Comments

  • Member Picture Thread
    Sinéad O'connor about to sing Nothing Compares 2 U. Circa 1997:

    HNB6kWA.jpg
  • Currently Reading
    The interesting thing to me is how different they seem at different ages.Jamal

    Exactly. In addition, when you read a novel again, some details which were hidden can be perceived, or you can read it with more confidence. I experienced this reading Kawabata. When I was a noob regarding Japanese culture, I was lost in the novels of this author. Later on, and after reaching respectable knowledge of Japanese culture, I started to have another sensation by rereading his books again.

    Argentina has been good to me so far with fiction.Jamal

    Very nice! This book was on the shelves of my father's office because he loves Borges. So, I think you would like Sábato.
  • Currently Reading
    I read it in my teens; time for a reread.Jamal

    I love rereading books. It makes me feel a sweet nostalgic vibe.

    Currently reading: The Tunnel, Ernesto Sábato. A classic of Argentine literature. A novel of gorgeous existentialism and a sense of despair.
  • Migrating to England
    This interesting news popped up on my desktop. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live

    If I am not wrong, I think Leeds was mentioned in the thread. Clerkenwell, Folkestone, Sherborne, Stirchley and Wivenhoe are also good options, according to that poll and data. I have never heard of these English cities but Leeds, which is in Yorkshire. What do you think about Yorkshire? @Punshhh

    By the way, I was in one of the cities on the list: West End, Dundee (Scotland). I was there in 2018. I remember the weather was cloudy and rainy most of the time, but the city and the people were cool and chill. I can't remember why the hell I was there because I used to live in Edinburgh, but when I read about this Scottish city, some memories - which were kept in the memory - flourished again.

    I am not interested in moving to England, but it is always interesting to read the opinion of others on what a city should be to live in, and why some are better than others. Is this subjective or objective? :chin:

    Could I be happy in both Madrid and Leeds if I tried to? Does it depend on the city or the neighbors? Hmm...
  • HERE'S A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC
    Sexual stimuli is pretty natural though.

    Anyway, you are claiming that sexual desire (doesn't matter the inclination) is a fictional convection. I disagree. We are 'created' to reproduce with each other, as much as the animals do. What did happen to sexuality is the weird eroticism which owes its origin to romanticism. Since then, we have started to conceive sex as an aesthetic act rather than the pure action of conceiving children.

    The confusion you refer to arises because the TV and films show a way of sexuality which is not connected to reality. The filmmakers use sex because they know it is an easy attraction. Due to this number of sex scenes, we tend to consider that sex is fictional because we hardly experienced the sex we watch on TV. You mentioned dating, romance, etc. All of these are fictional, but not sex itself. Keep in mind that some people, to satisfy their sexual stimuli, pay money for sex.

    I mean, what is fictional is the eroticism around sex. We are understanding this natural act wrongly. You cannot choose to experience or not experience sexuality. Otherwise, you will have a problem.
  • What did you cook today?
    However the cow for this one comes from Poland.Lionino

    We no longer have national products because we don't have the capacity to hold millions and millions of tons of food. We ask bigger countries to produce them. The other day, I bought minced pork and the pig was from Hungary. This surprised me, because we have a lot of swine farming.

    By the way, your dish looks delicious. I tend to eat the meat with fries, not rice.
  • Is the work environment even ethical anymore?
    I knew you would answer with that stupid prejudice. My fault for trying to discuss with you. I wrongly thought that maybe (only maybe) there are no prejudices at all, but yes there are...
  • Is the work environment even ethical anymore?
    OK. It is true. Each country has a lot of singularities, and when I wrote 'Mediterranean countries' I was basically referring to South European countries. Thus, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece. As well as the East countries such as Albania or Bulgaria are usually named as the Balkans.

    Anyway, you posted that as a fellow EU-member, you try to learn from other European fellows. This surprised me, because I don't know to what extent my country (Spain) can teach you 'something' regarding the working or student environment. Our youth unemployment and dropping out rates are very high.
    I guess you were just thinking about other nations like Germany or France, and not a South European country precisely. :smile:
  • On ghosts and spirits
    You are a liar. The real quote is:
    You reject their possible existence because they do not have photons which are perceptible to our senses.javi2541997

    But you cropped it in the middle with the aim of showing that I was contradictory or nonsense. Our discussion is over. You are not honest.
  • On ghosts and spirits
    The experience exists.AmadeusD

    Interesting. You can't experience death consciously. Does death exist?
  • On ghosts and spirits
    You are twisting my quotes. Pretty bad. Please, read carefully what I answered to you. It is clear that I was referring to you about the non-receiver of the photons of ghosts. You cut and copy a quote which does not follow what I explained. Take it seriously, or it is enough for me to keep debating with you.
  • On ghosts and spirits
    how do ghosts, or the photons they reflect, know what you believe?flannel jesus

    How does pepper know your taste? How does light know your vision? Etc.

    Again, I think you are not trying to understand my argument because you focus on a pure scientific approach. As I already discussed with Manuel, it is not hard to believe in ghosts. They can exist in whatever we consider reality. Here is where the problem goes to. The concept of reality is different. You reject their possible existence because they do not have photons which are perceptible to our senses.

    But, what if I say that I actually saw a ghost once. You will claim that I am a liar or a stupid head, but the ghost still exists in my world and reality. Why do I have to take into account the photons at all? Why does the ghost need to exist in your world to be proven? What if I can see ghosts, but you don't? Etc.
  • On ghosts and spirits
    He's suggesting people who don't believe in ghosts can't see them,flannel jesus

    Yes, this is basically my point.

    I reject the hypothesis that you can only see x if you believe in x.flannel jesus

    But we are not debating about x or a random subject... We are debating about ghosts, and I previously said that these entities are dependent upon us. That's why I claim that, whereas I can see a ghost because I believe in it, I doubt a non-believer will make the effort to believe that there can actually be a ghost in the corridor.
  • On ghosts and spirits
    I understand your argument now.

    You basically claim that if ghosts were real, they had to be visible or perceptible by human senses.

    You are right, but you miss that humans can talk, dream, believe and hypothesise in matters non-perceptible by our senses.

    For example, we usually have dreamlike experiences. Why would you debunk this just because they are not perceptible to our cortex? And for this reason, we sadly claim they are not real, they are just hallucinatory.
    Are you sure that everything which our cortex perceives is 100 % real?
  • On ghosts and spirits
    Yes, that's what I, more or less, I mean.

    Apples can't be an example here, because these are already existing and living beings. I see an apple on the table and my mind just says, it is an apple. Thus, we have here an example of objective reality.

    But it is different when we talk about ghosts, because they are dependent upon our perspective. Let's say we saw a ghost in the corridor. I believe in them, so it will not be a surprise to me. I guess you will consider the ghost a hallucination. OK. Then, we can both confirm that at least we saw something.

    What about the ones who are not welcome to accept their existence? Would their senses allow them to see a ghost at all?
  • On ghosts and spirits
    How could you know it's not a hallucination?flannel jesus

    so I don't assume everything reported is necessarily a hallucination.Ciceronianus

    This is one of the key points of the topic. At least, the people who claim ghosts are hallucinations, they confirm that they saw or experienced something, but they think it is not real.
    Otherwise, there are people who never experience ghostly vibes because they take their non-existence for granted.
  • On ghosts and spirits
    but it is curious to see how our beliefs entangle with our perception of reality.Manuel

    Interesting.

    The existence or not of ghosts is subjective then. I wonder to what extent reality can be objective, but I am not very familiar with this field, so I don't have enough confidence to say what this happens.

    What I can conclude is the following: (sorry, if this sounds stupid, or it doesn't follow).

    (A). Ghosts exist because I believe in them.

    (B) My reality is entangled with my beliefs.

    (C) Ghosts exist in what I consider reality.

    This is why I guess the existence of a ghost depends on the observer. We don't discover a way to prove their existence in a pure objective way. Don't we?
  • On ghosts and spirits
    I believe in ghosts and spirits, even though I don't have evidence to prove their existence. It is just a belief, my belief. I think this is due to being raised by a Castilian family who are very superstitious. They are influenced by Catholic vibes and doctrines, so they fully believe that, apart from the body, there is a soul. Otherwise, they would feel devastated if they discovered there is no soul afterwards.

    Believing in ghosts allows us to keep in touch and remember our loved ones. I don't want to think about them as a spooky thing. I usually feel their vibration when I walk in the graveyard in Toledo, where most of the members of my family are buried.

    I think you explained, pretty well, Manuel. It is obvious that the ghosts of my family don't exist to you, but they do to me...
    I now wonder if the ghosts of your family exist in your beliefs or reality.
  • Beautiful Things
    No worries, mate. It is always a pleasure to share my ideas with you. :up:
  • Beautiful Things
    I want to share in this thread a painting by Lars Hertervig. It is an oil on canvas. Hertervig was a magnificent and talented artist, but he suffered from schizophrenia, and he spent most of his life in a mental sanatorium. The doctors banned him from keeping painting because it produced in him a violent sexual desire. Nonetheless, I disagree with this. The practices of old times were not as precise as we know today.

    The landscapes of Hetervig are always dreamlike. He was a boy full of melancholia, missing his parents when he was a student at Düsseldorf Arts Academy. I relate to him a lot.

    By the way, I know this artist thanks to Jon Fosse. A great writer whose work I have already discussed with @Metaphysician Undercover and @Ø implies everything, for example.

    ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fuploads8.wikiart.org%2F00387%2Fimages%2Flars-hertervig%2Fkystparti.jpg!Large.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=7ad185205c2f10c1e3f96f0ce7bfbbe101fdda077601d6cab39da4ba9015db9c&ipo=images
  • Currently Reading
    All the Names, José Saramago.javi2541997

    8/10.

    I liked the book. Above all, the writing style of Saramago. Original and interesting. The soliloquy of the main character was an endless but subtle paragraph.

    Currently reading: Art, Yasmina Reza.

    A funny and comical play about the debate between three friends on the conception of art.
  • What’s your description of Metaphysics?
    I like it, but what is your best description of Metaphysics?Rob J Kennedy

    I dived into this thread a bit late, and I respect the posts of the mates.

    I was thinking about this, and I searched on the forum to see if someone had already started a thread about this. For me, metaphysics is quixotic. I searched for the definition of the latter concept and the dictionary says: having or showing ideas that are different and unusual but not practical or likely to succeed...

    I personally think that I couldn't have defined it better. When we debate on metaphysics, the exchanges are not likely to succeed. We just discuss on a hypothetical basis. We like the idea of what metaphysics holds, but we dislike what should be the solution. We are in an infinite loop here. The metaphysics provides us a basic starting point on philosophy, but it doesn't go beyond that.

    On the other hand, I agree with some users and thinkers who see metaphysics as the 'beginning' or the discussion of the beginning itself. Yet this is all ideas, and the theory is passed by phenomenalism.
  • Is the work environment even ethical anymore?
    I like the Scandinavian input. As fellow EU-member (Netherlands), we try to learn from our fellow European countries & nations.Kevin Tan

    It will be interesting to know what you learn from the Mediterranean countries regarding this topic, or whether the gap between North and South Europe is not that great when you leave the political arena.
  • What Are You Watching Right Now?
    A beautiful dramatic show plotted in Francoist Spain. The story is about the sweet melancholy of the members of a rich family who suffer from the anxiety of a twisted past. There are other good actors and characters around who interpret the average problems of that specific era. The passional love of two lesbians and the frustration of a woman for not being respected in her job just for gender issues, etc. The scenario is Toledo. (1958)

  • Hobbies
    I honestly consider eating a hobby. :lol:
  • Migrating to England
    Yes, I know. When I was in both Dublin and Belfast, my mates and I always referred to Ireland as the whole physical island, including Ulster. But your comment surprised me precisely for this reason. I searched for 'Ballycastle' and it is part of the UK, and now I understand your comment now. But it is the first time I read a comment where it was not specified that it was a reference to the UK because the city is in North Ireland, not in the Republic of Ireland. If I were you, I would have posted: I would never move back to the UK, unless it was Northern Ireland, because it is obvious that you are referring to the UK, and not all the island.

    I don't to look like I am fussy, and this is just too interesting for me :grin: .
    In the end, you are the Irish, not me. If you think it is fine to say just Ireland, I have to accept it indeed!
  • Hobbies
    Que?Benkei

    Didn't you ever try kakis, benkei? :razz: I don't know why they are translated into English as persimmons.
  • Migrating to England
    Sorry, but I don't get your phrase due to how it is written. It seems that you refer to Ireland as part of the United Kingdom, when it is clearly not. If I said 'I would never move back to the UK, unless...' And the territories included in this kingdom are England, Scotland, Wales and NI. If I wanted to say I would never move back to Ireland, I guess I should have mentioned Ireland itself as a separate nation.
  • Migrating to England
    I understand. :up:

    Thanks javi! However it turns out that England's stance on cannabis reform is somewhat archaic and, until that changes, moving there pose us a serious problem. There are worse places to be stuck than Canada I guess....Pantagruel

    If that's the main point, yes, Canada is more lax than Europe regarding the planting, consumption, selling, etc. of Cannabis. :sweat:
  • Migrating to England
    Interesting perspective. I didn't think that it was a big city. But you are the English man here, and I must not object to anything but agree with your point.

    LewesPunshhh

    I searched for info. It seems a cute city. It has a castle, so it gives a +1 to my taste, and a brewery. A cool town to consider of, indeed. :up:
  • Migrating to England
    Hello, @Pantagruel. I was just reminded of you because I saw a documentary about Spaniards living abroad. One of them lives in Brighton. He seemed to be very happy, and he had a great experience living in England because he had previously tried to live in London and Bristol.
    Yet, he claims that Brighton is probably one of the best places to live in England. His life experience is very interesting, and I searched for more information on Brighton.
    By the way, this Spaniard works as a waitress.

    Brighton is in South Essex. I am not an expert about English sociology but according to most Britons, Brighton is the hippest city of UK. It is funny because the paper where I read this claim, says: So are the residents of the south coast resort just a bunch of hopeless hippies - or do they know something the rest of us don't? Is Brighton Britain's hippest city?

    I thought you would be interested in knowing about this city. It seems a cool place to try to live, indeed. :smile:
  • What are you listening to right now?
    Hespèrion XXI - Nana Andaluza Duerme Mi Niñapunos

    Happy to know that there are members who listen to Andalusian nanas. Hespèrion is a fantastic group, and Jordi Savall is a master. They also have interesting songs from the Balkans. :up:
  • Is the work environment even ethical anymore?
    That's not at all like where I teach at and I teach in a very rough area. Where are you at?RogueAI

    Spain.
  • Is the work environment even ethical anymore?
    There's a shortage of teachers. It's rewarding work. In some states it pays really well.RogueAI

    Here we have shortage of teachers too. Basically, most of the people don't want this job because it has a low income and the environment (as it is pointed out by the OP) is quite horrible. My generation has lost the basic sense of ethics and civism, and the classrooms are full of bullying, thugs, and stupid teenagers who think they are over of the teacher's authority.

    Honestly, I think the worst environments nowadays are high-schools and even universities.
  • Is the work environment even ethical anymore?
    I prepared myself for the worse -- fired. (at that point, I didn't care about the job anymore) Three months later, I got my review: not only I got a nice raise, but I got the best office in the suite.L'éléphant

    It is interesting how our minds always make us think of the worst. I always had similar situations where I had to face disputes, and when the meeting was over or the email sent, I felt like I had to prepare myself for the worst...

    But, in most cases, the events didn't turn out as badly as I expected at the beginning. I thought I was very negative regarding facing confrontation, but after reading your post I am not feeling alone any more.
  • What are you listening to right now?
    Thoughts? Vaporwave flamenco.

  • Migrating to England
    Why not a Scandinavian country instead?Christoffer

    I thought about Sweden when I read the OP (and Baños de la Encina, of course) because of the socialist sentiment or the idea of removing class-like societies and having both public services and education accessible for everyone. Sweden has always been a role model in this area, but I don't know if they are on the same path. The current government is Conservative, and (correct me someone if I am wrong here) they are facing a big issue regarding illegal immigration.
    As well as The Netherlands...
  • Migrating to England
    Are you from Banos de la Encina?Pantagruel

    No. I am from Madrid, but that's the municipality with the most sense of socialism in Spain.

    Well, I don't want to speak about my country because this thread is about England. I think Liverpool or Manchester could be good options. It will be interesting to know what our Manc mate, @Sir2u, thinks about Manchester (or what he reminds about this city).



    Interesting views and opinions, mates. I wonder now if it is a matter of the county or the neighborhood you live in. I searched for more info on Norfolk and the internet says that the largest city is Norwich. I guess there are different neighborhoods inside Norwich, and they differ on the concept of 'class'. For example, Here in Madrid, the middle-class doesn't live in the center, we all live do the outskirts. I don't really know if you are referring to this and whether @Pantagruel is looking for it.

    By the way, the constituencies of Norfolk are Conservative. The Labour Party no longer held the urban constituencies they once held in Norwich North and Great Yarmouth, leaving them with no MP's. Norfolk
    I don't know if this is a paradox or a contradiction. :chin:
  • Migrating to England
    I like your attitude! I wish you the best. Suffolk seems to be a good place to begin a new chapter in your life. Good luck!