Confessions of an LDS Free-thinker (3)

This is the third of my confessions. I think. Lately, one of the things I have been wrestling with is the meaning of the words sustain and emulate. This is simply because my Bishop of my Church congregation (called a ward) has been giving me some grief over what sustain and emulate actually mean. As a free thinker, I'm an agent unto myself and I am capable of creating as God does. Same as any other human on the planet.

However, in my quest to learn more, I am frustrated by my Bishop's understanding of what it means to support the Leaders of the Church. I support the leaders of the Church, I really do, but as far I understand things, my support can go only so far as sustain is defined. However, my bishop is only interested in "sustaining" the Leaders as so far as emulating them as examples of how we aught to live our lives. And this gives me a headache since I do not believe in blind obedience.

sustain

Transitive Verb.
Pronunciation: \sə-ˈstān\

Function: transitive verb

Etymology:

Middle English sustenen, from Anglo-French sustein-, stem of sustenir, from Latin sustinēre to hold up, sustain, from sub-, sus- up + tenēre to hold — more at sub-, thin

Date:

13th century

1: to give support or relief to
2: to supply with sustenance : nourish
3: keep up, prolong
4: to support the weight of : prop; also : to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure)
5: to buoy up <sustained by hope>
6 a: to bear up under b: suffer, undergo <sustained heavy losses>
7 a: to support as true, legal, or just b: to allow or admit as valid sustained the motion>
8: to support by adequate proof : confirm sustains our contention>

Now, emulate.

emulate

Pronunciation:

\ˈem-yə-ˌlāt, -yü-\

Function:

transitive verb

Inflected Form(s):

em·u·lat·ed; em·u·lat·ing

Etymology:

Latin aemulatus, past participle of aemulari, from aemulus rivaling

Date:

1582

1 a: to strive to equal or excel b: imitate; especially : to imitate by means of an emulator
2: to equal or approach equality with

So, are we supposed to bear up our leaders, to buoy them up, and to support them as legal and just? Or are we suposed to imitate them? Really, I have no idea at what my bishop is trying to get at. If it is the former, I do that wholeheartedly. The latter, I'm not to sure about. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are taught that Jesus' life is our example, and that Jesus is our exemplar. Jesus is the Master of all the masters; His teachings supercede Buddha's, Lao Tzu's, Confucius', Moses', and Joseph Smith's. These other masters all complement their Master in their teachings on how a person can reach his or her fullest potential. So, why is emulating President Hinckley more important than living the Life of Jesus? I have no idea; but I'm beginning to feel that I'm being pulled this way and that way with my relationship to my bishop.

Jiang Hu Hong Kong (and Salt Lake City)

After my censure by ICE, I decided to work on a few things that would prove that I'm capable of originality. The first thing is an adventure designed for strong action in a world of Shadow and Martial Arts; a shared world known as Jiang Hu (which means "Rivers and Lakes").

In this first, adrenaline charged, high octane adventure; our intrepid band of adventurers start in Salt Lake City and fly to Hong Kong to retrieve an artifact stolen from the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.

The adventure should contain lots of explosions and be a good, all around can of action and adventure. A high FX Adventure, the adventure is based on the d20 Modern System.

Stage of Draft: Rough.

Working with the Youth

I'm working with the Youth in my Church Group and have volunteered to join the Boy Scout Troop on the merit badge council. Although I have to wear those stupid swimsuits when I go swimming with the youth (a naked leader with the youth doesn't come with good consequences); it's a set up I have to deal with.

I'll save the swimsuit arguement at a later time.

Anyway, as secretary, I pass boys off for their Scout advancements and merit badges. Although I thought that I'd be doing something else. I'll probably will. The fun hasn't really kicked off yet. :) I was called as Young Men's Secretary earilier this month. I haven't been updating my blog; mostly because my MS Windows computer has been giving me distress. I want to shoot it with a 12 gauge shotgun (BLAM!).

Writing for ICE

My dream for writing for Rolemaster has been dashed mostly because I have a problem coming up with original stuff. Well, the problem is simple. I do have a hard time coming up with original stuff. This is simply because I agonize over it. I fuss and fuss and don't let the gear work turn. ;)

However, the gear works have turned, actually. I did think of something original. It's an idea that will work nicely.

School

Sorry about the relative quietness, but I'm making preparations to go back to school. As of today, my computer has been going haywire lately. A windows ME machine, it has been trying my patience. I scream at it every time I get a fatal error. It's just insane to buy another Windows Machine.

So, I've decided to stop the insanity and pick up an Apple MacBook Pro. It's mainly for school, and it's been fortuitous to get ready for school and get a private education loan. So, it's a plus.

We Are Responsible for Creating Pornography

Simple as that. We created the monster that lives and breathes on the Internet.

In all actuality, we created Pornography for the very reason why we abhore it. Most of the US does not like naked bodies. Nevertheless, we created Pornography any way by giving it definition. In Victorian Times. Yes, it was Victorian Times when pornography was conceived. The Victorian Prude, found everywhere, was instrumental in creating Pornography. By making the body a forbidding thing, only between man and wife was pornography given a form, identity, definition, and a function.

Now that bastard child of Victorian times invades our homes via the Internet and everyone can see the Frankenstein we've created. Yet, even now, anti-pornography organizations have sprung up to combat the monster. "We must defeat or destroy pornography!" they cry. "Kill the ogre!"

By rallying against pornography we are creating even more pornography! It is the Law that what ever we fight against must needs expand so that it will always exist for us to contest against. We are effectively giving pornography power in order to do this. However, there is hope.

The hope is that Pornography continues to spread like wildfire so that people will finally recognize Pornography for what it actually is. And then, they will recognize it's opposite: Wholesome Family and Social Nudity; and discover that Nudism and Naturism provide the best way to defeat the ogre. Wholesome Family and Social Nudity truly opposes Pornography in a most perfect and bright way.

By participating in Wholesome Social Nudity, a man or a woman can counteract the lessons they've learned. That the body is a wholesome creation of God; and therefore sex itself is wholesome. By focusing on Wholesome Social Nudity, Pornography can actually lose its steam. It can run out of firewood to burn and become eventually harmless.

In fact, the signs are encouraging. Wholesome Nudity is on the rise: nude recreation is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. today. Married couples are spending more and more time in the nude. Scientific research is encouraging this: stating that it is actually healthy to sunbathe. Nudist parents are raising nudist children who are well adjusted and balanced. So, as pornography grows, so does it's Opposite. And the future is bright in this regard.

The Campaign for Natural Beauty

One of the worst things about the Fashion and Entertainment Industry is what they do to average looking models. They take the model, and sit her in a booth. Then they put all the make up on her and blow her hair to make it look attractive and beautiful. After the photoshoot, they digitally scan or take the digital photo in photoshop and alter the image to erase any look of average that you can recognize. Creating a totally hypocritical and bogus picture of beauty. Like the poster below. Her breasts are artificially enlarged and her legs probably altered.


Posters

Blech! What a terrible thing to do to a beautiful woman like that. Men should campaign for more natural looking beauties, and women should fight for less hypocrisy in the Fashion and Entertainment industry. One of the best ways to start is to see the video below.

Looking back

Hello fellow bloggers and greatful readers. I've been looking back at my High School days and at my Year Book for the Class of '93. Its surprising how handsome I actually looked like at 18. I was, as I am now, a beautiful sort of person back in '93. And I just now realize that.

I really do need to exercise. I also looked at my High School crush, a girl that I'm still in love with; and I realize what attraction is. And I'll get into my theory on attraction later; actually it's truth as I understand it. Beauty is an important principle of the Universe, and we need mathematics to understand the concept of beauty. Mathematics is the key to understanding this beauty.

To show you what I mean, I'm going to upload a beautiful picture in honor of Nude Blogging Day. :) And believe me, she is beautiful. Not as beautiful as my Love, but beautiful still. It's the picture of a family, going at least three or four generations.

Atlantis Design Diary: Heraclitus

It is time for Heraclitus. As a native a Ephesus, Heraclitus was a nobleman at birth. Heraclitus taught that everything has an opposite. Life and Death, Sin and Happiness, Success and Failure. These all existed in the world as opposites, according to Heraclitus. He also saw the great majority of human beings as lacking true understanding.

Some Teachings:

• “All things come into being through opposition, and are in flux like a river.” -- Heraclitus. Like Xenophanes, Heraclitus rejected the anthropomorphism of popular religion, but what is peculiar to Heraclitus is the sheer sweep of his vision of the world-order as a dynamic equilibrium of opposite movements.
• The life of the world-order lies in continual change.
• The tension of opposing forces which Anaximander calls “injustice” are part of the cosmic process itself; without them there would be no alteration of summer and winter. These “injustices” which the opposites commit against each other are as essential to the well-being of the whole as the reparation which they make to one another. In the eyes of the gods, therefore, they are not injustices at all, for their occurrence is necessary to the functioning of the cosmos.
• The modern humanist might take issue with Heraclitus’ sanctification of war, but it must be acknowledged that, since he turned his attention beyond explanations of natural phenomena — beyond physics — Heraclitus was in a sense the founder of Greek metaphysics, even though his successor, Parmenides, is almost universally regarded as the founder of this branch of philosophy.
  

Commentary: Heraclitus was correct to say that we live in a world of opposite forces. Lehi revealed this fact in the Book of Mormon, in second Nephi:

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
2nd Nephi 2:11-12.

However, Heraclitus was only half-right in saying that every man shared the same soul. It is true that we do, however, as much as we are connected, everyone has a separate and distinct personality. And as much as we are separate from each other, we are all connected. I'm you and you're me; yet I have a different personality from you so that you can gain perspective on your own life.

External Links:

• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy's article on Heraclitus.
• Heraclitus' highlights on Hypatia lovers dot com.
• Wikipedia's entry on Heraclitus.
• Some of Heraclitus' quotes.
  

Finding a way to get ahead

A lot of people are angry in Utah that housing costs are up 300%, gas is up 300%, and food is up 300%. Plus the fact that salaries in Utah are not catching up. A lot of people find it hard to stay in the black. However some are making it by themselves.

High gas prices, food costs, home expenses and huge debts are making it hard for many Utahns to make ends meet. Some say the government needs to help more. Others say they are making it work by themselves.

But the Hardings aren't waiting for society's help. They are doing it themselves. "We save first. We pay ourselves first. We have a great budget," Lori says.

Lori and Charles Harding say they have found saving has helped their family of five make ends meet.

Lori says, "It's the little steps. Not stopping at 7-11, or bringing your own lunch. Renting a video instead of going to the movie theater. Every step in the right direction gets you there."

Read the Entire story here:
KSL newscast.

Information: Vitamin D may Fight Cancers

The Buffalo News for Buffalo, New York has reported a study on how manufacturing Vitamin D may fight many types of cancers. From the article:

Research suggests vitamin D helps regulate cell growth and differentiation, the process that determines what a cell becomes. This is important in cancer. Cells should change normally, such as the way skin cells form throughout life, and not proliferate wildly to produce a malignant tumor.

As such, vitamin D is seen both as a protectant against cancer and as a potential treatment.

“Vitamin D may inhibit cells from growing and dividing and may kill tumor cells in some cases. It may also cause cancer cells to change into more mature, harmless cells,” said Dr. Candace Johnson, senior vice president for translational research at Roswell Park.

In recent years, the cancer center has put together a large, well funded vitamin D research team.

The researchers have demonstrated in laboratory tests that several forms of vitamin D control cells in ways that can prevent cancer and regulate proteins that affect tumor growth.

The institute also recently started a clinical trial of high-dose vitamin D replacement in individuals with high risk of lung cancer, and other scientists there are looking at boosting the effect of chemotherapy by adding vitamin D.

Read the full article here.

Birthright Campaign Setting

I've been reading an old favorite AD&D campaign setting. Birthright is one of the best campaign settings to come out of TSR in a very long time. The idea about Birthright is roleplaying High Fantasy with a bent on politics and intrigue. In Birthright, you play kings, queens, counts and contessas, barons and baronesses, earls, lords and ladies, and princes and princesses. You can also play pontiffs in a mighty theocracy; or be adroit corporate businessmen and merchant princes.

Fighters, Rangers, and Paladins manage Law holdings and make war. Clerics, Priests, and Druids manage Temple Holdings, theives and rogues manage guild and trade holdings, while sorcerers and wizards control mighty source holdings. Finally, the cultures are based on real world analogues: The Anuireans are based on Early Renassiance England and France (i.e. around the time of Henry Tudor VII); the Khinasi are based on the Spanish Moors at the hieght of their power; the Brechts are based on the Hanseatic League, the Rjurik are based on the Viking and Pictish cultures; and the Vos are based on the Mongol culture with a strong Russian influence.

In the Campaign Setting, which is taking some ideas from the Highlander franchise and turned them into an interesting campaign setting. The game is based on Richard Baker's old novel manuscript: Kingmaker.
It's awesome to be reading about it again. I'm looking forward to playing it as Atlantis is shaped.

Freedom News

The Naturist Action Committee won a hard fight in Texas today, defeating a bill that was needlessly worded wrong. As was reported:

Dear Naturist:

The Naturist Action Committee (NAC) declares victory in the fight against a legislative bill that threatened naturists in the state of Texas.

Texas House Bill 1466 attempted statewide regulation of sexually oriented businesses. The bill's broad primary definition would have included naturist and nudist parks, camps and resorts. Any other business (like a health club or bowling alley) that might be rented or used temporarily for naturist activities could also have been defined as a sexually oriented business.

With help from NAC and NAC's professional legislative lobbyist, House Bill 1466 found itself mired in committee. The bill is dead.

DISCUSSION

Rep. Bill Zedler (R-Arlington) was the sponsor of HB 1466. First elected in 2002 with the help of money from the political action group of discredited former Congressman Tom DeLay, Rep. Zedler has enjoyed success with a number of his bills.

The threat to naturists from House Bill 1466 was frightening and easy to understand. To the customary list of sexually oriented business definitions, HB 1466 added "any other commercial enterprise ... whose employees or customers appear in a state of nudity."

Not only would the definition have applied to every naturist and nudist park in the state, it would have included gyms, spas and pools with changing rooms.

WHAT HAS NAC BEEN DOING ABOUT THIS BILL?

Immediately after House Bill 1466 was filed, the Naturist Action Committee hired a professional Texas legislative lobbyist for assistance and advice. While working behind the scenes to kill the bill, NAC and its lobbyist also developed and presented revised language for HB 1466.

NAC considered it essential to assure that naturist resorts and parks in Texas would not be considered "sexually oriented businesses." At the same time, NAC saw it as equally important that other commercial venues would not be discouraged from allowing naturist usage, out of concern for being labeled as "sexually oriented businesses." The revised language that NAC developed was based on conditions of usage, and not on organizational affiliation.

On February 21, 2007, the Naturist Action Committee issued a NAC Advisory concerning House Bill 1466. The text of that Advisory is archived on the Web site of the Naturist Action Committee.

Some legislation is best dealt with quietly, and House Bill 1466 is an example. In this instance, NAC chose not to call for the sort of grass roots action that can be so very effective in other situations.

WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO?

This is an update and an announcement of a specific victory. The Naturist Action Committee is NOT asking you to take action at this time. The threat from House Bill 1466 is gone, but those who introduce such legislation are not. Please watch for NAC Action Alerts, Advisories and Updates on other topics of interest to naturists.

MORE INFORMATION

You can access additional information on the Web site of the Naturist Action Committee.

www.naturistaction.org

Select "Alerts, Advisories and Updates." Under Current Updates, you'll find the text of this NAC Advisory, along with links to the complete text of Texas House Bill 1466 and the NAC Advisory of February 21, 2007.

PLEASE HELP NAC HELP NATURISTS

As the nonprofit volunteer political adjunct to The Naturist Society, the Naturist Action Committee is a vigorous force at work on behalf of naturists. NAC stands up for private naturist and nudist resorts, parks and camps, just as it champions the responsible clothing-optional use of public lands.

NAC does not hesitate to engage legislative lobbyists when it becomes necessary. But lobbyists are expensive. NAC relies entirely on your voluntary support. Please donate generously with a check to:

This is actually a good thing. May the Naturist Action Committee, and other groups that value our freedom as individuals, be equally successful.

Ack, still alive!

I've been working hard getting readmitted to the Salt Lake Community College and haven't been able to offer any updates. I've also been pretty tired lately. Meanwhile, here is a picture for your perusal. It's Pin-Up art from Howard David Johnson. Since this site is educational, this falls under educational use.

Dungeons and Dragons Research Notes: Heraclitus

A native of Ephesus, Hereclitus lived from 540 B.C. to 475 B.C. Hereclitus was a Greek philosopher of aristocratic birth. The aristocratic philosopher supposed that change is the only constant in the Universe, and argued against a Universe of permanency and no change. Through his efforts, Hereclitus became the bridge of the Ioanian school to the philosophy of Parmenides. He eventually critizes his opponents for not seeing unity.

Hereclitus' Accomplishments:

• Hereclitus proposed a theory of knowledge. He believed that understanding the Word would bring understanding.
• Hereclitus proposed a theory that the Universe is constantly changing, and through change its in equilibrium. Hereclitus held that (1) everything is constantly changing and (2) opposite things are identical, so that (3) everything is and is not at the same time.
• Hereclitus critized the Ionian school of philosophy.
• Herclitus proposed a natural, physical theory.
• Hereclitus theorized some moral and political theories.

External Links:

• Hereclitus biography and Philosography on Hypatia lovers dot com.
• Internet Encyclopedia's article of Hereclitus.

Family Naturism and Swinging are not the same

From a couple of kindred spirits over at a popular clothing optional; nudist resort:

Now the problem still exists that people who don't know any better, are still confused thinking that swingers are also nudists. (Although some are, it does not go hand in hand). In the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a reporter is definately confused. For the full story click here

The reporter writes "You might think someone running a campground named for its nudist policy and dedicated to mate-swapping..." The reporter continues "He bought the campground in 2002 and began welcoming nudists."

Why this problem still exists, I have no idea. But nudism should not be equated with Swinging. Swingers are those who swap their mates for mating; family naturists pass on the value of chaste nudity to their children and set a good example for them by being nude and faithful to their spouses. Now don't get me wrong, but sex is fun. It's the most beautiful, most sublime, and most fun way to connect with your spouse or partner. But this really shouldn't be going on.

This blog may be about my roleplaying hobby, but I also use it for my other hobbies as well. One of these is family naturism. I believe naturist resorts who call themselves famly naturist resorts should cater to the family. De Anza Springs Resort is one of these. So is the Terra Cotta Inn. The more we focus on how Naturism and nudism revolves around the family and chaste social nude functions: the less people will confuse swinging or free sex with the naturist/nudist community. Sexuality is for the family, and naturism is for developing close relationships.

Oh, and to day, I feel uninspired; but I'm still going to put up an article about one of the Greek Philosophers.

Harn World

I've been playing around with writing an adventure for HârnWorld, Columbia Games' real fantasy world designed for any roleplaying game system. The adventure is inspired by Daggerfall, of all games.

I can't say much, but this is actually my first adventure in a long time. Hopefully something good will come of it. As for Hârn World, I can say some things about it from the FAQ.

Hârn is an island on an imaginary world called Kethira. This island and world are the setting for a fantasy role-playing game. The proper spelling of Hârn has a carat (^) over the 'a'; in LaTeX it would be spelled H\^arn. Sometimes the word Hârn is used by players to refer to the entire world of Kethira, or at least those parts that have been described in official and fan-developed publications.

Confessions of an LDS Free Thinker (2)

Dealing with unrequited love can really be a bear, really. Although Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Theory really help, it can be quite a burden.

I keep declaring that I love my princess. The reason why is simple, every time you declare something; something immediately happens and the Universe swings its way. Remember the power words article below? Anyway, it works in love like this. I declare my love for this woman, and she instantly responds no matter where she is in the Universe. So, she aught to know that a real man actually loves her very deeply in her unconscious mind.

My description of the last time I saw her is getting very poetic. Anyway, with legs like hers, she really should show them off. And I acknowledge that she may not want to. But this is a confession so I'd like to confess a desire. Unlike me, I have a feeling that she isn't a nudist, but I'd love her to be.

Here is my desire:
We are on a dinner date at one of the best restaurants in Salt Lake City (yes, I know, there are probably a lot of restaurant critics who have been in better restuarants in other cities -- Salt Lake City doesn't really have the best restuarants in the country let alone the Universe). While eating our main course, she reveals to me, hesitantly, that she's a nudist. Containing my excitement, I ask her out on a hiking date. She accepts and then I surprise her by showing off my hiking clothes -- going skyclad. She gets skyclad too and we have a wonderful hike, as any anxiety between us is immediately dispelled. The next week, we go to Hawaii and on one of the nude beaches in an Edenic paradise; I ask her to marry me and bring along a ring for the occasion.

That would be awesome.

Excercise can help Parkinson's Disease

From Dr. Mercola's blog:

The evidence is growing by leaps and bounds about the beneficial effect exercise has on Parkinson's, according to a pair of recent studies.

In one report discussed during a recent medical conference, researchers tracked the health of some 63,000 men and nearly 80,000 women (average age 63) from 1992-2001. During that period, slightly more than 400 developed Parkinson's. Patients who participated in the highest levels of moderate-to-vigorous exercise lowered their Parkinson's risks by 40 percent. And, patients who exercised more often than folks who didn't reduced their chances of Parkinson's by 20 percent.

In the latter study on animals models, USC researchers learned exercise may enhance the way our bodies use dopamine, forcing the brain to work more efficiently and making the dopamine-producing neurons work harder. Doing both may produce stronger connections to the brain, says the lead researcher.

Well, who would have thought. Parkinson's Disease can be treated by simple exercise. This is something worth thinking about, actually. Since I enjoy exercise, I have another reason to enjoy it more and to exercise more. Thank you Doctor Mercola!

External Links:

• Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 27, No. 20, May 16, 2007: 5291-5300
• EurekAlert May 15, 2007
• Health Central.com April 25, 2007
  
  

Research Notes: Xenophanes

It's interesting reading the Philosophy of the Greeks how they are coming closer and closer to the Truth that Christianity promises, but not all sects and versions of Christianity offers. As the Natural Philosophers of the Greeks continued in their theory advancing to understand the true nature of the Universe, the closer they come to the Absolute Truth of Nature.

All science or Natural Philosophy is about advancing and learning the truth about the Universe and how it works. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, scientists are often denigrated for their pursuit of the truth. However, their pursuit is a righteous cause and the journey is long and hard. Take in the case of Xenophanes, the next Philosopher on our list.

“All is one.”

— Xenophanes

Xenophanes is a poet and a religious reformer based out of Elea in Italy. Born in Colophon, located in what is now Turkey, Xenophanes was a Greek philosopher and poet. He also happened to be a social and religious critic. Xenophanes was the founder of the Eleatic School of Philosophy, but often Parmenides holds that honor. To highlight Xenophanes' contributions to Natural and Metaphysical philosophy, one has to understand that his poetry criticized and satirized a wide range of ideas, including the belief in the pantheon of anthropomorphic gods and the Greeks' veneration of athleticism. He is the earliest Greek poet who claims explicitly to be writing for future generations, creating "fame that will reach all of Greece, and never die while the Greek kind of songs survives."

Xenophanes' contributions:

• Xenophanes was the first to express monotheism in a pantheistic way. He believed that God was expressed in how the Laws of the Universe operated and deserved not to be Anthropormorphized.
• Xenophanes gave us the Rain Cycle, which is expressed as water evaporating from the oceans and forming clouds and storms, and eventually rains the water on the Earth, which collects into rivers and drains back into the ocean. So, instead of a Fertile Crescent god masturbating and releasing his seed on the ground, or Zeus urinating into a sieve, Xenophanes presented the foundation of modern Meteorology.
• Xenophanes believed that the Rain Cycle will produce another beginning and another flood by water.
• Xenophanes also laid the foundations of the Eternity of Matter and Energy (i.e. Matter and Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; but converted from one form to another.
• Xenophanes thought that the truth is relative rather than absolute.
  
• Finally, Xenophanes was more of a reformer to science. He sought to revolutionize science from thinking in polytheistic terms to thinking in terms of what one observes and understands. A practical approach to science.

A Latter-day Saint's views on Xenophanes' Philosophy: While Pythagoras said that Mathematics was the science of understanding beauty (which is a principle of the Gospel); Xenophanes sought to impersonalize the Anthropormorphic nature of the Greek Gods -- stating that they are unworthy of worship because they had huiman attributes attached to their personalities. He instead insisted on God's existence through how the Laws of Nature operated.

I'm not Pantheist like Xenophanes and Einstein were. But I can see how Xenophanes had seen some truths. First of all, the work of God is seen in how Nature operates within the Laws we've come to understand. That is where Xenophanes, Einstein, and I agree. However, I do disagree with Xenophanes that God is not Anthropormorphic. Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus Christ and believe on His name as a personal savior. We believe that He is a person, human, with flesh and bones and thus operates within and by the Laws of the Observable Universe. So, how can I agree with Xenophanes and yet disagree with him? That will have to be saved for another time.

External Links:

• Xenophanes on Hypatia-lovers dot com.
• The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy's article on Xenophanes.
• Giannis Stamatellos' article on Xenophanes.
• Stanford School of Philosophy's article on Xenophanes.

Dungeons and Dragons Research Notes: Pythagoras

I'll be getting to the game mechanics as I'm still building the cultural foundation for Atlantis 600 B.C. Just be patient. Today, we are going to meet the famous, and inestimable, and mostly admired Pythagoras.

PYTHAGORAS AND THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM

In any right triangle, the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of areas of the squares whose sides are the two legs (i.e. the two sides other than the hypotenuse).

Pythagoras is one of the most influentual Greek philosophers, and one of history's most influential mathematicians, he helped lay the ground work that Archimedes and other mathematicians would build on -- including Sir Isaac Newton, one of the Renassiance discoverers of Calculus. Pythagoras is also responsible for founding musicology and music theory.

Pythagoras was born in Samos, and later he would go on to found the Pythagorean school of Philosophy. The Pythagorean school was a religious and philosophic school which had a lasting influence on religion and philosophy -- including Gnostic and Aesthetic Christianity. Pythagoras was instructed in the Ionian school of thought and eventually made his way to Egypt where he was instructed by the Egyptian priesthood. Because of his disgust over the Tyranny of Polycrates, Pythagoras was exiled from Samos. Having moved to Italy, he founded the Pythagorean school in which men and women would flock to. However, Pythagoras' life on Earth came to an end when the Democratic party won out in Italy and the Aristocratic Pythagoreans attacked the Democrats and Pythagoras died in the struggle.

Accomplishments by Pythagoras:

• The Pythagorean Theorem is attributed to him. Necessarily, the history between Pythagoras and his theorem is quite complex.
• Pythagoras introduced the concept of reincarnation to the Greeks through the idea of mentempsychosis.
• A music theory that says that music is based on proportional intervals of four.
• The theory that the Universe is base 10. Including the postulation of a tenth planet, known as Gorea (see John Norman's novels).
• Pythagoras discovered the theory of mathematical proportion.
• Proposed that the Earth was a sphere that revolved on it's own axis.
• Killed a student for his discovery of irrational numbers.

Pythagorean Influence:

• Plato: Pythagoras or in a broader sense, the Pythagoreans, allegedly exercised an important influence on the work of Plato. According to R. M. Hare, his influence consists of three points: a) the platonic Republic might be related to the idea of "a tightly organized community of like-minded thinkers", like the one established by Pythagoras in Croton. b) there is evidence that Plato possibly took from Pythagoras the idea that mathematics and, generally speaking, abstract thinking is a secure basis for philosophical thinking as well as "for substantial theses in science and morals". c) Plato and Pythagoras shared a "mystical approach to the soul and its place in the material world". It is probable that both have been influenced by Orphism.
• Roman Influence: n the legends of ancient Rome, Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome, is said to have studied under Pythagoras. This is unlikely, since the commonly accepted dates for the two lives do not overlap.

External Links:

• Pythagoras' biography on Hypatia-lovers.com.
• Wikipedia entry on Pythagoras.
• The Pythagorean Theorem on wikipedia and Apronus dot com.
• Pythagoras article on the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
• Pythagoras biography on MacTutor of Mathematics.
  

New Evidence: Sun Exposure Prevents Cancer

From Mercola.com and Globe and Mail.com:

An American study scheduled for a June release compared the health of some 1,200 female patients, some of whom took a vitamin D supplement while others didn't.

The number of patients who reduced their risk of cancer by taking a vitamin D supplement -- 60 percent -- was so unexpectedly high that some initially believed it to be a typographical error.

This study, and many similar ones, may force conventional medicine to re-evaluate its vitamin D recommendations. A deficiency in vitamin D figures into many diseases in addition to cancer. One researcher pointed out, "We don't really know what the status of chronic disease is in the North American population, until we normalize vitamin D status."

Globe and Mail.com April 28, 2007

My Comment:
This has come out before I could present my argument on how Naturism is beneficial to the human body this Monday. I was going to argue that the Sun is actually beneficient for our bodies as our bodies use UV rays as a catalyst to produce Calcipherol, otherwise known as Vitamin D. Doctor Mercola, a doctor who is crusading for truth, has actually beaten me too it. I'd be a voice a among many to saying how naturism is good for the body and the psyche.

And I'm still going to do it this Monday. I'll have the weight of the medical profession behind me as studies have been published in the Journal of the American Assocation of Surgeons as well as Globe and Mail. Doctor Mercola said that sunlight exposure -- i.e. sunbathing -- can reduce cancer risk by 50 percent. While UCAN and other Cancer Prevention networks try to turn us into molemen, I'm happy that Doctor Mercola is telling the truth about sunlight exposure.

Power Words

While reading Mamoreal's blog Being REAL, I caught the sense that this wonderful sister doesn't have the concept that she is in control of her own actions. Well, she does, but she doesn't fully understand her real powers over herself and how she wants to be. So, this is a blog entry for her.

There are four powerful words we learn in the English Language because they define self, choice, and intentions. These Power Words do not have any noticeable effect, at first, like the Power Word spells in Dungeons and Dragons and the d20 System. But they are more powerful since they define our focus and shape our world. These words are:

• I believe
  
• I can
• I choose
• I am

I'll go through these one by one.

I believe: I believe is usually a power word stating our faith in something. Believe is a power word relating to faith. When we believe in something, we are stating that we have faith in it. Most of the time, this is something we cannot see, touch, or realize its there. Like electricity. A lot of people can't define electricity, they can't see it or give any kind of physicality to it. But they know its there. They become aware of its presence when they flip on a switch, or turn on the Television.

I can: I can is a statement in intention. "I can become wealthy," "I can marry." When we say "I can" we are stating our intentions or a preconcieved option we've already taken.

I choose: I choose is even more powerful than I can, since it means that you are declaring a choice through your own free agency. I choose is more powerful than "I can" and "I Choose."

I AM: Whoa, talk about power. "I am" is a very, very special phrase in the English language. It is special because it is a declaration of self. I am is something you say when you want to define yourself and who you want to be. I Am is so powerful that the phrase God uses when talking to Moses was translated to "I AM" by the translators of the Bible. When you say I am something, you are declaring to the universe that you are that something. I am in love. I am wealthy. I am poor. I am "suffering" unrequited love (yes, it's painful, but temporary). When I finally go through the House of the Lord, I will be getting something wonderful -- my true identity as to actually who I am.

These are the four power phrases. Use them wisely.

Confessions of an LDS Free Thinker (1)

I am a Free Thinker, I can not get away from this fact. I think freely and wonderfully. I can come up with all sorts of thoughts from the material I digested. Free thinking led me to a prayer that saved me from a lifetime of Porn Addiction. Free thinking led me to believe in the Spirit in a way not many people thought possible. Free thinking led me to a better understanding of the Law of Christ, and that Christ can forgive sins and not judge us.

That being said, my other confession is that I'm in love with a woman who I have known since 1st Grade (I think, probably Kindergarten). Unlike others, confessing this love out in the open connects me to my love in a way many virgin lovers felt but did not understand. The sad thing is, my love for her is unreciprocated in the physical sense. What is she like?

The last time I saw her, she was blonde and had a crimpy hair style to simulate curling. Her skin is the most beautiful shade of white and pink. She had the bluest eyes, like great cerulean sapphires that I could get lost in for hours. She had the straightest nose, and teeth as white as new elephant tusks.

She is the most attractive girl in the Graduating Class of 1993 of Cyprus High School. God, she's beautiful. I hope by now she realizes by how much she is. After all she just glows with a radiance that surpasses everyone else. She has a next door girl quality about her, and she became fully attractive to me. As of late, I tried to look her up on the Reunion site and . . . I ran into bit of a problem. I can't afford the detective fees to find out where she currently lives and her phone number and so forth. But I love her very much, and I know every time I exclaim my love for her she instantly reacts. After all, it's her face that I want to wake up to every morning, and her naked body that I desire to hold close to mine. And it's her that I desire to share my love with, and I love to have her share her love for me with me.

Why am I writing out my feelings? Well, it's more of a therapuetic move. Like this LDS blogger said:

And yet I continue to type away, at least partly, because I'm having difficulty finding a new counselor/therapist and I like the idea (mentioned in the blog I stumbled into) of blogging as a form of narrative therapy.

My therapy is not to pine away for my love, but to deal with my unrequited love. I'll continue to express my desire to reunite with her, date her, and marry her. It's a righteous desire, I know it; and I'm finally the man she really wants inside.

So, there you have it. A virgin LDS free-thinker in love with the woman of his dreams who is saving himself for her. After all, she deserves the best, and I am the best.

Research Notes: Anaximenes

Anaximenes is the third Greek philosopher, the third philosopher of the Milesian school. Anaximenes believed that the 'air' was the source of all things. This claim constrasts with Thales' supposition that everything came from water. Anaximenes inisted that everything condensed out of the 'air' including all elements. Everything is air at different degrees of density, and under the influence of heat, which expands, and of cold, which contracts its volume, it gives rise to the several phases of existence. The process is gradual, and takes place in two directions, as heat or cold predominates. In this way was formed a broad disk of earth, floating on the circumambient air. Similar condensations produced the sun and stars; and the flaming state of these bodies is due to the velocity of their motions. He states:

"Just as our soul, being air, holds us together, so do breath and air encompass the whole world."

What makes the three Milesian philosophers, Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes, stand out is that the theoretical human has become a reality. The way of thinking has in its basic form moved away from the mythological thinking (or mythos) and into the domain of the theoretical thinking (or logos). From now on it is about explaining the universal and the general. Everything in the universe can now be approached by the thoughts of humans. This notably influenced the Pythagoreans.

It was actually "aer" which he believed to be the common charecteristic between all things. "Aer" is the Greek word for a mist rather than just pure air.

As strange as this might seem, Anaximenes was not too far off mark. Anaximenes' theory preceded the Aetherial Void theory of the 19th Century; and now the fledging Zero Point Energy theory is superceding that. What is not unusual is that each theory is getting closer to the actual Omnipresence of God. As D&C 88:41 relates:

He ^acomprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever.

External Links:

• Anaximenes on Hypatia World.
• Anaximenes' Wikipedia entry.
• The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy's entry on Anaximenes.
  

The Case for Wholesome Social and Family Nudity

In honor of the Nude Blogging Movement, I said I would post two articles today. One was already posted for Anaximander; the first Greek Philosopher. Now its time to post about wholesome social and family nudity. Naturism and Nudism seem to be the solution to the problem of the Salt Lakers' consumption of Pornography. However, since we are focusing on results rather than on what is inside, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an Annual sermon on Pornography (or bi-annual) every General Conference of the Church.

The latest sermon, given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, serves as a reminder of how awful Pornography is to society and the changes that it is making. Clearly, because of Pornography's affect on a relationship between a husband and a wife and his children, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is typically against Pornography. Indeed, the Church is anti-Pornography and it makes no apology for the fact because Pornography can change the relationship dynamic in a family. Believe me, the Apostles and Seventies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hate Pornography as much as you do and its painful for them to speak out against it in General Conference. But, it seems that there is no other way but to preach Pornography avoidance. However, we live in a totally different world than what we had fifty years ago. Clearly it isn't working, as Bishops complain that one in three cases of morality that they deal with in the office deals with the "evil" of pornography. Is there another solution to the problem?

---

First, lets examine "the problem." The simple problem is a simple Law called the Law of Cause and Effect. The Law of Cause and Effect is divided into two other simple laws: the Law of the Harvest and the Law of Attraction. This Law and it's counterparts were first described by Sir Issac Newton in Natural Philosophic/Scientific terms as "Newton's Laws of Motion." The Laws of Motion are stated as thus:

• An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
• The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.
• For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.

Now lets explain the Laws of the Harvest and the Law of Attraction and how they work with Newton's Third Law (I could get into Quantum Mechanics here, so bear with me).

The Law of Attraction and how all Kingdoms are governed by Law:

All kingdoms have a law given;
And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.
All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.
For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.
He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever.

The Law of the Harvest is simple: you reap what you sow. Instead of getting into Quantum Mechanics and blowing you away with the ingenious way that modern science explains this law; its best to use an Analogy. What perfect analogy to use then that of the Garden of Eden story? The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is more of an Allegory.

If you remember from the Bible, there is three trees represented: the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Tree of Experience. All three of these trees are represented in the history of our lives, each of the three trees are as personal as we are. Both the Trees of Life and Knowledge are pure trees, while our Tree of Experience is often the product of grafting roots from the other two trees. The Tree of Life represents:

• Freedom
• Truth
• Understanding
• Power
• Wealth
  
• Love
• Beauty
• Oneness

The Tree of Knoweledge of Good and Evil represents:

• Bondage
• Lies
• Ignorance
• Illusion of Power
• Destitution
  
• Ugliness
• Pride
  
• Separation

Our Tree of Experience produces fruit that is from the graftings of these two trees -- or in real terms truth as we understand and perceive. The fruit of our Experience is produced by the roots. So, what ever our roots are, that is what our fruit will be when produced. So, if we live in a world that is plagued by Pornography, or if we see Pornography everywhere as we avoid it; then there is something wrong with our roots. We need to cut the bad and cancerous roots out of our personal Tree of Experience and graft in new, healthy roots to produce better fruit. So, what does this have to do with the sermons on Avoiding pornography?

To tell the truth, and this is where Quantum Mechanics comes into play; I believe by preaching avoidance the GAs are making it worse. This is why, by preaching to avoid Pornography the GAs are, in effect, creating Pornography for us to avoid. Or better yet, by following the counsel to avoid Pornography physically rather than spiritually; we are creating Pornography for us to avoid in ever and greater numbers because Pornography has to exist in order for us to avoid it!

When we avoid pornography, we are focusing our attention to the fact that Pornography actually exists and thereby causing Pornography to expand in greater and greater volume. For this is the Law of the Harvest: whichever we focus on becomes our reality. So in essence, we are creating the very social problems we are trying to solve. And because most Americans do not understand that we need to focus on changing the inside rather than the outside, Americans act in total hysterics over what they define as Pornography of every kind.

Cases in point from Diary of a Nudist:

In Tampa, a Marine Corps sergeant who served 9 months in Iraq, committed suicide rather than face the consequences of having been charged with possessing child pornography. His choices were apparently to fight the charges, or cop a plea and live the rest of his life as a registered pedophile. The sergeant chose the ultimate option of ending his life.

In October 2004, a CompUSA employee who was working on the sergeant's laptop computer found nude images of prepubescent girls. He was charged with a crime, lost all his friends, and was given a "less than honorable" discharge from the Marines. And it was all downhill from there.

The sergeant professed his innocence - his laptop was used by many people who could have downloaded the images. But nobody wanted to hear his story, and with $30,000 in legal fees hanging over his head, he shot himself.

A South Carolina high school student tried to show a nude photo of himself on his cell phone to a female student, who immediately reported the incident. The boy is currently in a detention center awaiting a bond hearing.

It's hard to believe, but 25% of readers polled found the latest issue of BabyTalk to be "inappropriate" because it shows a nursing baby and a side profile of a mother's breast. One mother who didn't like the cover explains she was concerned about her 13-year-old son seeing it. "I shredded it," said Gayle Ash, of Belton, Texas, in a telephone interview. "A breast is a breast — it's a sexual thing. He didn't need to see that." A sexual thing? Is the baby "turned on" by the nursing process? Is nursing a sex act?

So, what is to be done? Well, we can either destroy all means and all examples of electronic, print, art, and written communication to prevent Pornography from being transmitted. Or we need to change ourselves to something better; inside.

---

Wholesome social and family nudity seem to be the best answer to a culture and nation who are witch hunting for decency; and yet has a 4 billion dollar Pornography industry. What is wholesome social and family nudity? Basically the quality of recreation and living where we take our clothes off and act like civilized, decent human beings.

What? We take our clothes off and live as if we have them on? Yes. You see, Man isn't some stupid animal as most Evangelical Christians and Evolutionists would have you believe. A human being is fully capable of taking responsibility for himself or herself and governing himself or herself no matter what state of clothing he or she is in. Therefore, someone who practices social and family nudity in a way that is wholesome demonstrates that he or she can take their clothes off and control the drive to mate while naked in a public place. Wholesome social and family nudity is all about self control rather than control by others. Self government is the norm for Wholesome social and family nudity. And it does work, in amazing ways! Some benefits include:

• Improved Relationship with others: When naked and in control, we can gain a better perspective on our relationship with others. In fact, with our spouse or girlfriend, our relationships can run deeper because we won't be focusing on the outside since we are seeing the outside of that person. Relationships can become deeper on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level.
• Body and Self Acceptance: One of the problems for pre-teens and teens is self esteem. Believe me, I am speaking from experience. Everyone has seen Linus with his security blanket; well clothes became my false sense of security. I felt safe when covered by clothing from homosexual rapists that must have existed in my School Gym Shower. Little did I know that it revealed a problem for me: I didn't have good self esteem and I lived my life in fear of being raped or approached by a homosexual teen. When I discovered chaste nudity as a way to deal with Pornography, everything changed for me. I accepted myself and my own body. Of course, I want to exercise to look better for the girls.
• Body Demystification: I also speak from experience on this part. Growing up with hardnosed parents about what nudity is for ("Your nudity is for your wife and only your wife!!"), I became mystified with a Woman's body, and added that with the Law of Chastity; Women became somewhat of a sexual predator/victim for me. I wanted to know what the female areola and vulva looked like! I caught a full body fetish!!! Healthy, hardly. When I learned of Chaste Nudity and actually saw real women at nude activities and were not predating on me the female body was no longer mystifying to me and I actually saw the women for who they are and not as a sex predator/victim/object (yes, all three together).
• Apartheid Destruction: Feelings of sexism, racism, and caste went out the door when I saw people who has the exact same body plan (except for differences in sexual dimorphism and skin color). I saw in Wholesome Nudity the ideal of American and LDS society: a classless society where everyone can be regarded as the same no matter what creed, skin color, or sex. In a wholesome nudity environment, everyone is undressed exactly the same so there is no apparent image of rich or poor or middle class. Everyone is the same.
• Communication Expansion: In a social nudity environment, people can communicate with each other much better. This is especially true of me, who found it hard to communicate with his peers because I didn't feel equal to them. When I was nude with others in a social setting, and with out sexual congress, I could communicate better and apparently much more intelligently with others since they were communicating with me on the same level. This is true for everyone.

As you can see, the benefits of Social Nudity outweighs the benefits of being clothed. This part of the article only touched on the social and emotional aspects of Wholesome Nudity though. Next monday, we can explore the physical reasons and physical benefits of being nude. For now, let us focus on Wholesome Nudity as a nation and allow that to expand while moving away from Pornography in order to make its influence over America shrink.

Research: Anaximander

The Father of recorded philosophy, Anaximander of Miletos was Thales' student. One of the pre-socratic philosophers, Anaximander was the philosopher who wrote his discoveries down while Thales did not. Anaximander succeeded Thales over the Milesian school of thought and counted Anaxamenes and Pythagoras as his pupils.

Though we know little of his life, Anaximander gave to the world such concepts as:

• The concept of the infinite Universe.
• The Obliquity of the eliptic.
• The first attempt to describe the motion of the Planets (which was eventually superceded by Sir Issac Newton by way of Calculus.)
• He tried to explain the Cosmos in a natural way, without using any mythological reference. A "godless" cosmology.
• Gave the first attempt to describe the Meteorological phenomenae such as thunder and lightning in natural process other than through the action of the god Zeus (pronounced "Zevs").
• Anaximander also speculated on a non-miraculous origin of Mankind. While still abiogenesis, his theories will lead to Louie Pasteur's discovery of Biogenesis (Life begets Life).
• Anaximander is said to pioneer the discipline of Cartography. Cartography is the discipline of drawing maps of the geosphere. Which is probably why Jason used an astrograph to sail to Colchis instead of a cartograph.
• Finally, Anaximander invented the Gnomon. This little invention consists of was simply a vertical pillar or rod mounted on a horizontal plane. The position of its shadow on the plane indicated the time of day. As it moves through its apparent course, the sun draws a curve with the tip of the projected shadow, which is shortest at noon, when pointing due south. The variation in the tip’s position at noon indicates the solar time and the seasons; the shadow is longest on the winter solstice and shortest on the summer solstice.

  However, the invention of the gnomon itself cannot be attributed to Anaximander because its use, as well as the division of days into twelve parts, came from the Babylonians. It is they, according to Herodotus' Histories (II, 109), who gave the Greeks the art of time measurement. It is likely that Anaximander was not the first to determine the solstices, because no calculation is necessary. On the other hand, equinoxes do not correspond to the middle point between the positions during solstices, as the Babylonians thought. As the Suda seems to suggest, it is very likely that Anaximander, with his knowledge of geometry, became the first Greek to accurately determine the equinoxes.

Anaximander's major contribution to Western thought was that he developed the framework with which early Greek Philosophy managed to develop from start to finish. This is something that Chinese philosophers like Mencius and Confucius would do in their own Civilization. This framework started Western Civilization on a course that would explain the World through basic observation and logical reasoning -- a search for the Truth without relying on superstition.

External Links:

• Anaximander, the philosopher who developed a non-mythical Cosmology.
• Wikipedia entry on Anaximander.
• Anaximander's biography at Science World.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Going beyond: the future.

I still have more research notes to post as to what kind of foundation that Atlantis 600 B.C. has. Hesiod and Thales are only a tiny scratch on the Iceberg for creating a wonderful Campaign Setting based not on Medieval Culture but on Ancient culture instead. Beyond the Greek Culture are the following cultures that I've researched.

• Egyptian. The Ancient Egyptian culture has influenced many cultures around the world. It was the first real World Superpower. Egypt and it's Pharoahs extended their influence as far east as Harrapan and as far north as Greece, as far south as Eithiopia, and as far west as North America (Examples of Demotic were discovered in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, and Missouri. Demotic was never found in Central and South America).
• Ancient Israel. Israel, also known as the Levant, had contributed much more than just the Bible to Western Civilization. The Israelites were among the first to use linear time recording instead of cyclic time recording. The ancient Israelites also was the very first civilization to have an organized religion that had a top-down structure. This religious structure currently exists in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Ancient India. Talk about a civilization that suffered invasion after invasion after invasion; and migration after migration after migration. Modern India is one of the few nations that have an Apartheid system that still works today. The Apartheid that Indians suffer is so ingrained into their culture its hard to separate them from it. Even with revolutionary philosophies such as Buddhism and Jainism. Still, India gave Western Society the first philosophical basis for Nudism and Naturism, and metaphysics. They also contributed plastic surgery, superior cotton fabric, Damascene steel, and the first instance of organic soluable sutures. Mostly in the form of ant heads.
• The Hopewell and Adena Cultures. Okay, Archaeology, both secular and religious, doesn't know what to make of these two except for the brass and ore tablets left by these two cultures that had Demotic written upon them; and the Mounds! Some archaelogists that specialize in the Hopewell and Adena cultures apply logic: Demotic was written by the Egyptians, the Hopewells and Adenians used Demotic; therefore the Hopewells and Adenians were Egyptian. However, there is very strong evidence to the contrary as to who the Hopewell people and Adenian people actually were.

Since Monday is Nude Blogging Day, I'll be writing two articles. The first will deal with wholesome social and family nudity; the second continues my notes on the Greek Philosophers.

Dungeons and Dragons Research: Thales

Thales is one of the first Natural Philosophers. He traveled extensively in Egypt and Mesopotamia and brought back Geometry and Astronomy with him. The Ancient Egyptians also taught him the principles of Astronomy they learned from a very wise man in the past. Thales is famous for laying down the basics of Geometry in Greek terms. Incuding a theorem that is still called Thales' Theorem today. It states that if the vertex of an angle moves in a semi-circle, and the end points of its arms remain at the end-points of the diameter, then the angle remains unaltered at the right angle.

The circle of this construction is known as the circle of Thales. Further, Thales also said that:

1. When two straight lines intersect one another the opposite angles are equal, and . . .
2. That two triangles having two angles and one side that are respectively equal are themselves equal; and .
3. that the sum of the angles in a triangle is equal to two right angles, and . . .
4. That is a circle is bisected by it's diameter, and . . .
5. that the angles at the base of an isoseles triangle are equal.

Thales influenced Greek Mathematics and Western Civilization by explaining the foundations of geometry and trigonometry. In his old age, he went by the name sophos, which means "sage." Thales spoke often of living a virtuous life and encouraged everyone to live to be true to themselves. His most famous quote: "The most difficult thing to do is to know thyself." -- Thales

External Links:

• Thales, the first philosopher
• Wikipedia entry on Thales.
• The internet encyclopedia of Philosophy's entry on Thales.
• A summary of Thales from the MacTutor of Mathemetical History.

Research: Hesiod

A early Greek Poet, Hesiod represents the first step in Hellenic Philosophy. Hesiod lived during the Greek Archaic Age (the Dark Ages); which happened immediately after the fall of Troy (located in Turkey). Hesiod wrote the Poem the Theogony, which is a collection of the Greek Masculine Creation Myth that everyone recognizes.

Hesiod's writing deals with creation ex niliho (out of nothing), which is in direct conflict with the Orphic Creation Myth -- which features the Goddess Eurynome and the cosmic serpent Ophion. To Hesiod, the Universe comes into being by itself. The Theogony points are:

• Creation of Chaos.
• Creation of Earth
• Tartaros
• Eros (Love)
  
• Eurebus
• Night
• Atmosphere
• Day
• Uranos
• Mountains
• Sea
• Ocean
• then the Titans and the other offspring
  

Hesiod's Theogony said that the Universe created itself out of nothing without a Creator. Therefore, the Theogony skips the question of a Creator. The Orphic Myth, however, doesn't. Eurynome is the feminine creator of the universe. However if the Greeks knew that there was something that created Eurynome, they've forgotten him, her, or it. The Theogony is considered a precursor to Greek philosophy. Hesiod is the first step towards Hellenic brilliance and learning.

Bigotry still exists in our Country . . .

The Reverend Al Sharpton made a faux pas. Rev. Al Sharpton said, "As for the one Mormon running for office, those that really do believe in God will defeat him anyway, so don't worry about that. That's a temporary situation."

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney [pictured] called Al Sharpton on his remark. Mitt said: "It shows that bigotry exists in some corners. I thought it was a most unfortunate comment to make." The Presidential hopeful further remarked, "I don't know Reverend Sharpton. I doubt that he is personally such a thing. But the comment was a comment that can described described as a bigoted comment. Perhaps he didn't mean it that way, but the way it came out was inappropriate and wrong."

Commentary: I find it unfortunate that the Reverend Al Sharpton had to make such a comment. The comment proves that there are misconceptions that still exist in the Bible Belt about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe that the comment was made in ignorance of Mitt Romney's faith and devotion to God. I have no doubt that the Rev. Al Sharpton is a good man. He just has some misconceptions about LDS Church. Fortunately, the good Reverend made a public Apology to the Presidential hopeful from Massachusetts.
Is the beliefs of Mormons like myself unique from mainstream American Christendom? In many ways they are. But in other ways, we believe in the same God, the same Creator, the same Savior, and the same Holy Ghost. We believe in the same teachings of the Master Jesus Christ. And many of us, myself included, believe that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior. What the Rev. Al Sharpton did was shocking to me.