This is so wrong on so many different levels:Don't teach me about politics and government, just tell me who to vote for.
Don't teach me about truth and beauty, just label my music
...
Don't teach me about moderation and liberty, I prefer a shot of grape juice
I don't want to know if the answers aren't easy.
Just bring it down from the mountain to me.
I want a new law....I want a new law....I want a new law.
You agreed that:
There exists an all-powerful, loving and good God
And also that:
To allow an innocent child to suffer needlessly when one could easily prevent it is morally reprehensibleThese two beliefs together generate what is known as 'The Problem of Evil'. (...)
Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province — Any Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD Tech). How'd you like a job that required you to defuse bombs in a hole in the middle of the road that very likely are booby-trapped or connected by wire to a bad guy who's just waiting for you to get close to the bomb before he clicks the detonator? Every day. Sanitation workers in New York City get paid more than these guys. Talk about courage and commitment.
See a few other pictures from Saturday here: johnandchels's Xanga Site - Welcome to The Rock. Big thanks again Chelsea for taking the pictures, they're awesome!
I just realized I didn't announce here yet that Stephi is pregnant again! Yes, it looks like another miniature hybrid version of Stephi and myself will be arriving next January or February! This is not at all unexpected, and Stephi and I are both really happy... Woohoo!!! :)Now, I give a total offertory to joyful union.
I'll honor - joyously, endlessly, loyally, devotedly - you.
In the marriage that unites us, paired Yang and Yin, Benjamin and me, forever soulmates, shall complement as partners steadily.
With a doubtless promise, I pledge integrity and stability sincerely. Our rounded rings, a completely noble treasure; it represents continual respect, love, perpetual link with trust, limitless.
My vow: absolutely lasting devotion.
What art Thou then, my God? what, but the Lord God? For who is Lord but the Lord? or who is God save our God? Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful, yet most just; most hidden, yet most present; most beautiful, yet most strong, stable, yet incomprehensible; unchangeable, yet all-changing; never new, never old; all-renewing, and bringing age upon the proud, and they know it not; ever working, ever at rest; still gathering, yet nothing lacking; supporting, filling, and overspreading; creating, nourishing, and maturing; seeking, yet having all things. Thou lovest, without passion; art jealous, without anxiety; repentest, yet grievest not; art angry, yet serene; changest Thy works, Thy purpose unchanged; receivest again what Thou findest, yet didst never lose; never in need, yet rejoicing in gains; never covetous, yet exacting usury. Thou receivest over and above, that Thou mayest owe; and who hath aught that is not Thine? Thou payest debts, owing nothing; remittest debts, losing nothing. And what had I now said, my God, my life, my holy joy? or what saith any man when he speaks of Thee? Yet woe to him that speaketh not, since mute are even the most eloquent.
The evidence is especially strong in Ohio. In January, a team of mathematicians from the National Election Data Archive, a nonpartisan watchdog group, compared the state's exit polls against the certified vote count in each of the forty-nine precincts polled by Edison/Mitofsky. In twenty-two of those precincts -- nearly half of those polled -- they discovered results that differed widely from the official tally. Once again -- against all odds -- the widespread discrepancies were stacked massively in Bush's favor: In only two of the suspect twenty-two precincts did the disparity benefit Kerry. The wildest discrepancy came from the precinct Mitofsky numbered ''27,'' in order to protect the anonymity of those surveyed. According to the exit poll, Kerry should have received sixty-seven percent of the vote in this precinct. Yet the certified tally gave him only thirty-eight percent. The statistical odds against such a variance are just shy of one in 3 billion.
Well, guess who else doesn't smile in pictures? Oh-so-cool hip hop people, that's who. Do a Google Image search for "Snoop", and you'll see pictures like this:
The Spanish Socialist Party will introduce a bill in the Congress of Deputies calling for "the immediate inclusion of simians in the category of persons, and that they be given the moral and legal protection that currently are only enjoyed by human beings." The PSOE's justification is that humans share 98.4% of our genes with chimpanzees, 97.7% with gorillas, and 96.4% with orangutans.
The party will announce its Great Ape Project at a press conference tomorrow. An organization with the same name is seeking a UN declaration on simian rights which would defend ape interests "the same as those of minors and the mentally handicapped of our species."
According to the Project, "Today only members of the species Homo sapiens are considered part of the community of equals. The chimpanzee, the gorilla, and the orangutan are our species's closest relatives. They possess sufficient mental faculties and emotional life to justify their inclusion in the community of equals."
Got pressing questions about your Contextual Date? More than 500 carefully screened Contextual Dating Advisors are ready to answer your question for as little as $2.50 (per minute), usually within 24 hours and conceivably much, much sooner, depending on your levels of personal desperation and financial werewithal and the quality of your GPS signal and mobile plan.
I know you rip off all your ideas, you know you rip off all your ideas, so let's get down to it: Rip off the Grav Gun from Half-Life 2. I just got a chance to try out Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and it was not only like finding God, it was like finding God in an inexpensive but excellent Asian-food restaurant that always has a table open. Now I require the ability to throw a toilet at my enemies in every single video game in existence, including the Bible quiz games. Especially Bible quiz games.
Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.
George Carlin
One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.
Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
'Hellooo Mr. Frog!' called the scorpion across the water, 'Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?'
'Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?' asked the frog hesitantly.
'Because,' the scorpion replied, 'If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!'
Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. 'What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!'
'This is true,' agreed the scorpion, 'But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"
"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog.
"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!"
So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.
Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.
"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"
The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.
"I could not help myself. It is my nature."
Also, notice the new button on the right - you can send us voice messages for free with Odeo, a free audioblogging/podcast service. Try it out, I'd love to hear from some of you - in fact, I'd love to hear from ALL of you! :)
The fellowship of the Ring left Rivendell as quickly as possible, making for the High Pass through the mountains. Gimli left the fellowship with Boromir to go and rally a dwarven army from Erebor in the north if possible.
Meanwhile, the Shadow reinforced their troops in the Southern Lands and made a surprise attack by sea, quickly taking Dol Amroth, southwest of Minas Tirith. This shocked Gondor enough to go to war, and within the next weeks, they began building a formidable army in Minas Tirith.
At this point, the fellowship were toiling their way south through the mountains towards Dimrill Dale and then Lorien. Being discovered by the Eye for a short while did not help their progress. Frodo, however, was fortunate enough to stay as of yet uncorrupted by the Ring.
The Shadow army, now making its way towards Minas Tirith, and the Gondor army, trying to free Dol Amroth again, clashed in Pelargir by the river - fortunately for Gondor, their leadership proved strong, striking the Shadow into a retreat across the river after taking many casualties.
Yet another Shadow arose - Saruman the Colorful was breeding an army near Isengard, threatening Rohan. Moria's creatures of darkness were growing as well, threatening to storm Lorien.
The fellowship did not have much time. After a quick stay in Lorien to refresh themselves, they moved on further south along the river. It was now that Strider and Legolas left the fellowship - speeding ahead to Minas Tirith, where Strider was quickly crowned as King Aragorn.
But Gondor's army, still in Pelargir, had underestimated the speed of Mordor's army. Down from the Dark Lands they sped, led by 4 Nazgul, causing Aragorn, Legolas, and only a few meager troops to barricade themselves in Minas Tirith, hoping that the reinforcements would not come too late.
They came too late. Aragorn and Legolas were killed by the Dark Army, and Minas Tirith burned to the ground. The Gondor army arrived, scattering the Shadow, but the damage was done - and with Isengard now threatening Helm's Deep, and Moria threatening Lorien, the fellowship (now consisting of Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Merry, and Pippin) desperately needed to make haste before all was too late. They crossed the river and made their way through the "razor-sharp rocks" of Emyn Muil, when Gandalf had to valiantly sacrifice himself in order to save the group.
Grief-stricken, the four hobbits made their way to the foot of Mount Doom. Time was running out - if the Shadow could take two more fortresses, all would be lost. The dwarven army, led by Gimli and Boromir, raced from their fortress of Erebor to save Lorien. As the hobbits made their way up Mount Doom, first Merry, then Pippin were killed by orcs, while protecting the Fellowship. Meanwhile, the Shadow conquered Lorien before the dwarves could get there, razing its forests, killing its inhabitants. Helm's Deep however, was still holding strong, thanks to the help of the Ents and Gandalf the White, who had returned in Fangorn forest.
But then, with the hobbits only a few hundred feet away from the entrance to the lava pits of Mount Doom, the Shadow made its final deadly move - the dwarves had left Erebor unguarded and had overlooked a small army of orcs which quickly entered the fortress of Erebor, taking it for the Shadow.
No longer worried by any military threat, Sauron placed his full gaze on Frodo and Sam, immobilizing them. Sending his Nazgul, he reclaimed the ring, and cast the land into a Second Darkness.
OK, so we all know that Jack Bauer likes killing bad guys and torturing them even more. In fact, in matters of national security, they don’t even have to be bad guys.
The question is, “How much does Jack like to do this stuff?”
And, no, we will not accept “a lot” as an answer.
We want numbers.
That’s what this site is dedicated to. We pledge to report on the number of people Jack tortures and kills. It’s our service to you, the loving reader.
Thanks to John, (yes THE John) for the dumbest dog you'll ever see.
Yes. A cold is a viral disease. It is passed from one person to the next, usually by way of airborne droplets from a sneeze. You can also pick it up if your hands are dirty (with the virus) and you touch your eyes or nose. Catching a cold has nothing to do with the temperature outside, or whether or not your hair is wet.
Truthiness is defined as the quality of stating concepts one wishes or believes to be true, rather than the facts.
...
"Truthiness" means "truthy, not facty."
"The national argument right now is, one, who's got the truth and, two, who's got the facts," he said. "Until we can manage to get the two of them back together again, we're not going make much progress."
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