http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.artistalbums&artistid=1447709&albumid=8083442

I have yet to see a band with as much pure, musical talent. Rush was the closest, and as talented as they were - musically - Kansas was better. Kansas went on to make more “popular” music, with Leftoverture, and Point of Know Return., but Masque was their apex - at least for me.

If you love classic rock and musical expertise; or, if you’re not sure and want to try some out, see if MySpace music has their albums.

If the albums are available for listening, check ‘em out. Hopefully you’ll enjoy some “new” music - “new” for you, that is.

Second, JH, I respect your comments. People have to come into their belief system on their own. Faith is important, but for those of us who have researched, there is proof of biblical events. For people who haven’t experienced faith, it’s impossible to understand or believe. Hopefully one day others will grasp faith.

First off, I want to be perfectly clear on where I stand on the original issue: threats, slurs and harassment are wrong, I don’t care who makes them or WHY they were made. Bigotry is ignorance in action, no matter who it is aimed at or what the situation is where it was displayed. As such, I agree that the Matthew Shepard Act is overdue — what happened to him was more than a travesty, it was utterly horrendous. I also understand the concern of Christians regarding the ‘hate crimes’ bill being used to limit what is being preached from the pulpit. Every bill needs to be considered for its own merits, though, not just the way it could be used as a ’stepping stone’ for the passage of other bills in the future. That is rather like the old saying, ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water’. With that said, I also agree that a lot of things just have to be discounted — consider the source, so to speak. The drunk woman, the men in the truck at McD’s as they were yelling names and insinuations — ignore them. They were simply showing the ignorance of bigotry in action. However, when the men at McD’s started revving their engine and inching closer, that was an implied threat and should have been reported to the management at McD’s. Now, just out of curiosity (not that it really matters in the theat situation), how would someone in a vehicle behind the one being driven by James’ friends be ABLE to determine ‘effeminate’, anyway?? I am NOT excusing the actions of the men in question — they clearly crossed over the line. Nor am I trying to imply that the men being harrassed were ‘asking for it’ by how they were dressed or their speech / actions. I am simply trying to figure out how someone could tell that someone else in an enclosed vehicle was ‘gay’ unless something was being said or done to draw attention to that fact. As was brought out, this IS a conservative state — that doesn’t mean that anyone has the right to harass you or threaten you for being gay, but if you draw attention to the fact in some way, it DOES increase the odds of comments being made to you. Just like those who are into the ‘Goth’ look, S&M, bondage, etc. are the targets of taunts, ridicule and comments when they are open about their choices in those areas, as well. Once again, let me clearly state that does NOT give someone the right to harass, threaten, or harm a person who has made those choices. Whether this was the case with James’ friends or not, I don’t know — I wasn’t there, nor do I know the people involved. I am merely putting a voice to my curiosity.

I, myself, am a Christian — not because I was raised as such (I was actually raised in a cult), nor because I was ‘down on my luck’ when I came to Christ. Nor am I a Christian because I am too ignorant to know any better — I happen to qualify for MENSA, in fact. For myself, I found Christ while in my mid 20s (almost 30 years ago) — just as EVERYone has to find Him for themself. I refuse to argue scripture with ANYone, although I can and will quote scripture to back up why I believe what I do believe. I don’t believe in the Bible out of ‘blind faith’, but because I have proven to myself that it is true. And yes, I do believe ALL of the Bible. I also acknowledge that a lot of harm has been done by people taking scripture out of context — whether deliberately or not. This is done by both Christians and non-Christians — some of the posts above are evidence of this. Now, as to judging others, we are NEVER to judge them (meaning whether they are going to go to hell or not) — but we ARE to judge whether ACTIONS are right or not. Judging actions is done every day in our courts of law, and in the court of public opinion, as well as in our own private opinion of circumstances and situations. But, simply put, Christ calls on us to love the sinner, but hate the sins. Hard to do? Absolutely — we are human after all, and part of humanity itself causes us to look for what is different in others so that we can feel ‘better’ about ourselves. This is true of EVERYone on Earth. When struggling with this very issue, God brought my oldest living son to my mind as an object lesson. I love my son with everything that is within me, yet when he went to prison as a teen-ager for attempted armed robbery, I absolutely HATED what he had done. Did I still love him? Yes. Did I condone what he had done, or did I try to excuse it or minimize what he had done? Absolutely not. It may sound harsh, but I told him to his face — at the age of 16 — that he was where he needed to be, because he had become a menace to society. Did I ever stop loving him? No, and I never will. By the way, he has been out of prison for several years now, and has turned his life around — I merely mentioned him because that is how God let me know how I was to treat ALL people, no matter who they are or what they have done. When my oldest daughter was in an extremely abusive relationship with her husband at that time, and my granddaughter was being molested by this same man, I found myself wanting ‘vengeance’ — I found it seriously difficult to pray for forgiveness for him, OR for him to be saved … until God let me know that He died for THAT man just as much as He died for ME, and how DARE I even WANT to deny him the same salvation I treasure? Once again, love the sinner but hate the sin. Then, when my oldest daughter was murdered, leaving behind her two young children — another struggle with forgiveness. I am not holding myself out to be a ’saint’ — I am not one in any sense of the word. I am merely trying to point out that I’m not spouting off a bunch of theoretical things I’ve ‘heard from the pulpit’, and that the lessons I’ve had to learn in my life have often been difficult. Am I perfect? Not at all — that is why I am so glad that I have Christ as my advocate when I stand before the Father on judgment day. I don’t battle homosexuality in my life, but there are other battles being waged by me personally EVERY DAY. I, also, know and have friends who are homosexual. Do I preach to them about the choices they are making? No. Just as I don’t preach at those who smoke, or are alcoholics, or who cheat on their spouses … or anything else. We all have to make our own choices, and live with the consequences, both good and bad. Do I pray for them? Yes. Not because I feel that I’m better than they are, but because I know the One Who can help them in their struggles, just as He helps me in MY struggles. When I was doing drugs as a teen-ager, and then again when in my early 20s (I stopped for a while when I was pregnant with my first children), you couldn’t have convinced me that what I was doing was really all THAT wrong. I knew it was, on some level, but for the most part I excused it and justified it to myself. After all, it was what I WANTED to do, it wasn’t hurting anyone else, and it wasn’t as bad as what I COULD have been doing, right? When I became a Christian, I realized just how wrong what I was doing WAS — and came to realize that I needed help to truly change from the inside out. I still need that help in areas of my own life, and God is not only my source of strength and help, but also of comfort. When I lost my oldest son when he was 3 1/2 due to medical malpractice, I wasn’t a Christian. When I lost my oldest daughter when she was 23 1/2, I was. Believe me, being able to lean on Christ the second time around made a WORLD of difference dealing with the death of my child. This is the Christ I want to share with others — the One Who will help them, heal them, nurture them, and care for them. The One Who loves them so much that He ALREADY died for them, even if they don’t ever want to acknowledge Him in any way, shape or form. He will take care of all the rest, in His own time. Does this make me a ‘zealot’? I don’t know, that is for each person to decide for themself, as it is their own opinion. But, as to being a productive member of society, I strive to live my life in such a way that my epitaph can honestly read “The world is a better place because she was in it” — and it is all because of Him and what He has accomplished in me. Only time will tell whether I made a difference in the lives of those around me or not, but I won’t give up trying until the day I go Home.

I am a born again Christian that believes Christ is about love and forgiveness…not hate. I came to Christ almost 3 years ago and have always had an open acceptance of everyone no matter what sexual orientation. It’s hard to sit in my sunday school class and listen to the hate but I quickly recognize it as ignorance and fear.

My prayer is that your relationship w/ God is a personal one that brings you great joy and that your life is blessed by Him.

My purpose is not to “convince” you of anything. As you know, I’ve already suggested that you’ve already made up your mind about God, Jesus Christ and the Bible. You’ve decided to reject them. God gave you freedom of choice, why shouldn’t I? It is your prerogative to reject what you will.

I don’t mean to offend the practicing Catholics who might read this, but it seems to me that the majority of Christians who went on to reject Christianity came from a Catholic background. I’m a non-denominational Protestant, so I don’t know why that would be the case. Maybe it’s because Protestants believe that Jesus Christ gave us access to God - by His blood - not through the inconsistency of any papal mediator. Jesus Christ is our mediator, as set forth in the New Testament.

Ephesians 2:18 – “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

Hebrews 9:15 – “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, …”

In addition, Protestants pray to God - and address Him as our spiritual Father. We don’t call for the intervention of Saints, or other human beings.

Matthew 6:6 – “But thou, when thou prayest, …, pray to thy Father … [9] After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, …”

2 Corinthians 13:7 – “Now I pray to God …”

Matthew 23:9 – “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”

At any rate, Tyler. The purpose of my having responded to you was to give you my views on the matter of faith. At no time did I say that you “are not ready for the Bible.” I stated that you have chosen to reject same. There is a difference.

In that regard, and, once again, I stated that you have a “god,” and that “god” is yourself. You imply that I am foolish for worshipping God; yet you worship yourself. Your altar is hedonism and narcissism. God gets in your way. That is your choice, and I will leave you with it.

2 Timothy 3:2 - For men shall be lovers of their own selves, … [4] …, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Romans 1:21 - Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain … [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, … [28] … as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, …

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; …

I will leave you, and this thread, with your own words - “So, when responding to an agnostic about the veracity of the bible, it is probably best not to quote bible passages, we just roll our eyes.”

Yes, “we just roll our eyes.”

I wish you well.

I need help.

I have reason to believe, that I have discovered the mechanism of
caffeine poisoning. Caffeine poisoning can manifest as mental and/or
physical symptoms mimicking various conditions ranging from depression
to psychosis and from slight muscle stiffness to multiple sclerosis.

The mechanism is based on caffeine’s potentation of various
neurotransmitters according to individual genetic properties. Adrenaline
accelerates the sodium exchange pumps of resting skeletal muscle cells
and the intracellular sodium level rises. Sodium binds extracellular
water in the cell until it bursts, letting out myoglobin, which causes
levels of porphyrins rise in blood and apply toxic stress to brain
cells. The process can take years before manifesting any symptoms, as
they are hidden under the pharmacodynamical effects of caffeine.

First symptoms can be peripheral neuropathy in the form of muscle
stiffness in neck and shoulder region. This is accompanied with
paresthesia in scalp, face, upper extremities and expands to other parts
of the body and limbs on individual timeline. GAD, panic disorder and
depression start at the same time or after the physical symptoms.

I suggest, that caffeine poisoning is actually a rhabdomyolysis based
form of aquired porphyria.

If you have access to patients, you can test them in a matter of days,
and start treating them immediately. Patients should be caffeine users
and fill the diagnostic criterias of fibromyalgia, ms, or other
condition with similar symptoms, or depression, anxiety, panic disorder
with or without peripheral neuropathy.

Blood, 24hr urine and feces should be eaxamined for myoglobin,
protoporphyrins and coproporphyrins.
If the first tests are unclear or negative, myoglobin and porphyrins
stored in the broken cells can be chelated with a suitable sulphur-based
chelator like DMSA, MSM or plain garlic from the grocery store. New
tests can be made in 3-5 days after introducing the chelating agent.
Amounts of porphyrins may be so high, that some form of blood filtration
may be needed in worst cases or if the chelating process advances too
fast. Porphyrins are known to cause kidney failure and liver cancer.

Kari Luoto

hahhaha.. so much for that, now buzz off and fly a kite into some oncoming traffic.

Well, besides the name change, there’s no more Eric Kiner. Correlation and Causation are not always the same, but in this case…

Though you may not see it on these discussion boards, a lot of the actual outrage was over the way Madeleine Pickens went about trying to get the change (false statements about the way the surgeries were conducted and what was actually done). The vet school is happy to be performing non-terminal surgeries. They are happy to have the money to implement this program, but they were not happy with the way Pickens went about getting the change.

My comment ,after attending various events over the last 7 years, is that parking sucks. It even blows. How about some of the space not being used for the athletic village getting turned into parking. How about it well off alumni? Remember how hard it was to park back in your student days?? Or how hard it is to park at any game? Or just trying to get to class any time after 9am? Maybe a nice 10 story 1000 car (at least) parking garage. Heck stick a nice big wind mill on top–revenue from that can be quite nice–so they say.

What does he mean by this? Is this a mis-quote or is he implying something we don’t know? I sure hope that German stays in school!!! A lot of blogs talk of him going “Pro” whatever that convoluted term means these days? Anyway, it would be great to see him rocket out this coming weekend at the Big 12 meet and take back that 5000 record! He can do it! In one of the post race interviews, he jokingly replied, “Well, I cant have every
record”. I was thinking to myself as I was hearing him say this, “Dude….., Yes you can! You can have every record, nobody can fu@*%&g run like you!!!”. Go for it!

“Believe what you will about Scripture - but ignorance thereof should not serve as the foundation for same. Read it, and then feel free to accept it, or repudiate it. God has given you that prerogative. God allows you to deny Him. God allows you to deny what is sin … and to proclaim that which God calls sin … acceptable, legitimate and moral.”

If you, truly, had any interest in the Bible, and in understanding same, you’d take the time to read it for yourself, instead of relying on me to take you by the hand and lead you through its entirety. Clearly, you aren’t prepared to read the Bible; and I’m not inclined to lecture you in the manner that you’ve requested, inasmuch as it would involve scores of Biblical passages, each referring to other passages, from the New and Old Testaments. You might as well ask me to lecture you, line by line, about Solzhenitsyn’s … The Gulag Archipelago. If you choose to search, you do the searching. If you wish to remain ignorant, remain ignorant.

What you seek is proof that you can hold in your hand and examine. Faith cannot be proven. It isn’t subject to the microscope. Neither is God. You state that “there is no proof that any of it is true,” presumably because you can’t see it, or hold it, or smell it. That it isn’t subject to any of your senses; therefore, it isn’t worthy of acceptance. Can you see love? Can you touch hate? Can you smell happiness? None of these are subject to the senses, or to the microscope. But, they exist. And, they have the power to move humanity.

I can’t explain why I have faith in God. It’s inside of me. I pray daily. Even when I was a little boy, I knew that there was more to me than just skin, bones and muscle. I can’t conceive of what life must be like, thinking that, at best, my purpose on this earth is to live for 70 years and then return to the dirt. That my presence on this earth is no more important than that of moss on a stone. I’ve always known that I was more important than that. That I had an existence that was yet to be lived, and that my life on this earth is only temporary.

I will assume that will call yourself an agonstic, or an atheist. And that you think that belief in God is foolish; because you can’t see Him or touch Him. But, you have a god. Those who reject God, usually do so because God gets in their way. So they reject Him. Instead, of God, they choose to worship themselves. Their god is themselves, and their altar is narcissism. It is this type of thinking that is promoted by the Government and by our public schools. Why? Because it is this type of thinking that allows for the acceptance of abortion, or homosexuality, or any other act of mankind that would be restrained by God. In your world, what is acceptable to you is what you want to do, or what the State tells you that you can do. If the act is legitimate, normal, appropriate or acceptable to you, or in the eyes of the State, then you have no restraint - unless you believe in God. When God is removed from the public sector, nothing is to be judged. Everything is to be accepted. There is no moral restraint.

But, like I said in my earlier post - to deny God is your prerogative. And so it is.

However, allow me to bother you with one more quote, again, from Jesus Christ:

Matthew 10:33 - But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

And, remember, as set forth in my earlier post to Tara, Jesus Christ has spoken about what motivates men in their beliefs, or lack thereof:

John 3:17 - For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, … [19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, …

… AND THIS IS THE CONDEMNATION, THAT LIGHT CAME INTO THE WORLD, AND MEN LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT, …

Aside from all of that, I thought the bagpipe and drum processional was the best part of the entire ceremony. If they have taken that away, only then will I feel sorry for you.

Oh, and congrats to all of the graduates!