>> ^bamdrew:

I used to note 'artistic inspiration' in conversation as a plus-side to Religion, but then grew to understand that the majority of great artists actually painted religious themes for exactly the same reason they painted important people of the times... money. So now, that plus-side is just 'funding some great artists'.
One look at the Pope and you can see religion has money to burn on ornamentation, and so great artists sought to be on great terms with that major patron.


Undoubtedly true, but at the same time I think it would be wrong to say that none of the artists involved in creating great works were not genuinely inspired by their faith. I don't just mean the likes of the Sistine Chapel either, but lots of smaller non-commissioned work.

Although you could argue that that is art inspired by faith rather than religion.

I used to note 'artistic inspiration' in conversation as a plus-side to Religion, but then grew to understand that the majority of great artists actually painted religious themes for exactly the same reason they painted important people of the times... money. So now, that plus-side is just 'funding some great artists'.

One look at the Pope and you can see religion has money to burn on ornamentation, and so great artists sought to be on great terms with that major patron.


>> ^ChaosEngine:

>>
To be fair, there is a cultural debt to Christianity. Religion has inspired many great works of art,

It's better that you can get a Klingon Bird of Prey to hang from the tree of peace.

>> ^quantumushroom:

Sigh. Do you really want to go toe-to-toe, STINK?
Here's Barack, the clown YOUR sycophantic media elected.
Palin said "Squirmish?" Got it. Izzat anything like BHO's CORPSE-MAN?

“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.” --BHO

“Thank you, Sioux City. … I said it wrong. I’ve been in Iowa for too long. I’m sorry.” -- said in front of Sioux Falls, SOUTH DAKOTA audience

“In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.”
---May 2007 speech. Actual death toll: 12.

A "few" other gaffes here.

"In their first meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave Obama a carved ornamental penholder from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet. Obama’s gift in return: 25 DVDs that don't work in Europe. His gift a month later to Queen Elizabeth doesn’t quite make up for the snub, either: an iPod full of his own speeches."

"The Chicago Tribune reported this little-noticed nugget about a fake autobiographical detail in Obama’s Dreams from My Father: 'Then, there’s the copy of Life magazine that Obama presents as his racial awakening at age 9. In it, he wrote, was an article and two accompanying photographs of an African-American man physically and mentally scarred by his efforts to lighten his skin. In fact, the Life article and the photographs don’t exist, say the magazine’s own historians.”

Minus the fibs, I couldn't care less if Barack steps on his Telepromptongue now and again. It's the whole inexperienced-total-failure-as-President part that bothers me.
PALIN/FIRE HYDRANT 2012


http://politicalhumor.about.com/cs/georgewbush/a/top10bushisms.htm

People make mistakes. Sucks being human doesn't it?

Sigh. Do you really want to go toe-to-toe, STINK?

Here's Barack, the clown YOUR sycophantic media elected.

Palin said "Squirmish?" Got it. Izzat anything like BHO's CORPSE-MAN?


“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.” --BHO


“Thank you, Sioux City. … I said it wrong. I’ve been in Iowa for too long. I’m sorry.” -- said in front of Sioux Falls, SOUTH DAKOTA audience


“In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.”

---May 2007 speech. Actual death toll: 12.


A "few" other gaffes here.


"In their first meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave Obama a carved ornamental penholder from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet. Obama’s gift in return: 25 DVDs that don't work in Europe. His gift a month later to Queen Elizabeth doesn’t quite make up for the snub, either: an iPod full of his own speeches."


"The Chicago Tribune reported this little-noticed nugget about a fake autobiographical detail in Obama’s Dreams from My Father: 'Then, there’s the copy of Life magazine that Obama presents as his racial awakening at age 9. In it, he wrote, was an article and two accompanying photographs of an African-American man physically and mentally scarred by his efforts to lighten his skin. In fact, the Life article and the photographs don’t exist, say the magazine’s own historians.”


Minus the fibs, I couldn't care less if Barack steps on his Telepromptongue now and again. It's the whole inexperienced-total-failure-as-President part that bothers me.

PALIN/FIRE HYDRANT 2012

>> ^blankfist:

Let me stop you right there. I knew if I said something about individuals owning property and a political body owning a property, you'd miss the obvious point and think groups of individuals (or cooperative) means the exact same thing as a political body. It does not, and you know this.

I haven't the faintest clue what point you're trying to make here.

My point is that whatever kind of entity the government is, be it a single person, a group of people operating within a framework laid down by a constitution, a giant brain-shaped computer, a collective of sentient insects, or a box of Christmas ornaments, the government holds the ultimate property rights to the land within its territory.

If you want to contest that, contest that.

You seem to think that if you invent a whole different nomenclature for government asserting its property rights, it somehow excuses you from having to take on my basic argument, which is really pretty simple: government owns the land, and property owners get to exercise the kinds of powers government exercises.

In case you're curious, this is part of the reason why I don't believe that property rights should command that kind of power.

Your video, Wil Wheaton Discovers Best Christmas Tree Ornament EVER, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

This achievement has earned you your "Pop Star" Level 4 Badge!

>> ^deathcow:

Spock has never gone into heat again on any episodes or movies, what gives?


Perhaps Spock finally read his contract: "Vacation? What is this strange huma-- holy shit!"

>> ^deathcow:

Spock has never gone into heat again on any episodes or movies, what gives?

Because it takes 7 years to go into heat again and they were only on a 5 year mission.
</nerdmode>

>> ^residue:
I once bit the tip off of an ornamental pepper and my tongue and mouth instantly blistered from the heat. Not advised.


I did this exact same thing when I was a kid! The plant was at a freinds house and his parents told us they were poisonous so we wouldn't try to eat them. Well we were smarter than that so we tried just the tip of a pepper...

I was literally in tears for half an hour and nothing to this day has even come close to the hotness of one of those little mystery bastard peppers.

I once bit the tip off of an ornamental pepper and my tongue and mouth instantly blistered from the heat. Not advised.

I can't agree more with your sentiment.

Every year we decorate our Xmas tree with a different "crafty thing" to avoid the urge to spend money on useless (and meaningless) glass baubles.

Last year we made ornaments out of Lego's (that I'd collected through my child-hood and passed onto my son.) It was an awesome tree, mainly because the family made all the ornaments together.
In reply to this comment by peggedbea:
i'm so dead incredibly outrageously fucking broke this year that we're skipping the christmas present part of christmas. i've informed my family that their rich asses can suck it, i'm checking out of going broke buying trinkets for rich people and their children this year so that i can keep my heat on instead.

and i'm thoroughly enjoying the season so far. it's only about baking and making christmas crafts and listening to ella fitzgerald over and over and over with my kids. it's beautiful.

you should all just tell the present part of xmas to suck a dick and make paper snowflakes for 4 weeks instead.

I couldn't figure out what all the garbage was he kept messing with. I guess it was all those ornaments and smoke machines? I don't know a lot about skydiving

>> ^Payback:

Oddly enough, that's not a "mod". It's standard equipment on Rolls and optional on Bentley.


Indeed you are right!

http://videosift.com/video/Rolls-Royce-retractable-hood-ornament

>> ^ponceleon:

Last night on No Reservations, they showed a Rolls Royce with a retractile hood ornament so people wouldn't try to steal it...


Oddly enough, that's not a "mod". It's standard equipment on Rolls and optional on Bentley.