There isn't much I can add to the topic of morality except that we have reached a consensus of sorts, in that humans are positively inclined, if only barely. All things being equal, it's a lot easier to cooperate and tolerate each other than to be in constant conflict. But things are seldom equal and there are threats, real or perceived, that throw folks into a tizzy and they take off the gloves and have at it. Humanity is still working out the bugs in the system.
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But Beagles threw me for a loop when he brought up women. There seems to be a lot of difference in the way the various cultures treat their women.
Amen brother; this is another rabbit hole and where to start? The recent #metoo movement raises some questions for me, such as why have so many women waited so long to relate their stories of sexual harassment? And what causes some men to force themselves upon and victimize the women; is it simply because they can? We may never know.
Then I think about women in the Muslim world, not being allowed to drive, required to wear burqas, and not being allowed in public by themselves unless accompanied by a male family member. They're certainly not being exploited, but are they being oppressed or are they being protected? The women in that culture may have more power than we, in our Western smugness, realize. There must be some reason that they tolerate their role in their society and I'll be damned if I know what it is except for their religious beliefs.
I don't know if it's been scientifically proven that the brains of men and women are wired differently, but I suspect they are. You seldom hear of a woman relying on a "gut feeling," they have intuition instead. But I've gone far enough down this rabbit hole for the time being.
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Last week's State of the Union address was interesting, and like the presidential debates, I had the sound turned off. I like observing the gestures and body language, unencumbered by the drivel spouting out of his mouth. I've read that Stephen Miller was responsible for most of the speech, and it shows from the few transcripts I've read. It didn't look like Trump strayed too far from the teleprompter and his jutting chin during the many ovations lent a certain Mussolini vibe to the proceedings. He was also clapping a lot, for himself probably. Melania did not look like the picture of spousal adoration, still steamed at the Stormy Daniels business no doubt.
I've noticed a couple of new terms since the address: politerati and Banana Republicans, both seem very apt.
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Saw Cheboygan County in the news last week; didn't know you had sturgeon plying the waters up there: http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/02/michigan_fisherman_films_sturg.html
And Uncle Ken's reference to empty space led me to an article which indicates that there may be no such thing as nothing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2018/01/31/the-four-scientific-meanings-of-nothing/
I like the way Mr. Beagles had a clickable link, in blue, in his last post. How was this done, is some HTML editing required? Youth wants to know.
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