chuck kottke

"Good night, Aunt Violet.".

first, the hyperintelligent mice running the computer (called Earth) must dissect your brain to determine the ultimate question to the answer of life, the universe, and Everything. :P And is this scale approved by the international board of weights and measures??:\

leap Bananas:laugh3:!!!:P says it all. One small leap for frog, one giant step for Ian!

Since I've not been to a concert yet, all I have is a good guess! It sounds fine, as long as you can handle the crowd, and have access to whatever facilities you need for your son. But maybe a comfortable set of earmuffs/earplugs would be advisable - things can get pretty loud, even just the crowd noise, for the sensitive hearing of a 4-year-old. Bring plenty of water, a cool hat, and you should be just fine!;) But hey, maybe seek better advice as well - I'm just guessing here! Oh, and welcome aboard the board!!;)

Post Toasties Welcome Aboard the Board! There was once an auto called the Essex made by Hudson, but that's from another era, and for another board! (although, in a peculiar twist, I own a workbench from the factory where they made the Essex.:)). Anyhow, great Avatar!:laugh3: Hope you like Clocks!

Since were after the truth here, it's likely the DNA double helix structure was actually discovered by Rosalyn, not by Francis Crick and James Watson. She had her ideas stolen by them, and the credit stolen as well, basically. Looking back at Darwin's work and discoveries, what we see is a time capsule of the best explanation science could offer at that time. I did take a look at Haldane's Dilemma, and what it seems to offer is a mathematical approach to showing that too narrow a selection process can lead to a lack of genetic diversity, and then an evolutionary dead-end, if the species confronts new challenges to it's fitness in a given environment. And this has certainly happened! Hence, extinctions outside of the usual cataclysmic events - not enough diversity to allow for traits when conditions change, and random mutation in complex multi-cellular organisms take a lot of individuals and time to yield viable offspring, let alone advantageous results when the selection pressure changes. So, a less narrow process of selection is often in play, as well as other components which we have begun to realize. There's more to see in every kernel, each time we look! Anyhow, in human relations there are processes afoot, but requiring more shared values and common efforts, as well as those of individuals, that lead us ahead as we progress in our understanding of the Universe. If that force be from God, or the natural process of the Universe, or one in the same, I'm content with the progress we're making, and the joy of discovery. Incidentally, to question our assumptions is good, as long as the questioning looks at the picture honestly to find the true errors, and is not just seeking a quick anecdote to discredit the basic logic behind the science. Much as Gregor Mendel's work was flawed because it was too simplistic, he had nonetheless discovered a basic scientific concept that generally hold true - akin to finding the mainspring in a clock, but not realizing what all else occurs to drive the hands and keep perfect time. Thus, hidden in the clockwork of the DNA, are gears waiting to turn, structure that affects outcome, and a multitude of features we had not previously realized were of any consequence. This is not to say that chance mutation does not play a crucial role in evolution; but it is not the only factor at work in providing solutions to survival when selection pressures change on an organism. When we think of higher vertebrates, we're actually looking at a complex colony of cells, interacting for the common survival and success of the colony, and containing bits of DNA tucked away in structures within each cell (mitochondrial DNA, Cytoplasmic DNA) from some ancient process that allowed one microbe to inhabit the other successfully. Yet developmental structures often suggest an evolutionary pathway, as we see stages of development where structures appear and disappear, such as gill slits, etc. in higher vertebrates. Anyhow, I'm always fascinated by fungi, because they still have the ability to exist as either single-celled bacteria, or as colonies (multi-cellular) organisms, and produce fruiting bodies called mushrooms! (morels are quite tasty with eggs, diced onion greens, chicken, and a dash of salt in the skillet).:)

An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire - Arundhati Roy. The Road or Night sounds interesting though! Q: If you were Jack, and you had just traded your families finest Grade A homogenized Gurnsey Cow for a bag of magic beans, when and where would you plant them??:jester:

Amen to that one, Justin!;)

Daylight is just Clocks after taking a few magic mushrooms!:P High Speed is uno numero when I think about underrated Coldplay songs..

<> Thanks for the compliment Mr. Saffire!:) I'm just taking my best guess - we all have an innate need to fill in the blanks, and it's my only way of rationalizing our reason for existing, other than to simply exist! I know not of Haldane's Dilemma - I will gladly search for more about it! I do think natural selection is a force in the process of shaping species within a given environment, but the watchmaker has a great deal hidden behind the exposed hands which we see. If Intelligent Design exists, to me at this point, it's only by very broad strokes of the brush that is the Universe. I have certain reservations about such theories, because of a human tendency we all have to ascribe actions in terms of human invention and our innate tendency to simplify and stick with what we know already. Even Einstein had this flaw - hence, as you well know, he couldn't deal with quantum mechanics very well because it defies intuition, and relies heavily on probability. So, to me, all the balls have been set in motion on the billiard table to do what they will, and perhaps the initial break was done by God, or perhaps the parts make the whole, and it's all God.. But I will search! Yes, randomness! It's always been a cipher to me as well! It works wonders, yet what really is it?? I think both Einstein and Heisenberg were correct, despite their disagreement.. Randomness must have a logical explanation in the equations of the universe, but obviously exists. Someone once said that a greater number of states (as in Entropy) drives the Universe, and this expanding number of possibilities keeps growing. Perhaps randomness is some expression of this - as possibilities grow, so do the equations defining their interactions, and the end result when all the colors are combined is white light, so to speak, composed of the full spectrum, and vast complex equations of interacting forces describing when each frequency spits off from the electron orbitals.. I'm babbling here, but maybe there is something to the concept? Perhaps nothing new - minds have churned over these ideas from time immemorial to the present I'm sure.. Anyhow, thanks for the quest!

Trouble is, the mice never say when the 120 seconds began, so be very, very careful!!:P

Well, I'm hoping so at least... but you do have a point - the power to go against a certain money base is very difficult to do ... I'm just hoping the market gamblers and the giant corps. have seen the risks that have been run, and are a little more wise this time around as well.. Plus, a lot of young professionals have put money behind Obama, and if they can keep up the pressure, he may turn out to do the US and the world some good for a change. We've run quite a few red lights with the last administration - and the passengers are looking for a safer ride this time round'.

You have 120 seconds to decide. After that, mechanical mice begin gnawing at the hardware in your computer, and they especially like to eat hard drives!!:P:chef::smart:

musings on the universe Well, perhaps this is true. But to me, we were given the cranial capacity we have to unravel the mysteries of the universe, using logical means, and creative thoughts to try and carve an honest path through the thicket of possibilities. Sometimes we hit upon a discovery that we think holds the key to unlock every door, and then we find that the truth is so much more detailed than we had imagined. We like to boil it down to one simple equation; the universe is composed of many, many "simple" equations, that together make for one extraordinary symphony! So, with DNA, it's not so simple, as we are now learning. Genes do occasionally move between separate species, often far removed, via vectors such as viruses. Occasionally, 'chance' mutations cause the viruses to stay put with their bits of moved DNA segments, and this changes some of the pre-conceived notions about evolutionary boundaries.. Natural selection still selects for the more fit, but the code can "jump" boundaries. There again, even natural selection is rarely so harsh, else many of the variations which could prove useful when conditions change would be lost in time. Also, I suspect segments of DNA are there to be activated when conditions do change - there's a lot of DNA that sits idle, and random mutations rarely produces a useful trait, so some things may be tucked away from an earlier evolutionary effort, so to speak, laying in wait for the right time to be turned on. Who holds the switch? What is randomness? Good questions to ask! I suspect the whole of the universe, or the multitude of universes, act as a giant gearwork, and if that's God, then so be it! All I know is that we have been given the skills and the opportunity to unravel the strands, and find the truth, however complex that may be. With each discovery, a new facet on the gem is seen, and shines a light within the human conscious of realizing our full potential for discovering truth. But to honor truth, above all else, is closest to Godliness. And perhaps Einstein was correct in saying that "God does not roll dice with the Universe". So, I have wondered myself about the meaning of "randomness" as a concept. It's useful, but perplexing. What really is it?? All the interacting equations, with chaotic tipping points on the edges of the dice, and a limited number of states/outcomes (sides of the dice), but with a very large number of simultaneous equations running, that begin to blend into that thing we term "randomness"? So, we are the very unlikely outcome of a huge number of events, each as unlikely as the next, and yet - here we are! So, yes, in that sense I do believe in a higher collective power, be it quite enormous to comprehend. To me, that is God. What brings us to a more civilized, more collective, and successfully motivated condition, and allows us to unravel further the mysteries - this appears to one of our highest callings. As Galileo saw it, God gave us brains to think, and eyes to see, as well as hearts to feel, and hands to work. All is important in the process of human success.;)

:laugh3:Oh! Well, thank goodness I age slowly then! There was some suggestion that the server had a sever smoke leak due to the increased traffic...;)

Perhaps you're right, but I defer to the money trail as an indicator of differences. After all, money talks! (er.. the people giving the money do the talking, and the official puts a stamp on the bills - the official seal;)).. So, Obama might be a little better in that department. Plus, this whole war idea in Iraq was a crazy neocon adventure, sold to the current batch by Wolfowitz and his mentor. As Ray McGovern said in all earnest to us, "the crazies are in charge now!" - and Ray spent quite a few years in the upper levels, so I trust his analysis on the current batch's mindset. Obama and his cabinet will not carry such disturbing baggage, but will have to extract us from the mess we're in. He's not just a better man, but a saner man! And besides, he's a University of Chicago Graduate, so all will be better!:P

This forum requires 120 years between posts. Please hold!:P Am I the only one getting this message ?:confused:

How about: Life, and all her Friends.:) :>

I know the old saying - "it doesn't matter who you vote for - the government always gets in!":laugh3: But there is definitely a difference. For starters, Obama actually had to EARN his degree. Bush was a legacy student, and the legacy he's leaving us is one helluva mess!! Not the usual pedigree, either. Most of the ruling families in recent years came from one street of row houses in Boston (the Kerry's, the Kennedy's, the Bushes, etc.) - Obama will break that, and crack the control that certain elites have had over the past few years. (Not that those elites all agree anyways, but this is a break from those dynastic families..)

:rolleyes::laugh3::laugh3::laugh3: Zoopera! I'm lovin' it!!:lol: Well, maybe now that U2's style has matured a bit..;)

:)

Welcome to the site, Austin!:thumbsup: Hey, Chicago qualifies as N. Illinois, and there's several members from thereabouts! Plus several hidden characters here and there..

To the contrary! Go to opensecrets.org, a non-partisan watchdog group dedicated to telling the truths of the money trail - there's a difference alright! And I think Obama might, just might, do the right things for the US and the world if we hold his feet to the fire, lest things backslide down the usual slippery slope of political convenience. He's got the will of much of the people, but to keep it, he will have to show some true character when in office. As for McCain - he's compromised himself beyond repair; I used to deeply respect his integrity, but he has backslid on reform issues and kisses up to the far right, when he should be standing up to those elements in his party..

Gotcha!:laugh3:

Also, if you want to send someone a "private message", just put the pointer on their name when you're reading through some postings, and click on it. It will give you the option of sending that person a private message - just that simple!;)