chuck kottke

Boo! I could have been a ghost!:P Apparitions are real, as real as anything we can imagine; for imagination is more powerful than....

Umm.. alright, you can surprise her with the "Bad" words late on in life! I'll stick to the good words, like salubrious, and obsequious.:P

Now, extending the idea further, then if Gwen is 6 years older than Chris, that would mean then that when Gwen was making muffins in the Betty-Crocker oven in the Berkshires at age 7, Chris was all of 1 year old, and saying something almost unintelligible to anyone else but perhaps his mum and some early Coldplay fans who had properly predicted the future...:laugh3:

PPPlease, Lore, Sing to us!! :wacky: I'd love to hear the way you trill your rr's!:)

I once dated a girl who was 3 months older than me, and it was a thrill! :laugh3:

I would have to say that it really doesn't matter so much as one gets older (if a 40-year old dates a 43-year old) because by then, the maturity level is relatively the same.. But yeah, I suppose someone who's 18 dating someone who's 23 is a bit of a leap. But now if a 42 year-old man dates a 23 year-old gal, that sounds alright to me..:wink3::p

:jester:Hello Gabriella :) Welcome to the banana bunch!:P (we're all a little bananas here, but some are nuts too!):wacko: Have fun, and you'll learn bad English too!:laugh3:

A theory cannot be proven absolutely, or else it would not be a theory. But there is a great deal of corroborating evidence; and I was only half-joking about humans being monkeys. Although, we do share a great deal in common with many monkeys, especially chimpanzees. Look at breeds of dogs, just to see how much variation within a species is possible; but at first glance, it's difficult to imagine a chiuaua is related to a Saint Bernard, and yet they are! Along similar lines, one could hardly imagine a modern automobile as the gradual evolution from steam engines, bicycles, bottle atomizers, buggies, steam carriages, and physics experiments.. comparing the first autos to the latest ones makes it appear that they could not be related, but the changes are gradual and step-wise over time.

I wonder what it's all about.. Hamas militants attacking Israeli towns within rocket range - surly they knew the Israeli government and military would respond.. Did they hope for lots of innocent civilians getting killed to then further enrage and turn more Palestinians into Hamas supporters? Hmm.. Still, the video footage I've seen on Mosaic through Link TV shows major buildings being blown up with "pinpoint precision", yet this is a pretty big target, compared to a setup of rockets..:confused: It looks pretty excessive from what I've seen, and that's unfortunate. I think the French negotiators might have the right idea - to get aid in quickly, but the Israeli government makes a lot of sense in wanting to inspect aid convoys for weapons! Included in the deal is the closing of tunnels and a ceasefire naturally. But looking at the news from the region - I get the funny feeling that Gaza is being used as a political "football" to be battered about for political reasons. How sad to see human life treated so cheaply, when discussed by those far removed and safe within their own jurisdictions.. One thing that does make me wonder - since I know the track record of powerful states (U.S.'s use of NAPALM in VietNam, Saddam's gas attacks, etc.).. Is the Israeli military using burning phosphorous in their bombs??

Well, basically we're all monkeys, so let's all have a banana and vocalize a bit!:laugh3: I am perfectly fine with believing in the Jesus novels, in the sense that if we are all part of a universe that through all improbability of events led to life and to us, and the improbability of sophisticated culture and the understandings we have today, and the improbability of Jesus, or Mohamed, or Ghandi, or Buddha, or Taoism, or the Aztec Leaders, then all these individuals, their cultures, and their stories have significantly impacted our existence to allow us to arrive at where we are today. For I think there's more evolving than just cells and cellular DNA, but the evolution of thought as well, and the significance of belief cannot be discounted in affecting us. Any stabilizer that puts great value on fair play in society also inadvertently leads to a cultural and intellectual renaissance as shared values and mutual respect build the sorts of societies in which men and women engaged in scientific study and exploration can flourish, and society and technology can advance. No need to disparage the well-founded theory of Evolution, but to understand we have only begun to understand the intricacies of our interconnectedness, and the caveats we discover that change the simplistic to an enlarged understanding. Hence, recognizing that genes do pass across species' borders, as is the case with transposable elements, and then seeing that evolution still is a guiding principle, but with some unique transport mechanisms for DNA at times, appears logical to me. But we do need to keep testing some basic assumptions from time to time. (ie - Galileo believed that winds caused the tides..) However, there is clear evidence for evolutionary theory, and a theory in science is based on a great deal of corroborating evidence that suggests a likelihood of it being correct. We can see evidence in the development of a human from fertilized egg cell to newborn; in the adaptations of birds in the Galapagos islands; in bacterial cultures, and in more subtle variations which make sense according to the rules of natural selection. But one thing to consider that I had earlier discounted - is the effect of selection pressure in the absence of predators. In essence, then the distinct advantage is with plumage in birds which is flash to attract mates or discourage rivals; even in we humans, things such as hair color and eye color may serve little purpose except to excite a mate, or by the cultures' traditional views of beauty, may be selected for or against. Hence, strangely enough, our minds thoughts and our collective values have already influenced evolution in some unusual ways! A tribe in Africa has blond, curly hair - because 'golden' hair was seen as a mark of greater beauty by that tribe's definition. Or the shape of one's nose can be the direct result of what is seen as 'beautiful' in a particular culture. So, whether we like it or not, we have already controlled evolution without even fully realizing it!:)

What, you're going to sing for Julie??:)

I've got to get this stuff under control, or it will eat me alive..

Fair elections and education perhaps. But voters are not necessarily so gullible once their interests are piqued. I think it's a matter of feeling the cold water; to wake up enough and seek knowledge and understanding . Anyhow, it's all there, if anyone's interested.

Nick, you're right. It's a tactic, and it's a bad one, but no doubt one they're trying. Getting the light of their nature into the publics eye might help; unfortunately conflict causes people to be swayed easily by emotionally charged rhetoric, which goes equally well for the US during the Iraq war. The bad elements always manage to point their finger "over there"..

Well, it's a mess. But to de-fuse the dynamite, that's the question now. Hamas definitely has a terrorist wing, which is most unfortunate. But when anyone feels slighted, disenfranchised either economically, physically, or by the loss of respect, that's a matter which can drive citizens to revenge and resentment, as well as disregard for another group. That's true of both sides in the conflict, and for that matter, any conflict; and carrying the weight of history as justification for this or that in the present is unfortunate as well. Obviously, Hamas can only remain in power if they remain popular, and they derive a certain amount of power from the disenchantment of the people of Gaza. When the PLO was seen as corrupt in the eyes of the public, and economics were not improving, like anywhere, people want change. Same here! Unfortunately, the change you get might not be the change you want or the change you need. It would seem wise to reimburse the Palestinian families for the land which was taken from them during the creation of the state of Israel, and return what can be returned. (Is this a good idea, or not?) These average citizens had little or nothing to do with the initial conflict, and their families lost their livelihoods in the process, from which they have yet to fully recover. (Or am I mistaken in this?) Making a clear, fair, impartial agreement on the Temple Mount, if this has not already been done. Respect between groups is always an issue, and when one group gains economically and another does not, there's bound to be on the one hand an attitude that one group holds superiority to another from those gains and therefore looks down at the other, and on the other hand the group which does not have the economic gains feels an indignity from the other, and a sense of unfairness in the economic exchange with the other group. Is this the case, or am I off the mark?? Raising the standard of living among Palestinians would go miles further than most other measures, and if one could tie this with honest brokers in Palestine, I think things would change. But it's also a matter of healing old and new wounds, and supporting moderate movements and those wanting secular democracies in the neighboring states, so less and less terrorists are created in the region. I'm just taking a guess at it all! So far, nobody seems to have an answer, or we'd not have a problem.. Love thy neighbor like thyself..

"Go on, take the money and run..":P

Baked Beans, Rice, & Tomato juice.

Well, then maybe Vegas is for you?? UNLV!!!:cool::scholar: Stay with your Aunt, and you're set! It's warm there, and lake MEAD is nearby. Some nice springs (where the place got it's name), and gee, it would be neat just to be there..:wacko: They have a monorail, fascinating entertainment, and it's close to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.. My cousin worked as a waitress in Vegas and she really liked it. She even landed a part as an extra in a movie once! But it's up to you. It's probably a bit expensive to live there, and the population is booming like never before.. The desert can get very hot and dry in summer (well over 35 C).. Not that muggy though - it's a dry heat..

Hey, we "oldies" never post useless crap!:laugh3: It's not like we're SPAMMERS or something?!:P SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAMITTY SPAM, SPAMITTY SPAM.. (one cannot help it - someone has to break the seriousness here..) Anyhow, I concur with Jack as well. But the mods should do more to instruct the new members in the fine art of jujitsu..

Satan: [Heb.<satan, enemy] Frodo: ..seems to me absolutes only lead to absolute problems. Why not let the marketplace of religion flourish, and let everyone make up their own minds as to what they believe? To encourage is one thing; to profess absolutes is another. I think we've past this stage in the 1600's. Anyhow, I need to go read some Descartes.

Hola Cassandra! Welcome to Coldplaying:hat::hat::hat::joker::sunny:

Jay, somehow the Hitler Youth were brought down from the cliff after the war, so I have to think it could be done. After all, I recall the story of one young suicide bomber, who spent his youth being "programmed" to blow up a crowd, but after seeing all the friendly people and realizing how awful a thing that would be to do, he on his own decided against it. So, I have to have hope... Take away the older influences and given time, I think it can be overcome. Yes, sad to say it, but unfortunately there is still racism, even here. But it is handed down from generation to generation; it's senseless, and usually ends when there's reconciliation and integration (dare it be said?). True, both an economy and a new enlightened leader would make a world of difference; someone with better ideals and goals, and the steady improvement that builds hope and creates jobs. Maybe that would help as well - to change young minds, it simply takes a cartoon; and if the logic is true to form, it's hard then for the haters to teach hate.. What seems to be the matter as well though is the need for more secular government; Madison's "marketplace of religion" makes sense, and due respect for all faiths there. Clinton had one key ingredient in tying in the idea of sharing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in his effort to bring both sides together. Arafat, unfortunately, lived for the revolutionary excitement, and couldn't end his own love affair with "feeling under siege and surviving".

If jumping genes jump, then can one species be related to another without mating?? When DNA moves across lines not normally crossed, it leads on to wonder.. I always found it fascinating how niches are followed in isolated regions of the globe. How the marsupials could have evolved and a Tasmanian Tiger resulted, which is remarkably unrelated to the big cats of Africa and Asia.

Welcome Don to Coldplaying!! Are you from Providence, Cranston or Warwickshire?

Bump!:)