RDKirk said:

Well, your employer isn't paying that 75% out of company profits. That's added to the cost of whatever goods or services your company provides to its customers. So, a certain percentage of the price we pay for everything is also the cost we're all currently paying for health insurance.

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The businesses get a tax credit for employee health insurance.

essentialsaltes said:

Meanwhile, I understand Halligan has had to bring in outside prosecutors for the Comey case, presumably because no one in her office wants to touch it.

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The government was being represented by U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan and Nathaniel "Tyler" Lemons, a prosecutor from the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Ahead of Wednesday's arraignment, the Department of Justice added two assistant U.S. attorneys from out of state to work on the case.

Bradskii said:

No, he didn't have that done. And it's somewhat desperate of you to imply that he did and draw a comparison where none exists.

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What I meant was it happened under his watch. I know he didn’t plan it.

Pommer said:

I might be with Mister Marcum on this one.
Upon further reading: this guy might be a sovereign-citizen. They tend to be outspoken.
But this is still probably protected political-speech.

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It's a tough one, but the talk of witness intimidation may be valid if this guy is involved in some ongoing court case. Rather than a general 'I don't like these politicians and public servants.'

Tuur said:

or would you want it to change various requirements in an attempt to stay solvent and continue to pay out to most who receive checks even though this would create limited hardship?

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Let's get those Congresscritters on the job.

OK, that was mean, and I apologise. so let me try and be more helpful. You will remember that I once explained to you that a common task for an apprentice machinist was to produce a 1” steel cube square and regular to 0.001” all around, using hand tools. The tools are, from left to right, a hacksaw, files, a square, calipers, a calibrated gage block and a vise.


These pictures show modern versions of these tools, of course but they were ALL AVAILABLE TO ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CRAFTSMEN WHO KNEW HOW TO USE THEM whether you like it or not.

The 20th century was marked by a stand-off between two factions: totalitarianism and democracy. The totalitarians, of course, were the Nazis, the Communists, and various smaller fascist and socialist wannabes. The democratics were the United States, the British Empire, and their allies.

I suspect that the 21st century will be marked by a similar stand-off, but this one will be between expansionist Islam vs. Everybody Else. How this will play out will depend on a number of factors: the capability of Muslim countries to acquire weapons of mass destruction, the shrinking birth rates and moral disintegration in Western nations, the possibility of major natural disasters such as volcanic activity or changing climactic or environmental conditions...and by extension, water shortages, oil shortages, famine, etc., and the possibility of the collapse of global economies.

No matter how it all cooks down, by the time 2100 rolls around, things are likely to look a lot different than they do now. Hopefully, Islam will either be contained to its own areas, or will somehow learn to live with the rest of the world. Or maybe Jesus will return---which, let's face it, would be a good thing, at least for those trying to live for Him.

Hentenza said:

The Van Allen belts posed no problem for traveling through them. Speed and shielding took care of the “problem”.

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Again, why does Kelly Smith think other wise ?

He reckons they have to test this region of space before they can send Humans through it.

Always in His Presence said:

Over the last 15 years Democratic Senators, including Schumer, has spoken very strongly AGAINST shutting the government down as a political tactic to get an agenda accomplished.

They all supported and voted for clean CR’s

Why the complete opposite?

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Maybe they feel that retaining health care subsidies for those who need it is worth it.

-- A2SG, though, had the GOP been willing to negotiate, it needn't have happened this way....

Matt5 said:

This is what happens when you shoot people, like Charlie Kirk.

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Use it to your political advantage?

RDKirk said:

That's going to require a complete overhaul of the current American way of life.

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Yup. And it's way overdue.

-- A2SG, and not a moment too soon....

o_mlly said:

OK. To avoid confusion, you should respond to the OP in the thread rather than to me.

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Um, okay, but I wasn't confused at all. I thought you brought up some valid points.

-- A2SG, if the OP wishes to respond to any of my posts, they are free to do so....

essentialsaltes said:

You know, there’s no reason to be good. I wanna be good because you wanna prove to God you’re good so you go to that next step, right? So, that’s very important to me. I think it’s really, very important.

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Does this, "You know, there’s no reason to be good.", seem sociopathic to anyone else?

Matt5 said:

This is what happens when you shoot people, like Charlie Kirk.

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And Melissa Hortman, you meant to say. Right?

Matt5 said:

Never mind that they tried to kill Trump more than once

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If I remember correctly, "they" turned out to be disgruntled Trump voters in those instances.

Matt5 said:

You wanted clips of democrats promoting violence? Here you go. Your move.

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How about all of us make this move?

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rjs330 said:

How do we know it was a fake call? Did the agent admit to making a fake call?

How do we know that a perpetrator didnt dlee before cops arrived?

Police respond all the time to reports where the perp was.
Gone upon arrival.

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Why would a police chief be making this up?

ChubbyCherub said:

Goodness!

I seek only understanding but I think this discussion highlights the discord amongst the Bible, how we're taught and why we're taught in certain ways.

Prayer, I believe, will assist me on this journey?

I feel lost, confused and overwhelmed, to be honest!

Until recently, I never even considered the Sabbath apart from going to church?

I really don't know much about it beyond I was taught it was redundant as is most of the Old Testament.

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If you keep foremost in mind what's been said here about the greatest commandments, which all the churches have held to the highest level, understanding that they are the summit of the Christian faith, that which you were made for and that which summarizes and fuilfills the rest of the commandments by their nature, then you'll have the goal, and the surest, most basic guide for navigating through the rest of God's revelation.

For us to be shown and to be perfected in that love, and away from the sin that opposes it and leads us to death, is the reason Jesus came. And that's why we must believe in Him. We don't even need to hear the other commandments (ref Rom 2:13) to the extent that we truly love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. God, who is love, intends to draw you into that very love, for your highest good. Jesus is the Way, to Him.

seeking.IAM said:

Can we even agree those are the basics?

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Lol good point

Larniavc said:

I think it’s about as close to a moral absolute as I can imagine but in my country there was no crime of rape between a husband and wife for quite some time. It only changed in 1991.

So it’s still relative and not absolute.

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Not to mention that in some cultures, marital rape is a justified consequence for a wife who refuses to have sex with her husband. So it is not only legal, but encouraged as a means to discipline a wife who is failing in what they consider to be her marital duty.

stevevw said:

I don't think there is any that the ancients could have used. Certainly not to the micron level. That takes modern tech like a guage sensor or structured light. You can't do it with a ruler. You keep forgetting that the precision lines have to be cut into the object. Measuring is one thing. Cutting to that precision is another.

And tell me again what was the measuring tool that could be used to know when to stop rubbing. Why grind, rub and repeat 100 times when one or two passes with the lathe will get the symmetry down to the micron level. Thats how we normally do it.

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Right, it saves a lot of work.

stevevw said:

How do you know. This is denying their ability as ancient craftsman lol. Being creative with tech is just as creative. If someone found a vase from modern CNC machining in 5,000 years they would think this culture was very talented.

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Yes the "culture" but not necessarily the craftsmen themselves. QED, huh?

stevevw said:

Actually its not as it uses the exact same logic as yourself. You object that I am denying the craftsmanship of ancients by suggesting they had modern type tech that helped them achieve the precision. Rather than their unaided freehands as an artist in sculpturing the vase.

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More lies. No one has suggested that they used nothing but their "unaided freehands."

stevevw said:

Yet you are quite happy to allow that these ancients used other tools like chisels, grinders and some sort of wheel or lathe. The majority of people on this thread acknowledge that the symmetry and circularity in the vases was achieved by some sort of lathing or wheel.

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More lies. I have never denied that some sort of wheel or lathe might have been used.

stevevw said:

This is the same thing as I am doing except I am taking it one step further and saying they had tools just like you say but just more sophisticated tools to achieve the high precision.

How is this different.

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Because you are downgrading the ability of ancient Egyptian craftsman to use the tools that were known to be used by them or were possibly available to them.

stevevw said:

Are you saying that the hand tools such as a chisel, pounders and rubbing achieved the near perfect symmetry and circularity. Or did they get help from some sort of lathe or wheel to ensure circularity.

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I don't know. The lathe question is certainly up in the air, though you have denied the possibility of any lathe that would be within the scope of their ability to construct. Their "culture" wasn't good enough for you.

stevevw said:

The assertions is exactly what it needs to be. Your saying the ancients were aided by tools and measurements to get the precision and not their bare unaided hands without tools. I am saying the same thing. Just making the tools more sophisticated to match the high precision.

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And I am trying to explain to you why that is not necessary.

stevevw said:

Its logical because everyone recognises that precise symmetry and circularity are an obvious result and signature of a lathe and not unaided hands. The lathe and not the artists unaided steady hand is what gets the precision.

The chisel or grinder is what helps get the shape and not the bare hands. Same thing, the lathing helps get the better shape and not the bare hands.

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You seem fascinated with "bare hands." I would tell you what to do with your "bare hands" but I don't think they would both fit.

rjs330 said:

Ive been watching the live feeds feom Portland. For rhe most part during the day its really not too bad. Once in a while some do stupid things, but generally its not concerning. At night though it does get crazy. I've watched a lot of stuff and its not just people mingling around with some signs on the sidewalk.

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Yeah, really wild:
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rjs330 said:

But throwing hard objects or shooting fireworks at them is not protesting. Thats assault.

They are also committing other offenses that violate state and city laws, but the Portland police are not interested in charging anyone for breaking those laws. That is also not acceptable.

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Portland police are absolutely arresting people for assault:


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A New Dawn said:

Spiritual blindness occurs as the result of the fall. Because Adam rebelled against God, sin entered the world, and (spiritual (as well as physical)) death by sin. We are conceived and born in sin, it requires a savior to overcome this blindness. Jesus said that those with ears to hear/eyes to see would understand the truth, and that is generally considered a function of God working in us and turning us to Himself.

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Indeed, it is a matter of God's grace to lift the dark veil which lies over the minds of people.

A New Dawn said:

Well, I think the Bible speaks to some of that, that baptism is a statement of belief, so it is more likely it occurs prior to baptism. But my bet is on either at the foundation of the world or at the fall.

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Thank you. I think either position has very solid support.

ThatRobGuy said:

....Kamala Harris had Megan Thee Stallion performing at a campaign rally....

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Theres nothing "obscene" about an MMA fight. I just dont want the White House becoming grounds for a bread and circuses style spectacle.

Brightfame52 said:

No they can't refuse regeneration, it occurred while they were dead.

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And still some, after having tasted of the heavenly gift (Heb 6:4), or coming to the knowledge of Christ (2 Pet 2:20-22), may yet prefer to return to their death, to the flesh, like a dog to its vomit.