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Also, Casey.... stop trolling.

I wasn't trolling. I saw an episode of the Mentalist in which this whole Visualise cult was depicted. And all the members seemed so fanatical, I found it hard to believe that people like that could exist in real life. So I was asking if someone had actually seen someone like that.

Brucie_kun's answers fits perfectly. Thanks 🙂

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[quote=Turbophoenix]I used to belong to a cult. They made us worship their imaginary god every Sunday and told us that this old book that was made up thousands of years ago was law and that we had to obey it to the letter otherwise we wouldn't get to go to their invisible castle in the clouds. If we didn't do what this book said then we would be cast into a pit full of spikes and fire. It was horrible.

There's actually a difference between religions and cults.
Lame joke is lame.

Well, to be perfectly fair, the Vatican is about as closely tied to the Italian mafia as Aum Shinrikyo was to the Russian mob. Though in wholly differing ways.

The "small group of people" and "strange and sinister" bits of the definition of "cult" often rule out religions for all except the most belligerent atheist (or rather anti-religious, since there is a difference) types.

...kinda is a lame joke though. I just think the "obvious exaggeration" card is really played out when it comes to Christianity-bashing. I don't have any problem with the essential core of it.

The essential core of almost all cores is reasonably sound. It's how the ambigous parts are manipulated by people to their own advantage that sickens me. Frankly, as far as I can see, a religious fanatic and a cult fanatic are quite similar.

And it's not the definition tha tmatters in real life. It's how people percieve it that matters. If someone considers the activities of the Church as cult-like behaviour, then the Church becomes a cult to them. And if more people think that way, then it becomes a part of the general thinking. And in demcracy, majority wins.(That's just an example though. The Church part is interchangable with any other fitting religious body)[/quote]

Sorry, I was unintentionally ambiguous. I meant the essential core of the joke, not the religion.

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Making fun of something does contain malicious intent. It means you are ridiculing with intent to derive humor. That ridiculing bit? That's malicious.

So according to you, making fun of anything, even extremely lightheartedly, means that you're trying to hurt somebody by saying it? Right, sure.

Yes, exactly. You could use a better word, perhaps, like teasing, or parodying, or making light of something, or one of many other words that capture the intent of what you're trying to say. Many words have connotations to them not explicitly stated in definitions but implicitly understood.

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Quote from x0mbiec0rp

Making fun of something does contain malicious intent. It means you are ridiculing with intent to derive humor. That ridiculing bit? That's malicious.

So according to you, making fun of anything, even extremely lightheartedly, means that you're trying to hurt somebody by saying it? Right, sure.

Many words have connotations to them not explicitly stated in definitions but implicitly understood.

Give me an example of this. Just out of curiosity, I want to see what you mean from an exact standpoint.

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Reviews of my Work:
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NightSwan also said that she wanted to peg me, once, but I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or a threat...

Quote from x0mbiec0rp

Quote from Turbophoenix

Quote from x0mbiec0rp

Making fun of something does contain malicious intent. It means you are ridiculing with intent to derive humor. That ridiculing bit? That's malicious.

So according to you, making fun of anything, even extremely lightheartedly, means that you're trying to hurt somebody by saying it? Right, sure.

Yes, exactly. You could use a better word, perhaps, like teasing, or parodying, or making light of something, or one of many other words that capture the intent of what you're trying to say. Many words have connotations to them not explicitly stated in definitions but implicitly understood.

Oh yeah, I get you, it's about the exact definition of the word/s you use (though isn't teasing just as bad?). You know what I mean though, so really no need to get into semantics.

Also I have a question: How many people here use libraries? I went to my local one yesterday for the first time in a while and it wasn't very good on the manga front. They had a decent selection, but most of it was just random volumes. I liked going though. I like the atmosphere of a library, and seeing all the books neatly lined up sedates my OCD. Sadly I think libraries are dying out.

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Digital libraries, maybe.
Mom still goes to the normal ones though...

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How could abstract art sell for so much? Is it just because the artist who paints them are famous?

D'oh!

For those of you lovely MU-members suffering from eczema, what remedies and methods have you used that actually soothed the itchy & dryness? Just any tips would be helpful! <3 _____

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For those of you lovely MU-members suffering from eczema, what remedies and methods have you used that actually soothed the itchy & dryness? Just any tips would be helpful! <3 _____

tea tree oil

Quote from Turbophoenix

Also I have a question: How many people here use libraries? I went to my local one yesterday for the first time in a while and it wasn't very good on the manga front. They had a decent selection, but most of it was just random volumes. I liked going though. I like the atmosphere of a library, and seeing all the books neatly lined up sedates my OCD. Sadly I think libraries are dying out.

My teenage sons go almost every day - to use the computers. (_) Occasionally they'll check out a book, but not often.

I take my youngest to the library once or twice a month to check out books & sometimes movies, but it's hard to keep him quiet enough that we're not disturbing others, for long enough to find what we want to check out (he's 3). The manga selection is pretty random and not very big, but they have other good books that I'm very glad to be able to read without buying.

"[English] not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."
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Quote from eccentrrick

For those of you lovely MU-members suffering from eczema, what remedies and methods have you used that actually soothed the itchy & dryness? Just any tips would be helpful! <3 _____

Moisturizer works for me :\

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Quote from Turbophoenix

Also I have a question: How many people here use libraries? I went to my local one yesterday for the first time in a while and it wasn't very good on the manga front. They had a decent selection, but most of it was just random volumes. I liked going though. I like the atmosphere of a library, and seeing all the books neatly lined up sedates my OCD. Sadly I think libraries are dying out.

Sounds like this could be made into a poll... stagnant libraries vs. digital libraries.

I used to use libraries a lot when I was younger... for leisure books, grade-school project research... then the internet started. Though, I did get a kick out of checking out miniseries DVDs like Pride and Prejudice. In college, I had to check out some books (class required book references, not just research articles found in online libraries). Sadly, in college, I used the library mainly as a place to study (the wonderful A/C, lighting, desks, chairs, and silence).

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Quote from Turbophoenix

Also I have a question: How many people here use libraries? I went to my local one yesterday for the first time in a while and it wasn't very good on the manga front. They had a decent selection, but most of it was just random volumes. I liked going though. I like the atmosphere of a library, and seeing all the books neatly lined up sedates my OCD. Sadly I think libraries are dying out.

Sounds like this could be made into a poll... stagnant libraries vs. digital libraries.

I used to use libraries a lot when I was younger... for leisure books, grade-school project research... then the internet started. Though, I did get a kick out of checking out miniseries DVDs like Pride and Prejudice. In college, I had to check out some books (class required book references, not just research articles found in online libraries). Sadly, in college, I used the library mainly as a place to study (the wonderful A/C, lighting, desks, chairs, and silence).

The libraries around here.......I count myself lucky if I can find a copy of The Da Vinci Code, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, popular books like that. I even had trouble finding Lord of the Ring novels! I didn't like the series much though 😛 . The state of local libraries is sadly lacking 🙁
Honestly, I've only ever seen one single manga - Death Note Volume 7. It was stashed in a corner in a book store, and it was the only book of it's kind. I'll do just about anything to sit in a good library, with a decent collection of books..... : dreamy look :

There's one good library atround though, but it's Army owned, and membership for civillians costs an arm and a leg. No way will I ask my parents to do that.

There are times when you will miss what you never had. I wonder how you will find what you so desperately need.

Quote from Turbophoenix

Also I have a question: How many people here use libraries? I went to my local one yesterday for the first time in a while and it wasn't very good on the manga front. They had a decent selection, but most of it was just random volumes. I liked going though. I like the atmosphere of a library, and seeing all the books neatly lined up sedates my OCD. Sadly I think libraries are dying out.

I love going to the library. Back at home, I'd go there all the time in the summer and pick out a bunch of books to read every week. Its very unfortunate that they are dying out. It's such a nice place to just stay and get yourself lost in. Books are amazing little things that the younger generations are getting less and less interested in 🙁 Many of them just can't understand.....Manga-wise, mine was a bit decent, but I didn't bother with them. The text-based books are the backbones of a library.

Oh and the smell of musty books is so comforting~

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Quote from Turbophoenix

Also I have a question: How many people here use libraries? I went to my local one yesterday for the first time in a while and it wasn't very good on the manga front. They had a decent selection, but most of it was just random volumes. I liked going though. I like the atmosphere of a library, and seeing all the books neatly lined up sedates my OCD. Sadly I think libraries are dying out.

never visited local libraries, i bet you can find many old books and antiques there.. but
i used to visited school libraries.. i liked to visiting science fiction and novels corner in my high school years. My precious memory involved in library was when encyclopedias fascinated me in my fifth grade and i came to school library almost everyday. I didn't realize i had mastered seventh grade biology at that time. Just realized it when i was in 7th grade,, those heavy books really helped me achieved outstanding score on biology.

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