For if it falls, it's possible that it will have enough force to form a crack into the already weak wall in front of the pole. It is true, however, that this is but the first step. — Existential Hope

You're pointing to a weak foundation that prudence would dictate protecting so that the entire structure won't fall. The problem is that the foundation is weak because there are those who see no advantage in supporting it because it doesn't promote their interests.

It's like telling the disenfranchised to work harder for their paltry pay and to support a system that helps their oppressors because if they push back too hard they'll have even less. It's a hard argument to make to those motivated by fairness over comfort.

My comments are generic and not focused on India's particular history or present day situation because I don't know enough about day to day life in India or where its fault lines are. I just see it as a universal dilemma, where you have to decide between pragmatics and justice. One hopes justice is chosen over control, but typically it's a mixture of both, at least in liberalized countries, which means some semblace of a healthy society would include challenges to the status quo.

I don’t think I saw an actual fig until I was well into grownuphood. Not sure why. — Jamal

I think you were right to wait. It gave you a chance to be a kid.

I tried making figgy pancakes this morning, stirring a fig into the batter. — praxis

Did you smash up the figs or just put a few whole uncut figs in the mix? If the latter, the fig bite would be whole different experience than the non fig bite, but not as bad if you'd have made them with whole watermelons.

grandfather also had a fig tree by his barn. — T Clark

And my grandmother had one by her house.

Sounds like, hate to say it, they were getting it on when we weren't looking.

On the other hand, critics say that this is a divisive and diversionary action that will needlessly detach the country from a considerable part of its own history. — Existential Hope

Names matter. My mother attended Robert E. Lee High School and was a proud Rebel, but that's no more. The winners get to choose the names: Ho Chi Minh City versus Saigon, Istanbul versus Constantinople, New York versus New Amsterdam, Her/She versus they/them, The Washington Commanders versus the Washington Redskins, and even Israel versus Jacob.

A name serves to protect the current status quo and it is for that reason the name change follows the revolution. If India is in a state of revolution over its past, the push for the name change is but a symptom of that revolution. The battle lines will likely arise in all sorts of places, with the name being one area for the focus, but I'd think too much time shouldn't be spent defending the flag, the official colors, or the other labels, but instead of fighting for or againt whatever it is that is the true source of the battle.

That is, if India's politics are sufficiently oppressive that they've lost popular support, the flag is going to fall as a consequence, and it seems misguided to just stand around the flag trying to hold it high, as if the battle is actually over the literal flag.

I am reminded of figgy pudding, a dessert not served in the US but only known from television shows of Brits talking about it. I would imagine it is like fig preserves but perhaps creamier because that is what I mean when I say the word "pudding."

If one carefully removes the intestinal packaging surrounding their favorite sausage, it can then be used as a penis sheeth to avoid pregnancy. My former countless lovers would often remark of my delictable fennel flavor as we would lie about after an afternoon of sausage casing protected lovemaking.

I did from time to time suffer from penile trichinosis due to the undercooked pork product, but it was nothing a diesel bath wouldn't cure.

You must have picked many fights. — Jamal

Spellcheck thinks it's so fucking funny the way it pretends to create these kinds of errors, but I find it puerile.

Another little known factoid: A stuck pig sounds most like a complaining human than any other animal.

I had a massive fight tree many years ago in my back yard. It will fulfill my annual fig needs of 2 to 3 figs per annum nicely.

I had an apple tree as well, planted by Johnny Appleseed himself, who would (little known fact) later go on to found Applebee's Neighborhood Grill, offering the finest microwaved Americana dishes anywhere.

And, no, my discussion of Applebee's has nothing to do with spellcheck having changed "Appleseed" to "Applebee's" and then me working that in.

A query I sent to Chat GPT. I'm not sure I agree, but I'm open to everyone's comments:

Q: "If one could choose either to make homemade pasta or homemade tomato sauce when using it as an ingredient in a lasagna, which should be chosen, and why. Please show your work."

A: "When making lasagna, both homemade pasta and homemade tomato sauce can enhance the flavor and quality of the dish. However, if you have to choose between making one from scratch, it's generally recommended to prioritize making homemade tomato sauce. Here's why:

Impact on Flavor: Tomato sauce is a significant component of lasagna, and a homemade sauce can provide a rich, fresh, and flavorful base for the dish. The quality of the sauce can greatly influence the overall taste of the lasagna.

Complexity and Time: Making pasta from scratch can be more time-consuming and requires specialized equipment like a pasta maker. Tomato sauce, on the other hand, can be made relatively quickly and easily with simple ingredients like tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, and olive oil.

Variety and Store-Bought Pasta: While homemade pasta can be delicious and have a unique texture, store-bought lasagna noodles are widely available and of good quality. They can still result in a tasty lasagna. Homemade tomato sauce, on the other hand, can offer a more significant improvement in flavor compared to store-bought sauce.

Versatility: Homemade tomato sauce can also be used for various other dishes like spaghetti, pizza, or as a base for other pasta dishes. Its versatility makes it a valuable homemade component in your kitchen.

Sauce as a Binding Element: Tomato sauce not only adds flavor but also serves as a binding element in lasagna, helping the layers hold together. Store-bought pasta, whether dried or fresh, can perform this role adequately.

In summary, while homemade pasta can be a fun and rewarding project, homemade tomato sauce is likely to have a more significant impact on the overall taste and quality of your lasagna. Additionally, making homemade tomato sauce is usually more accessible in terms of time and equipment, making it a practical choice when compared to making pasta from scratch for this specific dish."

I believe the field of psychology, or at least in the study of personalities, acknowledges that the pensive, quiet people (who often find life to be "not happy") are the ones who have a more accurate assessment of life. — L'éléphant

I agree that depressed people are not happy, but I don't believe they have an accurate assessment of life. When they suggest there is no meaning to life and no reason for our existence, they are wrong and that's what makes them so unhappy.

I'd say, do not dwell in the past no matter how beautiful or successful the past was. Keep it off your mind. Take care of what you have now. You can't be with your past anymore -- it's gone. Love the one you're with. This, coming from my own experience of dealing with all sorts of people. — L'éléphant

I think of sentimentality as the romanticized cousin of regret. The sentimental harken back to the past in a futile attempt to relive some perfect moment that never existed, like the time when their family was gathered around the Christmas tree welcoming a new puppy into their lives, as if that moment wasn't as complex, troubled, wonderful and significant as the present moment.

The regretful harken back to the past in a futile attempt to relive that critical moment where things went wrong, so as to change them so that today wouldn't be as complex and troubled as it is right now. It's like the time you wish you could take back those words, continue that pursuit, or see that relationship through. What is missed is that today is as it is supposed to be, not just from casual necessity, but from teleological necessity

Regret and sentimentality come from not believing one has a purpose that is constantly being fulfilled. If we accept that the driver for our acts aren't the causes that precede them but are for the purposes we are to fulfill, then it's hard to find a reason to focus on yesterday and try to run backwards in time and away from our intended destination.

This is my philosophy of radical purposefulness, which is no more or less reasonable than the more typically accepted radical causation theory, where all events are explainable from their cause.

Oh... Those were mine. I guess she got them by mistake. — T Clark

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume your wife is beyond the age of pregnancy concern and you are not popular enough to possess any of the special diseases, so there would be no reason for you to own any condoms. But, let us assume she could get pregnant, and let us assume you had some cheese like infection you wished to save her from, do you think you even have the energy to open 1,000 condom packages?

People see patterns, even if there's nothing there. — T Clark

Then how do you know when there's actually a pattern or if you're just seeing one that's not there?

Not a single "shana tovah" ?

Really?

Actual horse condom; only those certified as hung-like-a-horse are eligible to buy, possess, and use these. — BC

I was considering the purpose of an actual horse condom, and setting aside the possibility of its use during inter-species sexual relations to save a young lady from the unkemptness that would follow such an act, I considered two other possibilities: (1) to allow mares to go about their day along with stallions without the fear and embarrassment of unplanned pregnancy, or (2) to secure a semen sample through a sex act that could then be transferred to the preferred mare.

As to #1, I didn't think this likely because (a) it is doubtful the device would remain in place during periods of flaccidity and non-sexual horseplay, but it would instead drop to the ground where a young child might use it to suffocate himself; and (b) one must remember that an alternative use for horsecock other than sexual relations is for urinary release and in such an instance the casual condomed horse would become the donner of an offensive piss-balloon, an object no horse would tolerate pendulating from his member.

As to #2, the idea of there being a surrogate horsecunt that could be used to stimulate and release the semen so that it could then be transferred to a sisterhorsecunt is an interesting concept, but it seems too complex. It would be easier just to manipulate the horsecock back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until the desired result were reached, which honestly might require some horseball massage as well, but that still seems easier than the surrogate horsecunt idea.

Had a spicy chicken biscuit for breakfast.

I think it's kind of sexist to refer to purple backed ewes as "whores." — frank

I believe an ewe that saves herself for a single ram is of higher virtue. I'm old school that way. On the other hand, it doesn't matter to me how nanny goats behave, and I think nothing more or less of them, regardless of how many billys they allow into their lair. It's farily species specific with me when it comes to what I consider appropriate love making.

Actual horse condom; only those certified as hung-like-a-horse are eligible to buy, possess, and use these. — BC

Speaking of farm animal intercourse, I saw this show on sheep breeding where they placed two rams among hundreds of ewes in order to impregnate the lot of them. They put a pad on each ram's belly, one with blue ink, the other with red, so they could they determine which ram visited upon which ewe by the color left on the ewe's back.

One ewe was clearly more prolific than the other as it turned out. There were also no untapped prudish ewes nor were there any whorish purple backed ewes.

Anywho, I have a biege pad on my belly, so if you see any satisfied ladies or ewes wandering about with biege backsides, rest assured Hanover got there first.

For some reason I confuse The Sound of Music with Mary Poppins. I realize there are differences, but that's just the way it's going to be.

I am skeptical there's any hidden meaning in the song. — T Clark

Her umbrella though is a clear representation of a horse cock. I always thought that was weird and didn't otherwise fit into the image she was meant to portray.

Was his mom a crack ho? — frank

Coincidentally yes, but that has no impact on the meaning of the song. She just happens to enjoy cocaine byproducts and the company of men for payment.

Puff the Magic Dragon is about a little boy growing up.

I'm certain of that.

Recent philosophy position posting.

To reside in the Shoutbox, one must know much of everything, so I would be happy to talk about the Syncro-Vox technique first employed by the Clutch Cargo animators. The mixture of the static image with the moving lips saves time and money and it gives a wonderfully realistic and somewhat disturbing effect.

I"d suspect that if it can be used on lips, it can be used on any body part, only limited by one's imagination.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncro-Vox#:~:text=The%201959%20cartoon%20Clutch%20Cargo,laid%20over%20the%20animated%20figures.

Clutch Cargo had the worst animation of all time, especially the lip movement. It makes South Park look sophisticated.



My brother and I used to watch cartoons until the commercials came on, and then we wrestle and kick each other until the show came back on.

Why was she chasing a krampus? — frank

As if not self-explanatory, her rage from being denied her Cabbage Patch doll from Santa, which she attributed to the krampus' meddling into her affairs, and his reporting to jolly St. Nick her countless indiscretions, not the least of which were her inappropriate TikTok postings of her Summer dalliances at Rehoboth Beach.

But when he bumped into it, couldn't he feel around and notice there's a big hole in the middle? — frank

His stilts so expanded his strides that he walked straight into the hole, not having bumped into the ornate masonry and bucket and pulley assembly.

The free fall plummet would certainly had been fatal had he not been cushioned by Baby Chloe, the poor child who had fallen in before him while fearlessly chasing a krampus.

One cannot assume that simply because people have died at certain ages in the past that they'll die at those ages in the future, if they'll even to continue to die at all. It just seems like a lot of speculation, delving too deeply into prophesy and the dark arts.

I had two spicy sausage biscuits and farm raised scrambled eggs for breakfast Sent my brother a polka themed birthday video for well wishes as well.

Why did the blind man fall into the well? He didn't see that well.

The best leaders know that duty begets duty. — ToothyMaw

A couple of cliches come to mind:

Preaching to the choir - meaning it's not difficult to convince those who are already committed.
You can't coach heart - meaning you can't convince someone to have passion.

This is to say that the easiest leadership role one can be put in is one where one's followers all operate out of a sense of duty. One whose motivation is that of righteousness isn't someone in need of leadership. He's going to do as he's going to do and he's going to tell you to fuck off if you violate his sense of righteousness..

It's also to say that you can't instill a sense of duty in someone who doesn't have it. You'd be wasting your time. His driver is something else and you'll need to identify it in order to gain motivation. If you keep telling someone they ought to work harder because it's for the good of the community at large but he's just looking for a bigger paycheck, he's not going to change his mind just because you said it.

If the loser (stiff) has more debt than assets, can the inheritors claim the estate as bankrupt and avoid paying the excess debt? — Metaphysician Undercover

You can't inherit someone else's debt. Once the estate is out of money, it's out of money.

Unless you co-signed or acted as guarantee, then you can't inherit the sins of your forefathers.

She knew he was a horndog when she married him. — frank

And that's what has her so upset. She's disgusted at him for lying to her yet again and at herself for thinking he could change.

The tragedy is too harsh for words, so they speak in tongues that only the seers and prophets can decipher.

What were they arguing about? Was he cheating on her? — frank

He cheated on her, and it was the second time. It was so hard to forgive him the first time, and now this. And what about the kids?

It was like watching a movie where the sound was too low so you couldn't understand it, but you got the gist.

Give my wife a call. I'm sure you two can work it all out. Perhaps we can make arrangements for her to throw you in front of a bus when she reaches 86. Win-win. My wife's happy, your wife's happy, you and I are both dead. — T Clark

So I called your wife. She's a lovely lady. We got distracted talking about this and that. She shared with me her clam chowder recipe. I'm going to try it, but I'll probably substitute tomatoes for the milk base.

Today's Wordle word is "await." That's a fucked up word.

My life plan is set forth in my power of attorney that states every possible resource, including taking on of endless debt, must be exhausted to be sure I capture every possible breath. To the extent it leaves my loved ones penniless and hungry, I will gain comfort in my restful peace knowing I fought for every inch.

The word to describe someone who thinks otherwise: quitter.

The elusive Hanoverian Beachfoot recently spotted along the Golden Isles.

Not asking him to pitch, just look after my dog. — T Clark

Weird. Then who do you have in your bullpen?

That's not right — Banno

Good point. I was thinking too along the lines of mathematical points, meaning no two points can occupy the same two points without being the same point.

It would seem identity would be more equivalent to a definition, making it more linguistic than ontological.

Where one object ends and another begins is a matter of convention. A collision of two objects though does seem to have an ontological component beyond simple definition.

That is, when a rock hits the window, we observe a collision of two distinct objects, even if we wish to define both as a single room object.

I'd definitely trust Biden. He's old but he's all there. — T Clark

0% chance an 80+ year old hasn't lost his fastball.
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If two objects occupy the same location, they are not two objects, but are one. Location is an element of identity.