Those people are summed up by the question at 3:26 :
“I would like to know why people try so hard to be anyone but who they are.”

Also, those questions remind me of the Woody Allen line from Small Time Crooks :
“The one thing I would like, I would like to learn how to spell Connecticut.”>> ^xxovercastxx:

I found myself irritated by people who asked questions to which the answers are readily available ("How does a venus fly trap, like, work?", "Exactly what is in Jello?","What's in a Wonder Ball?") or questions that were just intentionally stupid ("Where can I get the biggest, cheapest cookie right now?", "What's your favorite microwavable food?", "When's the zombie apocalypse gonna happen?").
Really? You have an opportunity to have any question answered and you're going to ask something meaningless or something you could find out for yourself with less than a minute of research?
I guess that says as much about me as it does about them.

As far as I know, these invocations (aka prayers) are not always given by Christians but other faiths as well.

So? They are fair game as well.

Per Matthu's wikiquote, the phrase "separation of church and state" ain't in the Constitution.

As if it needed to be in there to understand the historically intended meaning via the writings, private and public, of the founding fathers concerning this specific amendment, its purpose, and the implications of "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

"Seperation of church and state" was from Jefferson's own writings, in a letter attempting to further explain the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the Baptists of Connecticut. Edit: D'oh! Should have read all the comments before commenting, Matthu was already there.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO BE A DEMOCRAT, BUT IT HELPS
October 27, 2010

Ann Coulter


With the media sneering about the Tea Party candidates being a bunch of nuts, how about we take a look at some of the Democrats running this year?

We've got Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, who personally presided over the housing crash after getting that gay prostitution business behind him. Of course, Frank's actions are nothing compared to Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul's alleged participation in a college prank. Now, THERE'S a scandal!

California Sen. Barbara Boxer refuses to say whether a newborn baby is a human life. When Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn., asked her on the Senate floor a few years ago whether she believed a baby born alive has a constitutionally protected right to live, Boxer was stuck for an answer. Her nonresponsive replies included these:

"I support the Roe v. Wade decision. ...

"I think when you bring your baby home, when your baby is born -- and the baby belongs to your family and has all the rights. ...

"Define 'separation' ...

"You mean the baby has been birthed and is now in its mother's arms? ...

"The baby is born when the baby is born. That is the answer to the question. ...

"I am not answering these questions! I am not answering these questions!"

(Also, I think she said: "Please call me 'senator.'")

That's not Patty Murray-stupid, but it's still pretty stupid. How many late-term abortions are you planning to get, Californians, that it's worth being represented by such a cretinous woman?

Even if you are under the misimpression that Boxer's Republican opponent, Carly Fiorina, is somehow going to outlaw abortion in California, Carly will cut your taxes so much that you'd be able to fly to Sweden for all your abortions and still come out ahead!

Liberals are indignant that Sarah Palin writes speech notes to herself on her hand. This week, Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate for governor in Florida, was slipped a debating point by her makeup artist, texted by a campaign aide in violation of the rules during a debate with her Republican opponent, Rick Scott.

Oh, those thick Tea Party candidates!

Last weekend, Illinois governor Pat Quinn -- Rod Blagojevich's running mate -- stood silently as his supporter, state Sen. Rickey Hendon, blasted Quinn's Republican opponent, Bill Brady, as "idiotic, racist, sexist, homophobic."

Hendon has repeatedly made headlines over the past few years for his inappropriate behavior toward female colleagues. Once -- during a Senate debate -- he asked Sen. Cheryl Axley if her hair was naturally blond and then publicly propositioned her.

Another time, Hendon tackled Rep. Robin L. Kelly, knocking her to the ground after a House-Senate softball game she had come to watch in office attire.

Of the impeccable Brady, Hendon wailed: "If you think that women have no rights whatsoever, except to have his children, vote for Bill Brady. If you think gay and lesbian people need to be locked up and shot in the head, vote for Bill Brady."

Even the Chicago press was shocked by this, calling on Quinn to apologize. Quinn has "renounced" Hendon's remarks, but refused to apologize.

But watch out for the Tea Party candidates! There are some real loose cannons in that bunch.

Also last week, Rep. Ron Klein, Democrat of Florida, hysterically claimed he had been "threatened" by one of the Vietnam Veteran bikers supporting his Republican opponent, Allen West.

The man who had allegedly "threatened" Klein is 60 years old and goes by the terrifying name of ... "Miami Mike." Mike told the Miami Herald that he had simply e-mailed Klein, saying that he deserved to be voted out of office and, in addition, he needed "a good ass-kicking, which I'd be more than happy to do even though I'm a lot older than you."

As Miami Mike said: "A threat? Give me a break. He cannot be scared of what I wrote. If he is, he is just a real baby."

Apparently so. Klein turned Mike's e-mail over to the Capitol police, where they promptly burst out laughing and then ordered framed copies of the e-mail.

Speaking of little girls in pink party dresses, Keith Olbermann has repeatedly claimed that Allen West "disgraced his uniform." Weirdly, he never gives details of how he thinks West did that. (Maybe Olbermann could check on war-zone protocol with fake-Vietnam War veteran Dick Blumenthal, who's running for the Senate from Connecticut by lying about having served in Vietnam.)

As a colonel in Iraq, West was interrogating an Iraqi terrorist who knew about a planned ambush. Unable to get him to talk, West shot a gun near the terrorist's head, whereupon the frightened but unharmed detainee spilled the beans.

Because of that, West's men were able to capture a potential attacker and identify future ambush sites. There were no further attacks on West's men.

As West later told The New York Times, "There are rules and regulations, and there's protecting your soldiers." He said, "I just felt I'd never have to write a letter of condolence home to a 'rule and regulation.'"

When the Army considered court-martialing West, thousands of letters poured in defending West and thanking him for what he had done. Ninety-five members of Congress signed a letter to the secretary of the Army in support of West. No court-martial was ever convened.

Liberals won't say that John Phillip Walker Lindh disgraced his country. Washington Sen. Patty Murray thinks Osama bin Laden is a swell guy for building "day care centers" in Afghanistan. But they say a hero like Allen West "disgraced his uniform" by saving the lives of American soldiers.

Yeah, the Tea Party candidates are a real embarrassment.

>> ^kymbos:

Context?


Excerpt from the Connecticut Senate debate. Richard Blumenthal is the current Attorney General of Connecticut, and is now the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat currently held by Chris Dodd (who is retiring). His Republican opponent is Linda McMahon, the CEO of the WWE, which is a made-for-tv fake wrestling league.

I'm not sure what specifically they're under investigation for, but in the past there have been scandals about steroid use/distribution, and more recently about some sort of shady refusal to reimburse their wrestlers for injuries they sustain in the course of their relatively dangerous jobs.

Blah blah blah. Drumming up controversy where there is none. A few Christmases ago in the town square of Vernon, Connecticut there was a display erected by the Connecticut Valley Atheists, depicting the still-standing Twin Towers of the World Trade Center with the caption "Imagine No Religion." Not less than fifty feet from this exhibition was the hamlet's traditional Nativity scene. Neither was marred by vandalism or abuse, each standing for the entirety of the Christmas season. This is because the majority of Americans understand what the First Amendment of our Constitution means.

Surely this film is nothing but schlock propaganda whose only intent is to stir up a potentially passionate minority of the United States. But whose interests are being served with such a piece? What exactly does the movie want its viewers to do with the falsely stoked rage? Bill O'Reilly for one salivates at the broadcast each year when he gets to declare the never existent war on Christmas that the "secular progressive elite" has waged on the the "real America."

Sigh.

>> ^MycroftHomlz:

To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.
Gentlemen
The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802.


Awww, come on! You can't let fact stand in the way of truth! That's evil!

To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.

Gentlemen

The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.

Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802.

marshmallow fluff is only a thing in the up north.
in the south we don't touch that shit, unless its to make fudge or rice krispie treats. and we don't call it fluff.


i remember moving in with my aunt in connecticut (briefly) as a teenager and babysitting my cousins and having them ask me to make them peanut butter and fluff sandwiches. it ended in small children crying and teenage girl having an exasperate piss attack because I DIDN'T FUCKING KNOW WHAT THE HELL FLUFF WAS and a 4 year old can't explain it.

@lampishthing she could always run for Senate in a state other than Massachusetts. Maybe take on Liebermann in Connecticut in 2012?

No all I know of our friends to the North is Montréal. I'm looking forward to seeing the country off the port side for a couple of weeks. I'm fascinated by the further reaches of the continents. Probably picked some of that fascination up from you.

In reply to this comment by JesseoftheNorth:
I'm battling a nasty cold at the moment, but otherwise I'm doing great. I head back to the great white north in April which is fast approaching! I'm definitely going to miss Denmark, but I know I'll be back eventually. I'm already bracing myself for the inevitable culture shock I'm going to go through when I return.

Nova Scotia, huh? Sounds like it'll be a great trip. You been before? The maritimes are beautiful in the summer. I went to Lunenburg a few years back and had a fantastic time. Halifax is a great city too - had lots of fun there.

In reply to this comment by schmawy:
Good, good! And yourself? When are you coming back to North America, Jesse? I'm sailing from Connecticut up to Nova Scotia in June, I can't wait.

In reply to this comment by JesseoftheNorth:
Glad to hear it. It is a cinematic gem. How ya been, Schmawy, my man?

In reply to this comment by schmawy:
101 Reykjavik, great flick. Watched it last night.

I'm battling a nasty cold at the moment, but otherwise I'm doing great. I head back to the great white north in April which is fast approaching! I'm definitely going to miss Denmark, but I know I'll be back eventually. I'm already bracing myself for the inevitable culture shock I'm going to go through when I return.

Nova Scotia, huh? Sounds like it'll be a great trip. You been before? The maritimes are beautiful in the summer. I went to Lunenburg a few years back and had a fantastic time. Halifax is a great city too - had lots of fun there.

In reply to this comment by schmawy:
Good, good! And yourself? When are you coming back to North America, Jesse? I'm sailing from Connecticut up to Nova Scotia in June, I can't wait.

In reply to this comment by JesseoftheNorth:
Glad to hear it. It is a cinematic gem. How ya been, Schmawy, my man?

In reply to this comment by schmawy:
101 Reykjavik, great flick. Watched it last night.

Good, good! And yourself? When are you coming back to North America, Jesse? I'm sailing from Connecticut up to Nova Scotia in June, I can't wait.

In reply to this comment by JesseoftheNorth:
Glad to hear it. It is a cinematic gem. How ya been, Schmawy, my man?

In reply to this comment by schmawy:
101 Reykjavik, great flick. Watched it last night.

THE CLIPS:
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Babylon A.D.
Knowing
Sherlock Holmes
Death Race
The Uninvited
Max Payne
Fast & Furious
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Midnight Meat Train
Quarantine
2012
Ninja Assassin
Twilight Saga: New Moon
Whiteout
The Final Destination
Daybreakers
Race to Witch Mounta More..in
Moon
Inglourious Basterds
The Box
Obsessed
Friday the 13th
Star Trek
Terminator Salvation
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Watchmen
Dragonball
The Spirit
Carriers
Bangkok Dangerous
District 9
Surrogates
The Book of Eli
Mirrors
The Happening
Wanted
(some Russian title)
Sorority Row
Fighting
The Road
Angels & Demons
Jennifer's Body
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Pineapple Express
The Last House on the Left
The Haunting in Connecticut
Shutter Island

THE MUSIC:

AudioMachine - Akkadian Empire
Groove Addicts - Zero Hour
Audio Network - Mars
AudioMachine - Lachrimae (VadoskiN DNB mix)
Wild Rumpus Music - Blame It on the Falling Sky 2.0
John Murphy - The Last House On The Left SCORE

did a presentation in my high school law on this so here's a lil breakdown for ya'll-

Prostitution is a legitimate business and it needs to be legalized to stop unnecessary crime and spread of disease in the community and to enforce the human right of fornication to its extent.

Why Legalize?

When you make something illegal, whether it is drugs, guns or Prostitution, it goes into the underground. Circuits of black market trade and illegal activity are formed. Plainly, when something is illegal, it becomes dangerous instantly for anyone in contact with it. The reason that prostitution does spread disease and murder is only because it illegal.

1. When prostitution is illegal, there is no way of controlling the spread of HIV, AIDS and STDS. Prostitution only accounts for the spreading of 3-5% of STDs while 30-35% is teen-related. Making Prostitution illegal increases the number of the disease’s victims. If a prostitute is infected with AIDS, and she does have 868 partners that year, without a condom that is 868 new cases of AIDS, only further to be spread. Although this is very unlikely since most prostitutes use condoms. The issue of pregnancy also occurs, since AIDS will be passed on directly. With the legalization of prostitution this problem will be wiped out entirely and the number of HIV, AIDS and STDS will go down significantly. All brothels mandatory check their clients monthly, sometimes weekly, and mandate the use of condoms.

2. Again, making prostitution illegal makes it extremely dangerous for prostitutes to work. Prostitutes are the most targeted female group for violence. If a prostitute is raped or violently abused, she cannot go to the police. Prostitution fatality rates are extremely high and the homicide rate for female prostitutes was estimated to be 204 per 100,000. Perpetrators include violent clients, pimps, and corrupt law-enforcement officers. Serial killers also target prostitutes since the authorities will show less effort to solve the case as apposed to the murder of a schoolteacher or secretary. Jack the Ripper is said to have killed at least five prostitutes in London in 1888. In a recent US study of almost 2000 prostitutes followed over a 30-year period, by far the most common causes of death were homicide. The homicide rate among active female prostitutes was 17 times higher than that of the age-matched general female population.

3.Will eliminate all other illegal infusion such as drugs, gun crime and violence.

4. Will eliminate pimping completely

5. Will help stop the underground child sex slave trade and sex trafficking.

6. The fear of being prosecuted will not exist. This will not prevent prostitutes to go to authorities when needed. Men whose intention is violence or a combination of sex and violence can then be stopped.

7. Most women who prostitute have no previous work experience and live in poverty. Legalizing prostitution will provide prostitutes with a safe work environment and a legal, beneficial job. In result, poverty rates will drop.

8. Less accidental pregnancies causing women to go onto further poverty taking that child down with them.

9.”It costs $2,000 per case to arrest, court, and jail a prostitute. Cities spend from $1 million to $23 million dollars, for an average of $7.5 million dollars, on prostitution-control. Despite the expenses made trying to prevent prostitution, it hasn't been prevented, but only driven underground to places where prostitutes are in the greatest danger of having their rights violated by pimps, clients, and cops. Instead of spending an average of $7.5 million trying to prevent prostitution and arresting prostitutes, cities should spend that money preventing rights-violations against prostitutes, and punishing those who commit crimes against prostitutes.

History

Prostitutes have existed in every human civilization knows to date. It is only recently that a 180 was done in its regard. Throughout 1910 and 1915 the Woman’s Christian Temptation Union strongly influenced the ban of Prostitution. This was the same time as the alcohol prohibition. In 1949 The United Nation released an act that stated that prostitution is against human morals and should be abolished. Since then it has been, in many countries, especially the U.S, which is supposed to be the land of the free.
Prostitution is said to be the oldest female profession. It was one of the only way for females to do gain money throughout most of history, since they were greatly oppressed by men. Mind you male prostitutes did exist and still exist. In Greek and Japanese societies, prostitutes were held on a higher level then most other women. They had an excellent income, were respected and influential figures and admired throughout the community. They were called Hetaeras and Geishas. Although Religion is the main reason prostitution is currently illegal, it was actually a main supplier and benefited of prostitution throughout history. Cyprus and Corinth temples were in charge on thousands of prostitutes. The bible also contains prostitution. King David’s grandmother was one. In the middle ages, the Catholic Church was the main supporter of brothels and gained more wealth and power from it. Augustine of Hippo claimed that Prostitution is a necessary thing, in order to stop greater sins such as masturbation, rape and sodomy.


World Prostitution and Criminal Code

Muslim Countries- Death Penalty
Thailand-prostitution is illegal
New South Wales, Australia- any person over the age of 18 may offer to provide sexual services in return for money.
Victoria, Australia- a person who wishes to run a prostitution business must have a license. Prostitutes working for themselves in their own business, as prostitutes in the business, must be registered. Individual sex workers are not required to be registered.
Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, Netherlands- prostitutes are tax-paying and unionized professionals and brothels are legal
Bulgaria and Sweden- outlawed pimping, legal prostitution
Japan- vaginal prostitution is against the law and fellatio prostitution is legal
Turkey- street prostitution is illegal. There are government-run brothels in most cities, which house sex workers. Private brothels must have a license.
Brazil and Costa Rica- prostitution per se is legal, but taking advantage or profit from others' prostitution is illegal
United Kingdom-prostitution is not formally illegal, but several activities surrounding it are outlawed such as pimping, brothels, street and car prostitution
America- Nevada and Rhode Island have legalized prostitution. In all other states it is illegal. A Prostitute can be sentenced up to 15 years in prison.
Canada-prostitution itself is legal, but most other activities around it are not. Pimping is illegal and it is illegal to negotiate a sex-for-money deal in a public place. Section 213 of the Criminal Code states that communicating for the purpose of prostitution is a summary conviction offence. Summary offenses are considered "less serious", carrying a maximum six-month jail term, a $2,000 fine, or both.


Statistics

One prostitute may have 868 partners a year. This is knows as a under reported number.
16% of 18-59 year old men have paid for sex (arguably also under reported)
Per a hundred thousand people, 23% are Prostitutes.
1 in 3 women in jails re arrested for prostitution
15% of all suicide victims are prostitutes, 59% of prostitutes have thought of committing suicide, compared to 61% of non-prostitutes.
77.8% of arrests are women, 22.2% men. In larger cities, 20-30% of prostitutes are male


Hypocrisy
There is a president place for the US constitution to support prostitution.

In 1965 the Supreme Court in Griswold vs. Connecticut found a right of privacy that covered the right for couples to use birth control.
1973 that right of privacy was extended to abortion in Roe vs. Wade, which later extended to Laurence very Texas to same sex conduct.

Based on this principle Prostitution should therefore logically extend to encompass the right of consenting adult to procure fornication part of a monetary transaction. The hidden agenda is social control.

It is a human right to have sexual intercourse whether it is free or paid for
Prostitution is said to victimize. If a woman willingly provides sexual services to a man who is willing to pay money for it, there is no violation of human rights.
Catholic and Christian group’s word cannot hold a strong meaning since their religions have been the top benefactors of prostitution throughout history
It is hypocritical for the government to say they are banning prostitution with people’s well being in mind when it is the ban that provokes thousands of deaths related to prostitution.



If Legalized

Brothels would be completely legal with guidelines of monthly health checks and security.

Private prostitution would be legalized with a license. A mandatory course would be required for education on health risks, contraception, prostitute rights, smart and careful choice of customers and advertising recommendations.

Street prostitution would not be made legal because 80% of prostitutes are killed on the street and although with legalization this number will improve, I consider it still dangerous. A 1500$ penalty and community hours will be enforced instead of imprisonment.

^Ha! I knew it! I've noticed you've been picking on Peter Schiff recently in your comments, and I couldn't put my finger on why until just now. It's because Schiff is running on a Republican ticket in Connecticut against Dodd, right?

Towing them party lines, boss!