Reply To justchemicalz

[redetrigan]

When I first saw "scat competition" I thought you were referring to some kind of poop contest.

[dujustice]

rad vid.  keep it up homie.

[2bsirius]

Your technique reminds me of a secular Talmudic school. It's so interesting to see the REAL intellectual exchange going on here. Bringing scat into the debate- absolutely brilliant!

[Kierketaard]

How's your california area holding up in this job market Randy? I read that 72,000 people lost their jobs today (monday).

[randyhelzerman]

California has a worse unemployment rate than Michigan dude. But that's ok, we've got the TERMINATOR on the job...

[Kierketaard]

LOL!

[Scrapheap71]

The author of Ecc sounds like a closet ateist.

[randyhelzerman]

lol, well, the author of Ecc is a theist, but a rather enlightened one: he agrees with the atheist that theism does not give an answer to the question of what is the meaning of life.

[Scrapheap71]

"he agrees with the atheist that theism does not give an answer to the question of what is the meaning of life. "

In which case, the author of Ecc believes in a capricious god. Calling him enlightened is a bit oxymoronic then.

;-) :-D

[justchemicalz]

Thanx, Randy. Prompt & concise, as always. Obviously we disagree about what's important in Ecc, as well as the bottom-line of the book. What you see as "life is meaningless" being presented, I see as the ramblings of a backsliden, disillusioned old man. I do feel Ecc has value, however, in that it "goads" people to remember their creator and "turns" people away from the dangers of focusing on the temporal.

At any rate, thanks again for such a quick response.

You're a good dude. ;-)

[justchemicalz]

Oh, and I almost forgot...

The "upright and true" business can simply be the teacher layin' out more credentials. I don't think he meant to confine his statement *only* to the book of Ecc. (1Kings 4:32)

[randyhelzerman]

*chuckle* you're a "good dude" too. I think we both got something out of a closer reading of Ecclesiastes.

[gCuezy]

Good video randy... Have to disagree and fall more on the side of justchemicalz.... BUT I also have to admit that I have yet to read the entire book of Ecc.

[kingbravewisdom]

I don't get the book, first it says do whatever you want and be happy and it ends with keeping God's commandments and fear his judgement.

Seems like a contradiction to me.

[SkepticalThought]

Actually, most scholars, both conservative and liberal, do not believe that Solomon wrote any of Ecclesiastes. Rather, it is thought to be pseudepigrapha written about the 3rd century BCE. That being said, I must congratulate you on these videos. I have always favored an absurdist interpretation of Ecclesiastes myself, even while I was still a Christian, which didn't go over very well with my fundamentalist acquaintances. It certainly carries a powerful carpe diem message.

[randyhelzerman]

Yes, I think it is pseudepigrapha too.  And yes, The Teacher (whoever he was) was probably the worlds first absurdist.

[koenichfuerst]

If we follow what is said in Ecclesiastes, we should surely avoid bad scat. :-)

[Danmill23]

Great stuff Randy. I only know enough of/about the bible to be dangerous. I'm finding this a real eye opener.

I read other ancient texts which I enjoy with a fascination and a certain kind of unique freshness.

With the exception of genesis I always found the bible to be bland and emptyly familliar. Your series on Eccles is really pushing me into a new angle on this dusty old tome. (I been reading Sam2 with milder but similar feelings)

Bless you.

[Danmill23]

Oh and let's not use bad scat as an analogy anymore. Okay. (;

[randyhelzerman]

LOL Danmill23, thanks man. i would love it if somebody would make a miniseries out of First and Second Samuel. They could film it just frame-for-frame exactly out of the Bible, I think people would like it even better than the Sopranos. Except the prudish, of course, who would be shocked that somebody would put such a sex-n-violence-filled book on the screen...

[Danmill23]

Dang Randy I was having just exactly the same idea. It's all there isn it.

What I'm finding interesting is nobody seems to have a walk on "cameo" part. A lot of depth and interconnectivity.

...

Yeah it'd give the Sopranos some serious competition.

[tetekofa]

God's business is the creating of things, as son's of God we are to become creators...i.e. the meaning of life.

[Barklord]

This is completely scat illogical.

[eightfootmanchild]

Randy, google Shooby Taylor this instant. Some of the best bad scat you'll ever hear.

I recommend "Stout Hearted Men".

Oh, and good vid.

[randyhelzerman]

thanks for the heads-up on Shooby Taylor!

[CousinoMacul]

I can't believe that you subjected me to bad scat! I would rather be forced to watch an hour of YokeUp (which, as lothrazar has already noted, is a different kind of scat).

[randyhelzerman]

haha well since YokeUp isn't here anymore somebody has to fill the void...

[Kierketaard]

Ecc 10;19:

"A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry, but money answereth all things."

Aint that the truth ...

[RowanFortuneWood]

These Ecclesiastes videos are great. *****

[randyhelzerman]

Thanks RowanFortuneWood, I hope its not trying the patience of my audience too much to be talking on the same subject so much...

[RowanFortuneWood]

I can't talk for everyone, but I'm certainly not getting bored.

[FlowCell]

I agree. It's nice to know that at least some atheists still think the Bible is worthy of something other then the trash pile.

[ffejpsycho]

Scatman John FTW

[FlowCell]

Scat smells like shit.

[randyhelzerman]

Another example of how something can both be judged and be meaningless....

[FlowCell]

Here's a question for you.

What is meaning? What is the meaning of meaning? Maybe it's meaning itself that is meaningless and everything else simply is! But then, how do I define existence? How can I even be sure I'm real? And what is real, anyway?

[lothrazar]

"scat" has ... different meanings in modern times... eww. But that is besides the point.