The Right Words

About A Letter to Dr. Dawkins

Dear Viewer:I hope you arrived here well and ready to contemplate! Thanks for coming. Here I discuss—while going off on tangents about social media and pay walls (and a few other things), Dr. Richard Dawkins, the eminently erudite and moral Cambridge professor of biology, famous atheist, lecturer and proponent of reason and virtue and his letter, here on Substack, to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the famous human rights activist. He has written to her regarding her apostasy (if one can call it that) from atheism and adoption of Christianity. Specifically, as the subtitle to this video monologue suggests, I address Dr. Dawkins’ use of two words in his letter—spirituality and religion.I also discuss the merits of declaring oneself a Buddhist—and submitting to—its precepts, if not (as in my case) refraining from accepting the supernatural aspects inherent in some practices of Buddhism an how one can remain an honest atheist at the same time; and I specifically mention how this could benefit Dr. Sam Harris, who seems most of the way there, anyway. Mention is given to Alain de Boton in this endeavor.And there is more, so I hope you’ll give a listen and comment—and finally, join in supporting my podcast.Thank you for reading and listening, if you do.CAWheat Ridge, CO Thanks for reading The Right Words Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Thanks for reading The Right Words Podcast! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit therightwords.substack.com [https://therightwords.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Podcast 15: Thoughts on Political Violence

Writing, Recording and Image ("For The Collateral Expendable") Copyright 2017 - 2024 Carl Atteniese II / All rights reserved. More below:This image was captured at the World Trade Center Memorial, of a portion of one of the embankments that surround one of the two former foundations which once supported the two destroyed in the terror attacks directed my Islamic Jihadists com… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit therightwords.substack.com [https://therightwords.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Podcast 14: Encounter at Anguk

Welcome to The Right Words Podcast. I'm Carl Atteniese. Anguk is an area adjacent to Insa dong, Seoul, where I lived for a time in the nineties—in the capital city of South Korea. I later moved on to other fascinating locales in that surprising, North-east Asian peninsula nation, but something happened one night, in Anguk--that was scary--but rewarding. There I was, suddenly confronted with the chance to get involved with a stranger—in a way I had never experienced in all my adult years before. Maybe this story will inspire thoughts in you about a life-altering opportunity you had—or could--some day. Please listen and enjoy…. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit therightwords.substack.com [https://therightwords.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Podcast 13: Trump And Other Hooligans

Another version of this is at Wordpress, where my blog is, here [https://xesl.wordpress.com/2024/12/21/trump-and-other-hooligans/]. This is a late posting. It’s been on You Tube since November 13, 2024. I also look terrible in it, because this is before I shaved my head. I’m not bald; I just don’t want to deal with hair for a while, as life has been very challenging, and when it is such, it’s a very feminine endeavor, dealing with hair, in my opinion, for a man to have to be caring for a mop of dead material on his head–which grows out of his head (in my case, very fast, and now, grey–which doesn’t look so bad–but which only adds to prejudice and requires too much work and money). For the sensitive and angry, I have nothing against feminine activities–it’s just that it feels to be a very self-centered and insecure focus to be daily engaged in and emasculating a process–as well as a waste of time–to be caring for hair–which is really an egotistical preoccupation aimed at conformity and attracting people. I will, undoubtedly, fall into that monkey-mind societal behavior, again, someday–perhaps when I am back in Japan and Korea, and trying to repair my single-status—but right now, I am also focusing on my Zen practice–so seeing & feeling my bald head (which, in my opinion looks better than any hairstyle one can create –and I have a full head of hair, if I want it)–seeing my shiny, smooth, bald head in the mirror goes a long way to reminding me of what kind of man I am on the inside and what kind I want people to see on the outside. And now that I think of it–as I am, in fact, adding this addendum sentence you are now reading, after having published this piece–this is yet another thing that sets me apart from people like Trump; it takes a good measure of confidence and security to present oneself as one wants and as one is, rather than primping, coloring, styling and remaking oneself to be something that he or she is not. Anyway, the video is about an observation I made about the Felon-elect of The United States, when he was in the Oval Office, recently, meeting the President of The United States, Joseph R. Biden. Enjoy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit therightwords.substack.com [https://therightwords.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Podcast 12: Why Not to Lie

NOTE to THE LISTENER:Dear Listener:Thank you for being here. This is podcast is a primer for conversation; as such, there are generalizations in this essay that could be developed or further explained in a long-form discussion. Keeping in mind the theme of this podcast and my philosophy (listening for the meaning, not the words), it is important for the good-faith listener to know, generally, what I mean via the context of what I am expressing (and ideally, knowing whom I am as shown in all my writing, videos and podcasts) in such areas as generalizations. I am not an academic or a scientist, but I am a thinker and an honest express-er of ideas that seem valid; I am proposing them for your consideration. When you feel an idea seems extreme, consider re-interpreting it per what you probably know I really mean—instead of taking your decision about it to that extreme; for example, when I say “Show me a liar and I will show you a sociopath” I am not admitting that I am so prejudiced and inflexible as to think in all situations, one who lies is a sociopath in every case—clinically-speaking; I am, of course, suggesting that those who live by lying are probably, to some degree, sociopaths—because they have to be careless about the ramifications of their dishonesty and its affects on others. This way that I am asking you to consider my ideas could be called: using common sense. This allows us to save time and express ourselves in simple, short and non-academic terms. Thank you.CA,New York © Copyright 2024 The Right Words & Carl Atteniese II / All rights reserved. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit therightwords.substack.com [https://therightwords.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]