Random Thoughts

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Originally Posted by Scar

The girls are prettier and the vodka is better.

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Originally Posted by Ezee E

But Lasse wants to know... are they easier?

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That all depends how much of the latter you put in the former I believe.

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Originally Posted by Ezee E

And that answer, with his accent, is absolutely.

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You are correct, sir.

"It's such a huge venue, your nerves take a hold of you," said Fergie. "I completely understand. She's one of the best singers of our time. Nobody can take that away from you. ... But you get nervous at these things. We're human."

I can't even comprehend that this is a controversy at all.

Also, I've never really liked "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem. We've got better patriotic songs.

The kind of tribalism that heightened patriotism and heavy nationalist sentiment breed is worrisome to me. But I'm not opposed to flags, since nations do exist, and it makes sense to represent that fact symbolically. In fact, patriotism--a word that's become somewhat dirty--in the sense of dedication to oneself and one's state can be a powerful and good thing, especially in some nations in the process of modernization. I think one with a sense of patriotism that compels one to serve one's fellow citizens, as opposed to staining $4 American flag tees with mustard while trying to convert the national government to a Christian theocracy based on the distortion of the lives and opinions of the Constitution's authors and historical setting (that's a highly American example--your own country's obnoxious nationalists probably have something similar).

I do take issue with the idea of the pledge. Making schoolchildren swear loyalty to something daily with words they don't know is weird to me, and feels creepy.

America's got a lot of problems. Deeply shameful problems, sometimes, old and new. But I think it's pretty great, when you get right down to it. But then, I'd say that of a lot of nations.

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Originally Posted by Sycophant

That's it. You're going on ignore.

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:lol:

Didn't even know we had that feature on this site.....hmm.

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Originally Posted by Sycophant

Also, I've never really liked "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem. We've got better patriotic songs.

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I like "America the Beautiful."

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Originally Posted by Mara

Spinal, at my university (a large private religious school) it was traditional that the national anthem was played over the outdoor P.A. system at some point every morning. I can't remember the time, but I was always running late for class at that exact moment.

Anyway, there wasn't a rule or anything, but it was customary for students to stop and stand at attention during the anthem, which made me just crazy, because I was always bolting to class. So I walked during the anthem every day and got sometimes got very dirty looks and (rarely) comments.

But, come on. I consider myself a patriot within reason. I wasn't hurting anyone-- I was just GOING TO CLASS.

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For my job I work for a document shredding company and twice a month I have to pick up paper from a high school where I have to be escorted around the campus by security to the various places where the paper is at. I'm usually there first thing and they play the pledge over the PA. The first time it happened the security guard stopped what he was doing put his hand on his heart and took his hat off. I kept on doing the work I was doing and he says "don't you hear the pledge?" I responded "yes I can hear it just fine, I'm here to do a job not to stand at attention" He hasn't said anything to me since.

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Originally Posted by Mara

Don't want a ring if I get married. By the way. Don't like rings.

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I'm coming up on my 5th wedding anniversary and I never wear my wedding ring. My wife does but I don't. I'm just not a fan of rings. It doesn't bother her in the slightest.

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Originally Posted by EyesWideOpen

I'm coming up on my 5th wedding anniversary and I never wear my wedding ring. My wife does but I don't. I'm just not a fan of rings. It doesn't bother her in the slightest.

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My mother wears her ring rarely, when she's dressing up for something. I've never seen my step-dad wear his, although I've been assured he has one. That's probably why I don't really see the point of rings.

I'm sort of disgusted by the economic waste of marriage-- the rings, the dress, the flowers, the wedding, etc. I wish we'd move away from it as a culture, so that it's not so expected.

So many of the couples I know could have paid off student loans, or put a down payment on a house, with the money they spent on elaborate weddings.

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Originally Posted by Mara

So many of the couples I know could have paid off student loans, or put a down payment on a house, with the money they spent on elaborate weddings.

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BO-RING.

:)

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Originally Posted by Sycophant

I do take issue with the idea of the pledge. Making schoolchildren swear loyalty to something daily with words they don't know is weird to me, and feels creepy.

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The pledge of allegiance is absolutely horrible in every way.

http://cellar.org/2010/bellamysalute1.jpg

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Originally Posted by Mara

So many of the couples I know could have paid off student loans, or put a down payment on a house, with the money they spent on elaborate weddings.

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Yeah our wedding was pretty small and inexpensive. We also don't spend a lot on anniversaries or valentine's day. Just a small gift and spending time together.

I missed a debate on Patriotism before football. :|

Oh, well, US government sucks, yada yada yada....

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You are of course entitled to disagree with our decision. But from what I saw on Saturday night, “Spider-Man” is so grievously broken in every respect that it is beyond repair.

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Yikes.

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Originally Posted by Mara

I'm sort of disgusted by the economic waste of marriage-- the rings, the dress, the flowers, the wedding, etc. I wish we'd move away from it as a culture, so that it's not so expected.

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So true. So very true.

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Originally Posted by Mara

My mother wears her ring rarely, when she's dressing up for something. I've never seen my step-dad wear his, although I've been assured he has one. That's probably why I don't really see the point of rings.

I'm sort of disgusted by the economic waste of marriage-- the rings, the dress, the flowers, the wedding, etc. I wish we'd move away from it as a culture, so that it's not so expected.

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So much rep for you. I do not want a girl who expects me to spend, spend, spend for a silly ritual. Its ridiculous how expensive weddings are.

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Originally Posted by Watashi

So much rep for you. I do not want a girl who expects me to spend, spend, spend for a silly ritual. Its ridiculous how expensive weddings are.

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It's all about a fun reception to me.

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Originally Posted by Watashi

So much rep for you. I do not want a girl who expects me to spend, spend, spend for a silly ritual. Its ridiculous how expensive weddings are.

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The chick pays for the wedding.

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Originally Posted by D_Davis

The chick pays for the wedding.

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That too.

My rep matches the current year.

/is better than all of you

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Originally Posted by Watashi

My rep matches the current year.

/is better than all of you

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I almost repped you, but then I realized your ruse.

I was pleasantly surprised that Underworld's "Shudder/King of Snake" was used in Biutiful.

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Originally Posted by Spinal

I almost repped you, but then I realized your ruse.

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It's obvious that Watashi is wanting to keep his rep at 2011 all year.