Don’t mess with Santa.
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The scientific reasons why every other checkout line is moving faster than yours. Also, why it has everything to do with ancient Danish telephones systems and a guy named Erlang.
VIDEO here.
Firstest!!!!!!!!
G’Morning all
Bet that guy don’t get no presents…………….
Aw man, OTL never gets the prize.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/22/intelligence-director-clapper-stumped-mention-london-terror-plot/?test=latestnews
But-but don’t all these politicians read 15 newspapers with their morning coffee to see what happened overnight? Sounds more like “I’m the boss and I don’t have to do anything but direct others.”
The “ambiguous question” spin didn’t fly, so now they’ll try the “too busy” version.
Didn’t want to spend more time with family on day one, let’s see what happens on day 2. (P.S. Mr. Clapper, don’t stand too close to the bus stop, you may accidentally slip and fall under it.)
You think you have computer problems ? You haven’t seen anything yet.
Video here.
#3 GJT
I normally start lurking when I get up @4AM but then I doze off and don’t wake up “til the drool covers my chest and gets cold. You’re just lucky I can’t stay awake.
Hey Texpat, I was first and GJT was second, Then I refreshed and I was second. How’d you do that?
#7
Either your apple’s crashed or it’s a bit smawl.
#8
I figured my doongle wouldn’t fit
He has a “Time Machine” that he bought from Dick Cheney.
#7 OletimerLin
I haven’t the slightest idea how that happened. When I opened the page and started typing there were no comments posted.
I just opened my own clinic in Newport Beach for dudes. Basically, we’re going to charge $70 for treating dudes’ junk with eucalyptus leaves and Binaca.
Funny stuff! I really like British TV comedy. They can manage to be edgy without being outright vulgar as most American TV sitcoms seem to be.
#1
The single-line feed to multiple counters is used at my bank and at the post office.. But it would be unwieldy at stores where people are pushing loaded shopping carts.
#14
I was thinking about the queue method, Frys and Best Buy use them and Office Depot, wonder what the thinking is on why they do or don’t use them? I’m not sure I buy the theory customers want control, otherwise the self checkouts would be used more. Also I’ve noted in convienance stores when there are a lot of people but only room for one line, people will just adopt the queue method on their own.
Just dropped daughter off at dentist and went across the street to the Jewish Deli that’s been owned by the same family for 35 years. There’s a Minorah in the window, Merry Christmas banner inside and the bossman is wearing a red and white stocking cap. Tell me he doesn’t know how to run a business.
AHA ! Eureka moment. What time zone is Texpat in?
When I read this report this morning…
…I could not resist thinking about this:
#17 OTL
Let’s just say I live about 10 or 15 minutes from your daughter.
They have Jewish delis in East Texas now ?
Texpat
I’m in Meyerland at the corner of Hillcroft & Braeswood. New York Deli is across from dentist.
I am now convinced that Hollywood stars are without a doubt the stupidest people on the face of the earth:
Says the man whose salary is $37,000,000/year.
#20 OTL
Oh.
I’d forgotten about the New York Bagel Co. They’re very good.
Interestingly, while I have found the best bagels in the world here and some fantastic falafel, I have yet to find a shwarma wrap sandwich that begins to compare to Abdullah’s at Hillcroft and Westpark. I used to have a warehouse near there and I lived on Abdullah’s shwarma and falafel. Their falafel was by far the best I ever had in Texas.
Hammy – the comments are so much better than the article.
I especially loved the question “Which came first, the liberal or the stupidity?”
There is no law, nor even social taboo, that prevents these airheads from paying extra taxes or refusing “excessive” salaries. Yet they don’t do it. Yet they insist that others do.
I don’t even think an Olympic gymnast could twist and turn like that.
#21 Hamous
Since the average worker on a film crew makes about $60,000 a year and that is if they find steady work, that means Bennie Boy would need to cut his income by 25 million dollars annually.
Film Production industry wage expenses overview here.
Do these people ever stop to consider how absurdly hypocritical they appear ?
I remember when my husband used to run and jump on the dang thing. And in public, too!
This is kinda neat, go to Google Maps and type in “3159 West 11th Street Cleveland, OH 44109” and drag the little man to the street and you can see Ralphie’s Dad’s “Leg Lamp” in the window of the house where “The Christmas Story” was filmed. They turned the house into a museum.
A woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.
As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, ‘You know what?
‘You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side.
When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side… You know what Martha?’
‘What dear?’ she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.
‘I’m beginning to think you’re bad luck’
Try Phoenicia on Westheimer near Kirkwood. They have an awesome grocery store full of lots of M.E. imported food and other stuff.
#23 Tedtam
The commenters at the original story at NPR are just as sarcastic and critical of Affleck as they are at NewsBusters. That’s encouraging.
#28 WB
I’ll check that place out next time I’m in town. Pretty impressive at 55,000 square feet. The owners appear to be an Armenian Roman Catholic family.
I see Obama got “lei’d” in Hawaii.
How appropriate, given how he’s screwed the rest of the country.
Nobody reads the comments on blogs and news stories anyway.
Commenters aren’t important.
#1 Texpat, thanks a lot (seriously.) I just spent an hour watching those science videos. Fascinating stuff.
All through college I assumed that the Selectric typewriter was electronic and used stepper motors to achieve its precise motion. Then I graduated and started a training course on their repair. My stomach hit the floor when I took the cover off and observed that there was a single AC motor, with dozens of shafts, clutches, pulleys, latches, levers, and springs.
My degree was in electronics.
USS Truman and her battle group recently returned to Norfolk from deployment. US Naval tradition dictates that the first to disembark from their ships are those men who had children were born during the cruise.
In this case, there were 119 men in that first group of sailors who met their new children for the first time.
I think I must have gotten a little dust in my eyes…
A nine year-old girl in Charlotte, NC raised $15,000 for Christmas gifts for hospitalized children. This is her fifth year; in her first year, she raised $160.
Man, there’s lots of dust in this room…
#31 TT
Yep, once again Drudge posts a pair of pix showing Putin doing something manly and Obama doing something girly.
I’m speechless.
#36 mharper42
/sarc off
I think it’s hard NOT to.
Bob, seen this Drudge post?
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_d6b1aaca-edfc-527f-ad11-f1691fdc6e3b.html
I saw your “I’m speechless” at #37 and thought that was probably going to be this same story, but it wasn’t.
Personal update:
A couple of weeks ago, I asked for your prayers regarding a job situation. Since then, things have worked themselves out such that I am now unemployed.
But only for a couple of days. I will be starting my (old) new job next week. We originally planned on Thursday, but I may start earlier.
Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts. They really helped.
Wow, it’s amazing how all our problems just disappear when a little of that mary wanna is introduced.
#40 Pyro — Congratulations, what a nice Christmas present.
Everyone be sure to read this unbelievable story from Drudge about a fathead judge:
http://www.8newsnow.com/story/13730465/i-team-jurors-in-murder-trial-held-for-hours-so-judge-can-vacation#
A pilot is being disciplined in CA for “disclosing sensitive security information” that anyone else who happened to be strolling through the airport could have seen, since it was in public areas. The sensitive information was recorded on his cell phone camera immediately outside the security checkpoint.
In his commentary to the videos, he also explained that while passengers are being irradiated and groped, ground crew members enter secure areas of the airport by simply swiping a card.
I, for one, certainly feel much safer.
#41 Santy Gordo
What are you referring to? The jury revolt story or what?
#37 Bob
Ok, I went back and viewed the kids’ video. Why exactly are you speechless?
I didn’t think they were especially talented, but a nice clean-cut group of kids at an obviously private religious school. You’d rather see kids wearing gangster fashions and vandalizing their public school?
One final good link from Drudge today:
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/weird/122310-Towne-East-Mall-Shoppers-Maced-at-Chaotic-Air-Jordan-Sneaker-Sale#
with a great comment:
Obey your parents? Respect your teachers? What seditious concepts! How can such evil be allowed to exist in the world?!?!?
#39 M42, I saw a similar article on the wisdom of those Montana citizens who dared to question authority. I decided not to comment about it here to spare y’all yet another drug war rant, and instead remarked on Pat Robertson’s remarkable revelation that our government’s war on a plant is expensive, harmful, and entirely counterproductive.
Google “jury nullification.” Its history is interesting.
Interesting.
I guess I found a new name for selected elected types: “Caganer“.
#46 Mharper42, this is both illogical and irrational.
Of course not. Your question is shallow minded in that assumes a completely binary “one or the other” philosophy. Giving you the benefit of the doubt for the moment, I’ll assume that it was an attempt at sarcasm.
Let me put it like this. Did the people who founded our exceptional nation blindly “obey” and “respect” the authority of the king (and head of the Church) of England?
Assuming she actually exists and created us, God gave us brains. We should teach kids how to use them, not to simply turn them off and not question “authority.”
Absurd! How dare anyone teach their children to respect anyone! They should all be taught to be tiny anarchists raging against the machine instead of polite little zombie tools of the Toopardydoowopoly!
But they must be required to respect deviants.
Hammie, there is a big difference between respect and blind obedience.
Question everything.
bobn4apples is a clever(but warped) guy, gets his gigs in where he can.
“Assuming she actually exists…”
correct that – “bobn42apples”
#54 It was clever the first 50 times he did it. Now it’s trite and a bit ironic. Feminizing a God he doesn’t believe exists unwittingly belittles women whom he purports to hold in high esteem. Obviously that is not his intent. His motive is to belittle the faithful by turning their God into a cartoonish drag queen, thinking that will rile them up.
A lesson here for the truly thoughtful among us.
Nahhhhh–
Just keep calling people names and assigning to them illicit motivations as authroitarians—thats what will work.
Never mind.
Wagonburning Type Dude,
Glad to hear your good news!
Hamous, you’re a constant and consistent source of entertainment.
You’re assumption, based on no evidence at all, that my use of a feminine pronoun referring to a hypothetical deity turns it into a “drag queen” presumes that it is actually a male.
Why is it that most of the contemporary monotheistic religions insist that God is male? Is the origin of that assumption more likely to be celestial or terrestrial?
Good afternoon all. Cool and overcast 59 this morning at 7 with occasional periods of sun thereafter. Still watering the lawn and flowers in case the forecast for rain tomorrow is overly optimistic. We are in the “Show Me” stage at this house.
Christmas preparations are at last finished; now the right hand and arm can rest a bit so the prescribed therapy routiine can resume as ordered. The one that got the most business thus far is “Use your hand as tolerated.” This one has been exceeded, ahem, as has the perception of what “tolerate” means. But it likely has accelerated what the soaking in warm water to increase finger flexibility and massaging the wrist with lotion to reduce swelling could have accomplished if strictly followed. Not enough time for that versus all the stuff left to do.
So, good folk, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the day and Season’s Greetings to those who do not.
Then bring on January and the great turnover in Congress. Umm, we will be watching, taking names, and sharpening pitchforks. Too bad we had no recourse against the departing lame ducks. But for those who weren’t lame and show up for the new Congress…..
#50 Bob42
Let me put it this way: Were our Founders school-age children who need instruction from their elders in how to be productive members of our socierty?
#48 B42
I didn’t comment myself on the Montana jury, but I approve of jury nullification. Although in this case there were legal issues other than the 1/16 oz of weed. And this strictly speaking wasn’t nullification since no jury was formed. The headline phrase “jury pool mutiny” is more accurate.
I thought I posted another link from Drudge today but don’t see it here now. This is the first time Hal ever got me…
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/weird/122310-Towne-East-Mall-Shoppers-Maced-at-Chaotic-Air-Jordan-Sneaker-Sale#
This story had a great comment:
Interesting… I have tried twice to post a link to Drudge’s story about a riot at a shoe store selling $175 Air Jordans.
Both times, when I hit Post Comment, the submission vanished in a puff of vapor. What up, Hal?
My only point was I got a kick out of the comment
Is the decency filter looking for food stamp references? If it doesn’t take this time, I’ll give up.
Mharper42, nope. Not at all.
The founders were largely products of the concepts of enlightenment that valued freedom over the top down authoritarian power structures that had ruled humankind for centuries, and in some places, to the misfortune of many, still do so.
Most certainly, kids need to be taught how to function in society. But they should not switch their brains off in the process with mindless obedience mantras.
Question everything.
Adee;
If you see any mushroom clouds or smoke over Pecan Lakes, its just me making New England Baked Beans
#60 Adee
Glad to hear you are doing well, enjoy your Christmas holiday!
#62 M42, I’m glad we can agree on that, and you are correct that the Montana case was not an example of nullification, as they were never given an opportunity to render a verdict. But there’s a relationship there all the same, and I think it’s a step in the positive direction for limited government and freedom.
I’ve been summoned for jury duty more than a few times, but never made it beyond the selection process (go figure.) If I ever am seated, I can guarantee that I will completely ignore the judge’s instructions and base my opinion on all of the facts, including the rightness of the law as well as its application to the case at hand.
Question everything.
bob #50;
You’re such a fool. you really think the kids singing about obeying your parents means anything near, “now, kids, stand still while I beat you until you bleed”. “Yes, father I will respect you and do as I’m told.”
What part of the song teaches “blind obedience”?
Do the Sex Pistols leave you “speechless”? Really, anything in their video’s content or song’s lyrics leave you “speachlees”? Between you and I, you’re the true handicapped person, primarily because it’s by your choice.
Why does bob disdain Christian principles?
Where did bob formulate his own sense of morality?
Is bob’s mother more rational now that she’s more conservative than when she was a more liberal wiccan?
If kids believed in questioning authority, even their parents, would society be better off?
What society today is better off by kids questioning their parent’s authority?
Would the world be better off without Jesus’ authority?
Am I doing good, bob?
Why can’t scientists invent a microwave that accepts metal?
What has a better sense of order, a pachyderm of elephants, or a group of bob42s?
Why is this my last question?
Hal seems to be acting a little scroogy today so if your comments don’t make it out immediately don’t take it personally.
mharper;
A better question is did the Founding Fathers show respect to their parents and religious principles?
Tis’ the season.
Ok, we’re going Christmas light looking. I’ll be sure to question the existence of every bulb we see.
#67 Darren42, I’m no fan of the sex pistols, and have little respect for them as musicians. But they’re adults, not 10 year olds.
Another post of mine that seems to be missing was a question to Darren about the kids that created the amazing forest Christmas carolling scene. I’d guess a 10-12 year old boy drew and colored the dragon, am I close? The turtles are soooo cute!
mharper – nothing in the can
To my knowledge, the only religions attributing sexual gender characteristics to deities were the polytheistic Pagans prior to the ascendancy of Judaism. They, like present day Wiccans, fantasized they could interact with powerful members of the Nether Worlds and curry favor for themselves. It was, and is, the result of naturally selfish and egocentric human imagination and vice.
Roman Catholic doctrine specifically states, in very clear language, G-d is neither female nor male.
Likewise, Judaism makes no claim He is, in fact, One who could be described in gender specific terms.
Use of the masculine (and royal) “He” and “His is merely a convenience of language rather than any theological designation for the gender of the Creator.
Trivial and trite contemporary usage of feminine nouns in describing G-d are just that, superficial and banal, not used by any serious person.
and believe a lie.
Bob I would love to take you for a little trip to places I have been. Meet people I have seen. Maybe you would see that there are none so foolish as those who in their heart says there is no God. But alas we all make choices that are later found unwise. Sadly many find out too late. I hope this is not case with you. But if it is to be….. well then so be it.
I do not get offended when you mock me for my faith, ya see my Master said you hated him first. I believe that. You ask us questions here in this forum that you already know the answers to. It is an age old ploy to fluster the believer, making them appear unChristian thereby affirming your belief. Adding more fuel for your mockery. So here I will have my say and be done with it.
During this Christmas season Bob, I pray for you that there will always be followers of Christ for you to mock. When there is not, it will be too late for you to change your mind and that makes me fear for you.
Merry Christmas
squawkbox
And that makes their message worse, no? Hacking up a goober to lunge on a camera, protesting with vioplence, dancing around in a button shirt and underwear, etc. This is nothing to become “speachless” over and yet the kid’s video of “respect authority” like Jesus and their parents renders you without a tonuge?
Well–
I cook two quarts of New England Style Baked Beans so that I can impress Significant Other’s Brother In Law (who does ALL the cooking at his house), and the gig gets cancelled due to a fambly emergency.
Anybody need any beans?
They only need to cook another two hours, then they’re done.
mharper #77;
The intent of this year’s card was to draw ourselves as an animal or creature we admire. Mrs. Darren is the artist/editor-in-chief for the family Christmas cards. Without her talents the cards would not be as nearly pretty as they turn out to be.
Mrs. Darren drew the dragon. She’s loved drawing dragons since her pre-teen years. Notice the dragon accidentally burned a hole in the song book.
Oldest Daughter drew the cat. Cats are her latest fascination in developing her own artistic talents.
Oldest Son drew the turtle on the right with the Santa hat.
Youngest son loves to copy Oldest Son and so he drew the turtle on the left.
Baby Girl drew the unicorn (with a “little” help from her mother).
Darren drew the Eagle. Eagles, wolverines, and large cats have always intrigued me. There’s characteristics about each that I admire.
So, officially, Darren and family caroles you and all a “fantastic” Christmas.
RE: Bob’s voice links;
Hamous, you crack me up.
#83 Darren
Wow, thanks for the explanation of the forest creatures, I was way off the mark. I wondered if the “pony” might be a unicorn because of the bright colors, but I didn’t see a horn. Also I didn’t realize there was a hole burned in the song book — I thought it was a design on the cover. But that explains the sheepish expression on Dragon’s face.
What is the medium? Colored pencils on textured paper, perhaps? And who is Zechiel?
#79 Texpat
May I ask why you say “G-d”? I am not familiar with that practise.
#82 Sarge
Baked beans for Christmas? What kind of tradition is that?
mharper42
#86
Question: Why do some Jews spell God, “G-d”?
Answer: God’s name is treated with unusual care in Jewish tradition. The divine name, YHWH (spelled with the Hebrew letters yud, hey, vav, hey) is never pronounced. Traditionally, Jews read the word “Adonai” (often translated as “the Lord”) whenever reading God’s holiest name in Torah or in prayer. However, “Adonai” is not God’s name.
More here
Darren, never mind, I found you on FB…
This is a little better, but I’m tired or I would explain it myself more clearly:
Thanks, Texpat, that is clear enough for me.
I only did the first one
The rest, I’m assuming, are all on bobby.
Following up on Texpat’s #79, here is what Catholics are taught:
So that’s why I laugh when trendy hipsters use the feminine in reference to God, thinking they’re ticking off the mean, backwards paternalistic Christian authoritarians. It also reveals them for the chuckleheads they are.
Sarge #82, how unfortunate that an emergency had to cancel the dinner. An there you are with a pot of orphaned New England Style baked beans. Are they different from Boston baked beans? Regarding smoke signals possibly emanating from the house, the Pecan Grove Volunteer Fire Dept. is close by and quick to respond.
God, being a pure spirit, has no need of gender. Guess that could be a Readers’ Digest explanation.
#80 Squawkbox, mockery is not my intent, but I do understand how it might be perceived that way. I also understand that my timing may not seem optimal.
I sincerely wish you and everyone here a pleasant and peaceful Christmas eve and day, regardless of our differences in beliefs.
If God is of indeterminate sex then why does Jesus command the disciples to baptize in the name of the FATHER, Son and Holy Ghost. Why does Jesus say he is going to his FATHER’s house where there are many mansions?
I can pull up plenty of “masculine/father” references to God if you like, old and new testament. Last I checked, with the exception of a certain group of folks, Father still equals male.
And I am in no way implying god is created in our image. The reverse is true. So either various languages I have read of the Bible are wrong (including the Latin Vulgate) , someone is really wrong.
I believe in Latin Catholic Mass the following words are spoken:
And last I checked Patris = Father.
And finally I am not saying God is man or a man, God is spirit, masculine Spirit.
And the Constitution says “All men are created equal”. Does that exclude women?
Mharper;
Look for Nikisha. I’m about NEVER actually on Facebook.
As you know now, that’s me in the flesh. Well, one of them.
Squawk #97;
I say this with the utmost respect to the Catholics and those of all faiths. But we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believe in God being the Father because He is, well, a He. When the church announces a belief unaminously among The first Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles it is official doctrine for the church. While the church encourages all to read scripture prayerfully and sincerly and while that opens up individual insights, the process to become official Church doctrine is as I just described and it is ONLY in this manner which the Church settles and/or declares official doctrine.
In 1995 the Church released A Proclamation to the World. This proclamation is both historical for the church as well as poignant for today’s deviant current against families. Obviously I made a direct link to that proclamation but here it is in its entirety. The bold portion was done by me to reflect the actual document.
I know there is a whole lot one can pull from that proclamation but in order to follow the content of this thread’s discussion on gender let me emphasize on specific portion of that proclamation:
Premortal: The Church believes that before the Earth was, God created His children as spirit children. We lived together with God our Father.
Mortal: In order to progess and become more like God our Father, God created an earth and provided for each of His children a physical body. On Earth we are to be tested and tried and those who live by God’s commandmants will be blessed eternally to live in His presence.
Eternal: As children of God our father, we will all live forever with no end.
As declared in the proclamation, gender existed before this world was created and will exist forever. This means before the world was, Squawkbox and Darren were males and Adee and mharper were females. This also means that we retained our gender during our mortal state on earth and will retain the same gender forever. HERE is a great link to expalain the purpose of The Proclamation to the World.
As for God, the same principle of gender applies. God is declared the Father because He **is** our Father, literally so.
One more thing I forgot to include. As per the priciples declared in The Proclamation to the World, when society deviates form gender clarity, it naturally deviates from the nature of God which will always result in the downfall of society. The exact same can be said regarding marriage and the gender roles of marriage and parenting.
Hamous
#100
That sota ends the discussion doesn’t it?
Darren
With all due respect to the various church councils in the world, I don’t think I need their opinion to interpret what I can read and understand with my own two eyes.
Squawk;
Just my input.
I also thought it prudent to post something that connects God’s gender with potential consequences for society as it moves towards the importance of gender roles and family.
Not disagreeing Darren
Or being “disagreeable”.
I agree.
I wuz just clarifying. In fact I’m glad you made your #106 post. For a while I was wondering if you were a cyclopse.
Phew, you’re not cycloptic.
Besides, the counsel found within the LDS Proclamation is well worth anyone to read.