Verisoph

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Posts posted by Verisoph

  1. This runs from dawn till dusk (Fajr to Maghrib) , so if you're a Muslim in Alaska or in Lappland right now, it's a long haul.

    That's funny, I was thinking the exact same thing. I'll bet there's not very many Islamic Eskimos for that reason alone.

    I suspect that a travel angency might make a fortune selling Antarctic vacation packages during the month of Ramadan to Muslims all over the world.

  2. Quite a few people suffer during the fasting (especially in the first week) because they can't drink or smoke either (fasting means no intake of anything, not just food). Just before twilight the roads are full of caffeine- and nicotine-deprived drivers speeding to their Iftar destinations: it's more dangerous even than usual.

    No coffee? NO SMOKING? EEK! Being pious can be tougher than a fifty cent steak.

    Here and now, it's very much like Christmas is with us - a huge marketing opportunity and a jolly family festival, interspersed with plaintive voices asking whether we have forgotten the real meaning of [insert festival here].

    I've noticed a huge over commercialization of messages complaining about the over commercialization of Christmas. I guess folks are just folks wherever you go.

  3. Ramadan Kareem to all my Muslim friends.

    It started on Friday night with the sighting of the new moon here in the UAE, though it may have started a day earlier/later elsewhere.

    Back at work on a reduced timetable :)

    I've always wondered, does the fasting make people grouchy? I know Muslims are supposed to be especially nice during that time, but does it really work out that way?

  4. Eh. I have access to a lot of sensitive info. They are just making sure I can't print/save or share it in any way.

    Oooo really? Sensitive info?

    You can't just give us a buildup like that and then not tell us some of it.

    Pretty please?

  5. I'm using Opera 9.64 and everything seems copacetic.

    Well, except it's telling me that SalemWitchChild is a man.

    Ok I'm at work right now and tongue.gif its working. I'm not certain what version of IE this is. But at home I'm almost positive I'm running IE7.

    If you click the place that says "Help" on the IE window, then select "About Internet Explorer" from the drop down menu, you'll find out what version you're running.

    • Like 1
  6. I was told that even though it isn't a requirement it was best to register. So of course I tried to register with my City Hall here in Gilbert and no one knows where or how I should register. If there is an answer as to how and where Please some one send me the info. Thank you Eiledon.

    My guess is that if no one knows how or where, it's probably because there's no such thing as registering. Of course, I could very easily be wrong about that.

    Look in the phone book for your county Clerk of Court Office. They should be able to supply info for you.

  7. there was an advertisement embedded in the video, when you first posted the song "Capricho Arabe", that claimed to teach me to "rule the neck" instantly, with three simple secrets.

    Yes, I knew what you were refering to, my response was a joke about it.

    Obviously this is not your site - http://www.guitarcontrol.com/.

    Nope, I'm happy to say that I'm not connected to that site in any way. I'm a firm believer in truth in advertising - something that site seems to be lacking.

    three simple things I have learned...hmm...one would be arpeggios, also drop tuning, and big speakers..also callouses, you'll need those..

    I used to teach guitar, and what I found is that different things work for different people. There's only one thing that always works for everyone, and in fact, is necessary for everyone: practice.

    Here's a guy who's had a bit of that -

  8. Arpeggios?

    I was thinking more along the lines of ruling the way a king rules, that is, commanding something to perform to the limits of it's ability. You could place a guitar on a stand and command it to be still, and in essence, you've ruled it.

    Some might interpret "ruling an instrument" as mastering the ability to play it. Unfortunately, it takes a bit more than three simple lessons to rule an instrument in that manner.

    Or in this manner (which is that manner): Django Reinhardt NYC Festival 2004 - Sweet Georgia Brown

  9. can I really rule the neck with just three silmple secrets?

    I guess that depends on what it means to "rule the neck"

    With a liberal enough interpretation, I suppose it could be done with one simple technique that wouldn't necessarily have to be a secret.

  10. Ok I went and watched the video and must admit I was pretty clueless, I've never had a biology class and am surpirsed I figured out about the birds and the bees on my own :)

    Don't feel too bad about it, apparently the ID supporters don't understand it either... or they're deliberately lying.

    Dr. Matzke published his explanation in 2003. In 2005, there were people testifying under oath that evolution can't explain how the flagellum came into being. It's a claim that they're still making to this day.

  11. Thanks for the link but I have no problem with such things as flagellums and eyes developing though evolution. The process is quite miraculous.

    I realize that you aren't trying to dispute evolution, I just thought you might like to see a more detailed explanation of the development of the bacterial flagellum than what was offered in the Nova presentation.

    Of course, it's only a guess that it actually happened this way (although since the theory was first presented, a good bit of supporting evidence has been found), but it does kill the ID claim that it couldn't possibly have happened through evolution.

  12. Uh .... so what?

    So what? I don't know, you tell me so what.

    Greedy Monk and I were discussing the way the story changed about the origin of Spider-Man's powers. This is called retconning. I called retconning junk science, whereupon you got upset about that and launched into a couple of lengthy rants.

    And now you're asking me "so what"? Are you having a hard time keeping up with the conversation?

  13. In retrospect, I see that ALL THINGS have a continuity -- although not always obvious at first blush.

    You can argue that retconning is real science until you're blue in the face, I still don't buy it.

    Peter Parker was bitten by a spider that was accidentally exposed to radiation, not a spider that was subjected to deliberate genetic modification. You can't change this fact, not even with a short story's worth of randomly boldfaced words of dissent.

    Sorry, but there are copies of the original comic still in existence today.

  14. I always thought ID accepted evolution as the vehicle for variety of life on our planet, but that it was initiated by the Big Kahuna. I never realized it was just a creation myth makeover.

    ID is creationism - pure, plain, and simple.

    You might find this interesting:

  15. Retconning is junk science, too. It's completely contrary to known laws of space, time, and consumer confidence.

    Since you are completely familiar with the known laws of space, time and consumer confidence, you should be ripe to become a corporate executive and get bonuses. :thumbu:

    Of course you did say "known." But I would ask, "known" by whom?

    :lol: That's too funny!!!!!!!! Really...that's the best laugh I've had in weeks!

    You're ready to jump to the defense of anything that someone calls junk science!

    We were talking about cartoons and comics, my friend.

    Here, this should clear up what is meant by retconning, which I called junk science, and which you took exception to: Retroactive Continuity