What is seriously making you think right now?

[RoyBiggins]

?

[RoyBiggins]

That's right.  He's makin' me THINK.

[El_Josharino]

I'm not sure I'm down with that guy. I've never seen him in any role aside from 'short, adorable asian man with glasses'. If he has a theology or philosophy more complex than 'love each other', he doesn't share it with white people.

Also, dude tried to stiff me once when I caddied for him.

[RavingLunatic]

But on your deathbed you will receive total consciousness. So you got that going for you. Which is nice.

[milesofsparks]

I'm not sure I'm down with that guy. I've never seen him in any role aside from 'short, adorable asian man with glasses'. If he has a theology or philosophy more complex than 'love each other', he doesn't share it with white people.

oh man.  that better fucking be sarcasm, coldie.

[coldforge]

It's not. I'm not talking about Tibetan Buddhism, so you can all put down your orientalist pitchforks. The Dalai Lama's sole function in the West is to raise money for his (political) cause, which he does by giving speeches with no actual content.

[Maaik]

I think that's pretty accurate re: his speeches.  Spectacle of a park full of hippies and other folks aside, the talk really got interesting when he started taking questions that had been submitted to him.  Then he got into stuff like reconciling being interested in Buddhism with being a Christian (still a huge issue down south here) and how he feels about China hosting the 2008 Olympics (he's okay with it).

[howardfinkel]

..Dalai Lama goes to the NYC hot dog vendor, and says:
'Make me one with everything'..

</rimshot>

That was my intro. to the Dalai Lama and I have to say I laughed way more than I should've.
(OT: Anyone hear the Dalai Lama spoken word album w/ Bill Laswell? 's like the one Laswell's Material cooked up for William S Burroughs)


But in thread's fashion I guess, right now this Derrida For Beginners book is seriously making me think. Certainly more than the Ethics/Phil. of Science classes I'm enrolled in. Also attended a Gifford Lecturers panel thing at my school today about science/religion. Kinda stirred me up a bit..

[Andrew_TSKS]

i have one of the dalai lama's books. it's not bad, but yeah, it's pretty simplified. then again, i wasn't expecting serious religious philosophy. i bought it when i was in a bad place mentally, and it helped.

[FreddyKnuckles]

seriously making me think?

Why a gay rights groups' criticism of Obama is in the "Entertainment" section, next Britney and K-Fed at a parenting class?

[dieblucasdie]

I guess it because it revolves around that Gospel tour/singer?  Or because gay people are only good for entertaining straight people with their f-ah-lamingness?

It's not like it's not out though.  Everyone whose vote it would effect knows.  Not that it matters, since a handful of d-bags in Iowa, NH, SC, and FLA get to decide for all of us, anyway.

[Greg Nog]

Yeah, NH douchebags!  That's me and mine, right there.

[FreddyKnuckles]

On the Democratic side, there can't really be too much complaining this year.  If Hillary is leading the polls significantly in EVERY STATE, you can't really argue that early voting states will have a large impact. 

I think every primary should be on the same day, and that it should be illegal to show results until all polls have closed.

[dieblucasdie]

If Hillary is leading the polls significantly in EVERY STATE, you can't really argue that early voting states will have a large impact. 

She's not though.  She's leading the nationwide polls significantly, but not state-by-state.

If anything Iowa and NH will hurt her.

[FreddyKnuckles]

yeah but she's still winning by 5 or more points in those states.  She just isn't slaying like she is in the national polls. 

At this point I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that the two major candidates are going to be hillary and rudy.

And thats ok.  I'll just vote for somebody else.

[dieblucasdie]

Depends on the poll, a couple of them had Obama leading in Iowa last week.  Also, all those polls, especially on the Dem side have a lot of "soft" supporters, ie unsure, or undecided, ie "If I have to pick right now, I'll pick Hillary."  If you were making predications based on the polls at this point last time around, you'd be talking about how Dean is for sure going to be the candidate.

edit god, I've made so many typos today.  I need to eat something.

[FreddyKnuckles]

Do you know whats hard?  Law School.  ugh. 

Its weird though, I like, work hard without even thinking about it.  They brainwash this fear into you remarkably quickly.  The thought of going to class without having AT LEAST read everything twice has never even crossed my mind.  Usually I read everything twice and take extensive notes (aka case briefs).

One thing I will say is that I hate having to dumb down my writing.  They make you do certain things for Your legal writing class, that while important, make me feel diirrrrty.

[slow west vultures]

there was an article in the paper a couple of weeks ago about how hillary clinton is not playing out west - and how western democratic congressmen are worried she could cost them votes.  i was gonna post it with the caption: where are the bailey bros. when you need 'em most.  you all have abandoned the home fires when the flicker of gender equality and world peace burns brightest.  montana needs you. 

[melancolley]

It's not. I'm not talking about Tibetan Buddhism, so you can all put down your orientalist pitchforks. The Dalai Lama's sole function in the West is to raise money for his (political) cause, which he does by giving speeches with no actual content.

Very little relevance, but... please don't judge him by what he does in the West. There's a lot of Buddhist concepts that don't translate well into English, and I don't think he pulls out the deep stuff when speaking to a non-Buddhist audience. I saw him do a speech/ceremony thing in Dharamsala, which is where he lives when he's not delivering presents to Tibetan children. Was very different when speaking in Tibetan and to a Buddhist audience- dude was articulate and insightful, and much more imposing than he seems on tv. Also, the overdriven PA made him sound exactly like Mufasa, how could you not like that?

BTW, coldforge, raising money to do what exactly?

[FreddyKnuckles]

Montana is not going to vote for H Rod regardless of where Blucas and I are hanging out.

People are talkin' about the new blue wave and the west, and there is some truth it.  But that just isn't how montana works, folks.  Brian Schweitzer, the governor, isn't some signal that montana is going blue.  It's a signal that the old governor was dumb and everyone hated for her so they voted against the guy she endorsed.  Its a no-brainer.  Same with John Tester.  He's not some harbinger of an idealogical shift of Montanan values--he's actually one of the worst candidates I've EVER seen.  A CHIMP could have beat Burns.  Burns YELLED AT FIREFIGHTERS.  Burns said RAG HEADS.  He called his house painter a "NICE LITTLE GUATEMALAN"  he MADE FUN OF ITALIANS, he "ONLY HAD A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION" and SWORE CONSTANTLY and TOOK MONEY FROM ABRAMOFF. 

After all that he BARELY LOST ARE YOU KIDDING ME


If you're going to hypothesize that Montana has shifted political leanings, you're going to have to do a little more than point to Tester and Schweitzer, because Tester and Schweitzer aren't in office because of their idealogies. 

Montanans are very interesting folk, and they're remarkably good at voting across party lines whenever the hell they feel like it.  Conrad Burns was a cowboy and people liked that.  He seemed down to earth.  That wore off and he just seemed like you're mean racist grandpa who swears a lot.  Tester is a reasonably nice guy and actually seems really genuine.  Schweitzer doesn't.  He seems like a slimeball.  He's a Butte Union guy and people are just begging for a reason to hate him.  He has to tread lightly.  The other thing to note is that there aren't any good republican candidates--at least none flashy enough to overpower the momentary celebrity of Tester and Schweitzer.  Anyway, we send democrats to washington to spend the nations money, and we send republicans to helena to save our money. 

[dieblucasdie]

If, say, Bush were running again, or we had some other pretty unpopular GOP president running for re-election, I think the *right kind* of Democrat (Say, someone like Warner or Richardson) could put Montana play.  And even then, it would require a huge commitment, which ain't gonna happen for MT's 3 electoral votes.

As it is, any of the GOP frontrunners will kill there.  Except maybe Romney, and the GOP faithful would have to be higher than reese to nominate him.  And even he would still probably kill there.

The point stands though that MT, and the western states in general, are trending Democratic.  I *don't* think this is because there's been some ideological shift; people just aren't as concerned with social issues as ten years ago.  It could easily swing back the other way.

[RavingLunatic]

On the Democratic side, there can't really be too much complaining this year.  If Hillary is leading the polls significantly in EVERY STATE, you can't really argue that early voting states will have a large impact. 

I think every primary should be on the same day, and that it should be illegal to show results until all polls have closed.

I agree with that last statement. I think pretty much everyone does, but when shit gets entrenched there's no changing it. I remember hearing that Greece (could've been another country) was going to make polling illegal for the two weeks leading up to an election. Makes sense to me.

Also, thought I think it's ridiculous that the early states have such influence, it's a godsend this year as it seems like Iowa could be the only thing keeping Hillary from running away with it. I'm so pissed at Edwards for not guaranteeing all troops out of Iraq by 2013. What the hell is wrong with him? He could've gained 5 points right there.

[Andrew_TSKS]

seriously, that seems do-able. what's up, edwards? you're my man! don't blow this!

also, thirded re: primaries all on the same day.