Skeptical

I enjoyed it, but I can't say that I loved it.

I enjoyed Harry Potter, but I have to say that even Rowling at her best never approached the skill of Tolkien at creating not just a story but a genre. I only got a few chapters into one of the Pullman books before I quit. And to one of the above posters: you are complaining about the presence of a popular fantasy book on a forum about a popular fantasy MMORPG.

Democracy is dead in the United States. The "presidents" we vote for are all corrupt. We don't really have a REAL choice of who gets elected. We get to choose between a few people...all of whom are ridiculously wealthy, or have been funded by massive corporations such as the Monsanto food corporation. Executives from Monsanto funded the Bush campaign, and then these executives were appointed into government positions with the FDA to oversee the very company they belonged to. We no longer have a choice. The rich people make all of the choices for us. We then have the illusion of choice delivered to us based on how the media companies are told to deliver the information to us. Obama is no different. A corrupt bastard who makes leadership choices heavily influenced by all the corrupt rich bastards who funded his campaign. Bush wasn't elected; he was appointed by the supreme court. And don't try to shift the blame: the Canadian public elected Harper, and the U.S. elected the Bushes, and Clinton. Obama is superior. In fact, he's the first thing to even resemble a Democrat to inhabit the White House in years. Please explain to me how he is corrupt. So far, he has refrained from starting a war, fought for public health care and the end of discrimination against gays. He's not perfect, but he's a step forward.

Lol. I've have 15 baby teeth and 3 adult teeth forcibly removed. I've had approx. 8 years of orthodontic work, including several appliances, which completely reworked the position of my jaw, and altered the shape of my face. That does not include 3 years of braces, and a MARA appliance to correct my bite. I often feel guilty, knowing that my physical attractiveness cost my parents more than most cars. Nothing the dentist/orthodontist can do scares me.

I'm not positive, but I think that the majority of girls enjoy cuddling. Something about feeling protected?

Can these only be fiction? If so, I doubt that I could choose: certainly Tolkien, for quite a while I was a fan of Paolini (I found Brisingr extremely disappointing. Cory Doctorow's work ranks up there, though, along with Orwell, and Huxley's Brave New World, and Army of The Republic. As for non-fiction, I have a few clear winners, although literally hundreds of runners-up. Letters to a young contrarian, Freakenomics, No Logo, The Case for Mars, God is not Great, Good Calories Bad Calories, and the writings of Michael Pollan.

Please, don't pretend that they actually wrote those books. They fired off a bunch of half-baked ideas, and someone else turned into into something that one can read without throwing up in fear and disgust. Good luck trying to keep this discussion from turning to politics.

I have to say that for the most part, appointed judges do far more for our country than elected officials. I'm still trying to establish exactly how I feel about it, but rule by majority really isn't the best way: after all, not everyone in the country created the American constitution, even though it was for them, and has served them (and the rest of the world) quite well. Democracy, however, does appear to prevent the establishment of tyrants though, hence my apprehension at denouncing it.

My cousin bought a bridge, but he didn't find it boosted the signal all that much. Not sure if that's true of all, but the connection was only a bit faster. Shame you can't run ethernet.

Why would these be illegal if caffeine and alcohol are not only legal, but socially accepted?

I talked with a girl who had the most amazing hair: it was just so shiny and perfect, like fresh asphalt but without hairy guys running around it. She kept on talking to me, and I was just staring at her head and wanting to touch it, and am now listening to my friend bug me about not knowing where I'm supposed to stare at on a girl.

Personally I found Beowulf to be a great foundation for a legal system. I nominate this for post of the year. :thumbsup:

People who insist that the law must be in line with a book written several thousand years ago.

Finally: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/12/AR2010101206145.html I have to wonder though: what happens when the courts uphold democratic principles when a good portion of society wished to dismantle them?

Slave to the Cross - Deicide

Making people pay for a product is the new tyranny, of course. Does anyone else smell the [cabbage]? They're the babies that think throwing a tantrum is the best way to get what they want. And we're [bleep]ing encouraging them. Well not everyone is encouraging them... They may be throwing a tantrum but it is a pretty effective one isn't it (at the moment at least)? It's getting a lot of attention, but is it really doing anything? Aside from driving Gene Simmons up the wall, of course.

Making people pay for a product is the new tyranny, of course. Does anyone else smell the [cabbage]? They're the babies that think throwing a tantrum is the best way to get what they want. And we're [bleep]ing encouraging them. Sometimes our allies aren't our friends.

"The internet" may be fighting back, but I can't say that I think it's going to have any form of long-term effect.

I went to McDonalds for the first time in a few years: the burgers still look only vaguely food-like to me, so I went with the salad: it was tiny for about $6, and for some reason, there was bacon along with chicken in it. On an interesting note, I remember reading that the "health salads" added to their menu were just a clever ploy: very few people actually attended a MacDonalds and purchase a salad instead of a burger - what it did was lure in people who normally wouldn't have eaten there: such as myself.

I need to try this with a regular burger. McDonalds burgers, are, in my opinion, disgusting, but I've never see one compared to a regular patty. Next time we have burgers, I'll try it and post pics.

Guns take more lives than they save. Let's make a quick summary of some of the costs. And that doesn't even include crimes committed with guns. Every tried robbing a bank with a knife? It's a little bit less impressive. Ever tried to run away from someone without getting hurt? It's a heck of a lot easier if they don't have a firearm.

Blue Orchid, The White Stripes

What do you mean by "work towards"? We don't really have any cities in the state that Detroit is in, but rest assured, they are working on it! The U.S. is working towards a far-right totalitarian society, whereas the U.K. is working towards a leftist totalitarian society. Must control. Fists. Of. Sarcasm. I would like to see proof of that, concrete statistical proof of the voting of congress, along with a professional opinion. Blogs do not count. Nor does youtube videos. Nor does google images. To begin, I entirely dismiss your arrogance at assuming that information can only be provided from select sources. That is a stupidity that surpasses all boundaries. Some sources should be evaluated more critically than others, but none should be discounted. Please, with a straight face tell me that the Patriot Act is "in the interests of the American people". Then we can look at the U.K., which has taken a slightly different path that is not altogether Orwellian, yet can't be dismissed any more easily for it: police have become enforcers, the organization in charge of the trade of civil liberties for the facade of security. So, I was gonna say something mean. But I won't. I was going to point out over the past week or so that you've been trying to be this intellectual, but I won't. Nah, I won't. Arrogance? Hmmm. ok. I do believe you would only ask the same of me, if I were to provide such a statement. When you are making such a grave statement about a Country you've never even been to, save a border town or two, it is perfectly reasonable for me to ask proof. Since such is not possible, it is also perfectly reasonable for me to ask that you simply ascertain the information via trusted sources. Blogs, are not trusted, but blatantly opinionated. Heck, that's what they stand for. Blantantly Liberal Opinionated Garish crap. Don't get me wrong, I'll read the occasional blog, go google image something, or even just make something up. But if someone asks for concrete information, I will either only provide it, or admit I can't. I won't sidestep the topic by using big words such as Orwellian, despite the fact that 1984 doesn't even apply to this situation. Unless, I missed the central plot of 1984, being, you know, the search for information online. If not? Hmmm. Then I'm not sure why you posted it. Regardless, I'm still waiting for your proof, not your opinion. Also, watch out next time you ask me to prove God exists. Since no sources can be discounted, I will be ready... and... willing. http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/ None can be discounted. (P.s. You might think this post is flaming, but I'm honestly not. I just find it funny how you make "accusations" of me, when all I ask is for you to back up your statements. And you refuse to. So don't be offended, at least, I'm not trying to offend you, just... Provide proof.) I didn't say that all sources are equal. Yes, I admit that my travels are fairly limited. Fortunately, in an age where dissemination of information occurs in seconds, I don't feel particularly handicapped by that. Asking quite honestly, though: does the Patriot Act not frighten you? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversial_invocations_of_the_USA_PATRIOT_Act http://www.aclu.org/national-security/aclu-rebuttal-proponents-arguments-patriot-act-conference-report-adopts-substantia Yes, "Orwellian" is a pretty scary word. But, I really don't understand the issue that you take with it, since you obviously understand it's relation to Orwell's vision of a dystopian future. As for the "accusation" of being "an intellectual", I will avoid the insinuation of controversial opinions being held only by media pundits and "those other people". Perhaps it can be blamed on the Angry Young Man syndrome, and it's all just a pretense. Or maybe it's me being more comfortable with who I am. Either way, I doubt that my apology will be forthcoming. (Edit: I can assure you, I will never take offense at being asked to provide a source, or having the integrity of my information questioned. Such an attitude would be both unethical and unproductive.)

What do you mean by "work towards"? We don't really have any cities in the state that Detroit is in, but rest assured, they are working on it! The U.S. is working towards a far-right totalitarian society, whereas the U.K. is working towards a leftist totalitarian society. Must control. Fists. Of. Sarcasm. I would like to see proof of that, concrete statistical proof of the voting of congress, along with a professional opinion. Blogs do not count. Nor does youtube videos. Nor does google images. To begin, I entirely dismiss your arrogance at assuming that information can only be provided from select sources. That is a stupidity that surpasses all boundaries. Some sources should be evaluated more critically than others, but none should be discounted. Please, with a straight face tell me that the Patriot Act is "in the interests of the American people". Then we can look at the U.K., which has taken a slightly different path that is not altogether Orwellian, yet can't be dismissed any more easily for it: police have become enforcers, the organization in charge of the trade of civil liberties for the facade of security.

That is a simply idiotic statement. Sell fewer guns, to fewer people, with more restrictions = fewer guns available, which aside from hunting, have little in the way of legal use.