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And I like it way too much. That's why I I stay away from it all. I am happy for people who can drink responsibly but not willing to try and see if I am one of them.

In the case of religion, I even think that "making sense" is a different kind of thing than in other aspects of the human experience. There's a great deal about Buddhism, for example, that "makes sense" to me: the idea that greed is the cause of suffering, for instance. But do I have empirical data to back that up? Not really; I've made some personal observations, but I haven't done any comparative research. For all I know, science would show that one has nothing to do with the other. But as a guide for living my life, and how to treat other people; sure, I'll buy it. I also think you don't have to follow a religion in order to have those kinds of beliefs. I think it's possible to be a kind, generous, honest, etc. human being without following any religion at all. Just like it's possible to follow a religion, and still have none of those qualities. But something like "goodness" does, I think, take belief ... the belief that by trying to be a decent person, for example, the world will be a better place. That's sort of what I meant by you don't have to understand, you just need to believe. The belief itself is a force of some kind. Or so I believe. 😉

And I think that's the key point here ... we all have different beliefs, religious or not, and I believe (I could be wrong ) that most people try to live out their lives according to their beliefs. It's when those beliefs come into conflict that we have a problem. I'll take abortion as an example. I don't like it. I believe it ends a life, and I'm also against taking life. But I'm not anti-abortion, because my belief that a woman has the right to choose is stronger than my belief that what I think should dictate what they do. Does that make sense? I recognize the paradox inherent in this. I can't resolve it without sacrificing one of my beliefs, so I don't ... I just live with it. There's a lot of paradoxes in my life, and I've decided to simply accept most of them. Easier ... for me ... that way. But I get why it can bother other people.

[modhat] Just chiming in at this point to remind every participant in this so far happy and remarkably civil discussion: [/modhat] Carry on and just ignore the agnostic by the sidelines otherwise.

I've been extremely ornery all day. I had to let my dog out, and there was a group of guys yammering and laughing loudly somewhere nearby, out of sight. My dog barked once at their racket, and one of the guys shouted, "SHUT UP!" Like my dog is being the obnoxious one. What're you out here making a racket for in the middle of the night, anyway? Go home. So I shouted, "YOU shut up!" Which is something I would normally not do. And for a minute there was complete silence. Guess they didn't realize there was a person outside, too. Lol.

I hear these in my dogs' "voices" (the voices I pretend they have, lol).

I kinda like the Rainbow Bridge concept. All I know is that, if there is in fact an afterlife (I'm pretty agnostic on this), I want to end up where dogs go. They can call it whatever they want.

👍 So anyway, Happy Thanksgiving, Americans!

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". "Professor Moriarty sends Holmes and Dr. Watson on a wild-goose chase while he tries for the Crown Jewels." Favorite moments: The trial of Moriarty, followed by repartee between Moriarty and Holmes. "I'm going to break you, Holmes." "I was observing the reaction on the common housefly at the chromatic scale." Watson: [swats the flies with a newspaper] "Elementary, my dear Holmes." Billy the page. "We don't want your interference, Mr. Holmes." "I interfere wherever and whenever I like, Mr. Hunter." Watson: "But it's time for lunch." Holmes: "Lunch?! One can have lunch any time, please hurry!" The restrained way Holmes and Watson resolve an argument, lol. Poor Watson, he's so dejected when he lets Holmes down. "Watson, I'm afraid you're an incorrigible bungler." "Afraid I am..." Holmes: [pats Watson's shoulder] Watson: [grins] Sherlock Holmes couldn't be less interested in protecting the Star of Delhi. "The nose of the police dog, although long and efficient, points in only one direction at a time." "What have you found out, Dr. Watson?" "Whatever Watson has found out, you'll know inevitably. I have unbounded confidence in his lack of discretion." Huffy Watson lying in the road for one of Holmes' experiments, and his exchange with a baffled passerby. "Half the women in the world own chinchilla wraps." "You exaggerate, Watson, and half the women in the world wish you didn't." Holmes and Watson, running urgently through the streets of London and hopping in cabs. "Holmes again?" "Always Holmes, until the end."

I don't think it does get a free pass, does it? There's a Christian bookstore down the road from me, it's got as many volumes in it as the regular bookstore. I'd call that quite a bit of scrutiny! It's just a different type than you might apply to, say, the migration pattern of butterflies. Or to the study of composition in art. You could apply all the scientific tests to the Mona Lisa you want, but it still wouldn't tell you whether it was a good painting or not. That requires a different kind of analysis than science provides, and I would suggest that the same holds true for religion.

Thanksgiving Day is the U.S. version of a harvest festival. But it's often tied to stories about the early colonists starving (literally, in some cases) during their first winter, then learning helpful agricultural techniques from the local tribes, resulting in a good harvest followed by a commemorative feast to which the settlers invited their benefactors before shipping them off to reservations.

Hmm, interesting, but it seems to me that the writer is overlooking some at-least-as-plausible explanations for John's behavior: "His breakfast consists of an apple that he doesn't eat." Neither of those assertions is really supported by what we see. We don't *see* John eat the apple, but the scene ends very shortly after he carries it to his desk, so we have no way of knowing. Also we don't know whether that's his entire breakfast, or just for starters. Maybe he's planning to get a full English in a restaurant after a bit. Or (which seems most likely to me) that's all the breakfast he can afford. "When he meets Sherlock, John eats dinner as if he is starving." The meal at Angelo's? It was on the house. So John didn't need to pay for it. "... after moving in together, John puts on an average of a pound a week in weight. John brushes it off as being normal. He doesn’t deny it, he just points out that he is eating more than one meal a day." Sherlock is paying for the groceries? Or at least he's paying half the rent. In either case, that could explain why John can now *afford* to eat three squares. So yeah, it's perfectly normal that he'd put on weight. Of course it *could* be PTSD, but it could also have been a simple matter of economics.

Makes perfect sense to me, that's my take on the issue as well. I usually try to explain it as being morally against, but legally not; but many people seem to have trouble understanding that point of view.

I believe that there is a God and that there are people who believe that there are 1 or more gods which are different from God. I believe that the Bible is an all or nothing not a pick and choose as in the Bible is either all true or none of it is. We can't pick and choose what from the Bible we believe to be true. I try to live out what I believe without shoving it down people's throats as the expression goes. I know I am far from perfect. Some people would erroneously label me a homophobe based on my religious beliefs on homosexuality before even hearing me out even though I have no fear of homosexuals in any way, shape, or form. I believe science and religion compliment each other and support each other. However, many scientists (no I don't have an exact number as it has been years since this was told to me by a former atheistic scientist) create their hypotheses automatically dismissing any notion of any sort of god existing let alone the one stated in the Bible before gathering the evidence when they test their hypotheses (which from what I recall of the scientific method is something that shouldn't happen as nothing is to be dismissed until all evidence has been gathered and so far I have not seen any scientific proof successfully denying the existence of God but have heard over the years of many scientists proving God, including the one I mentioned above and as I recall Stephen Hawking in possibly his doctoral dissertation). I also don't believe the Bible on faith alone. There are more than 18,000 manuscripts in existence for the Bible dating back to the New Testament writers and possibly as far back as the Old Testament (I have the research on that somewhere). Of the 400,000 known errors in those manuscripts 320,000 are minor errors such as spelling differences that don't change the meaning. Most, if not all, of us on here have seen multiple ways of spelling names such as Chris, Jenn, or Dianna. I forget how the remaining errors were accounted for beyond someone trying to compare apples and oranges as the expression goes. As for the verse that states to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39), when looked at in context (starting in verse 38 and going to the end of the chapter), Jesus is talking about being loving, generous, and merciful (see also Luke 6:27-36). There is also an interesting book called The Grace Effect by Larry Alex Taunton that talks about how religion, specifically Christianity, helps a society not be cold, pitiless, or graceless. I need to sleep but will contribute more later.

Douglas wrote all versions of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy starting with a radio version. Each version is different with the Freeman movie being the last with his direct hand on it. I don’t know all of the changes. I just know they exist.

I'm more impressed that she survived those shots. Way to go! Jabs are no good, but even wimps should survive it, so you got no sympathy from me. 😛

Afaik (I don't watch the show) they dragged Viserion's corpse up from the lake with giant chains, prompting fan questions as to why what amounts to a band of reavers were dragging such around and how they got them in the first place. Current mood (Saturday):

I had posted those on another thread in April. They're what I was talking about when I said that I know from personal experience that death is not the end. And of course I'm also firmly convinced that cats have souls.

This type? And now I wish you a happy Thursday instead.

There was a huge annual office party that is actually compulsory (yeah right). First two year here, I attended and left way early, even before dinner. The subsequent three years I skipped and went straight back home before it started. This year, with new group of colleagues, which I could actually stand, persuaded me to go and say 'but you have us!' when I mentioned the dreaded atmosphere. But I used my dog as excuse, as always, and to my surprise, they decided not to go as well because it looked overwhelming to them too, and locked themselves in our secluded office playing games (the party venue is still inside office premise and they are staying in office accomodation) can't say I don't have new appreciation for them.

No of course not! The other way is coming here and reading only selective threads. That explain my vast knowledge about Benedict Cumberbatch and any other cast and things happening around the world.

I have to say I'm relieved it's not the kind of hump that I thought it would be. Found Mycroft-Only pedestrian crossing.

Someone is not happy with all those mustache dissing guys, prepare for headbutt.