OMG! IS breathing required to live??

If Michael were to give me all his money, then we could both be happy. Since he doesn't need it; I can certainly find something to do with it.

Citizens of Second Life!

I just want to assure you that I'm not trying to sway anybody into a belief system. I'm trying to be cool about all of this--believe it or not, most adults with any intelligence enjoy a conversation like this...I don't think I've EVER come across such a concentration of people that blatantly dismiss, conflict, and bash another persons insight into the Universe.

It's sad really.

I was hoping SOME of you would be open minded. I think it's very telling that ALL of you are rebellious to easter philosophy. America is actually quite shameful to me...don't take that personally (however hard that may be), but it's true. I was born and raised in the states, and I'm ashamed of us, our culture, our close-mindedness, our greed, and our lack of INSIGHT.

I hope you all forgive me for being so blunt.

You can now continue to talk about tomatoes and pro wrasl'in.

My Money is on Confusionism. Look, it's great someone can read The Secret, believes in it and has it affect their life. But I read the book and it's hogwash to me. And no one can convince it is due to any spiritual or intellectual shortcomings. I just don't believe. To me the book is on par with Dianetics, the second most nonsensical book i've read, the first being Mein Kampf.

Yeah - but who invented the polio vaccine, smart guy?

Pennicillin was recently re-discovered in my house on some bread. Not being the visionary that Edward J/Genner was, I tossed it out and had a bowl of soup instead of a sandwich.

But then he wouldn't be able to buy "the Secret" book and be able to find out he doesn't need it. Then he wouldn't be happy?

Sorry, Mike, just having some fun here!

Comparing Dianetics and Mein Kampf to The Secret is like comparing The Bible to Jurassic Park.

Dr Jonas Salk did. Standing on the shoulders of giants I might add. Just kidding.

You know, mouldy bread is fine if you just pick the visible bits off.

I wasnt really bashing your self help insights so much as saying they werent the same thing as a large established religion.

"Christianity" means more things even than the beliefs of Christians.

Its a huge aspect of history and cultural change since its begininings. Both good and bad (based on the humans who used it as such).

Which also affects tomatoes, potatoes and chocolate by the way since Spain was a agressively Catholic country.

Ever? How long have you participated in internet forums?!?



Right. The issue I take with this is that if people are so ashamed of Western culture, why not live in a non-Western country? I mean it strikes me as the height of hypocrisy to live in a place that offers all of the benefits of Western cvililization while at the same time mouthing empty criticisms of the same. It's the Western civilization that is so closed-minded and vapid that has created the possibility for you to think as you do! All of this bunk about Eastern culture is just that -- bunk based on sand and the all-too-chic trendiness that surrounds the bashing of Western culture -- bashing that is, I hasten to add, profoundly Western in nature in itself.

I know you well enough to know where you are coming from. Just thought i'd throw that in to keep things honest.

That's not very fair. The Bible is actually quite good. Okay, it's not quite in the same league as Jurassic Park, but it's close. There are some great stories of fighting and battles and such in the old testament.

For nonsensical I'll go with Ulysses by James Joyce. Stream of Consciousness gives me a major headache.

I couldn't finish it. Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners are both great, but I just couldn't face Ulysses.

You didn't miss much.

Hail Queen Victorria. This echoes back to all the anti establishment rich kids in the 60's railing against the society that provided them with their comfy homes, college educations and the freedom to protest and burn their draft cards.

lol - inspired no doubt by his Russian immigrant parents, so I guess the connection isn't entirely in the US.

I'm not concerned about eating the mold on the bread. I'm worried it has a soul and I don't want to risk anything. I don't have one of those fancy L. Ron Hubbard Soul-Sniffer-Outers.


...wait - I have a great idea for a SL business. Soul Detector! Worried one of your prims is infested with a soul? Just call me and I'll hop in my biplane and fly right over. We'll have your soul problem fixed in no time. My motto - "The only place for a soul is in your shoes." Ok - still working on the motto, but I'm off to a start.

Reporter: "What do you think of Western Civilization?"

Ghandi: "I think it would be a good idea."

There are dinosaurs in the Bible!

Hmmm... No one agrees with me = You are all closed minded. ROFL

Perhaps some of these people have examined other ways and have simply come to a different conclusion.

Heh heh, you seem closed to "pro wrasl'in"... Open your mind - Quade, start the reactor!

No, both were pretty much nonsensical bullshit to me. As for as the Bible vs Jurassic park, The Bible had better character development.

Yes Victorria, I've NEVER run across such a high concentration of people that do nothing but band-wagon together and bash someone else's beliefs. Some of you show high aptitude for writing and language, but your wisdom and individuality is lacking. I hear more, "Moooooo" than I do, "This is what I think..."

I love America in general. My father was career military...so I have patriotism, and I'm pleased enough to continue living here. But this does not mean that I have to like the average "opinion" and "holier than thou" attitude.

I mean come on...if I actually handed this entire thread over to an eastern guru...they would understand why America is full of hidden-strife, and subterfuge wealth. A culture and society needs more than wealth and economy to thrive for any length of time. History proves this.

If you're happy with your HDTV and SUV...and if you're happy to believe in only tactile essentials...that's OK, but just understand that no matter how smart you think you're being...we don't know a fraction of what's out there.

Couldn't agree more. A friend of mine was trying to get me to go on a march with her in protest against the war in Iraq. As I pointed out, Britain is a small island nation with few natural resources - war for profit is our main export and has been for 2000 years (ever since we started sending mercenaries to assist the Gauls and Belgae in causing mischief for the Romans). It is war and conquest that pays for her fancy university. I for one believe financial gain to be not only an acceptable motive, but to be one of the best motives, for going to war. Afterall, money to pay for hospitals, schools, homeless shelters, cancer research, domestic abuse safe houses, incubators for premature babies and all the other things we demand from our government has to come from somewhere. Since we have little to trade for it, taking it from nations weaker than ourselves seems a pretty good viable alternative. The fact is, all those developed nations that have become a success today have done so through military expansion and imperialism as the foundation.

Oh and for the record Michael, just because we think what you say is wrong, that doesn't mean we haven't listened to you. Listening and then reaching a conclusion based on the evidence is what having an open mind is all about. We've done that and the conclusion we have reached after logical analysis is that the secret is hippy bullshit.

I heard Hulk Hogan is writing a book called "Wrestling Secrets"...

How can you say this. This is the very MIRROR you should be looking at.

Wait wait..I'M close minded for seeing that which is not on TV or in front of my face.. I'M close minded? Can you not see how ridiculous this is?

PS. I know more about WWE than the majority of people here--that's just a guess. So, how open-minded am I now?

"the Secret" came from an Australian TV writer/producer. She made her way through Larry King and Oprah to promote it. I wonder who the target demographic is for this product?