Clipmarks | Picholine's clips

Questions for Atheists

Sat, 26 May 2007 05:47:24 GMT

clipped by: Picholine

Will an atheist please tell me the meaning of life, or if it has none, can you explain why human beings are born with a desire to discover their identity and purpose? The fact that human survival depends upon morality doesn't explain why good and evil exist. And why, if there is no purpose for our existence, do we care about survival at all? C.S. Lewis asks all this much better than I do, but why do we conceive of and yearn for immortality and perfection if there is nothing beyond this physical world? And why again, did the bang bang happen? Or am I just supposed to be satisfied with the answers to the "how" which science provides, and stop asking why. Funny thing, people have been asking why since the beginning of time, whenever that was. If there is no answer to the why question, why do we ask it? Btw, Doug, I really enjoyed that right-brained tangent you took. Isn't it cool how we can operate in different realms of our minds like that? And still only use 10% brainpower.

Picholine

Tags: atheism, christianity, philosophy

Evidence

Sat, 26 May 2007 05:29:55 GMT

clipped by: Picholine
clipper's remarks: Clipped from the ongoing debate between atheist Christopher Hitchens and theologian Doug Wilson.

Clip Source: www.christianitytoday.com

When I said that Jesus is good for the world because he is the life of the world, you just tossed this away. You said, "You cannot possibly 'know' this. Nor can you present any evidence for it."

The engineering that went into ankles. The taste of beer. That Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, just like he said. A woman's neck. Bees fooling around in the flower bed. The ability of acorns to manufacture enormous oaks out of stuff they find in the air and dirt. Forgiveness of sin. Storms out of the North, the kind with lightning. Joyous laughter (diaphragm spasms to the atheistic materialist). The ocean at night with a full moon. Delta blues. The peacock that lives in my yard. Sunrise, in color. Baptizing babies. The pleasure of sneezing. Eye contact. Having your feet removed from the miry clay, and established forever on the rock. You may say none of this tastes right to you. But suppose you were to bow your head and say grace over all of it. Try it that way.

Tags: christianity, god, jesus, philosohy

Athlete's Foot Prevention

Fri, 25 May 2007 23:07:45 GMT

clipped by: Picholine

Clip Source: www.kidshealth.org

Athlete's Foot Prevention

Many people will develop athlete's foot at least once in their lives. Some will get it more often. To help avoid it:

Wash your feet every day.
Dry your feet thoroughly, especially between the toes.
Sometimes go barefoot at home - especially at night.
Avoid wearing tight or synthetic footwear that doesn't allow your feet to "breathe."
Wear sandals around pool areas, public showers, and gyms to steer clear of the fungus.
Wear socks that soak up wetness. Cotton is one material that does this.
Change your socks every day (or more frequently) if they get damp.
Ask your parent to buy antifungal powder to put in your sneakers or shoes.
Spray your shoes with a disinfectant and set them in out in the sun to help kill germs.
Don't share towels or footwear.
Keep home bathroom surfaces clean - especially showers and tubs.

Tags: health, feet, "athlete's foot"

Life is like a box of nachos

Thu, 24 May 2007 07:07:07 GMT

clipped by: Picholine

Clip Source: www.theimpulsivebuy.com

I do think that the new Taco Bell Zesty Nachos are a metaphor for life.

The tortilla chips represents one’s mind. Much like tortilla chips, the mind can easily crack, but also like tortilla chips, your mind can hold a lot. A single tortilla chip has the power to hold seasoned beef, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream, while your mind can hold memories, online passwords, lame knock knock jokes, dialogue from Star Wars movies and horrifying images of celebrities in bikinis.

The seasoned beef is like the muscles on your body, because the beef is technically muscle from a cow. The zesty nacho cheese sauce is like your soul, because when you pass on your soul will still be around and when you pass gas the nacho cheese sauce smell will still be around. The tomatoes represent your heart, because just like your heart, tomatoes are red as well. Finally, the sour cream is your experiences. Your bad experiences are the sour part, while your good experiences are the creamy part.

Tags: food, humor, nachos, "taco bell"

A Case of Mistaken Pop Culture Identity

Sat, 19 May 2007 07:58:12 GMT

clipped by: Picholine

Clip Source: marinmommies.com

I'm watching Trek, the baby's playing, when suddenly she sees something on the TV, drops what she's doing, and slowly wanders over. She's transfixed with Star Trek. This is not normal for a child her age, is it?

I wondered exactly what the attraction was, until one day the situation was made clear to me by my 4-year-old, who, upon finding an old pop-up birthday card featuring the Enterprise's crew, showed it to me and said "Daddy, are these the Wiggles?"

Tags: entertainment, "star trek", wiggles, television

Bay Shrimp Salad

Sat, 19 May 2007 01:06:40 GMT

clipped by: Picholine
clipper's remarks: I'm going to try this in tortillas.

Clip Source: www.kold.com

Bay Shrimp Salad

Submitted by Markie Travis of California

Ingredients

1 pound bay shrimp (tiny shrimp)
1 package cream cheese (8 oz., softened)
1/4 cup fresh dill (finely chopped)
1/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Toast points

Directions

In a medium-size bowl, combine (until smooth) softened cream cheese and mayonnaise.
Add bay shrimp, fresh dill, and chopped onion.
Gently toss until just combined.
Serve on shredded iceberg lettuce, garnish with a few toast points for spreading.

Serves six.

This recipe is also great for bay shrimp salad sandwiches, especially good on croissants with tomato and lettuce. Also delicious on pumpernickel rounds, for crowd-pleasing hors d'oeuvres.

Tags: food, recipe, recipes, shrimp, sandwich

Bowing Down to Science

Fri, 18 May 2007 01:54:21 GMT

clipped by: Picholine

Clip Source: www.whoisyourcreator.com

Tags: science, evolution, humanism, god, materialism, naturalism

Summer Basil Ideas

Thu, 17 May 2007 21:28:02 GMT

clipped by: Picholine
clipper's remarks: Sprinkled on sweet tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, salt, and a splash of balsamic vinegar is my favorite way way to enjoy basil, but since we're growing it, I'm looking for new ways to enjoy it. Add yours to the comments.

Clip Source: blog.washingtonpost.com

These are great ideas. Basil is terrific stuff. I am especially fond of cinnamon basil, which has a slightly sweeter, spicy quality. I saute garlic in butter or olive oil, add teriyaki sauce (you can just use tamari and brown sugar, with maybe a little mustard), white wine and lime zest to make a sauce for baked or grilled salmon. Just before serving, I add shredded basil. It's delicious.

For starters, consider the watermelon. A few leaves of shredded basil placed on top of watermelon chunks imparts magical flavor and aroma, transforming simple summer melon into some kind of wonderful. (Try it with cantaloupe, too.)

Imagine a corn kernel salad with basil, red onion, chopped cherry tomatoes, red onion and a small amount of curry powder. You'll see how the basil ties everything together, calling all ingredients into action. Corn on the cob is a whole new dish when topped with a slab of compound butter of basil, cayenne and lime zest.

Tags: food, cooking, herbs, basil, summer

Falwell Saw the Light

Thu, 17 May 2007 04:59:10 GMT

clipped by: Picholine

Clip Source: blogs.usatoday.com

In the last interview I did with him in 1999 for my book, Blinded by Might, Jerry Falwell said, "(America) is still the most decent place on earth and it's because of the church. But we're kidding ourselves if we think there's any program, any third party, or either of the two main parties, or anything we can do to straighten things out right now, because when you have a society that will support a Jerry Springer and give him top ratings, when you have a porn industry of $8 billion a year in the U.S. these things that we have in the country are beyond repair."

Amen, Jerry. Rest in peace.

Cal Thomas is a syndicated columnist and, with Bob Beckel, writes the biweekly Common Ground column for USA TODAY.

Tags: evangelical, christianity, falwell, morality

Political Passivity: Vice or Christian Virtue

Mon, 07 May 2007 04:26:03 GMT

clipped by: Picholine

Clip Source: www.townhall.com

One by one the secularists co-opted the moral issues, called them political, and told us to get off of the playing field.

The Church was told, “Abortion is not merely a moral issue anymore. It’s political.” What about the morality of alternate sexuality like lesbianism, homosexuality, man-boy ‘love,’ and incest? “That’s ours, too.” Same-sex marriage? “A civic concern. No place for the church.” Family issues like divorce and child support, reproductive technologies, and the education of our children? “Back off.” Stewardship of the environment, the care of the poor, sex education, birth control, sexual harassment, pornography—including child porn? “All politics.”

Ironically, the church is still being blamed for the moral silence of its past, including its uneven response to Abolition and, later, to the Civil Rights movement. Christian inactivity in the face of injustice then didn’t communicate purity, but approval of slavery and racial prejudice.

Tags: politics, christianity

Teen Takes Purity Ring Case to High Court

Sat, 05 May 2007 07:22:59 GMT

clipped by: Picholine

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A teenage girl banned from wearing a Christian chastity ring at school is taking her case to the High Court.

Lydia Playfoot wanted to wear a silver ring that showed her commitment to remain a virgin until marriage. But her school refused permission on health and safety grounds and because the ring infringed its jewellery policy.

Although the school allows Muslim and Sikh pupils to wear headscarves, trousers and kara bracelets as a cultural expression of their religion, the chastity ring - a small band engraved with a biblical verse, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 - is not allowed because it is considered to be jewellery. The school also forbids the wearing of crosses and crucifixes.

Miss Playfoot chose to wear the ring after an event held two years ago by an American Christian movement, The Silver Ring Thing, which promotes abstinence before marriage and has encouraged a growing number of adolescents to make "a pledge of chastity".

Tags: abstinence, christianity, discrimination, education

Maximizing the Minivan

Fri, 04 May 2007 03:39:43 GMT

clipped by: Picholine
clipper's remarks: This is a great way for those of us with a few kids or more to get out of the house without it being a huge packing ordeal.

Clip Source: inthetrenchesofmotherhood.com

I have one of those plastic rubbermaid drawers that I keep in the back of my van. It has everything that I need and I can easily transfer it from van to van to car depending on what vehicle I am taking. What is inside of it? Diapers, full size container of wipes, packages of snacks, complete change of clothes for the youngest two ( a sundress and one piece romper), a generic mid sized t-shirt that could fit any of the other kids in a pinch, a first aid kit.

In the front console in the van I keep things that I might need, like scissors, a lighter or matches, hand gel, napkins. In the winter I always have a box of tissues. Under the front seat I have a small rubbermaid container which houses some small coloring books, colored pencils (crayons melt! and markers will be used to write on the car interior), a couple of board books and small toys. This was if we are detained anywhere we have some entertainment.

Tags: organization, minivan, parenting, moms

Reborn

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 07:05:01 GMT

clipped by: Picholine
clipper's remarks: This is just the teaser...you have to read the whole article since it tells the stories of a number of people "awakened."

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

We have always been told there is no recovery from persistent vegetative state - doctors can only make a sufferer's last days as painless as possible. But is that really the truth? Across three continents, severely brain-damaged patients are awake and talking after taking ... a sleeping pill. And no one is more baffled than the GP who made the breakthrough. Steve Boggan witnesses these 'strange and wonderful' rebirths

Tags: medicine, science, pvs

Olive Flavor Chart

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 07:51:30 GMT

clipped by: Picholine
clipper's remarks: This is awesome!

Clip Source: www.lindsayolives.com

Tags: olives

Aborted "Fetus" Speaks Out

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 07:26:48 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

• Thirty years ago, Gianna Jessen's mother had an abortion when seven-and-a-half months pregnant.

The abortion failed and, 18 hours later, Gianna (pictured) was born alive.

She suffered cerebral palsy as a result of the botched abortion, yet has defied doctors' predictions that she would never walk.

In fact she has run a marathon, is an accomplished singer and writer and travels the world to campaign against abortion.

Her mother was 17 when she decided to have the abortion. Weighing 2lbs when she was born, she spent several months in hospital fighting for her life, before being placed in a foster home.

Her cerebral palsy, which was caused by her brain being starved of oxygen during the abortion, was diagnosed at 17 months old. Doctors said she would never be able to crawl or even sit-up unaided, much less stand or walk.

She said: "If abortion is about women's rights, then what were my rights?

Tags: science, health, abortion, pregnancy, women