Plato

capitan_centella says on Sep 17, 2007, 20:54:

plato as in the philosopher? or just a part of the dishes?

"When you open your eyes, you turn around with the world, But it can change, if you only close it, and see a dream to yourself." Me.

Plato says on Sep 19, 2007, 20:26:

LOL! As in the philosopher ( I hope!), but washing dishes is also appropriate - LOL! Thanks!

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

Plato says on Oct 1, 2007, 05:06:

M1AbramsTankUploaded by Ctopri

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

NataliaV says on Oct 2, 2007, 09:51:

What style of Martial Arts do you train in? I have studied Tae Kwon Do since I was 5 yrs old plus dabbled in a few other styles as well.

Plato says on Oct 2, 2007, 14:17:

Ohh! A fellow martial artist I see! Hello NataliaV!

I’ve trained Taekwon-Do since 1984 and began training Hapkido in 2005. I was also a college wrestler in college back in the day. My focus is self-defense oriented, not sport, and I still train in both arts.

In Hapkido I train with police, correction officers, bouncers, and military. One of my instructors is a former Special Forces (Green Beret – Army). The main focus is administering pain compliance through joint locking. I also love sparring and going to the mat. To me, it’s a great way to relieve stress by playing aggressive with buddies who love to do what I do.

Through the years, women have sparred me hard and also taken me down on the mat. I’ve trained hundreds in college, especially women, plus I’m a certified instructor on sexual harassment and rape prevention.

I supplement martial arts with weight training and running. Yes, I do hold a black belt in Taekwon-Do and will earn my black belt in Hapkido sometime next year.

How about you? Do you still train?

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

NataliaV says on Oct 2, 2007, 17:18:

Wow Plato- impressive! A college wrestler...so do you get into any mma/jujitsu? Many mma fighters got their start from college wrestling. I am a big ufc fan. Probably more in the earlier days, but still love to watch men beating the crap out of each other.

My main style has been Tae Kwon Do. I started training when I was five and went onto compete nationally until my teen years...and then boys and other sports came along. However, I never stopped training in TKD. I used to own 2 TKD schools until a few yrs ago. I train on my own now, but am looking for a new school to train at since I moved.

I have studied Hapkido. I had a few instructors who would show me some techniques, but never took it further than that. Fun stuff. I have trained in jujitsu also. I really did enjoy it. I also have studied Tai Chi and boxing plus a little kempo.

Nice to meet you Plato!!

dwmte7 says on Oct 21, 2007, 05:32:

hi, plato...i've enjoyed the posts/comments we've shared. plan to enjoy much more. as i've mentioned in the threads, we're stateside right now--like being in exile--so the youngest doesn't have to study in colombia. we're in daytona and i kind of busy myself trying to figure out the solution to the problem of the day. the only martial arts training i've undertaken has been to make my first line of defense, a smile. been in so many testy situations around the world that if i didn't have an insightful mind and the ability to 'feel'/ 'see' into the intentions of the opposition, i'd be long since dead. really.

never took a degree, majored in art/philo/economics...thinking in fantasy i wanted to be an economist. haw! no room for another galbraith or harrington. jjust teaching and industry. after so many years at berkeley, those were definitely out. started all over studying textiles. opened retail stores and did that for 37 years. stores in berkeley (3), palm springs, malibu, santa monica, bev hills/west hollywood and after the rodney king riots, bakersfield. then all that was closed and we moved permanently back to colombia where we had had a home for a number of years. for research i had done on he textiles of irans gulf coast nomadic tribes, i was awarded an unpaid fellowship at ucla (museum of cultural history).

i've worked all over, india, iran, syria,lebanon, israel, ethiopia, nigeria, ivory coast, senegal, guatemala and mexico as well as around europe. travelled in many other countries. i used my businesses to support my research habits. had i only ran businesses, i'd be a rich man, but i chose to keep on seeking out questios to answer. no one had ever conducted indepth research on the weavings of nomads. you see, the tribes are illiterate. they neither read, write paint nor develop architecture. there only record was embedded in the designs of their weavings, i sought to decipher this thread. it was fantastic working for my self, calling the shots, doing what I wanted to do, when i wanted to do it and how. the only draw back has proven to be the fact that there's no check at the end of the road. now, pretty old, on social security, and without money, i'm, as i said, trying to figure out the solution. ha ha
well, friend, that's a two minute tour of what has been one incredible life.
we were farmers in california's san juaquin valley, raising thousands of acres of alfalfa. i was a haybuckers son. soooo, to come from that root, having the life i've had, is, to me, truly amazing. they say the fruit falls not far from the tree. didn't prove to be so in my case.
peace, douglas

dwmte

Plato says on Oct 24, 2007, 19:10:

Dear Douglas,

Finally! It was difficult for me to find some time to respond adequately. I understand why you feel you’re in exile since you’ve traveled so much. Traveling in itself is an education, and sometimes far more valuable than what a college degree offers. For what does a college degree offer? It supposely offers within a short time period a liberal arts education and an opportunity to concentrate studies in some particular area such as social science, science, arts, etc. Liberal arts education in the United States is severely lacking unless one goes to a private institution that has this specific focus. I found this out years later after earning my bachelors degree. So, Douglas, it’s about being a cosmopolitan - a worldly person. For the time being, I can only get an inkling of your experience from books, the internet, and people like yourself, and I do have a list of countries I would love to visit besides Colombia.

What you know about martial arts is what people like myself try to learn for years: to disarm a potential self defense situation with a smile. Some of us get it and some of us don’t. One can appreciate martial arts in one of, or several, ways: (1) The aesthetic beauty of body movement - something like ballet, (2) its sport aspect which is very popular, and 3) the self-defense aspect, which is where I focus my training. The most important aspect of training, however, occurs in the mind and, once again, is where philosophy comes in.

Douglas, I recommend you read Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy – a wonderful book! Boethius was a Roman patrician in the time after the fall of the Roman Empire. The Ostrogoths ruled and Boethius became an advisor to the Ostrogoth King. Boethius was doing quite well until he was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. He was subsequently jailed and awaited his execution. He became so distraught over his situation that he began writing about his woes. Since he was a philosopher in the ancient Greek tradition, he personalized philosophy into a woman. Hence she became Lady Philosophy who consoled Boethius in jail. The book is the actual dialogue between him and Lady Philosophy. It’s one of the greatest books in Western Civilization. I hope you do read this book which I feel may help you understand, and even appreciate your present situation.

Warm regards,


Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

dwmte7 says on Oct 25, 2007, 09:59:

brother...thank you.

now, in like manner, allow me to share one of those authors--out of countless--who deeply effected my life. in fact you may or may not be familiar. thomas vaughn. the work, the works of thomas vaughn. a midevil (sp) british plenapotentiary. h is lucidity is second to none and his most high humor gives rise in me to a detachment i never would have found anyplace else. i spent my adult life studying the mysteries, from all religions and all philosophic bents. my preferrence, grimmoirs. i.e 'clavicula solomonis regis vel goitia' the key of solomon the king. amongst many many others. basically, treatisis on the high magic.

i never took reading as a leisure sport--as i said, i'm a bit the loner, not out or depression or introversion, mind you, rather, out of choice to employ idle hours in the HOLY introspection. the sole pursuit which leads us ever forward (inward) towards liberation. finding out that we were, all along, that which we are, GOD. the most difficult discovery of all. like my guru said, i'm GOD, and you're GOD...the only difference is, i know it, and you don't. some difference, eh?

another magnificent/luminous tome; albiet quite small/brief to be classified as 'tome' it is the writings of brother lawerence...the practice of the presence of GOD. he was a frier in a mid aevil spanish monestary relagated to scullery tasks in the kitchen. interestingly enough, he was the light of all of western europe at that time, being a highly realized being. worth the read. less than an hour.

e me: dwmte7 at yahoo.com

dwmte

scarby558 says on Oct 26, 2007, 21:30:

Definitely had to add you to my friends! You're great at arguing! Take care!

-Allison

Plato says on Oct 27, 2007, 06:27:

Hey Scarby - I'm honored to be your friend. Talk to you later.

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

dwmte7 says on Oct 27, 2007, 12:45:

bro...you're to fricken busy. life is measured by the quite times between the chaotic notes. si o no. need more rest. stop breakin bones and come out here and well share a rum and coke or two.
d

dwmte

Plato says on Oct 27, 2007, 14:55:

Douglas,

Thank you. Now you know what this is all about. I retracted my insult to CB and will not continue to pursue in that thread.

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

scarby558 says on Oct 30, 2007, 11:38:

Hey Plato,
Wow that is amazing! Must have been nice to take in all that beauty and art everyday. I think that is kind of like a dream for me.. but I guess I live close enough considering how expensive it is to live in DC. That is one of my very favorite places to go! Tell me, have you ever had a chance to visit the Holocaust Museum in DC??
-Allison

Plato says on Nov 2, 2007, 13:03:

Hello Allison,

Sorry I took time to get back to you. No, unfortunately, I didn't visit the Holocuast museum. I go there to work and by the time I'm done, it's after 5:00 p.m. I go enjoy the restaurants and one time my wife and I walked D.C. a lot at night. I love hanging out in Georgetown and Dupont Circle.

D.C. proper, inside the beltway, is absolutely beautiful. There's tons of money there; you have to be somewhat well off to live in those places. Since it's part of my work, my company puts me up in nice hotels within the beltway. I've stayed at the famous Mayflower Hotel on Connecticut Avenue, where all the international diplomats and statesmen stay. It's has a very bronze and cherry wood motif - very stately. But I wouldn't be able to personally afford staying in that place ever.

The Metro is awesome and very unlike New York City trains. Actually, the Metro in Caracas is very similar and I understand so is the one in Medellín. I believe it's a French design. But I think the allure to D.C. is the power you feel walking in or around the lawn, with the Capitol on one end, the Washington monument some what near the middle, and the Abe Lincoln Memorial sitting at the other end. It's fascinating and like you, it's one of my favorite places. My 11 year old daughter, a history buff, loves it there too.

Regards,

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

msaucey says on Feb 14, 11:06:

Happy Valentine's Day.... Amor y Amistad!...

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

houstongal says on Feb 14, 16:59:

Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you're enjoying it with your wife!

Plato says on Feb 18, 10:10:

Ladies, thank you very much. I hope you had a nice Valentines's day too!

Regards,

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

kat1 (Moderator) says on Feb 27, 08:40:

wow Plato que elegancia ;)))))

Colombiche says on Feb 27, 16:35:

Uy si... que elegancia, I feel underdressed :P

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

kat1 (Moderator) says on Feb 28, 13:04:

colombiche nos va tocar mejorar nuestras perchas....

Plato says on Feb 28, 13:44:

Thank you ladies. Most days I dress like this for work. I'm a suit and tie guy. Kat, you already knew that.

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

kat1 (Moderator) says on Feb 28, 13:54:

yeah, but that color suits you better. ;))))

CatGirl says on Feb 28, 16:07:

Plato says to Slgy: "Of course. But some how, it got a little too ruanchy for me. . . one poster here was purring and so forth!"

Sorry you feel this way Plato, all cyber fun - many different flavors of ice cream, eh? Is that a Maxim Magazine cover yu have put on your profile? hmmm

Nice picture BTW - Nice to see 'You"

Puuurrr (BTW - I will continue to do this - sorry if you find it offensive)

Plato says on Feb 28, 20:29:

Catgirl,

Does Eva look raunchy to you in the Maxim Mag? Hmm? So Maxim Mag IS raunchy?

Raunchy talk in public on the internet doesn't appeal to me, and it doesn't mean I was offended. (Raunchy talk in private, however, well . . . that's a different story, wouldn't you agree?)

You didn't post the rest of my quote, "It's all good, but then it became too surreal for me. I began wondering what people did with their time during the day???? "

Also, how can you be sorry if you plan on doing something anyway? ( . . . Bold . . . ) Purring? You think I find that offensive? Jajajajaja! By the way, you don't need to be sorry for anything in this forum.

If you're the blondie in that picture, you're good looking.


Cheers,

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

CatGirl says on Feb 29, 06:05:

No - nothing raunchy to me about your magazine post, not what I was implying :) Good to see you are not a "stick in the mud" jaja

Yes. that is me in the pic. Gracias
BTW -My persona changed much after I put my pic up. Did not expect to be on PBH very long...still....here I am. Different when posting with your own pic, harder to keep the persona of the cartoon I used.
But I still keep the purrs for memories, jaja

houstongal says on Mar 1, 03:41:

Whoa Plato! I didn't realize you put your photo up! Thanks for doing so. It's always nice to see the faces of PBH members.

So do you teach in a suit and tie too?

Plato says on Mar 1, 03:56:

Yeah, I do teach teach in a suit. It's part of my everyday working attire.

It seems it's not the "college professor'" look though. Whatever. My wife and kids tell me to dress down a bit so that I can look "cool". According to them, I'm too straight-laced.

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

houstongal says on Mar 1, 06:49:

LOL....there's nothing wrong than being your own person Plato. If you feel more comfortable teaching in a suit and tie, then go ahead. I know my wardrobe influences how I come across as well. And when you teach you probably garner some respect due to your wardrobe.