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DownfallenWest
The Shire
Apr 22 2007, 9:03am
Views: 4481
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Doesn't this more properly belong in Off Topic? Fundy athests in your church?!? Something don't add up there! I used to be quite adamant in pointing out the logical and even moral superiority of atheism over theistic morality when my then-new world view was newer to me. I was never personally religious, and over time became more secure in my understanding that the world, universe, and especially humanity are best and most easily explained and understood without trying to reckon in a creator/judge/god/hierarchy of supernatural beings. I am as comfortably certain that the various gods of the various religions I've heard about don't or even can't exist, as I am that the sun will "come up" tomorrow, that invisible pink unicorns aren't rummaging around in my attic for carrots, or that little elves aren't pushing the electrons around inside this here computer at which I now sit. I've written letters to the editor of local newspapers--mostly in response to nonsense written by other readers mis-portraying evolutionary science or whatnot. I even once wrote that maybe the US would be better off with an atheist president, what with Clinton's faults not having been helped by his deep religiosity. (Said "liberal" paper--The Oregonian--edited (without attribution, the ninnies!) my letter to turn it into more of a critique of Clinton than I intended, FWIW.) Just to ramble on a bit, back in college, when I was first really trying to figure out what I do and don't believe, a discussion with my Catholic scientist dad led him to say "just get over this agnostic stage." Yeah, right, but not in the direction he'd hoped! We'd been discussing whether it made more sense to assume the universe required a creator to have come into existence, or whether the existence of such a creator begged the question of whence *he* came. He stunned me by using the false argument of the origin of life here on the closed system of the earth going against entropy. Stunning because he's a freakin' theoretical nuclear physicist! (Of course the earth is not a closed system, what with that big fireball in the sky providing energy from outside and all.) Some time later, my dad's second wife suggested that it doesn't matter what religion one has, as long as they have one, because those miserable atheists "believe in nothing". She didn't know much about my personal religious persuasion, but assumed I was a struggling Catholic like my parents. And before anyone jumps to conclusions, my parents' Catholicism has little to do with my religion-free status--none of this, "ah, THAT's why he's a non-believer, his parents' religion turned him off," business please. (Not that I think anyone in this thread would think or say such a thing, but I've encountered this attitude before.) Mom once said she worried that she didn't do enough to make me religious instead of an atheist. I believe I reassured her enough that she should be glad to have raised me to be able to determine for myself what I believe and what world view fits me best. I suppose I should try to remember and dust off my old argument for the superiority of moral atheism just for the fun of it. Wish I had more time to post more thoughtfully on this...gotta go bike off through the woods to a Biergarten for some lunch.
What would Samwise do?
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Subject
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User
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Time
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Prayers etc needed for 'The Hobbit' movie
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mae govannen
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Apr 19 2007, 4:58am
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I will join you
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Rivendweller
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Apr 19 2007, 1:49pm
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Thank you for your answer so straight and simple :-) /
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 3:18am
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You are entirely welcome. :-)
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Rivendweller
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Apr 20 2007, 2:37pm
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I remember
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 20 2007, 2:40pm
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I think there are a lot more important things in this world...
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diedye
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Apr 19 2007, 3:07pm
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Huh?
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Darkstone
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Apr 19 2007, 3:19pm
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Thank you. //
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Lossefalme
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Apr 19 2007, 3:45pm
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You said what I didn't want to say...
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Noneoftheabove
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Apr 20 2007, 3:38am
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Thank you for saying at least also
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 5:21am
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How do you know I'm not praying also for those things?...
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 5:13am
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You said very well something I had been thinking.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 20 2007, 1:59pm
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Thank you for those nice, encouraging words.
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 4:26pm
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Dear God,
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'esquey
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Apr 19 2007, 3:17pm
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... and to all the other human beings who suffer horribly too
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 5:48am
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I guess one can feel blessed
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Magpie
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Apr 19 2007, 3:38pm
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It doesn't have to be either or, you know...
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 6:06am
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Well, mae...
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Magpie
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Apr 20 2007, 1:48pm
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Well
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Darkstone
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Apr 20 2007, 2:20pm
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On the other hand, i do pray for blessings
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 20 2007, 2:46pm
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Well...
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Darkstone
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Apr 20 2007, 3:11pm
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I've had personal contact too:
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 20 2007, 4:07pm
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*bow of respect*
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Darkstone
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Apr 20 2007, 4:12pm
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I'm speechless
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Ataahua
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Apr 21 2007, 1:56am
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Yep.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 23 2007, 12:59pm
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*applauds*
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Stapper
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Apr 21 2007, 9:38am
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That's what I meant too with that proposal... /
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 3:48pm
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'I know nothing about you other than
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 3:39pm
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Well,
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 19 2007, 5:11pm
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I confess
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Morwen
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Apr 19 2007, 5:39pm
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Aye...
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diedye
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Apr 19 2007, 6:57pm
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I didn't articulate it well, but that's where I'm coming from.
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Lossefalme
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Apr 19 2007, 7:06pm
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Well, that solution never occurred to me.
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Morwen
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Apr 19 2007, 7:17pm
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Mea culpa.
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Lossefalme
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Apr 19 2007, 5:51pm
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Agree absolutely
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Morwen
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Apr 19 2007, 6:14pm
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Well said. //
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Lossefalme
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Apr 19 2007, 6:23pm
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Thank you
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 19 2007, 8:24pm
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Thank you, Aunt Dora
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Morwen
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Apr 19 2007, 8:31pm
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Having read that beautiful poem of yours
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 1:23pm
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Nobody died...
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diedye
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Apr 19 2007, 6:23pm
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Clarification...
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diedye
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Apr 19 2007, 7:04pm
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Luckily for us, God may take care of ALL the fish,
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 7:15am
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Well
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Darkstone
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Apr 19 2007, 7:34pm
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Good question...
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diedye
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Apr 19 2007, 7:58pm
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We can be hamburgers.
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Darkstone
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Apr 19 2007, 8:06pm
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LOL!... I appreciate the joke, although
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 8:54am
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What is that old addage about assuming?...
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diedye
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Apr 20 2007, 3:07pm
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I don't know much about English adages,
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 4:08pm
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P.S.: And as for my proposal,
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 4:16pm
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Well, that's just the spirit of what I'm talking about too!!!
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 8:05am
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Thank you for this warm-hearted comment! If
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 6:44am
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Aunt Dora Baggins you're great!
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Arwen_Undomiel
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Nov 11 2009, 10:52pm
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Good heavens, that was a long time ago!
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Nov 11 2009, 11:01pm
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Well, here's another.
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N.E. Brigand
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Nov 15 2009, 5:18am
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That's amazing!
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Nov 15 2009, 3:33pm
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I'm so glad you took the time
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grammaboodawg
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Apr 19 2019, 1:20pm
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My indoctrination into atheism...sorry...Atheism
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DownfallenWest
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Apr 20 2007, 6:51am
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Sorry, didn't get your point:
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 9:20am
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Sorry!
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DownfallenWest
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Apr 22 2007, 8:22am
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Thank you for this nice and very helpful answer! :-)
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mae govannen
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Apr 22 2007, 5:42pm
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Well it would be half the number...
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Meliana
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Apr 20 2007, 12:52pm
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For real?
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Aerin
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Apr 20 2007, 6:09pm
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That's a biiiig closet!//
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 20 2007, 6:25pm
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Yes, it is,
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Aerin
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Apr 20 2007, 9:01pm
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I'm reminded of my father
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 20 2007, 9:07pm
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LOL!... Great saying!!! :-D
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mae govannen
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Apr 21 2007, 4:36am
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I just thouht it was funny that you were categorizing
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 20 2007, 9:11pm
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I knew what you meant...
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Aerin
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Apr 21 2007, 2:41am
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Hear, hear, non-theists!... :-)
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mae govannen
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Apr 21 2007, 4:32am
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Thanks for your kind words.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 21 2007, 6:25pm
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Rambling on in general.....
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DownfallenWest
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Apr 22 2007, 9:03am
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My mother had the same concern...
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Aerin
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Apr 22 2007, 7:51pm
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Replies on several fronts
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 23 2007, 1:11pm
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Hah!
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Darkstone
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Apr 23 2007, 1:59pm
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That's a great point!
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Aerin
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Apr 24 2007, 3:28am
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*hugging Aunt Dora in a close embrace*
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mae govannen
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Apr 21 2007, 5:29am
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blinks a few times.
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Magpie
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Apr 21 2007, 6:13am
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It takes a lot of nerve
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Aerin
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Apr 21 2007, 6:57am
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My eyes have been opened a bit recently
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FarFromHome
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Apr 21 2007, 9:24am
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I didn't know
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Stapper
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Apr 21 2007, 9:59am
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Dunno.
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Darkstone
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Apr 23 2007, 2:19pm
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I think it's both.
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Aerin
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Apr 24 2007, 3:37am
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Thanks for clarifying
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Magpie
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Apr 21 2007, 2:03pm
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Thanks, FFH, Stapper, and Magpie.
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Aerin
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Apr 21 2007, 5:19pm
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Depends.
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DownfallenWest
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Apr 22 2007, 8:35am
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Interesting
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Radhruin
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Apr 23 2007, 8:07am
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It is amazing.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Apr 23 2007, 1:18pm
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I think it says a lot
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Aerin
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Apr 24 2007, 3:39am
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I think you're right (nt)
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Radhruin
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Apr 24 2007, 4:42pm
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Hey, I like your footer quotation! /
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Aerin
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Apr 24 2007, 11:22pm
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Well, Aerin said it before me!... But
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mae govannen
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Apr 29 2007, 6:46am
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To all: please read my first answer to diedye,
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mae govannen
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Apr 20 2007, 9:35am
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Have been and will continue to :)
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grammaboodawg
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Apr 27 2007, 2:16pm
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Hugs to you too, dear gramma!... And
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mae govannen
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Apr 29 2007, 7:30am
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guess it worked //
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Annael
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Dec 31 2014, 9:12pm
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Oh my!!! This is bringing tears in my eyes!...
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mae govannen
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Jan 1 2015, 7:48am
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This has got to be a record for number of years spanned by one thread!
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Jan 4 2015, 2:21pm
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You're probably right about the record!
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mae govannen
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Jan 4 2015, 2:54pm
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