Once the slow motion starts I think the music should switch to Chariots of Fire for some reason.

I'll give it a try when it is released, but if my mechanized infantry can be wiped out by an enemy charioteer I swear I'll never play a Sid Meier game ever again.

>> ^joe2:
from the "God help Palestine." comment i expected this to be a political film about israel


It was, considering the time frame in which it was posted.

I don't normally profile reply folks (because I generally don't like it) so forgive me this intrusion.

I posted this last December/January when the IDF was bombing the hell out of Gaza, dropping as much tonnage as they could before Obama took office.

I'm not anti-Israel, but I do take issue with its government's policies regarding the Palestinians.

Adios. (hope you liked the song)

In reply to this comment by joe2:
from the "God help Palestine." comment i expected this to be a political film about israel

1) Here's one of the big distinctions between science and religion. The start of the big bang is still a big question mark. Physics as we understand it breaks down the closer we get to defining the first microseconds of the universe. We just don't know how it worked. Yet. And that's ok! There are people working their asses off trying to define how the big bang happened, and people on your side of the argument seem to want them to drop their pencils and give up! Just because we don't have it figured out yet doesn't mean it's supernatural! It used to be common knowledge that the movements of the sun, moon, and stars were all caused by gods as they went about their daily business, but we know better now. We've figured out why all that stuff happens. It didn't need gods with golden sky chariots, it needed Newton's discoveries so that we could understand. The same thing applies to the beginning of our universe. You keep insisting that since we can't define how the big bang happened that it must be supernatural, and your brand of supernatural as well. Your belief that your god fills the blank is completely unjustified. Why is it so hard for you to just accept that it is currently unknown?

2) It is patently absurd to suspect a conspiracy to wipe out all information about Jesus to be suppressed during his lifetime. Anyone who believed he was the fulfillment of Jewish prophecies would have become a follower, and anyone who didn't believe would have noticed him as an effective rabble-rouser. Jesus supposedly had thousands of people going to listen to him when he spoke, and greeted him at the gates of the city with palm fronds. He was a superstar of his time! And you have no problem thinking contemporary historians just overlooked him? Or worse, recognized him as the Christ, the son of the one true God, and instead of following him treated him like a threat to what they now know is their own false religion?

3) That was simply one glaring example of how translations differ and the effect that can have on interpretation.

4) I can't refute a nonsensical argument. Just because 12 people were stupid enough (supposedly, since we only have the bible as evidence) to believe strongly enough to die for something, doesn't make it true. Just look at the Heaven's Gate cult. 39 people dead for their crazy beliefs, that doesn't make it true.

5) It's very simple why people like me keep pushing our arguments. Theists keep trying to push theirs on us. The big one is Creationism in public schools. Others, like the anti-abortionists, contribute to the poisoning and dumbing-down of what was once a fairly honorable political party. But the worst part is the precedent that religion sets. It provides a warm blanket of lies, where all you have to do is believe what you are told, and you don't have to do any thinking for yourself. After all, there's not much difference between believing what your preacher tells you about the afterlife and what he tells you to believe about politics. Or about history. Or about foreigners. Their ignorance has an impact on my life, and it sickens me. Yes, I'm intolerant. Of ignorance. Specifically stubborn ignorance, like the kind that says it's ok to accept something without evidence as true, and to base your life on it. The kind that says it's ok to turn away from facts that disagree with what you already believe. The kind that says it's ok to waste this life in service to a lie, because the next life will be your reward. That shit is not ok, and I don't want to live in a world where people think it is. That's why I keep speaking up.

I wonder which ride that is. Kind of looks like Apolo's Chariot.

Orwell's vision is coming true. How else can you explain why stating the completely obvious is considered "controversial"? Next on Fox News: "the Sun: the liberal media says it is a burning ball of hydrogen and helium. What do they have against gods who ride across the sky in glowing chariots?"

Ah roomie zoom zim, I'm all to be wet
To rhymealinda I remember umm, when we first met
In eighty-two back in school used to play up all the fools
Sometimes you'd be my number fives sometimes you'd be my twenty-two
But umm, screw the dumbshit, cause little rhymea's true
I can't wait to say I do and oh yeah honey there's no due
I got my chariot, rollin, now I'm mic controllin
Got some spunk in my funk, I can't wait to put some soul in
We're rollin all strikes, we're havin little tykes
One is little mike the other's ike I'm sure that you would like
To hold em, or maybe stroll em on their little bikes
When they're born, I've sworn, to bring em up right
You know, dope is how I breed em, beats is what I'll feed em
They'll be healthy like a health nut I'm sure you shake your butt
(kick the verse preacher) and I won't disperse
Here's my life rhymealinda for better or for worse

Well it's done she tagged me, duck duck goose
I'm batter up I can't sleep the fly brotha must produce
The power pack and I'm stacked like a forty-five mag
Straight up tennis shoes in my pants there's a sag
Droppin so much grammar gotta slam it down my mouth
Shup? I met a slut she, put me in the rut g
With the dip that was down with me from the whole front
Now front me never too cool how-ever
I gotta get the bread, gotta get the butter
Fix it up eat down throw it in the gutter
(gutter dreamed it) sour, (creamed it) gotta
Skinny-dipped into her ass as if it was a pool of water
Now the water's gettin hotter so I bought her a new ring
Maybe a love ballad is the song I sing
I gotta kiss her ass my tongue I hold before I curse
If you really want me bitch, take me for better or for worse

Well this is the final chapter hello?
Of me, we're going to rack up who is this?
In tune, in tune, in tune, a button why are you calling my house?
A button, a button! oh c'mon, honey who is this? what?
Would you come along with me down mike is that you?
The lane and I will pick your brain oh my god. who is this?
I won't be good like you think I will I'll fucking call the cops
I'll take a hammer and start to drill don't call my house
Your skull, and then I'll really start oh my god, what is this
Picking, your brains cells, I will be what? I'm gonna call the cops
Licking, mmm mmm mmm mmmm! *slurp* okay? quit fucking around
You taste so intelligent, ahhhhhh hello, who is this?
Yes yes yes, you trusted me, now help, who is this? what
I busted thee, top of your skull are you doing? why are you
You thought the day was going to be calling me?
Dull? ? I'll make it very exciting
I took your fingers then I started who are you? why are you
Biting, and then I scraped the meat calling my house?
Off, the bone, of your leg stop calling here!
Ahhahhh, you tried to make me beg don't call here anymore
But I had to insist, I had to insist
Iayaay, run up your pussy with my fist aieeeeeeeeeeeee!
Okay, I think we've gone a little bit I'm gonna call the cops!
Overboard, don't stop it yet fuck you don't call my house!!

Yo, I'm audi geee
No doubts manufactured
No ahh copies, we can't ahh, do copies
No copies, okay
Oh, so you expect me to do some type of freak show?
That's what it really is huh?
Is that what you want? what you talkin about?
What you talkin bout nigga?
Whatchu know bout the problems of l.a.?
I'ma tell you what's wrong with the problems
Of the people in the l.a.
See the brothers needs some type of education
And you know, some type of foundation, in the, uhh
Community, cause the mute-co, duhh, the community
Grows like seeds, and the seeds will not fall from
The tree if you don't water the grass
So nigga get off your rusty black asssahhhh
Like this... nanananananana, like this
You can get with this, or you can get with that
I think you get with this because fat lip's fat
Fat fat fat fat fat fat fat *echoes* *laughter*
Uhhh, okay ummm, okay uhh, keep going keep going keep going
Keep going, ay romye romye, come here come here c'mere c'mere c'mere
C'mere c'mere (ok ok aiyyo yo yo yo) c'mere for a second
Aiy rhasaan, rhasaan, imani, imani I think you should
*music stops* oh, duhh!

You've reached the second to the last milestone that means anything. The rest is empty status. Enjoy your new powers and may Jesus ride in on his white stallion-led chariot and gift you eternal life in his kingdom of country music, mullets and perms.

this thing reminds me of
http://users.qld.chariot.net.au/~sanjo/tn_bird_dog.jpg
and
http://users.qld.chariot.net.au/~sanjo/tn_canary_cat.jpg

SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
My Last Breath

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Dehumanization

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Lean Back

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Rythm of the Rain

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
100% Pure Love

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Capitalism Stole My Virginity

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Spin Out

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Lost In A Contraption

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Steelbath Suicide

WHAT IS 2+2?
Black Sunshine

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Adrenaline Rush

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Blind Eye Halo

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Mulambo

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Fire and Water

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Dead Alone

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
I Am Legend / Out For Blood

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Damage Case

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Lyla

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Express Yourself

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Never Enough

WHATS THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Shoulda Known Better

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Halcyon

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Superhero of the Computer Rage

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
I Put a Spell on You

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Jam

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Chariots of Fire

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Organ Grinder

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Andromeda

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Everything is an End

Goodbye.

Poor man's chariot!

>> ^shuac:
I wonder if, during the death throes of the Greek gods (Zeus, Apollo, Athena, etc), there were apologists like this guy, trying to convince people that Zeus really was the king of the gods and that Apollo really did pull the sun across the sky riding in a chariot? I do wonder.

A lot of people have the misconception that all the Greeks thought that the myths are literally true. While that was a common opinion among the masses, the educated elite were generally aware that the myths were instructive stories--tales we could learn from, but not necessarily literal accounts of actual events. Anyone with even a wee smattering of astronomical knowledge was aware that the sun wasn't actually pulled by a chariot.

The idea that myths have to be literally true gained ascendancy with Christianity. In fact, assertions to that effect by Christians were the cause of much derision of Christians by intellectual pagans, as Saint Augustine pointed out in his work, "On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis." (He was, by the way, opposed to a literal interpretation of Genesis.)

But yes, there were people who attempted intellectual defenses of paganism in the face of the rise of Christianity, such as Julian the Apostate, the last pagan Emperor. Had he not died so early in his reign, Greek and Roman religion would probably still be around today. The intellectual defenses brought by men like Julian were usually grounded in Neoplatonic philosophy.

A few years ago I saw a fascinating documentary about the actual origin of the olympics as we know it (not the original re-makes featured in the movie Chariots of Fire). Basically, it was the Nazis that brought the olympics back from obscurity and into a giant marketting campaign for their own superiority at the 1936 Berlin olympics. It was the Nazis that added all the ceremony and even the olympic symbol if I remember correctly.

Of course, their plan to use it as a showcase of the superiority of the master race kind of backfired when Jesse Owens (an african american) trounced them winning four gold medals... (edit: whoops, I checked wikipedia and while it is true that Jesse Owens "owned" at the olympics that year, the Germans did in fact get the most gold medals overall... sorry, guess they were the master race )

Going back to China... really, in this day and age, I find it kind of disengenous. I know that the Olympics are supposed to be about bringing the world together, but it seems more like that we all just get together and "look the other way" in regards to the major problems. It is highly corporate, political, and ultimately doesn't seem to address anything important. Some people get together and play some games. Meanwhile all the millions (if not billions) of dollars that are poured into this event don't quite serve to make anyone's life that much better.

The fact that we have to drug test everyone is yet another sign of the fake-happy-face nature of the event.

yeah, can you tell I'm not a sports fan in general