EastbayRay Forum Posts (781)

Oliver Twist

Thanks! Which is his best book, by the way? Are his others very different from Oliver Twist?

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist

My recent study of morality in philosophy has had me reading some heavy stuff (Schopenhauer, Kant, Nietzsche, Hume, Aristotle [N Ethics - again]), and I felt like reading some fiction for a break so went to the bookstore and came across Oliver Twist.

I read the opening paragraph and it was beautiful (Charles Dickens for you!), and bought it right away.

Well, I have read a good deal of it now and I am astonished how dark and ruthless it is (it hasn't been a break at all). Well, I mean, I’m impressed! I expected it to be dark and Victorian but I just never expected DICKENS to have such a dark-world view and to spare no single syllable in describing the destitution of the poor...

Please, sir, can I have some more?

I love this book. I will certainly be reading some more Dickens in the future…however I have always preferred writers who take a more objective approach to their characters. I.e. it is clear Dickens is being bias towards every other character except Oliver (the personification of the poor). I don’t like this because it prevents the author (and the reader) from getting into the heads of the other characters and seeing what angle THEY see the situation from.

I am interested in the 1800s because, in my opinion, the greatest philosophers (the darkest, most pessimistic, nihilistic -and enlightening) were writing in these times . . .

It seems truly to have been a dark time for the world and to have had its effect on many great minds. . .

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

fortunate . . . strong . . . well-shaped . . . unlike many men . . .

ahhhhhhh . . . a day in life of Ray

(the hell with beards! -sorry Jeff)

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

Jeff, every time I shave my beard off I feel like Robocop with his helmet off.

Beardists!!!

They have desecrated my manhood.

'It's good to see a philosopher get some much-deserved notice from our female contingent here. '

You're damn right!!!

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

My mouth is cold, Trish . . .

But maybe some women will come along and warm it for me now . . .

(that was not a typo)

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

Women just want men to cut their beards off because they can't have them (well, most of them can't)!

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

(at least when you have a beard you can blush behind it)...

RE: GIRLS... WHY DO WE ALWAYS PACK SO MUCH IN OUR SUITCASES

Bless. I am the same.

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

"God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest--a sign of strength and rule." - St. Clement of Alexandria

"This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature….It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness.” - St. Clement of Alexandria

Girls: Beards or Clean Shaven?

I don’t usually ask these kind of questions, but:

Girls, do you prefer bearded or clean-shaven men?

And why?

What’s wrong with beards, anyway?

Beardism!!!

(we look so much cooler with beards! - you're just trying to steal our mojos, aren't you?)

RE: RIP- Heath Ledger

'I completely agree with your statements about Heath Ledger.'

That's just one flower message out of about ten that I received from people about this thread.

Some mule saying God have mercy on my soul because I don't have compassion for a young actor who killed himself . . .

Continue . . .

On the problem of freewill.

Thanks B!

I'm going to respond to some of this when I get the chance.

On the problem of freewill.

You can post them here. You know me . . .

On the problem of freewill.

7th September, 1983. South Africa, Durban. 7 in the evening.

RE: RIP- Heath Ledger

(dullard)

RE: RIP- Heath Ledger

All my 'idols' ARE dead. And have been for a long, long time.

RIP Nietzsche!

RE: What did u do today that made u feel good?

Hurt other people's feelings

RE: Okay...I'm confused, so many people vanished.. hands up who's left.

I'm still here

(love ya trish )

On the problem of freewill.

That's a good definition

On the problem of freewill.

No Ambrose is quite right to pick up on your creepiness. Bnatural did a while back when you were talking about a world full of candy and sweets and rainbows . . .

What were you talking about, The new Netherland Ranch?

'I have to disagree with the idea that the only reason one would choose to love God is to avoid Hell. By the same token a child only loves their parents to avoid punishment. ' -gnome

I agree with your reasoning here, but the rest is dogmatic trite. When you can explain to me, logically and reasonably, how the whipping, laceration and crucifixion of a man saves me from my sin, then I will begin to listen.

P.S. also, I don't have any sin or guilt - so how does it save me? I have always been utterly confused as to why I should feel guilt or sin about anything I have ever done?-because I never have.

On my death-bed I will be lamenting over the things I haven't done, not over the things I have.

What's done is done and can't be undone: It's not my problem . . . I've got my money.

On the problem of freewill.

A really hot girl just rated that picture 10 . . . she must be nuts...

On the other hand . . .

There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness

On the problem of freewill.

Virgo.

That was a bit freaky . . .

But the truth is . . . I was born out of time, man.

What women look for in men is money

Dullard!

What women look for in men is money

What you gels are rambling about I call ‘elevator etiquette’: where you’re in an elevator and someone lets you go out first and then it’s an awkward exit of people all trying to let each other go out first . . .

Human, all too human.

Where is the virtue in selflessness if you expect a relative return?

Why not just be like me? Selfish - and spare yourself the detour . . .

What women look for in men is money

That is the most accurate metaphor to describe my way of thinking I have ever come across . . .

I used to trip people up in school, I even tripped a teacher once.

P.S I only open doors for people if there is something in it for me (usually for women). . .

Otherwise they can open their own doors.

And close them.