I take your point and don't disagree, but it makes it difficult to come to any conclusion about anything. Imagine if scientific discourse were that way (e.g., Isaac Newton, apple..."Yeah,Isaac, but, you know, I prefer oranges" " But they cost too much because we have to get them from Spain" "Spain has nice beaches, though..."), or a meeting of parliament, or an academic seminar, or a meeting of military officers confronted with a battle plan, or anybody who's trying to come to a decision or mutual understanding about almost anything in less than an infinite amount of time. There are types of discussion which are not just bull sessions.
E.g.: somebody wants to know where to buy an ebike in Kunming and I tell them that their question reminds me of when I wanted to find a cheap 2nd-hand motorcycle when I was 16 in Bombay (which, by the way, is now called Mumbai...).
In short, the fact that somebody bothers to come up with a specific topic for discussion in the first place tends to indicate that they find some importance in it - there is more than one 'natural way of discussion'. I think that should be respected, and that anybody who wants to talk about something else can do so - elsewhere.
God knows there are enough bullshit chat groups around, and I'm not objecting to occasional humor, but I think that gokunming can be better than that.
I'm interested in many topics, there are some to which I think I can make a useful contribution, and there are others from whom I learn a few things. In addition I'm interested in the capacity and willingness of others to think things out. I also believe that agreement, as well as clear disagreement, between people is useful and hard to establish without dialogue, and that dialogue can improve our common environment - social and otherwise.
I'm not saying that any or all of the above is guaranteed, but I don't have much confidence in anything else, and I think that action, or even activity, without the above is probably disastrous in the long run.
Is there a point to having different topics of discussion on gokunming? If so, what is it? And if so, is there a good reason for bringing up other topics with no clear relation to the topic of discussion of the thread? If so, what?
Social cooperation is also hard-wired into the individuals of an innately social species such as ourselves, without which the individuals of our species would not have survived to pass on any genes..Rouseau's 'noble savage' never existed, both he and Hobbes were wrong.
There are economic issues concerning education in China for very poor communities, which obviously need a bigger share of the economic pie than they are getting. Yet China's 'socialist market economy' is increasing the overall level of economic resources within China.
What's wrong with this picture?
Not quite what you'd call a jumping place, but not bad at all for rather standard US-type meals, not overly expensive, and with a really good salad bar that's cheap, or free with most dinner dishes after 5:30PM. You can get a bottle of beer or even wine if you really want to, but I've never seen anybody do it - maybe that's just to take out. Chinese Christian run, and they hire people with physical disadvantages, who are pleasant and helpful. Frequented by foreign (mostly North American) Christians and Chinese Christians - was started by a Canadian couple associated with Bless China (previously, Project Grace), who are no longer here, but no religious pressure or any of that. Steaks are nothing special, and I avoid the Korean dishes, which I've had a few times but which did not impress me.
As a shop and bakery, it's very good bread at reasonable prices, of various kinds (Y18 for a good multigrain loaf that certainly weighs well over a pound. Other stuff too, like granola and oatmeal that is local, as well as imported things, including American cornflakes and so forth, which some people seem to require.
Large portions, seriously so with the pizza, which is Brooklyn/American style, I guess. Convivial, conversational, good place to drink with good folks on both sides of the bar, especially after about 9PM.
China hands out happy city awards, Kunming sad
发布者Social cooperation is also hard-wired into the individuals of an innately social species such as ourselves, without which the individuals of our species would not have survived to pass on any genes..Rouseau's 'noble savage' never existed, both he and Hobbes were wrong.
China hands out happy city awards, Kunming sad
发布者Subjective reports of happiness mean something, but I'm not sure what.
Kunming smells part II: The good, the bad and the ugly
发布者You get used to it all after awhile, as most of Kunming's 7 million inhabitants surely have.
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
发布者@nnoble: don't follow - who or what is rotting? I can think of various candidates, but I'm not sure which one you're talking about.
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
发布者There are economic issues concerning education in China for very poor communities, which obviously need a bigger share of the economic pie than they are getting. Yet China's 'socialist market economy' is increasing the overall level of economic resources within China.
What's wrong with this picture?