George Aar

Well, from an uninvolved skeptical point of view, it's pretty easy to explain. But I guess that's not what you're after. I would say though, that "magic" and religion have a looooong association. How much of the "miracles" of the Bible and other holy writs are reproduced routinely in Las Vegas magic acts everyday? Quite a few I'd think, along with lots more that the Bible authors could have never dreamed of. Even today the Fakirs of India delude thousands of their unsophisticated - and superstitious - followers with really lame illusions (levitation, snake charming, etc.). And in North America it was only a few years ago that Peter Popoff had the crowds in awe by his "revelation" schtick (which turned out to be a wireless earphone). And, yes, I know, the Bible only has the "REAL" miracles. Even though those events can be duplicated by the "sense's relm" means, it was real in the Bible. I explained it to myself that way, once upon a time...

Have a great time. Hopefully, I'm not too far behind you...

Indeed. But how many here would be surprised to see him in an exact, carbon-copy situation in another ten year, and again ten years after that. This is just something that he does, isn't it? I don't see someone who's so wedded to roll-playing and fantasy as ever coming to grips with reality. Like anyone, he COULD do lotsa worthwhile stuff with whatever time he has left on this earth - as Oeno mentioned, if that was what he really wanted to do. But I suspect he's just too much of an attention-whore to do much of anything that doesn't make him a star. That's the way he always struck me, anyway. But I'm not at all close to the guy, and never have been, just seen his act from a distance. I MAY be horribly misjudging him. I doubt it, but that is a possibility. Being a worthless unbelieving heathen, I find it remarkable that any man can make a living peddling a few bible verses and a shop-worn, ersatz new-age theology, but the T.V.'s full of 'em. They must have some appeal that I know not of anymore...

Kore dozo: http://www.gankofood.co.jp/en/ Sore wa "Ganko", gomenasai. The prices were not at all exorbidant. Especially considering what the going rate is. I remember picking up the tab for Robah-san, mesume-san, and me after a wonderful meal, live koto music, lots of biiru, sake, and umeshu (a plum brandy, really sweet, but tasty), and I think it was around ichi-man en (10,000 en [yen]- about a hundred bucks), and the best part, NO tipping in Japan, EVER! If you get invited back to a tea room (Wealthy businessmen will do this from time to time), don't miss it. Lots of sillyness, laughing, drinking, parlor games, and just generally a fun time. Very lighthearted. I wouldn't do it on your own, though, unless you're feeling particularly flush. It's pretty "takai" (expensive), even with the current economy. Kyoto is really the cultural heart of the country. It's the "western" capitol. It was the capitol city of Japan until the Meiji restoration in 1867. And nearby Nara was the capitol before Kyoto. Between the two was when the country really formed. Modern Japanese culture is pretty lame to me. But it's history just fascinates me. The subtle beauty and sensitivity contrasted with an unworldly brutality. It's so incongruous. Some other stuff around the country that you might be interested in: Himeji Castle (west of Kobe a half hour or so on the train) - the most complete castle complex left in Japan. It was never conquered. It's also pictured in just about every historical Japanese movie ever made. I thought it was well worth the hour or so we spent doing the tour. (Oh I should mention that the Japanese are absolutely shameless about "restoring" or actually, completely rebuilding, their historical buildings. Himeji was completely dismantled in the 50's and rebuilt, Kinkakuji was rebuilt from it's ashes in the 50's after a mentally disturbed priest burned it down, just about all of the noteworthy buildings have undergone extensive restoration, some of them several times. Kintai Kyo (the Kintai bridge) - Recently completely rebuilt bridge of several arches on stone foundations. It's a really famous site and is pictured in all sorts of Japanese art. A beautiful structure, but a basic touristy place. It's a little west of Hiroshima. Miyajima - Famous for it's overly large Torii gate that sits offshore a quarter mile or so. Nothing really remarkable there, but a famous spot all the same and very pretty. They have a Noh theatre on the shoreline. Noh is an acquired taste though. Nikko - The mountain town famous as the burial place of the first Shogun of a united Japan, Ieyasu Tokugawa. A really magical place. It's also a noted woodcarving center. Numerous inordinately ornate temple complexes, gates, pagodas, fabulous scenery, waterfalls, sacred sites, great little shops in town. It's an hour or so north of Tokyo. Take the Shinkansen to the local train station, then it's another hour or so up the mountain. If you go, plan to spend the night. I heartily recommend "Rindo no Ie" (Rindo's house). A cozy - and reasonbly priced - "minshuku" (Japanese bed and breakfast) a mile or so from the train station. A sweet, older couple who owns the place, and the food is WONDERFUL. The last time I was there (a few years ago now) the rates were $125/person/day, which included THREE meals. It'll take you two or three days to figure out the trains, but, once you do, you'll never want to travel any other way.

Well, if we wanted to get real anal about it, What did the quilts make? What did the sewing machines provide?

The Joy of Sects...

OH! One last thing, that's probably the MOST important. Get your JR Rail Pass HERE before you leave. You CANNOT purchase them in Japan, and you WILL need one. Try to get a pass to cover your entire stay, as they're just indespensible. You'll save hundreds - if not thousands- of dollars, if you travel around much at all. I routinely use mine several times a day, everyday I'm there...

Oh, and one more favorite thing of mine in Kyoto. The first Sunday of every month they have a flea market at the Toji Temple. Toji is easy walking distance from the train station. The flea market is just basic junk that they have for sale at any American flea market, but it's Japanese junk, so it's much more fun. You can get Kimono for 1,000 yen (about ten bucks) and all sorts of basic crap. If you're into scrounging and looking for a bargain, it's a "don't miss" kinda deal. The other basic tourist destinations in Kyoto are Kiyomizudera (famous for it's healing waters [everybody's got one, don't they?]), Kinkakuji (the Golden Temple), Ginkakuji (the Silver Temple), and Ryuanji (famous for it's rock garden - if you're not heavily into Zen, you can skip this one), oh and Inari Shrine (famous for the numerous "torii" gates). There's also a couple of really outstanding art museums there. Kyoto was never bombed during the war so there's lots of really outstanding ancient buidlings still there. I have a good friend who owns a Ryokan right in the heart of Kyoto on a famous temple grounds. If you're interested in staying in one, let me fix you up with "Robahsan" (Robert). He also deals in high-end Japanese antiques. Have a great time. I may be there sometime shortly after you (I haven't been in a couple of years now, and I kinda miss it). Remember, shoes off if it's not masonry, barefeet or stocking feet only on tatami, wear the wooden geta to use the toilet (and no, the slippers and geta they have to offer you will NOT fit your feet, get used to it), and take a bath everyday about 4, and drink lots of biiru. Tanoshinde koudasai!

OH, also, when you're in Kyoto, have yushaku (supper) at "Gonko" (the name means "Stubborn" - ). It's a tea house/Geisha house/restaurant that's been operating on that site since the Momoyama period (about 500 years now). The garden surrounding the place all dates from that era I'm told. Anyway, there's often a Maiko or Geiko playing the koto at the front entry, there's still private tea rooms in the back, and a very traditional menu (which is really not that unusual, but). It's not spectacular, but it is pretty neat, and gives you a real taste of what Tokogawa-period Japan must have been like. Oh, and also near Kyoto, is Byodoin (it's the building that's pictured on the back of the Japanese dime). It's easily the most beautiful building in Japan - REALLY...

Sorry, I was out on another call... O.K., for the trip TO Japan, I wouldn't be concerned. I've never had any Jet Lag symptoms from flying there. You'll be a little dopey and out of synch, but only by a few hours. If you're on one of the regular carriers, you'll arrive late afternoon (4 or 5 p.m.). Drink lots and go to bed at a regular (Japanese) time. You'll be fine in the morning, though you'll get up way too early. (the line you'll need to know is "biiru mo ippai onnagaishimasu" - "another bottle of beer please" - Sapporo is the one I always drink, but they're all good) Coming back home is where the Jet Lag always catches up with me. I always request a seat with three or four empty seats next to it, you'd be surprised how often you can get that, especially in November. Sleep all you can on the flight home. That's the only thing that helps me... Doitashimadange, Joji When you're around Kyoto, try to stop by Nara (and the Daibutsudan). It's one of my favorite spots there, though I'm sure your daughter must have plenty...

Yeah, I'd like to return to a simpler time in America. A time when we could really breath free. A time when a man was the master of his own destiny and could do what he wanted. Like sometime before the 13th Amendment say. A time when we could not only be free, but we could deny freedom to out fellow citizens, you know, by OWNING them. Yeah boy, I yearn for the good 'ol days...

Nothing says "tolerance" and "reason" like a nice book burning.

Re: Appeal to authority This is from Robert T. Carroll's site "The Skeptic's Dictionary": "appeal to authority: The appeal to authority is a fallacy of irrelevance when the authority being cited is not really an authority. E.g., to appeal to Einstein to support a point in religion would be to make an irrelevant appeal to authority. Einstein was an expert in physics, not religion. However, even if he had been a rabbi, to appeal to Rabbi Einstein as evidence that God exists would still be an irrelevant appeal to authority because religion is by its very nature a controversial field. Not only do religious experts disagree about fundamental matters of religion, many people believe that religion itself is false. Appealing to non-experts as if they were experts, or appealing to experts in controversial fields, as evidence for a belief, are equally irrelevant to establishing the correctness of the belief" I really don't have the heart for getting into a ....ing match currently. Though I often have in the past. I just thought it was a tad incongruous to have a thread titled "Critical Thinking" and be talking about something as UNcritical and illogical(IMNSHO) as religious beliefs. YMMV...

Indeed, and my original starting point was that of Joe Believer. My current position is simply that of agnostic (the traditional dictionary definition). That is, I don't suppose there to be something if there's no evidence of it. I also don't suppose that tthere's something to numerology, Buddhism, acupuncture, Big Foot sightings, flying saucers, or a whole litany of stuff that lots of us spend a whole lotta time chasing after. If you think I'm terribly mistaken and in danger of hellfire (or worse), just give me some evidence. I'm coachable. And of course, whatever our cause may be, we can find a champion to laud for his wisdom in accepting our beliefs now as his own. I think that would file under "appeal to authority" in the "logical fallacies" categories, no?

I think a big issue for some of us here - with regards to real critical thinking - is that we STILL don't want to let go of some of our more comfortable a-priori assumptions about life in general. I.E. - we still assume that the basic Biblical frame of God, Jesus Christ, the Devil, heaven and hell, etc. is reality. Until we're willing to put it all on the table, all of our superstitions, feelings, intuitions, "faith", and whatever, we're just paying lip service to "critical thinking" and not really practicing it at all. Much like what we did with WayWorld dogma. We claimed to be "researching" and even practiced a form of some sort of scholarship, but we never ever questioned the basic tenets of Wierwillism. So what did we get out of it? Not much. Likewise if we hang onto notions of an invisible, loving God and His superman Son, and then force all of our cranial imput through that filter, we're not thinking critically. No doubt it makes us feel good though...

And, unfortunately, what they really have to offer has not improved one whit. It's still simply false hopes and imagined comfort. Pretty thin gruel to peddle you'd think, but it still seems to work. Go figure...

http://www.skepdic.com/ctinfo.html I meant to add, you can download the first chapter for free, so as to get a taste of what's it all about...

I've sorta given up looking for reason where there is none. Religions for the most part seem to appeal to a very childish, immature part of our brains. I don't know of any religion that really makes sense beyond just a cursory glance. So it doesn't surprise me at all that there's lotsa folks who engage in cognitive dissonance when it comes to the exercise of their chosen "faith"...

And one that is often not worth taking...

And if I may digress for a moment, and eventually, if one gets painfully honest (IMNSHO), it doesn't look too good for Christianity to be a valid concept either. From where I am now, all the religious arguments about Jesus or Buddha or Mohammed or Krishna or Christian Science vs. Mormon vs. Judaism, etc. ad infinitum, just seem remarkably similar to Trekkies arguing over which Star Trek character could beat up which other character, or if Superman was stronger than the Fantastic Four. It's all so silly. (Yes, I know, I'm gonna get mine one day, that's fer sure. And, boy, won't I regret it then, yada, yada,...)

I've found this site to be very helpful in keeping my thinking from straying too far into the "woo-woo" end of the spectrum: http://skepdic.com/ That and just a cursory reading through of a basic list of "logical fallacies" was enough for me to put my whole Christian belief system up for a little more scrutiny. Uh, it didn't fare so well. YMMV...

Sounds like we fell prey to the same tactic for our indoctrination. Hmmm, something else to hold against women? Nah, I've got enough already...

Nah, people didn't much call it anything where I was at the time (northern Minisoda)as I just don't remember it being much of a topic for discussion amongst the locals, but I definitely remember some sort of blurb on a SNS tape like I already mentioned. How it all shook out in real life, I don't really know, or much less, care. But, for trivia's sake, I thought I should pipe up...

I remember the auditorium carrying VP's name as well, when he was still alive. I remember thinking at the time that that didn't jive with what was taught regarding such memorials - i.e. - that things shouldn't be named after those that are still living. And that, preferably, folks should be dead for at least 10 years before such memorials. I also remember some blurb on a SNS tape where the trustees were talking about the choice of name and how they had to "twist his arm" to get VP to agree to having his name on the building. Even as a deluded Wayfer, I remember thinking that the name was just a teensy bit on the self-serving side of the ledger...

Being now 20 years out and having firmly reestablished my agnostic roots, I'm aghast that there's STILL a remnant of dullards who haven't caught on to the scam. Jeezus, wake up and smell the decade already...