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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>BillK<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, January 04, 2014 2:35 PM<br><b>To:</b> ExI chat list<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [ExI] Perihelion day<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Sat, Jan 4, 2014 at 10:27 PM, Anders Sandberg wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Happy perihelion! Today the sun is closest, it will get further away every day until July!<br><br><span style='color:#1F497D'>>>…</span>And give thanks, if you life in the northern hemisphere, that this is partially compensating for the axial tilt. Things will get worse in a few kiloyears.<span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>>…</span>Ooohh, you sadist! :) The US & Canada have 2 ft of snow and below zero temperatures and you tell them to give thanks! Nice one! :)<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>BillK<span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I will do the giving of thanks. On the US west coast it is a gorgeous day, approximately room temperature, sunny skies, light pleasant breeze, etc. It has been a warm dry fall, confusing the trees. I see blossoms everywhere. Some of the early bird trees started leafing out before the solstice. Bugs are getting active already. I am hoping for a good insect-observation year. Life is good!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Speaking of giving thanks, we know that whole notion is all tangled up in religion, but we atheists should work a little harder at that. Think it over, or if it helps, think of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney singing Count Your Blessings in the holiday classic White Christmas. There you go: no religion at all anywhere in that movie, not a trace. But Bing sounds so good in that, and Rose is sooooo sexy I melt into a gooey sticky puddle on the floor just thinking of being on the receiving end of the adoring looks she is giving Crosby in that scene:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bob <a href="mailto:bob@difranza.com">bob@difranza.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Oops, that was in my copy queue for Dr. Lajeunesse’s get-well wishes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Here’s the link to Clooney and Crosby. Rose’s gorgeous voice starts at about 2:10 here:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXKxazgio2s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXKxazgio2s</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Ooooh I am so in love with that woman.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>So don’t be afraid to count your blessings instead of sheep, those of you who are alive. Atheists can be grateful to chance. If all your problems are ones you can handle, be thankful. Part of having it made is knowing we have it made. Gratitude is a powerful positive emotion. Don’t miss out on that just because religion incorporated claims it at every opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></body></html>