tvashtarkatena

As I understand it, Buddhism is not, per se, a religion, because it does not define a diety. You can therefore be Christian and Buddhist, or atheist and Buddhist, without contradiction. Religion, on a smaller scale, has certainly comforted many people and granted them a sense of community. It has also been a torment for many, as well. On a larger scale, however, religion has undoubtedly been a driver of and justification for political oppression and warfare. During certain periods it played a significant role in holding back the advancement of human knowledge for many centuries. Today, it has become a war cry for those who choose to believe that we are locked in a death struggle between judeo christian western society and fundamentalism. This kind of irrationality does not move the human ball forward. It diverts our attention, energy, and resources from resolving the more pressing issues of our time (the first being climate change). Lately, some christian sects have put the environment on their agendas. We'll see if this new movement can overtake the unproductive, divisive ignorance that runs so rampant these days.

I can say with absolute certainty that that is extremely unlikely.

George W Bush vs Australopithicus Afarensis Lucy:

Perhaps if you guys would let the murder rule slide a bit...just long enough to provide some of your more embarrassing constituents an opportunity to experience premature Rapture. Regarding religion and government: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." The Founding Fathers gave us a clause so clear and simple that we'll never stop arguing about it. Regarding today's top Christian legislative issues: Abortion: arguable and ambiguous. Mother's rights verses childs rights? A moral dilemna, and not solely a religious one. Anti-gay agenda: Purely religious. No place in government at all. Zero. Organized prayer in (public) schools: Uh...no. See above. Public funding of religious organizations to deliver public services: Shaky in some cases, but not necessarily unconstitutional. A religious organization should be able to compete with a non religious organization to be funded to provide such services, as long as religious participation is NOT a requirement for using those services. Tax exempt status for churches: If a church is a not for profit organization by the same definition used for non-religious not for profits, OK. Outside this definition, NO tax exempt status should be granted. God in public officials public statements: No way. Keep it to yourself, pal. You either represent all of us, or you don't get the job. God on money: Not a huge issue, but clearly unconstitutional. Of course, we do it anyway.

I just ordered a pair of 50 m ice tools. One move per pitch. I'm gonna be soooooo flashin'...

If you insist... The Westboro folks are just the extreme tip of a very, very large Christian iceberg with a public, legislatively active anti-gay agenda. The Christian belief that the being gay is something evil that must be extinguished is neither anomalous nor isolated. Granted, not ALL christians believe this...but tens of millions do (if Reverend Ted's former followership is any indication). You guys definitely have a well deserved image problem. Perhaps instead of silence, you might try taking on some of your kookier, more hateful brethren. I view Christianity, like any other religion involving dieties, as a cult. As long as it is benign and personal in nature (Christ like, if you will), fine. When it becomes proscriptive to non-believers, as is clearly the case with the anti-gay agenda, or any religious involvement in politics for that matter, that's when it's time to cha cha.

I don't understand it either. Christians are so loving, tolerant, and family oriented... ...not to mention enterpreneurial... ...and friendly. Just ask one... ...and certainly anything but kooky... For those who feel "Rapture Ready" I just don't understand why anyone would object to a group of folks that knows with absolute certainty that they're right and the rest of us are wrong. Anyone critical of Christianity is absolutely, without a doubt, shallow and unfulfilled. Thank you for pointing that out to us.

Definitely. They were probably on a really hard mixed route and got really bored just sitting there freezing their ass off looking up at a hard rock pitch. Rather than dying there or backing off, as they should have done, they invented this new stupid sport and continued upward. As if that wasn't enough, they had to go and invent stupid paraphenalia like mono points. Shit, come to think of it, even front points are contrived. Lame.

Me too. All my life I've humored their quaint belief that I'm their offspring, while secretly knowing that I'm actually the love-child of a beautiful singing mermaid and the captain of an alien starship who was switched at birth.

Yer a perv, Dwayner. Now there's a daiper destined for Ebay.

More likely her last name is predictive of what will probably be the outcome of her legal woes; "No Walk"

Ah clahmb'd on toppa wunna dem Chrisht'n bitches wunce, n Ah shoz Hail enjoyed her comp'ny. Da guiltier she got, da honiah she got, you know? Praize Jebus, she freaky AN crazy awl at da same damn tahm!

Nauh, dis funny. Mah mama alwayz tol' me dat you don' go to a ho-house to fahn' a preachah, yet heuh we be.

This is all we need; another piece of space junk.

Nauw, dis fuhnny. Ebbody cryin in dey lattes n shit bout whut it mus be lack tuh be a nigga o a thespeen o sum such. Haill, EBBODY don' lahck sumbody, ain no way tuh git round it. Take da bitches, fo zample. Nauw, Ah lahcks me sum booty, butt whain dat shit's TOO damn big, Ah mean, say she gotta back lahck da ass en uva gahbitch truck o sumthin? Whain you need ta use a strap lahck doze telphone lahnmin o sumthin jis ta hol' on, man, das wheuh Ah draw dat lahn inna san', you know? Dem Goddamn gahbitch truck ass't bitches jis need ta plug up dat snack hol' fo while. Whut bout aull dem po Biafrins n shit? What dey gunna think while Miss Waste Managemint USA's gotta a buckit o Extra Crispy strap ta her face lahck a damn mule?

Thanks for all the input. I just bought a pair of Reactors, and am looking forward to using them.

Another weird thing about Canada:

I should clarify that I want to use these tools for mixed and mountain steeps, so the Nomics probably wouldn't be the best choice.

When I was in Nepal they made a coffee-like drink consisting of dried, smoked yak dung and several bidi butts steeped in hot, slightly rancid goat's milk, to which was added a tablespoon of Sanka and a dribble of the host's urine. It really reminded me of Starbuck's Italian roast. I would get so homesick every time I had it.

Anyone have any experience using BD Reactors? I'm thinking about getting a pair. Didn't put this in the gear forum because I'm kind of in a hurry to say yes or no to the deal I just found. Thanks in advance.

Man, we AWL munkeys n dis cage. Piss sprayin, shit throwin, ass scratchin, banana eatin, dog trickin, peanut stealin, climbin, screamin, scammin, scrappy, scrapin munkeys. Ain no mo to it.

A Lite Brite cartoon was the subject of the big bomb scare? OMFG. And here I always assumed Boston to be a smart town.

I would love a Washington with winter temps in the teens and twenties. Cold, crisp, clear. Freshiez and ice, baby.

I know it is the latter. I'm not sure it ever really was the former. 100 years ago the country was ruled by robber barons and corporate interests, and in the mid 1800's it was very much a one party system. There's a lot of faults with this culture and this system, but through all that, this country remains one of the best places in the world for it's opportunities and standard of living. Not to say there aren't many great countries one could have a very comfortable life, but it's still true. America never was a conscientious democracy. It has always been a rapacious one. Hopefully, now that we're up against the climate wall, we can finally realize our full potential to become what many of us mistakenly believe we already are. One aspect of our culture separates us from most others: a near unamimous expectation and desire for fantastic wealth. It's a disease that makes us more unhappy than happy. Go to a country like Norway, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland, where people are, in general, very happy, and you just don't sense the same desperation. This disease chains Americans to McMansions they neither need nor really want, jobs they hate, and mates they don't connect with. It prevents Americans from taking true risks to pursue their passions, contributing to their community, being a real part of their families, and connecting with the natural world. Small wonder we produce five times the greenhouse gases per person as the average world citizen while living in twice the square footage of the average 1st world inhabitant.