waysider

What's an earfoam?

Tread lightly, the ice is thin in spots.

You can use earbuds with a Walkman? Who Knew?

This... From a person who apparently does not understand the concept of improvisation or character immersion.

For the most part, this discussion has been an exercise in futility. The issue is not "black/white, yes/no, either/or" in essence. The real question is what potion and how much of our decision making is influenced by conditioning as opposed to what portion and how much is governed by conscious decision. Obviously, there are infinite combinations possible.

It seems you have either forgotten the primary theme or weren't paying close attention the first time you read it. I spent 20 years studying the Cliff Notes.

scriptural reference?

Where do I even begin?

Learning doesn't necessarily have to occur in tiny increments. What you may be thinking of is the process of disciplined learning.

I thought you said His power was limited by a budget. How can something that's infinite be limited (finite)?

It wasn't me who claimed Socrates was an "impractical egghead".

Socrates would like a word with you.

Brutal!

Circular reasoning.

Well, ya know, it's spirchal, so it's more like Astroboy. Go! Go! Go! Astroboy!

Description: "In this radical critique of his own academic specialty, biblical scholar Hector Avalos calls for an end to biblical studies. He outlines two main arguments for this surprising conclusion. First, academic biblical scholarship has clearly succeeded in showing that the ancient civilization that produced the Bible held beliefs about the origin, nature, and purpose of the world and humanity that are fundamentally opposed to the views of modern society. The Bible is thus largely irrelevant to the needs and concerns of contemporary human beings. Second, Avalos criticizes his colleagues for applying a variety of flawed and specious techniques aimed at maintaining the illusion that the Bible is still relevant in today's world. In effect, he accuses his profession of being more concerned about its self-preservation than about giving an honest account of its own findings to the general public and faith communities. In a controversial conclusion, Avalos argues that our world is best served by leaving the Bible as a relic of an ancient civilization instead of the "living" document most religionist scholars believe it should be. He urges his colleagues to concentrate on educating the broader society to recognize the irrelevance and even violent effects of the Bible in modern life."

This is why "word studies" can be the bane of understanding. You can't simply substitute one word for another like deciphering a code. It's why you sometimes find product instructions that have been translated with laughably disastrous results. To further complicate the matter, spoken languages often differ from written languages, sometimes in profound ways that can only be understood in light of cultural nuances. I think, in some ways, what we did with these study aids is a bit like what people do today when they use the internet to self-diagnose a medical condition...sometimes correctly, often times not. Knowledge is a deadly friend If no one sets the rules The fate of all mankind I see Is in the hands of fools.... "Epitaph" (Peter Sinfield)

Rosamunde premiered in 1823, long before the 20th century. Not that it matters, though.

Yeah, it's right up there with George Gershwin and Rachmaninov.

I DON'T CARE WHAT WIERWILLE TAUGHT YOU, UNLEARN THAT... SHTUFF.

Having spent quite some time in the water industry, I'm well aware of what sulfur smells like. You'd be amazed at what people are willing to tolerate when their survival is in jeopardy.

Are you aware that brimstones can be burned? Is it possible that, over time, people simply collected what was in the open and readily available to use as a source of heat? I don't know that to be the case but it certainly falls within the realm of possibility.

Here's some information regarding meteor air bursts. (Bolides) The sulfur balls found at S & G are consistent with what is known about airburst debris. As to the location of debris: No one really knows with pinpoint accuracy exactly where the cities stood. We do know they existed, though, because there is evidence of a vast civilization of possibly tens of thousands that was almost instantly destroyed. As a side note: Science has ruled out both seismic and volcanic activity as a cause.

When a meteor strikes the earth, it leaves a crater at the point of impact. There is no crater at Sodom and Gomorrah. That's because the surface wasn't struck by a meteor. It exploded before it reached the surface, probably 2 or 3 miles above the earth. When this happens it causes what's called a cosmic airburst. On average, airbursts of this magnitude happen about once every thousand years, though as recently as 1908 a rather large one occurred in Siberia. Dozens of small meteors enter our atmosphere every day. Most burn up in the atmosphere, but a small percentage of them make it all the way to Earth's surface.

I fixed that for you.