This is your last chance.
After this, there is no turning back.
You take the blue pill—the
story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe.
You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how
deep the rabbit hole goes.
Remember: all I'm offering
is the truth. Nothing more.
Morpheus to
Neo from “The Matrix”
Hello Bloggers some bits and tidbits
I wanted to do a QUICK interim blog entry on a few issues.
First Issue
administrative:
I checked out blog alternatives,
some like Tumbler I understand may lead strangers to wander in from Porn sites.
Virtually all of you responded in
one way or another to my last post. Many
“shared” email responses with me alone, others responded by email and copying
all followers. So I guess my sending an
email to all worked.
A few have tried posting replies but
have been unable to get a post to stick.
Others seem to have less in the way of problems. Since I alone know who
these people are trust me it may not be a systems issue.I have for the time being decided to “stick” with
blogger.
However I am going to try to
make things smoother by:
Each new post link will be emailed
to all followers I will mark header as such.
So if Google also sends you a post as a follower you can choose who to
read and or which one to delete.
I encourage you to “post” responses
on the blog but it seems that so many are having problems with that it may
stifle interaction n. So if you want to
respond you can reply all BUT I know for many that becomes an email
nightmare. I encourage you as a courtesy
not to do that. Just respond to me if
you would like and I will share it with all on a blog post UNLESS you tell me
not to, I will leave it anonymous unless you tell me it is OK to share your
name.
Second Issue Quick
note on Taxes:
My “Poll” attempt met with dismal failure, likely a tree
falling that nobody heard! It expired in
7 days and was only available on the blog itself. However, to those who commented the consensus
that the 15% number for my imaginary couple with no dependents seems to be
close enough. My son James indicates
that he and his wife and three kids would be happy with 15%.....that alone says
a lot. You may have noticed from my
follow-up comments that I find our tax burden being lower than my Mother’s
whose income is like $17,000 per year is outright ridiculous.
Most of you also indicated that any attempt at meaningful
change to the present system is likely doomed to failure. While that is probably true, to quote the
Beach Boys “Wouldn’t it be Nice”.
Third Issue my blog
and its relationship to “The Righteous Mind”
My first blog entry promised to try to keep the over-riding
theme to my blog centered on the principle that all of us read, hear and categorize
virtually any topic according to some pre-set overriding principles based on
our own moral code. I gave you all a link to take the Haidt quiz. I do remember hat several of you took the quiz even before my blog. So far
beyond my “Karmic” comments I have not delved into this theme –yet. However, I do hope to circle back in this
direction in the not too distant future.
For those of you who have asked me when I am going to start
blogging on Trump and his “deplorables”, or the liberal crazies trying to overturn an
election I am not going there. We all have
PLENTY of places where we can get that.
As a generally conservative guy (as I indicated on my first post from my
“Haidt Test”) my politics lean that way.
However, I want to try focus on “ideas” and “concepts” not personalities
and media hype. I hope you all get that!
By acknowledging where my moral compass
leans I also hope that recognizing how since we all view things as a tribe we
can figure out a way to get along in these divisive times. Yes that may be as likely as changing the tax
code but well I will not quote the Beach Boys again.
In that spirit I offer you a few “pieces”
on Haidt. To keep it down the middle I
include links to the Washington Times review and interview (certainly a “conservative
publication”) a piece from Scientific American as well as an 18 minute video of
a lecture he gave to what I perceive to be a generally left leaning group (note
“Ted” indicates it is non-partisan think tank but when I watched it made me to
think otherwise). No matter the
presentation is Haidt’s and it is an easy way to get a quick feel (well 18
minutes anyway) on what he has to say about the concept of a different moral
compass for liberal’s and conservatives. Worth a look especially if the Super
Bowl ends up a blowout for the Pats (oops is that to controversial?).
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/jonathan-haidt-the-moral-matrix-breaking-out-of-our-righteous-minds/
So until about Tuesday or Wednesday…Adieu.
Thanks for keeping your blog on the philosophical/moral road as opposed to the political one. I echo your thought that there are more than enough places for me to seek, or not seek, that avenue of thought. I posted my Haidt quiz results and read some of his background after your first blog. I am still processing my feelings on the differences in the moral compasses for liberals and conservatives, if there is one.(?) But, the fact remains that I like that you blog pushes my brain to think outside the box. Hopefully, even if the research bears out that there is a difference in the true north of liberals and conservatives, let us all hope that each of us in the tribe begins from a foundation of kindness.
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