econaut

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Posts by econaut

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  52

  Why are honest questions considered apostasy?

  by Rayvin in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is why as i was growing up (raised in "the truth") i never asked questions.

  i never understood the birthday issue among other holidays.

  i never asked because i was scared i would be looked at as an apostate or as someone being worn down by the wicked association.

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  econaut

  Welcome!

  I agree whole heartedly with what Leolaia posted above.

  econaut
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  3

  Guns, Germs, & Steel

  by Valis in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  anyone else watching this?

  i like the historical and archeological conversations that are developing, and also the chance to take it all in over several episodes.

  for me it makes it easier to consider diamond's ideas and decide for myself.

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  econaut

  Peaceful Pete and I saw it last night. I thought it was really good and agree with Diamond's conclusion that geography is the reason why some areas advanced while others did not.

  econaut
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  103

  How many of you are childfree by choice?

  by rebel8 in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  by that, i mean you do not want to have children.. i have been told since birth it would not be safe for me to have children, so i never even considered it.

  i never went through a grieving period because the concept of having babies was not something i once had and lost.

  i always envisioned myself as a happy career woman.. i recently married and am still sure i don't want children.

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  econaut

  I heard somewhere that people only accuse the childfree of selfishness because they damn well wish they could be that selfish!

  This is what I have concluded as well......they're jealous. They wish they had the freedom of those without kids so they turn to putting others down to make themselves feel good.

  My husband and I are childless by choice as well. We have chosen this for the reasons stated by all of you (the earth is over populated for its resource consumption, the gamble as to whether the baby will be healthy or not, the WORRY doesn't stop when they leave the house, etc). One other thing to add in our case is that twins run on my side of the family so that was an additional scare to us. The gamble of having a healthy baby is too great a gamble for us to take. We would love to be an aunt and uncle though, maybe someday.....

  We do have a cat that we got after only a couple months of marriage. We have had her now for 12 years. She is our "daughter". Any one else out here that is childless and feels this way about their pet? When I use the term "daughter" in this context with someone who has children they give me a look like, "what do you mean, daughter??" They seem to get offended. But she is! We care and worry about her so much. But, I love it that I can just give her a clean litter box, fill her food and water dish and go away for the weekend. We have thought about getting a dog but a dog seems to be needier than a cat. Can't handle that right now! It's hard enough finding someone to come in and spend time with/feed our cat when we go away on extended vacations!

  econaut...... (of the childless so I can afford MY college tuition class!)
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  170

  What does your name MEAN?

  by RichieRich in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we all are identified by our names here on jwd.

  some use their real names, and others pick a moniker that is their nickname or perhaps a few words from a song they like.. why did you pick your name?.

  for instance,.

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  econaut

  An episode of Futurama was especially meaningful/humorous to me. Here are the portions of it that I have taken my handle and avatar from: 3.9: The Birdbot Of Ice-Catraz
  	Original Airdate: 4th March 2001

  Scene: Planet Express: Lounge. Fry and Bender sit on the couch while Leela perches on the end of it. Fry tears open a pack of Styro-Pak Cookies.]

  Leela: Fry, I know those cookies are fresh-a-licious but they produce an awful lot of trash.

  [Fry takes out a small pack marked "Top," opens it, takes something out and puts it in a weird looking machine. He throws the packet on a pile of other packets. He rips open a pack marked "Bottom" and puts it in the other side of the machine. He rips open a pack marked "Middle," puts it in the middle of the machine and pulls a lever on the machine. The machine compresses the cookie sections and makes a cream filled cookie. He pulls it apart a licks out the cream from the middle. Bender sprays his antenna with something and slicks it back.]

  Bender: Ah!

  Leela: And Bender, that aerosol head spray makes your head smell nice...

  Bender: Thank you.

  Leela: ...but it's doing long-term damage to the planet.

  Bender: So? It's not like it's the only one we've got!

  [Enter Farnsworth.]

  Farnsworth: Good news everyone! I'm sending you on an extremely controversial mission!

  Fry: Controversial?

  Farnsworth: Oh my no.

  [Scene: Planet Express: Meeting Room. The lights are dimmed and there is a hologram in the middle of the table of the Planet Express ship docking with a tanker.]

  Farnsworth: For this highly controversial mission, you'll be towing the Juan Valdez, an orbitting supertanker full of rich Columbian dark matter.

  Leela: Dark matter oil? What if we hit something? The tanker could leak!

  Farnsworth: Impossible! [He presses a button and an enlarged holographic cross-section of the tanker appears.] The tanker has 6000 hulls. So, unlike me, it's entirely leak-proof! [He points at a new hologram with the fing-longer.] Now, once you've hauled the tanker past the protestors -

  Leela: Protestors?

  Farnsworth: Correct. 6000 hulls.

  Leela: Why do we have to fly within three feet of this penguin preserve on Pluto?

  Farnsworth: (whispering) To avoid the tollbooth.

  [Scene: Planet Express: Hangar. Leela is wearing her green jacket and Farnsworth points at something on the ship to Bender. Fry walks down the steps with an empty trolley.]

  Fry: Alright, she's all restocked with emergency jam. Let's get going.

  Leela: At the risk of sounding negative: No! Look Professor, I can't participate in this mission.

  Farnsworth: What are you yapping about?

  Leela: This time it's your reckless disregard for the environment. In fact, I'm gonna go join those protestors. ......................................

  [Scene: A convoy of protestors in ship's fly towards the Juan Valdez which is orbitting Earth. They tow banners such as "Save The Crested Spinepecker" and "Think Intergalactically, Act Interplanetarily." A Green Party ship full of Kif's people fly by and a larger ship belonging to Penguins Unlimited flies by.]

  [Cut to: Penguins Unlimited Ship. A huge crowd of protestors are gathered on the deck. Preparing for a speech is Free Waterfall Sr, father of Free Waterfall Jr who led the campaign against eating Popplers in The Problem With Popplers.]

  Waterfall Sr: Greetings Econauts. I'm Free Waterfall Sr, founder of Penguins Unlimited. [The crowd applauds.] Whoa! No, no! No applause. Every time you clap your hands you kill thousands of spores that'll some day form a nutritious fungus. Just show your approval with a mould-friendly thumbs up! [The crowd thumbs-ups.] Please hold your thumbs until the end. Now folks, its time to stop that tanker with a non-violent human circle. ..........................................

  And here is where my avatar comes from (same episode):

  [Scene: Pluto Surface. The protestors hold up signs such as "Give A Hooto Don't Pollute Pluto!", "Preserve Our Useless Wasteland" and "Free Chilly Willy."]

  Protestor #3: Here they come, oh I hope they read my sign!

  [He holds up the sign that reads "Go Away Tanker!" The ship and tanker fly over the planet surface upside-down.]

  Leela: Bender's flying too low! And he's upside-down!

  Protestor #3: He must be talking on a cell phone!

  [The tanker hits an iceberg and it scrapes a huge hole along the hull releasing a torrent of dark matter oil.] .............

  So just call me a moderate tree hugger ....econaut
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  16

  The Atheist's Book of Bible Stories - Ch. 12 - The Flood

  by RunningMan in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  well, i've been waiting for a long time to post this one.

  it's my personal favorite.

  some angels became inflamed with lust for human women and took on human form.

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  econaut

  Good one RunningMan...thanks!

  econaut
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  51

  small children seeing ghosts and hearing voices

  by moanzy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  .

  does anyone have any experience with this or know what is happening?.

  moanzy

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  econaut

  Just an FYI....

  the other day I had the TV on PBS and was amazed that on both George Shrinks and Bob the Builder they spoke about ghosts and seeing ghosts....not too hard to see where a kid would come up with this stuff....

  econaut
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  9

  Multiple bombings in London

  by jula71 in

  1. social
  2. current

  there has been a report of multiple bombings in london, 3 subway car and 3 double decker buses.

  we have a lot on the board with from england, i hope they all are safe.

  my thoughts are with them.

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  econaut

  My thoughts are with all in London today...........

  econaut
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  6

  Hell

  by ray_omega in

  1. social
  2. humour

  the following is supposedly an actual question given on a university of washington chemistry mid-term.

  the answer by one of the students was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well... .

  bonus question: is hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

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  econaut

  If I could only be that clever on a test!!

  Thanks for sharing,

  econaut
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  14

  I'm Happy Today

  by Why Georgia in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  .

  well today is my wonderful husbands' birthday.. when we were first together he didn't want presents, cake, no celebration at all.. last night he was so excited about his gifts he opened one in the middle of the night.

  he wants pizza for his birthday dinner and to go out for ice cream instead of a birthday cake.. i just feel happy that he's come so far and doesn't see birthdays as some evil happening.. wg

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  econaut

  It took me a few years before I didn't feel guilty going into the Christmas section at a store. I can now say "Christmas presents" and not think twice. Just give him time.

  econaut
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  51

  small children seeing ghosts and hearing voices

  by moanzy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  .

  does anyone have any experience with this or know what is happening?.

  moanzy

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  econaut

  As a kid I was alone in the bathroom and thought that I felt a hand on my neck. At the time, I thought it a demon. Now I chalk it up to an overactive imagination being fueled by the dubs (like the story of the demons coming down to earth to have sex!) and my mother. When I told my mom that I had felt a hand she believed that it was a demon and thought that it must be due to something that she had in the house. I think she found that she had either a cross or a christening gown that my grandma had crocheted that she got rid of because she thought that she had invited the demons into our house.

  She would tell my brother and me that if we were scared to just "call out Jehovah's name". My brother and I would be afraid to walk upstairs to our bedroom in the dark so the whole way up we would whisper "Jehovah, Jehovah." I look back and wish my mom would have not been afraid herself and had taught us that there was nothing to fear...or at least turn all the lights on for us!!