avatar.
You should try to get one that's animated. That would be sweet.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Tafiti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 08:55 AM
Response to Reply #4
7. Thanks.
I tried a couple others, but they were way over the size limit.

I would LOVE to get one that's animated, but how would I go about doing that? I'm not quite up to par on my computer skills. Any ideas?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fshrink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 09:33 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. What is it? A Borg cube? nt
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
opiate69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 09:39 PM
Response to Reply #9
10. In a manner of speaking, maybe..
it is actually the cover of the album "AEnima" by Tool.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fshrink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-19-05 11:26 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. You need a ".gif". Look for AEnima.gif... Maybe...
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Az Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 11:43 PM
Response to Reply #9
13. Hehe, know about the Borg cube in the bible?
hehe. :D
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
trotsky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-22-05 02:51 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. Do share, Az!
Hadn't heard about that one!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Az Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-22-05 04:11 PM
Response to Reply #14
15. It's from Revelations
After the seals have been broken the holy city of New Jerusalem descends. John takes a walk around the city and describes its dimensions thus:

Rev
21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.


Do the math. It works out to a 1500 mile cube. Descending from space.

Furlong = 660'

Mile = 5280'

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
trotsky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-22-05 06:07 PM
Response to Reply #15
16. Resistance is futile, I'd say.
The apocalypse will be well worth the price of admission if we get to see a real Borg cube!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fshrink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-22-05 06:31 PM
Response to Reply #16
17. 7 of 9 is for me!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
RaleighNCDUer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-25-05 01:32 PM
Response to Reply #15
19. So maybe all that Revelations is
is somehow old John psychically tuned in on the SF channel. All the weird notions and pictures could come straight out of television. Maybe a bend in the space/time continum and reflected visions of the future back at him. Only thing is, he didn't know from fiction. Kind of like the aliens in Galaxy Quest.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fshrink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 11:42 PM
Response to Reply #7
12. Try this
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Tafiti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-24-05 10:27 AM
Response to Reply #12
18. Nice, thanks!
This might be a dumb question, but is there a way to make it smaller? As it is, it is way too big to upload as an avatar.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Tafiti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-27-05 05:07 PM
Response to Reply #4
20. How you like me now?!
I kind of wish the eyes weren't there, so that you can see the "cube" move a little more. But oh well, it's still pretty sweet. Thanks for the idea!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
opiate69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-27-05 07:23 PM
Response to Reply #20
21. Right-da-fuck-on!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Tue May 14th 2024, 02:34 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » DU Groups » Science & Skepticism » Atheists and Agnostics Group Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC