[invisyblninja]

I have this strange feeling that these fourms are getting a little dull. Where are your soapboxes people? What ever happened to real discussion? No more bickering and jabbering! How about some real discussion!

Some of the people post things about "religion." But, I ask you, is that a "real" topic? I find that religion is more or less just something to pass the time. How about we start talking about where we come from, or what are we here for, and maybe even why are we here? I am not one to throw out a sordid comment, but, I am so incredibly bored with some of the comments on this fourm! "What kind of monitor do you use?" Who cares (even though I did reply - I was bored)!!!

Thank you for reading my post. I hope to receive hell for this one! LOL!

Russ Berridge

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"You must die... I alone am best!!!"

[Nex]

am I on air already? yes? ok!

I guess everyone has his own definition on what makes up a "real" topic.

The "real" topics that you suggested..

where do we come from?

1) -enter city / state / country -

or
2) the sea (evolution...).

what are we here for, why are we here? "see religion"

so I don't see anything new there.

but we can discuss about what to discuss after all

[invisyblninja]

Nex,
I think you are just being an ASS! I say that in all good humor though. I am but an electronic voice in this forum... I am not calling you an ass to get you mad.
So do not think that. Thank you for the smart comments... I guess I kinda deserved that one.

I am just really bored with the topics on this forum! That is all.



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[Nex]

I really LIKE being an ass- is there any feeling thats close to being an ass?

[Jess]

Um no comment on that one Nex, not gonna go there.

I also feel the same way. I don't frequent the forum as much because it has been kind of dull lately.

*starts her speach*

I am from the United States Of America where red blooded Americans (and even people who just live here but who are not citizens) like to run around stereo typing each other and shooting each other over it. Also we live in our cars, eat straight cholesterol for breakfast, pick on foreiners, and ostrosize anybody who is different. We rebell on a leash, and pretend to be pollitcly correct. Mold young girls into believing they are supposed to look a certain way and if they don't, then there's something wrong with them.

Umm nevermind, just venting... cuz I'm mad.

I'm not bitter or anything.

[invisyblninja]

I am not getting quite the response I was looking for... except from Jess =]!!! Thanks to those that are responding!

I agree with you Jess, even though I am male, I feel that the young girls of today are bombarded with images that are only going to hurt them later on in life. I think that something needs to be done. I have a perfect example of this "image" overdosing.
I live in Sacramento Ca., a local radio station is running a "more or less breast contest!!!" Basically it is a contest to either have your breasts enlarged (if they are too small - which is bullshit) or have your breasts reducted (if they are too large - this makes sense, after all sometimes health problems can occur when a womens breasts are too large)!
I am against this contest 100%!!!

I have spoken!!!

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"You must die... I alone am best!!!"

[theresa]

ahh empire records.
neat movie.

[J.Hiller]

uurrggghh!


I come from Mars, women come from Venus.
??
Read that somewhere...

[Count Zero]

OK, answer me this, smart-guy(s and gals):
What defines us as human beings? What separates us from the rest of the creatures on this planet, if anything?

Biology, society, the "soul", psychology, our image of "self" or what?
Had an interesting discussion about this in English class a while ago.
Let's see if someone can come up with something new...

My personal take is something of a mix of the above. We, as humans, have a knowledge of "self" and (unlike for example beavers) we KNOW that we are human... Other animals on this planet just ARE, they don't contemplate it further, imho.
Also interestingly enough, humans are also defined by a cute and fluffy characteristic of self-destruction. People hurt and kill themselves, no animals (to my knowledge) do this.

This thread becoming a real conversation is up to the people who decide to post replies, no one else... So think about it.

Ach, me ramble.

PS. "religion is more or less just something to pass the time." Umm, religion is the single most motivating force on this planet. Just look at history: how many wars and assorted genocides has religion caused on this planet? That's about as far from "just something to pass the time" as I can think up of.

PPS. If I've managed to insult anyone (again), I apologize. I'm Finnish. We tend to be blunt and to the point.
"Blame society, blame TV, blame your parents, but don't blame yourself..."

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[Lange_Pisang]

>JH,

actually, I come from YerAnus (Uranus)
(uh-huh)

Yep, it's me agian with the stupid typically young horny teenager replies...sorry 'bout that!...

I have medicines for that, so no worries guyz...

[Nex]

>Count Zero:

What is the difference between humans and animals?

I my opinion the difference is not that big as we might think sometimes.

Pro:

.) Humans have the most highly developed brains on earth. (at least as far as we know)

.) Humans are technologically most advanced.

.) Humans depend on their brains to solve problems mostly (Phenotype). Animals use their skills (Genotyoe) and natural powers mostly.

Contra:

.) Humans use tools, animals not.
FALSE: ant bears, monkeys.. they all use tools

.) Humans are the only species that kill their own members.
FALSE: Wolves for instance kill each other too if necessary, monkeys make "raids" on other monkeys and kill each other.

.) Humans know that they "ARE".
I'm not sure but sometimes when I look into an animals eyes I am not so sure we are the only ones that know they exist.

So its very hard to say why we are so different from animals or If we really are so different.

One big diffence may be that no other animal has this big desctructive potential that humans have.. and this willingness to use it.

I would like to reply to jess too ,maybe we make a new thread for this?



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- Nex

http://www.geocities.com/nexxus00/

[Mr Weasel]

Where is this conversation heading too, anyway ? We're in the same room but some are talking different topics.

[Jess]

I went to the zoo a couple months ago. There was a silver back gorilla in a plexi-glass cage. No trees. Just cinder blocks. On the other side of the plexi-glass, "people" were banging on the window, hollaring and laughing, trying to irratate the gorrilla so that it would throw itself at the window some more. The gorilla was very upset, pacing its cell, trying to scare them away so they would leave him alone.

I went in there and saw this monstrausity with my own two eyes, and I almost cried. I was so terribly upset. My boyfriend yelled at them and said WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! YOU ARE THE ONES WHO BELONG IN THE CAGE! The zoo people even walked through and saw what was going on and did nothing.

There is nothing that seperates us from the animals, except that we are more savage. Go out into the world on your own and you will see how it is. We live in a concrete jungle. I would rather live in a rain forest with the gorillas.

[Nex]

I had a very similar experience to yours Jess:

I went with my girlfriend to the zoo and in a cage there were orang utans. One of them was sitting in a corner, many spectators staring at him and trying to make him move. He looked around from time to time, and when I saw into his eyes I thought that this creature there knows pretty well whats going on and what is done to it. Those eyes were looking intelligent.

Later I tried to understand what was the big difference between us and him, that gave us the right to keep him locked in a small cage... I don't know yet, but I sometimes think that someone else should be in that cage and not that orang utan.

[J.Hiller]

Sean Connery played in a movie that was very much like this subject you are wanting to show us. The movie is called something Instint I believe.. very new.. He is a scientist and ends up living in the jungle with the gorillas.. cant tell the rest, you should watch, very intreging

[Count Zero]

It's Anthony Hopkins, not Sean Connery.

No one seemed to pay attention to the self-destruction thing?
Animals don't:
-kill themselves
-doubt their sanity
-have identity crises
-alter their environment to fit their needs (well, beavers are the exception, but even they don't do it in the scale we humans do)
-don't "torture" other animals. (A cat doesn't play with a mouse out of pure malice and enjoyment of pain and misery. Animals aren't sadists or masochists.)


Sure, animals are smart, but to personalize them any further is folly. Interestingly enough, all the "zoo" examples deal with simians, our closest relatives... All these "emotional" problems theses orangutans and gorillas felt were all triggered by external factors, ie. them being in a strange environment with people yelling and annoying them... People have issues that arise form the "inside", even in our natural environment.
To clear this up an example:
A chimpanzee, when in its natural environment, will never get depressed and turn lethargic or unusually eccentric. Not without an external influence at least...
A human on the other hand, whether in an urban or rural surrounding, will most probably feel depressed at one point or another in their life... This will presumably come from "within".
Now we could of course argue on the basis of social psychology/biology. An ape community lives on a simpler rule of hierarchy than humans-
ahh, fuck this! I'm arguing with myself.


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[invisyblninja]

I am glad that my post getting replies... LOL!

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"You must die... I alone am best!!!"

[Nex]

In my opinion emotional problems are always dependant on the presence or absence of external factors. That we humans get depressed has a huge number of reasons, the biggest of them is our lifestyle. Most suicides and cases of depression happen in big cities. Its the crowdedness and hectic of our citylife (and the media) that causes depressions in some people. Most natives don't know that problem the way we do.

.. oops I think i drifted off the theme a bit.

[Count Zero]

Interesting point you brought up Nex...
We humans are very stupid in a sense; we mold the environment and our habitat into huge sprawling cities, out of our own free will, and we just forget to adapt ourselves.
Simple darwinism: a species has to adapt to the changing environment, or extinction is only a matter of time. Humans adapt the environment, and then forget to adjust properly to the newly-created surroundings. Might this be the first steps to man's extinction?

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[invisyblninja]

If anyone is interested... Read a book called "Demonic Males." The book studies human behavior, mostly males, and links it with the apes. It is highly recommended for anyone into anthropology. It is a good read.


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"You must die... I alone am best!!!"