Search found 151 matches

by Speculum
January 15th, 2009, 6:46 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Robotics
Replies: 13
Views: 40922

Re: Robotics

Here are a few interesting lines I came across the other day while doing some year-end house-cleaning of the TZF website. It originally appeared at TZF’s Here’s A Thought feature in 2000 which in turn was quoting from a book about St. Seraphim of Sarov written by Da Free John (also known by a variet...
by Speculum
January 1st, 2009, 8:20 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Oops
Replies: 2
Views: 17804

Re: Oops

How our language reflects the condition of those who use it. How true. Like you, it seems, I like words and wrestling with their meaning. And thanks for the de Mello story. Very nice. Years ago (I think I wrote about this somewhere on TZF, maybe in the forum), Anna and I attended a talk given by a ...
by Speculum
January 1st, 2009, 7:56 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Robotics
Replies: 13
Views: 40922

Re: Robotics

It's possible that certain manifestations have taken a different avenue of development, achieved oneness and retained functionality. Jesus? Rumi? Nisargadatta? Could these mark an evolutionary experiment? This might say that the combination of inner and outer beingness combined are equally importan...
by Speculum
January 1st, 2009, 6:31 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Absolutism v. Relativism
Replies: 1
Views: 11449

Re: Absolutism v. Relativism

Thoughtful post. A few comments. If I say, "No, it is orange," and you say, "No, it is chartreuse with cerise polka dots," the sky is still blue … "Cloudless and blue" is the absolute truth in this situation. To be sure, you or I are comfortable insisting that “blue is ...
by Speculum
December 14th, 2008, 11:38 pm
Forum: The Sand Box
Topic: Robotics - cont'd from Gen. Discussion
Replies: 9
Views: 33011

Re: Robotics - cont'd from Gen. Discussion

It was interesting to watch Brant's reactions to Speculum's response as opposed to Zoofence's. S felt refreshing while Z triggered a tightening in my core. Same guy, most instructive. Thanks for sharing that. Whenever I look into the mirror and see Z, I experience a little tightening, too. Fortunat...
by Speculum
December 11th, 2008, 8:50 pm
Forum: The Sand Box
Topic: Blaspheme Me?
Replies: 2
Views: 12675

Re: Blaspheme Me?

Agreed. ... so many saw and walked with Him after His resurrection ... I do not doubt for a moment that such things and more happen. First, because I long ago learned to put no limits on God. Second, because virtually all of the spiritual traditions I have encountered include reports of similar occu...
by Speculum
December 9th, 2008, 6:16 pm
Forum: The Sand Box
Topic: Blaspheme Me?
Replies: 2
Views: 12675

Blaspheme Me?

The other day, I wrote in the General Discussion side of Open Forum about having purchased the book The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man which asks, and seeks to answer, the question “How reliable is the Gospel tradition?” I am nearing half way through the book. It is nicely written, with lots of sch...
by Speculum
December 4th, 2008, 9:27 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Robotics
Replies: 13
Views: 40922

Re: Robotics

Interesting stuff here … and on the tangent in The Sand Box. Expanding a little on the computer metaphor, here’s the thing, as I see it. Clearly, a computer can process only information which has been input. That is, it cannot process information which isn’t “in it”. I think we are that way, too. We...
by Speculum
November 24th, 2008, 8:12 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Robotics
Replies: 13
Views: 40922

Re: Robotics

You wrote, "At this point there is no understanding as to the truth of what this means except that I "brant" am not what I thought". My experience is, that's a very good place to be. For me, as I have written repeatedly on TZF including here but perhaps most specifically in vario...
by Speculum
November 19th, 2008, 7:43 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Parallel lives?
Replies: 8
Views: 26203

Re: Parallel lives?

Ouch! I wish I had seen your post yesterday! I agree with you about the History channel. I like Nova too. How was the show? The other day, I ordered from Amazon.com a book called "The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man". It seems to be about the possibility that the historical Jesus did not a...
by Speculum
November 19th, 2008, 7:36 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Hello again
Replies: 1
Views: 11126

Re: Hello again

Welcome back! You're right, Open Forum was off for a while. But now it's back, and I think will remain so. The Sand Box is a new feature since your last visit, I think. Although I am sometimes "on again, off again" as to its necessity, on balance I think it is a useful device as a place fo...
by Speculum
November 12th, 2008, 7:40 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Oops
Replies: 2
Views: 17804

Oops

Two thoughts – The other evening we watched the movie City of Angels . It’s a nice story, except for the sad ending, of course. I particularly like its idea of having to choose between human nature and divine nature. Anyway, one of the lead characters is an angel (played by Nicholas Cage), and, as s...
by Speculum
November 2nd, 2008, 9:39 pm
Forum: The Sand Box
Topic: Turning Points
Replies: 12
Views: 28491

Re: Turning Points

Beautifully said. Please know that Nancy and I could not be happier for you. I mean that. Know too, as I know you do, that every moment, every experience of your journey ("astrologer, a witch, a Roman Catholic, a New Ager (Unity), and an atheist") was essential to the "return home&quo...
by Speculum
November 2nd, 2008, 9:10 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Parallel lives?
Replies: 8
Views: 26203

Parallel lives?

A few days ago, ihavesayso wrote me an email message which seems to me to be generating an interesting discussion. Unfortunately, I have lost the original message, and possibly another one, but here are a couple of others which followed them. He wrote, Physical sleep is an escape from the ‘awake tim...
by Speculum
October 8th, 2008, 12:31 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: skeuomorph
Replies: 0
Views: 30383

skeuomorph

Every week day, I receive an email message from Wordsmith.org with that day’s word of the day. If you like words, as I do, it is an interesting and fun (not to mention free) service. Their URL is http://wordsmith.org/ . Anyway, today’s word struck me as offering a particularly interesting peek into ...