You mistake euclidean geometry with reality.

There are at least 8 dimensions, and more likely at least 11.

Lets do some simple NON-euclidean composition/decomposition here:

1. a point is a specific place in a higher-dimensional space. It cannot be described in its' own coordinate system. It's just "there", so we'll assign it a dimension of 1. You cannot "see" a point, for example, though you can describe a points' coordinates, but only in terms of higher dimensions (this should be your first clue that points cannot be perceived in 1 dimensional space). Inside it's own space, a point has NO coordinates - it just "is".
2. now let's imagine a sufficient number of "points" with all but one coordinate varying, in sufficient quantity so that, on the balance of probabilities at any one time, they are close enough together that they do in fact define what we would call a "line". The line itself only exists inside the larger coordinate system; lines have added a second "type" to our system. We can now describe things in terms of points (items with 1 dimension) OR lines (items with 2 dimensions, such as a start and a direction). However, a line in and of itself would not be perceptible in a 3-dimensional space, since it would have none of the higher "dimensions" needed to actually exist in that space, such as height and depth;
3. So we now take and repeat our transformative operation, taking a multitude of lines and changing a 2nd coordinate - so now they describe what we would call a plane or surface. Would we be able to perceive a pure planar object? No, because it has zero thickness, so while it might exist in the lower dimensions, to us, it would be invisible.
4. Next, repeat our transformative operation. Add a 3rd coordinate, and vary it so that our plane now describes some sort of cubic object. Normally, we would say that it has height, width, and depth. Could we now perceive it? No, because it lacks DURATION.
5. Duration, or time, like the spatial dimensions, is useless if it is only a point. A point in time, same as the spatial point in #1 above, is not perceptible. We have to apply the same iterative transformation to get a TIME that is actually useful. In all, we've taken 2 starting objects (point in time, point in space), and given each 3 new dimensions, so depending on whether you like zero-based or one-based numbers, we need a minimum of 6 to 8 dimensions for any object.

Normally, we'd prefer zero-based, except that zero-based would tend to get people to think that the 3 dimensions described above are strict analogues with euclidean 3-d space, when they aren't. The point is just as real/fictitious as the line, the plane, and the cube. None of them are real without ALL their time analogues being present, so 1-based it is, for 8 dimensions as the bare minimum for an object in conventional space-time.

Unfortunately, it doesn't end there, but it does show why an infinitely thin monitor can be as "opaque" as you want, but it would have no effect on space-time, and as such would, to your eyes, not exist.

The graininess of the universe allows us to add the necessary mathematical dimensions to "glue" all the above together, as well as explaining some of the "WTF" of quantum mechanics. Consider that, while we now, with 8 dimensions, can come close to describing a conventional object, we are overlooking both the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle and the Plank constant, which determines the ultimate "graininess" of the universe. The universe simply does NOT allow perfect encoding of any of the above dimensions, so we have to add a mapping of uncertainty to each of them. Fortunately, we can do this with only 3 more "dimensions" - probability for space, probability for time, and probability for space*time, giving us 11 dimensions. (we don't need the underlying probabilities for point, line, plane, because they are implicit in the aggregate probability). We now have an "object" that can exist in and interact with the rest of the grainy objects in our grainy universe.

it has nothing to do with the fact that they didn't do shots with their buddies last Friday.

Alcohol is a proven selective depressant. In reasonable doses, it depresses inhibitions. People are therefore easier-going, more likely to express themselves, and, as you say, less uptight, but this is entirely due to the effect of alcohol on the brain; in other words, the relief from stress, etc., is from the effect on the brain, not the social situation.

You get the same effect by having a night-cap alone.

Tee-totalers who choose to be "for religious or moral reasons" are just fucked up, as well as immorally judgmental, but what do you expect from people who believe in religious spooks and take their instructions from fat slugs who feed them a line of bullshit every weekend.

Good thing you didn't dream you were on the toilet and decide it was a good time to lay some trans-oceanic cable.

We know it wasn't in December. "Shepherds watched their flock by night." Definitely not the winter, and the most likely date was 6 B.C., which made all the people who went nuts about "the rapture will happen in 2000" really look stupid, since 1994 would have been the "real" date.

It wasn't until marketing got a hold of it in the early 20th century that Christmas even became the important Christian holiday.

. . . as opposed to that great holiday Hallowe'en, where people can party on in complete anonymity . . .

The "wanting to drinl someone's blood" is just another of the facets of christianity that point to its' beginnings as a syncretic religion - one composed of bits and pieces pulled from other religions (There really is nothing new under the sun ...) Christmas festivities are a rip-off of the Roman feast of Saturnus, for exqmple

All too often looking in the news, I think we try to avoid painful realities like death because they aren't comfortable.

Death is painless ... getting there, on the other hand ... :-)

That's why it's SO much better to be an atheist.

10 Reasons Why Being An Atheist Is Better

1. You can sleep in on Sunday without feeling guilty AND you can feel smug about it - after all, Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, right :-)
2. You can drink knowing it's good for your health, will lower your blood pressure while raising fundies';
3. Sex. No guilt for being straight, bi, gay, lesbian. trans, genderfucked, whatever, or for having friends who are
4. No having your kids look down on you because you think they're "living in sin". No having your parents look down on you because you don't want to get married;
5. Much less cognitive dissonance. Not having to justify the genocide in the bible, or the sexism, the endorsing of slave-keeping, and a vengeful god;
6. Being able to show Jehovah's Witnesses your blood donor card - priceless;
7. Not having to dress funny on Sundays, then go to a building where some guy in a dress (he "says" it's a robe) goes on and on about gays going to hell; Sitting around the homestead in your underwear is SO much more edifying;
8. No guilt-induced obligatory tax on stupidity (tithing). Though if you can divert it to lottery tickets (another tax on stupidity) and get a better return on your investment, knowing that at least some of the profits help pay for things the community needs;
9. There's just no replacement for the word "fuck!" in some situations;
10. There's also no replacement for going up to your local holy roller when they get to be too much of a PITA, poking them in the belly and saying "I see you're still losing the struggle with that demon sin of gluttony. BTW if you really have mastered your battle against same-sex lust, I have a serious buyer for your porn collection"

And for the bonus:

1. it's more fun trolling them than either the Microsoft or Apple fanbois.

The worst part is that we've had several generations of misinformation about the "evils of drink" because of religious zealots who accepted the backing of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.

We still see their effect today with churches that use grape juice instead of wine for communion:

Although many times the WCTU was very involved in religion in a positive manner, they did not agree that wine should be used in their ceremonies. They asked the Church to stop using wine in their ceremonies during an Episcopal convention, and to use un-fermented grape juice instead. Their direct resolution stated that they wanted the church to use grape juice because wine contained "the narcotic poison, alcohol, which cannot truly represent the blood of Christ."

We now know that the "alcohol kills nerve cells" is wrong in low doses. The "100,000 brain cells per drink" is a myth. As for the fatty buildup in the liver, that's also related only to *over-consumption*, so there's no downside to moderate consumption, and a definite set of benefits.

Think for 2 seconds. All monitors exist in 3 dimensions. How else would you perceive them, if they were infinitely thin?

I threw coffee on my senile grandfather for years. And all it got me was jail time.

Idiot! You're supposed to take it out of the can first.

You're wrong. A single dimension is a point. A two-dimensionsional construct is a line. To argue that time is linear, it has to be at least 2-dimensional.

But more to the point, the BEST method for counting your days is the body count. How many assholes you've outlived. It's nice to get a phone call saying someone who tried to make your life miserable is dead. The world becomes a little brighter, and somewhere an angel gets its' wings :-)

So I propose the body count.

Actually, you're wrong. ANY alcohol, in moderation, has the same effect.

The flavinoids in grapes are also benefisial, but any alcohol "just works."

Teetotalers die younger than those who consume moderate amounts of alcohol.

With the latest wrong-headed bailouts (Merrill Lynch) diverting even more capital to propping up bad investments and bad actors, inflating its' value away is inevitable.

The government should have allowed the failures, kept its' powder dry, then moved in after the market correction to help pick up the pieces. It would have been cheaper and more effective.

Hey, we come from all areas of life. I make my living doing a combination of c/c++ code (custom servers) and php/javascript/mysql stuff, but I've also owned and driven dump trucks and backhoes (Case 580/680/780 - one of each :-), etc. You'd be amazed at how many different skills you can pick up if you stay open to different opportunities.

I caught you in an outright lie. You said the word piss didn't occur in the bible. You were wrong, and like most "true belevers", you can't admit it.

Unlike you, my reference library included the KJV, NKJV, NASB, TLB, Greek-English and Hebrew-English interlinear, and another half-dozen versions. And again, unlike you, I actually spent several years studying it, which is why I can state that it is full of shit.

Don't worry though, you'll realize I'm right one day when you're burning in Hell. Have a nice life...because the next one won't be.

Never happen. First, hell is supposed to be the absence of god, and as an atheist I'm already there, and loving it. Much better than the alternative, which is to be an empty-headed bumpkin who believes imaginary fairy tales.

Don't believe the bible is shit? Send an email to god and ask.

Actually, I could. I learned how to mill parts to within a thousandth of an inch when I was 17. It didn't take long to get the hang of it - the hardest part was grinding my own cutting carbide by hand to the right angle, and then mounting it so as to avoid chatter. Not all that complicated.

Same with arc and gas welding. Show me once, and I was able do it.

Same with sewer cuts. Watched one, then was able to do them myself, including the digging, plumbing, and backfilling.