Alpaca

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Posts by Alpaca

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  17

  Woman throws tantrum after missing flight

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as the article states, tsa would have arrested her...lol .

  http://www.gadling.com/2009/02/16/woman-throws-tantrum-after-missing-her-flight/ (for the article and video).

  (it's also on youtube if the link above disappears http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3e-papiuye ) (video only).

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  Alpaca

  John Doe,

  You're a total ass.
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  16

  So is this weird or really smart or does it remain to be seen?

  by JWdaughter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok, i know he is capable of being really smart and really weird:) my 8 year old son last night wanted to read the declaration of independence for his bedtime story.

  the night before, we went over the 7 wonders of the world.

  he is on a ancient greek/revolutionary war kick, with a little classic mythology (in conjunction with the actual history) thrown in for recreational purposes.. this is very different than the other two kids-who of course were very different from each other.. he is 8. i didn't read the entire declaration of independence for myself until last night.

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  Alpaca

  Wow. You should be jumpin' for joy. Talk to him about the fermenting issues that led to the Declaration, such as the humanist movement in Europe and the rights of man. You definitely have a prodigy on your hands. Go with it and you might learn all kinds of important stuff along the way.
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  17

  Woman throws tantrum after missing flight

  by SnakesInTheTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as the article states, tsa would have arrested her...lol .

  http://www.gadling.com/2009/02/16/woman-throws-tantrum-after-missing-her-flight/ (for the article and video).

  (it's also on youtube if the link above disappears http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3e-papiuye ) (video only).

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  Alpaca

  That woman was in my old congregation. You should have seen how she reacted when she realized that because she was a DUB she missed out on life.

  Okay...I am kidding.
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  6

  Charles Darwin's research to prove evolution was motivated by his desire to end slavery

  by hamilcarr in

  1. social
  2. current

  charles darwin's research to prove evolution was motivated by his desire to end slaverycharles darwin, the scientist whose theories have become a corner stone of modern biology, was motivated to carry out his famous research by a desire to rid the world of slavery, according to a new book.

  "origin of the species is a classic scientific work as it has no obvious social agenda, although when you read the journal of his voyage on the beagle it becomes clear he was horrified by the slavery he saw and how it weighs upon him.".

  by richard gray, science correspondent .

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  Alpaca

  If you guys haven't seen Smithsonian magizine this month you should take a look. It is an interesting coincidence that Abe Lincoln and Chuck Darwin were born on the same day and there are several articles in Smithsonian that delve into their shared desire to see humankind lifted above the tragedy of slavery.
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  66

  Would You Rather Be Married or Single?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends
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  Alpaca

  There is nothing better than a good marriage and nothing worse than a bad one.

  I was married for 21 years to a great woman--we just weren't right for each other--and I was really unhappy for 21 years (starting the first week after the wedding). How can you possibly know if you're compatible if you can't have sex before marriage. Never again.
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  67

  Global Warming Is Irreversible, Study Says

  by Alpaca in

  1. social
  2. current

  we are in for a very rough ride in the coming decades.. this was reported on npr:.

  all things considered,january 26, 2009 climate change is essentially irreversible, according to a sobering new scientific study.. as carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, the world will experience more and more long-term environmental disruption.

  the damage will persist even when, and if, emissions are brought under control, says study author susan solomon, who is among the world's top climate scientists.. "we're used to thinking about pollution problems as things that we can fix," solomon says.

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  Alpaca

  Actually, the caption should read: "Bush says 'You're hired.'"
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  36

  My Brother In Law just died tonight.

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  he was 51. we had not been close in the past few years.. he suffered from a rare ailment called sarcoid.

  it can afflict several organs of the body, but in his case, it affected his brain.

  it caused swelling, and subsequent issues from that.

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  Alpaca

  Sorry Jeff.

  Any time someone dies, especially when it is someone we know, it makes you appreciate how fleeting all of this is.

  Enjoy the love and the family and the good things around us whille you can.

  All the best,

  Alex
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  13

  Why do ex-Dubs become either liberal or conservative?

  by Alpaca in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am just curious about what factors have made you find your niche in either the liberal or the conservative mindset.. for myself, even when i was a dub i almost always found liberal arguments much more persuasive than those of conservative thinkers.

  i attributed it, in part, to my dub-shaped thinking...i.e., the desire to see people living in peace, the fair distribution of resources and wealth, enough food, clothing and adequate housing for all, etc.. personally, i think that liberal thinking is more mature thinking.

  here is why: i believe that liberals are generally willing to look at a bigger picture of things and peer down the road to anticpate the tomorrow's ramifications for the things we do today.. some of the discussions on this board, where it is impossible to escape taking a stand as a liberal or a conservative, have turned into bizarre screaming matches between the participants.

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  Alpaca

  John Doe,

  By the title of the thread, I did not mean to categorize ex-Dubs as only residing at one end of the philosophical spectrum or the other. Of course, there are middle-of-the-roaders.

  I am just fascinated at the what causes ex-Dubs to settle into the mindset that they do. I am curious about how everyone got to where they are now.

  Thanks.
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  13

  Why do ex-Dubs become either liberal or conservative?

  by Alpaca in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am just curious about what factors have made you find your niche in either the liberal or the conservative mindset.. for myself, even when i was a dub i almost always found liberal arguments much more persuasive than those of conservative thinkers.

  i attributed it, in part, to my dub-shaped thinking...i.e., the desire to see people living in peace, the fair distribution of resources and wealth, enough food, clothing and adequate housing for all, etc.. personally, i think that liberal thinking is more mature thinking.

  here is why: i believe that liberals are generally willing to look at a bigger picture of things and peer down the road to anticpate the tomorrow's ramifications for the things we do today.. some of the discussions on this board, where it is impossible to escape taking a stand as a liberal or a conservative, have turned into bizarre screaming matches between the participants.

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  Alpaca

  jaguarbass,

  Thanks for the thoughtful commentary. Even though I am a registered dem, I would like to see a strong 3rd party emerge. I voted for Nader in 2000, more as a protest than with any real expectation that the vote would effect any change.

  Anyway you cut it, unless we get the lobbyists and the special interest influence out of Washington, nothing is going to change. And BTW, the foregoing suggestion is never going to happen.

  Sometimes I despair about how the future of our democracy will unfold.

  Winston Churchill said, "Democracy is a bad form of government....unfortunately, it's the best thing we've got.
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  44

  For the Atheists... I Need some Answers....

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i proudly admit at the start of this that i am very non supportive of organized religion, the bible, worshipping jesus and the like.

  i have frequently argued against theistic themes, joining atheists in their arguements.

  i view most religion as a cynical system of power for their religious leaders.. yet i am not an atheist.

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  Alpaca

  The theist and the atheist are the same person looking at each other in the mirror.

  There is no way to prove or disprove the existence of God or whatever other label you want to put on the subject of the debate.

  I don't think you can really do any better (if you are being thoroughly honest) than agnosticism. We weigh the evidence for there being a god...there isn't any...we put the results on the shelf...and there it sits...

  I think about this stuff every single day. There is more evidence that god doesn't exist than evidence that she/he does exist. The best I can do is place myself on the continuum of doubt--the evidence shows that there is about 98.5% chance that god does not exist. However, it would be presumptuous to say that there is a 100% chance that god doesn't exist--how could I possibly know that?

  Bottom line: All I can claim is agnosticism--not enough evidence one way or the other, but a strong indication that god probably does not exist.