Intro

[GhostintheMachine]

Well I forgot to introduce myself before I started kicking up dust around here...I'm a senior college student studying History and Psychology, I grew up in a small town on a cattle ranch in Idaho and have worked around that much of my life, I have a fair amount of outdoor experience as well as a few flying hours in my dad's Aeronca Champ. I like to think outside the box, and am a big supporter of using the research that has been put out there in the realm of psychology to applying them to social issues. I'm thinking I'll probably work as a school psychologist down the road, and hope to make some change in the problems that are faced in the public school systems this day and age. I'm real interested in what you all have to say, but I do have to say I do not tolerate close minded statements. But anyway, I'm getting long winded and I'm glad to meet you all!:peace:

[tecoyah]

I can only wish you luck....and hope reform takes place in public education, that you have some chance of plying your wares. Welcome to the forums.....have a blast!

[Alonzo]

Welcome!

You'll be happy to know that we have worked hard to maintain a bear free environment for our members.

[NortheastCynic]

Welcome to the site.

If your name is an IRobot reference, nicely done.

-NC

[GhostintheMachine]

Welcome to the site.

If your name is an IRobot reference, nicely done.

-NC

Actually I've never seen that movie, I was more referring to the philosophical criticism of Descartes' concept of mind-body dualism. Also I think it broadly characterizes the modern experience of alienation that people experience and the lack of self-understanding....guess I'll have to check out the movie though haha

[NortheastCynic]

Well, you've seen the full breadth of my knowledge of Descartes...A line from IRobot. :madlaugh:.

Definitely check the movie out, though.

-NC

[lily]

Welcome GhostintheMachine. I've been enjoying reading your imput here.

[GhostintheMachine]

thanks!

[Muser]

Welcome, Ghost! Nice to have you.

[GhostintheMachine]

Welcome!

You'll be happy to know that we have worked hard to maintain a bear free environment for our members.

Bears. number one threat to America

http://www.birdsasart.com/Brown-Bear-blonde-cub-dancing-_L8X0615-Geographic-Harbor,-Katmai-N.jpg

[tecoyah]

I EAT bears....mmmmmm...furry yumness.

[Muser]

Bears. number one threat to America

http://www.birdsasart.com/Brown-Bear-blonde-cub-dancing-_L8X0615-Geographic-Harbor,-Katmai-N.jpg

I support the right to arm bears. :dork:

http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/1440310_pqvtd/armbears.gif

[Alonzo]

I support the right to arm bears. :dork:

http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/1440310_pqvtd/armbears.gif

I DO TOO!

I also support hunter traps to make it easier for bears to catch one.

[GhostintheMachine]

bears, beets, battlestar gallactica.

[cronic]

I missed one..
I have been gone a few days tho..
Welcome Ghost - Love the Avatar

[Osborn F. Enready]

Welcome GhostInTheMachine, I look forward to seeing you in the debates.

May I ask what philosopher you find yourself most interested in? Fascinated with?

By the way, that's a "bitchin" avatar. ;)

[GhostintheMachine]

Thanks, well if you may have already noticed, I am fascinated with Nietzsche...But I sure as hell don't claim to always understand him;) But I think that he definitely makes me question things, and challenges me to think outside the box...

[Osborn F. Enready]

Can you recommend any good works by Nietzsche that give a good example of his philosophy, fiction or non?

I am an Ayn Rand fan for the most part.

[GhostintheMachine]

Sure, I recommend "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," not an easy read by any means, but very profound. Also, I hear the Gay Science is good, but I haven't read it.

Also, another great book that I feel is a great commentary on modernity is Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert...

Or if you like Utopian type literature News From Nowhere by William Morris is good.

[GhostintheMachine]

How about you, any recommendations? I have a list of about 20 books I intend to read, but have only read about one...haha

[Osborn F. Enready]

Great philosophy books? I like most all of Rands works, fiction and non-fiction. Atlas Shrugged is my favorite fiction book from her, but the New Left and the Romantic Manifesto are both decent short reads from her non-fiction. I also find "the Ayn Rand Lexicon" of great use.

As far as just plain great books....

"Guns,Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond

"Collapse, how societies choose to fail or succeed" by Jared Diamond

"Tragedy and Hope", original unrevised edition, by Carrol Quigley

"Crossing the Rubicon" by Michael C Ruppert

"Confessions of an Economic Hitman", by John Perkins

"Overthrow ; America's Century of Regime Change From Hawaii to Iraq" by Stephen Kinzer

"War Powers, How the Imperial Presidency Hijacked the Constitution" by Peter Irons

"Imbalance of Power, Constitutional Interpretation, and the Making of American Foreign Policy" by Gordon Silverstein

"Fog Facts, Searching For Truth in the Land of Spin" by Larry Beinhart

"Mass Control ; Engineering Human Consciousness" by Jim Keith

For a really enjoyable read that is off the beaten path, check this out.... awesome story and very easy to enjoy if you have an imagination.....

An Island to Oneself, by Tom Neale:
http://www.janesoceania.com/suvarov_tom_neale/index.htm

Still looking for a hardcopy of that one....

[ECW]

Welcome.

[Rage]

And a welcome to that d00d with a cool name, and a cool avatar.

[PostmodernProphet]

Welcome!

You'll be happy to know that we have worked hard to maintain a bear free environment for our members.

unfortunately our mods are notorious bad spellers and they have made it a bare-free zone environment instead.....much to our readers disappointment.....

[Truth_and_Power]

Check out Red Mars sometime.. interesting book on what may be the future.