Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Interestingly, perhaps, the European Kings relied on religion to solidify their right to the throne.  When the French revolted, they also ejected religion and took over the churches.  All the churches in France even today are state owned, and marriages are civil affairs entirely (that can be followed by a religious service).  GB went the other way, and of course retains a monarchy.

A totalitarian state can exist with religion propping up said state.  That probably is more common in history than not.  The native Americans often had a chief and a religious leader. 

I'd say that a portion of this is more due to history than anything else. The Catholic Church had dominant adherence in most of Europe. Being as powerful as it was, nation-states had to "play nice" with them for a very long time. They've had a relationship going back centuries. 

Russia didn't have that. Looking around Wikipedia, they had something like 500K Catholics at the time of the Bolshevik revolution. Which from the little I can tell of the Russian Empire from the googles, was well <1% of their population. Much easier to slough off a foreign authority structure. 

Also, I agree that a totalitarian state can exist with religion propping it up. But it's REALLY hard to do if that religion can't be controlled by said State, which is the case with Christianity. If it's Catholicism, it's a very organized outside group. If it's Christianity in general (Protestantism), it's more splintered but still outside of their control. A heck of a lot easier to get rid of it as a first strike and remove the threat. 

Similarly, at a BBQ restaurant, brisket trimmings become "chopped beef on a bun."

It offends me down to my core when places only offer chopped brisket. (although, on a sandwich good brisket Chopt does have some advantages over sliced)

I live in an area where the preference of local rural barbecue places is to do chopped pork instead of pulled. This is also hot trash

It offends me down to my core when places only offer chopped brisket. (although, on a sandwich good brisket Chopt does have some advantages over sliced)

I live in an area where the preference of local rural barbecue places is to do chopped pork instead of pulled. This is also hot trash

Here in Texico you'd never find a place that offers just chop and not sliced, because the chop is mostly just trimmings from the sliced.  It's just a way to monetize the waste.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good chopped beef sandwich. You just have to understand that it's probably 40%-50% fat, simmered in sauce.

If it's on a bun, I prefer chopped.

With pickles and onions.

Pickles are the devil. Pickled jalapenos, on the other hand, are delicious alongside onions on a chopped beef sandwich.

I'd rather have my jalapenos grilled.

That's good, too.  Either are acceptable.  Pickled cucumbers are the devil.

From the WSJ:

Prominent Wall Street firms, including Goldman Sachs, Cohen & Steers, EQT Exeter and BGO, are raising billions of dollars for funds to target distressed assets and other real estate with slumping values, according to regulatory filings. Until recently, most sellers hadn’t been willing to cut their prices to the levels that buyers are demanding. Now, some office owners have begun to capitulate, unloading distressed properties to lenders or taking what they can get, rather than hold out hope for an eventual recovery. This wave of fundraising is the latest sign that sales activity is expected to increase as more sellers yield on price.

The devil worshippers must be right

Not sure if there are any religions that are anti-pickle, but if there... I guess I'm crossing that one off my list too. 

(Along with any religion that won't let me have pork, beer, or coffee.)

The 20 cities where home prices are dropping the most right now (msn.com)

Interesting. A lot of CA there, but what's interesting is that unless one slipped by me, every single one of those is Bay Area, and not a single one in SoCal...