Hurlshort

Headed off to my first guitar lesson. It is a group one and I got it free when I bought the guitar. I'm pretty excited, I've made some progress on my own, but in-person feedback is hard to beat. I'm also exhausted. I'm ready for the stage to end where my daughter has to be dragged kicking and screaming to bed every night. Ah well, one more day of work to catch up on sleep before the weekend.

I'll repeat that where I was raised and at the churches I attended in my youth, it was always made very clear that Christmas was a symbolic celebration of the birth of Christ. It was also made clear (without discouraging them) that the traditions like Santa Clause, Trees, and mistletoe really had nothing to do with the nativity scene. Maybe I just attended more progressive Church's as a child, the Stone Church I remember the most as a child does fly a rainbow flag in front. I know there are pockets of extremists out there, but I just don't see it as being a widespread ignorance among Christians. I see Santa and Christmas trees a lot more than I do the Nativity scene and three wise men.

You can lower the difficulty of the baddies, or turn them off completely to get your bearings if you need to. It's easy to turn them back on when you've built up a bit. I got killed in a spider spawning chamber and lost a bunch of resources early in one of my games, so I did that because I didn't relish re-doing so much.

It's Volologic it doesn't need to make sense to be right. It's really tough when he misspells moronic.

Today I had a co-worker say she doesn't buy Christmas trees because she doesn't believe in killing a tree for a holiday. It literally hurt my head.

Fantastic find

You should learn to play the guitar with me. It is probably cheaper, and chicks dig musicians. Not so much for the painting plastic men.

If that was directed at me, it was (obviously) a joke playing on stereotypes directed at the claim that more than two parties would be... confusing. My joke was more about loosing track of which food/drink corresponded to which political view... I got the humor. Hence my 'huh?' I'd vote Beer and Churro party.

While I think it is extremely important to understand the corruption and damage that the Catholic Church caused in the Middle Ages, I think it is also important to remember the Church was tied to nearly everything that was happening in Europe at the time. Copernicus was put through school by his Uncle, who was a bishop, and spent time as a Church canon. Theology was the bread and butter of most Universities at the time. It is really impossible to separate the Church from the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, it played a key role, for better or worse. edit: On topic, I do appreciate the Catholic Church's work in the last few decades. They have been somewhat progressive, although I still think they are way too slow to make changes in areas like woman's rights and science. What has really impressed me has been the interfaith dialogue that they have established.

But yet things go over their heads. Huh?

I used to have a friend who sent out Happy Capitalism Day card during Christmas, it always made me smile. I also don't know any Christians that aren't aware of the roots of Christmas in pagan traditional holidays. It's not like Christmas trees and Santa Clause pop up in the bible very often. It is simply a symbolic celebration, as Tigranes already stated, and that has clearly worked out pretty well for the Church, given how steep attendance numbers climb this time of year.

I'd rather have no VO for minor NPC's. But I enjoy reading, so that puts me in the minority.

If onli I could get the government to pay me to not plant crops and milk cows!

Well, my property tax bill has plummeted since I bought my property in 2005. It started at $4400 a year and it is down to $1350 this year. But my property value has also plummeted, so it isn't exactly a hurrah moment.

I was watching my local news this morning, and apparently there are a few school districts in California that are unable to balance their budget. The State is saying that they will be taking over those districts. I suppose that would make sense if it weren't for the fact that: A. California was unable to balance the state budget B. The government has cut education funding in the billions, resulting in the budget problems that these districts face. I really feel like I live in a bizarro world when I hear stuff like this.

Isn't the article saying that the government and community support Christmas celebrations? edit: Just saw the not not. Tricky Krezack

Um, I follow the law because of my morals, not to fit in with society. I'm not sure how that is strange. My argument was meant to be moralistic, that is kind of the point. I've already apologized if it sounded condescending. But you are supporting one of the basic arguments against piracy that many of us have gone on about. If you can afford a PC, you can probably swing some money for a game.

I got deep into a game of King's Bounty and I'm really digging it. I had tried it a couple times before and never really dug it, but my most recent attempt got me addicted.

Thanks for sharing that GD, I'm sorry it turned out so badly for you. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, eh? I do see it as a problem that the only people that are really successful either come from a ton of money or are willing to compromise their morals to receive backing. Actually, the ton of money isn't even much of a help either, as Ross Perot and Meg Whitman have shown us.

One of the few benefits of growing old is being able to matter-of-factly tell young people about their follies. I've got bad knees, a bad back, a bald head, high blood pressure, and I have to pop tums like candy when I eat most foods I like, so leave me with something!

Krezack, I'm not sure if you read the entire thread, but there was a chain of events that lead to that particular exchange. Here was my original statement that Malcador took issue with: Now I don't mean that to sound condescending. It is just me talking about my life experience, and I know there are a few people on this forum that have shared a similar experience as they've gotten older. It's kind of insulting how quickly you and Malcador are to dismiss it, but such is the way of youth, I suppose.

Exactly. However they are punished way more than shoplifter, which they are. Which is partly why piracy has grown from something that poor students do into a subculture of its own. I guess because it is a more complicated situation than shoplifting. There is also a bit of a throw the book at them mentality because so few are getting caught. I suppose the idea is to make an example out of them in the hopes that others will stop. It seems to be fairly ineffective at this point. But I don't buy the whole subculture idea. People like free stuff, that is why they pirate. Acting like it is some sort of noble fight against the man is ridiculous. These are video games, pretending that EA or Ubisoft is some sort of evil tyrant is humorous. They are just doing business. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there are a lot of guys who are downloading pirating EA games, only because they destroyed Origin, Bullfrog and Westwood... It's their way how to show their dislike of their business practices... And most of them feel like Robin Hood... We all know that it will most likely not hurt EA's bottomline, but in their view, it's a just cause... Pu-leeeze. That is called delusional. "I'm pirating these games because it is the right thing to do! I'm playing video games for hours every day for justice!"

Never happen.... please say it will never happen... Actually we are very good at putting fools in the WH. Juat look at that jackass we have now. I'd call him more ineffective than foolish. Whereas Sarah Palin is a coat of orange tanner away from being on the Jersey Shore. I was hoping for an LBJ and I got a Jimmy Carter. Ah well, term limits for teh win.

Actually I don't remember you going into much detail about your political campaign, GD. I guess we can wait for the book I'd never run for office myself. It's really not a job I envy.

Exactly. However they are punished way more than shoplifter, which they are. Which is partly why piracy has grown from something that poor students do into a subculture of its own. I guess because it is a more complicated situation than shoplifting. There is also a bit of a throw the book at them mentality because so few are getting caught. I suppose the idea is to make an example out of them in the hopes that others will stop. It seems to be fairly ineffective at this point. But I don't buy the whole subculture idea. People like free stuff, that is why they pirate. Acting like it is some sort of noble fight against the man is ridiculous. These are video games, pretending that EA or Ubisoft is some sort of evil tyrant is humorous. They are just doing business.