markosis

I like to think of it as morbid curiosity. I

If anyone is interested in this story and would like to see how Dani is doing, this story will be featured on an upcoming episode of Oprah. Not sure on the exact date but should be within the next week or two (it's already been taped). I'll update when I hear more details.

Wow, I might actually watch Oprah.

What a story. I'm touched, really. I hope that little girl can one day comprehend all of it, or even comprehend normal things like an adult.

I cannot be mad at the mother. Her IQ is 77, so I do not expect her to understand what she had or had not done. The thing that seems strange is that she was able to raise 2 boys to adulthood.

Yeah, the Fleet Foxes one is quite awesome.

There's too many to pick one. And I've only been following "new" music for a short period of time, so that makes it hard.

The wave left 9 people dead: 8 due to drowning, one from alcohol poisoning.

I'd think that would be almost the same thing, in that case.

I live within a mile or two of a Budweiser brewery, I wish that would blow up and rain beer upon my town for 40 day and 40 nights. But it would be Budweiser, so maybe not.

Listened to earlier:

NP:

Always had a tough time feeling this record, but I'm giving it another shot.

So you're admitting that belief can be incorrect on its face, then, or at least wrongheaded/ill-conceived?

Of course, any belief can be ill-conceived. A KKK members beliefs are surely ill-conceived. I'm saying I don't think we need to map that persons brain to figure out why their racist. It is through their own experience that they come to those beliefs.

I

I'll tell you right now why we believe what we believe: Experience. What you experience in your life will determine how you see the world. It doesn't take neuroscientists to figure that out, just common sense. And since we all experience different things, we will believe different things, hence it is ridiculous to argue over whether a certain belief is right or wrong because there is no right or wrong in this case. (didn't I say this on like page 5 of this thread?)

This is one of my biggest problems with people who complain that white people might not vote for Obama because he's black. They ignore everyone who might vote for him because he is black.

Great point. I recall getting into huge arguments with people who said their reason for liking/voting for George W. was because of his religion, and not much else. Same goes for people who will support Palin because she's a woman. These people need to be judged on many other traits other than these, but this is America, its all about the image, and not much more.

"No One Does It Like You" - Department Of Eagles

I tried to make this argument repeatedly about 30 pages ago, but lost interest.

Yeah, I did too. Lesson learned: a hardcore atheist is no better than a hardcore Christian or a hardcore anything. Any way you slice it, its like trying to rationalize with a brick wall.

I, as an atheist, would say the principles expressed here offer a good example of how atheists aren't "arrogant" as is so commonly suggested except the way in which you make every single argument IS arrogant. Even Bill Maher says certainty on the side of atheism is just as bad as certainty on the side of religion.

Its about damn time someone besides myself made that point.

Edit: This is post #666 in this thread. I feel honored.

Again, consider yourself lucky. I generally find it a lot easier to deal with Catholics and Jews than Christians

Catholics are Christians. Catholicism is a subset of Christianity.

I suspect you're being disingenuous, though, so I'm not going to bother.

What in the hell gives you the right to accuse me of being disingenuous? What I said is absolute fact: I was brought up around Catholicism, and the devout Catholics in my family allow me to say, think, and do whatever I please. What I'm trying to say is that religion and common sense/tolerance are not exclusive, at least in my own experience. Or am I just being disengenuous again?

do people really still care about this?

I hope not.

AM is probably the Wilco record I play the most. Its full of great songs, that's good enough for me.

"Do as we say, do as we do, or risk being marginalized or destroyed" seems to be the message espoused by every cult, and that is certainly true of Christianity and Islam.

You make plenty of valid points, but my mother and grandmother, who attend church regularly, never tried to marginalize or destroy me for not going to church. My best friend's mother is a devout Catholic, she's the only one out of 6 in her immediate family who is, and she is fine with that, and she has never tried to convert me or preach to me.

They should call their project Byrneno. Just saying.

Our neighborhood butcher used to say never trust a man who doesn't drink. I'd like to amend that to include never trust a guy who hasn't been divorced.

Wow. I think you just made up my mind on who to vote for.

Oh, I thought we were rhyming here. I didn't quite get the joke. I do now.

"Look Away?"

Okay. I may.

Listened to these today

Feeling a little Chicago today

And, I think this country needs some serious work on moving away from the 2-party system!

Amen to that. I'm glad someone else sees through all the partisan rhetoric and can see that the 2-party system is doing more harm than good.

The saddest part of the baby-naming thing is that a person could have that much affinity for any politician, let alone Sarah Palin. Why would you name your kid after any politician? I wouldn't share my seat on the bus with 90% of them.