* Nothing is, or is as it is, unless someone says and judges it to be so. Who then is (or who is it we say is) the judge, including the final judge?
* If we ever experienced a problem anywhere, it came about, in some degree, due to certain wrong assumptions, either co-present with, or just prior to the given problem's actually taking place.
* Unless you believe in God, the One, and or the infinite, every assumption is contingent.
* PROCESS (or if you prefer spirit, or activity) PRECEDES IMAGE. Image may, to some extent, (and sometimes almost perfectly) represent process. But process is always superior to and always more real than image. If process precedes image this might suggest also that mind precedes matter and energy.
* Everything we believe, or say we know, is based on a factual or value judgment. Both kinds of judgment always entail the other to some extent, and nothing can be known or exists for us without them.
* No fact or purported fact is true or false without someone to assert and believe it to be such. If an assertion or claim is deemed true or false then, and we are thorough, we should ask who is it that says so (or has said so), and what criteria are (were) they using? There is no such thing as "faceless" truth or reality -- at least none we are capable of knowing.
* You can't escape reason. If you aren't rational yourself, someone else will be rational for you; nor do their intentions toward you need to be friendly or benevolent.
* Every point of view and opinion has its truth to it -- even the most abhorrent and unacceptable to us. This said, we are naturally inclined to assume that some opinions have much greater truth to them than others. Even so, what little truth there is in any point of view must, at least at some juncture, and certainly with respect to issues of heated controversy, be justly and reasonably respected. Why? Because we would not be honest (and therefore not truthful) if we didn't.
*Ultimately, and when all is said and done, thought without heart is nothing.
* Most, if not all, of society's very worst problems arise from (certain) spirit people and those who listen to them -- whether the former comes in the shape of "God," angel, devil or what have you. It is these people who are most the source and cause of real unhappiness. If then you chance to have contact with such, while having (one assumes) overcome their lures, deceptions, and pretenses of benevolence and higher knowledge, I recommend that this (i.e., "unhappiness" or "unhappiness itself") is what you call them. Blame them for (most) everything wrong; for it is it is they who have been and are the ruin of everyone and everything (that is, if anyone is or could be said to be so.)
***********************************************************************************************************
Wm. Thos. Sherman - AUTHOR PAGE - at amazon.com, including available book titles
and
THE LIBRARY OF EARLY AMERICAN LITERATURE (with me as series editor) or see also List of titles.
Note. Of late I noticed the LEAL link (just above) takes one to amazon.com main page; to get specifically to the LEAL titles there,
click the link a second, or if need be a third, time. (My apologies, I don't know how or why of late this strange problem arose.)
***********************************************************************************************************
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w5J5EI99sj3xeP7iahdWpEfNcwfS5gGu/view?usp=share_link
If you need a free .cbr reader, one to go with is: CDisplay
11. Lastly, if the gods drive away sorrow and grief, if they bestow joy and pleasure, how are there in the world so many and so wretched men, whence come so many unhappy ones, who lead a life of tears in the meanest condition? Why are not those free from calamity who every moment, every instant, load and heap up the altars with sacrifices? Do we not see that some of them, say the learned, are the seats of diseases, the light of their eves quenched, and their ears stopped, that they cannot move with their feet, that they live mere trunks without the use of their hands, that they are swallowed up, overwhelmed, and destroyed by conflagrations, shipwrecks, and disasters; that, having been stripped of immense fortunes, they support themselves by labouring for hire, and beg for alms at last; treat they are exiled, proscribed, always in the midst of sorrow, overcome by the loss of children, and harassed by other misfortunes, the kinds and forms of which no enumeration can comprehend? But assuredly this would not occur if the gods, who had been laid under obligation, were able to ward off, to turn aside, those evils from those who merited this favour. But now, because in these mishaps there is no room for the interference of the gods, but all things are brought about by inevitable necessity, the appointed course of events goes on and accomplishes that which has been once determined.
~ Arnobius (c.284-c.305), Against the Heathen (Book VII)
[In response to:]
"Humanity May Reach Singularity Within Just 7 Years, Trend Shows"
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/humanity-may-reach-singularity-within-222900100.html
For many years now, going at least as far back as "2001: A Space Odyssey," you get this touting from less than rational persons that AI, or artificial intelligence, is on its way to taking over the world. The idea ostensibly being one of "Get scared everybody! There's more fear to come!"
While there is no denying the extraordinary ability of some AI to outdo ordinary human intelligence, say for example in a game of chess, the idea that AI can or will take over the human race is patently and irretrievably false and ridiculous. The reason for this is that no statement and assertion can be made without a HUMAN value judgment (i.e., that which is designated “good” or desirable, versus “not good” or not desirable) being first assumed or, in the case of a machine, planted into it. Machines of themselves cannot independently assign such values; therefore AI overriding human intelligence is only possible in the case of herd animals and or very dumb and stupid people; that is to say those who cannot think independently of others' semi-rational, dogmatical and authoritarian say-so in the first place.
When I first watched "Outcasts of Polker Flat" (1952) some two years ago, I was not all THAT taken by it. On the perhaps downside, it is an odd and quirky take-off on the Bret Harte original, and the script, or 3/4s of it anyway, is better suited for a stage play than a movie. But on a second viewing, I experienced something very different. For one thing, the 71 year old performances by Dale Robertson, Anne, Baxter , and Cameron Mitchell are so intense and dynamic that the film has this distinctly eerie quality; as if it had been made just yesterday. In addition, the story has a subtle or hidden religious message, which IF BY CHANCE you have the time to view the film, see if you can spot the same. Hint: Oakhurst - the non violent hero, Cal - humanity or the person caught in the middle, Ryker - the very devil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b0a6CwB6ic&t=4s
["1952 The Outcasts of Poker Flat Dale Robertson; Anne Baxteer"]
"Oracles": 2023 -- last updated 28 Jan. 2023 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2022 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2021 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2020 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2019 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2018 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2017 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2016 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2015 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2014 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2013 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2012 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2011 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2010 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2009 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2008 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2007 (.pdf)
"Oracles": 2003-2006 (.pdf)
"Oracles" COMPLETE, 2003-2022, at archive,org:
https://archive.org/details/wts-oracles
Note. Aside from the poems written by myself (i.e., those formally included in Poems by WTS), or material cited or presumably as being from others, there is no copyright on the contents contained in the "Oracles" and they may otherwise and therefore be freely copied, disseminated, or plagiarized as much as anyone cares to do these things.
To Contact me you can write or call:
William Thomas Sherman
1604 NW 70th St.
Seattle, Washington 98117
206-784-1132
wts@gunjones.com
Secondary email addresses:
williamthomassherman@gmail.com
gunjones1@yahoo.com
My pages on:
* Scribd
* FaceBook
* YouTube * 2nd YouTube channel (mostly for popular music)
"Lee's Legion, 2nd Partizan Corps" on Face Book
ALL SERIOUS INQUIRIES ARE GUARANTEED A REPLY.
Unless you are sending spam, or a general advertisement, or a private subscription I personally signed onto, you are guaranteed an answer from me at any of the above e-mails.
If by chance you encounter any problems accessing a .pdf via a given link below, try: Right click "Save as..." to download the .pdf to your PC instead.
* Christ and Truth, FIFTH edition (.pdf) ~ last updated: 25 Jan. 2019
* Peithology: The Nature and Origin of Belief, SEVENTH edition (.pdf) ~ last updated 16 Nov. 2020
* A New Treatise on Hell, fourth edition (.pdf) ~ last updated 25 May 2019
See also A Spirit People Primer,
and, very importantly, my personal "Narrative" (.rtf zipped) ~ last updated: 1 Jan. 2014 and in .pdf -- and most recently "Appeal of 2008, and Re-Introduction to Sherman 'Narrative'"
* Calendar and Record of the Revolutionary War in the South: 1780-1781, TENTH edition ~ last updated: 11 Dec. 2018
* Poems by WTS (.pdf)~ last updated 4 Nov. 2020
Translation of Silvae by Publius Papinius Statius (45-96 A.D.) (.pdf)
Miscellaneous
"Single-handedly,
Fought both the League of Horror
And the Organization Against Freedom
For over a Decade,
AND beat them -- MANY times!"
This is my recommendation of things and people sundry which others may have missed. For some these will already be well known, but for others less so. It is for these last that the suggestion is proffered.
Since its inception, posting the "recommendation of the week," although much fun along the way, has also become a bit of an inconvenient chore requiring a regular schedule. Meanwhile, but more importantly, since I effectively (aside from the above mentioned exception) receive no feedback on them (or on this website generally), I can't think it warrants the personal investment any longer to keep it going. In addition to lack of feedback, I simply don't have the extra money (I feel) necessary to explore different music, movies, books etc. -- in turn necessary to maintain the span, color, and variety of the selections, taking the list as a whole. Consequently, unless and until I do ever finally get feedback and or "somehow" come
into some funds, the "recommendation of the week" at present (as of August 2009) has been discontinued.
Otherwise and as an expedient, what I intend to do in future in its place is post or mention music, movies, books etc. among my regular "Oracles;" as inspiration moves me or of unusually special interest comes up; something, of course, I already have, to some extent at least, been doing for some time.
Your Choice
* These and more great tunes can be found at
The Contemplator *
***********************************************************************************************************
Well, I would be certainly if I wasn't being black-balled, blacklisted, and my communications routinely tampered with. This is pitiful I know, and I have put off doing this literally for years. But now is the time for it to be known that if anyone will send me money I'll take it. And if truth be told, the more money I have the more of a wallop I can put to these Hell people (certainly they don't want me having any, and have and will gyp and short change me just about whenever they can.) So please consider giving to this website if you can at all possibly afford it. Proceeds also go to assist the Institute for Ben Turpin Studies. So far I have sold only one book at my "Bookshop;" so it is not at all impossible that even if you try what you might send won't be allowed to get through to me. If this happens -- oh well, thanks anyway! (Also, by the way, if you try to send money, whether by Pay Pal or otherwise, and for some reason I don't receive it or am prevented from doing so please report this to Social Security; because interference of my receiving such or other funds or donations goes clearly against Social Security's understandable wish that I no longer be a dependent on them if possible.)
Also, my e-mail for sending donations through Pay Pal is: wts@gunjones.com
* Monies received as of the present and latest date for either this website and or the Turpin Institute: $25.00
gunjones.com is an angelfire.com hosted website
***********************************************************************************************************
***********************************************************************************************************
* List of previous Weekly Recommendations *
"Thank yoou, Mr. Feelix!"
font>
IN CASE OF occult or divine EMERGENCIES (and best used in conjunction with the universal li principle): font color>
Official Website Headquarters of the Ben Turpin Alliance
THIS GUN FOR HIRE
* E-mails received making comment on this website and or its contents (as of July 2009): 5
of freely speaking, writing, or publishing their
sentiments, but forthwith lost their liberty in
general and became slaves."
~ John Peter Zenger (1697-1746)