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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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 Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 2:04 am Post subject: 121 |
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If only...
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Pablo
Never Draws a Blank
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| Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject: 122 |
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| Zag wrote: |
But the free market is not the magic wand you seem to think it is. And the government is not the raging bunch of incompetent idiots you seem to think, either. |
I don't consider the free market a magic want nor do I think government can never do anything correctly. I just think no more than this:
The free market is WAY better than government and should be Plan A.as much as possible.
PS - I do think that at THIS time in OUR history, the U.S. government is best characterized as corrupt, ineffective, intrusive, expensive, and an overall burden.
PPS - I'm sending this from a hotel business center in Bend, OR. Back in Fargo in a week or so. Out of touch until then. Chreers.
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All religions are the same - Guilt....just with different holidays. |
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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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| Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:48 pm Post subject: 123 |
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Ah, finally, the state to myself again.
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* These senseless ramblings brought to you by Insanity™. If you just can't figure the dang thing out, it must be Insanity™.
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Samadhi
+1
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| Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:13 am Post subject: 124 |
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| Quote: |
| But the free market is not the magic wand you seem to think it is. And the government is not the raging bunch of incompetent idiots you seem to think, either. |
Scratch that reverse it for how you seem to think about us and gov being the "magic wand".
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between. |
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Samadhi
+1
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| Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:17 am Post subject: 125 |
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The government can be looked at several ways. The first is 'oh hi, I'm dealing with person who happens to work for [government]. 0' The second is 'oh hi, I'm dealing with [government] who happens to be a person' I'm sure there are others but ruminate on that.
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between. |
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Zag
Tired of his old title
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| Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:04 pm Post subject: 126 |
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| Samadhi wrote: |
| Quote: |
| But the free market is not the magic wand you seem to think it is. And the government is not the raging bunch of incompetent idiots you seem to think, either. |
Scratch that reverse it for how you seem to think about us and gov being the "magic wand". |
I know you like to cherry-pick statistics, but please don't do it to my posts. Did you even read the entire post you are quoting? It wasn't very long. Here's another excerpt
| Zag wrote: |
| Honestly, I mostly agree with you about the free market, ... |
I have never, ever, claimed that government was a magic wand, or that it generally fixed things. The most I have claimed is that there are some few things that it should manage, including the regulation of industry to prevent monopolies and their resulting abuse, and criminality and its abuse. The free market really sucks at this, as history has shown over and over. (That is to say that these things subvert the free market in a way that is not recoverable with the free market system, because they continue to break that system.)
While there is clearly a tipping point where too much government can collapse a civilization, so will too little (because then the organized crime takes its place). I agree that the U.S. is currently closer to the former than the latter, but the mindless "everything that is government is bad" strikes me as just as stupid as the opposite. |
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Samadhi
+1
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 5:38 pm Post subject: 127 |
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I think we're both exaggerating each others positions.
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between. |
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Scurra
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:43 pm Post subject: 128 |
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| Samadhi wrote: |
| I think we're both exaggerating each others positions. |
This is the internet isn't it? I thought that was one of the basic rules.
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still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon
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Jack_Ian
Big Endian
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Samadhi
+1
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| Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:25 pm Post subject: 130 |
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How Romans multiplied.
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between. |
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Zag
Tired of his old title
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:35 am Post subject: 131 |
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Interesting technique.
I found this to be one of the more arrogant lines I've ever seen in one of these: "Romans also had a multiplication method of their own. It was probably discovered by trial and error, and it always worked, though the Romans did not know why."
I'm sure that the majority of people who used this method didn't understand why it worked, just like the majority of people today who can bake a cake don't understand the chemistry that changes it from liquid batter to a fluffy solid. That doesn't mean that we, as a society, don't know. I'm sure that the smarter Romans understood why it worked -- it's just not that hard to figure it out -- so it is wrong to say that they (as a society) didn't know why. |
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Antrax
ESL Student
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 6:53 am Post subject: 132 |
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If they were so smart, how come they didn't have a zero?
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After years of disappointment with get rich quick schemes, I know I'm gonna get rich with this scheme. And quick! |
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Quailman
His Postmajesty
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:21 am Post subject: 133 |
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| How could one surmise that the multiplication method was arrived at by trial and error? If you wanted to figure a way to multiply numbers, is that process really something you would "guess" might work? Biggus Brainus probably did a lot of work to develop the process, but once it was arrived at the intermediate work was lost. |
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Courk
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:27 am Post subject: 134 |
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I learned to multiply in 3rd or 4th grade. It's only now that I feel I at least mostly, but probably not completely, know why this works:
| Code: |
12
x 13
-----
36
+ 120
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156 |
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wordcross
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 4:41 am Post subject: 135 |
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It's essentially algebra. The transitive distributive property. (Thanks MattV)
(x+y) * a = (x*a) + (y*a)
so for x=10, y=3, and a=12:
(10+3) * 12 = (10*12)+(3*12) = 120+36 = 156
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Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
Last edited by wordcross on Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mv*
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 4:47 am Post subject: 136 |
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| Distributive property. |
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Courk
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 6:48 am Post subject: 137 |
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| wordcross wrote: |
(x+y) * a = (x*a) + (y*a)
so for x=10, y=3, and a=12:
(10+3) * 12 = (10*12)+(3*12) = 120+36 = 156 |
That's what I knew, except my brain wasn't thinking of it in those terms. It was the same thing, but expressed more in words: 12x13 = thirteen groups of twelve, which would be 10 groups of 12 plus another 3 groups of 12, so 120 + 36 = 156. I just couldn't think of how it could be proven because I wasn't thinking of it like algebra.
But even then, I wasn't even thinking of (x+y) * a = (x*a) + (y*a) until high school, so that's a good 4 or 5 years of using a method with no idea why it works. |
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Poisonium
annoyed by the old
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 2:39 pm Post subject: 138 |
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| Antrax wrote: |
| If they were so smart, how come they didn't have a zero? |
They did. "N" was very rarely used as meaning zero or nothing. It served no purpose apart from that though.
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I tried apt-get install lifebut it only returned E: Couldn't find package life |
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Jack_Ian
Big Endian
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| Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:00 pm Post subject: 139 |
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Surely it hasn't been 30 years since Airplane was released? 
Apparently the writers bought the rights the 1957 film Zero Hour! and then used the plot-line for the film.
Still funny though, even after 30 years. |
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Courk
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:37 am Post subject: 140 |
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| There's a sale at Penney's! |
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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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| Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 12:14 pm Post subject: 141 |
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Nature makes no better alarm clock than a burst of lightning right on top of you.
_________________
* These senseless ramblings brought to you by Insanity™. If you just can't figure the dang thing out, it must be Insanity™.
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Quailman
His Postmajesty
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| Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:32 pm Post subject: 142 |
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I discovered that my nephew has his own IMDB page.
Also, after 30 years and countless viewings, I just realized that the girl who played the mayor's daughter in Animal House is the same one who plays the might-be-pregnant girl in Caddyshack. |
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Jack Crazyquilt
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:47 pm Post subject: 143 |
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I've always thought of galaxies as basically lens-shaped, so the one featured on today's Astronomy Picture of the Day kinda boggled my mind:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101109.html
I just can't get over that picture--there isn't even any central bulge visible! Is this where all the Flatlanders live? |
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jesternl
Yankee Doodle Dutchie
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:31 pm Post subject: 144 |
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This, ice art on Lake Baikal in Russia.
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Samadhi
+1
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 12:38 am Post subject: 145 |
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What this quick short then check my invis text. It's CGI
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between. |
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lexprod
NOT not a title
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 2:20 am Post subject: 146 |
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| Samadhi wrote: |
| What this quick short then check my invis text. It's CGI |
The guy's work is amazing, saw the "third and the seventh" which is even more stunning in a still-life kinda way.
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I'll have a P please... |
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jesternl
Yankee Doodle Dutchie
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 7:12 pm Post subject: 147 |
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| Wow.. saw it a few days ago, and had no clue it was.. not even a hint. |
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Samadhi
+1
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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:54 am Post subject: 149 |
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Could you post that from a non "login required" mirror, please?
_________________
* These senseless ramblings brought to you by Insanity™. If you just can't figure the dang thing out, it must be Insanity™.
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The Ragin' South Asian
Head Poncho
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:42 am Post subject: 150 |
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| Didn't have to log in to either of those sites... |
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Samadhi
+1
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 2:10 am Post subject: 151 |
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Neither did I. Those are the exact links I got from The Daily What.
Edit: Here is the relevant post on The Daily What.
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between.
Last edited by Samadhi on Sat Dec 04, 2010 2:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Zag
Tired of his old title
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 2:16 am Post subject: 152 |
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| Shhh. It's just DM who needed a login. The cyberpolice have been tracking him. |
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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 8:12 am Post subject: 153 |
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New York Times requires an account to view their on-line stuff, especially if it's more than a day old. I don't like NYT enough to sign up with 'em (double since all their articles are reprinted elsewhere). Just google the article title and chances are you'll find another, log-in free site, that has the exact thing reprinted.
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* These senseless ramblings brought to you by Insanity™. If you just can't figure the dang thing out, it must be Insanity™.
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Thok
Oh, foe, the cursed teeth!
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 10:59 pm Post subject: 154 |
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The jerk in question was arrested Monday. |
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AcidFast
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 5:55 am Post subject: 155 |
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Awesome!
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When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead
True story |
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Samadhi
+1
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 3:52 am Post subject: 156 |
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My friend in chat. It sucks that she is upset but she was tossing off some of the most beautiful metaphors. Ironically she was upset about being "stupid"
"My plan is like a pile of broken bricks stacked together
It could stay but a tremor would destroy it."
Me: she's renting space in your head. you can kick her out if you want to
Her: Doesn't work like that so well. There's a hole, the mouse sneaks in to take some cheese
Dozens like those she'd toss off as if nothing. Brilliant.
_________________
And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between. |
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Magic 8 Ball*
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 3:56 am Post subject: 157 |
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| Signs point to a fat boy in high school. |
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Samadhi
+1
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:05 am Post subject: 158 |
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Which fits since you were skinny and you've never said anything brilliant.
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And he lived happily ever after. Except for the dieing at the end and the heartbreak in between. |
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Chuck
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 5:33 am Post subject: 159 |
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| It's too cloudy for me to see the lunar eclipse that starts in an hour. I don't think it's ever been cloudy during an eclipse since I moved to Arizona in 1977. |
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wordcross
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