winsor

WOW! you're pretty good...but unfortunately for you, I've found you out. now tell me, did it include a priest or not!? didnt knew you swung that way.. All you have to do to know my story is watch TV and listen to the lyrics of pop culture...Everyone here has watched or listened to something that my finger has touched. But if you want to know the secret of life...I'd recommend this book: http://www.monergismbooks.com/Humility-True-Greatness-p-17118.html *edit* Very, Very easy read...big letters, 100 pages or so... You guys are gonna thank me... This has all the appeal of a treatise on sobriety and responsibility as recommended by Charlie Sheen. I'll pass.

Agreed. About any Rabbi I have asked about it has pretty much agreed with you, as well. My favorite rabbis are rather talented Historians. Note that the Tanakh is a Bronze Age family history - warts and all - and was not for general consumption. The primary benefit it has had to society is not so much monotheism as the idea of univeral law, that the law applies to everyone. Kings that flout the law (Saul ignored a command to commit genocide) are struck down as surely as slaves. When we discuss a Parsha, the evil dictates do not get a free pass, nor are they endorsed. In any event, in that I assume that you, too have read the Tanakh, Mein Kampf and the Koran, you will note that the commonality of agenda is very distinct between Mein Kampf and the Koran; not so much the Tanakh. BSBD, Winsor

You must like being called a bigot huh How long do you think it will take until it happens? Being "tolerant" of the Koran is harder to justify than being "tolerant" of Mein Kampf. Either one meets the criteria set forth for being banned in Germany under current racism laws, but - when you get away from the admonition to kill anyone that holds an opposing viewpoint - the teutonic version has a better track record. If you read either the Koran or Mein Kampf and say "anyone who buys this drivel is as fucked up as a football bat," it is a simple observation, not an expression of "bigotry." To show "respect" for either is virtually impossible if one has actually read the tome (both are equally execrable from a literary standpoint). The contempt in which the adherents of the Koran and Mein Kampf are held is well-earned. Both are truly evil. BSBD, Winsor

You are calling ANYONE a "hater?!!" Irony score = 10

I suppose it's a matter of perspective. The conventional history (FWIW) is more or less that the two sides were at a virtual strategic stalemate, with the possibility that the Central Powers might eventually have prevailed, until the insertion of American power broke that stalemate and tipped the balance in favor of the Allies. It's also a fact that roughly 117,465 Americans never made it back alive. I am not disputing that Americans participated, or that their death toll was anything less than appalling. The fact that the Douaumont Ossuary contains the bones of more than 130,000 unidentified combatants kind of puts our losses into a slightly different perspective. The cemetery in front of the Ossuary has 13,000 graves where there was enough left to bury. The military cemetery in Verdun has a similar number. These are the dead from one battle, that took place over 300 days in less than 100 sq. km.. Horrific though our losses may have been, in Germany, France and Britain the Great War wiped out a generation. The German perspective, FWIW, was that strikes organized by Communists (largely jewish, unfortunately) in Kiel were the tipping point. Given the unrest at home, Berlin sued for peace. As an aside, the fact that Jews fared better than average during the economic collapse from 1922 to 1923 was the straw that broke the camel's back, as it were. Regardless of the Magen David in German military cemeteries, the perception was "you guys sold us out in Kiel, and ate while we starved - there will be payback." The lessons of history that we ignore will continue to bite us. We think we are being clever and novel, but we do the same thing and expect different results. BSBD, Winsor

So of those 6 horribly evil american killers, what was the total number of baby food factories destroyed - did they keep some kind of tally? (just wanted to get it out there before those that REALLY feel that way started the junk) Seriously for this last one left that SERVED then - RIP and thank you First off, the brunt of the losses at the Somme were BEF - Brits & ANZAC forces. In the first day of the battle - mostly in the first four hours - Britain lost some 60,000 troops, of which 20,000 were killed outright. The Somme was fait accompli by the time the US actually fielded any troops; impressed though we may be by our experiences "over there," our actual combat contributions were but a drop in the bucket. For those who think that the U.S. has a corner on the market when it comes to fierce warfare, I highly recommend a trip that includes stops at Ypres, Verdun and the Albert-Amiens Somme battlefields. It is truly mind-blowing. BSBD, Winsor

Did you get the "cynic" badge in the Boy Scouts? Ironically enough, in preparation for my Eagle Scout board I was told that I had to claim some beliefs in order to meet the criterion of "reverent." To do so would have violated the admonition against lying, so that was that.

I do not "believe" much of anything. Going over the numbers, however, shows the U.S. economy to be analogous to Terri Schiavo or Karen Ann Quinlan. The outcome for any society that has got themselves into the bind in which we find ourselves has been remarkably uniform, and our fate is thus inevitable. Enjoy yourelf, it's later than you think. BSBD, Winsor

There were some people whose spot was not as good as it could have been (they took a LONG time to hitchhike back), but the people in the second group got back and were laughing their asses off (their scenario was pretty much as you described). Mike disputed their account, so you should chalk it off to Urban Legend. What Mike says, goes. BSBD, Winsor

Hey, at least when Germany invaded Poland they had the good taste to fake an attack, to which they were supposedly responding. We, OTOH, have a rather poor concept of what constitutes a proper casus belli.

What amazes me is that you are familiar enough with what he says to have an opinion. I think I made it through about five minutes of him once, and had to turn off the teevee. I have not been tempted to linger on a channel featuring him since then.

[Quote] when did the "unchanging God" turn his back on the jews of the Bible?[/Quote] When they killed his son? With all due respect, the Romans killed Cousin Jesus (assuming that's who you mean by "his son," which is a Pagan concept that Jesus would have found alien). When asked about it, the Romans said "Uh, it's the Jews' fault. They made us do it." That you are so credulous as to accept the account of the people who sought to destroy everything Jesus stood for, usurping his legacy in the process, speaks badly for your cognitive skills.

Traditionally the internationally recognized response to piracy on the high seas is summary execution of said pirates. Nothing personal. The fact that we have not seen fit to eradicate said pirates without hesitation simply amazes me. It is like having a "catch and release" policy for rabid animals. If you want us to leave you alone, leave us alone - your call. BSBD, Winsor

Uh, if the bulk of the pirates were able to surrender alive, it does not suggest that the rescuers killed the hostages. If 100% of the pirates were killed along with a significant number of the hostages, it would suggest that the rescuers were using a Russian playbook. If reports came back that "we found the yacht, but there was nobody aboard when we got there," it would leave everyone guessing.

Hardly a surprise. He has a 40 point lead over the next place candidate, and even the SC justices can understand that much public opinion. Rahm may be a consummate scumbag, but his competition makes him look positively heroic. In Chicago, you could turn over a rock and do better electing what scuttles out from underneath. Chicago is a national embarrassment. At least the streets are cleared of snow, the garbage is picked up, we have the best symphony orchestra in the USA, and 20 miles of lakeshore park kept free of commercial development. Yup, and Mussolini "made the trains run on time," and Madrid was VERY safe under Franco, and there really was zip for (street) crime in Tunisia under bin Ali. I lived in Chicago for enough years to say you can have it. Like a variety of other places, it's okay to visit briefly upon occasion. I have not been back since Miegs was destroyed. BSBD, Winsor

Hey, if he gets pregnant as the result of incest or rape, I applaud his decision to carry the baby to term and raise it in a loving environment. Justin is just awesome.

Amen. I wish I could do that. Not me, I don't miss it for a second. For Kiddush I stick with Kosher grape juice, as do some Rabbis of my acquaintance.

No quarter.

Near as I can tell, like most issues of faith it comes down to politics. Elevation of fertilized ova to "human" status is a recent concept. Until the turn of the 20th Century, terminating a pregnancy before the "quickening," or the point at which movement can be detected externally, was considered a non-event from the standpoint of most western religious authorities (the Vatican, Puritans, et al.). By the end of the 20th Century, however, the issue had become rather muddied. "Partial birth" abortions, where part of delivery includes having the baby's brains being sucked out of its skull, were staunchly defended by "choice" advocates, while the "right to lifers" were trying to figure out how to make into a felony any failure of a fertilized ovum to survive to majority. My guess is that your problem is the assumption that there is a lot of "thinking" going on here - the issue is one clouded with huge doses of emotion. Though I think abortion is best avoided, I can think of all too many people whose optimal fate would have been to become biowaste in the first trimester. However, people with sufficient presence of mind to be aware of the ramifications of taking a pregnancy to term are not often those given to fetal alcohol syndrome, or the abuse or neglect of their offspring, so abortion does not serve as chlorine in the gene pool. The subject is one where bad craziness lurks. Beware. BSBD, Winsor

Hate Muslims much? The Somalis started attacking foreign ships when large FOREIGN fishing boats strip mined the local fish populations. The Somalis have the government that Libertarians claim to want, as in, one that is nearly non-existent. The government could not stop the illegal fishing. The illegal fishing took out the fish populations that sustained an economy based on a near shore subsistence fishery. That economy wasn't just the fishermen. It was the boat builders and suppliers to the fishermen that ended up starving as well. Hungry people will take desperate measures, like attacking foreign boats that are ruining their fisheries. The leap from defensive action to offensive action was entirely predictable. Several years back when the illegal fishing there started up, there were stories published about it. The stories were clear that if the fisheries were destroyed, the people would have to do something else to survive. That something else was likely to be piracy. The predictions were completely accurate. The pirates didn't just come out of nothing, for no apparent reason. Desperate people will revert to desperate measures. Do you right wing folks ever read anything besides USA Today or watch anything but Faux Spews? There is a lot of factual information available that allows a fair and balanced perspective, if you take the time to look. How do you know what is in USA Today or what is broadcast on Fox? I have only a rough idea, since I do not patronize either (okay, I do the puzzles if someone leaves a USA Today on the plane). BSBD, Winsor

The fact that any of the pirates survived the takeover speaks badly for our forces. Piracy on the high seas warrants summary hanging, walking the plank and/or being keelhauled. Any time we identify a "mother ship," it should be replaced immediately with a hole in the water. This "catch and release" nonsense is having precisely the effect one might expect. BSBD, Winsor

"Revelations" is a case in point regarding why it is a bad idea to eat rye bread when it as become moldy. Ergot is chock full of lysergic acid.

Beyond selling some rifles to the Egyptians, how is a system designed by the French, perfected by the Swedes, and most commonly used by Americans third world? Running the operating gases through the action is as bright as simplifying an engine by running the exhaust through the crankcase. The Rossignol and Ljungman were not lasting designs, and the Hakim was the most common repository of the design before the US of A decided to provide its soldiers with equipment similar to the Mattel designs with which they were raised. Most military people have zip for experience with firearms beyond those with which they have trained, and buy into the nonsense that accompanies said training. The AR-15 was an ill-considered choice, and the fact that we are stuck with it says more for our commitment to mediocrity than it does for the merits of the design. About the only reason I can think of to have an AR-15 around is the same as why you'd pick a Camaro - it is really no great shakes when all is said and done, but its sheer numbers make the quantity and variety of parts and service hard to beat. I have fired many, many tens of thousands of rounds out of AR-15 variants, and can hit pretty much anything I can see with one, but really do not care for any of them. BSBD, Winsor

Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, (Holy) Proverbs 23: 29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. 31Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; 32At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. 33Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. 34And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. 35"They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it When shall I awake? I will seek another drink." Jesus Christ delivered me from this bondage and set me free. He will do it for others. If you get clean and attribute it to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, that does not "prove" the "truth" of the FSM. I have not touched a thing since Reagan was president. Do I get to claim whatever nonsensical fantasy I choose on that basis? FWIW, there is precisely zero chance that Cousin Jesus knowingly had anything directly to do with your sobriety. As far as dealing with the ingestive disorder goes, congrats (so far - your misery can be cheerfully refunded at any time...). BSBD, Winsor

The direct-impingement gas system is strictly third-world (think "Hakim"). Add to that the use of a round that is deemed inadequate for deer-size animals by any game warden with the most basic skill set and you have a fundamentally shitty design. As an ejection-seat rifle to be used by a Lieutenant for basic survival purposes in the period of time it takes to link up with friendly forces, the AR-15 was mediocre to okay. As a primary combat firearm it is a truly dreadful choice. As a target rifle, it may have a lot going for it. I, however, have no use for the damned thing.