The ***OFFICIAL*** Weekend Singles' Thread -- Easter Weekend (April 14-16)

April 14, 2006 | Victoria Delsoul and Army Air Corps

[Victoria Delsoul]

The True Meaning of Easter

By: Paul Arinaga

There's a lot of controversy about the true meaning of Easter. Some claim that it's actually a pagan celebration in origin. Others lament that retailers, greeting card companies and television are changing Christianity's greatest feast into something with meaning "the size of a jelly bean."

In any case, the most common view about the real meaning of Easter is that it's a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that through this act, sin and death are conquered. Easter also can be seen as a season of joy. The time of sorrow is over. Lent's penitential forty days have passed, and the fifty days of the Easter season have begun. Winter is over and spring is in the air. In times past, it's said that priests would regale their parishioners with funny stories. Easter was truly a time to rejoice. To rejoice that Our Lord has Risen and that one day we too shall pass through death (which has lost its sting) and rise to New Life!

While I am certainly not erudite enough to give you the definitive answer on what Easter means. I believe that it offers many valuable insights about life, no matter what your religious beliefs. In fact, the Easter story is so powerful that it probably offers something even to an open-minded atheist!

One of the biggest lessons from the Easter story, I believe, is the power of forgiveness. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about what forgiveness actually is. In my opinion, it doesn't mean condoning the wrong that has been committed or allowing it to happen again. Moreover, the act of forgiving is not necessarily something you do for the transgressor (although it can be), although its power can transform the transgressor, too. It is something you may do for yourself.

When you can forgive, you can finally be free of the burden of guilt, anger, hatred or resentment. The healing process can begin or finally conclude. You can also let go of the person who hurt you. This makes you stronger and removes the power that person has over you. It's somehow ironic that by not forgiving we allow the person who has harmed us to continue to harm us, even if they themselves are unaware of the long-term damage that is being inflicted. Of course, ultimately, we are responsible. By taking responsibility now for our own interpretation of what happened in the past, we become much stronger - I think that's what people mean when they talk about "self-empowerment".

I'm not sure whether forgiveness is the main lesson of the Easter story or even a primary message from it. But I am sure that it is a valuable one. And I'm also certain that if we can learn how to forgive, we will be more productive - and happier - human beings.

Hi everybody. The themes for today are sports and movies:

1- Strange sports stories where you either participated or were a spectator. (Anything that seemed out of the ordinary and made you laugh.)

2- Favorite romantic films. Tell us about your most memorable tv/movie romances, or romantic moments.

3- Tell us about your favorite romantic movie dance scene: actors, actress, songs, soundtrack... which particular scene you thought was the best, famous quotes, etc.

And as you all well know, “in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes” and since it is also a tax weekend, we'd like to add some tax trivia, too.

Make sure to read this great essay regarding the history of taxes in the U.S. written by Army Air Corps. Outstanding job, AAC. Thanks.

Tax Trivia:

1. In 1913, the Sixteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution was passed. What did it do?

2. About how much did the U. S. government collect in Income Taxes in the year 2001?

3. Which country does NOT have an income tax?

4. Why was the first U. S. Income Tax implemented?

5. Which U. S. President was responsible for the largest Federal Income Tax cut in the 20th century?

6. Which President implemented the very first Income Tax in the United States?

7. As a percent of income, which country has the highest tax rate?

8. As of the year 2000, the U. S. Internal Revenue Code (or tax code for short) is how many pages long?

9. Who writes the Income Tax laws in the United States?

10. What does the Internal Revenue Service call their electronic method of filing Income Taxes?

Please, join us for some fun.

Your hosts for the weekend are:

Victoria Delsoul                             Army Air Corps

This weekend's Music

Sergio Mendes & Black Eyed Peas - Mas Que Nada

Shakira - Whenever, Whatever

Los Lonely Boys - Heaven

Los Lonely Boys – Heaven (Spanish Version)

Etta James – At Last

Charlie Rich – The Most Beautiful Girl

The Cardigans – Lovefool

Maroon 5 - This Love

Frank Sinatra – I've Got You Under My Skin

Smokey Robinson – Just To See Her

Mariah Carey - Emotions

Barry Manilow – Copacabana

Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders - The Game Of Love

Andy Williams – Moon River

Louie Prima – Jump Jive And Wail

Shania Twain - You're Still The One

Smokey Robinson – Cruisin'

The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin'

Ricky Martin – Livin' The Vida Loca

Goo Goo Dolls – Give A Little Bit

Neil Diamond - America

Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5

Bobby Darin – Mack The Knife

Wayne Newton – Danke Schoen

Neil Diamond – I Am I Said

Bobby Darin – Beyond The Sea

The Marcels – Blue Moon

Sam Cooke – Another Saturday Night

Elvis Presley – My Way

Patti Labelle – Lady Marmalade

The Pretenders – Back On The Chain Gang

Bobby Darin - More

Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now

Roy Orbison – Pretty Woman

Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Sheryl Crow – All I Want To Do

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

So tell me, AAC, are you an Englishman trapped in a Texan's body?

[Victoria Delsoul]

Wow, that's a pretty long career. Well, good for him if he was able to do it.

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Yeah, that was kinda weird.

[snugs]

My favourite crisps are:

Lamb and mint sauce Prawn Cocktail BBQ Roast beef and mustard Cheese and Chive Black Pepper Salt and Malt Vinegar Tomato Sauce

I am sure I have forgotten a few, do you have Pringles?

[Alberta's Child]

He was a pretty scary looking guy, too. Almost as bad as Viacheslav Fetisov. LOL.

[Theresawithanh]

I'm not sure whether the ham is boiled first or not. It seems to be on the salty side, so I'm guessing not. My roommate will be doing the cooking, and she puts pineapple slices in with the ham when she bakes it. Yum!

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Alright. You guys are making me HUNGRY!

[Victoria Delsoul]

LOL!!

[snugs]

That sounds like what we call gammon rather than bacon then.

I like sliced gammon with pineapple slices on top. Though the most popular way to serve it in Britain is with fried egg on top.

[Army Air Corps]

You must be commenting on my writing. :-)

It is a bit of a long story, but I'll give to you the short version. As a wee lad, I developed a strong fancy for aviation (I remain an aviation fanatic). Many family members fed the passion through books. Almost all of the books were printed in the UK and my impressionable mind assumed that everyone used the same grammar and spelling that appeared in the books; therefore, that was the pattern upon which I based my English usage. Add to that the fact that I am an anglophile.

[Supernatural]

Have you ever eaten steamed crabs? You get the whole crab and have to break it apart with nutcrackers and a little hammer.

I ate them in Baltimore but I didn't care for them.

I do like crabcakes a lot.

And seafood Alfredo is pretty darn good.

My favorite seafood is shrimp. Breaded and deep-fried.

We went fishing in Georgia and bought a couple of pounds of live shrimp for bait. We had some live shrimp when we got back and cleaned them up and cooked them. As fresh as it gets.

[snugs]

Do you have dressed crab?

[TheresaKett]

Never had parsnips, even googled it to see what exactly it was....quite interesting, especially their medicinal value. But, how do you cook them?

Parsnip
(Pastinaca sativa ssp. sativa -- Family Umbelliferae)
The wild parsnip is virtually inedible; but cultivation has produced a sweet, aromatic root that looks much like a carrot, only it is a tan colour with white flesh. The English name comes through the French, pastinaca, with the "nip", indicating that it was like a turnip. In medieval Europe, sugar was rare and honey expensive. Moreover, the starchy potato had not yet arrived; so the only alternative was with the sweet, starchy parsnip, which became doubly useful. As the sugar supply increased and the potato made its appearance in the middle of the 18th century, the popularity of the parsnip began to wane.

Parsnips were introduced into North America by early settlers. They were grown in Virginia by 1609, and were soon accepted by the American Indians. Parsnips were used as a sweetener until the development of the sugar beet in the 19th century. The juices were evaporated, and the brown residue was used as honey. In Italy, pigs bred for the best-quality Parma ham are still fed on parsnips. Wild parsnip is a name sometimes given for an unrelated root (Cymopterus montanus), eaten by Indians of the southwest US and Mexico, where it is called "gamote". The roots are peeled, baked, and ground into a meal.

This ancient vegetable is thought to have originated around the eastern Mediterranean. Exactly when it was introduced into cultivation is uncertain as references to parsnips and carrots seem interchangeable in Greek and Roman literature. Pliny used the word "pastinaca" in the 1st century when referring to both. Tiberius Caesar was said to have imported parsnips from Germany, where they flourished along the Rhine. It is possible that the Celts brought them back from their forays to the east long before that. In the Middle Ages, the roots were valued medicinally for treating such diverse problems as toothaches, swollen testicles, and stomache aches. In 16th century Europe, parsnips were used as animal fodder. The country name of 'madneps' or 'madde neaps' reflects the fear that delirium and madness would be brought on by eating these roots.

[Supernatural]

We sure do have Pringles.

I always take some with me when I go camping.

[Army Air Corps]

Yes! We do, indeed, have Pringles (that is one of the major brands here); however, we do not have the some of the flavour varieties that you have in the Mother Country.

[Supernatural]

I don't know what dressed crab is.

King Crab legs are big over here. They are pretty expensive, $12 to $14 per pound.

[snugs]

Dressed crab

[Theresawithanh]

A big YUM to all of the foods you mentioned! Steamed crab is great, but sure is a lot of work though.

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

As a wee lad...

You crack me up!! I love it. Do you say it with a Texan drawl?

[rzeznikj at stout]

The good thing is that I've got five years left--two for a baccalaureate and then three for the JD.

Of course, I'm also looking at possibly holding elected office.

So, either way you look at it, I'm headed into a crooked profession...;)