who's Godwin anyway, and what does he know?

Great. let's hear it for american ingenuity.Why don't we just blow the shit out of the world so the beings that we're trying to contact can see what not to do .

> Great. let's hear it for american ingenuity.Why don't we just blow the shit
> out of the world so the beings that we're trying to contact can see what not
> to do .
>

I guess it's on the way...

You cant really believe that

> They all laughed at Christopher Columbus
> When he said the world was round.
> They all laughed when Edison recorded sound.
>
> They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother
> When they said that man could fly.
> They told Marconi wireless was a phoney.
> It's the same old try.

No disrespect to the Gershwins, who have produced some great music, but, historically, isn't most of this just bull?

- At the time of Christopher Columbus, MOST educated people believed the earth was round. (After all, his voyage got Spanish government funding.) He just thought the distance around was much shorter than the experts, and that he could make it with his ships. (Actually, he was wrong! The distance to China was indeed what the experts had said it was; he just happened to run into another continent along the way.)

- Edison's work on sound recording was not laughable; several other inventors were working on the same thing at that time. For example, famed scientist Herman Helmholtz, Elisha Gray (founder of Western Electric) & Alexander Graham Bell (founder of AT&T).

- air flight was hardly laughable, it was being worked on by several people in addition to the Wright brothers. One project was even government funded, from the Smithsonian Institute. Another was funded by Alexander Graham Bell, of telephone fame. And the military was quite interested in the idea (the US Army was one of the earliest Wright customers.) The surprise was that 2 brothers without any special credentials managed to beat all the others working on this. Another indication that creative brains can produce more than bigger, better educated, better funded teams.

- wireless (radio) had been largely discovered before Marconi, by some rather famous names in science (Faraday, Maxwell, Hertz, Lodge, Righi and Tesla) and was pretty well established theoritically. What Marconi did was make it practical, as a wireless telegraph system. This depended in large part on the fact that in the meantime the amplifying valve had been invented, which made this possible. Marconi was clearly a leader in seeing the possibilities of radio communications, and in working real hard to make this a reality. He might have faced ridicule from business & financial investors, but he really wasn't facing much laughter from the scientific community.

The scientific community is nowhere near 'they'.
My grandfather was 'they'.
Born in Naples in a year he never got straight, he made his living as a shoemaker in Harlem and played mandolin to die for.
I sat him down one day long ago and asked him what he thought about rocket ships going to the moon.
He thought that was pretty damn funny.
First time he saw an airplane he already had three kids.
He was 'they'....cc

Have you read The Reality Dysfunction by Peter Hamilton? It's a sci-fi novel that takes place in the 27th century. There they have outlawed the use of antimatter-bombs, because of their destructive power. I don't think anyone has the right to use antimatter or nuclear weapons, not even the us. I once knew an american that smoked cigars (he was 20). I asked him why, and he said: I'm an american, I can do anything I want. He was a nice guy though, but it just demonstrates the american mentality.

Now that Russia is out of the picture, the american government can do pretty much whatever they want, they don't care much about europe or un, because in reality they can never touch america; who'd want to put trade sanctions on a country they get most of their stuff from? Or who'd start a war against the strongest nation in the world. I don't know, but I think europe is becoming a superpower too, some day, but since we are different countries, i don't think we will be united and patriotic, the same way as america is. I personally don't hope we will get a president for all of EU, that dictates what each country should do. God forbid that.
--------------
Ost, nej tak!
--------------

>> the God bless america on every
>> presidential speech,
>What should the president say? God Bless Nepal?

How arrogant is this?

If God exist he does NOT care about little USA, he must care about the all universe (and earth)!?! Not a little point in north america.

[/url]

> >> the God bless america on every
> >> presidential speech,
> >What should the president say? God Bless Nepal?
>
> How arrogant is this?
>
> If God exist he does NOT care about little USA, he must care about the
> all universe (and earth)!?! Not a little point in north america.
>

Um.

So an American citizen, who happens to also be the mayor of America, is arrogant for asking the Supreme Power to bless his homeland?

What?

Are you arrogant when you ask God to bless your family and friends, but don't ask God to bless me and mine? How silly are you?

I'm starting to think that the world is becoming conditioned to automatically associate the words "America" and "United States" with "arrogant" no matter what the context.




------------------------------------


The game High/Low is played by tossing two nuclear warheads into the air. The one whose bomb explodes higher wins. This game is usually played by people of low intelligence, hence the name High/Low.

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Allons enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé (bis)
Entendez vous dans les campagnes mugir ces féroces soldats
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras, égorger vos fils, vos compagnes
Aux armes citoyens ! Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons, marchons, qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons

Aux armes citoyens ! Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons, marchons, qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons

Français ! en guerriers magnanimes
Portez ou retenez vos coups.
Épargnez ces tristes victimes
A regret s'armant contre nous (bis).
Mais le despote sanguinaire,
Mais les complices de Bouillé,
Tous ces tigres qui sans pitié
Déchirent le sein de leur mère

Aux armes citoyens ! Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons, marchons, qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons

Aux armes citoyens ! Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons, marchons, qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons

Amour sacré de la Patrie
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs !
Liberté, Liberté chérie ! Combats avec tes défenseurs (bis).
Sous nos drapeaux, que la victoire
Accoure à tes mâles accents,
Que tes ennemis expirant Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire !

Aux armes citoyens ! Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons, marchons, qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons

Aux armes citoyens ! Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons, marchons, qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons

--------
provided by Translator.com

Let us go children of the Fatherland the day of glory arrived Against us of tyranny the bloody standard is raised ((a)) Entendez in the campaigns to mugir these wild soldiers They come until in your arms, to cut the throat of your sons, your partners With the weapons citizens! Form your battalions! Let us go, go, that an impure blood waters our furrows With the weapons citizens! Form your battalions! Let us go, go, that an impure blood waters our French furrows! as warriors magnanimes Carry or retain your blows. Save these sad victims A regret being armed against us ((a)). But the sanguinary despot, But accomplices of Bouillé, All these tigers which without pity Tear the centre of their mother To the weapons citizens! Form your battalions! Let us go, go, that an impure blood waters our furrows With the weapons citizens! Form your battalions! Let us go, go, that an impure blood waters our Amour furrows crowned of the Fatherland Lead, supports our arms avengers! Freedom, Most cherished liberty! Engagements with your defenders ((a)). Under our flags, that the Accoure victory to your males accents, That your enemies expiring Voient your triumph and our glory! With the weapons citizens! Form your battalions! Let us go, go, that an impure blood waters our furrows With the weapons citizens! Form your battalions! Let us go, go, that an impure blood waters our furrows

> O Canada!
> Our home and native land!
> True patriot love in all thy sons command.
>
> With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
> The True North strong and free!
>
> From far and wide,
> O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
>
> God keep our land glorious and free!
> O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
>
> O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
>

"O Canada!" (definately including the exclamation point) is one of the best national anthems. It is much better than America's "The Star Spangled Banner". I notice, Marc, that you cite "God Bless America", another favorite of mine, but we're stuck with the likes of "bombs bursting in air . . . gave proof . . . that our flag was still there . . ." Who cares if the flag is there, what about the Fort?

> >> the God bless america on every
> >> presidential speech,
> >What should the president say? God Bless Nepal?
>
> How arrogant is this?
>
> If God exist he does NOT care about little USA, he must care about the
> all universe (and earth)!?! Not a little point in north america.
>
Your logic is flawed to all hell. Given your statement that he must care about all the universe then "little USA" would be included in that since "a little point in north america" is contained within said universe.
Make sure the next time you sneeze and someone says "god bless you" you call them arrogant and say God doesnt care about little ol' you.

> As a Canadian, I must say that I dislike our anthem as being boring. As well,
> the English and French version are minorly different. As for having to repeat
> a line...
>
Wanna trade?

How's about this (ahem):

America!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
America, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
America, we stand on guard for thee.

America, we stand on guard for thee.

Huh? Huh? Watta ya think? (Sorry, my voice isn't warmed up yet.)

Richard, don't get me started on separation of church and state.

> So when do you sleep? You post late and you start posting early. This your way
> of working off the early morning frustrations of jogging on the beach?
>
It's 7:40 AM in Hawai‘i and I got to work about 6:00 AM. I enjoy reading these boards before starting work (which begins in a few minutes). Usually I just read, sometimes I chime in. When it's 9:30 PM here, it's 2:30 AM in the Midwest, so it looks like I don't sleep but I do OK.