julianw

Don't worry about drinking. Just sign up for a fitness gym. Here is a motivational picture for ya.

Depends on your relative position. If you are from the east say China, it's more occidental; and if you are from the west say Europe, it's more oriental; and if you are from the opposite surface of the earth say America, you become very confused... Btw, I think India generally is considered South Asia (along with Bangladesh and Nepal and a few others) instead of the Middle East.

I don't know. How would you determine whether an activity is a sport then?

Just out of curiosity, do Christians believe that the suffering of the Jewish people might be related to their persecution of the Messiah? If you read the metaphor of the vineyard from NT, when the vineyard workers killed the 'son', the 'lord' came back and destroyed them. I wonder how you would interpret that one?

They air CS and Halo tournaments on the sports channels. It's a hand-eye coordination sport...

uh, actually, as far as i've ever heard, christ agreed to sacrifice himself so that the rest of humanity would not have to... very false analogy (and otherwise flawed logic). not that i believe in the whole christ/god thing anyway. taks <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Perhaps he meant that for Christ to cleanse our sins with His blood, He must first acknowledge the ritualistic powers behind a human sacrifice, which IMHO still sounds a bit :crazy: . If you accept Christ as your personal savior, His blood washes away your sins; and if you are born before His time or born on Mars, well, tough luck there, mate...

^Wow. You were either bored out of your mind or have superhuman memory... Either way I am impressed. Here is a link to the manga: http://groups.msn.com/BerserkManga/volumes.msnw?Page=3.

You are correct. The manga isn't finished (which sucks ) and it's better than the anime. Still can't believe nobody here mentioned Slam Dunk. Guess basketball just isn't that popular outside of Asia... Well, if you are into football/soccer, perhaps Captain Tsubasa might be more interesting. It's another old but very popular series. (It's a kiddie anime though.)

Your definition of a nerd is rather narrow, no? Nerd: Pejorative applied to anyone with an above-average IQ and few gifts at small talk and ordinary social rituals. Wouldn't you rather be a nerd other than someone with average or below average IQ but gifted with tasks such as small talk and ordinary social rituals? :D Back on topic: 'They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist...' - Civil War Union General John B. Sedgwick, last words.

Thx. I will be sure to check out the manga; though I suspect the ending in the manga isn't gonna leave me feeling all sugary and cuddlly inside either.

^What about Pride? It's like Blood Sport except it's real and more brutal. Still, I'd say it's better than bodybuilding where people die from heart attacks in their 40s.

So I finally finished all 25 episodes of the series. The emotional and sexually charged ending (if you can call that an ending) kind of left me hanging. I don't know why you had any problem with interracial negress love though (I didn't even realize that the girl was Afro; just thought she was born a bit to the darkside.) Anyways, after watching the whole show, I would still recommend it to anyone who's tired of male protagonists who're either whiny babies or tough guy wannabes. Be warned that this show is probably older than you so comparing to today's anime, its animations are like prehistoric.

Why don't you ask this guy? http://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=b...en20kick8iq.gif

I was recently introduced to an old anime show called Berserk. Looks interesting so far. You guys might want to check it out along with Samurai X: Recollections.

Marriage is important to the society because family is an important unit in the society today. One day, we may abolish marriage and family altogether but today when a marriage fails and a family fells apart, a lot of harm is done to the society. Your individual freedom dictates that marriage should be strictly private but when you live in a society, your personal freedom will be limited because there must be a balance between your freedom and the harmony of the society.

For any anime fans who also happen to have some interest in basketball, I recommend Slam Dunk. It's quite old (early 90s) but still remains one of the funniest animes I've ever watched.

Well, I am pretty sure no legal actions can be taken to stop congressman Ellison from using the Qu'ran when swearing in since it's only an unofficial tradition to use the Bible. In fact, I think a past Supreme Court justice actually sworn in on a law book in front of his father. Here is a story on how the congressman responded to the criticism: WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Virginia lawmaker criticized for writing an "Islamophobic" letter to his constituents would be wise to learn more about Islam, the first Muslim elected to Congress said Thursday. Minnesota Rep.-elect Keith Ellison told CNN that he is not angry about a letter Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode wrote that said Ellison should not be allowed to place his hand on the Quran during his unofficial swearing in ceremony. "I think the diversity of our country is a great strength," Ellison told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "It's a good thing that we have people from all faiths and all cultures to come here." (Watch Ellison play down Quran flap ) Goode wrote that to "preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States," an immigration overhaul was necessary to avoid "many more Muslims elected to office demanding the use of the Quran." Defending his statements Thursday, Goode, a Republican, told Fox News he wants to limit legal immigration. He also said he wants to do away with "diversity visas," which he said allowed people into America "not from European countries" and "some terrorist states." Ellison responded to Goode's sentiments by saying that he would like to meet with Goode to talk about Islam and find some "common ground." "We all support one Constitution, one Constitution that upholds our right to equal protection, one Constitution that guarantees us due process under the law, one Constitution which says there is no religious test for elective office in America," Ellison said. Blitzer asked the new lawmaker-elect directly if thought Goode is a "bigot." But Ellison refused to partake in what he characterized as "name calling." "I don't know the fellow and I'd rather just say he has a lot to learn about Islam," Ellison said. The congressman-elect said he looks forward to meeting Goode. "What I'd tell him is that there might be a few things about Muslims that he might want to know," said Ellison. "He might want to know that Muslims -- there are about 5 million in the country -- that they are here to support and strengthen America. "They are nurses, doctors, husbands, wives, kids, who just want to live and prosper in the American way and that there's really nothing to fear," the new lawmaker said. "And that all of us are steadfastly opposed to the same people he is opposed to, which is the terrorists, so there is nothing to be afraid of. "And, that what we should do is to tell our constituents -- we should reach to each other and not be against each other and we should find ways for common ground." Ellison then said he'd like Goode to reach out to leaders at mosques and synagogues to encourage understanding and tolerance of the country's variety of religions.

Happy Christmas and the new year too!

Story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061222/ap_on_...o/ellison_quran ROCKY MOUNT, Va. - A congressman said Thursday that he will not retract a letter warning that unless immigration is tightened, "many more Muslims will be elected" and use the Quran to take the oath of office. ADVERTISEMENT Republican Rep. Virgil Goode (news, bio, voting record) triggered angry responses from a civil rights group and some colleagues with a letter this month to constituents concerned about a decision by Rep.-elect Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to use the Quran when he is sworn in. "I will not be putting my hand on the Quran," Goode said at a news conference Thursday at the Franklin County Courthouse. Goode, who represents Virginia's 5th Congressional District, said he is receiving more positive comments from constituents than negative. "One lady told me she thinks I'm doing the right thing on this," he told Fox News. "I wish more people would take a stand and stand up for the principles on which this country was founded." Goode also told Fox News he wants to limit legal immigration and do away with "diversity visas," which he said let in people "not from European countries" and "some terrorist states." In his letter, Goode wrote that strict immigration polices are necessary "to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America." "The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran," he wrote. Ellison said Thursday that Goode and others had nothing to fear about Muslims. "They are our nurses, doctors, husbands, wives, kids, who just want to live and prosper in the American way," Ellison, a Democrat from Minneapolis, said Thursday on CNN when asked what he would say to Goode if they met. "All of us are steadfastly opposed to the same people he's opposed to, which is terrorists, and so there's nothing for him to be afraid of." Asked whether he thought Goode was a bigot, Ellison said, "I don't know the fellow, and I'd rather just say that he has a lot to learn about Islam. ... I don't want to start any name-calling." Virginia's senior senator, Republican John Warner, said in a statement Thursday that he respects the right of congressional members to freely "exercise the religion of their choice, including those of the Islamic faith utilizing the Quran." Rep. Rahm Emanuel (news, bio, voting record), an Illinois Democrat who is Jewish, said Thursday that he hoped Goode would meet with Ellison, saying he would "see what I saw: a good American with good values of a different faith who's trying to do right by the people he represents." The Council on American-Islamic Relations had asked Goode to apologize, saying the remarks sent "a message of intolerance that is unworthy of anyone elected to public office." Ellison was born in Detroit and converted to Islam in college. Interesting story worthy of discussion or am I beating a dead horse here?

I watched it in theater and there was a fairly large ovation from the audience. Apparently lots of people liked it that much. :crazy: The film does have some funny and touching moments.

I'd like to but sadly I go on the internet message boards expecting porn and crude jokes. (Those are the reasons I visit btw.)

:party:

I think most of the posters here can be quite charming sometimes. No favorite for me, except maybe if you are a really hot girl. (PM me. I want pictures.)

seeing that myself as well.. a good show.. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Saw maybe 5 or 6 episodes of it and I was more lost than the crew. Recently watched Advent Children. Looks pretty interesting though I never played the Final Fantasy games.

That's why I hate them so much. They are more annoying than sexual predators to me. I once babysitted my little cousin for a day and was scarred for life from the traumatic experience.