PeteH

Sad day in the land of the free. I live in controlled environment of Europe, so I can still keep playing if it ever passes. Bad thing is that probably half of the fish will be gone and it's harder for me to make money playing poker.

I don't think animals have "sixth" sense in a way that's usually seen. I think they just used their highly developed senses (besides there are more senses in the animal kingdom than sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste) to sense something we won't sense ourself, but could sense with meters measuring the right thing we don't know yet. And latest studies have shown that different species are able to communicate with each other. It's possible that some animals sense the vibrations of the quake before it actually srikes hard, and then communicate it to the other animals that don't sense it yet. Or perhaps the birds had noticed that the abnormal waves are developing and informed other species. Animals (other than humans) are not as stupid most people seem to think. We are still in early phases of understanding animal behaviour. Maybe they actually understand that it's no good if only certain species survive. The catastrophy that kills some other species would affect to the whole ecosystem and also the species that might be the only one to know about the disaster before it happens. That's why it would be useful to inform other species.

Didn't you know that stupidity doesn't hurt? At least I don't feel any pain right now.

I've made several decisions about those. As a (brainwashed) child I thought christian god is reality. When I started to think on my own, I didn't believe in it anymore. Then I believed there's no god (was atheist). During that time I thought everything you listed was bullshit. It's common that teen punks think they know everything. Now I'm older (and wiser?) and I just have to accept the possibility that all/some of those you listed exists. I think it's highly unlikely, but not impossible. But you won't see me diving in the Loch Ness hoping to see Nessie. Instead I'll go to Red Sea and just look all the marvels that really are there (or at least my mind thinks they are).

Hmm, Ok, well while I admire you for sticking to your argument in the face of obvious provocation I've got to ask: Have you ever made up your mind about anything in your entire life? /reply] The provocation was obvious, but I'm not kidding about my agnostism. Like I already quoted Socrates: "I only know that I don't know anything" Of course I've made several decisions. An important decision was when I was 17 and officially separated from christian church. I like to gamble and have made several decisions based on probabilities (since you probably thought that all decicions should be based on facts) I also skydive because the reward is greater than the risk. Another example of risk management. There are many people who are quite willing to show you photographs of fairies. Has anyone ever shown you a photo of God? I've seen several photos of different gods and satan. These times anyone can make photographic "evidence" about anything. I've also seen a document about the non-fixed pictures of fairies that two little girls took. Photographs were not manipulated but the fairies were only drawn on paper. I think people took those real for years before the girls confessed.

This is a common argument, but I've always found it to be rather odd. Are you agnostic about ghosts? How about Santa Claus? Car key gnomes? Unicorns? I don't know about you, but I can't disprove any of these examples, but never the less, I don't believe in any of them. It seems silly to say I'm agnostic with regard to Santa because I can't prove he doesn't really exist. -Josh I just answered to fairies. Yes, I'm agnostic about everything. Lack of evidence doesn't prove something can't/won't exist. I only can say it's not likely, but I can't say it's impossible. At first it may sound silly that we can't prove anything (only mathematical problems can be proved as true or false) and therefore we don't KNOW anything. Everything (besides mathematical proven facts) is just speculation and probabilites. In reality there of course either is Santa Claus or there isn't, but reality is irrelevant as we don't have any tools to prove it. I think this is the wisest thing any human can say (and understand): "I only know that I don't know anything" -Socrates

Simple question that I hope you'll answer. Do you believe in Fairies? I haven't seen any evidence that fairies (mythological humanlike creatures with wings) exist or have existed. But I know that lack of evidence doesn't prove that there are no fairies. Because of the lack of evidence I think (or believe if you want to use that term) it's (lots) more likely that fairies don't exist than they exist.

I think cover songs should be different than the original. It doesn't make any sense just to do similar version than the original. Don't know what's my favourite, but here's few: Brutal Truth - Lord Of This World Entombed - Night Of The Vampire HIM - Wicked Game Obituary - Circle Of The Tyrants Sepultura - The Hunt Sepultura - Symptom Of The Universe Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus - Viimeinen päivä taivaan? (from Barathrum's Last Day In Heaven) Viikate - Rauta-airot (from Motörhead's Iron Horse) Zwan - The Number Of The Beast

Like Quade said, there's no evidence of the existence of god(s). There's also no evidence of the non-existence of god(s). It's impossible to prove any of those two possibilies. Mr. Skeptic would be non-believer. That philospher is a believer. Atheism is believing that god(s) doesn't exist. To me atheist and god-believer are both on the same level. Both may be brilliant people or morons, but on that one particular thing they lack some understanding or for some personal reason they put belief above knowledge. Realizing the lack of evidence should logically only lead to agnostism.

Evil only exists in our imagination. Concepts of good/evil are only opinions and they change in time.

> How do we stop all the corruption in this world? To stop all human corruption we'd have to exterminate every human being. Power corrupts and many people are corrupted before they have real power. Anyone who thinks his favourite government isn't as corrupted as [insert any group / individual you dislike] should open his/her eyes. There's lots of corruption in Finland, that's supposed to be the least corrupted nation on this planet.

That sanctuary person doesn't seem to know much. At least my first suspects would be local fishermen, especially those who have fishing nets close to the site.

For most people there's of course the cuteness factor, but some people are actually trying to protect certain species from manmade extinction. And I'm pretty sure rats will outlive humans on this planet, so there's no need to worry about their fate. The ecosystem is one of things you won't miss until it's gone. How many people know that the big fishes are reducing really fast. Or that the coral reefs are dying because of human actions. And what do pet cats eat after there's no fish?

Have you already forgotten steel tariffs? I believe it wasn't the EU who tried to protect European steel market from cheap American steel the more working Americans made. Do you have any idea how much US government supports farmers? Both EU and US support their farmers with huge amounts of money. Third world farmers suffer because of government supported western food dumped on the global market. And western people have to pay higher prices for food because of this. Most EU countries use more money on welfare for people than US, but don't forget welfare that US government gives to corporations. I don't know what it really means, but some economists think Finland is the most competitive country in the world. http://money.cnn.com/2004/10/13/news/international/competition.reut/ I guess we are doing something right in this socialistic country, where I only work for 37.5 hours a week and have 5 weeks vacation a year.

No. Christianity is the Religion of Peace. http://www.guardian.co.uk/bush/story/0,7369,465575,00.html

Like it or not, AK-47 is Russian made assault rifle. Copies made in other countries are not AK-47's. And they are not identical either. Every copied model for example doesn't use 7.62x39mm ammo. Even not all Russian made "Kalashnikovs" are AK-47's. They have made modernized versions in Russia too. Chicom Type 56 is an assault rifle

I thought at least you'd have your gun facts right. According to his testimony, we can't say John Kerry has an AK-47. What he does have is (most likely) Type 56, a Chinese made Kalashnikov copy. http://www.vietnam-war.info/weapons/chicom_type56_rifle.php

Our EARTH is more than billions of years old, bill. I think stars last a bit longer than planets like earth do. It's been calculated that our sun and earth are about 5 billion years old. It'll take about another 5 billion years till sun has burned all of it's fuel and that will eventually kill everything on earth.

It's worse than that - even 5000 years ago there wasn't much to see here on Earth. I think it's the opposite. We have more and more of manmade garbage, but less and less to see what I'd like to see. And with your nickname I thought you'd agree. For example coral reefs are dying really fast and it's mostly caused by pollution. Nothing to see in Egypt 5000 years ago? Well, there might have been the longest lasting civilization earth has seen. I'd like to visit them (as I like to see different cultures around the world today) 100000 million years ago there were dinosaurs walking the earth. Too boring to stop for couple of photographs?

Exactly. Think about what should happen to put yourself in situation where there would be no hope for better life and suicide would be the best option you had. Think about your (not all, but many people here) anger levels and would you just kill yourself (like the Kaiowas http://www.sdnp.org.gy/apa/suicides.htm ) or would you try to make someone pay for your sufferings?

If that's the case, then why don't Russians give Chechens their sovereignty?

First time I was drunk was when I was 11 or 12. At 14-15 I started to drink 1-2 times a month. Legal age in Finland is 18.

I did my first open mic set last spring. At first I sent some material for a club organizer, who liked it and wanted me to do a trial set (offstage) and then if I'll do ok, I'd do my set onstage the next club evening. When I went to the club, he said it's pointless to perform for a comedian. Just go onstage tonight. That made me really scared, 'cos I wasn't prepared for it, but still did it and had great time. Made some people laugh too. Will do some sets this year later (one confirmed, and other one almost sure) this year. There are some elements in comedy that can be taught, but not everyone will be able to do it. There are people who can write funny stuff, but won't be able to go on stage. And there are people who won't come up with any material, but they are great actors and perform a written script like it's their own improvising. I've always been very creative so it's quite easy (still it's very hard work to write a 15 minute set) for me to come up with material. Too bad that I'm very critic at myself, so most of the stuff I write I throw away or rewrite later, 'cos after few days they don't sound funny enough. What it takes to be funny? I think most important thing in sense of humour is the ability to laugh at yourself. And world would be a better place if everyone could do that.

The ending should be "do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law". It's taken from Aleister Crowley's The Book Of The Law and it's one of the most misused lines ever. . And he was one of the buggers who misused it. Crowley misapropriated it from earlier Wiccan and pagan texts to use it. He used it without the original qualifier, "Be it harm none". The phrase itself goes back before the Ordo Templis Orientis, and has been a staple of the Wiccan and pagan ways for longer. http://tim.maroney.org/CrowleyIntro/Do_What_Thou_Wilt.html "There is a relationship between the Law of Thelema and the Wiccan Rede, "an it harm none do as ye will", the moral rule of late 20th century Witchcraft in English-speaking countries. The exact relationships between the three different forms of the maxim remain controversial. The co-founders of the modern Witchcraft movement, Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente, were aware of and sympathetic to Crowley's version. They also referred to a separate literary version in the work of French erotic novelist Pierre Louys, probably derived independently from Rabelais" http://www.waningmoon.com/ethics/rede4.shtml "1534 Francois Rabelais' novel Gargantua "DO AS THOU WILT because men that are free, of gentle birth, well bred and at home in civilized company possess a natural instinct that inclines them to virtue and saves them from vice. This instinct they name their honor." (Crowley's Inspiration) 1901 Pierre Louÿs's The Adventures of King Pausole (English version in 1919) I. Do no wrong to thy neighbor. II. Observing this, do as thou pleasest. 1904 Crowley’s The Book of the Law "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." (Possible influence on Gardner and others familiar with O.T.O. or Crowley) 1946 Adriana Porter, who is said to have written the version of the Rede printed in 1975 in Green Egg, dies. 1952-1953 Doreen Valiente's The Rebirth of Witchcraft Doreen Valiente meets (1952) and is initiated (1953) by Gardner. (If Valiente did not write Rede, any sources could possibly predate this time.) 1956 Gerald Gardner’s The Meaning of Witchcraft "[Witches] are inclined to the morality of the legendary Good King Pausol, "Do what you like so long as you harm no one". (This is the first book on "modern" witchcraft to site the ethics of witchcraft.)" Couple more links. http://www.fact-index.com/w/wi/wiccan_rede.html http://www.meta-religion.com/Spiritualism/Wicca/is_wicca_really_a_religion.htm

To me it's hard to believe that inventing nuclear weapons and the ability to wipe out almost every living thing on this planet makes world any safer. But it might be just me.