Vort

Your idea of justice and my idea of justice aren't the same. Therefore, it is unproductive to discuss justice. Where does it end?

History is barbaric? Life is barbaric? Reality is barbaric?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Gray is a color. Grey is a colour. (Saying it doesn't really help, though. People just stare blankly. They need to see it written out.)

Why?

Errrr...maybe that's because you need to modify your strike laws.

FTR, this is not even close to true. Muslims can live anywhere they want in Israel (there may be laws about Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter--not sure), and there are thousands who profess Islam but who nevertheless identify as Israelis. Admittedly, there are vanishingly few Muslims in the IDF; nevertheless, there are millions of Muslims around the world who recognize e.g. Hamas as the terrorist organization that it is. And Arabs and their governments are becoming increasingly willing to say it out loud.

Agreed 100%. I grew up saying that "nourish and strengthen" thing in my prayers. But a decade or two ago, I realized that the very definition of food was something that nourished you. So to ask God to make food nourishing is to ask that blue be the color of the sky. It's true by definition. So I don't see the point. Worse yet, I'm afraid that such things might constitute a vain repetition. And I really want my prayers to be sincere. I try not to say something just because that's what you're supposed to say.

Funny thing about pizzas. When they come out of the oven hot and fresh, and with the crust golden brown and the cheese bubbling, they are completely aseptic or sterile. So if you put the pizza in a clean cardboard box and keep it covered to avoid dust settling on it from the air, it can keep for a very long time, days even, probably longer.

Smooth plot resolution.

Happens. BYU has been on the tail end of such calls much too often. In other news, those classy Arizona fans give the Utes a run for their money in vying for the "worst conference fan base" category. "On behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department, we apologize to BYU, their student-athletes, coaches and fans. The chant is not reflective of who we are and should not have happened." I mean, they're barely even going through the motions at this point.

Purdon't.

Hostile venue. Great win.

Speaking for myself, I have found Jane Austen to be uncommonly perceptive of how men think, despite the fact that she herself disclaimed any ability to speak from the male perspective. Would that all good women understood men as well as Austen seemed to have done.

I do disagree, but not as strongly as you might think. The New Testament speaks of the "body" of Christ as metaphorically being the individual Christians—eyes and ears and hands and all that. This idea has extended through thousands of years now, and still forms a part of most if not all Christian theology. "Church" is the English rendition of a Greek word that was used to translate an old Hebrew term that meant, ultimately, "congregation"—that is, a gathering of people, namely, the people of Israel. In Italian, a "gregge" means a flock of sheep. The Latin word congregatio, meaning a "society" or "association", was literally formed from the Latin con- "with" and greg "flock [of sheep]". That's how our modern word "congregation" came about. The "congregations" spoken of in English translations of the Old Testament were the gatherings of Israel together in groups. If you understand "church" as being exactly these sorts of gatherings, then I would actually agree that the separate "congregations" or "gatherings" are churches, and the entire "congregation" of believers in Christ could be considered a sort of "church", in the sense of usage described above. Obviously, as a believing Latter-day Saint, I think the Church [of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] is much more than simply a gathering of like-minded people; I believe it is literally God's earthly kingdom, here to allow us to gather and associate and eventually lead us back to our home in God's eternal kingdom.

My understanding is that not all states make the distinction.

The cope is strong with this one.

Just ftr, self-defense is not assault. But I understand what you mean.

That's very gentlemanly of you.

Yes, but have you ever suplexed them onto their head? That's the burning question.

For the record, yes, the video's title card is clickbaity, but IMO the video is still worth watching.

Kansas, both the state and the city, are having some heartbreaks in February sports.

Strictly hypothetical, of course. A man and a woman, strangers to each other, are involved in a dispute (maybe road rage or parking anger). The woman is cursing at and berating the man, with the man trying to respond and perhaps yelling. The man turns to walk away, and the woman swings at him and hits him from behind on the side of the face. The man turns around and throws a straight right into her face, which does not knock her over (not a bonecrushing punch). 1. Justified? (Absolutely/Guess so/Can't tell/No way) 2. Ideal response? (Punch her/Stern lecture/Don't respond/Weep with sadness and plead for mercy) After she gets hit, the woman turns away. At this, the man grabs her from behind and "suplexes" her onto her head. The whole hitting incident, from her initial punch to his suplex, takes maybe two seconds, with the grabbing/suplex essentially a continuation of the straight right. 3. Justified? (Yes/Depends on whether she's paralyzed/No way) 4. Which, if either, should face battery charges? 5. BONUS QUESTION: Reverse the sexes and answer the above questions again.

I believe I understand what you're driving at. But I'm uncomfortable with the seeming underlying connotation that only white people understand the importance of worshipping in solemnity at appropriate times, such as during a sacrament meeting. To be clear, I don't believe that is your suggestion, but I have heard such things all but stated out loud, usually but not always by white people. I can't figure out what might be wrong with teaching new members, regardless of race or cultural background, that certain sacred things are to be done in solemnity of spirit and not with shouting, whooping, and raucous applause.

Still agin' it. Such exuberance has its place, but not during our most sacred and solemn worship service.

To paraphrase Grumpy, I'm agin' 'em.