K-Mac

What parts of the state did you visit?!? I lived in the Houston area all of my life and can tell you what you experienced is NOT the norm. Many of us Texans do tease about "Yankees" but it's usually done in fun. In fact, I used to joke that anyone living north of I-10 was a Yankee. (Just to get at the Dallas/Ft. Worth folks.) There is some growing resentment against illegal immigration, but as you can clearly see from the restaurant choices alone, I think Texas is a very diverse state where it's quite a bit of fun exploring all the different cultural mixes. I agree and so does my husband. (He's traveled far more than I have.) When he was stationed in Germany during his Army years, the racists he encountered were from Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. Granted, there are racists everywhere, but I think the South has done a pretty good job of accepting people of all cultures into the fold. My opinion is that conditions were so bad in the South, that people have actually worked harder to get along and understand each other, while Northern states weren't forced to do so. Just look at where the racial riots are...L.A., Milwaukee, Cleveland...not in the South. We're pretty much done with all of that except for the occasional moronic, blatant racist who is usually ostracized by their neighbors, coworkers, etc. Anyway, I know Texas has its fair share of problems, as does any other place in this world, but I just don't think you can find a friendlier bunch of folks all in one place. (Except when they're in their cars...what's up with that?)

Maybe this is an over-simplified view of the subject, but I think women are better at separating nakedness from sexuality than men are, in general. Instinctively, are men not attracted to the hourglass figure because it could indicate efficient child bearing, while women are attracted to smart, aggressive men because they guarantee survival of the fittest? Do we agree that women do not necessarily get sexually aroused looking at naked men the way men get aroused looking at naked women? (If the reaction were the same for both sexes, wouldn't you see Playgirl being as successful as Playboy?) Another point I just thought of was this...the only people I have ever personally known that participate in nudist colonies, nude beaches, etc., were people that were into it for sexual reasons. Sure, during the day they play volleyball, hike, swim and do all the "innocent" Hippie Hollow stuff (http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/hippie_hollow.asp), but it's been my understanding (through those I know...not personal experience!) that it's just a means to meet other people who are into what they're into...group sex, wife-swapping, etc. Granted, I don't know everyone who participates in this stuff, it's just been my experience with the few people I've known who participate. I suppose it's very possible for someone to remove sexuality from nakedness, but I do believe it would be difficult. I guess what I wonder is, is the ability to remove sexuality from nakedness more difficult due to our culture or natural instincts?

I agree. In fact, we were well aware that the resort offered the nude beach and we were aware of its location. Unfortunately, the currents were working against us. We viewed the situation humorously though, not offensively.

I don't think I would go so far as to file a lawsuit, but have you seen a lot of people naked? I would guess that about 95% of the population, I would never want to see naked. Ick! While vacationing in Jamaica and doing some snorkeling right off our resort's beach, the current kept pushing us over to the nude beach side. Without fail, every time we were ready to get out of the water and head back to the resort, we were on the nude side having to look at some nasty, unkept person. Why are there never any good-looking people on the nude beaches? I can appreciate nakedness without it being sexual...I appreciate the human form...but the distorted human forms we saw on that beach during that trip were not forms that I can appreciate.

And in this one from the US... http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/21/...in2964722.shtml Does the AMA really not have anything better to do?

That is an awesome response, Thomas. Thank you so much. I plan to start The Fountainhead this weekend and now I'm eager to read the Introduction. With regards to man-made structures causing this awe-inspiring feeling we are writing of, I understand exactly what you mean. I recently watched the documentary, The Bridge, which is about people committing suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge (and is a film I highly recommend.) During certain scenes of the movie that showed wonderful vistas of the bridge, I couldn't help but feel moved and I remember thinking how awesome an undertaking it was. I also felt appreciation for the designers and builders of the bridge. I also felt sorrow and appreciation for the men who died building it. Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. This is why I joined this forum, to help better understand my emotions and beliefs and put them somewhere inside me that makes sense. I'm not sure if I'm saying that exactly how I mean, but just like this topic...I know I'm not religious and I don't believe in a higher power, but I wasn't sure how to rationalize my feelings.

I think I'm falling in love with this man. He makes me very proud of my Czech heritage. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/e9df7200-19c7-11dc...0b5df10621.html My favorite quote from the story... "To say that “the supporters of capitalism demand that they are free to dump their waste on their neighbours lawns without consequence” has the beauty of communist propaganda I had a chance to “enjoy” during the first 48 years of my life."

The fact that Castle Rock, Colorado has over 300 days of sunshine per year was one of my top three reasons for moving here. I certainly don't miss the heat and humidity of Houston! As this past winter was winding down, it was the first time in my life that I've ever actually looked forward to the warmth of spring and then summer. (Being a native Houstonian, you dread the end of winter.) It is so wonderful to be able to read a book outdoors and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I even smile when I see the raccoon-like tan lines left on my face by my sunglasses.

Well for me, this time of year is when things actually slow down a bit. Things have slowed at the office (tax season rush is over and summer vacations have begun) and my husband just started a new job and has been working long hours. With my not-yet-fully-healed broken leg, I cannot do too much physical activity yet, so I try to spend my time reading. Having just finished Atlas Shrugged, I was eager for more, so I decided to join this forum last week. Plan to pick up The Fountainhead this weekend. So I guess the bottom line is, I'll be around this summer.

Unfortunately, I would have to agree. It seems that more and more, people are too busy in their own little worlds to take the time to find out what's really going on and how its affecting them. Most of the friends and family that I'm in daily or weekly contact with, are either Christian conservatives blinded by faith and their church, liberals (socialists in denial), or are stuck somewhere in between because they don't really pay too much attention to current events or politics and how it could possibly affect their little world. Frankly, it's why I joined this forum. I know there are still some people out there with a shred of common sense and I was struggling to find them. Since I just finished reading AS late last month, this topic is VERY fresh on my mind. By the time I finished the book, I was literally dreaming of escaping away to a Galt's Gulch type of place. I like to think I would jump at the chance to go, but my concern is monetary. Dagny, Hank, Francisco and the rest had quite a bit more disposable income than I have. And I love my job and my boss. Maybe I could talk him into coming as well? He is, after all, the one who referred me to Ayn Rand and AS.

Found the name and author...The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, ALONE (1932-1940), by William Manchester The Shangri-La Diet (SLD) is weird, but the science behind this theory and the diet seem to be working for me. The book is so short and so easy to read, it's well worth a look. I've lost 40 lbs by simply taking 4 tbsp of extra light tasting olive oil per day, so it's super cheap and easy. If you choose to read the book (and I would suggest the new revised edition), be sure to read the appendix. I read it first to familiarize myself with the science and it made the remainder of the book more understandable. On the surface, it does appear to be just another fad diet, but once you dig a little, you will find that it makes a lot of good, common sense. http://sethroberts.net/science/index.html

As I've mentioned before, I'm new to all of this, so I just put Atlas Shrugged away and have The Fountainhead literally sitting on my nightstand waiting for me. I'm also three chapters into Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems, by Cesar Milan (Yes, he's The Dog Whisperer on The National Geographic Channel. I'm fascinated by his effective techniques and how he acquired them through simple observation.) And on deck, I plan to re-read The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight-Loss Plan, by Seth Roberts PhD. (I read it a year ago and have lost 40 lbs since then, so now I want to read the revised edition.) Weird mix, huh? Oh, and I've got a book about Winston Churchill and the few years leading up to WWII, that my neighbor loaned to me. I cannot remember the name or the author right now, but I'm very interested in the fact that he pretty much stood alone in thinking that the Nazis were a threat during those years.

I think you're right. What you're saying really hits home with me. Awesome photos, by the way. As an aside, I have been to the National Park and seen the CD, but I have not hiked to it from Grand Lake. How difficult is that trek? The only reason I ask is because I broke my tib/fib in January and still walk w/ a slight limp. The doctor says I should be back to normal by next Spring (as though nothing ever happened) but I'm wondering if that particular hike would be too much for me at this point? (I assume so.) I can take a look at my map once I'm home to assess the difficulty, but since you've "been there/done that".... I think that's a nice way to put it without using "spiritual."

I agree. We cannot convict until a crime has occurred. Unfortunately, we must wait for another child to be harmed before we are able to act. That being said, if we were to provide them with their own country or region, at what point would you send someone there? Would you ask them to go voluntarily? (And would they?) Would it be used as punishment for a conviction or would it be preventative? It could be the beginnings of another Salem witch trial.

I think that's what it is...a psychological "high" that I'm probably getting mixed up with what religious people consider a religious experience. It's tough to get religious indoctrination out of your habits, even when you know with certainty you don't believe it. It's like experiencing great pain or agony and crying out, "Oh, God!" when you're not really speaking to God. What is "Sense of Life?" (Remember, I'm new to all of this.)

I finished Atlas Shrugged last month and just received The Fountainhead in the mail. (Hope to start it next weekend.) I know I have much to learn, so please pardon my ignorance. I performed a search to find the answer to my question without success. I am hoping someone will either point me in the right direction or let me know their thoughts. I cannot help but feel an overwhelming sense of spirituality during certain situations and I am struggling with where to put it. I was raised in a Baptist church in Texas, but rejected those ideas (and all religion) nearly from the start. So what do you call this feeling? For example, since moving to Colorado last summer, I have seen many things in nature that fill my body with an expanding lightness and peacefulness that I can only describe as spiritual. Since I don't believe in a supreme being, what is it? Is it just simple awe at what I'm witnessing, or is it something deeper? Witnessing a birth or death is another example. Do Objectivists believe in any higher force or power? Is anything "bigger" than we are? I tend to think that things are what they are, and when we die, for example, we are just as we were before being born. Then this spiritual feeling will come along and make me question that. Is it just old religious indoctrination trying to slip back into my consciousness?

I understand what you're saying also. Not all pedophiles are criminals, but some criminals are pedophiles. Either way, they need help and far too many of them do not seek it. Then begins the progression of their perversion...they think about children, then they watch them from a window, then they watch them at the playground, then they talk to them, then they touch them, then they rape them, then they kill them. From what I've learned, it just seems like a matter of time before the non-criminal pedophile becomes the criminal version. (Like an addictive drug, it takes more and more and more for them to get off.) I think that is why so many people abuse the term pedophile. They've given themselves a bad name.

Enixyle, if someone has not committed a crime, I do not believe they should be subject to prosecution/punishment. Many pedophiles do turn to crime as a means of satisfying their urges (even if only viewing images on line), and I assumed that's what we were discussing. And I might be willing to do away with the death penalty if a life sentence were indeed a life sentence. (None of this early release program junk.) Another condition for me would be that the prison be self-sufficient. I am sick and tired of my hard-earned money being stolen from me and used to pay for criminals to have cable television. With regards to them having a country or region to call their own, do we really want all those people together? I shudder to think of the ideas they would share with each other. And what unfortunate country would share borders with them?

It sounds like Bush should have fired a few more US Attorneys.

I feel that any sexual act or molestation that is perpetrated against a child or an unwilling adult, IS a violent crime. I believe "non-violent pedophiles" is an oxymoron. Of course other options, such as life in prison, should be available to jurors/judges, but I think the death penalty should be put on the table as well. A few things seem certain to me...the majority of sexual offenders are repeat offenders and their sentences are far too light. Perhaps if our prisons weren't so overcrowded with non-violent, petty, drug offenders, this wouldn't even be an issue? I find it utterly ridiculous that a functioning member of society caught growing a few pot plants in their basement can be sentenced to life in prison, while a child molester is released after a few years.

Yahoo! (Couldn't resist.) I've taken a lot of Texas bashing since moving to Colorado, so it's nice to hear someone else defend her.

I'm addicted to reality crime shows, such as Forensic Files on Court TV and Cold Case Files on A&E. After watching literally hundreds of episodes, I can easily say that I would be in favor of the death penalty for sex offenders. It seems quite obvious that these people are not capable of being rehabilitated and will habitually re-offend. Particularly the pedophiles. As a victim of a violent crime, although not sexual in nature, I have very strong feelings about how violent criminals should be punished. I went through years of hell and therapy just to be able to function and not hate everyone and everything. I can only imagine what a rape victim must go through.

While speaking with a neighbor about this story over the weekend, he mentioned that she had a drug problem and was known to hospital workers. The allegation was that she had "cried wolf" so many times before while freaking out on drugs, that they paid little attention to her, not knowing that on this occasion she had a legitimate medical need. Has anyone else heard this aspect of the story? I am curious if it's true. I was not able to find anything during a quick internet search.

That's what I find so scary about the Middle East and all its conflicts. The Israelis seem to have the most at stake, more than the US simply because of their geographical proximity to the problem nations/cultures, and if they are unwilling to fight and defend themselves, what can we expect of our own country and its so-called allies? Why has western civilization lost its nerve? I read the following article last week in the WSJ and it makes me wonder if this guy's not on to something... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118126697338428618.html As the article suggests, could the problems in the Middle East be as simple as too many frustrated young men living in close proximity?

I agree with you. I have many issues w/ Christian conservatives and their ideals, I just figure they're the lesser of the evils when it comes to comparing California-style liberals and Texas-style conservatives, for example. (I prefer to defeat the liberals, then I can work on defeating the Christian conservatives.) The "annoying neighbor" comment I found interesting. I thought Hurricane Katrina was an awesome example of how socialism doesn't work (New Orleans and the corruption of LA government, in general) and capitalism does (the immense amount of resources thrown at evacuees in a mere matter of hours of their arrival in Texas.) I would think that folks from Louisiana would be a little more thankful for their "annoying neighbor." (Not to mention the millions, if not billions, of dollars Louisiana earns from Texans visiting their state.) My husband and I volunteered at the Astrodome for 3 days over the Labor Day weekend in 2005 in an attempt to assist the seemingly helpless, and I was amazed at the corporate response to the disaster. It made me realize how much this country would be capable of if the government would get out of the way. One of the largest contributions we saw was from the local Budweiser plant. They had started canning drinking water. It didn't taste too great due to a slight metal taste, but it was fresh water and was certainly better than the water the evacuees had been pulled from. It just looked funny to see "WATER" printed across a beer can. Anyway, my point is, how could any state in the situation that Louisiana was in have asked for a better neighbor? We were there, racing into action for LA while the Feds were trying to figure out what to do and when to do it. Maybe there are more petty issues that prompted your "annoying neighbor" description, but during times of life and death, what better neighbor could LA have had? Their new state motto!