Philisophical questin : is it possible to be off topic on a thread titled Non Sequitur?
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Philisophical questin : is it possible to be off topic on a thread titled Non Sequitur?
For those of you who are not yet ready for tuesday, or talk like a pirate day I found this very useful Instruction video :)
Do you believe in superstitions ? Here's where you can find all about it from across the world Superstitions
Bats:
Bats avoid obstacles and nab insects on the wing by emitting ultrasonic squeaks and interpreting the echo the sound waves make after bouncing off objects in the environment. This biological sonar, called "echolocation," is also used by dolphins to navigate murky waters.
Sharks:
Never play hide-and-seek with a shark because you'll lose. Sharks have special cells in their brains that are sensitive to the electrical fields other creatures generate. This ability is so refined in some sharks that they can find fish hiding under sand by the weak electric signals their twitching muscles emit.
Boas:
Temperature-sensitive organs located between the eyes and nostrils of boas and pit vipers allow the snakes to sense the body heat of their prey. There is one located on each side of the snakes' head, so the animals can perceive depth and strike with deadly accuracy even in complete darkness.
Hummingbird:
The eyes of insects and birds are attuned to wavelengths of light outside the visible range that humans see in. Birds that appear drab to us are often radiant in colors we don’t even have names for when seen in near-ultraviolet light. Telescopes like Hubble make ultraviolet images, which are colorized by technicians so we can enjoy them.
Cats:
Cats have a mirror-like membrane in the backs of their eyes that lets them hunt and move in almost complete darkness. Called a "tapetum lucidum," the membrane reflects light after it has already traveled through the retina, giving the eyes another chance to nab the photons as they make their second trip.
Snake:
A snake flicking its forked tongue might look ominous to us, but it's just the animal sniffing its surroundings. A snakes use its tongues to collect particles wafting in the air. The coated tongue is then dipped into special pits in the roofs of the snake's mouth, called Jacobson's organs. There, the odors get processed and translated into electrical signals that are sent to the brain.
Moths:
For moths, the term "love is in the air" is something to be taken literally. The furry insects can detect chemical love signals, called "pheromones," emitted by the opposite sex from up to seven-miles away. Some studies show humans also detect pheromones, but the effect seems to require close encounters.
Rats:
Most rats have poor vision, but they make up for it with the "whiskers on their snouts. They use the long hairs, also called "vibrissae," in the same way that blind people use canes. By whisking the hairs across objects the come across, rats and other rodents form mental pictures of their surroundings.
Drum fish:
Some fish like this drum fish "hear" using their air bladders. The bladders detect sound vibrations and relay them to the inner ear via a set of bones in the middle ear called the "Weberian apparatus." Hair cells in the inner ear respond to the vibrations and transmit the sound information to the fish's brain.
Migratory birds:
Many birds, especially those that migrate, can use the "Earth's magnetic field to stay their course during long flights. Scientists still aren't sure how they do it, but one recent study suggests birds might have a form of synesthesia that lets them "see" the planet's magnetic lines as patterns of color or light that is overlaid on their visual surroundings. Humans must rely on familiar landmarks or the sun's position to locate North, and many can't even manage that.
Animal Senses
Beautiful Image -- Dew Drop -- Refraction
Hilarious!:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
Actually, we are not an atheist, but these are still funny.
We especially liked these:
121. ARGUMENT FROM PERSECUTION (II)
(1) Jesus said that people would make fun of Christians.
(2) I am an idiot.
(3) People often point that out.
(4) Therefore, God exists.
72. ARGUMENT FROM INSANITY
(1) No sane person could have thought up Christianity.
(2) Therefore, it must be true
(3) Therefore, God exists.
and, especially:
46. CALVINIST ARGUMENT, a.k.a. TERTULLIAN'S ARGUMENT
(1) If God exists, then he will let me watch you be tortured forever.
(2) I rather like that idea.
(3) Therefore, God exists.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6036331.stmQuote:
Paris and Nicole feud 'is over'
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie have agreed to film a new series of the reality show The Simple Life. The show had been put in danger by a year-long feud which saw the pair filming their sections separately.
But it has been confirmed they will play the role of children's camp counsellors in the newest adventure, set to begin production next month.
The show's executive producer, Jon Murray, said: "The thing the viewers love is the two girls together."
Survivalists
Mr Murray said for the next season of the programme he plans to put the pair on a deserted island with a group of survivalists.
The decision was reached after they agreed to appear side-by-side again.
"They reached out to each other in universal disdain for the island concept and rekindled their friendship," he said.
The two went public with their seemingly reconciled relationship on Sunday, arriving together at a restaurant in Los Angeles.
http://lifestyle.uk.msn.com/features...mentid=1059060Quote:
It’s Friday the 13th, which could mean a day of horror for superstitious people who dread the number 13. And not only that, this Friday, all of the date's digits - 13-10-2006 - add up to a total of, guess what? 13 (cue Omen music).
So could we all be doomed to a day of ultra unluckiness - or is it all just a load of old codswallop?
You’ve got to be pretty unlucky to suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia, or the fear of Friday the 13th, for a start because no one can say it. But even more so because, as with most superstitious fears, it is one that’s ultimately self-inflicted. It stands to reason that if you think, “I can’t drive today unless a black cat crosses my path because it’s Friday 13th and I’ll end up pranging the car,” the chances are you’ll be much more nervous and therefore increase the likelihood of that happening.
Some people are so paraskevidekatriaphobic (try saying it three times – you'd be lucky) that they won't go to work on Friday the 13th, which is pretty unlucky for their colleagues. Some won't eat in restaurants (unlucky for the chefs) and many wouldn't think of setting a wedding on the date (poor bored vicars).
But while all this may sound trite, it’s actually a very serious matter. The fear of the number 13 has a strong grip on western society. Many cities in the States don’t have a 13th Street or Avenue. And many buildings don't have a 13th floor. And you’ll need as many four-leaved clovers as you can carry if you have 13 letters in your name, for legend has it you’ll have the devil's luck. Jack the Ripper has 13 letters in his name, see? (Though one suspects it might have been more than a bad luck day that sent him on a rampaging psychopathic killing mission.)
Here’s another bad luck fact: there are reportedly 13 witches in a coven. But there were only three “Weird Sisters” in Macbeth and they managed to cause enough trouble between them in the Scottish Highlands.
It has been proposed that fears surrounding the number 13 are as ancient as the act of counting. Primitive man only had his 10 fingers and two feet to represent units, so apparently he couldn’t count higher than 12. But the most mysterious thing about this theory is that primitive man hadn’t worked out how to count with his toes too. That’s pretty primitive.
Psychologist Dr Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire has carried out extensive research into the matter and he believes that – to a certain extent, people make their own luck. "Unlucky people tend to buy into negative superstitions, like having seven years bad luck after smashing a mirror,” he says.
“If you're one of these people, the fact that it's Friday the 13th could make you anxious and that will make you more likely to have accidents, drive less well, and perhaps find it harder to relate to other people. So your bad luck could be your own doing," he sagely advises.
Wiseman (how lucky for a doctor to have such a clever-sounding name?) conducted a survey featuring 4,000 people and found that those who were "lucky" tended to believe in superstitions designed to bring good luck, such as touching wood, crossing fingers and carrying a lucky charm. While "unlucky" people were drawn to bad luck superstitions, such as breaking a mirror, walking under a ladder, or having anything to do with the number 13.
Wiseman even goes so far as to suggest that some people might even use bad luck as an excuse for failing at something. Well it is pretty unlucky if your dog ate your homework. But if you left it in his basket then just maybe you just helped that bad luck to happen.
But then, just as people base their faith in their horoscopes, or believe in the hand of fate, maybe superstitious beliefs are just our ways of explaining – and coping with – the things that we want to understand but cannot rationally explain. Why for example, of all the days, is the train cancelled when you’re going for that important interview? Why did that pigeon poop have to land on your head this morning? (That’s lucky by the way, though quite why is a mystery entirely.) And why did your suitcase go missing on that flight when every other passenger has theirs?
Some of these accidents can be put down to human error – the clumsiness of the baggage handler, the train company failing to make sure its trains were in full working order. But some are simply down to the random forces of nature. The tree that fell through the garage because a gale was blowing in that direction, or the river that burst its banks and flooded the cottage. (But then could that be put down to human error too, because the cottage should have been built on higher ground?)
So some kinds of bad luck can be avoided through preparation, preparation and preparation. Having the foresight to see what could possibly go wrong doesn’t make a person a pessimist, it just means that some potential problems could be avoided. But not everyone is as careful as they can possibly be all of the time. Not everyone is perky and alert 24/7.
Mistakes happen and worrying about them happening is pointless. They’re random and nothing to be frightened of. We learn from them and (here’s the touchy-feely part) become better at handling situations because of them. So this Friday 13, just keep your fingers crossed, touch wood and forget it's all happening - and it will pass like any other day. Incidentally, isn’t it lucky that it’s Friday 13 – and not Monday 13 – that would be really awful. May the luck of the Irish be with you.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6066724.stmQuote:
Santa Claus and Barbie are among some of the "most important characters" to have shaped society, behaviour - or even swayed the course of history. Topping the list in a book of The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived is Marlboro Man - a 1950s marketing creation to boost cigarette sales.
The book's three US co-authors say that his biggest influence has been to cause the death of millions from cancer.
At number two is writer George Orwell's Big Brother, followed by King Arthur.
According to the book's authors, King Arthur - held by some to be a historical figure - embodies for many the ideal qualities of a monarch or leader.
'Surprising consequences'
Only characters that have managed to "shape society, change our behaviour, and set the course of history" made the list.
TOP 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL
1 The Marlboro Man
2 Big Brother
3 King Arthur
4 Santa Claus
5 Hamlet
6 Dr Frankenstein's Monster
7 Siegfried
8 Sherlock Holmes
9 Romeo and Juliet
10 Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
"The figments of our imaginations, the creatures we push out of our minds into the real world are fully capable of pushing back with surprising consequences," Jeremy Salter, one of the book's authors, told Reuters news agency.
Santa Claus registers at number four because he "makes us believe we are entitled to goodies just for living in an affluent society, and governs our entire economy for the last quarter of the year".
Characters such as the Ugly Duckling, Ebenezer Scrooge, Shylock and superhero Batman are also included.
Each entry is accompanied by a short description, explaining the significance of the character - be it good or bad.
Secret agent James Bond, positioned at 51, is praised for his "intrigue, sex appeal and British suavity with the highest technologies of modern age".
Meanwhile, Barbie - "the bodacious plastic babe" at number 43 - is blamed for "setting an impossible standard for beauty and style".
http://www.mbl.is/folk/dilbert/img/05/1226.gif
"Easy pal, that horseradish won't jump a fence."
"You're blind, Mr. Magoo, this is the crossroads for me."
"Suzy, that's fish four days old, I won't buy it."
"He's a big man, he wins all the marbles."
"Rest in peace, Kelly! You're skinny, but JJ says you're sweat."
A survey this week found one in five British children could not find the UK on a map of the world.
What about other countries? Test yourself by identifying the 10 countries highlighted in the following questions.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6083496.stm
PS: I could answer only 7 correctly :-/
10 out of 10!!!
Yay, I know where the Netherlands is on the world map, it's right where I left it :D :p Wow! amazing, it just sunk into the North Sea. Now I'm glad I live on the second floor :nod:
Just in case anyone is missing the old forum styleee :D
http://www.online-literature.com/images/top.png
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6099008.stmQuote:
The sinister side of Halloween is being exploited, says one leading church figure, when it could celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Can Halloween go cuddly? Halloween, Fright Night, All Hallow's Eve. Call it what you will, but it's supposed to be scary... right?
Not according to one cleric, who wants people to come away from Halloween's darker side.
The Rt Rev David Gillett, the Bishop of Bolton, says the "more horrific" of masks prove too scary for many children. With the Mothers' Union - a Christian parenting group - Bishop Gillett is backing a campaign called Halloween Choice to promote the lighter side of the festival.
"The emphasis has become so evil and scary, I've spoken to children and adults who find it too scary," he says.
Bishop Gillett wants a shift away from horror character masks, like Hannibal Lecter, towards the Christian celebration of good over evil. And, he wants an end to the trick or treating-style harassment that brings out extra police patrols and can be a nuisance to some.
Costumes could have a brighter side, he says, and home-made outfits would let people set their own fear factor. Shops could stock up on hair braids, bright balloons, face paints and glow tubes, instead of fake blood and evil eyes.
"Why not lighter costumes? Brighter colours?" he asks. "Face masks that people could paint themselves in a way that sets their own level of spookiness?
"It's not to do with the occult, or asking supermarkets to stop what they are doing. It's saying when children are in a supermarket and asking 'Get me something for a Halloween outfit', they can buy something other than the horrific choices.
Creepy cash
Party-wise, churches have begun to organise alternative events for children around Halloween - parties with songs, games, quizzes and stories. But Halloween's creepy roots stretch way back, to the Celtic feast of Samhain as well as All Hallow's Eve, and in the last few years, selling scariness has been highly lucrative for supermarkets.
UK spending on Halloween will top £120m this year, says Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail. This compares with £12m five years ago. The pumpkin market alone is worth £25m. It is the third most profitable seasonal push in supermarkets after Christmas and Easter, with whole aisles turned over to pumpkin costumes, witches hats and the like.
The make-you-jump thrill is, surely, part of the attraction. Would children trade all this dressing up and trick or treating for a "nice" Halloween?
At outlets like Angels Fancy Dress, in London, it is standing room only at peak shopping time as workers take their lunch not with a knife and fork but complete with a devil's trident.
But Halloween is not all about "hell and horror", says owner Emma Angel. The choice, to which Bishop Gillett refers, exists already.
Alongside its vampire teeth, scream-style masks and sinister clown outfits, Angels has sold Ghostbusters gear, banana costumes, "mad" doctor's scrubs, and, for children, a pink candy witch. Hardly spine-chilling.
We are already in touch with Halloween's brighter side, she says.
"It's just a great fun time of year for people to dress up, adults and children. Ghostbusters outfits are fun, not evil.
"People don't come in and say, 'I want to be Satan in disguise' or 'I really want to scare people'. They just want to put a pair of vampire's teeth in a funny way."
Tonight, when I opened the door to couple of 'trick-or-treaters', the youngest of the group, who seemed around 4-5, looked at me and said, 'That is too scary for me, that is!' and I couldn't help feeling guilty (and no, I wasn't wearing a mask; I had just removed my daily make up :p). Is it true that Halloween has become 'too scary'?
Too scary for what? Childhood is the only time when one can get really properly scared without actually being in any serious danger, and no sissy-pants bishop is going to take that away from them if I have anything to say about it.
You can read the suggestions and make your own at:Quote:
He championed free-market economics and was said to be the intellectual godfather behind the Thatcher and Reagan eras. But Milton Friedman, the economist who has died aged 94, will perhaps be remembered best for his observation "There's no such thing as a free lunch".
The Monitor is inclined to agree – at least, when the much-lamented Lunchtime Bonus Question was in its prime, there really was no such thing as a free lunch as it would devote its hour-long break to churning through e-mail responses sent in by fanatical LBQers.
In a monetary sense, however, the Monitor must take issue with Mr Friedman's glib observation. Free lunches are there to be had, you just need to know where to look?
So, in a one-off revival of the Friday Challenge – all for the good of Children in Need, you understand – where is the best place to look for a free lunch?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...llenge_1.shtml
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...552569,00.htmlQuote:
A new generation of superheroes is on its way to save the world - thanks to mums and dads who are film fanatics.
Records have shown two boys born in recent years have been named Superman.
And six youngsters now answer to the name of Gandalf, after the wizard in The Lord Of The Rings.
Other proud parents, presumably inspired by the silky football of Thierry Henry, have called their children Arsenal.
Three families have named sons David Beckham - and 29 have named theirs Gazza.
Golf-mad dads have apparently had their say too, with nearly 2,000 children named Tiger, according to the research of birth certificates since 1984 by family history website findmypast.com.
Rap stars Dr Dre, Tupac, Jay-Z and even Snoop Dogg have had children named after them.
More predictably there have also been more than 6,000 Kieras - reflecting the rise of actress Kiera Knightley.
Kylie is still a more popular name for girls, however, with more than 7,000 born in the past 22 years.
Many a poor child has had his or her life blighted by mad parents calling them loony names. A sure sign of a dysfunctional family is to name your sprogs after celebs. Certain names are meant for neds and nutters only. Some names lead the bearer to become caricatures of themselves. They have to 'live' the associated image.
Let's play a quick game of...
Which of these things is not like the other?
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/8497/picture1lg5.jpg
http://movies.uk.msn.com/features/press.aspxQuote:
Starring: Tom Hanks and Audrey Hepburn, with a cameo from Gene Kelly Singing (and dancing) in the Rain
The Kiss: Dirty Dancing's dance floor classic
Comedy: Life of Brian Monty Python genius
Action: Futuristic fight scenes from The Matrix, car chases from The Italian Job and explosions from Independence Day
Best One-Liner: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" – Rhett to Scarlet in Gone With The Wind
Twist Ending: Ghostly happenings in The Sixth Sense
Here's a more in-depth look at your choices…
1. Leading Man: Hollywood A-Listers Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro and Samuel L Jackson each polled 16% of the public vote to top the popularity poll for best leading man. Surprisingly there was no place in the top three for heart-throbs Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
2. Leading Lady: Eternal silver screen goddess Audrey Hepburn stole the show in this category, polling nearly a third (30%) of the British public vote. The modern day female hearth-throbs fared much better than their male counterparts; Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie join Hepburn in the top three with 12% and 8% of the vote respectively.
3. One-liner: The one-liner often makes or breaks a movie scene and nearly a fifth (18%) of the country said the immortal "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" from Gone with the Wind was their favourite line of all time.
4. Action: The Ultimate Movie would have three key action scenes – a fight, car chase and explosion. One in five (20%) of the public chose the explosion of the White House in Independence Day as their favourite 'big bang' in Hollywood. The best fight scene was a three-way tie, with Rocky III, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade and The Matrix, all polling a combine total of 30% of the vote. The car chase from the 60s classic, The Italian Job had the most popular car chase in movie history.
5. Kiss: Just under a fifth of the nation (18%) had the time of their lives when voting for their favourite kissing scene as Dirty Dancing's smooching romped home with the majority of the vote.
6. Laughing and Singing: The Monty Python gang walked away with the top comedy moment for the "I am Brian" scene in the famous film after beating the competition with 23% of the vote. The dancing scene in the Ultimate Movie would come courtesy of Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain, who narrowly edged out the famous Greased Lightning scene from Grease to take the lead with 18% of the vote.
7. Ending: No movie would be complete without one and the majority of the British public (17%) voted for the final scenes of The Italian Job as their favourite movie ending. They really don't make them like they used to; the top three was completed by The Wizard Of Oz and Gone With The Wind, who each polled 12% of the vote. For best ending with a twist, The Sixth Sense came out trumps with 29% of the vote.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...552567,00.htmlQuote:
A James Bond fanatic has changed his name by deed poll to match his hero's - and used the title of all 21 films as his middle names.
David Fearn is now known as James Dr No From Russia With Love Goldfinger Thunderball You Only Live Twice On Her Majesty's Secret Service Diamonds Are Forever Live And Let Die The Man With The Golden Gun The Spy Who Loved Me Moonraker For Your Eyes Only Octopussy A View To A Kill The Living Daylights Licence To Kill Golden Eye Tomorrow Never Dies The World Is Not Enough Die Another Day Casino Royale Bond.
The 23-year-old council worker told The Daily Mirror he wanted to prove he was one of the world's biggest Bond fans.
"I can't wait for the first time somebody asks what my name is," he said.
Haha, i would change my name to David Rush Inkheart if i could. I hate my last name (not so much because of it, but the family with which i share it >_<). But still...if you ever had to sign a form with your "full name"...could you even remember all that?
I would hope so ^_^
n.b. Inkheart is the name of my favorite book ever
has the man even thought about how hell fit all that on official documents?Quote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
Heights for something.....:D
Quote:
HEIGHT OF ISOLATION:
Two persons sitting side by side using emails to communicate with each other.
HEIGHT OF COWARDICE:
Two persons fighting through emails.
HEIGHT OF HELPLESSNESS:
Receiving no emails for a week.
HEIGHT OF FRUSTRATION:
The email server being down.
HEIGHT OF CARELESSNESS:
Writing a love mail and doing a 'Send All.'
HEIGHT OF ACHIEVEMENT:
A person sending email to a girl wanting to become friends and getting a reply.
HEIGHT OF TIMEPASS:
A person sending email to himself.
HEIGTHT OF EXPECTATION:
Sending Indian cricket team an e-mail, wishing them to win a match
...
HEIGHT OF REPETITION:
Forwarding an email to someone and receiving the same email forwarded back to you By some one in the receiving chain.
HEIGHT OF BROWSING:
U r swimming in the water tank and shout "F1 F1 F1?" instead of shouting "HELP" when u are unable to swim...
HEIGHT OF MY FRIENDSHIP:
I always mail, u don't.
HEIGHT OF HAVING NO WORK:
You reading such mails.
:lol::lol::lol::lol:
BBC's Test Yourself: Teen Slang
Yay I got 3 out of 10 :D
Phoey "Teen slang", yet more BBC use of England and extrapolating it to the entire world as they are too lazy to go 50miles outside of London and actually do some researchQuote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
I beat you into it, Aimus! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by AimusSage
2/10: in which one was just a blind guess. This leaves me with "1" score. I must be a shame to these teens.
Asian Heroes who featured in the Time magazine in last 60 yrs.
Wait a minute thats innercity teen slang. Or even more correctly chav slang. the rest of us dont use that .... we have a differant type of slang.
I'm just better at guessing than you pensive :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Pensive
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6183405.stmQuote:
Millions of adults in England have reading skills too poor to enable them to belt out many favourites from a karaoke autocue, research suggests. The lyrics of the 10 most popular karaoke songs have been assessed and rated by government literacy experts.
Those tackling Robbie Williams' Angels needed the reading skills required to pass five good GCSEs (Level 2).
Experts from the Get On literacy campaign said 17.8 million adults would not be able to follow the song.
Those adults are estimated not to have not reached Level 2 reading skills.
They would also have trouble following the lyrics of Gloria Gaynor's I will Survive, the Commitments' Mustang Sally and Queen's Don't Stop Me Now, the research says.
These people may also have trouble working out a household budget or comparing products and services.
And the 5.2 million adults thought not to have attained Level 1 reading skills would struggle with Summer Lovin' from the film musical Grease, Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds and Abba's Dancing Queen.
Those without this level of skills may not be able to check a pay slip or read bus and train timetables accurately.
Skills minister Phil Hope said: "Whilst we might think we know these tunes inside out, it's only on reading the lyrics properly that we realise that some of our favourite numbers are complicated.
"There are many pitfalls involved in public singing, but once you've got the mic in your hand you don't want your reading skills to let you down."
Wannabe
Anyone who is a wannabe Elvis or a secret Olivia Newton-John who sometimes struggle with the words should think about brushing up their skills in the New Year, he says.
"After all, getting help with your reading and writing could help you get on in your job, as well as improve your turn in the spotlight."
The government is offering hundreds of free courses to boost the basic skills of those who have a difficulties with literacy, language and numeracy.
The prime minister launched the Skills for Life Strategy in 2001 to tackle the legacy of adults with poor literacy, language and numeracy skills within England.
The strategy aims to help create a society where adults have the basic skills they need to find and keep work and participate fully in society.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...244606,00.htmlQuote:
A new football team to rival the traditional giants of the Italian game is being planned - by the Vatican.
In a country where football is like a religion, the proposal has been backed by the game's leading European officials.
However, it is not known whether the side would be a domestic or international club as the Vatican City is a sovereign state.
Home games could be a problem as the Vatican - the world's smallest state - is the size of just five football pitches.
The God Squad idea has been revealed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope's "number two" and avid football fan.
He said: "I don't exclude the possibility that in the future the Vatican could field a football team of the greatest value, at the level of the most famous professional clubs."
Bertone said the huge number of Brazilian religious students at the Vatican could be drafted in to create a divine side, which would play in yellow and white.
A Uefa spokesman said: "The Vatican is a sovereign state recognised by the UN, and we would have no problem in accepting it as a member."
With God on their side, do you think anyone can beat this team? ;)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6200383.stmQuote:
By Stephen Tomkins
What are you doing reading this - haven't you got anything better to do, on this of all days? Do you, as the great poet said, know it's Christmastime at all?
I hate to leap to conclusions about anyone, but I say, from what I know of you, that you're an unsociable Scrooge, creeping away from the jolly throng singing carols around the tree, to check your e-mails, browse aimlessly, gorge on humbugs and skulk. You're probably not even wearing your paper crown.
Admittedly, you're not alone. Last year almost 1.3 million people found time out of their festivities to visit this website on Christmas Day. That's a fair few, but just a third of those who visit on a normal day. It seems there are plenty of people for whom family fun and a stodgy pudding have more attraction than the internet.
Of course there are all kinds of reasons why you might be reading this on Christmas Day, other than anti-social behaviour.
Perhaps your job is so important you have to come in to work today. Though if your job allows you to sit around reading this, what is so important about it? Go on, go home, where your delighted family will turn from the flickering fireside and offer you a roasted chestnut. No-one will mind.
Online addict
More likely, you're an addict. You're an internet user. You mainline online, and simply can't make it through to Doctor Who without your daily fix.
I bet when you come home from a holiday the first thing you do is turn on not the kettle or even the light, but the computer, to catch up with your spam, to see whether the worldwide web has missed you, and just because that chime makes you feel normal again. Don't worry, you're amongst friends now.
Or perhaps you just wanted to touch base with the outside world, to check with the BBC whether anything important had happened. Which is legitimate, in theory. Except that you're reading this, and if you believe it's going to get useful and informative in the second half, you are only fooling yourself. Addict it is, and the sooner you admit it the sooner you will be able to tear yourself away and go and have a drink.
That said, I should not overlook the possibility that you are spending the nativity season alone, without friends or family, through no choice of your own. In which case, I apologise for my insensitivity, and belatedly acknowledge that Christmas must be a miserable time of the year for some people, and I've probably made it worse, and I feel very bad about that. There, now you've spoilt my Christmas too. Thanks.
Then again, global reader, you may live in a part of the world where Christmas simply doesn't happen. Last Christmas, 39% of readers of the BBC news website were from outside the UK, compared to 31% on a normal day. That's a pretty watertight excuse.
Reality bites
Another possibility is that a merry Yule is going on all around you, but you refuse to let it happen to you. You may, for example, be a non-Christian who can't see why the fact that Jesus was born on an unknown date should oblige you to cover a fake fir tree with tinsel, eat sprouts and watch The Vicar of Dibley in his name.
You may, for that matter, be a Christian who can't see why the fact that Jesus was born on an unknown date should oblige you to cover a fake fir tree with tinsel, eat sprouts and watch The Vicar of Dibley in his name.
And yet, after all that, perhaps the reason you're surfing today is simply that it's something to do. We like to think that Christmas should be a day unlike any other, but once you've opened your presents, eaten your dinner and played with your children's toys, what you've got left is pretty much a day like any other, except with better TV.
The image we carry around of friendly robins, wall-to-wall jollity and snow-covered windows through which Dickensian lantern-swinging urchins sing God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen rarely seems to materialise. And when reality fails us, there's always cyberspace. So here we are.
Ah well, merry Monday, and a happy new week.
some amusing ecards
http://00fun.com/lifebefore.shtml
http://00fun.com/oxymorons.shtml
enjoy!!
:D
6/7 Im amazed!Quote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6241411.stmQuote:
Saying sorry used to be a way of apologising, but these days the s-word has come to mean many different things, and its heavy use says much about modern British attitudes.
"It always seems to me that sorry seems to be the hardest word."
So sang a bespectacled, flares-wearing Elton John in his famous 1976 hit Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.
Not anymore, Elton. Today, sorry seems to be the easiest word.
According to a survey of 1,100 people conducted by Esure car insurance company (famous for their "Calm down dear!" adverts starring Michael Winner), the average Brit will say sorry a staggering 1.9 million times in his or her lifetime.
The word sorry is uttered 368 million times per day in the UK.
The s-word was traditionally used to express regret for having done something wrong. Now, according to Esure, it appears to have "transformed into a common and over-used figure of speech that makes its way into most daily conversations".
WHO DO WE SAY SORRY TO?
37% of our use is aimed at partners
19% to strangers
14% to our children
14% to work colleagues
8% to friends
5% to parents
3% to siblings
1% to the boss
These days, we use the word sorry not only to express sorrow for a misdemeanour, but also as an alternative to "pardon" ("Sorry, I didn't quite catch that") and "excuse me" (as in saying sorry when we bump into someone - or even, rather bizarrely, when they bump into us).
The average Brit says sorry often, but admits that they don't mean it more than a third of the time.
A majority of Britons - 86% - believe that people use the s-word flippantly, as a cheap and convenient way of excusing anti-social or inappropriate behaviour.
Indeed, Esure found that saying sorry for actually having done something wrong - the traditional use of the word - is now at the bottom of the list of reasons why people utter the word.
In the top five reasons for saying sorry,
• number one is when we don't have time to speak to someone or do something ("Sorry, I don't have time to talk right now");
• two is to apologise on someone else's behalf, such as our children, a partner or a colleague ("Sorry, little Jimmy is always smashing things");
• three is when we didn't hear what someone was saying ("Sorry, can you repeat that?");
• in fourth place is when you want something to be explained to you again ("Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean");
• and right at the bottom, at five, is when we actually feel the need to apologise for having double-crossed, lied to or let someone down - "I'm sorry."
We are most likely to say sorry to our partners, and least likely to say it to the boss.
Twenty-seven percent of our uses of the word sorry are aimed at our partners; 19% are said to strangers; 14% to our children; 14% to work colleagues; 8% to friends; 5% to parents; 3% to siblings; and just 1% to the boss-man (or woman).
It seems Britain is developing a reputation as a nation of sorry-sayers.
One textbook for foreign people learning English, published by Longman in 1997, has a section on our peculiar use of the word "sorry".
Next to a set of illustrations of Brits saying sorry in various situations - "Sorry, can I say something?", "Sorry, you've given me the wrong change" - the book explains, "When people say 'sorry' in English, they are not always apologising". It then asks: "Do you use the same word for all these situations in your language?"
How did sorry become the easiest word? It used to be uttered sparingly, as a way of confessing both guilt and sorrow for a mistake. According to one Dictionary of Etymology, sorry has its origins in the Old English word 'Sarig', meaning "distressed, full of sorrow." Now we use it to mean everything from "What?" to "Whatever".
What explains Britons' endless apologetics, our over-reliance on the s-word in all sorts of situations?
For Mark Tyrrell, a psychotherapist at Uncommon Knowledge, a group that promotes personal development and emotional intelligence, a lingering culture of deference is to blame.
"Saying sorry so much is a deep-rooted British characteristic. The class system is largely to blame, as 'sorry' comes out of politeness, which is there for social cohesion.
"The new middle classes had to apologise for no longer being working class, but also for not really being upper class either. The vast majority of Brits belong to the middle classes so saying sorry has become endemic."
Tyrrell believes we also play games with the s-word, sometimes using it to our advantage.
"[In some situations], one partner tries to emotionally blackmail the other so they feel somehow at fault or guilty.
"We also say sorry a lot if we feel that we are to blame for something - which is called 'internalising' - such as when someone bumps into you and you end up saying sorry to them instead of the other way round."
Ed Barrett, a columnist for the satirical website Anorak who has written on modern manners and mores, thinks we sometimes say sorry to show that we are good, upstanding moral citizens, rather than as a way of actually taking responsibility for some wrong or other.
"Sorry is the comic tick of the nervous middle-class caricature found in old sitcoms", he says.
"And then today there is a rise in the theatrical public mea culpa apology - such as Blair's half-apology for slavery - which is usually about ostentatiously displaying oneself in an appealing light. It has nothing to do with contrition."
Barrett thinks there was actually something positive in the old "culture of deference", and it was a world away from today's narcissistic fashion for public apologising.
"Deference was not the same as subservience. Deference means paying people respect and treating them courteously out of deference to their age, position, experience or the service that they provide you. It is not just a case of looking up to people; it's as much about paying deference to your juniors or 'inferiors' as it is vice versa.
"True manners, true politeness, are about being considerate and thoughtful."
And perhaps if we were more truly thoughtful these days, we wouldn't be using "sorry" as a default word - almost as a get-out clause - everywhere from the home to the workplace to the street corner.
guilty guilty guilty, sorry even comes out when somen else walks into somthing. Sorry sorry sorry.Quote:
(as in saying sorry when we bump into someone - or even, rather bizarrely, when they bump into us