Thomas Dolby also believes the earth is flat. Yes, the guy who sang "She Blinded Me With SCIENCE" thinks the earth is a flat--and infinite-- land mass, and the earth and moon are materials for our illumination. Okay for starters the sun isn't a magical light that gives us the day, it's STILL THERE after it goes dark you moron. Note you can also still see the moon in the day too. The bible doesn't know shit. It can't explain what a germ or an atom is, or wherever sun goes at night. It was written when people thought constellations were living sentient beings and spitting on a wound cured it. To take any of it literally, to focus your entire belief system around it instead of research, evidence and your own fucking eyes makes you an idiot.
Religion is philosophy wrapped in a narrative to make it more accessible to the very stupid. Religion vs. Science is a debate that makes no sense because they aren't really in competition unless you have a pretty poor understanding of both. It doesn't help that pretty much all of the early scientists were also clergy or philosophers.
So, smart religious people wrap their philosophy in a narrative for the stupid ones? Or, all religious people are stupid?
Smart religious people understand the concepts behind the stories. Jesus used parables to explain ideas to people without the critical thinking skill needed to understand them otherwise. It is entirely possible that Plato invented a fictional Socrates and was trying to do the same sort of thing.
http://googlefiberblog.blogspot.ca/2015/12/exploring-fiber.html Exploring Fiber for Chicago and Los Angeles
You know what the coolest kind of stories are? The kind that never fucking occurred. Fucking GOLD. I love how these fake encounters always end the way a John Hughes movie does. ZOMG saw this huge guy calling these two QT3.14's "broads" so I totally walk up an go all like "Perhaps your patriarchal approach isn't wanted here" and then took off my shirt by flexing he ran like a scared bitch after that I may as well just put on a condom right then and there to save time. A huge crowd of people applauded me as the chorus for "Alive and Kicking" played out of nowhere. Totally just happened now.
"I'm going to cook Christmas dinner Saturday evening if you all can make it. Since you won't be here for actual Christmas." The aforementioned "long time" started yesterday. Christmas should be the holiday with the cross.
If my mom asks for "gift ideas" and I say, "Oh, how about the new Rush concert DVD?" Then, part of her "gift" to me is explaining all the effort she went to in locating it (I called Walmart AND Target, and it wasn't in stock!) as I open it. Also, innumerable times, as the recipient (mostly me or my sisters, but it's extending to her grandchildren) opens their gift, this phrase is uttered, "I hope you like (or, I hope it's the right one, etc), because it was pretty expensive."
My company just laid off 40 people yesterday. Out of a total staff of about 300. Any of you experienced idiots had this happen before? I thought between thanksgiving and New Years was the "no break up/no lay off" zone. Shitty company or ugly part of business?
Mine waited until mid-January to do the actual layoffs, but they were pretty much folding as well. I guess they could be trying to get it wrapped up for taxes this year. They could also be in worse shape than they're letting on and couldn't wait. I would certainly say that layoffs right before Christmas are a very bad sign.
I worked for a company that laid off about 100 a week before Christmas and told us the rest of our jobs were safe. The next day they laid off the other 100 or so of us in the department. This was a Fortune 500. Was. They're bankrupt and liquidated now.
Christian scholars and historians have long since established that Jesus, if he existed, was almost certainly not born on December 25 (the appearance of certain stars and constellations in the sky, the time of year when the census would occur, the time of years when shepherds tended their flock, the descriptions of historical events related to political leaders, etc.). He was likely born in the Spring or the fall. With about 15 minutes of research you can pick a much more valid date for "Actual Christmas" then December 25, and suggest that to dear old mom.
Thats the end of the FY for most companies, its probably the least safe period of the year. They will likely be issuing a 10-K or equivalent financial statement in Q1, it might be hedging a negative report by laying off people before the report issues so they can get ahead of it if there is analyst fallout.
The former owners of my business unit laid off people just after Thanksgiving every year for about 8 years. We just expected it.
My Mother-in-Law is not the picture of mental health. She's a smart sane lady for the most part, except when it comes to either travel or her routine. She can't stand to be on the freeway, so her boyfriend has to drive them on the back roads everywhere. She also refuses to deviate from her comfort zone with planning anything ever. So, my wife and I were planning on going to Minnesota in January to see family and friends for a week or so, but her mom has time off for the actual holidays, so we moved it to December. In fact, we're flying on Christmas day. That shouldn't be a nightmare at all, right? Plus, it cost a couple extra hundred dollars. We get in around 5 o'clock MN time, and then have to go all the way up to sheczorro's sister's house in Monticello, which is probably an hour and a half drive. Her Mom can't be bothered to stay there past the time she's normally stayed in the past, around 4 PM. And for some reason, we can't just do Christmas on the 26th, cause that's not really Christmas. Her reasoning is "Well, they decided to move to California, so why should we alter our plans for them?" Should be a fun visit.
My brother's new in-laws are going to his house and spending the night so they can be there when his 16-month-old stepdaughter opens her presents on Christmas morning. His in-laws live 15 minutes away.
That is funny. My daughter last year was around 19 months around Christmas, and she really didn't get it. First present she open she was like ooooo, lets play with that toy. And didn't care about the rest.
So last night Microsoft sent out a critical update which fucks up Outlook. This morning I opened Outlook and it was all fucked up, of course. Then I read an e-mail from IT instructing us not to open Outlook. An e-mail. Don't open Outlook. Uh, thanks y'all.
This is horrifying... Teen killed after falling into wood chipper his first day of the job. I had to chip brush for hours every single day during a summer job and it was awful work. So, so glad I don't have to do that anymore. In better news, the Sam Adams winter sampler packs are out and HALLELUJAH my beloved Chocolate Bock is back and that godawful Cherry Chocolate Bock is long gone. In addition there's the Old Fezzewig Ale, Holiday Porter, and Winter Lager (all delicious), Boston Lager (classic), and this new champagne-y Sparkling Ale that my girlfriend loves. 'Tis the season!
My mom has the same phrase as everyone's opening a present, "If you don't like it, let me know. I have gift receipts. I kind of went wild and crazy and got something a little random. You won't hurt my feelings. Etc, etc, etc." The next 5 minutes (that day and for the next 3 interactions) is spent repeatedly telling her that YES, MOM I LOVE IT CALM DOWN!!!!! Good God. Falling into a wood chipper? What a shitty way to go. That's like human mist, right?