Not a political thread, but...

[dangerousdon]

I had friends once...I got voted off the island and NOW I don’t have any friends. Oh sure, they SAY they are my friends but I know they are the ones that voted me off (and voted for that OTHER guy) that’s why I burned down their outhouse and sent the letter to their boss. Well, it serves them right because they voted me off the island. Now life is good, I can vote for who I want and it doesn’t matter. Heck, this last election I voted for everyone...twice, then I stood on my NEIGHBORS lawn and shouted at the top of my lungs “don’t bother voting because I voted for everyone” and I didn’t loose one friend...

The truth is, in my professional life I make great efforts to research and evaluate political and economic issues with as little bias as possible. This mean I’m not surrounded by clients with opinions or that I don’t have my own opinions...or that my opinions aren’t deeply held or that I don’t have biases. I would like to think I have earned my opinions and that my opinions are “more correct than yours” but experience (wisdom) has taught me that everyone else (especially those who are WRONG) thinks THEIR opinion is the right one. I have found the concepts of “open mindedness” and critical thinking are about as rare as the southwestern jackalope. SO I pick my battles. Unlike most of those who have opposing viewpoints as I do, I have actually put my “money were my mouth is” and run for office, supported and formed relationships with others who are or were in office. Not surprisingly this has cost me a couple clients, but not the ones I would have thought.

Your not allowed to have opinions Chris. If you have an opinion then you are called some horrendous name and forced out of...well, forced out of everything.

 

[CBLindsay]

Your not allowed to have opinions Chris. If you have an opinion then you are called some horrendous name and forced out of...well, forced out of everything.

...Off the island Don. I watched a reality show about it, made my daughter watch it too. It’s an old one called, “Rudolph the red nosed reindeer” voiced by Burl Ives. Ok, technically it had nothing to do with having an opinion but that’s kind of the whole point isn’t it? Nobody really knows what socks or underwear I’m wearing unless I tell them, so IF the unseen things (like the way we vote or our opinions) offend our friends or those around us AND they only become offended once the red nosed light is exposed it is either our fault for hiding our “true self” or their fault for being so shallow as to pretend to be a friend or caring citizen when they really only care as long as you toe THEIR line. I believe it’s perfectly ok to keep some things personal and private but even those things will show your actions (tight boxer shorts make you walk funny...commando gives you a certain swagger). Since each of us will either agree or disagree on who we are in this story OR we might be perceived as a different character at different times by different people, I will just say it’s important (to me anyway) that people decide who they want to be and make an effort to be that person in their story. Make sense? Easy for me because I have no friends and work alone.

 

[dangerousdon]

...Off the island Don. I watched a reality show about it, made my daughter watch it too. It’s an old one called, “Rudolph the red nosed reindeer” voiced by Burl Ives. Ok, technically it had nothing to do with having an opinion but that’s kind of the whole point isn’t it? Nobody really knows what socks or underwear I’m wearing unless I tell them, so IF the unseen things (like the way we vote or our opinions) offend our friends or those around us AND they only become offended once the red nosed light is exposed it is either our fault for hiding our “true self” or their fault for being so shallow as to pretend to be a friend or caring citizen when they really only care as long as you toe THEIR line. I believe it’s perfectly ok to keep some things personal and private but even those things will show your actions (tight boxer shorts make you walk funny...commando gives you a certain swagger). Since each of us will either agree or disagree on who we are in this story OR we might be perceived as a different character at different times by different people, I will just say it’s important (to me anyway) that people decide who they want to be and make an effort to be that person in their story. Make sense? Easy for me because I have no friends and work alone.

I hear you Chris...I'm more of a Boxer Brief sort of fellow. Supportive, but allows me a little of that swagger you talk about.

And for whatever reason...whenever Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer comes on TV...Hulu+ seems to have it blocked.

 

[Blade-meister]

I've always been a what you see is what you get guy and a patriot. Those things get me in trouble these days, but I don't care. Being me and being the me I want to be doesn't need approval of others. @CBLindsay what you say Chris reverberates a lot with me. I guess I never wore the fake nose and just let my red blinking beaker shine with pride, especially in my older years. I truly think people are uncomfortable with that because they wish they could be their true selves and drop the disguise. It's like the donut box at the office...ever notice how people eat the donuts until there's one left? Nobody wants to be the person who finishes off the box so that poor donut will sit there all day. When I noticed this for the first time I decided to just eat the last one and it really bothers people that I just didn't care what others thought as I tossed the empty box in the trash can. @dangerousdon +1 on the boxer briefs