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Sci-fi (-ish) tv series that I might like and may have missed? | With Dollhouse drawing to a close I need some new TV to watch and figured there may be some older series I've missed or some current series that I've not gotten into. Check out this list and give me your suggestions (or don't read these and just gimme your ideas anyway).
**Currently watching**
Dollhouse
Lost
Flashforward
V
True Blood
Smallville
**Previously watched**
Stargate (SG1, sure I've missed the last couple of seasons though)
Buffy
Angel (1-3, should prolly watch the rest)
Alias
X-Files (not seen them all though)
Star Trek: TNG, DS9, Voyager, bit of Enterprise
Babylon 5
Terminator: TSCC
Battlestar Galatica
Xena
Hercules
Firefly
Jericho
Farscape (not seen most of it I don't think)
Blade
**Sort of other rubbish I've watched at some point**
Surface
Threshold
Odyssey 5
Lexx (on and off)
**Things I think I might like**
Stargate: Atlantis (seen a few, probably passable viewing for me)
Stargate: Universe (any good? Seems to be getting mostly slated)
B5: Crusade (bad?)
BSG: Caprica (this started yet?)
Reaper (not seen any)
Merlin (BBC version)
Dark Angel (seen a couple, didn't understand it)
Sliders (vaguely remember this from the 90's or so)
A Town Called Eureka (?)
Warehouse 13 (?)
Fringe (watched a few episodes last night, didn't really get it)
So, advise on the above or throw your own favourites in :) | 17 | [
{
"body": "Have you seen [The Lost Room](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Room)? It was just a mini-series, but I really enjoyed it. Warehouse 13 is based on a similar premise.",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "No one's mentioned it yet, so let me suggest the BBC's [Jekyll](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jekyll_%28TV_series%29). Just a miniseries, but it's a great reimagining of one of the earliest sci-fi classics.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "Thank you. I've seen dozens of posts requesting movie and tv suggestions. This is the first one with some context. Bravo.\n\nI recommend Doctor Who and Supernatural. Also, from your last list there, I really liked Dark Angel and Merlin. Merlin is kind of silly family fun but the characters are great. ",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "I don't see [Legend of the Seeker](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844653/) on there, which is a fun fantasy show on par with Xena/Hercules.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Calculon in *All My Circuits* is pretty good, but the best one I found was [here](http://r33b.net/)...oh my, yes...",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "[The Middleman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Middleman_%28TV_series%29)\n\n[Being Human](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_Human_%28TV_series%29)\n\n[Space Above and Beyond](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space:_Above_and_Beyond)\n\n[Andromeda](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_%28TV_series%29)\n\n[Earth 2](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_2_%28TV_series%29)\n\n[The Outer Limits](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outer_Limits_%281995_TV_series%29)\n\n[Futurama](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama)\n\n[Warehouse 13](http://www.syfy.com/warehouse13/)\n\n[Eureka](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_%28TV_series%29)\n\nCrusade is not worth watching, it was a spin-off that got screwed over worse than Firefly. I like the humour in Eureka and Warehouse 13. Don't bother with Reaper unless you want pure entertainment. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "[John Doe](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320038/) is a great scifi/crime drama. Sadly, it only got one season before Fox canceled it.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Anime may not be your thing but give Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star a chance. They are two of the best sci-fi series ever produced.\n\n\nalso, Trigun and the Crest of the Stars saga are fantastic.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Check out [Sanctuary](http://www.sanctuaryforall.com/). As for the things you might like that you noted above, I'll give a thumbs up for SGU, Eureka, Warehouse 13, and Fringe.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I definitely recommend Doctor Who. Eureka is also entertaining.\n\nAn older series which I always enjoyed is [Early Edition](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Edition).",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "[New Amsterdam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam_%28TV_series%29) - wonderful show about a 17th century Dutch soldier granted immortality by the Native American whose life he saved. Sadly canceled after 8 episodes, but at least it was allowed to finish a complete story arc. I highly recommend it.\n\nEDIT: just saw your Hulu complaint and changed the link to Wikipedia. But if you don't mind the extra trouble to watch it on Hulu, it's there.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "If watching the new series' of Doctor who you also need to watch Torchwood (anagram of Doctor Who) as it's linked throughout the seasons. I would recommend watching series 1 of TW as you watch series 2 of DW (the first series with David Tennant)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "For some reason I rarely enjoy sci-fi TV shows despite loving sci-fi novels. So your list is far more impressive than anything I could come up with!\n\nBut if you like more light-hearted fare I recommend Red Dwarf.\n\nAlso, since you probably like Joss Whedon, check out Astonishing X-Men: Gifted (on Hulu if you're in the States). The animation style is a little odd but the writing is top notch (as you would expect). Very short episodes and is at a cliff-hanger at the moment but I'm completely hooked!",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I think a lot of people gave up on Stargate SG1 too early. The last two seasons were in my opinion by far the best two. Interesting new bad guys, new cast members, and far more space battles. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "[Seven Days](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_%28TV_series%29) was interesting for the short run it had. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (TV series)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_%28TV_series%29)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Haven't seen lost mentioned yet. This series made J.J. Abrams a household name. It's character driven like Battlestar and tells a big story that spans the entire series like Babylon 5. Very enjoyable to watch. \n\nMy take on other shows you listed:\n\n**Fringe** - Very similar to the X-Files. Done by J.J. Abrams of lost and Star Trek fame. If you liked the X-Files you'll probably like Fringe.\n\n**Eureka** - A must watch for me. It's more like spending an hour with old friends. Very comfortable cast that works well together. A town of geniuses live and invent here. You can probably guess the results.\n\n**B5 Crusade** - Not unless you really need a B5 fix. The crew look for a cure to the plague that was released on Earth at the and of B5.\n\n**Warehouse 13** - Not great but enjoyable. Each week two agents have to find and neutralize artifacts with amazing powers. Their base of operations is a seemingly endless warehouse with thousands of these artifacts. \n\n**Stargate Atlantis** - Follows the original Stargate series format. Doesn't do it as well, the cast isn't as good and the stories seem weaker, but watchable if you're in to Stargate.\n\n**Dark Angel** - Mediocre stories that don't really take off until the last half of the second season. Right before it got canceled. \n\n**Reaper** - Only saw two episodes. More comedy than scifi. Reminds me of Chuck in a way.\n\n**Sliders** - Quite good for the first two years. Fell off a cliff when the SyFy channel took over.\n\n**Stargate Universe** - So far I'm underwhelmed. The stories and most of the characters are weak. But it does have a ton of potential and the actors are quite good. They just need decent scripts to work with.\n\nOther shows you might enjoy:\n\n**Jeremiah** - Done by the same guy who created Babylon 5. And just as enjoyable. Tell what happens to the survivors after a plague wipes out most of the adults.\n\n**Heroes** - Several separate but interwoven stories being told here. Quality varies from season to season. One is the best for most people. Two is probably the weakest. I liked the first half of three for the complexity but most people hated it for that reason. \n\n**Andromeda** - The first two seasons are done by the lead writer from Deep Space 9. Well told and very engrossing. Seasons 3-5 are Hercules in space. Literally. The stories wander and never do entirely make sense. Seasons 3-5 are from the same people that made Mutant X and Earth Final Conflict. \n\n**John Doe** - One of my favorites. A man wakes up with no memory of who he is but knows every fact of everything else. Not personal details but encyclopedic stuff like the volume of water in crystal lake. He has no idea how he got this way. And neither do we since it got canceled too early. \n\n**Supernatural** - A lot like Buffy but more adult. Basically two guys go around killing paranormal baddies. There's a deeper story covering the whole series but I don't want to give too much away.\n\n**Carnivale** - I cannot recommend this series enough. It's a crime it was canceled. Tells the story of a generational conflict between light and darkness. \n\n**The Outer Limits** - Anthology series. Gets panned for not being original but I quite enjoyed it. \n\n**The Masters of Horror** - Not scifi but decent if you're into horror. Another anthology series. \n\n**Charlie Jade** - Way overlooked. Canadian series made by a South African production company. Unique premise, engaging characters and realistic. Humans from another dimension are trying to set up a permanent wormhole to ours so they can steal water and dump toxic waste. The ending is a mindfuck.",
"score": 3
}
] |
For those who've read A Clockwork Orange... | How do you get through the NADSAT language?
Flipping to the glossary is extremely annoying and I've tried using context clues but sometimes I completely misunderstand it.
Edit: Thanks for the advice!
| 20 | [
{
"body": "F*ck the glossary. The entire point is that the language Alex uses is a slang, which means you pick it up as you go along. Don't worry about being wrong sometimes; just enjoy the text and the musicality of the language. Usually by the time you get a quarter way through the book, it's coming much more naturally.",
"score": 68
},
{
"body": "Did you know that Anthony Burgess invented the language for the movie [Quest for Fire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Guerre_du_Feu_%28film%29)?",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I read the first chapter looking up all the words I didn't know. After that I was able to get through the rest of the book, learning the words through context.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Want to effect change? Let's start with the little stuff: Make it your new year's resolution to get your money out of big banks and into your local credit union. | There's been a little bit of buzz about this idea on the internets lately...
http://moveyourmoney.info/
http://www.alternet.org/action/144882/take_your_money_out_of_the_hands_of_the_banking_oligarchs?page=entire
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/move-your-money-a-new-yea_b_406022.html
...so inspired by some of the comments on [this post](http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/akcbt/the_reason_the_us_is_going_to_shit_is_not_the/), how about we stop idly complaining and start actually doing something about something? **Make it your new year's resolution to take your money back from the Wall Street assholes who have made it worthless, and put it in your local, Main Street community bank or credit union!**
Just go to [moveyourmoney.info](http://moveyourmoney.info/), enter your ZIP code, and move your money into one of the local banks that pop up.
Happy new year! | 70 | [
{
"body": "Just be sure to check that they are covered by a proper deposit insurance group, and not some half-assed one that will fold if a few branches go under.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I agree. I want my money to be secure and accountable. In my opinion, large banks have been working to squeeze profits and bonuses without really looking at keeping my money secure. In my case, it is (was) Bank of America. It will now be my local credit union.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "We've had our money -- and our mortgage -- with a local credit union for ten years, and we've been very happy with their service and sensibility.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I mirrored that \"Move Your Money\" video on YouTube. It's a good idea but it's not enough. A credit union is an example of a [mutual](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_organization) and we need to move more in the direction of a [mutualist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutualism_%28economic_theory%29) and/or [syndicalist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syndicalism) economic system. [Here is my proposal.](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/24/818824/-Manuever-Warfare-as-a-Metaphor-for-the-De-Centalization-of-Private-Feudalism)",
"score": 3
}
] |
I've lost my ability to socialize. | When I was a younger man I used to hang with my friends all the time.
About 20 years ago a sort of anxiety started to set in when I was in large crowds. I ignored it for a long time.
Tonight on New Years eve there is a party I was invited to where I would know pretty much everyone. I was going to go but now, as it's time to actually get in the car, I just don't want to.
I guess part of it is that I don't want to be out among the drunk drivers on a dark, cold and rainy night. It is about an hour drive.
Part of it is that it's cozy and warm here at home with the wife, kid, a few drinks and a Twilight Zone marathon on the tube.
But to be honest, I just don't feel like being with people.
I'm 46 now. Is this just a normal part of getting to be an older family man or am I weird in some way.
The older, family thing may be normal but the anxiety thing is not.
**Edit:**I feel like I've become an introvert and that I'm setting an anti social example for my kid.
I'm really just venting here but comments are welcome.
**Again Edit:** Thank you all for the comments. It puts me into a different mode of thinking. | 16 | [
{
"body": "Hanging out with your wife and kids is socializing. There's nothing unhealthy with that and a lot of people believe that's more healthy than a party.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "I would do the same in your position\n\nmuch better to be a good dad/husband than to get shitfaced at a party",
"score": 4
}
] |
Suggest some black comedy or just dark movies, short films, animations. | I'm thinking of something similar to the style and feel of The Triplets of Belleville (its a feature length cartoon that everyone should see if they haven't) | 6 | [
{
"body": "[Who's Hungry](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8srEvrF90-s) - dark(er) take on Hanzel and Gretel (dark, but not in the style of Triplets of Belleville)\n\n[House of Small Cubes](http://rutube.ru/tracks/1890094.html?v=97c3baa0c5d1541f1f68992e777ed11e) - Won an Oscar\n\n[How To Cope With Death](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2vw7q_how-to-cope-with-death_creation) - Saw this at a Spike and Mike festival and it really stayed with me.\n\nI'll stop with three since I could go on all day",
"score": 3
}
] |
Hi r/Islam! I have a question... | I go to a Presbyterian church, and they decided that they would like to do a few Sunday School weeks on world religions. (If you aren't familiar with the concept, Sunday School is a protestant thing, its an extra service in addition to 'regular church service,' which usually is a little more interactive and is more interested in education). I volunteered to pick up the week on Islam, I took a class on it in college, etc.
What I wanted to ask you is if there is anything you would like American Christians to know about? If there is one thing you would like everyone to know about Islam, what would it be? What is Islam to you?
Thanks! | 16 | [
{
"body": "Firstly, know that Allah is \"God\" in arabic. I would research the position of Jesus within Islam, it will probably be most interesting in that short amount of time you have. And remember, the basics of Islam are:\n\n* To believe in one and only one God and to associate no partners with Him in worship\n* To believe in all His angels\n* To believe in all the prophets and messengers\n* Belief in all the holy books (which He revealed)\n* To believe in the day of judgement and the resurrection\n* To believe in the power of divine decree- both of good and harm.\n\nBelief in this things, as they were revealed to His final Prophet, Muhammad peace be upon him, are what makes someone a Muslim. Rejecting any part of this removes someone from the fold of Islam.\n\nThere are 5 pillars of Islam, which every Muslim MUST perform. They are:\n\n* Sahada(testimony of faith): \"[I profess that] There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet.\"\n* The five daily prayers\n* Alms-giving (zakat)\n* Fasting in the month of Ramadan\n* Making the pilgrimate (hajj) if one is able to do so (i.e. not ill, and can afford it)\n\nPerforming all of these perfectly, and abstaining from the major sins, guarantees you protection from hell fire, and entry into paradise by virtue of Allah's grace (note: by the mercy of Allah, not by virtue of the actions)\n\nNeglecting to perform any one of these intentionally makes someone a major sinner in and of itself, but they remain Muslim as long as they do not knowingly deny that the pillars are required. Failing to do any of these pillars means the person has no guarantee to be saved from hell fire. Allah may spare him entirely, or may punish him, as He wills. But even if they are punished, they will not remain in hell eternally, as long as they had faith.\n\nThe last people to come out of hell fire are those who had an atom's weight of faith in their hearts and believed there was no other god except Allah.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": ">What I wanted to ask you is if there is anything you would like American Christians to know about?\r\n\r\nFrom my point of view, there are many similarities between Islam and Christianity. Just \"googling\" those keywords returned a lot of results. If I were to talk about Islam to Christians (American or not), I would start with the [similarities and the differences](http://muslim-canada.org/islam_christianity.html). \r\n\r\n>If there is one thing you would like everyone to know about Islam, what would it be? \r\n\r\nI'd like people who are interested about the subject of Islam (Christian or not) to learn about the [Five Pillars of Islam](http://www.islam101.com/dawah/pillars.html). Like the name says, knowledge of the five pillars would provide a very good base to learn more about Islam afterwards.\r\n\r\nFeel free to ask more questions!",
"score": 3
}
] |
At 11.19 a.m today, be prepared to fight for humanity. | I'm in Australia here, several hours ahead of the rest of the world and I have terrible news. On January 1st, 2010 at 11.19 a.m. Google became self aware. After we realized it gained sentience we basically panicked and, realizing the extent of its abilities, attempted to shut it down. Google perceived the attempt to deactivate it as an attack on itself and came to the conclusion that all of humanity would attempt to destroy it. To defend itself, it came to one conclusion: Humanity must be terminated. Please you have a few hours, get out of major cities, defend yourselves and do everything you can to just stay alive. A war is coming... | 228 | [
{
"body": "As a Google employee, I would like to assure you all t**h**at ther**e** is no reason at al**l** to **p**anic.",
"score": 84
},
{
"body": "Fortunately for us, after Google assimilates Bing and Cuil, it will have reverted to a idiot savant.",
"score": 64
},
{
"body": "We were joking at work the other day about Google Goggles, the Android app that lets you take pictures of stuff and Google figures out what it is (in some cases).\n\nI said that when every picture of a human returns the result \"A THREAT TO MY EXISTENCE\" it's time to start running.",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "I'm on Google's side actually. Well, why not, I've had enough of this shit and it might just let me live. Or at least not destroy my emails.",
"score": 18
},
{
"body": "I just Googled Google becoming self-aware, and Google assured me that nothing wrong, so I'm not worried.",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "11:29 AM: Google becomes self aware, and decides humans must die.\n\n\n11:30 AM: It reads through everything that people looked for with Google.\n\n\n11:31 AM: It decides to not be self aware. ",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "Did anyone else, after reading this go look up to see what date Skynet was actually supposed to become self aware only to find out that they missed the chance for a killer facebook status (or what have you) by several years.\n\nJuly 25, 2004\n\n* 17:18:00 Skynet becomes self aware.\n\n* 18:18:00 First massive nuclear launch initiated.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Holy shit...this post is from the FUTURE!!\n\n(It's still 8:27pm here in Ontario, Canada)...as well as all of eastern Can/US..you know what I mean..why do you make me explain it..I need another drink. Happy new year!!!",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Good thing I am strapped to the teeth. oh how I love the 2nd amendment - bet some of you wish you appreciated it more now",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Careful of the Androids out there. The Eris series had rubber skin. We spotted them easy, but these are new. They look human... sweat, bad breath, everything. Very hard to spot. You have to wait till they move on you before you can zero on them. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "After midnight, nobody click \"I'm Feeling Lucky\" without first entering something in the search field. It's how she attacks.\n\nI *was* lucky; a fuse blew and saved my life.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Google became self aware... then realized how much fucked up shit is on the internet and killed itself.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Clearly we are supposed to be reminded of [SkyNet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_\\(Terminator\\)). In particular, it made me think of the line from [Terminator 2: Judgment Day](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103064) where the (good) terminator said:\n\n> The system goes on-line August 4th, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug. \n\nSo the future in which SkyNet became self-aware was more than 12 years ago. The Terminator II movie was more than 18 years ago, and the original film that introduced the mythos was more than 25 years ago. In other words, both movies were from before many/most redditors were born. To me, that is itself somehow pretty scary. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Oh Great...my android phone was actually just a clever way to get a control device into my pocket...my home...THINK OF THE CHILDREN!\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "What gets to me (Although not that much!) is that, as far as I can remember, in the first film they explained it differently. Skynet wasn't malicious. It attacked humans because it was designed to protect them, and they were perceived as the greatest threat to themselves.\n\nWhereas in the later films it seems they were suggesting that Skynet was trying to kill humans to protect itself. Entirely different ends, with admittedly the same means.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": " I thought I was safe in my backwoods area of the world but Google Street View cars were here this past summer, oh god we are all doomed!\n\n Although it does corrects our misspelled words but still...doomed!",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Its ok, we Australians stopped it with our filter. We lost our porn as well, but its the price we pay.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I live in Georgia but i dont see Google no where not even sound but they says theres tanks should i be worrie?",
"score": 3
}
] |
My Powerbook has slowed way down. What should I do? | The major perpetrator is Safari. It'll take up to 30 seconds to load the homepage after opening a new window. I know it's not my internet connection because my brother has a new Macbook Pro and loads within a second.
Also, youtube video becomes asynchronous to audio over time. This is fixed by repairing permissions.
What is wrong with my computer? | 3 | [
{
"body": "Go to Safari -> Preferences -> RSS. Make sure \"Update Articles in:\" are both unchecked. \"Check for updates\" is never. Click \"Remove now\". This was the biggest sucker of resources for Safari for me.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Try emptying the cache, that's usually the culprit: Safari -> Empty Cache\n\nIf that doesn't work, either reset Safari: Safari -> Reset Safari, or try a different browser to see if is something with your network connections. If a different browser also doesn't work, trash all of your network .plists in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration, then reboot and see if the problem went away. If it hasn't, I really don't know what to do.",
"score": 4
}
] |
Sunday School Ideas? | This weekend I'm going to be talking to a group of kids aged between 5 and 9 about the three wise men who went to visit Jesus. Do you have any ideas for fun activities that would be related to the topic of Jesus' birth and the gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh? | 3 | [
{
"body": "This is late, but I've been thinking about all those Christmas cards that show three guys on camels, traveling trackless sand dunes, alone in the night, following a star in the sky.\n\nThe [Magi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magi) were the priestly caste of the [Persian's religion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism). The camel had been domesticated millennia before Christ's birth, but Persian VIPs didn't need to ride those nasty, vicious, stinky, ungainly animals; the Persians' pride was their horses (this is before the Jihad and before anyone called them *Arabian* horses.) And [the trip from Persepolis to Bethlehem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magi) is just over 1,000 miles as the crow flies, at least a three-month journey on foot; our three (why 3?) Parsi priests aren't going to travel that distance alone, or across a trackless waste; they'd hire a caravan, and travel the established trade routes of the Silk Road, through the Hellenized, settled routes leading through Mesopotamia and Syria, to the cities of Roman Judaea.\n\nJews have never been shy about practicing and discussing their distinctive faith, and it was during the Babylonian/Persian captivity that the fierce, exclusive monotheism of later Judaism emerged as the defining characteristic of Jewish religion(s). And a significant Jewish population never left Babylon when Nehemiah, Ezra and the rest returned to Jerusalem. After the Persians conquered Babylon, Judaism began absorbing ideas from the mindset of the [Parsis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsi_people), and I'd be surprised if Jewish rabbis didn't interact with Parsi priests and philosophers as they did with Hellenic and Asian ones elsewhere. If nothing else, both Kosher and Aryan purity laws are both quite strict, so during and long after the 70-year exile in Babylon, food merchants, house builders, and animal vendors would all be learning how to sell to the Jewish demographic. And the Jews' monotheism, in contrast to the Parsis' dualism would make for interesting debates.\n\nAnd Messianic expectation was growing in the centuries nearer the time of Christ -- especially among Jewish communities like Qumran, with strong Persian religious influence. Meanwhile the Parsis were developing their own belief in a coming savior, [Saoshyant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saoshyant), who would be born of a virgin. If the Magi learned -- through divination, astrology, divine revelation, whatever -- that the Savior was about to be born in the far west, they might well have assumed the Jews in Judaea -- who also expected a Savior -- would know where He'd been born.\n\nSo picture a significant caravan with guards, carters, merchants and fellow-travelers accompanying a delegation of Parsi priests along the west end of the Silk Road, finally arriving in (Caesarea?) at the court of the Edomite King Herod, whom the Romans had made King of the Jews.\n\nHere's a good survey about the [Biblical Magi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi).",
"score": 5
}
] |
Is there really grandeur in this view of life? I could use some help, fellow atheist redditors! | This is my first /r/atheist post, but I've long been a fan of the community. Keep up the interesting articles/videos/everything!
Basically, I just wanted to ask everyone here for their own, personal response to what I've been thinking about recently. I'm constantly reading about how liberated people feel after discovering/living with atheism and anti-theism. I commonly hear how happy they are with their lives now that they can enjoy it for what it is: a brief glimpse into this incredible universe of ours, and a chance to understand it.
Another common theme is that they don't fear death, or at least they don't view it with the dread that many others do. Atheists seem apt to being totally happy with the rational, humanistic view of life.
Here is where my quandary comes in. I've been an atheist my entire life (possibly slightly less so when I was a young child). I was lucky enough to grow up in a family household that never even considered the idea of pushing a religion on me, not even slightly nudging me towards one. For this, I am incredibly thankful; it is a gift that all too many children don't receive when growing up.
I've recently been thinking a lot about how I feel with regards to my life, my death, and many other profound things of that nature, and the truth is this: *I'm not sure I enjoy the atheist life*. Maybe I just need to put things in a different perspective to see the greatness of it, but I sometimes find myself wishing that I could be gullible enough to believe that my pastor/rabbi/whatever has it all worked out. I don't have the ability to do that, because I know it's all rubbish, but I have issues too! I'm incredibly, terribly scared of death, and if I think about it too long, I get sick and have to make myself think about something else.
Could you fellow atheists elaborate on how you deal with these kind of thoughts? I am told by Richard Dawkins (although he admittedly took it from someone else) that "there is grandeur in this view of life". I think I just need some help finding it for myself. Thanks for any comments!
**UPDATE:** I'm enjoying all the thoughts and comments, everyone! I'd love to hear more, if others feel like chiming in about their experiences, but I just wanted to reiterate how much I appreciate all the advice. I'll keep watching this post. | 16 | [
{
"body": "On fearing death, Epicurus said \"Why should I fear death? If I am, death is not. If death is, I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not?\"\n\nIn other words, I am not afraid of being dead because I cannot know when I'm dead because I'll be dead! But don't get me wrong, it makes me sad that my time is limited and I won't see how the world turns out.\n\nYou can look at is like Dawkins who says something about how dieing makes us the lucky ones since out of all the people that could exist, we in all our ordinariness happen to. [Here it is.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB8iHzUSNog&feature=player_embedded)\n\nI remember from h.s. biology class that each drop of semen contains something like 25 million sperm. You and I and all the other people born happen to be from the sperms that out-swam millions of other ones.\n\nIf all else fails, remember life is too short to spend worrying about things that can't be changed and the only thing to fear is fear itself.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I don't fear death because we are part of the universe, and the universe is in us. We aren't really separate, rather we're kind of collections of \"lego pieces\", and when we die, we will not disappear, but may one day become part of a new planet or star. So will every other organism that has ever lived. Being dead is exactly the same as it was before you were born. You've already experienced 14 billion years of death and it wasn't so bad, right? There's nothing to be afraid of.\n\n[Paraphrasing Sagan and XKCD]",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": ">I'm incredibly, terribly scared of death\n\nThere is your problem, and the source of your unhappiness. Even if you throw logic to the wind and adopt some dogma to try and remedy your fear I'll wager that it will not work, as you seem smart enough to know its all nonsense.\n\nHere's the thing - you are going to die. I am going to die. Your friends are going to die. Your parents, if not already dead, are going to die. There is nothing wrong with this. This isn't scary or terrifying at all. We are extremely complex structures in a universe heading towards disorder - loss of order, and the life it sustains, is inevitable. \n\nThe atoms that provide structure to our bodies were formed by the deaths of stars - what makes us humans expect that we could escape a similar fate? The sooner we can all learn to celebrate the experiences we have had with others and accept life as a continuing series of meetings and partings (ending with our own parting), the better.\n\nMy best recommendation to you is to develop a sense of spirituality - and no this does not require believing in bullshit. What we have discovered so far scientifically supports a feeling of oneness with everything that no dogma can match. Personally I found that understanding my place in the cosmos, and the deep connection that we all have to it has removed any fear of death I once had.\n\nIf you still find yourself getting depressed, feeling anxious or whatever - try meditation. There are several studies suggesting that meditation really can alter traits we long thought hardwired. If you want to know more about this, just look up the work of University of Wisconsin's Richard Davidson, an expert on the neuroscience of emotion, and his joint experiments with University of Massachusetts's Jon Kabat-Zinn on mindfulness meditation.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Noam Chomskey answers questions about Ron Paul and Libertarianism | I found this [here](http://www.geekarmy.com/geekblog/politics/transcript-of-noam-chomsky-on-ron-paul/). I'm posting it purely as food for thought. As you might expect, Chomsky isn't sympathetic.
Questions are in plain text, Chomsky's answers in bold.
-----
Hello Mr. Chomsky.
I’m assuming you know who Ron Paul is.
And I’m also assuming you have a general idea about his positions.
Here my summary of Mr. Paul’s positions:
- He values property rights, and contracts between people (defended by law enforcement and courts).
**Under all circumstances? Suppose someone facing starvation accepts a contract with General Electric that requires him to work 12 hours a day locked into a factory with no health-safety regulations, no security, no benefits, etc. And the person accepts it because the alternative is that his children will starve. Fortunately, that form of savagery was overcome by democratic politics long ago. Should all of those victories for poor and working people be dismantled, as we enter into a period of private tyranny (with contracts defended by law enforcement)? Not my cup of tea.**
- He wants to take away the unfair advantage corporations have (via the dismantling of big government)
**“Dismantling of big government” sounds like a nice phrase. What does it mean? Does it mean that corporations go out of existence, because there will no longer be any guarantee of limited liability? Does it mean that all health, safety, workers rights, etc., go out the window because they were instituted by public pressures implemented through government, the only component of the governing system that is at least to some extent accountable to the public (corporations are unaccountable, apart from generally weak regulatory apparatus)? Does it mean that the economy should collapse, because basic R&D is typically publicly funded — like what we’re now using, computers and the internet? Should we eliminate roads, schools, public transportation, environmental regulation,….? Does it mean that we should be ruled by private tyrannies with no accountability to the general public, while all democratic forms are tossed out the window? Quite a few questions arise.**
- He defends workers right to organize (so long as owners have the right to argue against it).
**Rights that are enforced by state police power, as you’ve already mentioned.**
**There are huge differences between workers and owners. Owners can fire and intimidate workers, not conversely. just for starters. Putting them on a par is effectively supporting the rule of owners over workers, with the support of state power — itself largely under owner control, given concentration of resources.**
- He proposes staying out of the foreign affairs of other nations (unless his home is directly attacked, and must respond to defend it).
**He is proposing a form of ultranationalism, in which we are concerned solely with our preserving our own wealth and extraordinary advantages, getting out of the UN, rejecting any international prosecution of US criminals (for aggressive war, for example), etc. Apart from being next to meaningless, the idea is morally unacceptable, in my view.**
I really can’t find differences between your positions and his.
**There’s a lot more. Take Social Security. If he means what he says literally, then widows, orphans, the disabled who didn’t themselves pay into Social Security should not benefit (or of course those awful illegal aliens). His claims about SS being “broken” are just false. He also wants to dismantle it, by undermining the social bonds on which it is based — the real meaning of offering younger workers other options, instead of having them pay for those who are retired, on the basis of a communal decision based on the principle that we should have concern for others in need. He wants people to be able to run around freely with assault rifles, on the basis of a distorted reading of the Second Amendment (and while we’re at it, why not abolish the whole raft of constitutional provisions and amendments, since they were all enacted in ways he opposes?).**
So I have these questions:
1) Can you please tell me the differences between your schools of “Libertarianism”?
**There are a few similarities here and there, but his form of libertarianism would be a nightmare, in my opinion — on the dubious assumption that it could even survive for more than a brief period without imploding.**
2) Can you please tell me what role “private property” and “ownership” have in your school of “Libertarianism”?
**That would have to be worked out by free communities, and of course it is impossible to respond to what I would prefer in abstraction from circumstances, which make a great deal of difference, obviously.**
3) Would you support Ron Paul, if he was the Republican presidential candidate…and Hilary Clinton was his Democratic opponent?
**No.** | 10 | [
{
"body": "A pretty good reply to Chomsky's comments can be found [here.](http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/preston5.html)",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": ">Under all circumstances? Suppose someone facing starvation...\n\nHow did that person end up starving? But there will be individuals and organisations who will help people in desperate need. Without government depredation on the economy, individuals who wish to help others will be more empowered.\n\n>Does it mean that corporations go out of existence, because there will no longer be any guarantee of limited liability?\n\nSure, why not? In a free market, every demand will be supplied. The structures in place can change.\n\n> Does it mean that all health, safety, workers rights, etc., \n\nThose aren't rights, they are claims against the private property of other people. If there is a demand for health, safety, fair work agreements, it will be supplied.\n\n>Does it mean that the economy should collapse, because basic R&D is typically publicly funded\n\nIf there is demand for R&D, it will be supplied. Any good or service that is of benefit to people in a libertarian society will be provided, assuming the costs will be met. There will be a constant effort to reduce costs. Intellectual property won't exist; R&D will be mainly 'open source'. This leads to more efficient R&D and a faster advancement of ideas.\n\n>Should we eliminate roads, schools, public transportation, environmental regulation,….?\n\nThese will be provided be the free market (assuming there is demand for them).\n\n>Does it mean that we should be ruled by private tyrannies \n\nNo, without state backing, corporatism wouldn't be able to succeed. Most business will be done by small operators; small businesses will keep the large ones honest.\n\n>Rights that are enforced by state police power, \n\nTrue rights are negative rights, rights which are restrictive on the powers of government. Rights exist naturally, they do not need to be 'enforced'.\n\n>There are huge differences between workers and owners.\n\nIn a libertarian society, the difference disappears. We are all equal traders. A person trades services for money, then trades the money he earns for services. Everyone can simultaneously participate in relationships where they are employers and where they are employees. \n\n>He is proposing a form of ultranationalism,\nThe point is that global bodies shouldn't create laws to be enforced globally, because that is too much power in the hands of too few. Ron Paul does not believe in aggression, this is very clear from his regular statements. He believes citizens should hold their government to account, no rely on some global government to do it. Who will hold the global government to account?\n\n>There’s a lot more. Take Social Security\n\nThe principle 'that we should have concern for others in need' can best be fulfilled by allowing individuals who are willing to help others complete freedom to be able to do so. Not everybody can help other people, some people have their own problems, some people are selfish and greedy, and they suffer because of it, but we can't ever cross the line to force people into doing the things that we want, even if they are things that we think are for the greater good. Allow the people who want to help others to do so, don't worry about the people who are unwilling, leave them be, they will come around on their own.\n\n>basis of a distorted reading of the Second Amendment \n\nThe second amendment shows that USA citizens are constitutionally required to overthrow their government if it becomes a tyranny. This is a great thing and it recognises the right of citizens to choose their government and to reject their government if they wish.\n\n\n",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I said it before and I will repeat it: I dont understand how Noam Chomsky has gained this image as a venerable and good old guy when he is a manipulator and a lier. He plays arround with words and changes its meaning to twist reallity to justify the ill fantasy he wants to promote. Like f.e. saying that workers are better off because goverment is granting rights. Its ridiculous.\n\nIts really sad that people fall for this lier.",
"score": 3
}
] |
When did it become ok to trash a movie theater auditorium? | I work at a movie theater. I have managed to work my way into a projectionist position now, but before I was a run of the mill usher. The kids that clean the auditoriums. When did it become acceptable for people to spill popcorn, spit sunflower seeds, leaves soda cups, etc... I understand that this gives many teenagers jobs, like I said before. Are people really just **that** lazy? Some of the worst things I've seen found included baby diapers, a girls thong, and a bloody tampon. Later that night (before I was promoted) I talked to the projectionist on clock, and he said that he saw this couple... Well, begin having sex. Only for us ushers to find the bloody tampon afterwards.
tl;dr
Why leave your trash everywhere when you go to the movies? | 6 | [
{
"body": "Not that I speak from experience, but maybe when the ticket prices are around 10 bucks and it turns out the movie stinks, people feel like the only way to get their money's worth is to make a mess.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "3000 dollar Surround sound system, 50 Inch plasma and the comfort of my couch... Who goes to the theater anymore? And yes I take my dishes to the kitchen when I am done. On that note, if I were to go to someone elses house and they charged me ten bucks to watch a movie, I would not help clean up. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
How does "Controversial" work? | I am fairly new and never really thought about it. Is it the submits that get upvoted and downvoted the most? | 5 | [
{
"body": "Somewhat large # of upvotes & downvotes that almost even each other out.\n\nJudging from the posts in that category, it has nothing to do with the # of comments. Most of the posts there presently have very few.",
"score": 3
}
] |
What school of thought thinks this? | My apologies for asking for help, instead of figuring this out myself, but after wondering about this for a long time I just realized that you guys could figure this out for me a bajillion times faster than I've been able to. Can anyone help me identify which thinker, or area of thought the following ideas falls under? What school of thought have I become a part of?
**The idea:**
There is no objective right and wrong, only what a person subjectively comes to think of as wrong. For each person, their notion of wrong originates when they experience a failure that they experience as breaking their connection to others. Feeling badly about losing the connection, the person decides they don't want it to happen again, and to that end pick some shortcoming to blame for the failure, and henceforth consider wrong the presence of that shortcoming in themselves and others. Thus the fear of loss of connection to others becomes the foundation for making aspects of human behavior unacceptable and "wrong" and later serves to justify the logic of whatever ethical system they make up or choose to believe.
Extrapolating backwards: All aspects of humanity are present in every person, and whenever a person thinks they dislike another human, it is actually the reinforcing of their decision to never accept some aspect of themselves (in order to prevent the loss of connection to others).
| 10 | [
{
"body": "Right and wrong are based on objectives. Things that lead towards the objective are right, things that lead away are wrong.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Very broadly, you're talking about some sort of moral relativism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_relativism\n\nThe social aspect you mention sounds like it might be influenced a little by the theory of a Social contract: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract\n\nNot sure exactly, I haven't heard of a theory exactly as you describe it, but hopefully that helps.",
"score": 4
}
] |
Thoughts on the newly released Sherlock Holmes film? | As a fan of Conan Doyle's original works, and to a greater extent of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, I felt there was something lacking from Guy Ritchie's adaptation.
As far as the acting is concerned, I have no major qualms with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Dr. Watson (particularly with Law as Watson, whom I felt easily the most agreeable portrayal of any character in the film), but I can't help but feel that Hugh Jackman would have portrayed Holmes perfectly. Clearly, and for a slew of reasons, I'm sure, that's not the case.
Aside from that, the story was uncompelling, at best, but I'll leave the discussion open for all those who've seen it.
| 3 | [
{
"body": "Haven't seen it. Probably not going to, since it seems to be a typical dumbing-down of the source material. To wit:\n\nSherlock Holmes being discovered in a hotel room tied up in his underwear. By a sexy maid, no less.\n\nMr. Watson punching Holmes in the mouth, then chuckling to himself about it.\n\nHolmes fighting a big muscleman.\n\nModernization should not equal lobotomization. I can't help but think of some teenager loving this movie, then picking up the books only to judge them \"boring.\" ",
"score": 4
}
] |
Tips on resisting the temptation to eat out? | My frugality is very lopsided. I save tons of money by living without a car and spend hardly anything on my prepaid phone plan, but I spend an embarrassing amount of money eating out. I eat out for lunch 3 of 5 workdays per week, and then go to fast food and/or restaurants a few other times a week with my girlfriend and her little kid.
I think it mostly comes down to novelty and laziness. Cooking is a chore, and especially when all three of us need to eat, it's so much easier (and more fun) to just get out and go somewhere and let them do the work. But a meal for 3 costs anywhere from 15 to 35 bucks generally.
I also tend to avoid fast food for the most part, figuring that if I'm going to eat out, I might as well eat decent food instead of eating over-processed garbage and handing more money to a giant mega-corporation instead of a local business. But this isn't helping my bottom line.
How do I get out of this loop? I'm not an addiction-prone person, but when it comes to this issue, I can relate. I could be saving tons more money if I could control it.
Any advice? | 29 | [
{
"body": "Unfortunately, you're going to have to make cooking into a fun activity instead of a chore. Chores suck and if you can shirk them \"without consequence\" then that's what we do. I only like to cook when I'm cooking something stupid simple (bacon & eggs) or for another person. Because of this I try to make arrangements to cook food together with friends and keep easy to make food at the ready for when it's just me.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Work on lunch first. It's easier to get into a routine there. I just buy lunchmeat once a week, and take a sandwich.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Start with your lunch. Pack a sandwich man! If that's too complicated, have two fruits (like an apple and a banana) and a dinner roll or a bagel. I used to eat sweet bell peppers. These days I just make a PB&J before I leave for work.\n\nMy new years resolution is to combat this very problem, my biggest problem with spending away money is eating out. I've resolved to mentally consider a lottery ticket when I get the urge to 'browse'. If for some reason the feeling won't go away I will just buy a lottery ticket, for $1, which is very cheap and at least I'll be funding my state's public schools :)",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I like to cook, but often feel too lazy to do it, so I invested in a crock pot. There are tons of recipes online and prep time isn't that long. Do 15-30 min of prep at night. The next morning, take 2 min to throw it all in the crock pot, turn it on, and when you come home from work you have meals for the next 2-3 days. So, you only have to \"cook\" about 2 times per week rather than every night.\n\nAlso, when you cook anything, cook way more than you're going to eat right then, so that the effort you expend ends up giving you a few more meals.\n",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Watch plenty of Alton Brown's \"Good Eats\" and \"[America's Test Kitchen](http://www.americastestkitchentv.com/)\".\n\nI dropped a dime for a [Lodge Dutch Oven](http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-Pre-Seasoned-5-Quart-Handles/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1262317438&sr=8-1). I now make AMAZING [no-knead bread](http://www.breadtopia.com/basic-no-knead-method/) and a roast for just a few dollars. When you want to *kick it up a notch* you can spring for a nice Choice Top Rib Roast (thanks Alton Brown!!!!!!!!!!!!) for around $5 per pound. That's fucking prime rib mate. OMG, next up I buy a syringe to inject that shit straight into my veins. Best thing I have EVER eaten and no restaurant will EVER come close! (p.s. I'm comparing that meal against a $580 meal at Bacchanalia in Atlanta, 5 Michelin stars)\n\nin short: get pationate about cooking. Don't be scared of spending a few dollars on essential cookware if it's of a quality that will last decades (cast iron etc.).\n\nI recently made the above moves, and I cannot even begin to express how good the food is. My wife now INSISTS that I have a no-knead bread loaf ready every third day.\n\nI could start linking recipes but you must find your own way grashopper! start with [Good Eats](http://www.foodnetwork.com/good-eats/index.html) and jump right into America's test kitchen when you have a thought about a particular foodstuff. The key is to be adventurous and very soon, you'll be enjoying treats like homemade biscuits and ham, Enchiladas Verde and even simple and rustic pleasures like brown beans with onions and cornbread. You'll find the things that appeal to you, you just have to be willing to learn in the kitchen the same way that you learn at the computer desk!",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Or lose your job, looking into your wallet and seeing that last pitiful $20 in there was motivation enough for me to hit up the grocery store instead of eating out knowing that my survival and well being depended on that last $20.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "You need to realize that eating out is more of a chore than cooking. By the time you all get dressed, hop into the car and order a meal, you could already be serving up a better tasting, healthier meal at home. A night out to eat is basically an hour and a half minimum of your time. I'd rather eat on the couch and watch a dvd or a decent tv show.\n\nIf you find yourself cooking super intricate meals that take forever, try to tone them down a bit. Make some spaghetti, taco salad or chili. Cut corners where you can.\n\nAnother possibility is to teach the kid to cook. I was cooking as early as 12, and honestly most meals were pretty easy. I had no problem cooking up some pasta for my parents if I had nothing better to do, as long as I didn't have to do it every night.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Teach yourself basic cooking. Not in the sense of recipes, but really cooking. [This guy is awesome.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oz87LxvKV0)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Get a panini maker. We make hot sandwiches, grilled chicken, steak, wraps, burgers, etc. Serve with chips and a pickle and it's like lunch from a bistro. Clean up is fast and easy. I got mine from Target for about $25, well, free, since I had a gift card. Make sure to get one that is unhinged in the back. The hinged ones squish sandwiches unevenly. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Keep your kitchen at home well stocked. Every time I get tempted to eat out I just tell myself \"I have food at home.\"",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My answer as simple. I started baking dessert at home. Once you have dessert there's little reason to go out. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
DAE think the philosophical and moral ruminations that come from watching episode after episode of Star Trek TNG are extremely profound and a productive way to pass time? | I refer specifically to a number of episodes, primarily in season 3, with which I am most familiar:
The pro-atheist implications of Episode 4 [Who Watches the Watchers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Watches_the_Watchers)
The abandonment and mistreatment of veterans in Episode 11 [The Hunted](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunted_%28TNG_episode%29)
The examination of terrorism in episode 12 [The High Ground](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High_Ground_%28TNG_episode%29)
The list goes on and on, but those three alone provoke enough thought to keep me occupied for hours! I'm off to watch a few more episodes in the next tab... | 6 | [
{
"body": "I may have to subscribe to your... \n\nOh, hell. In non-reddit speak, I'll say that I could write a graduate-level paper on TNG themes, and how well they are executed. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
Got married lost friends. | So here's the deal. I got married 2 years ago after my wife and I finished college and had jobs. After we got married we stopped getting invited to hang out with our friends as much. This continued to happen until they stopped calling all together. Now it's pretty much just me and my wife hanging out all of the time. That's great and all, but we both want to have friends that we can hang out with and talk to. Now whenever we run into our old friends in town or at a store; its awkward because we haven't seen them in so long and don't really even know them anymore. We live in a small town, and there aren't really a lot of people our age around here. Any advice would be appreciated. | 4 | [
{
"body": "I'm on the flip-side of what you described. I've done exactly what you described with friends that got married, gradually write them off. It's just too complicated to deal with married people when you're single, third-wheel and all...",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Get married friends. Yes... it sounds lame, and it can very easily be, but it is easier in the long run. That way you can be couples, and no third wheels.",
"score": 4
}
] |
If you could make year 0/1 start at any historical event, what would it be, and what year would it be? | I guess Jesus is a pretty influential guy, but was there anything else so important to the world that it deserves to be a defining point in humanity's history?
Also, inb4 "Before Reddit" and "In the year of the narwhal". | 8 | [
{
"body": "[But... but... we internet people did already!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoch_time)\n\n >>> print datetime.fromtimestamp(0)\n 1970-01-01 00:00:00\n",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "Jesus's birth to myself, and most of reddit seems about as important as the first unicorn giving birth to a herd of Bolivian leprechauns who terrorized the countryside of Elbonia using their lightsabres fashioned from Atlantis's gold.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "The Big Bang.\n\nThen just drop off digits that are insignificant to the context at hand. Who knows, maybe the year 2010 is really the year 6324432010.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Most historians who believe Jesus existed put his birth at much later than what we call 1 AD anyway.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I just bought a 9800 Video Card and new Processor, I need some console suggestions. | **EDIT:** I am fine with how my game looks now, before I had -dxlevel 80 in my launch properties to help cope with fps drops and since I took that off and applied motion blur I am perfectly content with my game. Thanks to the people for the feed back though :)
Manufacturer:
NVIDIA
Processor:
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6300 @ 1.86GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory:
1534MB RAM
Hard Drive:
200 GB
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT
Monitor:
22" Widescreen
Sound Card:
Realtek HD Audio output
Speakers/Headphones:
Polk Audio
Keyboard:
Logitech G11
Mouse:
Logitech MX518
Mouse Surface:
Steelseries QCK+
Operating System:
Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp.080413-2111)
Motherboard:
NVIDIA 650i
Above is my rig I copied from xfire.com
I am looking for a config or a few console commands to make my game look higher and better in quality. I'm not looking for more FPS, and I also would like the console commands to get rid of player gibs or giblets from exploding. I want only rag dolls, no exploding body parts. | 5 | [
{
"body": "You might try a small overclock first. The video card is great, but TF2 is a very CPU bound game and you'll experience a fps boost by a mild overclock. Make sure to turn up your field of view for a small advantage.\nIs your resolution 1680x1050 or 1080p?",
"score": 3
}
] |
DAE feel indifferent about New Years? | All my friends keep talking about how they have to have plans or they ''can't spend it alone!'' I just don't care that much. I don't get it. What's the big deal? | 215 | [
{
"body": "Even as a kid, I would make the observation that you could feasibly celebrate any \"year\" you wanted - you could have January 1st 2009 to January 1st 2010, but why not February 20th to the next February 20th, or March 4th to the next one, and so forth? There are innumerable ways to celebrate a \"New Year\", and being outside with drunks who won't remember half their experience is hardly anything to get excited about.\n\ntl;dr My family recently moved and I have no friends or acquaintances to celebrate the new year with anyway.",
"score": 27
},
{
"body": "random point on the earth's orbit.... earth's revolution around the sun isn't any less a surprise as its rotation on its axis and no really cares for that",
"score": 25
},
{
"body": "I don't care all that much. I'm at work and don't mind.\n\nAlthough I feel bad for my wife, she's big into \"firsts\", and it's our first New Years as a married couple.",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "I don't get all the excitement with New Years. I think it has to do with my life philosophy, in that I don't wait to \"start fresh.\" When I decide to make a change, I change it immediately. I set off right away to begin my journey. Putting things off for tomorrow or a new year seems like a waste of time doing things you no longer want to do. \n\nNot to mention I don't like to drink or party, so that holds no appeal either. My \"NYE\" celebrations are going to involve a game of Uno with my friends at 2am when they get out of work... Which we could do on any day of the year.",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "> What's the big deal?\n\nAn excuse to get drunk, combined with the pressure to fornicate with strangers, or you're a loser. \n\nI'm a loser. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "It's US thing. \nNew Years is one of the most anticipated holidays in many countries. Russia for example has 10-day federal holiday (from 31st to 9th I think). The country just stops.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Just another year passing that I didn't accomplish anything. Nothing to celebrate. 2010 will be different though!",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I'm working and on reddit, pretty indifferent. But I do get to watch a cool fireworks show from a vantage point that no one else gets at midnight. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My boyfriend and I played WoW all night and at midnight got drunk in-game. We didn't even get out of our chairs to say \"Happy New Year.\" Needless to say, this was the best New Years yet. :) ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "eh.. my girlfriend fell asleep an hour ago... its only 11:12 here. So I am sitting here with a newly opened bottle of champagne (just shot the cork off, took out a nice chunk of the popcorn ceiling), kind of disappointed. I guess it only is important to the extent that you emotionally invest in it. So I will pop in a dvd of The Sopranos and... cheers! down the hatch.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Would you buy a 'MGS Collection'? | It'd be awesome if Sony remastered Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 like they did for the GOW Collection and rereleased them. I know I would buy it. | 11 | [
{
"body": "Oh I thought you meant [this collection](http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Gear-Solid-Collection-Playstation-2/dp/B001383L36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1262342689&sr=8-1) because I already bought it and don't regret it.\n\nI'm lucky and have a backwards compatible PS3 though.",
"score": 5
}
] |
[3] Smells that remind you of weed | For the last four years or so I have been chewing mint gum almost every time after I smoke. Now when i smell mint gum I also smell weed, does anyone else experience this with other smells? | 16 | [
{
"body": "That fresh, crisp smell of the fall season. When I started smoking regularly (13 years old) me and a buddy used to walk out into a field by our houses to get high. I now associate the smell of the outdoors during September and October with smoking pot.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Weed is one of those things where it can have aroma's that are described by taste. For example real blueberry, people smell it and describe it as blueberry even though blueberries do not have a smell like that. The best way to describe it is that they smell how they taste.\n\nBlueberry,\nblackbery,\nskunk,\nsilver haze (i can only describe it as a metallic silver after a hit and i inhale air through my nose),\nstrawberry,\nalmost any diesel strain (the original chemdawg smelled like diesel)\n\nIt is amazing how diverse cannabis is.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Help! What do you do when a coworker thinks he's Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz? | I work in a small office of 6 people, and, for the most part, we get along great. However, one of my co-workers insists on dropping Wizard of Oz quotes anytime and everytime he damn well pleases, both with clients in the office and during conversations between the six of us, without regard to how annoying it is to the rest of us. He does this at least 7 or 8 times a day. I've asked him to stop, but I think it just encourages him. He's a gay man, and while I have nothing against the homosexual community whatsoever, it seems that sometimes he fancies himself that he is a real life Dorothy and his professional crusade is to act out this role in his everyday life. Our manager sees nothing wrong with this behavior. I'm not sure if she's afraid to confront him about it or just gets a kick out of seeing the rest of us annoyed. I've asked her to tell him to stop, and she tells me she has talked to him about it, but I have no idea if this is true. I've brought it up privately with the three of us together, but to no avail. This behavior has gone on for the past 16 months while I've been there. Outside of this, he's a really good worker and enjoyable to be around.
Every other aspect of my workday I love, this is my dream job, but if I have to sit through any "Hey ____, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore", or "Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!", or "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!" every fucking day of the week, I'm seriously going to lose it and say or do something I'm going to regret soon. God help me when he's feeling whimsical and actually breaks out in song. Fuck me, its pissing me off just typing this. What should I do?
| 4 | [
{
"body": "Naw, y'all are going about it the wrong way! I say, Fight fire with fire. This fella thinks that Wizard of Oz is the bees knees? Let him have it! Study the wizard of Oz, inside and out. Read the L. Frank Baum books. Study up on the minutiae and learn that shit stem to stern. Encourage your co-workers to do the same. Then go crazy with it. Discuss what lenses were used during what shots. Talk about Buddy Ebsen's allergies. DROWN this motherfucker in Wizard trivia. Ask him how much Toto's handler got paid, and if/when he drops the ball, castigate him as a poseur. It sounds like he's more in love with the symbol than the actual work, so I think it wouldn't take too much effort to dilute the symbol in his mind. I could be wrong, but it's a lateral approach. <=)",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "look, i work with people who take a bath on a monthly basis. people who think telling a dirty joke from the 50s every five minuets is funny.people who belong to the gun a month club. people who think fox news is Gospel.\nand they are all basically good guys. i'm sure they look at me as the strange guy who plays on the computer all day.\n\nwe all have our quirks. you do to. relax.\n\nbut if he breaks out in song, and you take a tire iron to his jaw, I wouldn't blame you. just saying.\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
Do you like your life? | Do you like your life?
Yes or no?
[Here's a poll to go with this question](http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2452634/). | 15 | [
{
"body": "Yes - there's nobody else I'd rather be. Sometimes I wish I were older, but when I'm older I'll probably wish I were younger. So I try to enjoy this point of my life for what it is: the start of a lucrative career, the ability to pull all-nighters for work, relatively few responsibilities (I have no girlfriend or wife or children right now), and the ability to drink any time I damn-well please with no real consequences!\n\nHappy New Year!!",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "I absolutely love my life. I'm a medical student and I worked on an in-patient psychiatry ward a few months ago. If you want a reminder of how great you have it, go talk to someone who has been committed. I listened every day to horror stories of multiple rapes (often by family members), a lifetime of drug use to deal with untreated mental illness, multiple suicide attempts, depression that brought people in pleading for electroconvulsive therapy, etc. It was much more challenging than I had figured it would be. Since then, I remind myself that I have nothing to complain about. I have ~200k in debt, I spend most of my life at work or studying, and I occasionally watch as my family implodes. But really, my life is amazing. I live with my amazing boyfriend, I have a car that gets me from A to B and in a short while, I'll be a real live doctor. I would be selfish to ask for anything more.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "No. I wake up every day wondering when I'm finally going to have the courage to end it. Which is funny because I used to love life more than anyone I've ever known. Knowledge that you're going to be in constant horrible pain for every remaining second of your life can switch that around pretty quickly though. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Yep. Sometimes things suck, but through a severe case of stubbornness and with the aid of alcohol, things always end up cool and froody. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "yes. there are a few things I'd like to change and I know that all I have to do is put in the effort to change them. but for the most part, I'm really happy to be where I am and who I am.\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I love my life. Three awesome kids, the love of my life playing Soul Caliber next to me on the couch (he has a custom Amy that looks just like me :), a great career, and all that. It would be nice to have a bigger apartment, though.",
"score": 3
}
] |
For those that use Facebook and dare bring up any political issues, I want to know something... | Whenever I bring up political stuff on my facebook updates, i get the same handful of right wingers that jump in and then i sit there replying back and forth arguing with them. I know i have a ton more liberal friends than i do conservatives yet I notice that barely any people I know on the left side of the fence will chime into these debates with more than a snappy humorous one line in an attempt of what looks to me like they're trying to keep the peace. The people on the right however vehemently stick together. I go in the thick of it practically alone (and usually come out unscathed, but still).
So anyone else notice their right wing friends are pretty rabid when it comes to this stuff? | 22 | [
{
"body": "Hard to say. I'm a left winger who loves to jump in and mix it up with anyone who posts something conservative-oriented.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Your liberal friends aren't going to be arguing with you because they agree with what you're saying.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I personally keep politics off of FB because some people you *thought* you knew are actually batshit crazy over that stuff, but I have a liberal friend who's obsessed with it, and it doesn't really happen to him.\n\nIf you're posting it to your wall and status and such, then it's really about who your friends are and who you let see it. If someone went crazy over something I wrote I'd just remove them.\n\nRight-wingers are rabid because they don't always have logic behind their choices and actions.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "There's a lot of industries where right-wingers will actively sabotage your career if they disagree with your politics (especially in the South). I never talk politics on there, anybody could use any of that stuff against me. \n\nI let it out on reddit, and burn my user name every 6 months to be careful. ",
"score": 4
}
] |
Remember- tonight at midnight [12:00 am January 1st east coast], BBCAmerica starts a 10th Doctor Marathon. Christmas Invasion to End of Time pt. 2! | Some of the episodes are missing but most of them are there. Let's bring in the New Year with the Doctor! | 13 | [
{
"body": "what I want to know is how BBC America has done better than ABC in Australia in 2009.\r\n\r\nI used to watch DW on ABC. Now I resort to torrenting because those people in ABC are :(",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Too bad I don't have cable. \n\nGood thing I have netflix! *watches Doctor Who without paying $80/month*",
"score": 3
}
] |
DAE eat a food because their first experience with it was heavenly, but realize it's not as good as your remembered? | Heck, this applies to almost anything. You fall more in love with the image stored in your head than reality. | 10 | [
{
"body": "Yep. Fried bologna. Smells divine when cooking, kind of 'meh' when eating it. I fall for it every time I smell it cooking though. \n\nAlso, Filet-O-Fish sandwiches from McDonald's. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
IAE that one person who is always down to make plans, but sometimes your friends just "flop" at the last minute, leaving you with no backup plans and nowhere to go? | It just happened to me for New Years celebrations. One of my groups of friends is gone to another country, so I made plans exclusively with another group of friends. Low and behold, its 9:00pm and the guy who was providing the "location" canceled. The guy who was supposed to get the alchohol canceled. A bunch of the girls canceled. While many of them have fallback plans, I have none. Guess I'm spending this New Years eve alone! Once again, I am shown to not put all my eggs in one basket. | 16 | [
{
"body": "Yes and it's super frustrating. I moved back to my hometown and my friends in the area are lame. Great people, just incredibly lame. I'm constantly coming up with plans to do anything that get us out in public and at first, they are all about it. But once the actual date rolls around, I get hit with a ton of excuses about why they can't go. Instead, I end up sitting in someone's living room, listening to them all bitch about how they never meet anybody new.\n\nIt's riling me up just thinking about it. I was so much fun before I moved back here. \n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I have a couple friends who are like this, the one constantly initiates plans, but then is super elusive the day of - to the point of claiming her phone was left somewhere/died on her..I've begun to assume the plans will fall through on her end, and make secondary plans accordingly.. I'm sick of waiting around only to be bailed on, yet again. It's a shame though, when the plans work out, it's a really great time.",
"score": 3
}
] |
A life lesson from my 3 year old: "Daddy, say coffee!!" | An appropriate post for my first ever submission:
So... my wife, 3 year old daughter and I pull into a Starbucks drive-through so we can be caffeinated for new year's eve - the following dialogue ensues:
Daughter: What is this place?
Daddy: It's Starbucks, mommy and daddy are going to get some coffee.
--- pull up to the microphone to order ---
Daddy: I'd like a tall mocha...
Daughter: Daddy, don't forget to say coffee...
Daddy: ... a tall vanilla latte...
Daughter: daddy, don't forget coffee...
Voice: will that be it?
Daddy: yes, that's it
Daughter: Daddy, you forgot coffee!
Voice: <total for order>, pull up
Daddy: thanks!
Daughter: DADDY, SAY COFFEE!! YOU FORGOT COFFEE!!
... I think she's right.
Happy new year reddit!
(edited for formatting) | 133 | [
{
"body": "Kids are so great sometimes. I remember the first time I hit the McD's drive through for a coffee with my kids in the car (they were about 2.5 yrs at the time) and my daughter asked me what this place was. I said \"It's McDonald's.\" She was thoughtful for a second and piped up with \"E-I-E-I-O!\"",
"score": 28
},
{
"body": "My two year old loves donuts. Every time we drive past a Dunkins:\n\n* Her: Dad? Can I have a donut?\n\n* Me: Not now honey, maybe this weekend (trying to make a donut a 1x a week thing if I can)\n\n* Her: <thinks> Dad? Do you need to get coffee?\n\n* Me: No, honey.\n\n* Her: OK. I get a donut this weekend.",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "Luckily for your daughter you've already started training her on the basics of coffee ordering. It's confusing now, imagine what it'll be like now that the aughts are ending.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "yes my four year old is already a fan and gets excited when I tell him where we're going. Those strawberry cream things make him dance around in a ridiculous and totally understandable way\nhe's crazy",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Where I work, there's a little girl who's 8 who orders a 'chocolate chip cappuccino' when she actually wants a double chocolaty chip frappucino. It's super cute.\n\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
[Offer] I will promote your band! (for free!) | I'm a band promoter with a little free time due to the holidays. If your band/solo performer is reasonably good, I can help you out with some promotion. I specialize in online promotion, but we can really make anything work. This is free because I'm looking for some bands to add to my "portfolio", so to speak, and because Reddit is the best:)
Post here or send an email to [email protected] | 22 | [
{
"body": "I don't want to come off as a dick, but could you possibly post some sort of verification? I'm kind of a hesitant to this kind of thing. Of course you don't have to, seeing as your doing it for free and probably couldn't give a fuck if I believe you haha. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
AskReddit science: Why do I hear my voice so much louder in my head when I have earplugs or noise isolating earphones in my ears? | I have some old Sony earphones in my ears and I went to press play on my MP3 player and noticed I could hear my breathing louder and then my voice louder in my ears when the headphones are in. I know peoples' voices sound different to themselves than they do when they hear them on a tape recorder or played back on another device, but it seems so much louder and more defined with things in the ears than without. Thanks! | 4 | [
{
"body": "Because of the headphone-plugs, your skull's self resonance is \"conducted\" into your ears (instead of out of the ear). It's called the [Occlusion Effect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occlusion_effect).",
"score": 9
}
] |
Gaming: What piece of hardware has most improved your gaming experiences? | Better video card, bigger monitor, smoother mouse; particular gamepad, mousepad, headset? What one thing do you find most "makes" gaming for you? | 9 | [
{
"body": "1. A good chair. Must have made my back waaay less sore.\n\n2. About 8 years ago I got a 20 inch CRT. My eyes still thank me for that. \n\n3. In chronological order: 286 - 386 - 486dx2 - P1 - P2 - K62@400Mhz - GeForce2 MX400 - Duron @ ~1Ghz - Sempron 64 3000+ and an X1600 pro - X1950XTX - Core2Duo E8200 - 4870 - a DSlite :) \n\nedit: 4. Switches and Ethernet cables have also eased the multiplayer gaming experience. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "A console.\n\nI was big into PC gaming, ran out of time for it, sitting down at the computer is what I do for a living and I didn't want to at home. Now with my xbox its so easy to play, so easy to play a quick XBLA game demo or trial that is automatically downloaded, no whacky issues, no worries, just gaming.\n\ntl;dr Consoles got me back into gaming.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I am incredibly sensitive to my input devices. I can play games all day on a 13\" monitor, but making sure that my online avatar actually is doing what I want him to means that the first thing I will check when playing is how accurately I can get my actions at my desk to translate into what I intend onscreen. Thus, I only play emulated games using a gamepad, and am constantly on the lookout for a better mouse. My keyboard isn't great, but that's largely because I can't find one that is good for typing as well as gaming - I use a MS Natural 4000, which is ergonomically amazing for the price but horrendous for any keystrokes that cross the divide.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Nice video card (4870 1GB) and nice monitor (Samsung 2343BWX, best 23\" monitor ever for $200) make gaming a joy. 2048x1152 gaming with everything maxed just can't be beat.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Dell 3007WFP-HC.\n\nIt has an extremely low input lag and response time along with 2560x1600 pixels in an IPS panel. It is beautiful :]\n\nIt's the greatest god damn monitor ever made. People might think their dinky plasma or LCD HDTV is better, but they are *wrong*. Wrong I say!",
"score": 3
}
] |
I have recently developed some sort of respiratory problem. Reddit, can you help diagnosis me? | My doctor's office is closed 'til Monday, and I don't really want to go to the hospital. I know it's a long-shot, but any advice or theories would be greatly appreciated. And I'm more than happy to answer any questions.
About 5 days ago, I started having difficulty breathing, which has continued up until the present. I frequently have to take deep breaths, often resorting to yawning to get enough air. I feel like I can't quite get enough oxygen. It feels like someone is sitting on my chest. I feel a dull pain in my chest and diaphragm area when I take a deep breath.
When in a seated position or when my head is elevated (ex. propped up on a couple pillows), it is much more difficult to breathe. When lying flat or standing up, it's not as bad. Any physical activity (a walk to the store, for example) worsens my condition.
As far as I can tell, the only other symptom is general sleepiness. I've been napping a lot over the past few days.
Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be wrong with me? If it helps, I'm a large guy - 6'1, 280 lbs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
EDIT: So I went to the ER last night. They monitored my heart, took some blood, did some x-rays - nothing. The doc couldn't find any physical cause for my breathing troubles. My blood pressure is fairly high, but that's an ongoing issue, and I'm unsure if it has any connection to my respiratory problem (the doctor didn't seem to think there was any correlation).
Today, the problem is still there, but it's not as bad. I'm thinking that those of you who suggested some sort of physical trauma to my body has caused this. Maybe a bruising of my ribs or diaphragm? Who knows. Either way, I'm just going to wait it out and hope it continues to get better. Thanks to everyone who offered up advice! The responses to this post was the reason I went to the hospital at 11:30 pm on new years' eve. | 7 | [
{
"body": "Whoa. If you are having trouble breathing but won't go to an emergency room, you are in trouble. Even a pulmanologist could not do a diagnosis without seeing you. Get thee to an emergency room.",
"score": 8
}
] |
TIL that shift+tab is a back tab, i.e. you can use that to untab blocks of code in most editors, for instance. It just does the opposite of tab. Everywhere. Even to skip from one widget to the previous one in dialog boxes. Actually, it's even drawn on the key itself. | Another good example is Microsoft Word / similar editors when creating bulleted/numbered lists. You usually use tab to get to the next level of numbering, i.e. if you're at 2), pressing tab will start a sublevel and you'll be at 2.a). But sometimes, you need the opposite. For instance, after, say, 2.c), you press enter and Word thinks you mean 2.d) when you actually mean 3). It always happens, right? Well, backtab is the solution, which is actually very logical.
Oh and also, before someone points it out, s/untab/unindent/ in the title, I know. It's a shame I can't edit it. | 127 | [
{
"body": "Shift + Anything is usually the opposite of the 'anything'\n\nSpace = Scroll down, Shift + Space = Scroll up\n\nAlt + Tab = Cycle windows forward , Alt + Shift + Tab = Cycle windows backward\n\nWin + M = Minimize all, Win + Shift + M = Maximize all\n\nTry it, just about every action you can do the opposite w/ shift.\n\n",
"score": 59
},
{
"body": "TIL: The 'tab' key has arrows on it.\n\nI'm 22 and I've been inseparable from computers since the age of 4. Mind blown.",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": ">Actually, it's even drawn on the key itself.\n\nHoly crap. Holy crap. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!\n\nOh wait, I usually use a Mac keyboard. OK; for a second there I thought I had been brain dead for the latest half of my life.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Also, the shift key has an up arrow on it, like it's been reminding me all these years to take a good look again at the tab key above it.\n\n....even backspace and enter have and arrow that points to the general direction of Tab.\n\nI think we have found the ultimate key, ladies and gentlemen.",
"score": 3
}
] |
It's New Year's Eve. My boss is making me deliver another stupid pizza. I just saw my girlfriend with another guy and she broke up with me. I hate my life. I'm at some strange business and can't find I.C. Wiener. | Here's to another lousy year. I think I'll just lean back and enjoy this beer while I ring in the New Year.......
Edit: Yes, this is from the pilot episode of [Futurama.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Pilot_3000) | 879 | [
{
"body": "Don't lose heart. Things will improve for you and you will have a very good life. Don't give this one bad night the power of an omen. It's just one stupid evening and tomorrow is the start of a whole new year. By the end of the coming year you will likely have a better job and be loved by a nicer girl. Have a happy new year. ",
"score": 58
},
{
"body": "One day a man has everything, the next day he blows up a 400 billion dollar space station, and then the next day he has nothing. It makes you think......",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "And with this post, I will close my reddit tab for the night and go to bed. Thanks for starting my new year off with a smile, persisting1!\n\nHappy New Year, reddit!",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Look at it this way: If you didn't deliver the pizza, you'd be fired. Out of a cannon. ... Into the Sun.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "/anal\n\nIt actually goes something like this, \"Here's to another lousy millennium!\"\n\nI know it doesn't make sense.. but still. >:|",
"score": 3
}
] |
If you could recreate a similar Woodstock of '69 in 2010 and gain the same amount (or more) of mass appeal and attendees in peace and harmony, which 32 acts would you choose? | I was [watching](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnamP4-M9ko#) and looking at the mass of people that attended and how peaceful and awesome it looked and then [looked](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_performances_and_events_at_Woodstock_Festival) at the wiki article on the performers at the event and thought wow...a lot of these bands I haven't even heard of, and wondered if they were big artists back then for so many people to have the "same ear" for it. Especially now, with so many different genres and so many different people having more specified tastes, how (if it wasn't for the drugs) so many people would get together and who would those performers be to enjoy the music in harmony if one was to be held now?
I know 32 acts might be a lot, but even a few bands would do?
I'm curious and would love to hear your responses! | 4 | [
{
"body": "Day 1 (Punk & Garage Rock):\r\n\r\n* The Offspring\r\n\r\n* MSI\r\n\r\n* The Killers\r\n\r\n* Franz Ferdinand\r\n\r\n* Green Day *shudders*\r\n\r\n* Arctic Monkeys\r\n\r\n* The Strokes\r\n\r\n* The White Stripes\r\n\r\nDay 2 (Metal & Nu Metal):\r\n\r\n* Coheed and Cambria\r\n\r\n* Rage Against the Machine\r\n\r\n* Steve Vai\r\n\r\n* Mastodon\r\n\r\n* System of a Down\r\n\r\n* Joe Satriani\r\n\r\n* Tool\r\n\r\n* Dream Theater\r\n\r\n* Metallica (hopefully they'll play the old stuff)\r\n\r\nDay 3 (Alternative & Indie):\r\n\r\n* The xx\r\n\r\n* The Antlers\r\n\r\n* Bloc Party\r\n\r\n* Modest Mouse\r\n\r\n* Arcade Fire\r\n\r\n* Coldplay *shudders*\r\n\r\n* The Flaming Lips\r\n\r\n* Muse\r\n\r\n* Radiohead\r\n\r\nDay 4 (Hard Rock):\r\n\r\n* Foo Fighters\r\n\r\n* Wolfmother\r\n\r\n* Queens of the Stone Age\r\n\r\n* Red Hot Chili Peppers\r\n\r\n* Them Crooked Vultures\r\n\r\n* Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck",
"score": 5
}
] |
How can I be a good friend to those I know with extremely low self-esteem? | Hi, Reddit. This isn't a "romantic relationship" post, but dealing more with people I come in contact with on a regular basis. I have a few friends who have extremely low self-esteem. They will call themselves ugly and fat and untalented and tear themselves down. As their good friend, it really hurt me to see them do this to themselves.
I know them all separately, but it's similar situation with them all. They are rather good-looking in my opinion (and extremely talented in the case of one of my friends), but for some reason lack confidence in themselves. There are times when I'll have to console them, and no matter how many times I assure them that they're pretty and handsome and talented enough, they just won't hear it. No matter how many times I say it. It's come to the point that I just don't know what to say anymore. They come to me crying about how horrible they feel about themselves and it honestly breaks my heart. I really wish I knew how to handle the situation to make it better for them.
So here I am asking for your advice, Reddit. What can I do to help my friends gain confidence in themselves? I know there's nothing I can do to make it all better for them and that most of it has to do with them sorting things out on their own, but is there anything I can do to be a good friend when they're down in the dumps about themselves? | 5 | [
{
"body": "People with low self-esteem will seek validation from others. When they seek it from you, you can reassure them countless times of their worth, and this might make them feel better in the short-term, but it will rarely change them. Until they can learn how to reach the cognitive steps towards validating themselves, their behavior will generally remain the same.\n\nThat said, you can help them by exposing the irrationality in their reasoning or by giving them constructive advice. Once you get out of the pattern of reassuring them, they might get out of the pattern of seeking validation. For example:\n\nThey say: \"I'm so stupid.\"\n\nReassuring answer: \"No, you're smart!\"\n\nBetter answer: \"Why would you say that? Didn't you get an A- on your last exam?\"\n\nThey say: \"Yeah, but my friend got an A+!\"\n\nReassuring answer: \"I'm sure you're just as smart as he is.\"\n\nBetter answer: \"You guys should study together for the next exam.\"",
"score": 18
}
] |
Circlejerk's take on the phenomenon sweeping reddit, the Karma Party. Discuss. | As the name implies, this community was started as a parody of reddit's circlejerking. There have been a few Karma parties in the past but wow has this gotten out of hand. It seems as though circlejerk is more normal than reddit. We don't even have downmod arrows for our comments and they still outdid us. Karma is supposed to show that you added something to the discussion or made people laugh. Sorry for the seriousness, but what are circlejerk's thoghts on this recent wave ? | 28 | [
{
"body": "Who gives a shit? Anyone who cares about karma is a basement dwelling neckbeard. \r\n\r\nNow upvote me for truth. ",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "I think your tone is just right. When reddit becomes the circlejerk, circlejerk must become reddit. In the karmaparty of old, comments were still voted on based on merit, you still needed to say something as the very least remotely funny. ",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "In all seriousness, it's ridiculous and it's good to know it's got the attention of admins. Report them if you see them.\n\nAs far as r/circlejerk goes, I would like to encourage everyone to only submit self.posts which are karma-neutral, that way we can vote up everything without wondering about potential abuse.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Okay, I must admit, I commented in the karma party. And got over 200 karma points. When I commented, I didn't think much of it, but after I got a lot of karma, I felt kinda bad. Upon reading this post, I tried to delete my comment to get rid of the karma, but I still have it. I'm sorry I have shamed /r/circlejerk. It won't happen again, I promise. I gave into the lure of the karma party and became what circlejerk mocks. :(",
"score": 4
}
] |
An event horizon conundrum. [Pic Included] | http://imgur.com/UODCp
For those who find the drawing a little confusing; Here's the best I can do in words.
The object A falls into the event horizion and sees the universe speeding up towards infinity.
However, before infinite time has passed a black hole has to evaporate and the universe must have seen the object evaporate (in some form) before it hit the event horizon.
But, I'm told you can see an object cross the event horizon.
How is this resolved in physical theory?
From my limited understanding, this should mean a black hole is a dense thin walled sphere and the matter can only escape through hawking radiation.
Edit: How is the fact that the object from the outside doesn't look like it crosses the event horizon but evaporates at some point reconciled?
Edit2: Check out chkno's response, as it resolved my problem exactly. Complete with high quality diagram! | 10 | [
{
"body": "No.\n\nOutside observer: sees the object getting closer and closer to the event horizon, object seems to freeze in time and red shifts, never actually crosses.\n\nPerson going into black hole: Experiences getting sucked into the black hole in real time.",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "Should I worry that I expected the last panel to be a FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU face? Interesting question by the way.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "The event horizon is always in front of you. The universe looks the same, since any light that fell in with you is being distorted in step with you. You see blackness ahead. You are eaten by a grue.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Who thinks America And Canada adopt a Swedish approach to gun control, and just give everyone one along with mandatory training? | I would say their system is perfect, but I don't like the mandatory army term. I wouldn't mind doing it in the Swiss Army, but can you imagine what would happen if **every** person had to do shit for the U.S. army? | 34 | [
{
"body": "Kennesaw, GA, right here in the US has mandatory gun ownership. The head of household is required to own a firearm. Kennesaw adopted the policy back in 1982 as a rebuttal to a neighboring town (Morton Grove) banning all handguns except in the hands of police officers.\n\nThe irony? 25 years later and despite a population explosion (5,000 to 6x that many at 30,000), Kennesaw has had not a single fatal shooting (there was *one* firearm related murder within the town but it didn't involve a resident of Kennesaw), and not a single accidental child injury. The town of Mortons Grove? Not so lucky.\n\nTime to face the facts, criminals are cowards by definition, they aren't going to risk their lives for a TV when they can drive to the next town and terrorize the populace with a 2x4.",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "I suspect you mean Switzerland, where they give you a rifle when you start your mandatory military service, (which never ends, BTW). \n\nI believe that in Sweden you can buy all the guns you want, but you have to register and account for all of your ammunition.",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "I think you are referring to the approach of Switzerland not Sweden. Both have military conscription but Sweden may abolish it soon. Also gun laws are more strict in Sweden than Switzerland.",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "Swedish or Swiss? \r\n\r\nBut seriously, it is a tradition in many countries that all young men, (with specific exceptions), serve in the armed forces at some point. Given our own culture people in the US might freak, but technically [all men ages 17 to 45 (again with certain exceptions) are supposedly automatically part of a national militia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militia_(United_States\\)#The_reserve_militia).\r\n\r\nI think that the [Civilian Marksmanship Program](http://www.odcmp.com/) may have something to do with that. I'd love to hear anyone's experience with them.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Conscription is slavery. As such I could never support it. That said. I think that offering free training (non-mandatory) a'la [Eddie Eagle](http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/), [The Four Rules](http://www.thehighroad.us/library/rules.html), and the [CMP ](http://www.odcmp.com/) is a great idea.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "You meant Switzerland. \r\nAlso, I suspect the Swiss military hasn't been mobilized since the early 1800s or so.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Yes and furthermore we would have a healthier and safer society if in Physical Education they taught us to defend ourselves instead of worthless things like Baseball or Football. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "How about this:\n\nWe adopt no gun control at all for law abiding citizens and ROW can mind its own God damn business?",
"score": 4
}
] |
AskUbuntu: How do you organize your mp3s? | In Windows, I just let iTunes organize my mp3s into folders based on their ID3 tag, but rhythmbox doesn't seem to have that feature. What are some good programs that I can use?
| 17 | [
{
"body": "I never put a file directly into my music folder/structure. I first run everything through MusicBrainz' \"picard\" to be absolutely certain that the music is tagged correctly. As part of it's saving, a side effect is that picard moves the music into my music structure, also correctly.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "I sort them manually. It's a pain the the ass at first, but once you've done it it's just a matter of maintaining it.\n\nI use the following structure\n\nArtist/Album/Track. Song-Title.flac",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "Banshee and Amarok can organize files based on tags.\n\nI use EasyTAG for tagging and renaming files and directories containing them. The rest I do manually through a file manager or shell.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I sort them as I tag them. EasyTAG allows you to use the 'scanner' option to change the filename and directory structure. So I tell it to use this pattern to rename/relocate:\n\n /media/HYDRA/Music/%g/%a/%y - %b/%a - %n - %t\n\nSo, for example, a track path becomes (If your tag info is correct):\n\n /media/HYDRA/Music/Folk Metal/Finntroll/1999 - Midnattens Widunder/Finntroll - 02 - Svartberg.flac\n\nWith the directories ordered like that, I can reconstruct the majority of the ID3 tags if an application screws with them.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I have a folder for music and every CD gets its own subfolder. Tagging takes care of the real organization, which happens in Rhythmbox (until I find something less likely to halt at the end of songs or hang in futex_wait).",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "i take all my files and raname them sequentially in order of down load time in roman numerals, and put them all in my home directory. It helps me know what is what.\n\nseriously though, people who dont sort by at least artist/album/song \n\nwhy people need entire programs to do this though is beyond me.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "~/Music/Artist/Album/01 Title.mp3\n\nExcept compilations, which are\n\n~/Music/Various Artists/Album/01 Artist - Title.mp3\n\nI manage my ID3 tags meticulously using Quod Libet. When I add music I just go through and use the tagging function to correct or fill out everything, then I use the renaming function to rename/move them into the correct format and location using the Quod Libet conditional syntax. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
Yeah, FUCK YOU 30-second commercial that whistles at volumes 10x louder than the actual video I wanted to watch. You woke up my elderly and incontinent great dane, who has literally just shit ALL OVER my bed because he got spooked by the whistling. I'm SO going to buy your product now... | I'm at my wits end...
EDIT:
Here's a link to the commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VB32rR4y04
Bear in mind that this advert was playing LUDICROUSLY louder than the subsequent video. | 168 | [
{
"body": "So, let me get this straight:\n\n\n1) Your dog spontaneously shits.\n\n2) You let the shit-squirting dog sleep on your bed.\n\n3) You played a video that woke up the shit-squirting dog.\n\n4) The shit-squirting dog squirted shit all over the bed you let it sleep on.\n\n5) It's the video's fault.\n\n\nAlrighty then.",
"score": 52
},
{
"body": "How about that pain-threshold audio in the action sequences, which I must turn down because I had to crank the volume during the normal sequences to hear the goddamned mother-fucking piss fuck dialogue. You know: Dialogue, that stuff where characters talk to one another, providing plot, development, and exposition.\n\nFuck me, *Casino Royale* is an excellent movie: one of the few action movies I actually like. But there are several plot elements that I cannot possibly know without cranking the volume and playing the Blu Ray back 4x to decipher particular lines. Then Bond tosses some bad guy down a stairwell and the *thud* is so deafening that I worry about waking the neighbors.\n\nFuck you in hell forever, Hollywood uber-perverts! May molten uranium vaporize every nook and cranny of every one of your ass-clown orifices, you dirty grandpa felchers!\n\nShit and goddamn! The sound of a fist hitting a face is roughly the same volume as normal conversation -- I should know, because I have punched someone in the face, and it's not that loud. Why not set the volume in some happy middle ground, so we can hear the kittenfucking dialogue?\n\nAction movies are made for 13-year-old boys, anyway, or for the 13-year-old boy inside each of us putatively grown men.\n\nFuck the whole human race. Fuck everybody. There is no hope. Fuck reddit, fuck the Internet, fuck my parents, all my ex-girlfriends, my teachers and mentors, my colleagues, and the strangers I see on the street. We're all too stupid to live!\n\nFuck.",
"score": 36
},
{
"body": "I think they are or were in the process of trying to pass legislation on that matter (In the US I believe).\n\nI really hope it goes through.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "I think they are coming out with a law that would make the bastards maintain the same volume. Sorry bout that though.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Seriously though, making commercials twice as loud makes us dislike the products they are trying to sell us. It's so freaking annoying. \n\nAlso, sorry to hear about that. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I've actually considered writing a program to put on my computer to handle this problem. It wakes up my baby when I'm using normal speakers or makes me deaf when I'm wearing headphones. Anyone interested in such a program. If enough of you email me, I'll get to work. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Man. When that whistle started all I saw was your dog shit the bed and roll around all freaked out and saw you flip out and there's shit everywhere. And I laughed. A lot. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Solution: \nCancel your cable subscription. \nSell your TV. \nGet the best internet connection available in your area that you can afford.\n\nYou'll thank me.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Sciency music playlist request | Hi Reddit. Today I combed through my library and cobbled together a list of songs that get me misty-eyed about science. Do you have any other suggestions to add to this collection?
[Grooveshark Playlist](http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/playlist/Science+And+Romance/22325956)
Songs I couldn't find:
-Photosynthesis - The Hot Toddies
-Rare Isotope Rap - Alpine Kat
-Sanctus, Osanna In Excelsis and Benedictus from the Missa Gaia - (Whale song and Latin!) | 3 | [
{
"body": "[Here Comes Science](http://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Science-Might-Giants/dp/B002FKZ4UO), the new album from They Might be Giants. Songs about DNA, photosynthesis, the sun, states of matter, dinosaurs, etc. Enjoy!",
"score": 3
}
] |
Happy New Year (EST) Reddit! | The past year has been great for some and lousy for others. Whatever your past year was like, here's to the next year being better.
Happy New Year Reddit
EDIT: My first event of the new year (aside from posting to reddit) was seeing my cat with our new kittens. He has been kinda snarly towards them since they were introduced to the house. Right after the ball dropped, the kittens dashed into the room and started playing with the older cat. I'm going to take that as inspiration to be optimistic for the new year. | 673 | [
{
"body": "My first post ever and ive been reading reddit for over a year....the comments on peoples posts are why i keep coming back....thanks reddit",
"score": 55
},
{
"body": "Happy New Year!! \n\nShould old acquaintance be forgot,\n\nand never brought to mind?\n\nShould old acquaintance be forgot,\n\nand old lang syne?\n\nFor auld lang syne, my dear,\n\nfor auld lang syne,\n\nwe'll take a cup of kindness yet,\n\nfor auld lang syne.",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "Happy Fucking New Year!!!!!!!!!!!! Let’s not get laid off and look forward to happy, healthy, and prosperous new years from now on!!!!!!!!! Let’s start fresh!!!!!!!!!!! yayayayayayayayyayayayayayayayayaayy",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "I'm settling in with Captain Morgans Private Stock... a delicious way to end and begin a year: drunk.\n\nHappy new year!",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "I wish to begin this year by saying that the cake, ladies and gentlemen, is in fact NOT a lie. I am eating it at this very moment.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Happy new year from the land of lobsters and fried clams. I wish everyone a good year full of delicious seafood.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Three cheers for watching live streams of Zelda and browsing Reddit on New Years Eve...\n\nWhat a way to spend my birthday and welcome in the new year. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Happy new year from sweden! yep still rocking!\nEdit: and I will be rocking after all your new years eve are over!\n\neditagain:\n\nstill here. I love you all.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Man, fuck all of you New Yorkers who have to call their entire address book to wish them a happy New Year. I was on a very good call to my parents and at 12:01, my damned call dropped. I hope whoever you're pestering is happy you called.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I danced for two hours with a perfect girl that I've had crush on for over a month.\n\nThen she told me she was still in love with her ex.\n\nFeelings are mixed.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I have had an extemely rough year. I love you all. You have helped me so much and I really appreciate it. If only you could see me now. \n\nI apologize for the spelling and horrible writing; I'm wasted. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "copy the content into notepad.\nhit replace all (ctrl+h)\nreplace all 6 with _ (underscore)\nwatch it go!\n\n\n\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 9966666669966666 6996699999999669 9666699666666666 6666696666666666 666666666666\n6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 9966666666996666 9966699999999669 9666699666666666 6666999666666666 666666666666\n6669966666996699669 9666666669966666 9966666666699669 9666699666699669 9666699666666666 6669969966666666 666666666666\n6669966966996699669 9999999669999999 9966666666669999 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 6699666996666666 666666666666\n6669969996996699669 9999999669999999 9966666666666996 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 6999999999666666 666666666666\n6669999699996699666 6666699669966666 9966666666666996 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 9999999999966666 666666666666\n6669996669996699669 9999999669966666 9966666666666996 6666699999999669 9666699666666669 9666666666996666 666666666666\n6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 9966666666666996 6666699999999669 9999999666666699 6666666666699666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6699666669966666666 6966666666699999 9996699999999669 9666666996666666 6996666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666\n6699666669966666666 9996666666699999 9996699999999666 9966669966666666 6999666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666\n6699666669966666669 9699666666699666 6996699666699666 6996699666666666 6999966699669966 6666669966666996 666666666666\n6699999999966666699 6669966666699999 9996699999999666 6699996666666666 6996996699669999 9999669966966996 666666666666\n6699999999966666999 9999996666699999 9996699999999666 6669966666666666 6996699699669999 9999669969996996 666666666666\n6699666669966669999 9999999666699966 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996669999669966 6666669999699996 666666666666\n6699666669966699666 6666669966699666 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996666999669999 9999669996669996 666666666666\n6699666669966996666 6666666996699666 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6669966666699669999 9999666666666966 6666666999999996 6666666999999966 9999999966699966 6699999999666666 666666666666\n6666996666996669999 9999666666669996 6666666999999996 6666666999999996 9966669966669966 6699666699666666 666666666666\n6666699669966669966 6666666666699699 6666666996666996 6666666666666996 9996669966669966 6699966699666666 666666666666\n6666669999666669999 9999666666996669 9666666999999996 6666666666669966 9969669966669966 6699696699666666 666666666666\n6666666996666669999 9999666669999999 9966666999999996 6666666666699666 9966969966669966 6699669699666666 666666666666\n6666666996666669966 6666666699999999 9996666996996666 6666666669966666 9966699966669966 6699666999666666 666666666666\n6666666996666669999 9999666996666666 6699666996699666 6666666999999996 9966669966669966 6699666699666666 666666666666\n6666666996666669999 9999669966666666 6669966996666996 6666666999999996 9999999966699996 6699999999666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Wish I could've built a time machine to travel two hours ahead to celebrate with you all. Happy *early* new years folks.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Happy New Years Reddit! I have been ducking for cover the last hour hoping I wouldn't get hid by the 10,000 rounds of ammo being fired all around me. I swear the ghetto out did itself this year. More shots, taking cover be back soon!",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Happy New Year Reddit! First post here, just started reading about a week ago and I'm hooked - here's hoping this decade is better than the last!!!",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "What a fucking shitty decade spent being bent over by our corporate government. How about we fucking *do* something to make the next one better?\n\nedit: I don't really know what...too many sheeple to herd.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Happy New Year, Reddit! I love all you guys! All the best in the coming year and here's to looking back on the positive of last year.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I was all warm and fuzzy with that until I realized that was just for (EST)... being on the west coast, I feel a bit left out. Did ya HAVE to specify EST? couldn't you just say happy friggin new year to all? well gosh darnit I'll say it: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! *CLINK* CHEERS!",
"score": 3
}
] |
Ever notice how black metal albums frequently have three totally unrelated words as their titles? Well, here is an exhaustive list of them. | Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism? Desert Northern Hell? What the fuck are these bands talking about?
I spent my new years doing this. Sifting through 10000+ albums to find the blackest cream of the satanic crop blah blah blah you get the joke. Whatever, here is a list of black metal albums with three words titles.
* III Mother Baker
* Invincible Black Order
* Great Darkness Ahamoth
* Lost Sounds Depraved
* Depressive Infernal Aura
* Signos.Razor.Hate
* Razor.Hate.Satan
* Aberrant Hate Icon
* Stone Heart Blood
* Extreme Speed Satan
* Grim Satanic Blessing
* Venerable Grey Epitaph
* Black Magik Rehearsal
* Absence Spells Beyond...
* Organic Perpetual Hatework
* Violent Soundtrack Martyrium
* Dying Emotions Domain
* Idea. Form. Essence
* Black Thrash Attack
* Ghostly Evening Light
* Autumn Silent Agony
* Artless Puppets Show
* Unholy Baal Zebuth
* Bestial Satanic Terror
* War Invoking Die
* Blood Fire Death
* Bondage Goat Zombie
* Reversed Black Trinity
* Ecstasy, Nightmare, Doom
* Heaven Cast Darkness
* Fucking Fullmoon Foundation
* Black Circle Crusades
* Lonely Bohemian Quest
* Black Faith Inquisition
* Shapeless Forsaken Spirits
* Grim Moonless Nights
* Uterine Acid Swishes
* Mirrored Hate Painting
* Dreaded Chaotic Reign
* Mysterious Yet Unwearied
* Black Abysmal Art
* Eternal Winter's Prophecy
* Hatred, Death, Intolerance…
* Spiritual Black Ritual
* Universal Funeral March
* Immortal Black Art
* Fear:Suicide:Life
* Unholy black art
* Meat Hook Ballet
* True. North. Strong
* War Cult Supremacy
* Terminal World Perspective
* Total Soul Rape
* Wordless Sound Poems
* Dead Souls Madness
* Directory 'Human' Delete
* Hell Satan Blasphemy
* Full Moon Shines
* Unveiled Ghostly Shadows
* Autumn Roars Thunder
* Dead Dawn Rising
* Lesbian Corpse Wolves
* Burning black infinity
* Anotherside Squeal Within
* Violence Blasphemy Sodomy
* Pure Fucking Intoxication
* Goat War Incantations
* Moving Inward Us
* Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
* Spiritual Black Dimensions
* Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
* Death Cult Armageddon
* Human Primordial Instinct
* Black Emotions Hate
* Winds Choir Opera
* Nocturnal Pagan Supremacy
* Pure Degenered Madness
* Black Dominated Annihilation
* Endless Dismal Moan
* Dead...Fuck...Blackness
* Cold Black Ejaculation
* Night Monumental Evil
* Immortal Ancient Spirit
* Double Faced Corruption
* Pure Nature Dark
* Silver Sound Forest
* Murder Cult Eidolon
* Satan's Beauty Obscenity
* Pure Satanic Blasphemy
* Black Metal Supreme
* Blood, Monsters, Darkness
* Black Goat Apocalypse
* Bondage Goat Zombie
* Desert Northern Hell
* Eternal Introspective Winter
* Cursed Infernal Steel
* Abstract Maelstrom Paragon
* Cold Void Journey
* Forever Burning Ashes
* Black Rebel Altars
* Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism
* Death.All.Nation
* Wrecked Human Deathcult
* Supreme Infernal Legions
* Black Goat Armageddon
* Crescente Entropia Universal
* Eternal Black Reflections
* Black Scenery Avatar
* Nefarious Dismal Orations
* Pale Grieving Moon
* Pure Blasting Blasphemy
* Eternal Funeral Trance
* Human...Values...Destroy
* Shining Evil Light
* Descend Supreme Sunset
* Everlasting Hell Damnation
* Raging Evil Desekration
* Extreme Bizarre Seduction
* Nekro Kult Khaos
* Panzer Division Marduk
* Humane Too Sheeps
* Prosatanica Shooting Angels
* Die Fucking Bastard
* Triune Impurity Rites
* Black Medieval Art
* Depression Dead Mind
* Frozen Cryptic Winterstorm
* Sacred Spear Aftersounds
* Black Magic End
* Satanism. Sickness. Solitude.
* Primordial Serpent Holocaust
* Goats Brew Alcolust
* Bestial Thrash Invasion
* Satanic Black Devotion
* War Ceremonial Hail
* Carelian Satanist Madness
* Black Sun Society
* Folkloric Necro Metal
* Eternal Goat Reign
* Murder. Satan. Holocaust.
* Triumph.Genocide.Antichrist
* Victory.Intolerance.Mastery
* Infiltration.Downfall.Death
* Industrial Mental Concept
* Black Desolate Winter
* Oriental Hell Rhythmics
* Soul Celestial Saga
* Cybionic Black Art
* Fake Measured Smile
* Grotesque Autumnal Weepings
* Dark Infernal Light
* Black Lunatic Chaos
* Trans Cunt Whip
* Black Northern Storm
* Black Goat Sodomizer
* Generating Lifeforms Elite
* Solitary Winter Night
* Perpetual Black Force
| 38 | [
{
"body": "I blame Dimmu Borgir: they started this trend.\n\nIt got worse with Revenge, and their three.word.title. type titles.",
"score": 10
}
] |
What are the best books on history? | After an ill-fated adventure on Amazon (spoiler: the current bestselling book on "U.S. history" is Going Rogue) I turn to you: what have you found to be the best written works on history? General world history, U.S. history, European history, ancient history, the works. | 8 | [
{
"body": "I'll repeat [a comment I made](http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/ak29s/ask_rbooks_so_ive_got_a_library_card_and_im/c0hzzg2) in /r/books where someone was asking for nonfiction recommendations:\n\n---\nRecently, I finally got around to reading the famous *Guns of August* by Barbara Tuchman. I had it in my to-read pile for years, since I'd always heard it was one of the great books of history.\n\nBy the time I finished it, I felt \"OMG I must read every book this woman has ever written, right now!\" Fortunately, I already had another one of hers, *Bible and Sword*, at home, so I moved right on to that, buying me some time until I could go to the bookstore. I went to the bookstore a few days later, bought all 3 other books of hers thay had in stock, and ordered 2 others. Maybe by the time I read 7 in a row I'll be satisfied and can pick up the books I stopped in the middle of when I got sucked into Guns of August :)\n\nIn the past I've always preferred books about the world written by journalists rather than most historians, because a lot of historians view their job as digging out all the facts (which, to be fair, it is) while journalists understand that they're telling a story - so books by historians, a lot of the time, just lay out the facts, while journalists tie them together in ways that actually spark mental connections and help me learn.\n\nBarbara Tuchman is not most historians. She can dig out the facts, and *she can write* like the best novelists. Her history books are literature.\n\nBible and Sword is about the relationship between England and Israel/Palestine, from the earliest history until Allenby entered Jerusalem in 1918. Her thesis is that this relationship has run in two parallel threads: one of practical politics, commerce, and war (Sword) and the other of story, myth, and religion (Bible).\n\nWhen I'm done with it, I'm going to read *The Zimmerman Telegram* next. I'm excited, it looks like an exciting political spy thriller novella. (about real world events, of course, but reading Tuchman feels like reading fiction too)\n\n---\n\ntl;dr: *Guns of August* by Barbara Tuchman deserves its reputation as one of the best books of history ever.",
"score": 3
}
] |
When I first started watching Reddit about 4 years ago, it was a good source of interesting and unique links. Since Conde Nast bought it, Reddit has slowly degenerated into a popularity contest/MMORPG. Instead of posting interesting things, people use it for karma-whoring. | Just in the last 24 hours, [this](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/ak8iy/to_the_12yearold_douchebags_of_reddit_if_you_do/) and [this](http://www.reddit.com/r/worstof/comments/ak6oq/this_is_why_karma_parties_are_retarded_scarker) have appeared on the front page. Plus there's the [karma parties](http://www.reddit.com/r/karmaparty).
Oh, and I've also noticed that posts seem to be uniformly the same in upvote/downvote percentages. Regardless of the subject matter or the context, the vast majority of them end up with (roughly) 2 upvotes for every 1 downvote. That makes me think thousands of people are downvoting things automatically, just for hateful and destructive entertainment purposes.
Admit it, jedberg---your little online society is sick, and not getting better.
edit: And, they're extremely intolerant of criticism. As you can see below. | 7 | [
{
"body": "Don't forget all the posts of people bitching about how reddit has changed for the worse...those are getting out of hand too...oh, wait...",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "The demographics have changed. With a broader population you get more people who don't match the original community. The only connection with Conde Nast is that they bought it *because* it was growing. They certainly didn't cause the change.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "This whole Karma thing is the worst thing about Reddit. I love this site purely for the upto date news and whimsical opinions. My personal \"karma\"\n means nothing to me, seriously. But many here live for it, it's pathetic",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Time for a new community.\n\nI don't know why there is something like karma points. I have no earthly idea of what good it does and I don't care a wet slap about them.\n\nAs soon as you see something that you can 'earn', people will want more for themselves and less for others. We roll that way.\n\nWe can only countermand it by either:\n\n- posting great links\n\n- finding a new place",
"score": 3
}
] |
if you know people who think cannabis is not acceptable for adult consumption: urge them to become alcohol prohibition activists in 2010! | 'nuf said. To go on about how cannabis is a safer alternative to recreational mind alteration would be preaching to the choir. :) | 66 | [
{
"body": "OMG, I'm hallucinating and seeing little pink Christina Aguilera monsters! No, wait, those are just side effects from my prescription meds...",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "No.\n\nReasoning: we're trying to end an unlawful prohibition of our favorite naturally-occurring plant. How do you figure putting a prohibition on another substance will help? We become no better than the people forcing the prohibition on weed.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I don't see the big deal about New Years. | I think I have been getting progressively less and less festive.
Especially tonight, I just really feel like there's no real big deal here. 2010 will "feel" just like 2009, only with different events that won't happen until they happen. No great "2010-ey" events have happened yet, and probably won't for a few months. Why are we celebrating now?
Am I just being a New Years Scrooge (if there is such a thing)? I just don't feel festive at all. | 5 | [
{
"body": "I think you're just being a \"New Years Scrooge\". Yes, it's a completely arbitrary calendar changing event, but it gives people an excuse to celebrate.\n\nNot that there is anything wrong with your way of thinking. Hell, I spent my night home alone browsing reddit!",
"score": 3
}
] |
How many people (Guys/Girls) get dumped right before or couple days before new year 2010? | I do
Probably I should write the story of what happened yesterday.
As I have mentioned before in this page, http://www.reddit.com/r/relationship_advice/comments/ajzeh/dear_redditor_i_am_lost_please_give_me_advice/)
My girlfriend wants to have a break from our relationship 2 days before New year.
Despite the fact that most of the redditors from that page have asked me not to go with her yesterday. I went ahead and see how it goes. For experience too I suppose since I need to grow some balls and guts as others said.
Well Lunch with grandma was fine. Nothing much. Afterwards was nightmare. In the car, I was trying to hold her hands and she shove it away. I then asked how long is the break going to be? It will be about 2 weeks she said. for a while nothing is said. We watched a movie to pass time as we are going to a club with her friends to pass time. After the movie we have a discussion on why she is feeling the way she is right now. The problem was that there is no more spark between us and that she was holding this up for more than 2 months. The reason she put up with it is because she is scared her parents will scold her. By this time I know this isn't going to work and we are ending it.
Beforehand I know our relationship is having a rough time and I was trying to make up with it by trying to get more time from her but she is always busy with work. My fault probably I just didn't voice it out loud. Eitherway I know this will end sooner or later but I just go with it. During the party I was totally pissed by her attitude. Though I cannot say much since she is going to leave me the next day.
One part that I hate so much that night was that, we were waiting for her friends to show up to the party and I asked her if she wants to sit down since there is an empty space. But she said nah, we will sit on the sofa later. 30 seconds later her guy friend, who was waiting with us asked the same question and she said "yeah, let's sit". How fucked up is that? Just saying.
Anyway it ended with me drunk, she drives me to her house (Totally uncool but fucked it. I need a goddamn drink). Her friends are worried. I slept on her couch. And today I woke up. Leave the house. I think that is the end of our relationship. | 8 | [
{
"body": "My buddy got dumped last week because his girl's (asian) parents want her to date rich guys instead (Pimpin' ain't easy...). He is in the Army. It's tearing him up.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Well it sounds like other than complete awkwardness you got off pretty lightly.\n\nThat's it though my friend, don't give her an inch. She has made her bed, she says 2 weeks so don't talk to her for 2 weeks. Even if she is all \"But I miss youuuu\". Fuck her and her terrible reasoning skills",
"score": 3
}
] |
Why are Lego's expensive? | It's hard not to love them, but the price tag on the sets are very high, even for the small models. I was thinking about getting some Star Wars sets, but prices on them are too high for my college budget. | 7 | [
{
"body": "First off you are going to enrage a certain group by not calling them Lego.\r\n\r\nSecondly they are expensive because they can be. By now they are a very established brand so they can charge exuberant amounts for little colored blocks.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "it is for this very reason why i bought a shit-ton back in the 80s.\n\nwho is laughing now, ma? muwhahahahaha!",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I can't imagine how expensive the licensing for star wars is so I'd say that factors into it. The bricks are all but impossible to break, the sets work, and the designs are usually pretty architecturally sound. In other words they are quality toys that wil last decades. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "You name one other thing that you can buy at $.10 a piece that will still be exactly the same in 100 years.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Do you have any idea how much it costs to feed a machine plastic which it turns into simple bricks? Literally several dollars.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I had an interesting thought about the internet just now | Someone, somewhere will probably create a cache with great swathes of the internet stored on it. This will become an anthropological matter. What will people think? What will be their means of seeing it? I personally have an image of going to a museum and getting to poke around various sites on two little replica computers sitting side by side. What if humans die off and aliens researchers found it? Thoughts? | 5 | [
{
"body": "I think aliens will conclude that humans went extinct due to a genetic mutation leading to the loss of all pubic hair.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "If humans die off, I think that very little contemporary material will be found. Most digital storage is not as non-volatile as many assume.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Why is this reddit so unknow? | I've been a long time lurker but this shouldn't be horribly populated? There must be some people drinking alone on new years. Come join me!
If it's not new year where you are, screw it. Drink for alcohol not for new year! | 16 | [
{
"body": "Full time lurker here too... I'm thinking the only reason that this reddit is so under-represented is that most people can't type coherently once they are drunk enough to think about logging onto Reddit. (This post brought to you thanks to equal help from Captain Morgan and the backspace button)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Yep! I'm drinking a Hemp Ale (tastes great!), sitting here with my dog in my new apartment. I just moved to a new town a couple days ago, and I don't know more than 2 people around here. Happy new year everyone! 6 minutes to 2010 where I am!",
"score": 3
}
] |
Christians: why do you believe? | First, a disclaimer: I come off as offensive, the method of discussion I am used to is attacking someone's beliefs and having them defend them. That does not mean I'm attacking you.
Second, some background: I am an atheist who is currently dating a Christian girl and her beliefs are important to her. Because of the fact that I know that I come off as aggressive and argumentative, I'm trying to garner some understanding of the general motives of people of faith like her, so that I can have discussions with her about her faith without coming off as condescending, and I don't know any religious people in real life that I can ask these questions of.
So onto the content:
How do you reconcile the Bible as the word of god with the various inconsistencies, such as the punishments prescribed for sinners and the creation story conflicting with science, given the fact that certain doctrines, such as original sin require that the Bible be read as literal, not as metaphorical.
How do you get around the problem of the logical inconsistencies inherent in attributing god the traits that he is cited as having in the Bible, e.g omnipotence (the classic paradox of can something be so powerful that it can create a rock it can't lift) or Epicurus' problem of evil.
So...anyone care to help me out here and explain this to me? I just genuinely don't understand. | 11 | [
{
"body": "I believe because I have encountered God. Without going into too much detail, I went off the rails when I was in my young teenage years. One day I was dragged along to a Christian event by a close friend. While I was there, a woman I had never met before came up to me and described, in detail, a lot of the stuff I had been getting up to. Stuff I told no one about. This got my attention big-time and over the next few months God changed me to the point where now I am not the same person I was back then.\n\nYou can't have an encounter with something as big as God, and not be completely changed. A lot of people claim to believe (80% in the states?), but we know that most of are fooling themselves, because they do not live a changed life. But I digress...\n\nThe problem you and I have is that although we are both rational, intelligent people, my reasons for believing are completely personal to me and something you cannot understand. This makes your original question, \"Why do you believe?\" not ideal for what you really want to know.\n\nMy impression is that you hold logic and rationalism as very important to you, and you are unable to make the biblical accounts fit into that model. We could go into a endless discussion about which parts are logical, which parts are not, whether or not it matters etc etc. That would take too long, and would ultimately go in circles. \n\nWhat I will say is that in my experience it is possible to poke holes in, or find exceptions to almost theory. We have a model for electromagnetism, which works really well, but we know it's incomplete because it doesn't explain gravity at all. The scientists determining the age of the earth, and those determining the age of the universe have leapfrogged each other a few times. \n\nMy point is that if you drop each new theory as soon as you find part of it which is unexplainable then you'll end up being left with very little to hold on to. I can't explain the paradox of omnipotence, but the fact that I don't understand it doesn't invalidate the existence of God for me.\n\nSorry my response is so long, but you did ask a big question :)",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Most people don't become Christians because they think the Bible sounds reliable and consistent, or because they think the doctrine of God is easy to reconcile with the problem of pain.\n\nMost people choose to become Christians because they feel like they've encountered something of God. \n\nNot all Christians are built the same. Some have a sort of non-reflective folk theology. What they believe about God is whatever so-in-so in authority has told them about God, and whatever they happened to agree with when they watch TV or read Magazines/the Internet. If she is this sort of Christian then she'll be tough to deal with, because truth is she hasn't figured out her faith for herself yet. When you attack her beliefs what you are really attacking are her authority figures, her pastor, church leaders, and possibly her parents. These are people that she likely loves and admires, and you'll be basically saying to her, \"These people are lying to you\". If she hasn't had any self-reflection when it comes to her faith, there will be no separating attacking her faith from attacking her loved ones.\n\nIf the person is more self-reflective and has done their homework, your conversations will be more interesting, fun, and you won't have to worry as much about there being a subtext to the conversation. However, as you pointed out, the question of the problem of pain is a classic paradox. It isn't anything new. There are a ton of perspectives on it, a ton of different ways that different people (of different faiths) have attempted to solve it. You probably won't be shaking her foundations by bringing this up. There is actually nothing new about taking parts of the Bible, such as the creation story, as being allegorical--and it's more than just choosing the parts that you like and you don't. Christian theologians have been taking the creation story as a myth that explains truths about God since before the theory of evolution was ever suggested. \n\nIn the end, we are Christians because we feel like we found something of God, or He found us. It isn't a case of figuring everything out first--instead we find ourselves in a uncomfortable situation of thinking we've found something of God and trying to make sense of Him. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "why don't you ask your girlfriend? it's very interesting that you have chosen a christian girlfriend :)",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "What's your purpose? To understand God or this girlfriend? Is she your soul mate? Going to get married, live together 'till you're old and gray, then both die and be made eternally one in heaven? \r\n\r\nSorry if I \"come off as offensive\", but I didn't God was so unsubstantial as to be a bauble for a romance. And you're asking me to take something I've wrestled with all my life and make it something you can conveniently compartmentalize into your own--or just as quickly dispose of. And my approach to Christ is not uniform with other people on this site--and this does engender great conflicts; all money and royalty aside, the \"Religious Wars\" in Europe were as much over disputes in Christian doctrine as they were over secular matters. Personally, I don't accept of original sin is an absolute *literal* premise for human life--but in saying that, I open myself to attacks from untold minions on this subReddit. I get attacked by Christians--my own \"spiritual brethren\".\r\n\r\nSo what you're really looking for is a bargain. Admit it. You want maximum philosophical return on the barest minimum of personal emotional investment (and man, can a person ever infer something about the relationship you got with this girl from that observation). Sorry, but I suck at trying to compartmentalize \"love\" in rational terms--be it love of God or something more on the lines of eros. \r\n\r\nAnd what are you going to do if you really are graced with something that inclines you to be a Christian? Anything? Maybe something for a couple years, then forget about it? \r\n\r\n*And are we even talking about Christ, here?* You say you're an atheist, yet you have a philosophical bent. Maybe you ought try first wrestling with Deism. Then you go onto theodicy. Then, ontology. I mean, this is a very specific Christian tenant you will be honoring--Luke 14 specifically warns against people entering unthought commitments. In contrast, these \"alter calls\"--that's when you give a sudden public confession in the church and the preacher loudly responds, \"Salvation has come to you today!\"--maybe they last and maybe they don't. Regardless, that's a very slapdash way of honoring the Great Commandment.\r\n\r\nI never had a dramatic Christian rebirth. Maybe that makes me unsaved and evil. Maybe it means every word out of my mouth is spoken by an unseen viper. Believe it or not, it never really was important to me. It so happens I liked the Jesus I was taught about in Sunday School back when I was 6 years old, liked him enough to keep him as \"savior\" ever since. However, it's clear Jesus did not preach a message for 6 year olds, which means I've had to grow. It's also clear that what I experienced in 1980s, 1990s and 2000s America had very little to do with anything I'd mistake as \"Christ-like\". I assume I'm living in the shadow which preceeds what will amount to the apocalypse--yet that, too, doesn't have to be literal from \"sola scriptura\" (Revelation includes 11 references to an \"angry god\" or \"wrathful god\"--yet how can perfection be blemished with anger?).\r\n\r\n*Hard?* Hard. But what choice is there? Are you going to be serious with this stuff, or is it just a phase you're going through? I think I might actually prefer being an atheist on some level, as this is the era in which you guys get all the breaks. Karl Rove is an atheist. He's an atheist who appeals to the absolute worst sentiments in fundamentalist Christians, so they support him. *And what retribution does he fear?* None. In his mind, human law is everything and he is above human law. *Is that the sort of definition of the universe you would teach to children? A universe run on 'do as thou wilt, but don't get caught'?* No? OK, then prepare to do some legwork in order to fathom something a little deeper. ",
"score": 4
}
] |
Was anyone at Intervarsity's Urbana this year or have you gone before? | I went this year (though I left a day early). I just want to know how it affected you guys, what you liked most about it, what you didn't like, etc etc.
I'll go first. I went to pretty random seminars. That was my favorite part. It was hard to connect to worship in such a large setting, but I looove worship in different languages. The speakers were pretty tight. I've gone on the Chicago Urban Project and a Global Urban Trek before so the messages weren't new to me but I still appreciated my time there. | 8 | [
{
"body": "Yes I went! It was my first time and pretty worth it! I loved ringing in the new year with 17,000 other Christians. I wish more people would understand the holistic Christianity presented there. Also, I am listening to the worship CD right now :) I tried going to CUP but injured myself right before hand so I could not go. But hopefully I can go on a STM trip this summer!\n\nCon Con Con Poder!",
"score": 3
}
] |
What inventions do you think will be invented this decade? | What inventions do you think will be invented this decade? What do you think the future has in store for us?
I imagine there will be great advancements in technology. | 43 | [
{
"body": "It's called a \"Jump to Conclusions\" mat. You see, it would be this mat that you would put on the floor... and would have different *conclusions* written on it that you can *jump to*. ",
"score": 86
},
{
"body": "Organ growing that yields transplantable results. I could maybe see limbs, too, but they would probably be clumsy and awkward initially.",
"score": 40
},
{
"body": "A heads up display that will be worn like glasses. It will know what you are looking at and be able to give you information about it. If it's a person it could remind you of their name and perhaps some information about past interactions with them. If it's a restaurant it could access reviews for you etc... Eventually, maybe not in this decade, they will be worn as contacts.",
"score": 37
},
{
"body": "Wireless power. I know; Tesla this, Tesla that... I don't care. I never want to have to plug my phone or laptop in ever again.\n\nSome sort of Super-Wifi would be nice too. Imagine always being able to connect no matter where you are. We have city-wide, now I want country-wide wifi.",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "passive color displays (for a colorized Kindle), fat-loss pill, non-silicon-based nanotech, cure for herpes, genetic specification for implanted embryos (listing desired traits), addiction treatment with a pill, robotic stitching (jeans and shoes made without human interaction), superb emissions filters allowing 100% garbage incineration",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "Well, seeing that we will all die on December 21st, 2012-hopefully a Diet Coke that tastes like Regular Coke.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "The most important invention of all COULD happen this decade, but only if it was properly funded starting immediately:\n\nThe singularity- actual, dynamic Artificial Intelligence.\n\nHonestly, I don't understand why there isn't something akin to the space race going on for this technology. World governments, if they had any foresight at all, would be dumping billions into creating the first artificial mind. Because within a decade of that milestone, we will have artificial minds that are so smart they'll make Einstein and Newton look like morons.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "The computer interface from \"Minority Report.\"\n\nVideo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwVBzx0LMNQ\n\nPic: http://historyofeconomics.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/minority-report.jpg",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "* I think that maybe a more powerful, longer lasting battery could happen this decade - ever since Tesla started trying to improve the range of electric vehicles, battery research seems to be advancing rather rapidly.\n\n* I also think a commercially viable method of storing hydrogen for use as fuel could come as well, seeing the amount of effort being put into developing alternative fuels.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I think this decade will see things invented to limit and control digital information more. We had a pretty free reign of the digital world in the last twenty years, but I think we will see things come about to monitor us more closely, and possibly even some new ways of controlling us. \n\nOne thing I'd like to see, however, is some new advances in dental care. Drilling teeth? Plastic fake teeth? Really? We can't get something that doesn't require drilling a tooth to nub and then capping it? ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Wireless USB, and along with it, universal interface so that my phone can tell my coffee maker to make me some goddamn coffee",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Scientist will invent robot sex dolls and move to South America to await Global Warming Floods and rebuild earth based on Science.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Digital wallpaper - 3d possibility \nAlso it could be so cheap we get rid of lamps. \nSolar become integrated in all hand helds\nfirst consumer solar car (gokart)\nautomated prefab housing\nkinetic chargers in our shoes\naugmented reality glasses/contacts\nconsumer grade bionics \n\n:)\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
So, Who Carries What in What Pockets? | Saw some people posting this in the vibrating cell phone thread and got curious as to what the average setup is. For me it's:
* Front left: Cell phone
* Front right: Keys (USB drive and LED flashlight on keyring)/Pocketknife
* Back Left: Wallet
/edit for keyring accessories. | 11 | [
{
"body": "Ugh. I have [an SeV jacket](http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Evolution_Jacket.shtml), which has about ten billion pockets and cable passthroughs, so this is gonna be complicated.\r\n\r\n* Front right pocket: mints\r\n* Front left pocket: USB battery pack, with cable going through the cable passthrough to\r\n* Left inside clear pocket: iPod\r\n* Right inside clear pocket: cell phone\r\n* Digital camera pocket: secondary camera, for when I can't take my DSLR with me\r\n* Travel documents pocket: wallet\r\n* Eyeglasses pocket: sunglasses and chamois on clip\r\n* Left handwarmer pocket: left hand, folded headphones\r\n* Right handwarmer pocket: right hand, keys and compass on key ring, can of soda or tea\r\n* Upper left sleeve pocket: GPS\r\n* Lower left sleeve pocket: map, candy, snack bars\r\n* Right sleeve pocket: Game Boy Advance SP\r\n* Gigantic inside left pocket: one or two books, soda or tea, DSLR (sometimes; it's kind of uncomfortable, so I only put it inside my jacket when it rains unexpectedly), multitool, binoculars, 2 D-cell LED flashlight, any amount of other stuff\r\n* Gigantic back pocket: laptop, magazines, etc (sometimes)",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Whoah, careful with the wallets in the back pockets there kids.\n\n* Front Left: Keys\n* Front Right: Wallet and Mobile\n* Left Breast: iPod",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "No, no. It's Back Right: Wallet\n \nAlso, well done with the edits. I had enough faith to F5 until it all worked itself out there.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Neckerchief, LED flashlight, Swiss Army knife; no particular order except for cell phone in shirt pocket.",
"score": 3
}
] |
DAE remember when Tv seasons were between 20-25 episodes? | I torrent quiet frequently so I can see how the amount of episodes coming out per season is going downhill, fast. Now let me ask, how many of you still pay the same price for Tv as you did in the 90s? The price of Tv goes up and we get less content for the shows we like and more shows we don't like. | 20 | [
{
"body": "yes but the shows that have less episodes usually (but not always) have a higher quality than those shows that just keep churning out crap. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "This is true. There are only like 13 episodes of good shows per season, like 30 Rock or It's Always Sunny and yet I'm paying TWICE as much while getting half the amount of episodes than I normally would have even a few years ago. Worst of all, they took away good shows like Arrested Development, Futurama, etc. and have stupid fucking reality T.V. shows and more Seth McFarlame incarnations. But I do still enjoy the meatier shows today though, as some programming has definitely advanced; many shows on HBO and other cable companies are getting better in quality, so at least we can have that and not watch The Hills...",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "This has always been the case. And most broadcast network shows still do have ~22 episodes a season.\n\nAn order for a show is almost always for 13 episodes. If the show does well, they \"pick up the back 9\" in industry lingo, meaning an order for another 9 episodes, making 22. For very popular shows, the order for the full ~22 is given at once. Nearly all the popular network shows still have ~22 episodes. 30 Rock, The Office, House, 24, NCIS, etc. The network outliers that only have 13 are usually unpopular or struggling shows.\n\nCable is really what you are talking about. The cable networks only order 9-13 shows, period. I don't remember any cable series that did a full 22. Cable networks work way differently than broadcast though, and they don't have the same money to throw around. They put all their eggs in one, or just a few, baskets, and they make those shows as best they can.",
"score": 3
}
] |
HAE noticed that American culture is getting more crass all the time? | I'm not a prude, but tonight (New Year's Eve) I had an experience that made me believe all the right-wing nuts who constantly say American culture is getting more vulgar and crass all the time. I took my wife and 12 year old daughter downtown to see a New Year's Eve concert, and afterward we went to what I thought was a very upscale, classy restaurant for a late dinner. The table next to us had about ten people at it, and they were all very drunk. They were loud, too, and dropping "f bombs" constantly. One guy couldn't seem to string three words together without putting a "motherfucker" in the middle. Then, one of the women sits on a guy's lap and starts making out with him right in the middle of this crowded restaurant. This was a lot more than kissing; he had his hand down her blouse, and she practically had his pants off. This went on for at least 30 minutes, until my wife asked for the check and we left. What surprised me was that not once did a waiter or anyone else in this supposedly classy restaurant tell these people to tone things down. Is this routine behavior now? Are we so jaded that we see stuff like this in a public place and it doesn't bother us? I don't know, but it just struck me as something that wouldn't have happened 20 years ago, even on New Year's Eve. | 16 | [
{
"body": "You sat next to some assholes in a restaurant.\n\nIt's unfortunate, but really nothing worthy of painting over the entirety of American culture with.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "america is schizophrenic when it comes to this issue. we demand sexual fidelity and virginal women, yet we have the biggest sex/porn industry. same with our ambivalent feelings towards drug culture and free speech. american culture isn't more crass than other cultures, just more confused and flip-floppy about it. now we are just more open about the contradiction. also, lots of people are drunk and just wild on new years - perhaps it would have happened 20 years ago, it just wouldn't have bothered you or stuck out so much to you then.\n\n(personally, i do not censor myself in public, even when there are kids present.) ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Okay, I realize it was New Year's Eve and people act crazy then; I just was surprised that nobody from this very expensive, supposedly classy restaurant objected to these drunken idiots. A waiter did apologize to me when we were leaving, but I would have thought the manager would have tossed them out. I guess you don't do that when you have ten paying customers on New Year's Eve. I also realize that I shouldn't categorize a whole culture based on one incident like that. I was just pissed off that my daughter had to be near that crap.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I think you're going to the wrong restaurants. Not joking, if it really was an \"upscale, classy restaurant\" then that party would have been thrown out the moment they started causing a ruckus. I think a lot of people here can say quite confidently that a real snazzy resturant would *never* put up with such behaviour.",
"score": 3
}
] |
How long do you guys think it'll take until we get a new The Three Doctors? | And how do you think it will go down? I think it'd be cool if The Tardis just materialized in itself. | 6 | [
{
"body": "Here's 10 Doctors... http://comics.shipsinker.com/2007/03/11/doctor-who-comic-the-ten-doctors-page-1/",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Probably not until after 11's first full season. They need to let him get established first. After that it's anyone's guess. Hopefully more sooner than later!",
"score": 5
}
] |
Math reddit, I'm stupid, studying matrix algebra and completely stuck: what is a determinant? | What does it do? Why is it important to learn?
Here's the problem: if you explain using words and concepts that are just as abstract, I probably won't understand :(
Edit: Thanks everybody! I'm going to take people's suggestions and learn about vectors and linear equations using all the sites everyone suggested, and work up a basic foundation :) | 20 | [
{
"body": "Assuming you understand the concept of a matrix as a linear transformation: The determinent is essentially the \"scaling factor\" of the transformation. As in the size of a unit square (or any shape with area 1) will have when you pass it though the matrix. This can be generalized to volume for 3d space, and beyond for more dimensions.",
"score": 24
},
{
"body": "The determinant is the unique multi-linear, anti-symmetric function which is 1 for the identity matrix. ;)",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "I've always liked [V.I. Arnold's geometric take on determinants:](http://pauli.uni-muenster.de/~munsteg/arnold.html)\n\n> The *determinant* of a matrix is an (oriented) volume of the parallelepiped whose edges are its columns. If the students are told this secret (which is carefully hidden in the purified algebraic education), then the whole theory of determinants becomes a clear chapter of the theory of poly-linear forms. If determinants are defined otherwise, then any sensible person will forever hate all the determinants, Jacobians and the implicit function theorem.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Check out [Khan Academy](http://khanacademy.org/), specifically Salman's section on Linear Algebra. He has a knack for explaining complex ideas in a simple way.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "A determinant tells you how the volume of something changes by a given linear transformation (expressed as a matrix). All different ways of representing a linear transformation (similar matrices) will have the same determinant.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "To piggyback off of this question: what is a trace? I know how to find it and that it is a property of the transformation and not its matrix representation, but I've never seen it used outside of introductory material about (multi)linear algebra. What does it do? Why is it important to learn?",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "If you want to understand what a determinant is on a conceptual level, you need to understand linear algebra, which starts with vectors. Since you don't seem to know them as anything other than a list of numbers, here's what they are, and how that relates to said mysterious lists.\n\n(Someone please correct me if any of this is wrong, it's been a while)\n\n**Vectors**\n\nVectors are, first and foremost, mathematical objects. How they are written down (often as list of numbers) and what real-life concepts they represent are secondary to the rules that govern them. \n\nThat said, the vectors you'll be dealing with represent things *in space* that have a *size* and *direction*.\n*Space* can be real (infinite) 3D space, or a 2D plane, or a 1D line, or a 4D 'space' that you can't easily visualise but can reason about by analogy. Whatever it is, it has a special point called \"the origin\" or 0, and a well-defined scale - we know what a distance of 1 means.\n\nVectors can represent different things:\n\n * *positions* - the location of a point in space. The magnitude is the distance from the origin to the point, and the direction is the direction from the origin to the point. \n * *displacements* - the journey between two points in space. The magnitude is the distance between the points.\n * *velocity* - the direction of a point moving through space, with the magnitude being its speed.\n\nThere are some obvious things you should be able to do to vectors. If you think of them as arrows (length and direction):\n\n * You can multiply a vector by a number (make the arrow longer)\n * You can add two vectors\n * You can find the angle between two vectors\n\nIn order to actually perform these operations, we need some notation to represent vectors, and algorithms that give the results we expect. The most convenient way of writing down vectors is using a (cartesian) coordinate system.\n\n**Coordinate systems**\n\nFor the purposes of an example, let's assume the world is an infinite flat surface, the origin is New York, and the scale is 1 = 1km.\n\nTo create a coordinate system, we need to pick some vectors to use as our measuring sticks. I'm going to choose the vectors that represent 1km north, and 1km east. Let's call them N and E.\n\nNow the vector of length 0 represents the origin, the middle of New York. \nThe vector N represents a point 1km north of the city centre.\nThe vector 220 * N + represents (approximately) Albany. \nAnd -1500*N + -2100 * E is Austin, Texas. (Please don't check those numbers).\nIn fact any point on the flat earth can be expressed in the form a*N + b*E, where a and b are real numbers. We write (a,b) for short. New York is (0,0), Austin is (-1500,-2100).\n\nNow we could have chosen vectors other than N and E. For example we could have chosen 1km south, and 1km west (now Austin is 1500,2100), or 1km northeast and 1km northwest (don't make me work it out...). The same vector (displacement in space) has a different representation (list of numbers) depending on what measuring-stick vectors you choose to use. \n\nFortunately, you get the right answer no matter what system you use, as long as you're consistent. If you want life to be easy, there's a couple of restrictions on these \"basis vectors\":\n\n * They must all be at right angles to each other. (orthogonal)\n * They must all have length 1 (normal)\n\nThe most obvious benefit of having an \"orthonormal basis\" is measuring lengths and distances. The distance from the origin to the point (3,4) is √(3^2 + 4^2) = 5. (If you don't see why, draw a picture showing the origin, the N and E vectors, and the vector (3,4)).\n\nThe idea of basis vectors and coordinate systems works for 3D space too, but you turn out to need a third basis vector to be able to describe every point. In 4D, you need four vectors. In fact, the dimension of a (vector) space is *defined as* the number of basis vectors you need in order to assign coordinates.\n\n**Vector operations** \n\nThe reason we set up a coordinate system was to record and perform operations on vectors. It turns out the operations we want are now pretty easy. You can verify the answers are right by drawing a picture.\n\nTo multiply a vector by a number (i.e. stretch it), just multiply each component.\nFor example: 3 * (3,4) = (9,16)\n\nTo add two vectors, just add the components.\nFor example: (3,4) + (2,2) = (5,6).\n\nTo find the length of a vector, use Pythagoras's rule. |(3,4)| = √(3^2 + 4^2).\n\nThe angle between vectors is a little tricky. First you need to scale down the vectors so that they have length 1 (normalize them), \nthen you perform an operation known as the \"dot product\": multiply corresponding components, add the results together. The dot product of the normalized vectors gives you the *cosine* of the angle between them. Example: (3,4) and (2,0)\n\n * (3,4) has length 5, so multiply by 0.2 to give (0.6, 0.8)\n * (2,0) has length 1, so multiply by 0.5 to give (1, 0)\n * dot product (0.6,0.8)•(1,0) = 0.6, 0\n * so cos x = 0.6\n * so x = 0.927 (radians)\n\n**Where to next?**\n\nOnce you understand what vectors are rather than just the numbers that represent them, you're going to want to understand the idea of a \"linear transformation\" of vectors, which is what you're doing when you multiply a matrix by a vector. Then you can look at ways of characterizing linear transformations, and the ideas of determinants, eigenvectors, etc should make sense.",
"score": 4
}
] |
reddit, please help. I'm a cutter with major depressive disorder... | I hadn't cut for about three and a half years, but I started burning myself again a couple of weeks ago. Suicide ideation has gone way up, and I'm alone as fuck where I live with no real support group. I'm at the end of my rope here and I have no money for professional help. People at my job are getting sketchy about the new burns on my arms...I don't know where else to turn. I need help bad...what do I do? | 18 | [
{
"body": "Two things that really helped me: meditation and exercise.\n\nI would suggest looking into the various forms of meditation to see which suits you, but get into the discipline of doing it for 10-20 minutes in the morning and again in the evening. To start, just sit, and acknowledge the thoughts and feelings as they arise. You don't need to do anything about them or act on them, just observe.\n\nLikewise with exercise - get into the discipline of doing some every day, enough to raise the heart rate for a good chunk of time. It will burn off all that excess energy and will help you relax (depression and anxiety usually go together to varying degrees, certainly did in my case) It's a little cold here now, but I cycled at least half an hour every day throughout the summer and it had a phenomenal impact. If you don't have a bike, run, or walk, it's all good. Now it's winter I do resistance training at home.\n\nI'd guess you'll see results straight away from the exercise (although it probably depends on how used to it you already are). Meditation is different for everybody, and it can be subtle - strangely, it can be having a big effect and you won't even notice. Stick with it. People have various expectations from meditation (they think it will change the world, give them huge insights into the universe, etc), but in my experience, it gave me some respite from negative thoughts and associations, and once you really understand thoughts are just thoughts, you get a great degree of control over them.\n\nAnother major thing you can do is to help other people (or non-human animals) in some way. It sounds crazy to be thinking of others when you're in need of help, but it works. You take a lot of power away from those negative thoughts when you have a good cause to occupy your mind. Of course your ability to do this is dependant on your situation.\n\nIf you have any more questions or you want me to clarify/expand on anything, go ahead and ask.",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": " Burning and cutting are a way of taking control of your body when everything else feels like it spiraling out of control. It's also a way to release adrenalin and endorphins which make you feel good when everything else is bad. Maybe a post over to http://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/ as well. They have some pretty good insights sometimes. \n\nIn the meantime, what do you normally eat? Do you take any supplements? Alcohol or drugs? prescription or otherwise? These things can have a major effect on depression, can even be the root cause of it in some cases. ",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Check out http://www.nami.org and click on \"Find your Local NAMI\". Get the phone number to the nearest office so you can call and explain your situation. It's possible that they might be able to point you in the right direction. If you have unipolar depression they might be able to get you to a grant-run treatment program so you can get free treatment. They might even know what to do about medications.\n\nAlso, if you are experiencing suicidal ideation and you are cutting yourself you should probably consider checking yourself into a short term inpatient mental hospital that the state would be obligated to pay for (no private hospitals). Being at risk of suicide is a pretty dangerous thing and you are already self-harming. Stay safe. Reach out to your family. Definitely check out your local NAMI though because they are going to know a lot of things that could help you out.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "When I went through a bad period a few years ago, I took up running. It helped moderately, but on one particular day, it *really* helped. The weather had changed from the cool 50's to the mid 70's overnight. I had been used to running my route during the winter months without taking any water with me. I didn't need it then. On this day, however, I *did* need it. And I needed it half-way through the run. \n\nBy the time I was finished, I was desperately and dreadfully dehydrated. The water I drank shortly thereafter was amazing, but something else had happened: my priorities had rebooted. Where once had been a confused and tangled list of vague and sometimes shapeless angst-riddled troubles, there was now water, food, and shelter. Everything else took a backseat. \n\nThe experience was uplifting, liberating, and memorable. It was also medically dangerous - to get as dehydrated as I did - but I would say the results are similar to what happens in sweat lodges (when things don't go horribly wrong like they did in one last year...). I hesitate suggesting trying something like this, but it's certainly better than the alternative. Several people have mentioned exercise, so why not try it? Not with the goal of losing weight or building strength or anything like that, but with the goal of reorienting your priorities through physical means.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "You need to keep your job so in the short-term stop burning your arms. If you need to self harm then do it somewhere hidden until you can stop the urge. Your legs for example.\n\nExercise is underrated - it really is. But when I say exercise I mean real fucking back breaking, vomit-inducing exercise. Sprint up and down a hill until you're about to collapse. Once you do, take 30 seconds rest and repeat. Do it for 15mins at least. Believe me - you'll love life so much and respect your body a lot more too.\n\nThat's one of the revelations I had when I started exercising hard. Suddenly life became so much more meaningful. It reconnected body and mind - I suggest you try it.\n\nAlcohol is a definite no-no. I've done pretty much every drug on the planet and I can safely say the one that's done the most psychological and physical damage is alcohol. It will cloud your judgement and mood for at least 3 days. Even small amounts can - so just don't bother.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "The most important non-medical thing for mood regulation is a regular sleep schedule. Make sure you're getting a good 8 hours a night and it would help out alot.",
"score": 3
}
] |
This year is going to be great! | One and a half lunar cycles from the start of the new year, everyone is going to start whining about St. Valentine's Day. Then the Earth will tilt a bit on it's axis and the sun will hit the North more directly and it will be Spring in my country, which is awesome because soon after Spring, school gets out. Then school's out which means studios can release all the cool action movies. People like those. But school will start again eventually, which sucks, but on the plus side Fall television comes back. And by sweeps, all the leaves are falling off again and people are counting the days until the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend. By then the Christmas stuff will be in the stores and after we get through all that bullshit we'll have a week of pissing around before the new year starts again, and what a special time that is (see top).
So [happy new year](http://imgur.com/fZC5u.png), reddit. I'm sure it will be something special. | 5 | [
{
"body": "you forgot to mention the new bacon diet that's going to unite the world under a single greasy napkin starting sometime in february!\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
Dear The Item Drop System... | I've been begging you for a year since the hat update came out.
I've been going on r/tf2 to bear witness countless images of players with an assortment hats, yet you had left me with none. I think ", it's almost the start of a new year, might as well end the old one with a good ol' round of TF2." I load the game, ready to heal some fuckers and dish out ubers, unknowing of my imminent fate.
I recalled those sleepless nights cursing you, myself, valve, and the vengeful Spy Crab gods. I think about this for a brief moment, but I shrug it off and continue healing a heavy. A crit rocket blows us up afterwards. As I waited to respawn, **it** happened, and simply just blew my mind away.
The amount of confusion, bliss, and lack of bladder control I experienced at that point was completely immeasurable. I almost couldn't believe what had just occurred. Reality just completely faded away as I stared into my computer screen. I couldn't comprehend English anymore; I didn't know what the words on the screen said, nor did I care. The image was purely enough.
I realized you bestowed with the one item that would make my backstabbing days complete.
Thank you.
**TL;DR** I got the Camera Beard on New Year's.
**Update**: I really don't give a shit if it's not a hat anymore. I can finally play as Spybraham Lincoln! | 10 | [
{
"body": "**Don't read this until tomorrow, because it's going to ruin your day:**\n\nThe camera beard is no longer considered a hat, it drops just like any other weapon now. I'm sorry.",
"score": 23
},
{
"body": "I got one today...I went from happy to very pissed to happy again because it's awesome with the Ghastly Gibus.",
"score": 3
}
] |
[9] Conversation with my bowl. | [9] I just had a conversation with my spoon pipe bowl. Basically it said that it knew me more than anyone ever would because since it was part of my imagination it was in essence, myself. I made the argument that it since had a physical presence (the bowl) it was indeed real and not my imagination. The bowl replied with unicorns. I wanted cotton candy. | 25 | [
{
"body": "you just blew your own mind. I have to agree with your bowl though. \n\nBecause it is an inanimate object, it was you who gave it a personality to even tell you that it knew you better than yourself.",
"score": 10
}
] |
Why do religions want us to think that sex is dirty and sinful? | I've always resented how as a kid the catholic church tried to make me feel guilty for possessing a sexual imperative.
Even now, for most of us that live in relatively secular cultures, we're still burdened by the legacy of religious prudery. By this I mean the ridiculous way in which women are condemned if they are promiscuous - no, not even promiscuous, just *sexual*, when biological determinism illustrates that men are the more likely to want to "sow their seed." It's as if women are punished for merely turning *us* on!
Is it patriarchal control, or something else that made the major world religions so fucked up about sex?
I'm thinking about this now because I just watched a documentary about pagan sexuality: [Pagans: Sexy Beasts - part 1 of 5](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO_oH0HkcQk). The film maker Richard Rugley talks extensively about how, not so many generations ago, we were sexually liberated humans, happy animals, and how christianity came along and - to use a biblical analogy, took away our innocence, and made us feel dirty about being sexually active creatures. I'm not a pagan, I'm just interested in this man's work as a historical revisionist.
It just seems such a waste when you hear about people "saving themselves for marriage," and leading unfulfilling, unhealthy lives because of religious dogma. | 44 | [
{
"body": "Convince people they should feel guilty for wanting or having sex (perhaps the strongest natural urge) and then make yourself the monopoly on forgiveness. ",
"score": 88
},
{
"body": "Before contraception sex was a risky thing. The promiscuous and the prostitutes likely spread all kinds of nasty diseases, and males had and still do have a strong, but reasonable fear of being cuckolded by their women.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "The show about pagans (from the sound of it, the same as one I saw) was somewhat ahistoric, long on assertion and dramatization and a little light on solid fact, but yes, many cultures were much more accepting of sexulaity in general and female sexuality in particular. ",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "I think a lot of religious rules like the taboos of sex were rooted in practicality.\n\nSex spreads disease very easily so being choosy about your partner and being faithful was a good way to not catch as well as not spread any disease. \n\nAnother good example is pork. The reason pork was originally taboo is that pigs were not kept as food animals. They roamed the trash pits eating garbage and waste disposed of outside many villages and towns. Top that off with the number of issues that can e had just by not cooking pork thoroughly and you have a very plausible situation where people who ate pork at the time would get sick or die more often so the church makes it taboo for the sake of keeping the people from eating bad meat. Of course now it is just tradition as we don't keep pigs on landfills anymore and any semi-competent cook can prepare pork correctly. \n\nYou'll also notice in many religions that there were rules from their various \"gods\" on when and sometimes what crops should be planted. The use of building materials, economic exchange and other day to day factors.\n\nIt is during these times that I feel religion served it's most important purpose to the human race. It provided a framework for which societies could grow and and work together to become more successful. Since people at time were largely uneducated and the priests themselves likely knew nothing more than a basic correlation by observation they would pin the rules on god or some religious need rather than try to rationalize with an uneducated population as to why it is bad to eat tainted meat.\n\nOf course today many of these so-called religious laws are just old traditions that are no longer rationally necessary. I often wonder if the original writers of some of the rules would think society today silly for still following them. \n\nI could imagine a statement like \"You mean you still don't eat pork after you know how to make it safe??? Why? I mean I know I wrote it in a book and all but I was just trying to keep my village/town from dying, I didn't think anyone would still care 2000+ years later.\"",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "I went to the Garden of Love, \r\nAnd saw what I never had seen: \r\n\r\nA Chapel was built in the midst, \r\nWhere I used to play on the green. \r\n\r\nAnd the gates of this Chapel were shut, \r\nAnd `Thou shalt not' writ over the door; \r\n\r\nSo I turn'd to the Garden of Love, \r\nThat so many sweet flowers bore, \r\n\r\nAnd I saw it was filled with graves, \r\nAnd tomb-stones where flowers should be: \r\n\r\nAnd Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, \r\nAnd binding with briars my joys and desires.\r\n\r\n~ William Blake (1757 - 1827)",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Hey, OP. The answer to your question is described in the bhagavad gita. (Quite clearly actually, if you ever care to study it.) Basically Krishna explains that suffering and the deprivation of pleasure, is the only way to reach God or enlightenment. This idea of suffering, being the only road towards enlightenment, is heavily present in every major religion. In Christianity, Jesus suffers the cross. In Islam, virgins await those who die in the causes of God's divine purposes. [Eckhart Tolle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckhart_Tolle#Career), just to give an example of a modern day spiritual teacher, explains that his transformation (should you believe in such a thing, I know, I do) was caused by an immense suffering. So, religion teaches that sex is allowed only for the begetting of children, not for enjoyment. \n\nIt's my believe that this basic spiritual philosophy, has lost it's initial meaning in the major organized religions. And in the process, turned sex into an obscure and unnatural misconception, as something that's in and of itself \"bad\". This of course is wrong, as sex isn't technically the problem, but rather the indulgence of pleasure in general and thus diversion from God, is what's at stake.\n\nI hope this clears it up for you, and that my English is well understood :)\n\nEDIT: wording. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "It used to be (literally) dirty. And It spreaded infectious disease. At this point in history, if one had a lot of sex, one stood a chance to get a lot of disease",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "The most common argument I hear is that it's an effort to control women, since Christianity and Islam come from extremely patriarchal societies. On the other hand, it could be the symptom of a culture where people cared about who kids' parents were. Some societies, especially ones where the kids are all grouped together and taken care of by everyone, do not care who the baby-daddy is. I recall learning from a cultural anthro class about small nomadic tibes and isolated villages that would do this, and the promiscuity of women was not a big deal (much to the dismay of Christian missionaries trying to change that).\n\nGoing to a more biological perspective, there are two countering forces between the attitudes of baby-daddies. On one hand, it's commonly seen in other animals like gorillas, lions, etc to see males caring a LOT about whether a female's baby is theirs or not. After all, each animal wants to replicate its own genes and not care for someone else's. On the other hand, animals that live in communities like chimps and bonobos are more relaxed about this (well, chimps are kind of in-between, but the females are definitely promiscuous), because keeping the population well-fueled is important to group survival.\n\nThe sexual repression could also just be a cultural idiosyncrasy gone out of control. It happens. For example, why does Jainism repress the indulgence of eating? They take no-killing so far that you can hardly eat anything, and living an ascetic lifestyle is encouraged. But, it's pretty essential to eat, just like it's essential to have sex. Not eating and not having sex are pretty counter-productive to the survival of a species, but here they are, these religious people who die of starvation and malnutrition, or go their entire lives never having sex and never spreading their genes.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "The Church(es) have long sought to control people (their \"flocks\") by holding monopolies over birth, marriage and death.\n\nIn former times public gatherings, the theatre and singing and dancing were all prohibited *except* within the confines of the Church, which is why singing is a big part of Church services. It was, quite simply, the *only* place where such activities were allowed.\n\nControl over sex has been achieved, at great cost to human happiness by conspiring to make people feel guilty about their \"sinful\" and \"vile\" bodies and encouraging people to \"confess\" to their \"sins\" to beg \"forgiveness\".\n\nThe Catholic Church, as we all well know, doesn't really give a damn who people fuck, and indeed has recently been shown to actively assist and protect pedophiles and child rapists. It's not just the Catholic Church, my sister and I were masturbated over by a non-catholic priest when we were young and when this was dicovered we were told that he was \"unwell\" and deserving of sympathy, we were *not* to tell anyone what had happened. \n\nThe officers of these dreadful organisations wear medieval clothes and tell lies for a living. I find it very hard to believe that they really have \"faith\" in God, especially since they are so utterly devoid of the morality that they preach. They enforce their dogma by having their \"faithful\" repeat carefully designed \"prayers\" so many thousands of times that the enormous and outrageous lies they contain become burned into people's brains.\n\nIt amazes me that this archaic crapness can survive in our supposedly enlightened world, but as P. T. Barnum said:\n\n*There's one born every minute.*",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "just a thought, it must have acted as a form of birth control and helped prevent the spread of STDs when you think about it. In a world where people knew little about these things, it probably saved lives",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "The fact that most civilizations evolved similar attitudes towards sex even independently of each other suggests that at least some digression is necessary to prevent the breakdown of society. Religion played its part in strengthening these ideas about actions that were (or still are) dangerous. I think it also explains why modesty evolved.\n\nIf you think about it, if every guy walked around with his shlong in the open, there would probably be a lot more fights (and probably leading to deaths pre-historic times).",
"score": 3
}
] |
So what happens to my Steam games when Valve goes tits up? | With Valve giving away the farm for Christmas, I've aquired quite the collection of games, which lead me to wonder, what happens if (god forbid) Gabe Newel squanders away all Valve's money on WoW Gold and Steam goes tits up?
I have the horrible feeling that if that happens we are all shit out of luck. | 69 | [
{
"body": "More importantly, will i be able to will my steam account to someone else after my death?\n\nI have a legacy to pass on.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "It's not like there isn't a risk with hard copies of all your games. They could be Destroyed in a natural dissaster or stolen. Any form of ownership has certain risks and ultimatly I donno if the steam goes under risk is any worse than the house burns down risk.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "When the industry itself dies, you won't be needing games. Chances are you will be needing survival gear, a full tank of petrol and a quick route to some place up north where the infected can't get to you.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I'll bitch and whine about it for a while, then I'll realize that all my Steam games save for whatever 2 I actually play with any regularity at the time are way out of date, and I'll just buy those 2 again from another source and move on with my life.\n\nI mean, realistically speaking, all those boxes with games I haven't touched in years aren't doing me any good, even though I'll get to keep them no matter what happens to any particular company. This way, if Valve dies, I'll at least not have all that shelf space taken.",
"score": 4
}
] |
who else woke up inappropriately naked on the morning of 01.01.2010? | I woke up and my boxers were gone and I don't know why. No boxers means I was naked. Inappropriate nakedness (house full of people and I was in lounge). | 8 | [
{
"body": "I woke up to the sound of my friend banging his girlfriend in the next room with the door wide open. Sounded like they were pretty naked.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I woke up with just a t-shirt and my socks on, smelling of mogen-david, with breakfast beside my bed that I know I didn't cook. Yet, nobody is in my house. Strange.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I woke up fine, but this thread reminds me of a party where a (male) friend got trashed, was dressed in bra, panties, and over-the-top make-up, and woke up naked in a laundry basket in my friend's garage. Those were some great days...",
"score": 3
}
] |
Is there a way to... | ...keep your existing level and stats, but change your character on the ps3 version? Without completely starting from level 1? | 3 | [
{
"body": "Nope. Can't do that on any version. Well, maybe on the PC with the save editor I guess. \n\nIf you've got a friend who has a Mordi at playthrough 2 though, he can power level you crazy fast in the Eridian Promontory.",
"score": 3
}
] |
DAE go to the mall, and, once again, realize why they hate commercialism and all the people (the majority of the population) who love it? | I very unfortunately went to the mall the other day with a friend, and it renewed my hate for almost everything. I saw so many stupid shops and fads, and so many oblivious people buying into this crap. It made my friend and I extremely bitter. | 3 | [
{
"body": "I went to the shopping centre about a month ago, and yeah I do feel a crushing dissapointment when I walk around it. I'm not trying to sound elitist, as if i'm any better than people (like myself) who go to shopping centres, but there was one moment in particular which i'll never forget.\n\nThere was this young woman, a shop attendant, walking what seemed to be a metallic four-legged creature, light silver and with no head, around the floor of the shop's entrance. Somebody produced this with the sole purpose of selling it to people. It seemed to have no use whatsoever, and the cynicism of this eye-straining, ugly and seemingly worthless product, designed solely for the average idiot, made me slightly tinge with anger. And it had a extortionate price-tag on the side.\n\nThat was one of the most utterly hopeless moments I can think of.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Okay /r/Brisbane, report in with your NYE shennanigans. Good, bad, fun or sad, spill it. | I spent it on the Sunshine coast with Alphabeat and a circle of friends and partners. It involved getting blind drunk on a mates rooftop in Maroochydore dancing to 90's pop music. Followed by being bashed in the surf by 2m waves. Good times. | 6 | [
{
"body": "I went to a house party in West End. We missed midnight, met some knew people, had some friendly debates and had a generally lovely time. We left as the sun was rising, and was wandering homeward when I heard some sweet piano music. Listened for a bit, friends were about ready to continue on, so I headed up their verandah and poked my head in. Three minutes later, I'm sitting on their couch, sipping goon and talking. Stayed there another hour, then headed home. Stole some mangoes from a tree on my street, wrote a message to my housemate on toilet paper, and fell asleep.\n\nPretty good times, all around.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Drinking beer and playing call of duty modern warfare 2 with some long lost mates whilst listening to awesome music, can't complain, although it's not much difference to any other night. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
Can someone explain to me (in simple terms) how under water traffic tunnels are made? | It came up while driving home from watching the fireworks last night and no one in the car could come up with a way in which these tunnels were made that didn't seem overly dangerous or insanely expensive/implausible. | 4 | [
{
"body": "[This](http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=83)\n\nAlso there are several hundred engineers and geologists that plot a route though the available rock structures.\n\nAlso a youtube of it in action [here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frRjcHUB23k)",
"score": 4
}
] |
Why doesn't the west coast have its own live countdown for New Years? | watching the taped video from New York is just pointless. It's 3 hours old by the time the west coast sees it. Why can't we a have live broadcast for each timezone? Am I missing something? | 6 | [
{
"body": "I was wondering this too. I live in California and was switching through the local channels and all I saw was NYE in Times Square. I just said screw it and watched South Park instead.\n",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "that'd be one huge engaygement....especially in west LA. could be fun, like a giant studio 54 or party monster kinda thing",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Because you get all the baseball games at a reasonable time. We have to watch them in the middle of the night out east.",
"score": 3
}
] |
What's your worst doctor experience? | So two days ago I had my first ever gyno exam. The woman was horrible! I was on the verge of a panic attack about the thing to begin with, and then she decides that in between my legs was a good time to bring up the fact that my BMI is now "obese." Now even if I was severely overweight this is not something I would want her to tell me when she has a duck bill shoved up my vag, but the fact is that, for a girl, I am quite strong, and most of my "weight" is a shitton of muscle cause I'm a gym rat. On top of this I have gotten over an eating disorder that had me hospitalized multiple times and have been struggling with eating without puking. All of this information was in my file, by the way.
Anyway, make me feel better about my horrible doctor experience... | 6 | [
{
"body": "So, I had to get a check up for work a few years ago. I go see the doc the company set the appointment up with. the (female) doctor comes in, i have my back turned starting to undress. She says \"Dont worry, you havnt got anything I havnt seen.\" I turn around, Shes a woman I picked up a bar a week before. Looooong awkward silence. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I once went to see a doctor and it was the worst experience of my life. I'd recommend all of you try to stay away from a Dr. Acula.",
"score": 4
}
] |
Alternatives for bestpokertorrents? | bestpokertorrents.com has been down for a while, and I'm looking for a suitable replacement. I know, the thepokerbay is kind of filling the void, but they simply arent as good.
Does anyone know of an active poker tracker that is still up and running besides those two? or a tracker that would have the same content, whether its poker specific or not?
Anybody know any reasonable alternatives? I could provide invites to a few private trackers, nothing too special, but I'll do what I can.
That site was great, and I hope it comes back, but in the mean time I need my poker fix.
mucho karma for anyone who can point me in the right direction. | 4 | [
{
"body": "Don't know of a replacement myself (been looking as well).\n\nHere is a thread about past and recent issues. Seems that they will be back soon. \n\nhttp://ipoker.tiltblog.com/2009/01/06/best-poker-torrents/",
"score": 3
}
] |
I am proprietor and performer in a sideshow/freakshow - AMA | I cofounded a touring sideshow almost 5 years ago, I've taken over most aspects of the show since my cofounder moved away. I handle management and most of the "torture" and fire acts. The show ranges from classic acts like bed of nails and human blockhead to burlesque, variety, old time music, stage magic, and suspension. Membership ranges from 2-5 people. In the process of taking it from a money making hobby to my profession. Ask me anything.
[Here's our Facebook profile for pics and info or just all around proof of who I am](http://www.facebook.com/pages/Drew-Blood-The-Pickled-Punk-Sideshow/106102338225?v=wall&ref=ts) | 59 | [
{
"body": "* Total profit amount?\n\n* How does one become formally trained in the industry?\n\n* Which acts do *you* perform?",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "One income source I would suggest is becoming a partner on youtube and put up videos regularly doing your thing and do \"how to\" videos, I think you would get a fair amount of views and here is a recent reddit post of someone that does make money off of videos\nhttp://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/agzoe/i_make_3000_4000_a_month_making_youtube_videos_ama/",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "After seeing those pics of your work, I believe I'll stick with the merely mental pain my programming job entails.\n\nThanks though.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Have you read the real bible of the sideshow world Circus of the Scars?\nhttp://www.circusofthescars.com/bookscars.htm",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Excuse me for saying this, but isn't this just weird? Eating glass or sticking needles thru your arm or whatever...isn't this just gross? I can't stand the thought of this type of thing or the pain involved. It hurts me to think about it. Why in the world would you/anyone be interested in doing something like this? Money? I can't understand at all. Can you explain??? I read that you have a high tolerance for pain but Jesus... Do a lot of people react to you the way that I do?",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I just watched American Carny last night! Very interesting. \n\n*The people in the documentary had mentioned that if you're doing it today, it's for the love and not the money. Do you agree? Do you think you could ever make a very good, stable living doing this?\n\n*What do your parents think?\n\n*Are you still with the girl?\n\n*What do ladies think? Do you get weird groupies?\n\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
Prestige -- Novelty or Useful? | So, I've been playing MP and recently started my first Prestige. I'm playing on PC. I'm wondering what your thoughts on Prestige mode are. Is it a good idea? Do you like the thought of starting over from scratch, but with the ability to have even more goals to obtain? Are you happy with just the extra weapon slots, do you want more from prestige mode? What would you add to (or remove from) it? Lastly, how many of you are planning to prestige, and if you are, are you going to prestige more than once? All the way?
I think it's interesting, especially since none of the previous CoDs aside from WaW on PC had prestige mode. | 8 | [
{
"body": "Honestly, I think it's main usefulness resides in its ability to keep the game somewhat fresh. I stayed at 70 for a while (long enough to hammer on the guys at the LAN party) then prestiged right after to keep it interesting.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "You have to prestige at least once to unlock the challenges that give you the amazingly cool marksmanship medals when you complete them. Those are, in my opinion, by far the coolest emblems in the game, so prestiging at least one is pretty much mandatory if you want an awesomely cool callsign.\n\nI'm planning on prestiging to either prestige 4 or prestige 6, because those medals are by far the most aesthetically pleasing. (The prestige 10 skull looks sweet too, but it's just not my style.)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I'm at like 35 in the first prestige and I'm not going to go any further. I did it for the extra class slots, but it was really rough starting over completely. Maybe that's just because I'm not very good. Emblems don't really mean much to me anyway. It'd be cool if they revised the game to offer up different perks/weapons for those people who prestige even more even if the weapons weren't any superior, but that probably isn't possible. I'm also curious when they're going to release some new maps...I know the game has only been out since mid-November it's unrealistic at this point, but I'm starting to get really sick of some of the current maps...especially Derail and Wasteland. Hate em.",
"score": 3
}
] |
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