The Biggest Problem Facing the US

[Stepbrow]

Hopefully there still will be some part of the country where people of high characters choose to gather and stay. The high characters are not to measured by educational degree but by how people want to devote and love and protect this land. Such as, when these people drive, they choose to drive courteously, not to tail others, not to be over fast; such as, everybody cares about evironment and tries his/her best not to make damage to the water, land and air; such as every family mind educating their kids and feel ashamed of raising kids rudely, harmful to the society, etc.

I am not sure I have ever found myself to disagree with you... but I feel you are describing Camelot.

 

If the people of high character are at the point of "deciding".... it's already too late. You want the people of high character to not even need to approach deciding anything; it's already decided. No thought necessary.

 

Your describing an ethical or moral world... that is more a man-made world than people following natural inclinations.

Interesting. Mr. induced Geminian, you are more philosophical than other geminians here on CFL. Nice. You disagree with me or not, I don't worry about it as long as you have logical thoughtful opions for me to read, and sure you have, which is nice. That is why I ever searched your posts to read, since I don't read posts that kinda are purely waste of time and could not teach me much.

 

I like Comelot. In this mundane, you have to tolerate some people who try to kiss your car's butt when you drive; poke their nose to the details of your life(they are not your family members or your best friends); spit or even pee anywhere they want; give very stupid comment before they do the necessary search(of course some of them don't have the brain to research)...etc, very much. I don't want to be cynical. That is one of the reasons why Weng Fan (28) married to Yang (82), because Yang could take her to a world that she could stay away from those low people in my examples. He lives in the area with very intelligent well-educated broad-minded people. These people learned too much and know mumdane too well and want to live away from those low people(not measured by degree but by behavior). They seek same type of living environment, the type as mentioned in my first post in this thread. If Weng Fan doesn't want to go out of home, she is just living in a paradise. Many people take man's erection as a big issue and remark it a lot, but that erection issue is not as important to a woman who minds spiritual world most. Everybody conceives his/her own ideal living world.

 

But, actually, you are right Mr. Induced Geminian, most part of this world was already decided. So if you want to find the part as I mentioned, probably you must have outstanding achievement which enable you to join a different world resided by similar people, which is totally different from the mundane that I mentioned.

Maybe we should of meet in another life; or we did... but this is this life.

 

We can talk/discuss/debate higher brain issues all day.. in the end, I will personally try and take the lower brain (dan tian) reaction if I still can. that means, I understand dreams, achievements, and character, but there are just man-made words meant to try and define life. And moralism/character is not a good argument in my book... Ultimately, words don't define life. We don't need them to really communicate but to debate

 

If I truly want to understand or feel you, I can do that energetically and naturally.

 

Here's the deal; if someone drives by.... they drive by. I have no thought if they drive by courteously or with character. Who really cares. how does that improve my life to worry or think about another driving by and their influence on my thinking or emotions? That is a societal pattern symptomatic of idealizing life... but I'm aware enough to realize that what I present as my thought is itself an ideal, to myself.

 

In the end, it is all mental, emotional, and psychological patterns which we operate by. If one ever gets to the point of realizing this control over their lives, then it's time to undo the patterns. Otherwise, most will go along with the flow or idealize a higher standard. But I feel you are actually somewhere in-between the ideal and real, and so know it both.

 

Sounds like Fine Art and David Zixuan are having the Confucian/Daoist discussion. A person of high character acts properly, which demonstrates that their actions are in accord with heaven and earth. Or one could say the person who is in accord with heaven and earth acts properly and is therefore a person of high character.

[david_dawei]

Sounds like Fine Art and David Zixuan are having the Confucian/Daoist discussion. A person of high character acts properly, which demonstrates that their actions are in accord with heaven and earth. Or one could say the person who is in accord with heaven and earth acts properly and is therefore a person of high character.

You might of just become the buddhist moderator of the 3 legs of chinese philosophy... Moderating issues of heaven and earth require a person of high character

 

Confucius loves to define such terms and hold them up to the masses as the goal; the goal of the 'superior man' (jun zi).

Lao Zi (or for those who prefer the outdated Lao Tze) defied such terms and essentially mimic's (but predate) Jesus with the first shall be last... to be superior (intentional), one is inferior (unintentional) in their action-non-action (wei wu wei).

Buddha established the three trainings, four noble truths, five precepts, and the eightfold path. The 12 step program should pay a finders fee to Buddha

 

Edited March 21, 2010 by DavidZixuan (see edit history)

[fineart]

Sounds like Fine Art and David Zixuan are having the Confucian/Daoist discussion. A person of high character acts properly, which demonstrates that their actions are in accord with heaven and earth. Or one could say the person who is in accord with heaven and earth acts properly and is therefore a person of high character.

You might of just become the buddhist moderator of the 3 legs of chinese philosophy... Moderating issues of heaven and earth require a person of high character

 

Confucius loves to define such terms and hold them up to the masses as the goal; the goal of the 'superior man' (jun zi).

Lao Zi (or for those who prefer the outdated Lao Tze) defied such terms and essentially mimic's (but predate) Jesus with the first shall be last... to be superior (intentional), one is inferior (unintentional) in their action-non-action (wei wu wei).

Buddha established the three trainings, four noble truths, five precepts, and the eightfold path. The 12 step program should pay a finders fee to Buddha

 

Gosh, I have typed a lot, but accidentally hit whatever key, they returned to the former webpage and disappeared. I am not going to retype those many words again.

 

Stepbrow, you sumarizes well.

 

Mr. Induced Geminian knows the philosophy of living in this mundane world well, like many Geminians who are adaptable in general.

 

Although I feel sick of temporizers, who sail with every wind, I do totally understand the survival of the fittest, so I do what to make things work to fit this mundane.

 

Besides Mr. Induced Geminian's great philosophies, we could learn the essence of "Pushing Hands" ¡°ÍÆÊÖ¡± which is from Tai Chi to handle things in life. We need to practice this essence for the whole life, then few people could have the ability to hurt us.

 

[david_dawei]

Sounds like Fine Art and David Zixuan are having the Confucian/Daoist discussion. A person of high character acts properly, which demonstrates that their actions are in accord with heaven and earth. Or one could say the person who is in accord with heaven and earth acts properly and is therefore a person of high character.

You might of just become the buddhist moderator of the 3 legs of chinese philosophy... Moderating issues of heaven and earth require a person of high character

 

Confucius loves to define such terms and hold them up to the masses as the goal; the goal of the 'superior man' (jun zi).

Lao Zi (or for those who prefer the outdated Lao Tze) defied such terms and essentially mimic's (but predate) Jesus with the first shall be last... to be superior (intentional), one is inferior (unintentional) in their action-non-action (wei wu wei).

Buddha established the three trainings, four noble truths, five precepts, and the eightfold path. The 12 step program should pay a finders fee to Buddha

 

Gosh, I have typed a lot, but accidentally hit whatever key, they returned to the former webpage and disappeared. I am not going to retype those many words again.

 

Stepbrow, you sumarizes well.

 

Mr. Induced Geminian knows the philosophy of living in this mundane world well, like many Geminians who are adaptable in general.

 

Although I feel sick of temporizers, who sail with every wind, I do totally understand the survival of the fittest, so I do what to make things work to fit this mundane.

 

Besides Mr. Induced Geminian's great philosophies, we could learn the essence of "Pushing Hands" ¡°ÍÆÊÖ¡± which is from Tai Chi to handle things in life. We need to practice this essence for the whole life, then few people could have the ability to hurt us.

 

Since I both study and practice Tai Ji and Qi Gong... I feel like we have been doing 'pushing hands' already. I hope your not stopping now that our energies get closer Just blame the Induced Gemini in me

[Minister]

I've often talked about this kind of thing with my wife whenever she starts complaining about American taxes or rules or whatever. When she started her business, the hurdles she had to jump drove her crazy. "In China, you just have to find a place to work and you can set up business in a day!"

 

But I remind her that America is the way it is because of the things we all want and get. The truth is, everything costs money. All those things that we think of as "free" actually cost money, but they do so indirectly.

 

Do you notice that you (almost) never walk down an American street and smell feces stench leaking up from the sewer? That costs money.

 

Do you like having crosswalks so you don't get hit by a car when you cross the street (like my father-in-law was)? That costs money.

 

Do you like having toilet paper in the public bathrooms? That costs money.

 

Do you like having pollution controls on vehicles and standards on gasoline purity that make even large urban areas relatively low-smog locations? That costs money.

 

Do you like ice in your drink and free refills? That costs money.

 

Do you like being relatively confident that your milk won't give your baby kidney stones? That costs money.

 

One time, I was putting "Salad Sprinkles" (a mixture of sunflower seeds, peanut chunks and bacon bits) on my salad. My wife interjected, "Why do you use that stuff? Do you need it? In China we say, 'If you save a little every day, once per year, you can buy a horse!' Why don't you save?"

 

I replied, "I don't want a horse. I want Salad Sprinkles."

 

And that's what America and the developed countries are; Places where we want Salad Sprinkles. But you have to buy them. You might not get your horse once per year, but you get a little happiness every day.

 

It's all about quality of life and what matters to you.

[fineart]

Sounds like Fine Art and David Zixuan are having the Confucian/Daoist discussion. A person of high character acts properly, which demonstrates that their actions are in accord with heaven and earth. Or one could say the person who is in accord with heaven and earth acts properly and is therefore a person of high character.

You might of just become the buddhist moderator of the 3 legs of chinese philosophy... Moderating issues of heaven and earth require a person of high character

 

Confucius loves to define such terms and hold them up to the masses as the goal; the goal of the 'superior man' (jun zi).

Lao Zi (or for those who prefer the outdated Lao Tze) defied such terms and essentially mimic's (but predate) Jesus with the first shall be last... to be superior (intentional), one is inferior (unintentional) in their action-non-action (wei wu wei).

Buddha established the three trainings, four noble truths, five precepts, and the eightfold path. The 12 step program should pay a finders fee to Buddha

 

Gosh, I have typed a lot, but accidentally hit whatever key, they returned to the former webpage and disappeared. I am not going to retype those many words again.

 

Stepbrow, you sumarizes well.

 

Mr. Induced Geminian knows the philosophy of living in this mundane world well, like many Geminians who are adaptable in general.

 

Although I feel sick of temporizers, who sail with every wind, I do totally understand the survival of the fittest, so I do what to make things work to fit this mundane.

 

Besides Mr. Induced Geminian's great philosophies, we could learn the essence of "Pushing Hands" ¡°ÍÆÊÖ¡± which is from Tai Chi to handle things in life. We need to practice this essence for the whole life, then few people could have the ability to hurt us.

 

Since I both study and practice Tai Ji and Qi Gong... I feel like we have been doing 'pushing hands' already. I hope your not stopping now that our energies get closer Just blame the Induced Gemini in me

Sure. Actually many people including you and me have been practicing PUSH HANDS, although they might not have been aware of it. Some scrutinous people intend to play PUSH HANDS to others, but others might not be aware of it.

 

In 2000, I had been playing Tai Chi in public park for almost a year. Actually I did that to research spiritual points of Tai Chi, more than to do physical exercise. Of course, I was benefitted physically too.

 

Mr. Induced Geminian you are qualified to teach Tai Chi class in college. They need some people who speak authentic English, as well know the essence and all the movements of Tai Chi, to teach students, so that students know what they are really doing, not just make some postures like "david's dear".

 

Yes, let's continue to practise PUSH HANDS. When the time comes that I feel I am physically very weak, I would start to play Tai Chi more. It will not be late. The people I have played Tai Chi with in public park in China, most started Tai Chi after they retired, or when they were very sick and were seeking an exercise to help. They all feel physically and spiritually stronger each time after they played Tai Chi. Tai Chi is something very enjoyable actually.

[shenzhen]

I've often talked about this kind of thing with my wife whenever she starts complaining about American taxes or rules or whatever. When she started her business, the hurdles she had to jump drove her crazy. "In China, you just have to find a place to work and you can set up business in a day!"

 

But I remind her that America is the way it is because of the things we all want and get. The truth is, everything costs money. All those things that we think of as "free" actually cost money, but they do so indirectly.

 

Do you notice that you (almost) never walk down an American street and smell feces stench leaking up from the sewer? That costs money.

 

Do you like having crosswalks so you don't get hit by a car when you cross the street (like my father-in-law was)? That costs money.

 

Do you like having toilet paper in the public bathrooms? That costs money.

 

Do you like having pollution controls on vehicles and standards on gasoline purity that make even large urban areas relatively low-smog locations? That costs money.

 

Do you like ice in your drink and free refills? That costs money.

 

Do you like being relatively confident that your milk won't give your baby kidney stones? That costs money.

 

One time, I was putting "Salad Sprinkles" (a mixture of sunflower seeds, peanut chunks and bacon bits) on my salad. My wife interjected, "Why do you use that stuff? Do you need it? In China we say, 'If you save a little every day, once per year, you can buy a horse!' Why don't you save?"

 

I replied, "I don't want a horse. I want Salad Sprinkles."

 

And that's what America and the developed countries are; Places where we want Salad Sprinkles. But you have to buy them. You might not get your horse once per year, but you get a little happiness every day.

 

It's all about quality of life and what matters to you.

Yea but I thought the topic of this post was along the lines of the NY Times article shown below. Notice the comment from Xie Lina at the end of this article.

 

<removed copied & pasted article>

 

"Most of the graduate students in China are chasing this area,¡± she said. "Of course, China will lead everything.¡±

Edited March 24, 2010 by donahso (see edit history)

[david_dawei]

Sure. Actually many people including you and me have been practicing PUSH HANDS, although they might not have been aware of it. Some scrutinous people intend to play PUSH HANDS to others, but others might not be aware of it.

 

In 2000, I had been playing Tai Chi in public park for almost a year. Actually I did that to research spiritual points of Tai Chi, more than to do physical exercise. Of course, I was benefitted physically too.

 

Mr. Induced Geminian you are qualified to teach Tai Chi class in college. They need some people who speak authentic English, as well know the essence and all the movements of Tai Chi, to teach students, so that students know what they are really doing, not just make some postures like "david's dear".

 

Yes, let's continue to practise PUSH HANDS. When the time comes that I feel I am physically very weak, I would start to play Tai Chi more. It will not be late. The people I have played Tai Chi with in public park in China, most started Tai Chi after they retired, or when they were very sick and were seeking an exercise to help. They all feel physically and spiritually stronger each time after they played Tai Chi. Tai Chi is something very enjoyable actually.

I have no idea where this is going but for once in 5 years on CFL, I feel I am being outclassed

 

As you know, Tai Ji takes too many years to master a good form; Qi Gong can be learned quickly and be very dangerous even more quickly. but I speak authentic english, so I should be qualified for even flipping hamburgers ...

 

But I am not big into words... you seem to like words... so I hope I can learn some english from you.

 

While I could teach you some Tai Ji... I'd rather teach you Qi Gong since once you feel the energy connection inside and out, then Tai Ji is child's play... If your game... I'm sure I'm about to hear it B)

[fineart]

Mr. Induced Geminian you are too modest. Thank you, I will learn Qi Gong from you. Although you said you were not into big into words, I have seen you were. A boring person or a person short of brain is not able to say much because he could not understand and master complexed things. Some people are not short of brain but they are short of knowledge, how much can they say to you? The more intelligent a person is, the more he has to enlighten the world. Otherwise the world could not have preceeded to more and more advanced level like it has always been. I am not a talented person but I know I have endless to to learn from talented and knowledgeable people. I don't admire those being proud because of their illiteracy and ignorance.

 

There is an old Chinese saying that "A person who is getting old, firstly his legs get old". It means once a person is weak, his legs lose strength first. So it is important to practice legs. That is why my grandparents and my parents keep a habit of walking in the public park a decent distance everyday. Thi Chi is a good way to practice legs because of its postures. My mom keeps playing Thi Chi, dad not. Dad does other type of exercise everyday.

 

Thi Chi looks soft, fluent and beautiful. This is one thing I show to hubby's American relatives. They feel amazing with the postures, though I am only at the baby stage of playing Tai Chi. Calligraphing somewhat is like Tai Chi too. I have been practicing calligraphing when I was in China for 14 years. Now this is a show to hubby's relatives too. His teenager relatives like me very much.

 

B) A few days ago, I drove hubby's teenager girl relative to university to watch the play <A Chorus Line>. I asked the girl to write a report. She did! Her mother said, the girl has never been this diligent and they really appreciate the affect I bring to the girl. This Thursday I will drive both the girl and his younger brother to the university watching <Boy gets girl>, since the boy admires his sister's luck and wants to go with us too. This is a good way to stimulate teenagers to work hard and go for as advanced education as they could in the future, because when they are in the university campus, those older boys and girls's academic demeaner is admirable and make the teenager want to be one of them. These two relatives both will go to university since their parents will send them to. Now they desire the university life more than before. Of course, I don't mean one must take university. Just there in university there are many talented people that will present you another world created by their brain, very interesting, very useful. Without going there, there is little chance to experience and learn from those intelligent people, because this is intellectual property and they sell and live on it.

 

As for Qi Gong, actually I think most traditional Chinese exercises include it, since part of Qi Gong is to adjust breathing, as most traditional chinese exercise do.

 

Well, I think you could go for TV Show in China and become a star like Da Shan has been doing. A foreigner masters Chinese things well, is a sensationalization which TV shows always seek. I will show off that I am your student learning Qi Gong from you ~~~

Edited March 24, 2010 by fineart (see edit history)

[Minister]

 

 

"Most of the graduate students in China are chasing this area,¡± she said. "Of course, China will lead everything.¡±

 

But, for the record, I still want Salad Sprinkles.

[shenzhen]

I've often talked about this kind of thing with my wife whenever she starts complaining about American taxes or rules or whatever. When she started her business, the hurdles she had to jump drove her crazy. "In China, you just have to find a place to work and you can set up business in a day!"

 

But I remind her that America is the way it is because of the things we all want and get. The truth is, everything costs money. All those things that we think of as "free" actually cost money, but they do so indirectly.

 

Do you notice that you (almost) never walk down an American street and smell feces stench leaking up from the sewer? That costs money.

 

Do you like having crosswalks so you don't get hit by a car when you cross the street (like my father-in-law was)? That costs money.

 

Do you like having toilet paper in the public bathrooms? That costs money.

 

Do you like having pollution controls on vehicles and standards on gasoline purity that make even large urban areas relatively low-smog locations? That costs money.

 

Do you like ice in your drink and free refills? That costs money.

 

Do you like being relatively confident that your milk won't give your baby kidney stones? That costs money.

 

One time, I was putting "Salad Sprinkles" (a mixture of sunflower seeds, peanut chunks and bacon bits) on my salad. My wife interjected, "Why do you use that stuff? Do you need it? In China we say, 'If you save a little every day, once per year, you can buy a horse!' Why don't you save?"

 

I replied, "I don't want a horse. I want Salad Sprinkles."

 

And that's what America and the developed countries are; Places where we want Salad Sprinkles. But you have to buy them. You might not get your horse once per year, but you get a little happiness every day.

 

It's all about quality of life and what matters to you.

Yea but I thought the topic of this post was along the lines of the NY Times article shown below. Notice the comment from Xie Lina at the end of this article.

 

<removed copied & pasted article>

 

"Most of the graduate students in China are chasing this area,¡± she said. "Of course, China will lead everything.¡±

At the time I posted yesterday I had am email with only the text of this NY Times article. I found the link to the article so you can read it. It goes hand in hand with the OP topic and is something to think about when it comes to relations with China.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/business...18research.html

[shenzhen]

 

 

"Most of the graduate students in China are chasing this area,¡± she said. "Of course, China will lead everything.¡±

 

But, for the record, I still want Salad Sprinkles.

If our business model continues to focus on short-term profits and bonus while following the "monkey see monkey do" trend to invest in China chasing an "imaginary profit" in the domestic market you will soon not be able to afford your Salad Sprinkles.

[shenzhen]

Another link from NY Times discussing Ameican companies (especially in the clean energy sector) moving to China for R&D and manuf.

 

This is one of the justifications given by the American companies:

 

American companies are drawn to China for its expanding market, and its large pool of cheap, highly skilled engineers.

 

The good ones cost the same and in some cases more than an American engineer. The cheap and highly skilled are two words that do not go together.

 

Xi'an, in central China, has 47 universities and other institutions of higher education. In China, engineers with a master's degree can be hired for $730 a month.

 

That is about 5,000 RMB per month and BS. Besides that they have the degree on paper. What they actually learned, if they even went, is a whole different story.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/1...h-ss_index.html

[Minister]

Another link from NY Times discussing Ameican companies (especially in the clean energy sector) moving to China for R&D and manuf.

 

This is one of the justifications given by the American companies:

 

American companies are drawn to China for its expanding market, and its large pool of cheap, highly skilled engineers.

 

The good ones cost the same and in some cases more than an American engineer. The cheap and highly skilled are two words that do not go together.

 

Xi'an, in central China, has 47 universities and other institutions of higher education. In China, engineers with a master's degree can be hired for $730 a month.

 

That is about 5,000 RMB per month and BS. Besides that they have the degree on paper. What they actually learned, if they even went, is a whole different story.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/1...h-ss_index.html

 

I hear that. Chinese university education is highly dubious. One night, while Spring Cleaning, my wife came across a box of my old college books.

 

Keep in mind for the remainder of this story: My wife has two Bachelors degrees and a Masters.

 

She was amazed at the size of the books. "What is this? Do Americans use one book for their whole college or something?"

 

"No," I replied, "Each of those represents one semester."

 

"You mean six months?"

 

"Three months."

 

"OMG! Do you do the whole book?"

 

"Usually. But sometimes a professor will skip a chapter or two."

 

"That's crazy! In China and Japan, the book is about this thick," here she indicates a width of about three-eighths of an inch, "And we only really finish about half of it."

 

What I find to be the major difference between Eastern and Western education (true of China, Korea, India, and Japan. Mostly China, and a lot less India, but a little bit India), is that Western education focuses on problem solving and self reliance. Eastern education is based mostly on "In this situation do that. Now practice doing it so you can do it really fast."

 

I remember my organic chemistry final at GMI. They gave me a cup of clear liquid, a lab, and 45 minutes and said, "Figure out what this stuff is. The answer will be 45% of your grade. Go." (Mine turned out to be a propyl alcohol).

 

Japanese and Chinese engineers I've met didn't take organic chemistry. Folks from India and Korea took it, but there was no lab. My theory is that, the powers that be in some of these countries want to have technical people who don't think for themselves.

 

Just think: In the West, 60% of people who enter college don't finish. In the East, it's harder to get in to college, but if you get in, you pretty much finish.

 

And no, as long as we have sufficient domestic capacity, even if we become economically isolated, I will still have some Salad Sprinkles.

[knloregon]

Interesting points Minister, but in K-12 in China its totally the opposite.

 

My girls are in Mandarin immersion but after many years, they are not up to par with Chinese, (they participate in student exchange) while their Chinese counterpart are far more fluent, and competent in speaking, reading and writing English. the Chinese are also more advanced in math and science at the same age.

 

If China figures out how to properly conduct secondary education (more creative, more independent thinking) the last advantage the US has, falls..