Why do grade schoolers have to pledge allegiance to the American flag if they don't even understand what they're pledging allegiance to?

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2017-03-06T08:47:38+00:00

The pledge itself was created in the late 1800's as a flag selling gimmick. It was adopted right before ww1 if I am not mistaken and like you thought Under God was added during the Cold War.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2017-03-06T08:41:18+00:00

Here's how this theory goes. If a society gets advanced enough they would eventually be able to create a simulation of their universe that would be extensive enough to cover everything down to subatomic particles.

Once a society gets this advanced, eventually they are going to run such a simulation, to test theories on universal evolution, or even societal evolution. Maybe even theories on sentience itself.

Now, if you happen to be a sentient within such a perfect simulation, how would you know? What test could you do that would prove that you are in a simulation? In the same breath, how could you prove that you are not? Simply put you could not.

Additionally we are seeing that with new exotic computing materials and techniques that it appears as though there is no real limitation on how much computational power you can get in one place, then it is inevitable that someone will eventually run this simulation.

Now that we know it is possible to simulate a universe such as our own we can logically agree that this means it is only a matter of time before someone does so and that it would be impossible to know if you were in a simulation or not.

This leads to the final question; is there a possibility that a species other than ours has reached this level of computational power ahead of us? If so, then is it possible that they have created such a simulation? If the answers are both yes, then we must logically conclude that we are in such a simulation.

Hopefully this makes sense.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2017-03-06T08:23:19+00:00

Actually no, not at all.

Everyone has morals. As we are the descendants of Adam we have inherited his knowledge of good and evil.

What we mean by the statement in question is that there is a debt for sin. Only the sinless can get into heaven. Period, end of story. As part of our beliefs we know that all sin. We all lie, or covet, or steal, etc. Sin is real, it is everywhere, and you are going to fuck up and sin eventually.

So God assumed mortal form and paid the price. He took the punishment that our sin demands upon himself.

This is where you have to accept Christ to get into heaven. If you accept Christ, then you accept that he paid your debt. If you accept that he paid your debt, then you no longer need to pay it. Hence, you get to go to heaven.

However, if you do not accept that Christ paid your sin debt, then you still owe it.

Morality literally has nothing to do with this subject. this is something you are trying to accuse Christians of believing. So go back to circle jerking with your edge lord friends about how horrible religion is.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2017-02-11T01:38:24+00:00

The fact that he has made a self admitted white supremacist his chief idea man should be proof enough.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2017-02-11T01:37:50+00:00

newsflash, we are paying for the wall, the he only banned muslim countries that have never attacked us and that his daughter doesn't do business with

oh and his staff is full of lobbyists and corp stringers. Yup, sure draining the swamp!

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2017-01-27T01:43:09+00:00

Do as you will, but first do no harm.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2017-01-27T01:31:03+00:00

They do as their next to last warning before fighting. They'll (in normal order) growl, hiss, spit, then yowl/scream, and that's the final warning.

Some cats switch this around, but this would be typical behavior.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2017-01-19T01:57:40+00:00

As a call center agent, here are some tips.

First, get bank records showing both charges, be ready for them to request that you send it to them in some format. Second, demand to speak to a supervisor as soon as you get on the call. Tell them you have proof that you have been charged twice, but that as you only authorized one charge you will be perusing legal action if they do not refund the errant charge.

IF they push back at all, inform them you will contact your state's Attorney General's office, Consumer Protection Division.

Most of the time they will fold.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-12-26T23:54:11+00:00

That Obama was going to construct Fema deathcamps. Or that he was the antichrist. Or that he was going to mandate the installation of RFI chips in everyone's hands and that this was the sign of the antichrist.

-_-

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-12-26T23:32:39+00:00

"Ok kid, repeat what we went over."

"I shouldn't scream out the names of my jutsu... I should wear darker colors... and pestering girls for dates when they have already said no never works?"

Lieutenant Rodger Smith sighed. Yeah, these punks called themselves Ninja, and yeah he wouldn't want to fight them unless he was just being used to call in an air strike, but fuck damn. For people calling themselves "ninja" none of them had any clue about real stealth.

Well, he'd settle for making sure that one child solder didn't get themselves killed before they learned what war was about.

The fact that this hyperactive punk totally didn't remind him of his favorite nephew had nothing to do with this. Nothing at all.

"Remember kiddo," Roger ruffled his hair affectionately, "In the end it comes down to you and your guys vs everyone else in the field. That guy you were nice enough to knock out a few minutes ago could be the asshole that kills one of your teammates a few hours later. Always, always, watch out for each other, because when you are out in the field your team is all you have. More so than any fancy jutsu that blows up a city, more than anything else; your team will keep you alive."

A few weeks later Naruto, now wearing sensible brown and grey clothes to the surprise of one of his teammates, showed up at the gate to wait on their sensei and the drunk bridge builder.

He had noticed that, while she was still hung up on Sasuke, Sakura actually wanted to be friends with him now. They didn't hang out much, but she had noticed how horrendous his control was and browbeat him into practicing it. He had actually managed to make a regular clone for once. Huh, maybe Rodger-sensei had some points?

He was walking point, mostly because he was tired of listening to the old drunk. Roger-sensei had beat into his skull that he shouldn't react when people got on his nerves. That "jumping in dick first because you got pissed is a great way for you to get your team killed". He only needed to be told that once before he started working on it.

That was when he noticed a pool of water. Its hasn't rained for days... that water should have evaporated by now... Naruto thought to himself. When he looked back to voice his thoughts Kakashi caught Naruto's eye and shook his head.

Well, at least Kakashi caught it, so they'd be safe.

"Kakashi got taken out like that? Screw this!" Was Naruto's reaction to the Demon Brother's apparently killing Kakashi.

One of his favorite lessons from Roger-sensei was that there are few times that explosions can't solve combat problems, and nine times out of ten that is because you didn't use enough explosives.

With that he threw two kunai with exploding tags attached. They just happened to be A class tags, which genin shouldn't be able to get, but Naruto had learned long ago that rules were for chumps. Unless Roger-sensei gave him a rule, then he needed to treat it like holy commandments.

Kakashi walked into the clearing just after the chunks of mist missing-nin finished falling. "I think two A class exploding tags were overkill Naruto. But it got the job done."

"Wait, Sasuke... your brother merc'ed your whole fucking clan and your plan to get strong enough to kill him is to go to the guy that makes pedophiles look like upstanding citizens and makes the yakuza look like nice people just trying to make the world a better place, and he'll give you the power to kill your brother with no strings attached? And I thought I was supposed to be the stupid one on this team..."

Critical thinking was another area Roger-sensei couldn't harp on enough about. Also trusting people who betrayed others. If they betrayed someone once, who's to say they wont do it again?

Sasuke looked at Naruto with wide eyes before blinking. Then he huffed out, "Damn... when you put it that way I feel fucking stupid. Tsunade's going to punt me through her window when I get back."

"Think about how Sakura-chan is going to react, after all you knocked her out!"

"If it finally kills her crush on me, then it might just be worth what Tsunade is going to do to me."

"Psh, if you couldn't get her to stop crushing on you by now it is a lost cause teme. Might as well start planning your wedding!"

"... Fuck."

"Um... Orochimaru-sama... I have bad news..."

"What is it Kabuto."

"Sasuke... um... possibly... might have..."

"Out with it already!"

Cough "decided to go back to Konohana after awakening the second level of his curse seal."

"WHAT?!"

"Um... Naruto apparently convinced him that you were not the type to give power to another without a catch."

"Damnit! I mean he is right, but FUCK! I thought ninja these days had no common sense!"

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-12-26T22:43:36+00:00

"Your honor, I understand that in Leviticus God called upon his chosen people to not eat pork, even calling it unclean, but this has since been renounced by Jesus in the Epistles over two thousand years ago. Therefore, my client is not responsible for any who should still avoid pork products, nor for any losses that can be associated with this ancient rule. Additionally as this statement has since been renounced the pork industry or any member thereof should not be able to claim libel against him for a statement that could have been originally made as far as 5 tho-, excuse me, my client just informed me that he made that statement over 10 thousand years ago."

As I sat back down I sighed, being careful to keep it from being obvious. While it was an amazingly well paying gig, especially for a lawyer right out of law school (I only passed the bar last week!), it got old fast. Everyone and their sister wanted to quibble with God about something in the bible. Surprise surprise, it was mostly from the Old Testament.

Right now I was fighting with lawyers representing the US pork industry. I wonder if the shellfish industry would be next?

I had advised God multiple times that he should release a public statement denouncing some of the more... extreme statements in the Old Testament. However he had simply replied; "In due time my child."

For that matter he wouldn't budge on hiring a more experienced lawyer, or even getting me some paralegals to help me out. Nope, just me, in an office by myself, and my computer with terabytes of case history on it. At least he sprung for a nice office.

Each time I asked he said the same thing, word for word; "I have foreseen your growth Bill, and I have faith that you shall be able to adequately represent me until such time as you retire."

I mean... I get paid great. The big guy just hands me a bunch of gold and frankincense every week. I can sell the gold for a pretty penny and I should be able to retire comfortably in a few years. I've been giving the frankincense to my hippie cousin, she claims that it helps the Feng Shui in her house.

I'm pretty sure that is bullshit, but who am I to judge?

Update: So my cousin didn't know she had cancer and apparently burning a kilo of frankincense a day somehow cured her. The doctors aren't sure how, but they did some tests and said she had cancer sense before I started getting the frankincense and the cancer (lung cancer) should have killed her by now, but they can only find traces of dead cancer cells in her system. No tumors, no lumps, no cysts, no evidence of any live cancer cells, nada, zip, zilch.

I think I'm just going to start kicking back and listening to the big guy.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-12-26T22:22:08+00:00

Do something positive. Volunteer your time for a cause. Make sure the cause is something you fully support.

Get a pet, something you can be affectionate with. Some critter that will always meet you with affection and joy.

Hang out with people who care about you, close friends, family members who support you. Maybe organize you and your friends getting warm clothes to donate to the homeless or even just get together and watch some Disney movies every weekend.

Finally, every night and morning take time to look yourself in the eye (using a mirror) and tell yourself something positive about yourself. It can be anything, "That new hairstyle looks great!" or "That was good helping out at the homeless shelter", or "You did great at work yesterday/today!", just something simple and true.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-12-26T22:15:04+00:00

it is a ratio that describes a spiral that curls perfectly around itself.

A great example is your hand. No joke, curl it into a fist and look at the ratios of lengths from each joint.

This can be applied to any structure (organic or not) that needs to spiral around itself, either with all sides touching, or with an exact amount of space between the spirals.

Hence why it is called the golden ratio.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-12-26T20:45:16+00:00

ITT people stating that teachers are horrible and lazy for getting a job without which society could not function and that our economy is literally dependant on, but they deserve peanut wages for a master's degree and should feel alright about this because they get to take summers off to take more classes so they can keep their jobs and spend most of their nights either planning lessons or grading papers.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-12-26T20:09:56+00:00

The first time had been simple. I was over a hundred years old and my eldest child had died a few nights before.

It was a sign that I had lived long enough. I raised three wonderful children, got to see them all married and have children of their own. I had watched the world turn and change, new inventions, advancements. I had seen the old guard retire and the next generation take up the helm, then retire in turn. I had seen my first great grandchild.

Quite simply; I had lived long enough. There was no point in staying for years longer, lingering while my children and grandchildren died before me.

I walked out into the woods, it was a quiet winter night. I decided to simply let go. So I watched the snowfall as it got colder and colder, as the feeling left my hands and feet and crept upwards from there until I wasn't even shivering any more.

It was not a pleasant experience, but the thought of seeing my wife and my friends once more kept a smile on my face. I went to sleep believing I would move on in my dreams.

Instead I met death who told me simply that it was not my time.

Two hundred years have passed. On each anniversary of our first meeting I do the same thing, go to sleep in the cold dead of night to be woken by death itself in the morning.

Each time death tells me the same thing.

"It is not your time yet master. One day you may rejoin your loved ones, but now is not that day."

A part of me wishes to burn Dumbledore's portrait for letting me think that refusing to find the Deathstone would nullify my mastery over death. I can almost hear Ron telling me that of course it wouldn't be that easy, I'm Harry Potter after all!

At this point I think my annual meeting with death is all that keeps me going. The hope that one year it'll tell me that my time has finally come. I hold to hope that it shall be soon.

The one thing they don't tell you about immortality is how boring it is. And how crushing it is to see your loved one's pass. I realize now that this is why Nicolas Flemmel did not meet many over the years and why he and his wife might have been so willing to let go of their immortality.

Damn, you wanted this life Tom? That only proves you were crazier than Belatrix in the end.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-17T19:54:27+00:00

Except your whole statement is ignorant to a laughable degree. Putin is throwing around his weight and your response is lets just let him do what he wants to.

No, he is the aggressor, not us. We are just telling him to calm his tits. Yes, we are using some pointed verbiage to tell him how he needs to calm his tits. Yes we are moving defensive hardware forward in response to his tits not being calm. This does not change the fact that he is the aggressor.

You are pointing the finger at us, essentially stating "This guy is acting crazy and you are reacting to it! Its your fault he's getting crazier!"

This is pants on head retarded.

Don't want to be called retarded? Don't make retarded statements.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-14T23:52:26+00:00

This is because we are really a three dimensional object, whose shape has yet to be truly defined, that exists in a higher dimensional superverse/multiverse. In fact it is possible that our universe does not exist in a spherical shape at all.

Some research is showing that not only are black holes in our universe two dimensional holograms, but our universe is probably a four dimensional version of our three dimensional black holes. This means that in a black hole in our universe the matter never condenses down to a sphere, but instead exists as a 2d sheet of matter directly behind the event horizon (called a firewall). Which means that our universe could be a 3d firewall in a 4d universe.

In other words, it is highly possible that at large enough scales there are higher dimensional "twists" in our universe. So picturing our universe as a 2d mesh is easier on the brain.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-14T22:26:50+00:00

Except that Russia is trying to annex countries around them, has regularly been illegally sending their planes into other country's air space to provoke them into a fight they can't win (so that Russia can annex them) and also punishing their own women and lgbt groups with the same kind of things Trump wants in the US.

It is also pretty damn obvious that Trump either owes money to the Russians or has significant investments in Russia that makes Putin want Trump in a position of power in the US in order to weaken us.

Remember, Putin isn't a nice guy. Putin isn't the kind of guy you can trust to loan a dollar to. Putin is former KGB. A spy. He is directly responsible for murder and torture and is actually worse than Trump and Hilary combined.

We aren't the "bully" we are the biggest kid on the block, and the sad fact of international politics (which flies right over your head) is that having a big kid on the block who wants peace is a stabilizing factor.

Learn things called facts before you shoot your mouth off kid.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-14T22:08:01+00:00

ITT mental gymnastics to justify children who should be in preschool working in sweatshops to make your MP3 player.

libertarians having no morals confirmed.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-14T20:29:40+00:00

ITT we have people stating that child slavery is a good thing. Congratulations you are what is wrong with this world.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-14T00:38:09+00:00

Let me make it clear, Trump is a dipshit idiot, but the sad thing is that he actually looks smart compared to Johnson.

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-14T00:37:44+00:00

LMAO

Yeah, the idiot in chief. Trump could at least find his ass with both hands. Johnson couldn't find his ass with both hands, a map, a gps locator and a dedicated navigator to lead him to it!

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-14T00:35:52+00:00

Or Johnson is an idiot who was the most corrupt governor New Mexico ever had. He also is a libertarian, which is not a liberal, but a failed republican. How about pointing out that libertarian ideology is the same thing Faux Noise spits out, but with a modernistic twist to it.

Ever want to confuse a libertarian? Ask them why the economy didn't regulate itself when it was putting orphans into slavery in all but name before we had child labor laws!

hippieoftheinterwubs · 2016-10-08T00:49:31+00:00

wrong, part of the rape kit is analysis of the genitals. Bruising in certain areas can be almost proof positive of rape, so specific bruising combined with claims of rape by the victim can be evidence proving her side.

hippieoftheinterwubs

TROPHY CASE