The Little Thread Which Grew - the Apollo '73 to Everything But

[RogerB]

Yes, this is true.

Mostly because there is very little "market" for them. It's a matter of "suppy vs. demand". Women don't actually value men much. They prefer the sort about whom they can complain to their friends and thus elicit sympathy for themselves.

For a woman a man is only an accessory item.


Mark A. Baker

?????


Where the hell does this sort of thinking come from, Mark?

Or are you just taunting the ladies?

In the circles I have moved in, I've seen women very much honor and appreciate a decent male partner.

The truth is, one gets what one puts out, emanates and creates to others.

If you put out honor and appreciation, it's what you get as a return flow. If you put out disrespect and negatives it's what you're creating the game to be, and it's what you'll get back.

It's rather that simple.

If, of course, you're dull enough to stick around with another who is incapable of duplicating and returning the positives, then you deserve what you allow . . . . but basically, we are not so effect of the game that we cannot create it to be as we want it to be.

Rog

 

[Mark A. Baker]

?????


Where the hell does this sort of thinking come from, Mark?

Or are you just taunting the ladies?

Moi?


Mark A. Baker

 

[FoTi]

Yes, this is true.

Mostly because there is very little "market" for them. It's a matter of "suppy vs. demand". Women don't actually value men much. They prefer the sort about whom they can complain to their friends and thus elicit sympathy for themselves.

For a woman a man is only an accessory item.


Mark A. Baker

Okay, Mr Cynical. I guess you're right in a way because I wouldn't value a man who thinks that "for a woman a man is only an accessory item", nor do I "prefer the sort about whom they can complain to their friends and thus elicit sympathy for themselves". From what you say it sounds like you just might be that "sort", that you think women prefer. It also appears that you have a very low opinion of women. I don't think you know much about women.

Wrong as usual.

You really should be careful about leaping to conclusions.


Mark A. Baker

My conclusion is that any prick who thinks like this would not be worth having around .... even...... as you call it......as "an accessory item".

 

[Mark A. Baker]

My conclusion is that any prick who thinks like this would not be worth having around .... even...... as you call it......as "an accessory item".

Hamlet, III, ii, 242.


Mark A. Baker

 

[EP - Ethics Particle]

I saw it too.

?????


Where the hell does this sort of thinking come from, Mark?

Or are you just taunting the ladies?

In the circles I have moved in, I've seen women very much honor and appreciate a decent male partner.

The truth is, one gets what one puts out, emanates and creates to others.

If you put out honor and appreciation, it's what you get as a return flow. If you put out disrespect and negatives it's what you're creating the game to be, and it's what you'll get back.

It's rather that simple.

If, of course, you're dull enough to stick around with another who is incapable of duplicating and returning the positives, then you deserve what you allow . . . . but basically, we are not so effect of the game that we cannot create it to be as we want it to be.

Rog

Moi?


Mark A. Baker

I came to the uncertain conclusion that Mark and FoTi; two of my favorite sane (in my opinion), reasonable and thoughtful folks here were just "toppin' cotton" to use the southern vernacular. :confused2:

So, hoping to be understood, helpful and instructive; here is a paragraph (expanded for easier reading) from my favorite RLS's TOI - about which I would very much like to have Mark's comments and critique.

"I should even more admire "the lifelong and heroic literary labours" of my fellow-men, patiently clearing up in words their loves and their contentions, and speaking their autobiography daily to their wives, were it not for a circumstance which lessens their difficulty and my admiration by equal parts.

For life, though largely, is not entirely carried on by literature.

We are subject to physical passions and contortions; the voice breaks and changes, and speaks by unconscious and winning inflections; we have legible countenances, like an open book; things that cannot be said look eloquently through the eyes; and the soul, not locked into the body as a dungeon, dwells ever on the threshold with appealing signals.

Groans and tears, looks and gestures, a flush or a paleness, are often the most clear reporters of the heart, and speak more directly to the hearts of others.

The message flies by these interpreters in the least space of time, and the misunderstanding is averted in the moment of its birth.

To explain in words takes time and a just and patient hearing; and in the critical epochs of a close relation, patience and justice are not qualities on which we can rely.

But the look or the gesture explains things in a breath; they tell their message without ambiguity; unlike speech, they cannot stumble, by the way, on a reproach or an allusion that should steel your friend against the truth; and then they have a higher authority, for they are the direct expression of the heart, not yet transmitted through the unfaithful and sophisticating brain.

Not long ago I wrote a letter to a friend which came near involving us in quarrel; but we met, and in personal talk I repeated the worst of what I had written, and added worse to that; and with the commentary of the body it seemed not unfriendly either to hear or say."

Mike, EP

 

[Terril park]

Hamlet, III, ii, 242.


Mark A. Baker

Guess he refers to this line.

"The lady doth [does] protest too much, me-thinks [I think]"

Best I know he's on the market for good girls or bad.

 

[Mark A. Baker]

I came to the uncertain conclusion that Mark and FoTi; two of my favorite sane (in my opinion), reasonable and thoughtful folks

Don't know about sane but thanks for the complement.

here were just "toppin' cotton" to use the southern vernacular. :confused2:

Ooooh! Good one! Hadn't heard "toppin' cotton" in years.

So, hoping to be understood, helpful and instructive; here is a paragraph (expanded for easier reading) from my favorite RLS's TOI - about which I would very much like to have Mark's comments and critique.

TOI?

"I should even more admire "the lifelong and heroic literary labours" of my fellow-men, patiently clearing up in words their loves and their contentions, and speaking their autobiography daily to their wives, were it not for a circumstance which lessens their difficulty and my admiration by equal parts.

For life, though largely, is not entirely carried on by literature.

We are subject to physical passions and contortions; the voice breaks and changes, and speaks by unconscious and winning inflections; we have legible countenances, like an open book; things that cannot be said look eloquently through the eyes; and the soul, not locked into the body as a dungeon, dwells ever on the threshold with appealing signals.

Groans and tears, looks and gestures, a flush or a paleness, are often the most clear reporters of the heart, and speak more directly to the hearts of others.

The message flies by these interpreters in the least space of time, and the misunderstanding is averted in the moment of its birth.

To explain in words takes time and a just and patient hearing; and in the critical epochs of a close relation, patience and justice are not qualities on which we can rely.

But the look or the gesture explains things in a breath; they tell their message without ambiguity; unlike speech, they cannot stumble, by the way, on a reproach or an allusion that should steel your friend against the truth; and then they have a higher authority, for they are the direct expression of the heart, not yet transmitted through the unfaithful and sophisticating brain.

Not long ago I wrote a letter to a friend which came near involving us in quarrel; but we met, and in personal talk I repeated the worst of what I had written, and added worse to that; and with the commentary of the body it seemed not unfriendly either to hear or say."

Mike, EP

A beautifully stated commentary by a master of english prose on the ease with which the written word can be readily mistaken in contrast to the facility which direct communication can possess in resolving a possible misunderstanding.

Although personally I have always liked "The Swing" best of his works. Call me a sentimentalist.


Mark A. Baker

 

[Mark A. Baker]

Guess he refers to this line.

"The lady doth [does] protest too much, me-thinks [I think]"

Best I know he's on the market for good girls or bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PujvRmxvtao


Mark A. Baker

 

[FoTi]

What's toppin cotton?

 

[EP - Ethics Particle]

Getting started... the hardest part.

I have been asked to tell some stories, and I always did find it hard to say "no" to anyone - and especially people I like. But first a sort of "Preface" by way of introduction.

Everything I tell about in this and any other story I may originate will, for the record, contain actual names and places as accurately as I can, to the best of my memory and recollection... which is far from perfect, I might add.

I have a tendency to make most things that I've done, experienced, observed, etc, into something funny - you know a joke of some kind, generally for the amusement of others...my audience, as it were.

But here, maybe I'll just let it roll from the head and heart, not knowing whether it will be worth the telling or not.

You see, I feel that only by naming names and real people, places and things; would anything from or about my life have any meaning or relevance at all to anyone.

Whatever I tell here is intended to bear loving witness to all those I encountered along the way, and truth be told - the story is theirs fully as much as mine... just told from my particular viewpoint, is all.

My life has been facilitated and filled by wonderful (for the most part, anyway) colorful folk... many of whom may not have ever been mentioned in writing except for perhaps an entry in the family bible or in some dusty record in some county courthouse somewhere when they were born.

I guess its pretty clear that a successful, live birth of anything is one of the first and most significant EP in a life.

The obituary comemorates another EP... but I'm in no hurry to get to that one! Currently, I'm only a year from the allegedly allotted "threescore and ten" and I was never particularly inclined to haste anyway.

Some of my experiences in the Air National Guard and AF Reserve are worth the telling, I think - but I should start with my first, abortive, military experience.

The young Ethics Particle EPs the ROTC

I went off to Vanderbilt University right out of High School in Southeast Arkansas - simply because a good friend of our family's, Bob Baxter went there, said it was OK and he was in engineering school and taking ROTC.
That all sounded fine to me, so I (we actually - Mother helped - a lot!) filled out some papers, sent them off and that was that.

It took me as long or longer to type this paragraph as the whole decision making process took back then in 1959.

ROTC sounded kind of exciting and I was "up for it"... but it ruined Saturday! We were supposed to march around in the heat and polish brass, shoes, etc.

Weapons were as common as mosquitoes where I was brought up and naturally I loved guns, knives, cars, tools, etc - all that good stuff was well known to me and I was as competent as any adult with such things by then.

But I freakin' HATED my M-1 Garand that, by regulation had to be dismantled and cleaned every week whether it ever left its rack or not.

So, I argued with Major Gross and explained patiently to him that there was no need to mess with it if it hadn't been shot or anything. He was not sympathetic.

ROTC sort "fell from grace" in my personal universe - and I in the eyes of the military establishment did too.

After a while, I was released from ROTC with a letter that said basically that I was unsuited for any further involvement with the Army.

This was fine with me.

....I'll pick up around this point later if anyone is interested - right about now it's dinnertime here and that's important!

EP

 

[Terril park]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PujvRmxvtao


Mark A. Baker

Guess he leans towards the bad.

Well.... we're all SPs here.

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

I have been asked to tell some stories, and I always did find it hard to say "no" to anyone - and especially people I like. But first a sort of "Preface" by way of introduction.

Everything I tell about in this and any other story I may originate will, for the record, contain actual names and places as accurately as I can, to the best of my memory and recollection... which is far from perfect, I might add.

I have a tendency to make most things that I've done, experienced, observed, etc, into something funny - you know a joke of some kind, generally for the amusement of others...my audience, as it were.

But here, maybe I'll just let it roll from the head and heart, not knowing whether it will be worth the telling or not.

You see, I feel that only by naming names and real people, places and things; would anything from or about my life have any meaning or relevance at all to anyone.

Whatever I tell here is intended to bear loving witness to all those I encountered along the way, and truth be told - the story is theirs fully as much as mine... just told from my particular viewpoint, is all.

My life has been facilitated and filled by wonderful (for the most part, anyway) colorful folk... many of whom may not have ever been mentioned in writing except for perhaps an entry in the family bible or in some dusty record in some county courthouse somewhere when they were born.

I guess its pretty clear that a successful, live birth of anything is one of the first and most significant EP in a life.

The obituary comemorates another EP... but I'm in no hurry to get to that one! Currently, I'm only a year from the allegedly allotted "threescore and ten" and I was never particularly inclined to haste anyway.

Some of my experiences in the Air National Guard and AF Reserve are worth the telling, I think - but I should start with my first, abortive, military experience.

The young Ethics Particle EPs the ROTC

I went off to Vanderbilt University right out of High School in Southeast Arkansas - simply because a good friend of our family's, Bob Baxter went there, said it was OK and he was in engineering school and taking ROTC.
That all sounded fine to me, so I (we actually - Mother helped - a lot!) filled out some papers, sent them off and that was that.

It took me as long or longer to type this paragraph as the whole decision making process took back then in 1959.

ROTC sounded kind of exciting and I was "up for it"... but it ruined Saturday! We were supposed to march around in the heat and polish brass, shoes, etc.

Weapons were as common as mosquitoes where I was brought up and naturally I loved guns, knives, cars, tools, etc - all that good stuff was well known to me and I was as competent as any adult with such things by then.

But I freakin' HATED my M-1 Garand that, by regulation had to be dismantled and cleaned every week whether it ever left its rack or not.

So, I argued with Major Gross and explained patiently to him that there was no need to mess with it if it hadn't been shot or anything. He was not sympathetic.

ROTC sort "fell from grace" in my personal universe - and I in the eyes of the military establishment did too.

After a while, I was released from ROTC with a letter that said basically that I was unsuited for any further involvement with the Army.

This was fine with me.

....I'll pick up around this point later if anyone is interested - right about now it's dinnertime here and that's important!

EP

My brother was in ROTC...he said the M-1's were so "tired" that the only way his unit "passed" on the range was that he and his buddies used "M-1 pencils" to qualify.

Face

 

[CarmeloOrchards]

EP

more autobiography!

W. Wordsworth:


MY heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began,
So is it now I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow old 5
Or let me die!
The child is father of the man:
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

 

[EP - Ethics Particle]

Believe it or not!

My brother was in ROTC...he said the M-1's were so "tired" that the only way his unit "passed" on the range was that he and his buddies used "M-1 pencils" to qualify.

Face

Face, my friend...

We "cadets" never got to the range. Those 11# monstrosities were only there to be cleaned and carried and F'd around with in the "drilling" process!

(they may have been weightier - who remembers!)

EP

 

[EP - Ethics Particle]

"toppin' cotton"

What's toppin cotton?

FoTi Darlin' - the term defies a concise definition...so this may take a while.

Cotton - if it's good cotton stands as tall as a good sized man. And REALLY GOOD cotton can be as tall as a man on a horse.

Pickin' cotton is a pretty tough job - and can be seriously back-breaking as you pick all the way to the bottom of the stalk which can be right at ground level...in the dust or the mud, dependin' on the prevailing weather and the season.

A full sack of cotton can weigh around 200 pounds when you bring it in to be weighed - and you have to drag it along behind you as it accumulates and then carry it to the wagon where the scales and "the man" are.

If the cotton picker is kinder "insouciant", "devil may care" and of that sort of bent and frame of mind...well, he or she can stay relatively erect and just pick the cotton that is easy to reach. That way they save their back, and if they are not called out, make the best wages and have energy left for Saturday night.

So "topping cotton" is sort of a term used to describe a sort of insouciant, non-serious way of goin' about your bizness - and jes bein' there and communicatin'.

Does that help?

Mike, EP

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Face, my friend...

We "cadets" never got to the range. Those 11# monstrosities were only there to be cleaned and carried and F'd around with in the "drilling" process!

(they may have been weightier - who remembers!)

EP

Oops...he was in the National Guard...not ROTC.

Face

 

[FoTi]

FoTi Darlin' - the term defies a concise definition...so this may take a while.

Cotton - if it's good cotton stands as tall as a good sized man. And REALLY GOOD cotton can be as tall as a man on a horse.

Pickin' cotton is a pretty tough job - and can be seriously back-breaking as you pick all the way to the bottom of the stalk which can be right at ground level...in the dust or the mud, dependin' on the prevailing weather and the season.

A full sack of cotton can weigh around 200 pounds when you bring it in to be weighed - and you have to drag it along behind you as it accumulates and then carry it to the wagon where the scales and "the man" are.

If the cotton picker is kinder "insouciant", "devil may care" and of that sort of bent and frame of mind...well, he or she can stay relatively erect and just pick the cotton that is easy to reach. That way they save their back, and if they are not called out, make the best wages and have energy left for Saturday night.

So "topping cotton" is sort of a term used to describe a sort of insouciant, non-serious way of goin' about your bizness - and jes bein' there and communicatin'.

Does that help?

Mike, EP

Thanks for the definition.....there is nothing on the internet anywhere that defines it....at least not that I could find. I can't relate it to the posts here, though.

 

[lkwdblds]

Thanks for the support, S & L

Lakey, do you remember my advice about how to handle this friendship? Let her take charge of your makeover and make a project out of it...having projects like this gives some women great pleasure...

A good friendship with a wonderful woman is a nice win. The best romances often grow out of good friendships, and she probably has a ton of women friends she can introduce you to, besides, once your make-over is complete!

Patience Lakey, you're doing fine with being in transition from your old life. That's all this is, your kids will see! You're doing great!

Thanks for the kind words and thoughts S and L. I am approaching everything now at spirit of play. Its all one big light hearted joke. With TMT's system of everything happening with you being the fulfillment of a God like postulate made, one really does not drop out of present time.

Hit it off with a woman, with huge mental and spiritual compatability and then hit on her to have a romance and then get turned down. No big deal, I already created the correct outcome with my intention before I received her reply. A yes or a no answer is equally acceptable and either leads to improvement in my life even if the two outcomes manifest the improvement differently, either outcome will eventually lead to my goal. Its an interesting way to live. One's mind is clear of all noise and is totally still. I don't think any pictures are being created although some form of memory is taking place. Tone level stays pretty level, usually above 4, sometines much higher. In all honesty, I would rather be having the 2D right now, but I do not dwell on that or think about it at all. It is sort of a self fulfilling prophecy that one is an OT because no matter what comes up, one considers that they have intended that to occur.

You could say that the this line of thinking is ad hoc but it really isn't. It undercuts the need to invent an ad hoc outcome.

It's a lot of fun. I can kid around and say, "After you do your make over, I am going to be so cool, that you will then want a 2 D with me, but I will already be having one with one of your best friends. You are going to be so sorry that you turned my down and so jealous of your friend." I said something like this at spirit of play and we both started laughing.

Lakey

 

[CarmeloOrchards]

we spent labor day week end, as we always do, in Capitola, CA. The whole damn family shows up for a few days of swimming, body surfing, playing in the sand, relaxing, and all the other stuff.

on Sunday the Begonia bedecked floats make their parade down the river. Thousands crowd every beach, bridge and trestle to enjoy the spectacle.

This morning, we were out playing with the older kids.

At 7, we were joined by the four year olds towing their grandmother through the streets of town chasing the wandering garbage trucks

some people may think beauty is in water bourn floats decorated in begonias, others find beauty in garbage trucks.


http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid15376082001?bclid=1659839112&bctid=603407960001

 

[Hatshepsut]

lkwdblds
With TMT's system of everything happening with you being the fulfillment of a God like postulate made, one really does not drop out of present time.

I have been having fun noticing when I envisioned being in the situations I am now protesting. Using this for past events also. Its not hit or miss with spotting the causative postulate. Its running about 100% lately. And I do take so much of my identity from the things that I oppose (and elect NOT to be omniresponsible for.) But I kinda get depressed and all without this energy that is created with the idientity/havingness/opposition thingy. Its like a bad habit.

Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton

Ted
In a practical sense, I sometimes get involved in living to find myself somewhere or doing something that makes me wonder, "WTF am I doing here?" No challenge, or unwanted challenge, no pleasure, no achievement, no display of craftsmanship... The answer to the question gives a new orientation or a reorientation so I can finish what I started or get out.
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showpost.php?p=403412&postcount=123