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__THISRES__81653.jpg "Fly... by °Phill 1 month 1 week ago")
^nat
This wallpaper captures the urban essence that proliferated the art of Ghost in the Shell in every incarnation of the series. Phill does an amazing job of capturing a moment of surrealism.
While there are a few, stray building angles and shadows, you find that your eye forgives the minor details and instead focuses on the overall scene that is larger than life, with lights trailing off into infinity.
While there are a few, stray building angles and shadows, you find that your eye forgives the minor details and instead focuses on the overall scene that is larger than life, with lights trailing off into infinity.
ShoutBox
~haikoru-sama
2 minutes ago
Where?
~hakuza
17 minutes ago
Wow... anyone else see that Mononoke-hime wallpaper in progress? <_< Just wow. lol
~haikoru-sama
28 minutes ago
~thebigfatwhale
41 minutes ago
>_> mewthree?
~haikoru-sama
41 minutes ago
<_< mewtwo
~thebigfatwhale
49 minutes ago
>_>
~whisprn2dawind
1 hour 18 minutes ago
Bout time! bye~
~Gatoi
1 hour 19 minutes ago
*turning off computer* BAI!!
~whisprn2dawind
1 hour 20 minutes ago
Meh... neither...
~Gatoi
1 hour 20 minutes ago
Shove him then! (good night! =))
LOL best present evar!
1 year 7 months ago
"*smiles*Reminds me of the alien face-hugger pacifier for babies. One model I saw even had "pulsating action" that responds to the baby sucking on the nipple. Totally freakish and gross . . . gotta love it.
Regards, Aaron"
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Auto Pilot
1 year 7 months ago
"*smiles and pushes his glasses up*I find myself bringing this up so much, I almost feel guilty. However, I will do it again and suffer the consequences. This is a basic tenant of Buddhist sutras. We often go through our day, not realizing what we are doing or why we are doing it. I'll give you a personal example to allow you to understand exactly what I mean:
Every Saturday, with few exceptions, my wife and I get up, shower, dress, get on the train and ride into Manhattan. We get off at 34th Street, Herald Square, and walk around the mall. Sometimes one of us tries on some clothes or presses one of those vibrating things on the other's shoulders for a minute. We eat lunch at a health food shop and walk around in the video game store. Then, we go to the anime store and scope the racks. Then, we walk to Best Buy and wander around in there. Then, we go to the pet store and stare at the lizards. Then, we go to the art store and look at the pens. Usually, we go to Beard Papa and buy some cream puffs for Stella and go home late in the afternoon.
Why is this strange? Two reasons. First, we spent a whole day getting cream puffs. Notice that the only time we BOUGHT anything in this day was lunch and a few cream puffs. We wandered around like zombies, looking at things we had no intention of buying. Sure, it was fun to be together, but we could have gone to a museum or a park and fed birds, or even stayed home on the couch snuggling and talking. But, we were programmed to go into Manhattan.
Second, we had no recollection of what the day was like. We didn't smell anything special or notice anything that made our lives better. Of the thousands of things that happen in New York City every day, we saw nothing but the same things we stared at every week. We even have a "favorite massager" that we play with at one of the stores, and we don't even touch any of the newer ones.
Sometimes, more than ever recently, we feel cheated of our life. The day is gone, and we never even knew it was going anywhere. We have lost a finite day in our precious life for no apparent reason. We helped no one, not even ourselves. The worst part is . . . we don't even realize we are doing it, or comprehend why we are doing it.
As a project, we are working hard to be aware of the consumerism that has consumed us and be curious when we get up early for no particular reason, and get on the train with the same old destination in our empty minds. Shutting off this auto-pilot is not as easy as it sounds. Through meditation and awareness, we can only hope to find the button first, and figure out how to push it after that! (^_^)
Regards, Aaron"
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Looking Good, Ladies!
1 year 7 months ago
"Ha! If you've ever read the book "Freaknomics" by Steven D. Levitt, you know this next part, so feel free to skip it.
On the game show, "The Weakest Link", we arguably get the best look at overt "racism" (agism?) possible. The game show's object is to cooperate with other players to build a communal money pool tat only one of them will win. In order to win, the players must strategically vote out their opponents one by one, voting out players in the beginning that do not answer questions well to grow the moeny pool , then voting out the smarter players later to make it easier for you to win the money. Economists and Sociologists used the raw data from this show to determine if the players were prejudiced against any one group. The results showed, among other things, that women and blacks were not discriminated against at all (possibly a reflection of people not wanted to look racist or sexist on national TV). However, older players were consistently voted off first without regard for their abilities as a player. It was as if the other players just did not want the older players around.
It's true that older people are discriminated against far out of proportion with any other social group. As a consequence of this, older men are expected not only to keep their teeth and hair, but more and more of the "Bowflex" commercials and gym commercials are targeting them to stay "buff" and in their "prime" (a charged term when referring to being well above average). Older women have it three times worse. They have to keep their hair, hair color, avoid wrinkles, avoid age spots, stay fit, watch out for osteoporosis, avoid showing that their bodies' reproductive system is shutting down, keep their boobs high and at attention, and still bake cookies and baste turkeys. So, along with everything else a woman has to deal with, they now have to spend (on the American average) and additional $100 on cosmetics a month, just to look young.
*Sheesh*
Regards, Aaron"
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Looking Good, Ladies!
1 year 7 months ago
"You did nothing of the sort. Thank you for your honest contribution, as always *bows*
*nods emphatically*
I agree totally. If you want to see someone deviate from my thread, try my wife. She wants me to start a NEW thread about guys and the "shaven little girl" thing that gives rise to shaving of legs and armpits and baby doll T-shirts with Strawberry Shortcake on them. I refuse. I am far too guilty to pose any sort of objective thread about this topic. XD
As far as fitness goes, I have always been told that there's only so much ripping and bulking a person can do based on their frame and muscle definition. I played football in high school (badly) and worked out a lot. While I got more and more lean and wiry, I could never bulk no matter how much protein and power food I ate before lifting. Maybe that was a result of the cardio and so forth, but I just turned into a stick while my friend (same basic body type, only shorter) blew up like a friggin' meat truck. The girls hung on him like tinsel on a tree!
Anyway, back on topic. I'm not so sure the media is totally to blame here. It's easy to pin things on TV (just ask Mike Judge of Beavis and Butthead fame), but doesn't that just represent what the people want to see? If chunky was the new thin, wouldn't Kirsti Alley and Rosie O'Donnell be on Sports Illustrated? The odd dichotomy is that people want to dispel these myths and want to stop starving and taking dangerous pills and doing drugs or whatever to stay thin, but we stubbornly refuse to allow ourselves to love ourselves. Apparently, this goes double for women. I feel like a hypocrite saying this, because I really can't say if I would have had the same INITIAL attraction to Stella if she had been overweight. I'm just being honest with you and myself here. I'm sure if I got to know her, my love would have been just as true. However, she is a sexy little thing, and her petite size is attractive whether I want to admit it or not. It's a strange emotion that I'm now examining with a great deal more curiosity. It's not really an evolutionary thing, I don't think.
I appreciate all of your comments, and look forward to more!
Regards, Aaron"
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Looking Good, Ladies!
1 year 7 months ago
"Just for clarity's sake, I would like to redirect.I am associating "fat" with someone being a healthy weight, but "overweight" by National Standards (which are a little crazy, IMO). Example: Until recently, I was 250 lbs. I was healthy, but overweight. My clothes were not fitting, etc., so shortly after my wedding I started watching what I ate and dropped about 60 pounds over all. Now, Stella calls me "skinny" and "thin" and says that I need to stop losing weight. However, I am the national average for my height now (6'2", 190 lbs).
I am not talking about morbidly obese or dangerously overweight people, nor am I saying that "thin" is fit and healthy. I'm talking Kate Moss, Callista Flockheart, Tyra Banks (nods to Kalico) thin. Crazy swimsuit model thin.
"If I can see your ribs when you are relaxed, you are too skinny for me" thin.
Just so you don't think I'm talking Rosie O'Donnell fat or something (nods to Donald Trump). I guess even Rosie would be all right, as long as her cholesterol was under control and she could walk up five flights of stairs without smelling of pork fat and breathing like someone had punctured her lung, both of which I doubt.
Regards, Aaron
*EDIT* I would love to give birth to our children like a seahorse. Pouches kick butt. I would gladly carry Stella's child(ren), and I plan on being a "stay at home Dad" (since she is paid SO much more than me). The only problem I would have would be the boobs. Bras look like the suckiest thing ever to wear all day."
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Looking Good, Ladies!
1 year 7 months ago
"*clears his throat and cleans his glasses*An interesting ShoutBox item, brought into the proper area for adult discussion.
It has come to this forumer's attention that the pressure on women (in particular) to stay thin and dress unreasonably has become greater, despite repeated calls on all sides to release women from their "Barbie doll" image. I hate it when my wife hurts her feet with high heels or freezes her legs with a skirt to go to a business meeting (no, hose and tights do not cut it on a windy, cold day in New York).
I would like to hear two things in particular from the responses here, but any adult discussion is encouraged. Firstly, how did the basic requirements of attractiveness change from fat, healthy mate to sexy, bony model? Secondly, how do we make our way back to something more reasonable.
Gentlemen, please do comment as to why you think you are attracted to heels and skinny people. Ladies, please do give some suggestions as to how we can help things change.
Regards, Aaron"
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Can you figure it out?
1 year 7 months ago
"*chuckles*
That's a good one, too. Another silly answer is "he was Superman / Batman / Spiderman, etc."
Regards, Aaron"
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Can you figure it out?
1 year 7 months ago
"*rubs his chin in thought*He jumped out of the first floor window?
Regards, Aaron"
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iPhone...
1 year 7 months ago
"*snorts*Don't kid yourself. Apple will just buy enough of Cisco's non-voting shares to make everyone happy. It worked for Windows (OS swipers!) and it will work for Apple, too. Not only that, but I'm sure Cisco will have a hard time justifying such a blatant branding rip-off if they decide to press the issue. If Burger King named something a McGrilledCheese, I think McDonalds would be able to wrest it from them should there be a court battle.
Regards, Aaron"
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How heavy is your school bag
1 year 7 months ago
"*scratches his head*I have a Zuca bag, which is a bag with an aluminum frame and wheels. Since I go to college, I also carry a secondary laptop protector on my shoulder, which contains 6 pounds (2.75 kilos) of laptop and electro-bits. My Zuca weighs about 15 pounds (almost 7 kilos) or so empty (on wheels, remember), and full of Theoretical Physics books and Business Econ books on Tuesday, my heaviest day, it weighs about 30 lbs (about 14 kilos) or so. So my total load of books is probably 36 pounds or about 17 kilos on a tough day. Of course, this is on wheels and weighs nothing as I walk, but dragging it up three flights of stairs to the train and five flights of stairs in the school building is a little sucky.
Seriously . . . how long before all the books are electronic for classes? Please . . .
Regards, Aaron"
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which one came first? chicken or the egg?
1 year 7 months ago
"*pushes his glasses up with a smirk*This is a little sneaky, and will probably be locked. As you can see, this sort of discussion quickly devolves into a science vs. religion issue (or as I say evolution vs. magic).
The problem with the argument is the lack of veracity on one side, and the lack of faith on the other side. I side with the scientists, as I don't believe that the Sumerian mythos of the original man and woman is applicable to the life of yonder chicken dinner.
However, I take a much more amusing angle on the discussion and ask that if the creature that laid the "chicken egg" was evolutionarily close enough to have "begat" (I love that word. Too bad it's not in use now.) a chicken, would that BE a chicken by another name. What I mean is demonstrable by the association of humanity with Cro (insert latin word) breeds of man. We don't call those "humans", even though for many arguable reasons they are humanoid. I think the chicken would have come first simply for the fact that until it hatched, we didn't call the egg a "chicken egg". Does that make sense? Until the first Homo Sapiens Sapiens was born, we were not really "humans", but a "humanoid". So that baby wouldn't be called a "human" until it was labeled as such, right? So the eggs of the mother "humanoid" weren't humans until they were . . . *ahem* . . . hatched, right? Weird, and cool to think about.
Regards, Aaron"
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iPhone...
1 year 7 months ago
"*looks at the Nokia N95, looks at the iPhone. looks back at the Nokia*Hmm . . . I still think the iPhone looks way better. And it's Apple OS X, which is what I care about. What's the processor spec on the Nokia? I have the BlackJack from Samsung ATM, and it's kinda wonky as far as the "computer" features of the phone. Too much crap in too little space. I have total faith in Apple to pack it all in and make it all work.
Regards, Aaron"
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iPhone...
1 year 7 months ago
"Why? What have you heard? I'm in. Mac Planes? I guarantee they'll be on time. Mac Dumpsters? They sure won't stink. What do you think the battery life on one of those would be? XD
Seriously, on the topic of Mac taking over the world . . . Didn't Windows do that once already? Granted, Windows has done a lot of advancing in the last few months, but I have to say that any advancement Windows has made has been in the direction of Macintosh. This phone is just another sexy piece of technology that proves Macintosh can own anything that other companies take years to develop with a style and sleekness that makes it look easy.
You cannot look at these pictures and deny that an Apple world is a good looking place to live.
Regards, Aaron"
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what anime couple do you like the most ?
1 year 7 months ago
"*rubs his chin thoughtfully*Well . . . it's a good question, anyway. Though it's likely been posed on the forum before. If I had to pick one off the top of my head, without doing any research, I would have to say that my favorite "couple" was Akane and Ryouga from Ranma 1/2. "What about Ranma?" I hear you screaming. Ranma got Akane in the end, of course, but I don't agree with that ending, personally. I think Ranma should have ended up with Ukyo . . . but Rumiko Takahashi was the writer, not me. Anyway, here's my thinking:
Ryouga and Akane would have been a better couple due to the simple fact that he was literally willing to die for her since the moment her met her. Never once in the course of the show did he waver, even when it was hopeless for him (and boy, was it hopeless). Akane certainly didn't like Ranma, but she loved "P-Chan". That would have made things very convenient for the two of them. When she got mad at him (which she would), she could dump the water on him and have her favorite little (silent) pet to snuggle with. I know my wife would love to dump water on me and turn me into a small. lovable animal sometimes. *pushes his glasses up and sniffs*
Call me nuts, but I think they made a great little couple.
Regards, Aaron"
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iPhone...
1 year 7 months ago
"*rubs his hands together, glasses glaring dangerously*I will buy this immediately. I have been waiting for this little piece of Apple OS X in my pocket for some long, it hurts me to see "Windows Mobile" every time I turn on my phone. Apple is so easy to use and fun to work with. I am going to coerce my bosses into buying these so we can all use the buttery-smooth connectivity of the Apple network on business meetings.
As for the cost . . . *shrug* . . . I'll write it off. Nothing like Uncle Sam chipping in on a business expense, eh? Remember that the cost is high because it's worth it. To be honest, if you can't afford it, you probably don't need it for anything. All smart phone are $649.00 or something without one of those goofball contracts.
For me . . . it's awesome looking (w00t), it's Apple OS X (w00t), and it's Cingular Wireless (w00t). I am there like I've never been there for anything else. *looks quickly at his wedding picture* Well . . . almost anything.
Regards, Aaron"
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What is it like where you live?
1 year 7 months ago
"*pushes his glasses up*Well . . . prepare to be bored. I'm from the Big Apple itself. New York City, New York. We only have about 8.5 million people at the moment, which is apparently *down* from a few months ago. (0.o) My wife and I are hoping that someone doesn't know something we don't.
For those of you who have never been to the crown jewel of the United States, the Empire City (or Gotham, as it is affectionately referred to) is divided into five boroughs. The one I live in is Queens, which is generally portrayed (falsely) as the most nasty of the five. Queens is actually quite lovely. There are lots of parks and townhouses in Queens, and it leads directly into Long Island, which is considered the "upscale suburbs" of the City. My neighborhood is perched right on the Hudson River overlooking the most famous borough, Manhattan Island (also referred to by locals as "The City").
Manhattan is the most well known part, home to Times Square and the Empire State Building, as well as the former site of the Twin Towers (soon to be the "Freedom Tower" *grumble*). There's really only one major park in Manhattan, the famous man-made Central Park. Once a haven of crime and craziness, Central Park has been completely reclaimed and is now one of the safest parks in the city and is quite beautiful year round. It's strange to go into the park on literally the two most busy streets in the city and hear little or nothing of the city's ubiquitous noise. Manhattan is also the home of the legendary Madison Square Garden, which millions people flock to every year. I've only been there once. It's not a very good stadium, all things considered.
To the north of Manhattan is the strangest borough. The Bronx is the only borough with the word "The" in the name. It's home to the famous Bronx Zoo (oddly without a "the") and several large parks, including the famous Van Courtlandt park (made famous by the movie "The Warriors", even though it was filmed elsewhere in the city). If I had to pick one of the five borough to NOT live in, it would probably be The Bronx. Not because of crime, just a bad drive in and out. Going north in New York is bad no matter what time of day.
South of Manhattan and on under the bulk of Queens on Long Island is Brooklyn. I miss Brooklyn, and so does my wife. Once you live in Brooklyn, the rest of the city just seems weak by comparison. Brooklyn is culturally and socially the best of the five for people our age. In the 20-40 category, you can't go wrong in the hopping little neighborhoods tucked neatly and conveniently across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Brooklyn is also home to the famous Coney Island where people come from all around the world to lose a hot dog competition to a Japanese man. Except for a bomb-disaster sized area of long-dead neighborhoods dead in the center of this second largest borough, Brooklyn is a priceless piece of the New York lifestyle.
Finally, floating like a little brother that has been sent to the corner away from the rest of the city, is Staten Island. Staten is almost another city. It has it's own transit system, and is unlike New York City in almost every recognizable way. It's lush, green, and upscale in most parts when compared to its urban brethren. The Ferry to get to Manhattan is the SUCKIEST ride in the city.
So there is my hometown in a nutshell. People think its dangerous . . . it's not. My wife is less than 5 feet tall and she has only gotten scared one time in 24 years of city life. Having a dozen pairs of eyes in your vicinity at all hours really helps you feel safe. And yes, a true New Yorker will kick a person's ass to save you if you're getting mugged in the middle of the night. Kick his ass and pin him down until the cops come to kick his ass. So if you're ever in my little neck of the woods some day, look me up! I'll be happy to tell you where to get a good bagel, what areas to avoid, and how to spend a few thousand hours in the greatest City in the world!
Regards, Aaron
"
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Ramen R.I.P.
1 year 8 months ago
"*eyes tear up*Oh . . . Oh no. What a great inventor that man was. It might sound cheesy or funny, but it's truly interesting to see how many lives this person touched with a simple invention. In reality, many people that cannot afford more expensive food use this as a staple. Not just college students, but many people without much money could afford to eat Top Ramen noodles.
I think the people that make food available for the masses are truly blessed. My wife and I will eat Ramen noodles for dinner tonight in his honor.
Regards, Aaron"
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Today's Generation Brain
1 year 8 months ago
"*pushes his glasses up and watches his wife click away on her keyboard*Hmm . . . so if I understand this correctly, the issue is that people think young people are degenerating mentally. I think that could not be farther from the truth. I am amazed at the intelligence most children, and often find myself in a position of disadvantage when I'm dealing with these quick minded young 'uns.
Social matters . . . "there's the respect that makes that makes calamity of so long life". Stella and I come from a generation behind our apparent age, due to being raised by much older parents. As a result, we have a very deep connection and have a hard time dealing with people our age. Social growth has been stunted somewhat by an apathetic and otherwise occupied generation of parents. No matter what the individual cause, it is true that more two-parent households have both parents working, and that even the most well-off families are diverted more than families were 40 years ago. As a result, most kids don't get the care, attention, and discipline that makes a boy into a man or a girl into a woman. Stella is a cultured, kind, well-spoken person with a quite generous and sunny disposition despite living in New York City her entire life. She claims the same of me. The reason we turned out this way, to my best estimation, is the care and attention we received from our parents. Though I cannot speak for every child I have met, I can certainly say that a great majority of teenagers I meet are only concerned with looking as tough and obnoxious as possible to get attention from their peers (since they do not get it at home). This kind of behavior is mis-interpreted as "stupidity" or "ignorance" instead of being properly diagnosed as being a result of a lack of discipline.
Regards, Aaron"
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Solid Plan in Life
1 year 8 months ago
"*pushes his glasses up and looks at his kitten*Having a plan is a good thing. Anyone who is on their own and has a child or a pet can tell you that.
One plan that both my wife and I are sticking to, come hell or high water, is our desire to not have children until we've been married for five years . . . just to make sure we have all the kinks worked out of our relationship.
As far as the "future" . . . *sigh*. I don't feel like I'm where I want to be. I've graduated from college, but I want a Master's Degree in Economics. I'm an administrator for a small consulting firm, and the money is good. However, I want to work with Stella in her anime company some day. The problem is, you need "advanced" education to get the position I want to have, which is essentially the same level as her (senior level corporate executive). This makes my head spin. No matter how much I want to plan for it and no matter how many paths to it I make in my mind, I get this twisting feeling in my stomach. I know how much work it will take, and how important it is for both of us. If I get this job someday, we will never need money for anything (reasonable), and we will be able to have as many babies as Stella wants (but no more than three LOL). It makes my head hurt thinking about it, and I know how you must feel in your position.
All the work I've gotten until now has been the sheer force of my will and personality. It's had nothing to do with my education, sadly. I never planned on doing administrative work, or even being interested in Economics at all. I have a dual bachelor's in English and History, and neither of those are useful for anything in this field (T_T) Had I stuck to my plan of being a professor, I would have not moved to New York, and would not have met my wife. That thought is terrifying.
So, ramble over. I feel your anxiety and frustration. I guess having a plan does help you to get through the annoying things like school and training. However, you should always keep your eyes open for an opportunity that might surprise you.
Regards, Aaron
"
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Who hates iPods?
1 year 8 months ago
"*nods in agreement with iindigo*Thank you, sir. You provided a perfect rebuttal for me. With regards to this question . . .
More features as in . . . a better interface? Both of these models fit the category of an imitation iPod, and the difference in price is so little that it annoys me when my friends consider buying them. If a person wants to buy a different MP3 player just to avoid an iPod, then there's nothing wrong with either of these (save for the fact that the ScanDisk firmware is crap, and iRiver is such a blatant concept copy that they even bite off Apple's naming pattern). I just have a problem with someone painting Apple as a bad company or even an overly expensive one with no prior experience. Apple's products are very much better than the comparable item, and now . . . brace yourselves . . . they are also a better value. Mac's recent innovations has brought that same style and technology home for the same price (or less) as a PC with the same features.
As to the difference in ease of use . . . I defer to iindigo above.
Regards, Aaron"
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Who hates iPods?
1 year 8 months ago
"*sighs and frowns*You are not an Apple owner, or you would not randomly curse the company. Macs are the easiest, most user-friendly computers on the market, not to mention the pure style and functionality of the programs on them. The fact that Windows sucks and iPod and iTunes do not function as seamlessly on the clunky, crappy PC platform should not be used as a crutch to curse iPod. The iPod is a gloriously synchronized piece of machinery, and has a great many uses that are only recently becoming available to poor PC users. The calendar features, photo and video features, and contacts features are useless to people who do not have contacts or photos to add to it, much like a PDA cellphone is largely useless to a high school student.
The second rate MP3 players that are trying to take the title from the sleek iPod had better lighten up, get better batteries, and make a case that doesn't look like a tiny remote control or a clock radio. The iPod is tiny, light, lasts forever, and has the BEST interface of any player . . . bar none. The Zune is the only thing that comes close (same dang price), but it is a truck and isn't going to get much lighter any time soon.
If you are complaining only about the price of the iPod, by all means pay no attention to the fact that the Shuffle is $79.00 USD (jeez marie), and that there are iPods for any budget. Fold your extra $20.00, put it in your pocket, and weep as you see other people enjoying their perfect little piece of sexy music heaven.
Macintosh FTW, from a person who owns both PC and Mac.
Regards, Aaron"
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Problem with a Windows process (drwtsn32) ~ HELP!
1 year 8 months ago
"(o.0) *clears his throat and rubs his eyes*Dr. Watson is a debugger. If it's giving you huge log files, there may be something fishy with your registry or a program on your computer. The logs are usually used by debuggers or IT professionals to determine a specific problem on your system.
Try to find an IT professional that won't charge you (a very kind friend, a loved one, etc.) and ask them to decode some of the file for you. There are specific things to look for. If you can't do this, back up your files immediately and prepare to green disk your poor old box.
I usually don't suggest a destructive wipe of your hard drive, but this is not something you should disable or change unless you ABSOLUTELY know what it is trying to tell you and do not care. Please do as much research as you can and fish around the Windows Support site as much as you can stand.
This is not a normal issue, and should not be ignored.
Regards, Aaron"
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Where do you go when you pass away?
1 year 8 months ago
"*smiles and scratches the back of his neck*Well . . . Siddhartha Gautama, the man referred to as "the Buddha", was credited with answering this question in a very interesting way.
Person: "Lord Buddha! What happens after we die?"
Buddha: *smiles* "Yes."
Person: "I'm confused. What do you mean?"
Buddha: "You asked if "what" happens after we die. The answer is 'Yes,'."
Person: "No, no, my lord. I asked 'What happens', not IF 'What happens'."
Buddha: "Are those not the same?"
Person: "I'm still confused."
Buddha: "As well you should be. The nature of the question is far more difficult than the answer."
It took me a long time to understand what the heck this sutra meant. Finally, I rested on this:
It's not WHAT happens, it's IF what happens. We live our lives so afraid that something will happen after we die, we forget to live. How do we know anything happens at all? What if we move on and this world is only a dream? What if we wake up in another body and there is no end? The only ones that know have already gone on. However, unless you are a crackpot making money off someone else's misery and fear, you know those people aren't talking. (^_^)
Regards, Aaron"
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Saddam Hussein
1 year 8 months ago
"*pushes his glasses up*Seems awfully sudden, don't you think? Almost like they wanted to kill him before the end of 2006. I predict that the war in Iraq will suddenly "end" before the end of Bush's term, and that the triumphant return of the troops will happen as a result of (insert Republican candidate here)'s brave efforts.
Killing Saddam is totally a coup de etat. It's clear that Bush(s) has (have) wanted him dead. What he knew or what he did that we will never find out about has just followed him to the grave. I suppose the judge was right, that not killing him would be an insult to all the families of the innocent Kurds he gassed. I just think it is weird that he was tried and it took forever . . . then *bang*, he's swinging. Maybe I'm just used to the slow litigious style of the US Court of Appeals.
*shrugs*
Stella and I will not sleep any better knowing he's dead, and I doubt anyone will but Bush and the few Iraqis that aren't cowering under their beds and killing each other for food and such.
Regards, Aaron"
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What happens if you pour beer into your gas tank...?
1 year 8 months ago
"I saw a Mythbusters show about this. The one that worked involved used cooking oil, which had been filtered many, many times.
I never heard the thing about the coke products. That seems like a gummy, nasty solution.
As for the alcohol, it cannot run an engine. That part of the show throughly busted several different types of alcohol, including rubbing and drinking alcohol. It can easily be used in the radiator, and will work quite well for a brief time, but the gas tank is an absolute no.
Regards, Aaron
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