♫ Highway to Hell ♫'s definitions
Attempts to create a naturalistic cosmogony are subject to two separate limitations. One is based in the philosophy of science and the epistemological constraints of science itself, especially with regards to whether scientific inquiry can ask questions of "why" the universe exists. Another more pragmatic problem is that there is no physical model that can explain the earliest moments of the universe's existence because of a lack of a consistent theory of quantum gravity. Also of interest are supernatural creation accounts, as in ancient Greek myth or in the Creationism of the Abrahamic religions.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010
Get the Cosmogony mug.Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by accents on the off-beat, known as the skank. Reggae is normally slower than ska but faster than rocksteady. Reggae usually accents the second and fourth beat in each bar, with the rhythm guitar also either emphasising the third beat or holding the chord on the second beat until the fourth is played. It is mainly this "third beat," its speed and the use of complex bass lines that differentiated reggae from rock steady, although later styles incorporated these innovations separately.
Reggae: Bob Marley, Damian "Junior Gong" Marley, Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley, Julian Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Inner Circle, Peter Tosh, Peter Broggs, Black Uhuru, Black Slate, The Abyssinians, Israel Vibration, Alborosie, Katchafire, Eek-A-Mouse, Jah Shaka, Jah Roots, Sean Paul, Matisyahu, The Rastafarians, Roots Radics, Sean Kingston, John Holt, Jimmy Cliff, Collie Buddz, Beres Hammond, Prince Lincoln Thompson, Prince Far I, Kiddus I, Ijahman Levi, I-Roy, Don Carlos, SOJA Aka Soldiers Of Jah Army, UB40, Aswad, Culture, Capleton, Burning Spear, Yellowman, Gyptian, The Ethiopians, Cornell Campbell, Sanchez, Johnny Clarke, Johnny Osbourne, Sizzla, Half Pint, Junior Reid, Big Youth, Alpha Blondy, Augustus Pablo, King Tubby, Buju Banton, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, Everton Blender, Junior Kelly, Gregory Isaacs, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Steel Pulse, Horace Andy, Max Romeo, Yami Bolo, Dennis Brown, Hugh Mundell, Jacob Miller, The Pioneers, Bunny Wailer, Bunny Lee, Antidoping, Khady Black, The Gladiators, Joseph Hoo Kim, and Ini Kamoze.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ October 25, 2009
Get the Reggae mug.Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians who believe that the Bible is God's word and that Jesus is their Savior. This Christian denomination dates back to the late 19th century. Charles Taze Russel is credited with organizing the first Bible study groups that later gave origin to the Jehovah's Witness sect; these groups focused on Bible prophecy and the second coming of Christ. This second coming is said to have happened invisibly in 1914 - a date that was originally thought to mark the end of the world or Armageddon. Their name comes from the Bible, the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 43, Verses 10 and 11. The meaning behind the name is rather clear. It indicates that they bear witness to Jehovah - Jehovah being the personal name of God. There are about 16.6 million Jehovah's Witnesses around the world, with only three countries (US, Brazil, and Mexico) holding a population of over half a million. Of that number, approximately 6.7 million Jehovah's Witnesses are involved in active preaching and are part of the official statistic count. They believe in a supreme God - a spirit which has a body, but not a human body. Jesus is the Lord and Savior but He is not a part of God. They do not believe in the Trinity - the father, son and holy spirit - as, for example, Catholics do. Rather, Jesus is separate from God and was God's servant on Earth. Jesus is also said to have been given an exalted status in heaven to a higher level than angels.
Because they believe Jesus is not God, that prayer is a form of worship, and that one must not worship false gods, they pray to God, not Jesus. They believe that after the end of the world, which is imminent, 144,000 people will get a chance to go to heaven. The rest will have a chance to be resurrected and live on a permanent paradise on Earth, as long as they are virtuous in life. Those judged unrighteous will cease to exist. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in a remaining soul after death. They believe all other religions to be false and are deeply involved in preaching as a way to impart the hope of resurrection to humanity. Politics is not an important part of life, as they believe governments will also be destroyed imminently. They rarely vote, and they do not take part in anything that has to do with national politics, including the singing of the national anthem or saluting the flag. They also do not celebrate birthdays or Christmas, and most avoid Thanksgiving, which they consider to be a Pagan holiday. Weddings and funerals are observed, and celebrating anniversaries is not forbidden. They tend to be conservative. Homosexuality, premarital sex, and abortion are considered sins. They do not accept blood transfusions, even if it means death. However, more and more hospitals are now using bloodless techniques in surgery, often crediting Jehovah's Witnesses as their push to research alternatives.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ September 13, 2010
Get the Jehovah's Witnesses mug.The Shimabara Rebellion was a peasant revolt (consisting of mostly Japanese Catholics) against Matsukura Katsuie of the Shimabara Domain and Terasawa Katataka of the Karatsu Domain.
Fought between December 17, 1637 and April 15, 1638, the Shimabara Rebellion lasted four months. It lead to a Tokugawa victory and Christianity in Japan was driven underground.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 23, 2011
Get the Shimabara Rebellion mug.From October 25, 1944, to January 25, 1945, Kamikazes managed to sink two escort carriers and three destroyers. They also damaged 23 carriers, five battleships, nine cruisers, 23 destroyers and 27 other ships. American casualties amounted to 738 killed and another 1,300 wounded as the result of those attacks.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 26, 2011
Get the Kamikaze mug.A Zanbato (literally "horse-slaying sword" or "horse-chopping saber") is an especially large type of Japanese sword, the historical use of which is disputed. The sword closely resembles the nodachi or odachi, however it differs from the nodachi by having a ricasso of approximately 12 to 18 inches (460 mm). This lends more to the theory of the sword having a practical use in feudal Japan. The increased length of the blade, along with the extra grip, would give it dual use both as a sword and as a polearm for attacking advancing cavalry. This style of zanbato sword can be found for sale in rural tourist shops and stands in Kyoto and Nara prefectures of Japan. This sword may have been inspired by the Chinese zhan ma dao as both were said to have been used for killing the horse and rider in one swing. It is likely that the zanbato is actually a mis-construction of the zhǎn mǎ dāo, poorly drawn or translated by Japanese travellers who witnessed the weapon being used during battle.
Such extremely long and curved zabatao swords did exist, and were solely used for ceremonial purposes. Experienced smiths often took upon themselves to prove their talent by creating these so-called "zanbato" as a way to challenge themselves. This led to the extremely long blades often seen in ancient depictions, some of which were so long (over a dozen feet long) that they could hardly be mistaken for something other than display pieces.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ December 3, 2009
Get the Zanbato mug.A bokken is a wooden sword usually used for sword training. When a student begins to work with a sword, he learns basic maneuvers with a bokken. However, the bokken can also be used as an effective weapon since it is made of strong, heavy wood. In fact, many Ninja preferred to use the bokken on a mission than a regular sword.
The reasons for this are that a bokken is lighter and easier to carry, there is no risk of cutting oneself, bokken are very easy to camouflage since they can be stained or painted, and, when using proper techniques, a bokken can easily break bones and damage internal organs.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 17, 2011
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