Serious Discussions forum is BACK!!!

[Dutch Baka]

The forum has been away for a while, or should I say that it had moved to the Eupedia forum.

Anyway we decided to give it a new change on jref, and this time Mars Man will be your friendly moderator in this subforum.

Please keep it friendly, and respect each other even though you disagree with them.

Have fun, and we are looking forward seeing some nice discussions!

[Pachipro]

Thank you Dave. It was a long time coming and needed to be back again!

[Mycernius]

At last.:cool: (making up characters)

[ArmandV]

This is gonna be interesting!

[Goldiegirl]

Ok, what is considered a serious discussion? Are there certain issues or subjects only? I know what I think is serious. For example, would the Fat Tax thread be a serious discussion or is that just chit chat?

[Uncle Frank]

Ok, what is considered a serious discussion? Are there certain issues or subjects only? I know what I think is serious. For example, would the Fat Tax thread be a serious discussion or is that just chit chat?

If you are banging your head on the wall and beating on your keyboard , curseing your fellow JREF forum members for being an idiot, and seeing fellow members being banned for going off the deep end, it probably is a post in the "Serious" Discussions section.

Uncle Frank

:blush: :p :okashii:

[Mars Man]

As has been communicated, I too, am very thankful for this new 'Serious Discussions' sub-forum. THANKS A WHOLE LOT !!!

I also will work hard to keep it in a state where good discussions and debate is carried on, but without letting any topic or debate get out of hand--to the point where statements are close to personal attacks, or overly negative towards a particular poster, rather than simply the argument that poster may be presenting.

Ok, what is considered a serious discussion? Are there certain issues or subjects only? I know what I think is serious. For example, would the Fat Tax thread be a serious discussion or is that just chit chat?

I would say that the format of the presentation is what can really make the difference between a serious discussion thread and one that would be in Chit Chat & Misc, and would not be about Japan, or Japanese things, per se. There may be some threads that are pretty much borderline too. I did consider moving that thread about the fat tax here, but for the moment have left it there.

If that thread's main theme had been on, for example, 'The Problem of Obesity' with that article as a basic 'case in point,' with an abstract of sorts leading into the presentation, then I, at least, would consider it a 'Serious Discussion' matter. That thread you mention above, does fairly well follow that, but I couldn't convince myself, for whatever reason, to bring it here. Maybe due its narrowness of scope? (related more so to the airline tax matter, or on public transportation)

I look forward to enjoying this area, and I want to express my thanks for the help in filling it out with some of the older things that could fit here !! THANK YOU !! :cool::wave:

[diceke]

If you are banging your head on the wall and beating on your keyboard , curseing your fellow JREF forum members for being an idiot, and seeing fellow members being banned for going off the deep end, it probably is a post in the "Serious" Discussions section.

If you are acting like this guy, the thread is for the serious discussions section.
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/5048/thworksuckspi3.gif

[Clawn]

I'm grateful this forum was recreated. I look forward to some serious conversations. :cool:
http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/business.jpg

[diceke]

If anyone's tossing out this fallacious argument, I would say it's a serious discussion.
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/9697/tempertantrumyk2.jpg

[Revenant]

Hoping to get back some of the former frequent serious-discussion goers. Tsuyoiko, Sabro, and certainly some others that I can't recall now.

[Mars Man]

And of course it is nice, as always, to see you back here with us at JREF, Revenant chan !! (see, I still haven't forgotten that....hee, hee, hee.....) I look forward to your posts, comments, and insight !! Thanks for joining in !! MM

[Kinsao]

Even if I might not have time to use it much, I'm glad to see the Serious Discussion forum back! :happy:

[Tsuyoiko]

OK, you persuaded me back :p
Thanks for the heads up Revenant :)

[Mycernius]

Yeahhhh the lovely Tsuyoiko-chan is back:wave:

[Kinsao]

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! Tsuyoiko!!!! :happy: :yeahh: *pounces*
Good to see you back!

[Uncle Frank]

Watch her pull a rabbit out of her hat! Welcome home hon!

Uncle Frank


:cool::wave::giggle::happy::yeahh::rose::cheer::th ankyou::confetti::love::silly::balloon:

[Skullcrushergurl]

Really cool. I like it already. I've posted a lot already. I like the serious forum!
*puts on serious face and goes to post*

[Mars Man]

I agree with the above line of posts !!! Yes, it is indeed nice to have another Martian here on the forum once again !! (that's Tsuyoiko, you know...the girl from Mars) And it is a nice thing to have the serious discussion section up and running.

One thing that I have always loved and taken a certain amount of pride in...if I may boast but just a little...is the ability I have slowly gained over the years, to be serious about serious discussions. That is a mood of discussion that allows for differences, yet argues against them in as waterproof a presentation as possible, all the while keeping emotional outbursts to an extreme little--yet not totally killing emotional play in the argument--such as an argument from absurdity.

Let's enjoy the serious discussion, seriously !!! Mars Man

[Mars Man]

ONE FAVOR here please, to which I hope all would concede. . .

I would like to suggest, since I do reason it best, that greater care be taken, in paragraph making. Long and burdensome with spaces to tight, is hard on the reading, and bad for the sight!

Block style is better than indention format, and organized thoughts shine more clearly in that. Care should be taken, and I hope all agree, that paragraph making is important indeed !!

THANKS FOLKS !!
Mars Man

[Chi65]

How do I know, when my thoughts are a "block"?. . .
Do I have to write it all before and think about it for days, how to put into another shape? Mpf- - -

Water flows beyond and over blocks, sometimes ;-)

[Mars Man]

Ah but the water does indeed flow over and between the blocks, is absorbed by them, and even to various degrees shaped by them. Nevertheless, they are still blocks, and can be seen by the eye along with the water. For that reason, a number of smaller blocks are better than a single large block. The mountain stream is a great place to play !!

[Chi65]

Haha, but water can also shape blocks! Thus is considered to be stronger than rocks, in ancient China etc.
But it would be fun, to sit on such mountain streams with you to discuss or just watch this ;-).
A bit south Suwa lake, on the western side, there is a fine one with watershaped big rounded stones, that were also used for wonderfull archaic buddha "statues", as far as I could guess in that aerea.
Never mind, just seriously remembering (of course, I know what you mean ;-))

[Mars Man]

Yes...please do notice that in my post above yours just above, is the following too:
...even to various degrees shaped by them...

Oh...and just this little bit of off-topic here (even though this thread is not so fixed, actually) I have been to that area in Kiso--I live in that prefecture (Nagano). It had been a large rock formation that had been washed out over time, and the rocks now standing are what is left of it. It's a beautiful spot.

[Mikawa Ossan]

Blocks come naturally to us moderators, because we're all a bunch of blockheads! :p

[Chi65]

Yes...please do notice that in my post above yours just above, is the following too:
...even to various degrees shaped by them...
Oh...and just this little bit of off-topic here (even though this thread is not so fixed, actually) I have been to that area in Kiso--I live in that prefecture (Nagano). It had been a large rock formation that had been washed out over time, and the rocks now standing are what is left of it. It's a beautiful spot.
Its not Kiso, but I know what you mean, since I also travelled along that valley.
Its a smaller, steep (and beautifull water with lots of different basins and waterfalls) one, near a spectacular artist village with lots of nature installations and architectur workshops, a few miles about south Suwa lake, then west side up. The name is somewhere in my piles, sorry.
Local artists took me there, its very nice!
I may post some pics some time later.
(sorry for the off topic)

[sabro]

Perhaps I will have a reason to visit more often now!

[Revenant]

Good to see you back Sabro!

[sabro]

I just had so little to say about the latest J-Pop phenom.

[Mars Man]

And the cat is still balancing that fine line between body mass and tail length ! Yes, it is good to see you posting here again and I hope to hear more from you as things allow.

[lightningZ]

Wow! I have read the topic "USA the biggest threat to world peace.".
Need to say: DON'T BRING A POLITICAL ISSUE INTO A DISCUSSION FORUM! IT SIZZLES!

[scorpion da black]

we got angry and uncivilized at one point of the discussion ...
but the rest of it is very constructive and has a great deal of proof and links that makes a person have a better understanding to the matter...

however, i am glad we all agreed to restrain our selves from being as bitter as that time...and we all regret that we actually ended up fighting...

peace :-)

[Rioneru]

Woot! Home...for the most part...:okashii:

[Kyoto Returnee]

however, i am glad we all agreed to restrain our selves from being as bitter as that time...and we all regret that we actually ended up fighting...

peace :-)

Did I miss something here? Sounds like a war!

[scorpion da black]

Did I miss something here? Sounds like a war!

hihi visit the "USA the biggest threat to world peace"
then you would know why it was locked :p

[sabro]

I like hearing what others, especially from others countries, feel about our politics...

[緑さん]

I find that any foreign criticism of anyone's politics is amusing, especially because they are usually not subject to them. The politics of america is greatly mis-interpreted by americans, let alone foreigners.

[Mars Man]

Upon being drawn here, to this very 'Reply to Thread,' I find that I am muddled by the haunting emotion of great dissapointment at the number of those who had, and do, either miss the offer I had provided for this sub-forum, disagree with it (but life no fingers to more properly defend their disagreement), or simply had, or do, ignore it.

While this sub-forum had been re-set with the intention of basically being for discussion that would not fall under the more 'Japan related' sub-forums, the idea of serious, is clear best to be understood as that of intellectual. Thus, as much as, if not even more than, the topic of discussion, the form, order, and quality (from a more academical standpoint) of the discussion, are what make for the SERIOUS in Serious Discussions.

I have simply failed to prevent my attention from getting stuck by the slackness of effort to more carefully understand, appreciate, and apply the arguably better position--namely, that by encouraging all participants to more carefully present and discuss things here, a real serious discussion sub-forum that can lead to growth in understanding will have been achieved; and that is surely a higher and more noble goal, is it not?.