Sea kayaking and the current state of affairs

Seems that way and should be expected. Many people are simply looking to validate a point of view. After all, we favor relationships with like minded people while shunning those who disagree.

As I mentioned somewhere, it would be rare to find anyone who cane to the conclusion that their perspective is invalid, otherwise they wouldn’t believe it. Certain issues can never be settled, because the topic is too emotionally charged, so facts don’t matter. For that reason, we have to have open debate. I only stop debating when I lose respect for someone’s opinion or analytical ability.

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As someone who boats around the country with a lot of different people I’m not looking for folks just like me. I’ve boated with right wingers, left wingers, straight folks, gay folks, woke folks unwoke folks and a skinhead. I’ve even boated with my relatives. I’ve noticed some definite tension in some parts of the country. In Wisconsin at a take out someone left a “go back to Madison” note on one of the shuttle cars. I’m glad they wrote a note and expressed their feelings rather than resorting to vandalism. Texas also got a little tense around the border as well (devils river). I’ve had a lot of good conversations, but sometimes I’ll just listen to folks ramble on and think they are full of bs. I can be polite. A couple of days ago on a bus ride in Chiapas Mexico I showed my passport 3 times. Is that a good or bad thing? I guess it t depends upon who you ask.

Then there’s the old joke, "opinions are like a**holes, we all have one "

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Scientists (good ones) should change their minds when new research contradicts their prior thought, and most do in my experience. More generally, even though admitting error can be liberating, it’s also very hard for most of us to do … and impossible for those who refuse to hear different ideas.
Still, I agree with your sentiment, but I must say that open debate between people to whom facts don’t matter is a colossal waste of oxygen. In that situation, I disengage. Building the world’s biggest ball of dryer lint would be more productive.

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…and Strippers

What is interesting is scientists that come to certain conclusions because that is where the money is coming from.

Yeah I’ve partied and boated with strippers and paddled the new river hung over, been one of three straight guys on an entire school bus of folks ( a gay commercial rafting trip), and seen too many Europeans in speedos. Some things are hard to forget even if you really want to! Oh the things I did for $50.00.

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Open debate when facts don’t matter is just an argument, not a debate. Needing to win based on false information is a sickness. There is no alternate reality. Today, many people simply rename reality. They can live a fantasy, and I can accept it, but they don’t need me to participate.

I can go along with a game until it begins to cost me to play along. I’m happy to interact with people with whom I share a common interest, until I get labelled for my belief. Best to stick with common topics and stay out of ones that generate controversy.

If a person has a keen intellect, he or she should feel enlightened even if losing the discussion.

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Like I said, you can’t forget the Strippers.

Regulatory capture :expressionless:

Corruption…

@Jyak I just finished mine, as well as my corporate sensitivity training. And on the heels of that got reprimanded for asking someone to actually do their Job.

I the conversation went along these lines: Every week you tell me you’ll have the project done in a week, the next week meeting comes an dI ask about it, and you tell me next week, this has now been ongoing for six months, can I possibly have a form deadline when I can expect this task to be completed, and if you cannot what resources do you need to accomplish said task.

This apparently hurt their feelings… Boss yelled at me, I said now you’re hurting my feelings, he did not see the humor in that. I had to go back to sensitivity training… I broke the trainer this time.

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You have got to be kidding. Was it what you said or did or was it who you said or did it to?

That what I said and what I got in trouble for. because I hurt someone’s feelings.

I would be funny, if it weren’t true that saying something like that basically asking for a realistic time they could get their task done hurt someone’s feelings and I wasn’t being inclusive and understanding enough to know I hurt their feelings.

How about this instead, HR, Person go and do your fucking job…At least that’s the conversation I had in my head when I was getting red the riot act.

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You got dressed down by two people for that?

My point was, if you had said the exact same thing to a different person, say a different gender, would the reaction have been so over the top? Was it who you said it to?

How did you “ Break the Trainer.”

It was a green card from India.

I asked HR trainer which they would prefer how I asked which the conversation was outlined (go teams and auto transcription…) or would they have preferred me to tell them you have had 6 months and to pull their head out of their ass and do their fuc*ing job.

then said the documented first one was the business professional one, and the proper way of handling the situation.

I then asked them so if I did nothing wrong why are we having this conversation to begin with under the premise that I was in the wrong. and they absolutely seized up and just kept repeating but… you have to be more understanding.

And I said I am I didn’t go with option #2 as stated.

I love this. You followed Protocol and then get severely dressed down by two people like you didn’t follow protocol. I just knew it was who you said whatever you said to, not what you said. If you said the same thing to one of your social peers, not a word would have been mentioned. He might of thanked you for getting him off his ass before he got into trouble.

Edit: Ordered the gloves off of the link you provided. They sound good.

They work for me, and better than the NRS ones I had so it was a win stumbling onto them however as they say YMMV (your Mileage might Vary.)

I needed something between my skin and the carbon fiber shaft of the paddle (its seriously rough.)

Yeah, strangely, you need something between your hands and the paddle, even though mine is Aluminum, better grip, no slippage causing blistets, when I usually like direct contact with things for the feel.

I didn’t go to DEI training. Had to backtrack on that post. I couldn’t imagine going to DEI training. Imagine the mess I’d cause in that class. I just made that up to reply to Mjac. I retired before anybody knew anything about DEI. I’m sure DEI wouldn’t help me. You seemed a bit more chipper lately. Maybe it helped you and you didn’t even realize it.

You “broke a trainer?” Like “hospitalized” broke.

I saw a warning label on my paddle: if you use it in California, you might get cancer. Wonder why you only get cancer if using it in California. Might have something to do with dolfins or whales.

From the times I was in Mexico for work I found it a bit unsettling to be stopped by the national police, the army, and unidentified groups of armed men.
That happened in one 4 hour trip.