rgutsell

Yup I pursuaded my dad to take me there to watch mini's being raced, when I was about 10. (50 years ago). Very exciting! RGutsell

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Richard Dawkins, (the "Selfish gene" guy) attacks established religous ideas as "Memes"; that is a set of ideas that have no basis in a logical reality, (or which aid survival, in his opinion) but which are handed down between generations as "truth". However the problem I have with his approach, is that a society that has developed a set of memes which contain moral guidelines, probably does have a survival "edge", no matter how "right" or "wrong" the ideas are. It may be that our genetic inheritance does include a chemically based propensity to develop socially, or imaginatively create such "memes; if that is the case, then it should be part of a secular philosophy. R Gutsell

Hiya all Some good reactions! The problem is that us secular thinkers need to pursuade people that it isn't just "not religion"; and that it is not just non-religous structures, such as government departments, organisations etc. Secular thinking does approach all the "deeper" aspects of life, and does have insights into them. For example, you can be spiritual, without being religous. Morality is created and developed by us all, and has not originated from other "religous" systems, although they have appropriated it for their own ends. You can have no religous beliefs, and be "Moral". R Gutsell

I recently up loaded my thoughts about some of the basic principles of a Secular philosophy...and got various mixed responses. To get to the point, but avoiding the barbs (geddit?) I have also thought about how a Secular Philosophy might define the common shared aspects of world wide humanity. Here they are! CORE SHARED ASPECTS OF HUMANITY for a Secular philosophy This is a proposed list of basic shared qualities that define us as human beings, and which may be considered a basic part of a Secular Philosophy. 1. We are all temporary. 2. We all pass through common ?phases? of life (child, adult etc) which require adaptation and development. 3. We all have to learn to manage complex and changing relationships in our lives, which are also temporary. 4. We spend our lives in relationships and cannot be without them. 5. We all have a spiritual ?Impulse?, and an equal potential to develop ?spirituality?. 6. We all have the same basic physical needs; water, food, warmth, shelter, relationship, company. 7. We all experience the same fundamental emotions; happiness, sadness, fear, anger, pain. 8. We all develop, and take a part in, cultures. 9. We all intrinsically have the same potential ability to develop insight into the experiences of other human beings no matter which culture they originate from. 10. We all have to resolve the struggle between our constructive and destructive impulses. There you go! Waddya think? R GUtsell

we are looking to join a group of adult singers or a choir, for people with no experience. It will need to be fun and probably not "classical"! Any ideas or suggestions? R Gutsell

You again Alan Medic? Hell does not exist either! If you are hot, you should turn the heating off. R Gutsell

Nah Alan Medic....shopping sucks.

Massive response to the "Locations, Locations" meme/edf discussion. Brokkin Britin, deffo. RGutsell

Hallo All I recently set my mind to creating a basic list of core statements that may define a Secular way of life. Here they are. What do you think? THE 10 STATEMENTS THAT MAY DEFINE SECULAR SOCIETY 1. Community should take a positive and constructive attitude to the incipient potential for destructive behaviour and anti-social feelings that we all have, and which arise from the shared social pressures of rationality, faithfulness in all relationships, and secular life. 2. We are the sole authors of our own commandments and ethics. 3. Secular ethics are the pragmatic solution to dealing with the stresses of living together, which otherwise may result in destruction and violence. They should lead to tolerance and understanding. 4. All humans regardless of race, culture, belief etc, are beset by the same frailties, anxieties, vulnerability, and needs. 5. Attention to the everyday quality or our actions and relationships, directly affects the overall quality and culture of society. The small leads to the large. 6. A holistic conception of healthy social living should be developed, and communicated throughout society, rather than the purely commercially inspired messages that dominate today. 7. We can see ourselves as spiritual, psychological and corporeal beings in a holistic way, (without recourse to belief in the supernatural) and develop institutions, architecture, places and buildings, in which education and personal development in this way, are encouraged. 8. The life we have now, is the only one we will have. 9. We are not alone in our insecurities, and human vulnerability, and the temporary nature of our lives. A healthy secular society will advance ways to share these, and publicly acknowledge them. 10. The Humanities should be developed as a source of inspiration, learning, moral support and ethical guidance. RGutsell

I was on a morning train in NE London, on the way to Liverpool St I think. We were approaching the terminal, and the driver gave us the usual "take all of your belongings" speech and then added; "Please do not remove newspapers from the first carriage. These are drivers privilige" That brought a laugh to a dull day. R Gutsell

Oh well, there goes the neighbourhood. As if ED needed another reason for unaffordable, unrealistic pricing. RGutsell.

I witnessed something similar on Beulah hill. A young man on a bike, a low rider built for tricks, was pedaling furiously up the hill on the pavement. He came to a side road at the same time as a car, which stopped to turn right, but he apparently did not see it. He flew off the pavement and into the front offside wheel arch. He went over the bonnet, followed by the bike. Whether out of fear or shock, I don't know but he quickly got up, picked up the bike and without checking himself or the bike, tore off again. The bewildered and shocked driver got out, could do nothing, and looked angry. Here's a point to consider; the car driver had now way of identifying the rider, or the bike. I personaly think that given the increase in cycling, a massively improved and widened Cycing Proficency test should be a compulsory part of school/college. I also think that some roads (major and busy) should only be cycled by "licensed" riders. R Gutsell.

Hiya I have to put my half pennys worth in here...I'm not a dog lover. If we allowed children to poo everywhere like we do dogs, there would be an uproar about unhealthy it is. (Not to mention potential child abuse/neglect) Yet we allow many of our fellow citizens to foul up the parks and paths with dog poo! WHY?? Yours R Gutsell

Hiya Sorry for your friends experience. Any details about the man? R Gutsell

Hiya I'd like to suggest that you don't take them to thye main charity shops at all. A lot of books pass through my hands; I put them all outside of my house, with a notice "Please take" They go very soon. I'm not a fan of the common charity shops; they are really chain shops undercutting wages and independent sellers, with a less than remarkable charitable return. Small local charity shops run by enthusiasts for local coauses are great. But the likes of Oxfam, British Heart foundation, etc pay large wages to senior staff, who often come from the retail sector, use chain store practices, get tax benefits, and pay low, or no wages. IMOP of course! Yours R Gutsell

Hiya Will the proposed 20mph limit for places like Lordship Lane, result in cyclists being booked for speeding? Cyclists frequently exceed 20 mph, although they are probably unaware of it. Will speed camera's etc be altered to pick up speeding cyclists? Has there been any research on the impact of speeding cyclists on pedestrians? (Just out of interest, my partners father, aged 90, was struck by a speeding cyclist on a zebra crossing, and spent a week in hospital with a broken wrist and other injuries. It was not purseud by the Police.) Rgutsell

Hiya all 2 new camera's, on rather poorly secured poles, have appeared in ED Grove, and appear to be recording the Zebra crossing opposite the church. Maybe the council is planning an intervention here; it's definitely a strectch of rtoad that hasa lot of speeding going on. Rgutsell

Terrible experience to have. I'm a life long distance runner and sympathise completely. On the issue of the dog...it's the human that defines "frightening" not the dog, or its owner. It IS frightening to be approached by an unknown animal that may be/or may not be aggressive. ESPECIALLY if it's a "fighting breed" and the owners also look intimidating (and of course, they know it). Dog owners need to get to grips with this. Yours Rgutsell

Thank God thats over. Just think; at the drop of a hat, without agreement from the state or its representatives, a Private funeral (for that is what it was folks!) was allocated about ?10 mill, substantial police presence, devoted media attention, roads closed, security "measures", threats from the police to pre-emptively arrest sections of the population, the involvement of the forces and the presence of reps from other states. Not Argentina though...that would have taken intelligence and forgiveness. Thatchers family should have paid for it all. Meanwhile, the rest of us have to "Live with austerity". It happened because a significant faction of people, installed in Government and other positions, wanted it, and assumed it would happen. It was a demonstration of "class" and "party". It shows (IMOP) that far from being reformed, Government remains separatist and elitist. Ok, rant over. Now then, where will the statue to the nasty old bird be put up? Yours Rgutsell

Hiya Thankx! Rgutsell

Hiya all Brilliant snippet from the Independent. Someone texted Arthur Scargill; " Margaret Thatcher, dead". Scargill replied; "Arthur scargill, alive" LOL Rgutsell

Hallo everyone I am very pleased that my thread has produced such a fertile, creative, and entertaining response. My own family want me to shut up and stop ranting! As regards the comment that Socialism spends "other people's money"; isn't that what has just happened with the recent banking crisis and the recession? Haven't we just bailed out the banks? Weren't the capitalist oranisations using our money (from dubious mortgages, fixed energy bills, energy cartels, PFI etc). Isn't the whole tottering capitalist pyramid supported by our money, our earnings, our spending, our families, our desires and needs? Glenda Jacksons speech was excellent and bravely undertaken in isolation. What a stark contrast her approach is to that of Ms Thatcher et al. Jackson for PM anyone? I think I will head for the Magdalene wed eve, and metaphoricaly tip some beer over Thatchers grave. Yours Rgutsell

People who sit on the inside seat on buses and silently DARE you to ask them to move over so you can sit next to the window.

Hallo all I've locked up two bikes with U locks...then lost the keys. How to get them off? (Without wrecking the bikes!)Any ideas? I am anticipating two types of suggestions; the entertaining ( eg, light dynamite and retreat) and the serious. Both welcomed. Yours Rgutsell