So you are telling me I am part of the status Quo, the average dude, a regular joe, a member of the proletariat.
Good God! what has become of me?
That's worse than getting a red rep.
(And here was me thinking of you as a kindred spirit.)
(can you change font size?)
Maybe we do still have something in common.
Atheism and Religion are but two sides of the same coin.
One prefers to use its head, while the other relies on tales.
Happiness is much overrated and frequently misunderstood. I blame the Americans. In the Declaration of Independence Jefferson et al used the phrase "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" in the context of basic human rights. A truly revolutionary idea 200 years ago, but taken for granted today. Unfortunately the right to the "pursuit of happiness" has become confused with some putative "right to happiness", which is an entirely different matter, and is the cause of many current social ills. The culture of dependence, the demand for an instant fix and similar attitudes can be traced to the fuzzy idea that it is everyone's right to be happy (i.e. gratified) no matter what his or her circumstances, or the accidents of fate. Since rights are something external to ourselves, sanctioned by some authority (the state, God), the responsibility for gratification, and therefore what we consider to be happiness, is shifted away from ourselves and onto external factors.
Little Johnny is quite right to think that being happy is more important than fame or wealth or other personal ambitions, but unless he understands that the world owes him only the right to pursue happiness, and cannot provide happiness like some sort of social benefit, he will end up, like too many today, frustrated and bewildered and bitter when it doesn't get delivered.
Age is too high a price to pay for maturity
Ying tong ying tong, iddy i po! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nebe1zuEtbc
"I like to ride anyplace, anywhere, any time, any way!"![]()
Atheism and Religion are but two sides of the same coin.
One prefers to use its head, while the other relies on tales.
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1966 ford thunderbird landau Q code - Acadiana Region Classic cars ...
20 Oct 2009 ... 66 ford thunderbird 428 big block. this car has all possible options. pictures speak for them self.
acadiana.kijiji.com/.../1966-ford-thunderbird-landau-q-code/?... - United States - Cached
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1966 Ford Thunderbird Specifications
ENGINE CODE/DESCRIPTION Q Thunderbird 428 V-8. Bore & stroke: 4.13" x 3.98" Comp. ratio: 10.5:1. Horsepower: 345 at 4600 RPM Maximum Torque 462 at 2800 RPM ...
automotivemileposts.com/tbird1966specifications.html - United States - Cached - Similar
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Thunderbird 428 Q-Code Coupe Parting 2nd 428cpe For Sale
1966 Ford Thunderbird Q-Code Factory original 428 cu.in. engine. Low mileage, complete original car for restoration or tinker with it and use as a driver. ...![]()
Winding up drongos, foil hat wearers and over sensitive KBers for over 14,000 posts...........![]()
" Life is not a rehearsal, it's as happy or miserable as you want to make it"
Agreed Q is an engine code but if you look at the second line of the data plate you will see the third letter is for the trim.
See here:http://www.tbird.org/DataPlate/vdata.htm
Atheism and Religion are but two sides of the same coin.
One prefers to use its head, while the other relies on tales.
Ah, but the Q code engine is the sought-after item, - more so than the Q code trim, hence why it sat in my mind. (sadly my 'bird is a Z code - but an E trim on the plate or 21 trim on the build sheet (I have it) which is Silver Mink Vinyl)
Anyhoo, back on topic before we arouse the ire of a mod....
Winding up drongos, foil hat wearers and over sensitive KBers for over 14,000 posts...........![]()
" Life is not a rehearsal, it's as happy or miserable as you want to make it"
Silver mink trim. Woohoo.
So I guess you really are a Scumdog Millionaire.
Atheism and Religion are but two sides of the same coin.
One prefers to use its head, while the other relies on tales.
Little Johnny has all your reservations covered.
He does not simply want the right to pursue happiness - he wants to be happy.
Rights may be external to ourselves. How they may be conferred upon us by an imaginary figure quite escapes me. Oh! no it doesn't... I remember now. It is to do with power. In this case it would be referred power conferred upon the authority (imaginary friend) by Johnny himself. Who else could confer this power other than Johnny? Answer nobody. And so the right to happiness is, like happiness and heaven, in one's mind.
As Epicurus stated Happiness = friends, freedom and an analysed life.
His statement no doubt encapsulated the idea that goals, personal ambition, wealth, fame or whatever it is that will give him pleasure, will be achieved and thus result in his happiness.
The role of the State and its future citizens is not so much to provide that happiness as it is to ensure that it does not prevent the members of society from achieving happiness.
Atheism and Religion are but two sides of the same coin.
One prefers to use its head, while the other relies on tales.
Oh nothing wrong with wanting to be happy. I'm sure every human being wants that blissful state. What bothers me is we don't have any considered discussions about what "happy" actually means, and how each of us might get there. Who's responsibility is it? Our parents? Co-workers? Friends, family? The government? Ourselves? How could a powerless child learn to make themselves happy when they have no control of their lives?
There is an absolute paucity of philosopical debate in our schools which I think is a great pity. Our children need to be exposed to deeper ideas and jolted out of learned attitudes and simplistic answers.
Bah humbug.
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