When I'm after making a "point" I can be as tenacious as a ferret (pitbull?). Most here can be. As you mention in your following post, "what is the purpose of debate"? It is my wish to be able to "enlighten" but I'm really here to become enlightened as well. Probably much like a songwriter bears their soul in his music, he or she most likely is just putting those thoughts out there in public view like they would a canary in a coal mine... Comparing life notes so to speak. This is what I think... How about you? Trying to find that balance.

The "duality" and conradiction of my personal position, I strive to be an idealist and pacifist in my own life. I -try- to maintain a liberal (as in open minded) stance towards this existence. I am rigid but able to bend if necessary. My goal in a debate is to tear down ideas and not people. I try. A lot of my "style" is a fire for effect.... to throw out ideas that have been whirling around me and not necessarily those that I have internalized. And in some debates, such as the current one, intelligent people can have an honest and profound difference of opinion. I'm not willing to throw away my humanity (really) because I'm angry now. I have a small child and another on the way. I don't want them to grow up in a world of hate, narcissitic greed, vanity, sellsellsell. In the same light, I honestly believe... well, you know that.

In this light, this is why I feel I owe DeSitter an apology. And I give an open apology to anyone else that I may have, have, or will piss off in the future. It's easy to forget in the heat of our discussions that most here are of extremely high intellect and highly sensitive - me included (at least in the sensitive part...). Looking back at this thread, I know that I crossed the line with the ubermensch kopf post. I was intentionally trying to be a smartass... There, I said it...

I'm still gonna hang onto the tagline for a few more days though :-) By the way, does anyone know where the Celina Jones thing originates? It makes it much more humorous.