Shotgun

Prescription ibuprofen (Advil) is usually 600-800 mg, so I sometimes take this amount in over-the-counter pills if I don't have a prescription filled. It helps with my back pain without making me feel "out of it" like opiate pain meds do. Of course, I should be responsible and say that you should see a doctor first.

Why was it "revealed" in his NA group? Was it something he shared, or was it some sort of NA member gossip? Another member of his group outed him. He was devastated. I don't know for certain but it was rumored that he was ashamed of porno career. I don't think he was too concerned about being gay. That's pretty sad. I thought that NA was supposed to help people deal with shame and such. But I guess some things are outside the scope of a non-professional support group.

Why was it "revealed" in his NA group? Was it something he shared, or was it some sort of NA member gossip?

Ding ding ding! Yep, there are plenty of Christians out there. They just don't make a big deal out of it in front of everyone. They don't introduce themselves as such. They don't evangilize to try and convert others. They just go about their daily business, living by their principles, treating people right, shaking hands, smiling, talking and making friends. Others judge them based upon their honesty and friendliness, not whether or not they're Christian. And that's exactly what I'm proposing that the Gays should do if they want to be accepted. Don't go around introducing yourself by saying; "Hi, I'm Gay". Don't make a public spectacle of being Gay. Just go around treating people right and being a trustworthy, friendly guy. Do that, and people will accept you as is, and the fact that you're Gay won't matter to them. But there are some Christians who might want to make their religion a bigger part of their skydiving experience, and I think it's great that they can find like-minded people to share the experience with. They might feel alienated by the skydiving majority who generally only want to talk about boobies and beer. I don't think the purpose is to exclude others or be obnoxious; I think it's just about making their own experience what they want it to be.

I think if you're talking about Christians who would check "Christian" on a religion survey, then yeah, they're probably a majority. But if you're talking about Christians who are so involved with their religion that they would want to join a Christian Skydivers Association, I think they are a minority. In all my years of being around skydiving, I could probably only name about two skydivers who I know are Christian, but that's probably because most just don't bring it up at the dz.

In the beginning the vision came to me as a way to enhance fellowship among believers. Christians are a distinct minority in the sport. It is difficult for the Christian to socialize post skydive . If you spot another jumper wearing the CSA emblem you know you have something in common. Back in the early 70's there was the rainbow emblem for pot smokers. It has since taken on new meaning. The point being, it was easier to identify a like minded jumper. I think you just summed up why a lot of minorities want to group together. I don't think it has anything to do with "proving they're normal." Most of us like to find like-minded people, especially if whatever aspect of our lives that makes us a minority is particularly important to us or makes us alienated by the majority group.

That sounds..... Well, not nearly as much fun as a gay rodeo. I used to go to the West of the Pecos Rodeo every year, and what I remember most is the good-looking cowboys, the dances after the rodeo, and the mechanical bull. So I don't think the whole rodeo thing is just about people going to watch a "sport." And from what I read of the "gay" rodeos, they don't exclude anyone, so you don't have to be gay to attend or participate. And there are plenty of non-gay rodeos around for anyone who isn't interested. So I just don't see a big deal.

Did they have to pass a heterosexual test before they could get on that load? The test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3viQHsBFc4 That's exactly what I was thinking of. I just watched that movie for the first time since I was a kid, and it was still funny... Of course, there were a few things I probably didn't "get" as a kid.

Did they have to pass a heterosexual test before they could get on that load?

Football players are often photographed with their wives/girlfriends. I don't even follow football, and I know at least a little bit about some of their private lives, just because they're in the headlines with Jessica Simpson or whatever. I don't think the straight dudes feel any need to cover up their private lives, but I'm sure any gay pro football players do. But whuffo those gay people be having rodeos for?

Which might add at least a little bit of fun to either of those activities. Boring straight people standing around talking about stamps or beer - woohoo, how exciting.

From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_rodeo#cite_note-Allen-4

Wow, that's SO bizarre. Why would people do such a thing?

His passenger was killed. That doesnt count? I guess I was assuming that the passenger knew the driver had been drinking and knew that he had a tendency to drive too fast (based on photos of them drinking together before the crash and statements from friends about his driving history), and was therefore a willing participant. But since I wasn't there, I honestly have no idea, and I probably should not have made that assumption.

30th anniversary? Damn, now I feel old. I liked them a lot back then, had their first four albums and saw them in concert several times. I sort of lost interest with "The Black Album," though I did see them on that tour too. I rented the "Some Kind of Monster" documentary a few years ago, and I thought it was very good. (Edit: And it's an interesting contrast to the "Cliff 'Em All" video from the 80's, which I still have a VHS copy of.) My favorite songs are probably "Jump in the Fire" and "Master of Puppets."

I know lots of people who freak out about slow drivers too! Especially when they're driving in the fast lane. Anyhow, it's being reported now that he was probably doing around 130 in a 55, so I think the speed was likely one of the factors in this fatality. Sad for their friends and family, but fortunate that no unwilling participants were injured too.

I don't think so, but.... that's just my opinion. There are many fatalities caused by (often sober) speeding drivers. Speed was apparently a factor in this case, in addition to alcohol.

Speeding drivers (drunk or not) kill people too. It's interesting that people always freak out about drunk drivers but not about speeding drivers, even though both (together or separately) are factors in many fatal accidents. (I'm not condoning drunk driving, just pointing out that driving too fast shows the same amount of disregard for others.)

I'm pretty sure school shootings have nothing to do with a lack of spanking. Anyhow, I find the judge's remarks (if the news report is correct) to be a bit odd, seeing as spanking is not illegal in Texas.

People come up with this "God" idea, and I'm obnoxious and smug for not believing it? There's all kinds of apparently made-up stuff that I don't believe in. Am I obnoxious and smug for not believing everything that I hear? Is the "God" idea special because of the large number of people that believe in it, or because it has special words for not believing in it or not being sure about it?

I don't believe in God. You can call me agnostic, atheist, whatever. The label is unimportant to me. But I do think you're reading too much into what an athiest is. My dictionary says "one who denies the existence of God." And your quoted answer/link for who created "God": Sorry, but it's a typical crap non-answer. Can't buy it.

Some atheists might believe that the universe was pooped out from a giant unicorn's bum. But atheism has nothing to do with unicorns or physics; it only has to do with whether one believes in the man-made gods of various religions. To deny the existence of those gods does not require that one has an explanation for everything else. There are many things I don't have an answer for, and I don't believe that everything came from "nothing," but I also don't accept "God did it" as a tidy little answer. Where did this "God" come from? It just appeared from nothing? This marvelously complex and intelligent thing that created us, who created it?

I actually started this thread just to piss you off, Paul. And yeah, I liked North by Northwest too. Didn't realize he had written it himself. It seems like a lot of "his" films are taken from short stories or novels.

Wow, that's beautiful!

OK, I'll admit the underwear pic might have turned me on just a little bit. But generally I like things that are a bit more subtle.