“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
-Stephen Roberts
an inspirational quote or saying you would like to share?
i have a little book that i write stuff down in,, some funny, some serious .... .
here's one i stole from a friend's f/b feed..... .
-Stephen Roberts
Here in Seattle today, it has hit its high at 69 (it's sunny out, too). The low tonight is predicted to be 54. Mmmmmmmm.....paradise.
it is so draining for me to constantly read threads by atheists that assert that those of who are uncertain or have faith have irrational minds.
god can not be proven or unproven.
the harping is tedious.
As an atheist, I generally keep it to myself and don't "preach" atheism to others. I do feel that if a religious person tries to share their views with me, it is only polite and fair to expect to listen to my views.
On the other hand, it is very frustrating to see grown, intelligent people base important life decisions and morals on a book of fairy tales, genies, & imaginary friends.
it is so draining for me to constantly read threads by atheists that assert that those of who are uncertain or have faith have irrational minds.
god can not be proven or unproven.
the harping is tedious.
I think Vanderhoven7 should just breastfeed godrulz and get it over with.
professor and i are going to the smokey mountains next week for white water rafting and hiking.
although i adore animals, i am a little nervous about the wild life i might encounter while on the hiking trails.
in particular i am worried about bears, cougars and snakes.
The best back country bear protection device you could possibly have on you is.............sleighbells. Tie a couple to your pack or your belt loops. Most maulings occur when you surprise a bear.
The only bears you will have to worry about in the Smokey Mts are black bears, which can be dangerous, but, as a rule, black bears are much more timid and shy than grizzly/brown bears. Just make lots of noise. Bells work really well, but you can sing, shout, recite Shakespeare, whatever.
If you do decide to bring along a gun, a .357 won't cut it. (Sorry Terry). You will only piss the animal off, thus ensuring a good mauling. Bring along a 12 ga shotgun with an 18" barrel. Load it with intermitent slugs & 00 buckshot. Aim for the armpit area. The least powerful pistol that I have ever considered for bear protection is a .44 mag. A .454 Cassull, .480 Ruger, or S&W .500 mag is much better. Just remember these high-powered handguns cripple at both ends. (They also cripple the pocketbook). The recoil can be quite intimidating, especially for someone with a smaller frame. I've spent most of my life playing in the woods and back country. One thing I've learned over the years is to ALWAYS have a firearm on you when camping/ fishing/ etc., not so much as protection from animals as protection from crazy people. True story.
As far as cats go, They are there, but you have a better chance of being bitten by a shark than seeing one of these critters. Again, make lots of noise.
Snakes are a mild danger too, but stick to established trails and keep tromping through the brush at a minimum, and you will be just fine.
Sounds like a great trip. Have fun!
P.S. Stay clear of local folks picking banjos.
i need all your book suggestions!.
i'm planning on immersing myself in many books over the near future and need a list to work through.. soooo what are your suggestions??.
peace.
"American Gods" by Neil Gaiman.
"Mouthful of Rocks" by Christian Jennings
"The Wasp Factory" by Iain Banks
"The Beach" by Alex Garland. The film adaptation starring Leo DiCaprio was a disgrace, but the book is really good.
Anything by Cormac McCarthy
before i begin, i want you to know i understand the difference between chemtrails and contrails, so lets leave those discussions behind, chemtrails exist.. what is the purpose of chemtrails ?
if it was to artificially create clouds, why come to edinburgh ?
for any of you who are unaware, 90% of the time its cloudy and rainy, so creating cloud cover, is a joke.
Still at it, eh? Some folks will argue about anything.
Oh well. Have fun & play nice.
every day there is yet another post concerning people's fury and frustration with the loathsome two witness rule concerning pedophiles.
do others believe that pedophiles, organized through the internet as to where they are the safest, become jws b/c most other religions protect children?
or do some witnesses just err b/c they are human and the wt has an unfortunate policy.. the accusations against the roman catholic church which led many rcs not to donate any money to their diocese but to turn to their own catholic relief groups show pedophiles were encouraged and coddled.
Personally, I believe that any religion or organization which demonizes or criminalizes sex and which makes people feel powerless only serves to create sexual predation.
In the case of the Catholic Church, insisting that priests refrain from sexual activity only serves to create monsters.
In the case of JWs, not only do they make their followers feel completely powerless, they also criminalize sex and masturbation. Again, this creates predators.
In many cases of sexual crimes, it is not as much a need for the predator to fulfill sexual desires as it is a need to feel powerful.
You can't suppress the strongest of human natures and expect there to be no repercussions.
before i begin, i want you to know i understand the difference between chemtrails and contrails, so lets leave those discussions behind, chemtrails exist.. what is the purpose of chemtrails ?
if it was to artificially create clouds, why come to edinburgh ?
for any of you who are unaware, 90% of the time its cloudy and rainy, so creating cloud cover, is a joke.
Here's my take on the subject:
Folks like bohm seem to trust their governments so much that they refuse to believe that said governments could possibly be up to anything covert or nefarious.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have people that believe that the only thing their government is up to is selling their people down the river and using them as lab rats in all types of evil experiments.
I would say that the truth is likely somewhere in between these two poles. World governments have been shown throughout history to be up to questionable deeds when it comes to the welfare of thir citizens.
But, if a government ultimately ends up sickening or killing off all of its citizens, then you would cease to have anyone to govern, no?
One thing is absolutely certain, however. Just about everyone involved in this ridiculous debate has behaved with the utmost in juvenile, petty jabs and name calling. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
for years i've been pretty good at getting a good night's sleep.
a couple of pages of my book and i'm away til morning, apart from the odd bladder brigade journey.
however, suddenly, after our house move, i am having just an awful time of it.
I sleep a lot better since The Mrs & I broke down and bought a great memory foam mattress. Our old bed was waaaaay too soft. No support. Tossed and turned all night with a sore back. Now, I usually wake up well-rested in the same position as I went to sleep in.