Unless you've living under a rock for the last 30 days or so you probably have heard fergalicious. (From Fergie, Stacey from Black Eyed... also did a cameo on Posiedon...)
Anyways, check out these kids... Weird Al would be proud.
http://topoftube.blogspot.com/2006/12/christmelicious.html
There is this AIM Buddy named Moviefone. His knowledge is pretty much restricted to movies but check out this conversation:
Me: yo
moviefone: Hi there. I'm the new Moviefone bot! I can find movies for you anywhere in the country in a fraction of second. All you have to do is give me part of the title, an actor or director's name. I can also send you alerts when your favorite films are opening. Type privacy anytime to review the policy. Type any movie you want to see or menu to get going.
======= Movie of the Week =======
Saw III - Movie Site
Me: What is clint eastwoods new movie?
moviefone: - Movies for Today
1 -F- What Is It?
2 -N- Flags of Our Fathers
3 -F- What Just Happened
4 -P- A Fistful of Dollars
5 -F- Letters from Iwo Jima
P=Past, N=New, S=Soon, F=Future
Type # next to movie to see showtimes, M to go back to the Main Menu or anything else to search again.
Me: 2
moviefone: Enter a valid 5 digit zip-code.
Me: 06106
moviefone: - Showtimes for Today
Flags of Our Fathers [opened on 10-20-06] is playing at
1 - National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Buckland Hills
12:20PM 12:50PM 3:30PM 4:00PM 6:40PM 7:10PM 9:35PM 10:05PM
2 - Showcase Cinemas East Winsdor
12:50PM 4:00PM 7:10PM 10:05PM
3 - National Amusements Enfield Cinemas 12
12:50PM 4:00PM 7:10PM 10:05PM
4 - Crown Palace 17 & Odyssey Theatre
1:15PM 3:00PM 4:15PM 6:30PM 7:20PM 9:30PM
5 - Destinta Theatres Metro Square 12
3:10PM 6:05PM 9:00PM
Type number to see all the movies playing in that Theater.
Me: thx bra
moviefone: anytime
One of the best videos I've seen in a while:
This one is also pretty telling.
In a 1928 speech to the German League for Human Rights, Einstein summarized his dismissal of free will in these terms:
I don’t believe in the freedom of the will. Schopenhauer’s saying, that a humanNeuroscience...
can very well do what he wants, but can not will what he wants, accompanies me
in all of life’s circumstances and reconciles me with the actions of humans,
even when they are truly distressing. This knowledge of the non-freedom of the
will protects me from losing my good humor and taking much too seriously myself
and my fellow humans as acting and judging individuals.
The lighting wasn't great for my cheap camera. But here's some pics anyways.
Traffic was insane due to an accident and a car fire. A trip that normally takes me 7 minutes took close to an hour.
Atheism was up first (Here's a FAQ on the Subject: GOD FAQ [Frequently asked Questions]) but now the gloves are coming off. There are three shackles that imprison the mind of every breathing human. These shackles need to be cast off to get us back into a fast forward state of evolution. The three shackles are the 3 great lies or more accurately the three great myths. They are: Immortality, God and Free will.
I covered atheism although I would add based on some of the people who have questioned my ethical beliefs based on atheism I would add: The belief in god has nothing to do with ethics. I find it insulting that I need to be threatened with various religion's representation of hell or afterlife or be baited with each religion's version of heaven to force me to be ethical. Ethics is essentially a belief of how things should be and not a belief in what is. If you think of your environment and reflect on how to make things better and how everyone can co-exist in peace and still prosper then your are treading down the path of non-faith based ethics. It reminds me of Einstein:
A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death. (Albert Einstein, "Religion and Science", New York Times Magazine, 9 November 1930)
If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed. (Albert Einstein)
“The mind is determined to this or that choice by a cause which is also determined by another cause, and this again by another, and so on ad infinitum,” Spinoza wrote. “This doctrine teaches us to hate no one, to despise no one, to mock no one, to be angry with no one, and to envy no one.”
The people who flew the planes into our buildings did so for their own religious reasons. They believe that by killing themselves in sacrifice for their beliefs they would go to heaven. Their targets were picked by a politician who used their religion as a tool to accomplish his goal. He used them as easily as I swing a hammer. He did so with one clear purpose: To strike terror into the hearts and minds of the american citizens.
He knows that the americans will freely give up their rights and migrate towards a police state if their scared enough. They want to feel secure even when they are not. The passing of the Patriot Act was the beginning of their migration. (And if you haven't read it yet, I HIGHLY recommend you do before you blabber on about how it is good for America.)
Religion is a tool and the cause of many of the problems in the world. Simple disagreements over interpretation generate conflict which over time will escalate. Politicians will use religion to control the masses and to get them to say and do what they want them to do. When you see such a clear cut case of people killing themselves for their religion, you may start to ask yourself are you being controlled by your leaders via religion?
Is religion the gateway that allows the blinders to be pulled and the eyes to be shut? The republicans are running a scare campaign in Connecticut this year. They would have us believe that if we take our troops OUT of Iraq that we will be facing a new 9/11. Attacking Iraq was never about the security of this country, weapons of mass destruction or the war on terror. I could venture a few guesses as to what it was about though. Iraq is going through a Civil war and our Troops are over there to make sure that the side we want to win, wins. It doesn't matter. Let Iraq settle its own internal differences. Give the side you want to win weapons, money and intelligence but don't give them american soldiers. American soldiers are charged with the noble task of defending our country and our people. Fighting Iraq's civil war has NOTHING to do with americans or its lands.
I have no problem with religion or religious people but question sometimes whether they confuse their religion with their politics... I do however have a problem with a government that would risk the lives of our troops needlessly. Bring the troops home.
I had a friendly discussion regarding Bush's Eggtra (EGTRRA) act of 2001 and the acceleration of that act in 2003.
Appearantly there are people in this country more American then the middle class. 51% of the benefits of this bill are going to just 1% of the country. (The wealthiest) I wont get into Gift/Estate taxes nor what its going to do to interest rates... (Remember is a phased approach). It adds castrophically to our deficit but gets around the Byrd law because its only 10 years long... Yeah... Loopholes suck. The question is what happens in 2011?
Anyways I'd sure like to know why 278 Million of us americans don't deserve the same fininacial benefit as the other 2.2 million Americans. Perhaps their just more american then us. Strange how people don't riot it in the streets, I guess ignorance is bliss. Everyone did get some benefit so maybe thats what is keeping the masses satisfied. I mean Georges friends are all rich and hes gotta take care of them first...
See the numbers here: http://www.ctj.org/html/gwb0602.htm
"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
That smacks of truth now doesn't it? If you wanted you could couple that with the fact that most people spend more time deciding on a new car or choosing a new home then they spent on choosing their god. Most people don't even know all of their choices. I mean their are A LOT of gods and lots of different religions. Ahh well. Here's some more quotes that got me smiling again:
Terry Pratchett: The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.
Anonymous: Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer
Richard Jeni: “You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend”
Albert Einstein: Since our inner experiences consist of
reproductions, and combinations of sensory impressions, the concept of a soul without a body seem to me to be empty and devoid of meaning
Gene Roddenberry: They said God was on high and he controlled the world and therefore we must pray against Satan. Well, if God controls the world, he controls Satan. For me, religion was full of misstatements and reaches of logic that I just couldn't agree withJustin Brown: An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An Atheist believes that deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An Atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished and war eliminated.
Hehe... I guess you learn something new everyday.
http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/200512_an_atheist_manifesto/
Not too much argue about here. I was brought up first as a catholic, then a baptist and for many years as a Jehovah's Witness. What I saw from those religions is a lot of people who believe for the sake of believing. As a kid I would ask, "Who created the Universe?" And would be told God. Then I would ask, "Who created God?" and they would say no one, he has always been. I would then say, "If things can always just be and no one needs to create them, maybe it was the Universe that has always just been." (I was young lol but it made perfect sense to me and baffled most people.)
As I got older I would ask who created the earth and they would say god and then I would go on to quote New Scientist and other sources and present facts that the earth is about 4 billion years old and started to form close to 20 billion years ago and they would go on about how he didn't literally create it etc. Then I would ask how god created light. My primary light is Sol, the big ball of fire in the sky... Did god create that light or all the suns? Or did he actually will into being the photon itself and before then all suns were dark.... In fact I would argue about the grand canyon and how it formed over millions of years and be told that no... the layers are too close together and were laid down by the great flood. Remember Shawn, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights! This by scientists who in real life taught science but were elders of my church.
Now I'm a bright boy... exceptionally so and were it not for that I may have been brainwashed to believe these proposterous explanations and passed that on to my bretheren!!!! No it shall not be done!
I was watching the Colbert report the other day and he had a Congressman on the show (You can still catch it on Motherload if you see this soon.) Anyways this guy Co-Sponsered a bill to display the 10 commandments in our courts! He said he could not think of a better building to display it in. However when called upon to speak what the 10 commandments were he couldn't. *I KNOW THE 10 COMMANDENTS for crying out loud and most of them have no place in our court room! Are we going to punish people for putting their god before their own? What of atheists?* (Note: It is on google here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2929773288922236708&q=colbert )
Our governement is being more and more influenced by religion and corporations and less and less by the people who are intended to run it. It could be argued as well that the people have been brainwashed and it shows. How many people think Iraq had something to do with 9/11 STILL!!! There is supposed to be a speration of CHURCH and GOVERNMENT for VERY good reasons. More wars have been fought and more lives have been lost over religion then over anything else.
The people that attacked us on 9/11 were not poor, uneducated misguided souls... they were college educated, took flight lessons and died attacking us in the name of their religion! Go back through history. Religion is a disease in my opinion. In fact to this day people are brought up to embrace hatred for others that are not of their religion. Is this what I was to teach to my kids?
After all it can't be random right? (http://gprime.net/video.php/spraypaintart http://gprime.net/video.php/riceresonance )
Working post.... Comparing Rome to America.
Give your love abundantly to those who appreciate and respect it, and the rest
will just have to be ignored if there isn't any left over. We can't save a
person determined to drown.
This is more of a poll I would guess then a post... But all the same. What is personal responsibility?
Granted I find it hard to do laundry immediately before I need the laundry but I also pay my bills well before I need to. What defines that?
Perhaps because I was brought up poor I consider bills of utmost importance whilst appearance is vain because if you have the money to pay your bills who cares what you look like? Is that a direct result of my upbringing? Or is it a habit I cant grow out of. Granted I make sure I look like a million before I head to work but I find that my general philosphy follows me whereever. It seems like an aquired philosphy.
I look at it this way: If I'm on the phone with one of my friends or playing a game with them and my son begins to cry then they become annoyed with me when I sideline them to deal with immediate family. Of course the pretend to understand but the results of me doing that seem to persist with them for weeks if not months. To me... I think, well to hell with you. This is my son and if he is in distress I need to be there! That is my responsibility. The fact that my responsibility conflicts with your current emotional/thought process is not really my concern. Yet my friends in contrast think perversely, in my opinion, that if their at a bar or playing dungeons and dragons it is outright rude for me to disturb them. The tone of their voice, their reaction... its the same as when Im dealing with my son who is bleeding.
I guess it comes down to what people personally value. I value my family now among all else. My friends seem to value their personal entertainment above all else and perhaps that is because their not as a mature as I am or maybe because they do not have families of their own. Hell some never want families of their own which to me indicates perhaps they dont trust themselves enough to raise a family. (The irony of it all is to see the truth you must first have a family... Noone is smart enough to duplicate experience through thought alone... thats why even in this stage of our evolution... babies still wear diapers)
Now before we get out of control here... hehe... I know for a fact that their are many, many excuses that many of them present for their reasons to dodge life and to dodge responsibility but to me it seems almost every reason I have heard boils down to both a lack of personal confidence and more to the point: selfishness. Why would I want a kid? Why would a bring a kid into this world? Why do anything at all when everything is taken care of for me... etc etc... Its responsibility and to some degree morality.
All the same Im writing this more for me then for anyone else. I thought... seriously... long ago that I had surrounded myself with positive people. People who were hell bent on changing the world by, if nothing else, through their own actions. Lately though I am beginning to see that is not true. Instead I have surrounded myself with people who are attempting to find the easiest way to make it through to the point in time when they have no choice but to die. What am I to do with this?
Some of my friends think that I am an idiot for having kids and for taking on so much more then I should have to deal with. I don't see it that way and I think my choices have actually made me a better person. I take pride in everything I do these days. The one thing I am ashamed of is smoking. Its a habit I should have never taken up and one I should get rid of. The rest of my life has led me to here... the present and has prepared me for things I never thought I would ever have to deal with.
To those who think I forgot how to have fun... yeah... Im about to have a scotch and play some DDO. Sleep will come soon but I still do the things I have fun with but have downgraded the personal importance of my fun to my responsibility to my family. Family, Friends and then work are my priorities and in that order. Work does not trump friends and family and friends do not trump family. (And truth be told... nothing trumps my son)
Philosphy vs Religion is referred to just as often as Morality vrs Religion... Religion relied on faith whereas philosphy does not.
From a letter to Thomas Jefferson:"I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved -- the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!"
The two feed upon each other from time to time like plagerist rivals... But Philosphy seeks truth and understanding whereas religion says too much much truth is too much... rely upon faith and resist temptation. This lesson is taught as early as eve when she partook of the tree she was told not to. I've heard of time out but a millenia has gone by and eve... now long dead... Well I bet she learned her lesson.
Thoughts?
