Guard Dog

In the US it can still be done if you are so inclined. But my meaning was more along the lines of not buying what you do not need to live, just give up luxury, ammnities like computers, cell phones, etc. Don't spend your money in large stores/big companies, buy from small business only. Yes you will pay more and get less but if you are doing this out of some kind of priciple then you should be ok with that. And when all that is said and done take all the money you have left over and give it to someone else. See, it's just like communisim only you are doing it yourself rather than having the government do it to everyone else. I bet LoF doesn't do this.

The beauty of Christianity, and freedom for that matter, is you can take it or leave it. You do not need to believe in it at all. It's purely voluntary. I do not have to prove God exists to believe it. You do not need to disprove him to disbelieve it. Like I said, I do not pretend to know who or what God is, what his motivations are, and you will never hear me saying who will/won't/should/shouldn't go to hell or heaven. Thats beyond me. When it comes to theology there are two simple premises to choose from and both are absurd on their face: 1) A supreme being that you cannot see or interact with or even prove/disprove the existence of created everything or 2) Nothing created everthing You need the pick the one that makes the most sense to you based on YOUR life experiences, education, etc. Capitalisim you can also take or leave. If you do not wish to participate just don't buy things. Don't consume. You can opt out at any time. But for the Communist it's not enough for them to choose not to participate, they have to destroy the whole system to ensure that YOU don't participate as well. I have to tell you most of the atheists I hae met are a lot closer to communists than capitalists. It's not enough that they do not believe in God, they cant suffer to be around anyone who does and harrases them with the same condescending arrogance that LoF had down to an art. Ironic isn't it?

Is that so? http://www.thetowerofhope.org/ They train dogs (including dogs from animal control) to be service animals to the disabled. The animals are trained, vetted and placed for free. http://www.guidingeyes.org/ They train dogs to be seeing eye dogs for the blind. They are trained and placed for free. Many of their alumni are former shelter dogs. http://www.petsfortheelderly.org/ Pays all pet adoption and veterinary expenses so low income elderly people can adopt a companion from an animal shelter And of course I donate $1K to the American Red Cross every year. I'm guessing you hate them too because they support our military. I also volunteer my time and material goods to USMC Toys for Tots and I volunteer at Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary when I can where I help with rehabilitiation/behaviour modification for dogs used for dog fighting (something I've had a lot of experience with since three of my dogs were rescued from dog fighting operations). I guess buying toys of poor and sick children don't provide any benefit to the poor in your opinion either? I'm sure all of those groups will be glad to hear they do nothing for the poor. The problem with you is arrogance. Any viewpoint other than your own has no merit to you. Small wonder you advocate a totalitarian society where those who disagree are met with death or imprisionment. Your other big problem is ignorance. "You give to dogs!" but it never entered into your mind how that might be a help to someone. You are obviously educated and intelligent but not very wise and without question you are lacking in any real compassion. I'm guessing you are probably just a little young. I find it ironic that you are here throwing out the "Christian" virtues to be found in an economic/governmental system that strips away the most important part of being Christian; Choice, Altruisim, doing right because you choose to do right, because it IS right. I take it by your answer you do not give to any charity at all, not your money, not your time. Since you have your bible out anyway why not look up Matthew 5:7 or Matthew 25:34-40. While we are on the subject, care to offer an opinion on why communist states all over the world and through their history have made it a practice to stamp out and peresecute religious freedom and implement strict enforecement of state athiesim? I mean, since you are here telling us how communisim is in keeping with christianity that seems like a pretty relevant question to me.

Now reading Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel and The Lance and the Shield by Robert Utley. It's a biography of Sitting Bull. Very interesting man.

Depends on your definition of coercion I think. Communists just have the power to enforce their threats while Christians don't. It's an odd contrast to hear "Why can't we be friends!?" and "YOU'RE GONNA BURN IN HELL IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN THE ALMIGHTY DUDE IN THE SKY WHO MADE ZOMBIES!" from the same person You know, I've had this conversation before and I'll repeat now what I said then. There are two things about God I know to be a fact. 1) There is a God 2) I'm not God I don't know who gets into heaven and who does not. I don't know what is a sin or what isn't. It is the height of idocy for one human to tell another "You are going to hell". It is for far greater beings to judge the worth of someones soul. I do not know if prayers are answered, or ignored as the deists would tell you. I do not know if God has predetermined everything and there is no free will as the Calvanists propose. I do know if the Baptists are right and drinking and sex out of marriage are mortal sins then I'm already screwed. The reason I am a Christian is that there were two incidents in my life, one just this year, that convined me beyond doubt that while my chosen faith may not be all true as I understand it, there is very much truth in it. @ LoF: I am a real world Libertarian. I believe in, above all other things, the unimpeded freedom of the individual (one big reason why you and I will NEVER agree on anything LoF). Jesus taught that the virtue in giving comes from doing it because you WANT to do it. Not because the state TOOK it from you. Jesus said "What you do for the least of my children you do for me". If I donated my entire paycheck to a charity because I wanted to, that is virtuous. If the state confiscates my entire paycheck and uses it for what it deems "the greater good" there is no virtue in that for me. There is no virtue in it at all. It is just a group of people taking something they did not earn away from someone who did. There is a word for that too. Just curious LoF. Do not answer if you will not answer honestly. I donated just under $3500 total to six different charities (most of them dog rescue groups) this past year. How much did you give?

Thousands of dead Muslims would like to have a word with you regarding The Crusades... but they can't. Because they're dead. Oh, right. Good point there and very relevant to the world today. I mean, heck, that just happened last month right? I can certainly see how Christinas today might feel bad about it you know. Why I just got back from killing muslims in Acre myself just last week. Deus Vult and all that. While you are at it why not trot out the inquisition, destruction and forced conversions of the Aztecs, Incas, Patagonians, Insert-Native-Population-Name-Here. Being Christian means I have to answer for all of that crap too right? Why is it everytime on this board someone mentions that there just might...might be a glimmer of virtue in the Chrstian religion every horrible act done in its name by people hundreds or even thousands of years dead gets brought up to impugn the entire philosophy and everyone who follows it? The one I really feel sorry for is God. Imagine having to watch all the horrors humanity has commited in His name.

*Sigh*... One troll thread wasn't enough huh? Yes Christianity teaches selflesness. I am a Christian and I do believe in that. But you are missing a pretty major point. Becoming Christian is a choice everyone must make for themselves. We do not coerce. Under communisim if you do not go along you get a bullet in the head or get shipped off to a cold place to be worked to death. In fact in your other thread you seemd to think this was a good thing.

Ahem... B-U-C-C-A-N-E-E-R-S Go Bucs! Hey, hey Tampa Bay The Bucs know how to shine Hey, hey U.S.A. The Bucs know how to shine If we're in trouble that's O.K. We can pull it out Because we know we're on the top When we stand up Stand up and shout! Hey, hey Tampa Bay The Bucs know how to shine Hey, hey U.S.A. The Bucs know how to shine Give a cheer for the Buccaneers Go Bucs! Bucs 20 Saints 17 WHOOOYAAA!!!!!

Christmas was nice. She stayed at my place until Sunday morning. Bowing to the advice of folks here and the little voice in the back of my head I kept the Tiffanys thing hidden and hit the Germantown mall on Thursday for a few gifts that were nice but not so....much. It may make a reappearence on Valentines day depending on how things work out. Then again i may just return it. You can buy a lot of beer and dog food for what that thing costs. I'm off work for the rest of the year and it is a clear and beautiful day so I'm going to take a walk over to Cold Creek and do some fishing. I'm bringing my camera this time, maybe I'll finally get a shot of that otter that only shows up when you don't bring a camera.

Heh, no thanks, I do NOT want to go through THAT again!

Merry Christmas everyone

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She was not just a one nighter because we have history. Plus after talking the past few days we're going to give it another try but take it slow. Was that too much? I can still hit a mall somwhere tomorrow and just hold on to that. Jeez, it would have been a hell of a lot less complicated had I just not taken her to lunch!

Last Weeks Results: Kelverin: 10-6 GD: 9-7 Volo: 9-7 Season Standings: Kelverin: 151-72 GD: 148-75 Volo: 148-75 A bad week for all, tho less bad for Kelverin who pulls further ahead.

Looks like it will be a white Christmas this year. I just heard the weather for West Tenn. light rain and falling temps for today and tomorrow and snow flurries on Friday. Since a certain good looking blonde nurse will be spending Christmas with me this year I had to by one more christmas present. So I went to Tiffanys website and made a last minute buy and had it sent overnight. It got here today. And no it is not an engagement ring. Been there, done that. So, here is the dilemma. I don't know where things are going with this girl. We dated for a few months after the accident and she really helped me with a lot of the BS I was going through back then. But, we also had some fundamental personality conflicts. We just sort of got back together a week ago. I wanted to get her something nice but not too suggestive so I settled on this: http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?...n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+ Is this ok? Does it send the wrong message? It seems pretty neutral to me but I gurantee she will have experts in male psychology from all over the world analyzing what I meant by it. The irony is it meant nothing.

Still not done? I hit Amazon for everything this year. I had it all delivered gift wrapped to it's recipient. Not real personal I know but by God it was easy. You should get a pass this year though, not like it's easy for you to get around right now.

*GD stands up and applauds* Another convert to Federalism. Way to go Awesomness, I knew you had it in you!

Now reading When the Game was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I'm not a big fan of the NBA but this is a great read. If only the current NBA players had as musch class and respect for the game and each other as these guys did. Also reading Pawprints of Katrina: Pets Saved and Lessons Learned by Cathy Scot. This is of particular interest because one of my dogs is a Katrina dog.

In LoFs case it might be a little of both because I think that is exactly what he wants.

That is a real bummer Hurlshot. I know exactly what you're going through and it sucks. The upshot is the hardware expedites the healing process. But it also hurts like hell when it gets cold. Relax and feel better.

Actually thats unemployment compensation you are thinking of. Welfare has no such requirement. But it should.

Lare I see the logic you are using but you need to understand something. The US is a market economy. That means there are no price controls, etc. For example only: A hamburger at McDonalds costs $2. McDonalds decided on that price based on simple economics, a 2-4% profit after all the expenses to get it from the cow to the wrapper the ugly girl hands you at the counter. Incidently in the US most profit margins are LESS than 4%. Greedy cororations huh? Anyway, that is figuring in the cost of the labor of all the people who worked to put the hamburger in your hand, most of whom did earn minimum wage. Let's face it, that is not skilled labor there. If the price of the labor increases, the price of the hamburger also increases to keep pace with the additional cost of production. You see the trouble here? It's great that the minimum wage earner has more money but that can buy less with it because costs have increased. Thats why increases in the minimum wage do so little good. That was never intended to be a living wage. It was intended to be for kids and adults in need of supplemantal income. The idea should not be to increase the minimum, the idea should be to create a marketplace with enough skill jobs and applicants to fill them. The creation part is easy, get the government out of the way and let business men/women do business. As for the second there are literally thousands of opportunities for free/nearly free adult education in the US. Even college. I earned a BSEE from a State University in Florida and the Federal Government paid for more than half of it. I was working on my MSEE before I lost my old job and my company was paying for it. I was born with fewer opportunities than most, my father was a barely employed dump truck driver, my mother was disabled. I grew up in a mobile home in a dirt poor town. But when I got out of high school I took advantage of the same opportunities that are trhere for everone and my life turned out just fine. Thats why I get aggaravated hearing people say we don't do enough for the poor here in the US. There are tens of thousands of opportunites to stop being poor but we do not spoon feed them to you. Like Killian said, you have to get off your ass and work.

You put on a latex tutu, wore make-up and grew a blue beard? No but that would have been another way to go.

Heck, I'm paying 40% of my income in taxes now and we don't have that. Whats the magic number? 70%? LoF would say it's 100% but he's wrong. Goverment is incapable of creating a "fair" or "equitable" society without reducing everyone to the lowest common denominator. In other words, you would not have to worry about the slum thug robbing you because you're just as broke as he is. It's funny though the leaders of these totalitarian/communist never seem to miss any meals while their people are starving.

On Friday I got a call from a girl I dated a few months back. She wanted to talk so we met for lunch at a nice place near where she works (she's a RN). So, anyway, one thing led to another and we ended up back at my place. Anyway, she just left this morning. I have a feeling this was probably not the best move I could have made because we are still the same people who had major differences last summer. But once she was actually at my place, well, I just asked myself "What would Shryke do?" and let things go from there.