Are you sure you want to link to salon?

[asunshin]

I noticed on this mornings SOTT Focus there was a quote and link to salon dot com. This is just my opinion, I'm not saying others should have my opinion, but that site is awful! even disinformative. Whether its articles fanning the flames of pointless ponerology-sponsored debates like evolution vs. religion, men vs. women, "liberal" vs. "conservative", or regurgitating AP News Reuters nonnews like "scientists find that eating lime jell-o reduces cancer!" and middle east-news which is manufactured by zionists, that site is just bad news, no pun intended.

 

[Laura]

I'm not sure what link you are talking about, but we gather news and commentary from all over the web, mainly from mainstream sources. The reason is because they DO tell the truth some of the time - maybe even a lot of the time - it is just "spun" and we try to unspin it. We even carry items from Fox if we find one that reveals the "man behind the curtain" or there is something there of great interest that no one else is carrying.

Finally, we consider it polite, when carrying a news item, to link back to the original.

 

[Rick]

I think if we applied the same criteria to every news site there would be nothing to post. The trick is to find the little nuggets amongst the flotsam and amplify them, to totally mangle an analogy.

 

[Mr. Premise]

Hi Asunshin,

I think you are referring to a quote I put up. I agree with you about Salon pretty much, but now and then there are good nuggets.

Here is the quote from Cary Tennis:

I was a very naive young man when I left school in my early 20s. The first thing I noticed when I began working was that the workplace was profoundly undemocratic. If I hadn't been so naive perhaps it would not have shocked me, but it did shock me, for I realized that people outside of the academic world spend nearly all their productive time working, and if they are not working in a democratic setting then they are not practicing democracy in the most important arena of their lives, and so, for all practical purposes, they are not living in a democracy. They are living under authoritarian rule. They vote about large issues outside of the workplace, true, but in their daily lives they have no vote. They have no vote over who will lead them in the office or what the rules will be under which they labor.

The people who actually rule their daily lives are called "bosses." True, one is free to quit. But wherever one goes, there is another boss who is not elected and who is not subject to the will of those he or she rules over.

Yes, yes, I was naive. But this is how I experienced work -- as a shocking example of authoritarianism.

I also found that work was really tiring, and that people after work did not have the energy to work on their projects. This too shocked me. Whatever art or writing or sports they might be doing, they let these things go, because they were tired. So I saw a nation of people whose energies were being wasted.

This sounds sillier and more naive all the time. And yet it was my experience.
So I thought, not me, that will not happen to me. I will work but I will not allow it to tire me out. I will write, and make music and live my life, even though I am working in an authoritarian organization in the daytime.

But I did not have the strength and endurance to do so. I lost the battle. I took refuge in addiction, so shameful was my failure to be an artist in America and also a worker in America.

So I do harbor a good bit of rage against the system. I think that many of us live terrible lives in the workplaces and offices of America -- terrible lives because we do not rule over our own conditions, we do not elect our own workplace leaders, we do not decide our own workplace issues, and we do not do the work that is most suitable to us, the work at which we would be most brilliant and productive.

Instead, we live like slaves.

I know that may sound crazy and naive, but it is how I feel. I feel that far too many of us live like slaves, and I do not understand why that should be so in a country in which we are supposed to be free to govern ourselves. It seems to me that if we are to govern ourselves we should govern the conditions under which we labor for survival.

I thought it was a good point and very well written. You have to wade through piles of dreck in the Mainstream Media to find nuggets, but when they are there might as well pass them along, I think.

 

[GRiM]

I clicked the link to salon and read the question that was removed from the DonaldJHunt´s article. So I for one thought it was a good idea to keep the link.

 

[asunshin]

Hmm, on second thought perhaps I overreacted. Before I thought of it as being like linking to the amazing randi's website or something, but I suppose that's a whole different level.

 

[mattersnot]

Hi Asunshin,

I think you are referring to a quote I put up. I agree with you about Salon pretty much, but now and then there are good nuggets.

Here is the quote from Cary Tennis:

I was a very naive young man when I left school in my early 20s. The first thing I noticed when I began working was that the workplace was profoundly undemocratic. If I hadn't been so naive perhaps it would not have shocked me, but it did shock me, for I realized that people outside of the academic world spend nearly all their productive time working, and if they are not working in a democratic setting then they are not practicing democracy in the most important arena of their lives, and so, for all practical purposes, they are not living in a democracy. They are living under authoritarian rule. They vote about large issues outside of the workplace, true, but in their daily lives they have no vote. They have no vote over who will lead them in the office or what the rules will be under which they labor.

The people who actually rule their daily lives are called "bosses." True, one is free to quit. But wherever one goes, there is another boss who is not elected and who is not subject to the will of those he or she rules over.

Yes, yes, I was naive. But this is how I experienced work -- as a shocking example of authoritarianism.

I also found that work was really tiring, and that people after work did not have the energy to work on their projects. This too shocked me. Whatever art or writing or sports they might be doing, they let these things go, because they were tired. So I saw a nation of people whose energies were being wasted.

This sounds sillier and more naive all the time. And yet it was my experience.
So I thought, not me, that will not happen to me. I will work but I will not allow it to tire me out. I will write, and make music and live my life, even though I am working in an authoritarian organization in the daytime.

But I did not have the strength and endurance to do so. I lost the battle. I took refuge in addiction, so shameful was my failure to be an artist in America and also a worker in America.

So I do harbor a good bit of rage against the system. I think that many of us live terrible lives in the workplaces and offices of America -- terrible lives because we do not rule over our own conditions, we do not elect our own workplace leaders, we do not decide our own workplace issues, and we do not do the work that is most suitable to us, the work at which we would be most brilliant and productive.

Instead, we live like slaves.

I know that may sound crazy and naive, but it is how I feel. I feel that far too many of us live like slaves, and I do not understand why that should be so in a country in which we are supposed to be free to govern ourselves. It seems to me that if we are to govern ourselves we should govern the conditions under which we labor for survival.

I thought it was a good point and very well written. You have to wade through piles of dreck in the Mainstream Media to find nuggets, but when they are there might as well pass them along, I think.

So what? Start your own business and be your own boss/dictator etc. A choice you didn't have until rather recently.

If you look at many of my previous posts you will find that they were rather skeptical of the
views here. I will not trust the government but that doesn't mean I will automatically trust
what people on this (or any other) site write either.

This article was the straw that broke the camel's back. It really was.
For all the terrible crap that is happening to us, you must admit that our ancestors probably had it much worse.

The way I see it, there has always been a ruling class. In the past that was just accepted. Today, the ruling class has to come up with various games and excuses to hold on to their power/money etc. If anything we have made
some strides forward, historically speaking.

Most of the people on sites like these wind up focusing all their energy on trying to find lies and deceptions as opposed to living their lives. It is really depressing. Nobody ever comes out to give a full and complete answer as to who is pulling the strings (yeah yeah I know...the Bilderbergers did that and the knights templar that and the free masons picked their noses)

One of the first questions I ever asked on these boards concerned taking steps towards an answer.
What could one do to improve things? Most of the answers revolved around not watching TV.

I say the answer revolves around being smart, innovative and understanding the rules of the game. It is a game.
Ok so we are lab rats. The maze does have an exit though. Find that exit instead of constantly crying, whining and trying to create nirvana for the 9+ billion people this planet will soon have.

I will get bruised and I will get cut but I will fight and try to make something of myself. I realize the chances are not in my favor and I realize the "system" has been purposely stacked against me but nonetheless I will try.

While I am certain a slew of posts will follow applauding my departure, please realize that the feeling is mutual.

 

[domi]

One of the first questions I ever asked on these boards concerned taking steps towards an answer.
What could one do to improve things? Most of the answers revolved around not watching TV.

Ah yes, a topic you started on 1/30/07 and abandoned on 1/31/07.
Your contribution here is a whole whopping 14 posts.
Stop being so hypocritical.

One more thing: playing the pity card won't work here.

 

[anart]

So what? Start your own business and be your own boss/dictator etc. A choice you didn't have until rather recently.

If you look at many of my previous posts you will find that they were rather skeptical of the
views here. I will not trust the government but that doesn't mean I will automatically trust
what people on this (or any other) site write either.

What are you talking about? No one - at any time -in any way - ever suggested that anyone 'automatically trust' what is written here. You have no idea what you are talking about.

This article was the straw that broke the camel's back. It really was.
For all the terrible crap that is happening to us, you must admit that our ancestors probably had it much worse.

I admit no such thing. Why would they have had it worse? Are you familiar at all with the concepts on which this forum is based? Do you think that just because we have shinier toys in our cages that we have it better than 'our ancestors'. You are sleeping.

The way I see it, there has always been a ruling class. In the past that was just accepted. Today, the ruling class has to come up with various games and excuses to hold on to their power/money etc. If anything we have made
some strides forward, historically speaking.

Could you provide just one example of these strides we've made? One objective example. You are sleeping.

Most of the people on sites like these wind up focusing all their energy on trying to find lies and deceptions as opposed to living their lives. It is really depressing. Nobody ever comes out to give a full and complete answer as to who is pulling the strings (yeah yeah I know...the Bilderbergers did that and the knights templar that and the free masons picked their noses)

Again, either you have not read much, if anything, of what is available on this site and it's associated web sites, or you have and are simply incapable of grokking it. You are sleeping - you are not living your life - the matrix has you - you have no idea what you are talking about - am I getting through to you yet?

One of the first questions I ever asked on these boards concerned taking steps towards an answer.
What could one do to improve things? Most of the answers revolved around not watching TV.

You have no idea what you are talking about. Is it really that difficult to read - to spend time and effort reading the material freely offered on these sites to find the answers? Is it really that hard to do, that you honestly expect it to be handed to you on a plate - in the style you demand, looking exactly how you want it to look? Come on - it can't really be that hard...

I say the answer revolves around being smart, innovative and understanding the rules of the game. It is a game.
Ok so we are lab rats. The maze does have an exit though. Find that exit instead of constantly crying, whining and trying to create nirvana for the 9+ billion people this planet will soon have.

I have no idea who you're talking to at this point, but it's not the members of this forum. You really need to do some reading, if simply to stop embarrassing yourself.

I will get bruised and I will get cut but I will fight and try to make something of myself. I realize the chances are not in my favor and I realize the "system" has been purposely stacked against me but nonetheless I will try.

And you will die, tilting at windmills - all the while convinced you are 'really living your life' - really 'making a difference' and all the while, you are dreaming - nothing more than dreaming - nothing. If you had spent any time and effort reading the freely available material on this site, you would understand exactly what I mean by this - my guess is that you do not.

While I am certain a slew of posts will follow applauding my departure, please realize that the feeling is mutual.

Sincere apologies on this one, but your departure 'matters not'. You are clearly very frustrated and even angry - consider for a moment that you are directing that anger in a wholly illogical and inappropriate direction. Consider, for a moment, that the answers you are so desperately seeking are right in front of you, but you're too lazy to see them, much less to work for them.

Your departure is neither unusual, nor extraordinary - it is just what machines do - enjoy the tilting at windmills, and if you actually want to learn how to find the exit from the maze, you know where the information is to do so.

 

[ScioAgapeOmnis]

One of the first questions I ever asked on these boards concerned taking steps towards an answer.

So in your understanding, the SOTT website does not constitute "taking steps"? Constantly researching and spreading the truth about how this world works is not important? What other steps could you possibly have in mind?

I say the answer revolves around being smart, innovative and understanding the rules of the game. It is a game.
Ok so we are lab rats. The maze does have an exit though. Find that exit instead of constantly crying, whining and trying to create nirvana for the 9+ billion people this planet will soon have.

We found the exit, the exit from ignorance and sleep is to seek knowledge and wake up. Now we're helping those looking for it do the same. Who is crying or whining or trying to create a nirvana for anybody? None of that is anywhere close to what this website or forum does or is about. Apparently you simply don't get it. Perhaps your comment about the 9+ billion people is also a clue to your lack of empathy/concern for humanity itself? Perhaps you'd rather find this "exit" and literally sneak out and let everyone else burn?

While I am certain a slew of posts will follow applauding my departure, please realize that the feeling is mutual.

"Feelings" are an interesting thing. You can "feel" attacked, or terrorized, or hopeless, or lonely, or wronged or any number of things. What is amazing is how often our feelings are a result of our subjective and illusory understandings of reality. So, regardless of what you or anybody else "feels" and how mutual that feeling may or may not be, it would behoove you to realize that just because something "feels" a certain way, does not mean the feeling is based on reality. If you feel we're just crying and whining and trying to spread nirvana, and you're better off finding a "real" solution elsewhere since we're just twiddling our thumbs here, then I bid you adieu. Of course that feeling is based in objective reality, because it is your feeling, and *you* would never cry or whine, and you'd never miss a solution if it was right in front of you. You'd never mislabel a real solution as "whining", no, you'll certainly know it when you see it. Good luck with that :)

 

[mudrabbit]

Dear Mattersnot,

It's abundantly clear that you have not read The Wave or any of the associated works that Laura has SO kindly given to us for free. Not once has she charged for a THING, and not once has she asked anyone to do anything that goes against their own grain.

Many of us have spent several years (that's right, years) reading all the information that is available. Is what you want for those who've given their energy to study to just write it down in their notebook and hand it to you? Quite frankly, I don't know of one person here who has that kind of time just for you. Laura has done exactly that, and more, yet you seem to want us to just give you short, understandable answers. It doesn't work that way, because simple answers aren't what they seem until you read the back up material. And that would take any one of us a very long time to explain...again, what Laura has ALREADY put out there for YOU to read.

So if you're going to get upset because no one is playing your game, then you have a decision to make. So sad that when someone doesn't get what they want (without the work), that they take it out on the people here, simply because it's not handed to them.

The C's told us clearly, there are no shortcuts, there are no free lunches.
It's there.... read it.

Peg

 

[Mr. Premise]

And how do you know this?

The way I see it, there has always been a ruling class.

 

[Renaissance]

This article was the straw that broke the camel's back. It really was.

It's rather odd that you'd dig up this 'straw' a month after the fact. Almost as odd as all the twisted logic and misplaced negative emotions in your post.

I mean, I would think that for you to have drummed up all this frustration and anger or whatever towards this site, then you would at least have had a basic understanding of the principals, types of efforts made in this work, and its results. But you show that you don't have a clue. Which makes me wonder if your intention is really to find any answers at all. (actually, after rereading mattersnot's initial thread, I think he probably does have a clue but is just looking to drag out this distraction as far as he can)

One of the first questions I ever asked on these boards concerned taking steps towards an answer.
What could one do to improve things? Most of the answers revolved around not watching TV.

It is a lie that most of the answers revolved around not watching TV. Not one person told you that you could improve things by not watching tv. There was one reference to the sleeping masses being too engaged with American Idol to care about things, but other than that vague reference no mention of TV at all.

It was a pretty good review to go back and read that first thread you started. Everything everybody suggested to you is being suggested again. It's like a time-loop. Hopefully we're learning from it.

I will get bruised and I will get cut but I will fight and try to make something of myself. I realize the chances are not in my favor and I realize the "system" has been purposely stacked against me but nonetheless I will try.

I wonder if you will. You seem much more comfortable wallowing in superficial and projected illusions of others (if it is even real, which I am starting to doubt).

 

[Azur]

Mattersnot has defaulted on choice with an automatic, ego driven protection mechanism overriding what he/she might have mistaken for conscious thought.

[post edit: Noticing that there is a game afoot is an important step, but to willfully think that it must be played is where loss of conscious thought occurs.]

He/She has gone back into the jungle, but knows, at least, of the cared-for garden in it's midst, and that it exists.

It's about all you can hope for, sometimes.