George Aar

And hey, does anybody know how he did the thing with the cane? I've watched it several times and I can't figure out how he makes that sucker jump off the floor right into his hand. Maybe there's a string attached and a stage hand pulls it up? And, no, I'm not going for the "He opereated devil spirits!" line...

I'm not quite sure what you were trying to say with that first one, people can be weird? I dunno... But Fred's always a joy to watch. Damn, he was good...

I think 8 years is a big difference if one is 12 and the other is 20 (there's also some legal ramifications). But if you're talking 40 and 48, pfffff...

I dunno, it's yer body and you can do to it what you like, but I've got serious reservations about any tattoos. Usually, even if the artwork is really good (and it usually is), the end result ends up looking like a skin condition or something from any kind of distance. And have you ever seen an elderly person with tattoos? They don't age well. I remember a friend from H.S. that I saw in a bar a few years after we'd graduated. He had a small rose on his shoulder. Kinda cool I thought. A few months later I saw him again, and the rose had grown tendrils and vines and was working it's way around his arm and down to his wrist. A year or so later the vines and flowers and jungle vegetation had overtaken his whole upper body, and seemingly no end in sight. At that point it occurred to me that from a little distance away it looked like some hideous cancer was consuming his flesh. The mind picture's never gone away. Skin can be pretty, even with a little age and a few wrinkles. Tattoos? Not so much... Oh, and another thing, if you're ever visiting Japan, there's a number of establishments that won't allow you in if you have a visible tattoo (I think this is a Yakuza thing).

My questions regarding this would be pretty much the same as your other thread. What gets reincarnated? We know the body rots away, seen enough of that. And all yer stuff (what's worth anything, anyway) disappears even quicker than you do, and gets dispersed to the four corners. So, WHAT comes back? And it sure seems like the only ones who DO get reincarnated are princes and generals and maybe a noteworthy scoundrel or two. How many times have you heard of someone remembering their past life as a non-descript nobody, working some menial job and doing nothing particularly eventful? Even the famous cases like Bridey Murphy, Ramtha, and maybe George Patton have been pretty thoroughly debunked, or are easy enough to figure out. Why doesn't Blackbeard come back and dig up his treasure anyway? Well, regardless, this sort of thing seems to be haunting you of late. You O.K.?

I had one once - at least I thought I did...

I dunno, I thnk I smell Bull$h!t. That may be how they're selling the commercial, but it looks like computer graphics to me. There's too many things in there that defy the known laws of physics, wheels rolling uphill, gears that stop and start rolling, things that start moving seemingly on their own. Maybe I'm just too much of a skeptic, but I'm not convinced...

"A close friend and co-worker asked me to shoot their wedding for them" This is such a great idea! Rather than all the give and take, the eventual recriminations and broken dreams, and the inevitable divorce, you just put them all out of their misery right at the start! How much more convenient is that? (!)

Yeah, I dunno Ham, I've got a tough time trying to figure out how the whole "past lives" thingy is supposed to work. I mean, just what is it that gets passed on to you in your new body? Probably not anything physical, huh? I can't imagine that the molecules that we're made up of have some sort of memory chip in them, but, whaddu I know? So is it some sort of squishy "spiritual" inheritance that we get that keeps us in touch with our former selves? Just what is it of us that keeps coming back for more? I also find it more than a little coincidental that all the "memories" folks have are so similar to movies or dipictions in books or whathaveyou. Uh un, whatever...

O.K., honestly now, who can look at that picture and not seriously wonder if maybe Mr. Rood doesn't have a tinfoil hat to go with that outfit? Come on, be honest now...

I think it's kinda a rude awakening when we finally realize that, not only was WayWorld NOT the cutting edge of Biblical research, but it wasn't even that notable of a minor cult. It just happened to be the snake oil, for whatever reason, that WE bought. And outside of a very small circle of folks, the influence of the $h!++y little outfit was negligible...

"we will see violence erupt in Jerusalem" Gee whiz, who coulda seen that coming?

Geeze, this girl really seems to generate some animosity. I'm not quite sure I understand that. Yeah, she's a privileged, self-undulgent, air-headed slut. Is that so wrong?

"Where does the money go?" Well, I don't know fer sure, but I can guess. Fancy cars, fast women, houses, up their nose, and that perennial favorite of Way-flavored "clergy" TOYS! (Motorcycles, motor coaches, guns, jewelry, watches, phones, AV equipment) Oh, and don't forget all those important trustee meetings in Cancun or the Bahamas...

"What's your take on all this?" Superstition is B.S. no matter what form it takes, or how holy or loving it tries to behave. Sooner or later, obeisance to mindless nonsense will bite one in the posterior. Religion will be the death of us all...

It would be a no-brainer for me. New York City! Gawd, I love that town. "The Bronx is up and the Battery's down, people ride in a hole in the ground" Museums, Broadway Shows, the best restaurants on earth, shops that have unheard of items that cater to every taste, and some of the finest architecture anywhere. Hell, I could spend a day in Grand Central Station (maybe a few hours off to see the Chrysler Building). And then there's always some special event going on, a concert, a convention, a fair, and there's something going on 24 hours a day.

"VP would have to be cuckoo to kill Cocoa" Well, that line was worth the price of admission. And Frisco, my man, I think you'd get along better if you didn't try to act like a hall moniter.

I was hoping he would do a medley of Barry Manilow hits!

I dunno, Hap, I'm still trying to figure out the appeal of living in a freaking BARN. I,I,.... I just don't get it. Wouldn't it be much more pleasant to live in a building that was scaled and laid out with HUMAN dimensions and needs in mind? And at 170/ft. you can still build a nicely-appointed home with upper-grade finishes and custom features. And why would you want to heat and maintain all the space that you won't be using for anything? But, whaddu I know?

And why would Almighty God have so much trouble making His will known to His creation? Jeeze, it's not like He's short on resources or abilities. I mean, He DID create the heavens and the earth, right? But when it comes to letting people know what He'd really like to see us do, well, it's tough ain't it? I mean, there's all those pesky bugs and molds and decay, let alone all the evil guys hell-bent on destroying His Word. So what's an all-mighty, omniscient, omnipresent, all-encompassing being to do? I mean, He couldn't just TELL us, now could He? That would spoil everything. No more Wednesday night Bible Study, trying to ferret out what the Divine intent is. No more Colleges and staffs built and dedicated to the pursuit of the unconfirmable. And no more endless sermons trying to explain what we should already know. Not to mention all those long evenings spent with everybody giving their personal opinion of what's it all about. Personally, I think I'd rather play Parcheesi...

Yeah, I'd love to avoid the consequences of any of the less-than-bright moves I've made over the last however many years. However, real life often necessitates otherwise. So another WayWorld hotshot is unhappy that some of his pigeons have come home to roost? Oh well...

The only "regular" bulb I have left in the whole house is a big-based 3-way bulb in a floor lamp. All the rest are CF units. The main thing I like about them is - I haven't changed a lightbulb in YEARS. They seem to work fine, they've finally gotten them sized a little better, and they have higher output ones now as well, so you don't get the "I'm living in a cave" ambiance. Works for me...

There's also this one that I find informative from time to time http://richarddawkins.net/foundation There's an interview in there with the Bishop of Oxford that was sort of enlightening. I loved his view of the miraculous interventions of The Almighty. At least he's thinking about it rather than spin-doctoring - kinda refreshing from a religious guy...

Well, as long as you're at it, might as well get yer feet wet: http://www.godvsthebible.com/ It definitely has some questions that weren't entirely addressed in PFAL...

Honto ne! I was more than a little skeptical right from the start cause, not only could I not imagine anyone mistaking a sheep for a dog, but I couldn't figure out how it could be any cheaper to import sheep in Japan than it would be poodles. I mean, it's not like poodles are really rare. The sheep probably taste better though, if somebody really did buy one...