hey, Vanessa, (better late than never) thanks for the kudos on the bike program! I'm glad you like it. We're hoping it has mass appeal, and it certainly seems to be heading that way... now we just need volunteers to help us continue running it this summer (and, uh, by 'us' I mean the new ECOS people... 7 more days (not including weekends)

and... in other news, that slack rope is hard. not that that isn't obvious, but damn. good on you Jesse for getting it though, awesome way to avoid studying!

That's okay Paras - I'm not writing a paper on the pope. I am however finishing my final D&D paper and I was wondering if you have or know of a website or something that talks about that program that you mentioned (the one where it will be possible for computer gamers to create their own adventures). I am actually going to have to mention it in my paper and being able to cite something other than this messageboard might be beneficial. If you don't know, don't go looking or anything. I can do that and it's not essential anyway.

Curse you, Vanessa, for pointing out my fatal flaw!!

I don't know why the name-changing tradition continued, but I know it started with Pope John II, because his birth name was Mercurius. Apparently a Pope sharing the name with a Roman God was unacceptable.

Also, I know they have a rule where the Pope, at the time of his election, has to be younger than 80, probably for those reasons. (Although such a rule did not prevent short reigns, as in the case of John Paul I.)

Thanks for the info, Jess.

this is likely going to be really cynical, but where's the wisdom in electing someone who's 78 to be the leader of the church? How healthy and long-lived is he likely to be? We could be seeing conclave in a mere year or two if things don't go all that well for him. That would suck for a whole host of people. (I mean, of course, regardless of how 'good' he is for the position etc. because I have no grasp of that, nor would I even pretend to)

Why do the popes need to change their names?

You guys don't really need this site to tell you that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has been elected Pope Benedict XVI, do you? I didn't think so.

apparently my computer can't watch their videos... anyway, though. what an anticlimactic chimney to release the smoke from:

i mean, if I was announcing to the world that I'd chosen a new religious leader, I'd have used a far more exciting chimney, say made from bricks or stone, or anything other than humble ol' stove pipe like off my grandpa's cabin.

pfff.. that smoke didn't look white... I want my money back.