Watermonkey

I did a quick search on the subject matter at hand and found what I believe to be the crux of the argument:

Nutritionist Rosemary Stanton says a vegetarian diet can't enhance intelligence in itself, especially if people forgo the brain-building qualities of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.
But like Kennett, she says people with high IQs are likely to be thinkers.

"And thinkers are probably going to realize the ethical and health related benefits of not eating meat,'' she says.

The whole article can be found here: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/nocookies I don't know if that's exactly what you were looking for...

Before getting all up in arms, I wish people would actually read. It states clearly that being a vegetarian doesn't make you smarter, is says that being smarter leads people more frequently to become vegetarians for ethical and health related reasons. Thinking people live their lives more carefully and are more likely to care for the environment and want to cause less pain and suffering to other creatures they share the planet with. So next time you've got a bead on your next year's supply of meat, make sure you're a good enough shot to kill the beast instantly, causing the least amount of pain possible. I'm serious when I say that. The unthinking person is more likely to go to the store and buy dyed, factory farmed, drugged up, tortured, unhealthy hamburger then go out with a hunting party once a year and actually work for it. There are many people in between like myself who make more careful choices when purchasing meat. I've gone to buffalo burger at Safeway and I'm on the hunt for a source of wild game meat now too. I know of a couple sources, but they're quite a ways away. It'd be worth the drive, though. My favorite is Elk, but I bet Moose is tasty too...

I'm just wondering how long before Boozker posts some more and goes past his current post count of 666...

From the Associated Press:

Quote

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Iranian naval vessels on Friday seized 15 British sailors and marines who had boarded a merchant ship in Iraqi waters of the Persian Gulf, British and U.S. officials said. Britain immediately protested the detentions, which come at a time of high tension between the West and Iran.

It's going to take an event like this one to spark off the giant keg called WWIII-Part II. Of course Part I was the invasion then occupation of Iraq and the incredible destruction the West powers and their allies have caused with all the Depleted Uranium that has a 4.46 billion year half life. But this is minor compared with what we can expect to see in Part II. Nuclear reactors and Uranium enriching facilities in Iran will, no doubt, be major targets and when they're hit, massive radiation will likely be injected in to the air stream just as though a full nuke had been detonated above ground. But let's not stop there, Once a shooting war with possible real nukes starts in the middle east, you can bank on someone lobbing a nuke toward Israel with a response in kind, likely Syria will be brought along in the mix and China and Russia may get involved too. Or China will see the opportunity to take Taiwan Island with the giant distraction in the Middle East and all of America's War Machine resources dedicated there. Being in a real war will allow the Nazis' Fourth Reich running Amerika to finally engage their Utopian dream of Martial Law and all those prisons they've been building for years will finally be put to use. With Amerika's National Guard busy fighting Iranians and pretty much everyone on the planet, and many of the states having restricted and demonized gun ownership, the country will be ripe for the taking; an invasion from China could occur from Mexico and/or Alaska/British Columbia. Most people agree, though, the invasion would be stopped dead in its tracks when it came up to the Rocky Mountain foothills.

 

We can discuss it while it happens, or post other things you think will happen in the very near future, perhaps relating to your country if you're not in North Amerika...

...or if you are in North Amerika. Either way...

I'm sure your idea isn't original boozker. Not that I'm saying you stole it, it's a good idea and all, but for not too much, a person could install a cheap knock-off of what you're describing... http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

Sorry man...

I didn't know ancient organic material is the "Earth's blood". In that case, "Earth's blood" is using "Earth's blood" to drive its cars.

Man-made Earthquakes? Did I fall asleep and miss something, here? I didn't know we could CAUSE earthquakes, but they were continental shifting. I could be wrong, though!

That's a theory. Another theory is that oil is strictly mineral and is generated deep within the earth's mantle. It's speculated that the lubricity of oil allows the tectonic plates to shift slowely and not so violently but when it's extracted from deep wells that causes friction to build resulting in harsher earthquakes. It's still all a matter of speculation and theory though at this point.

Earth is a pretty resiliant planet. It's been through a lot more than we humans who are far smaller than it could ever dole out. If worse comes to worst, all that will probably happen is another planet-wide mass extinction and things will be given a clean slate to start the evolutionary process all over again. Man kind is a very special thing, however. Our advances in science have been arriving from baby steps to giant leaps. Discoveries that are considered break-throughs happen every other day. We will be able to survive a planet-wide extinction, since it's very likely that man kind will make it to space before some cataclymic event decides to make itself evident.

Cross your fingers!

Son: Dad? What's the difference between theory and reality?

Dad: Hmmn, tough question. Go ask your mom if she'd sleep with <insert male celebrity here> for a million dollars.

(after a while)

Son: Mom said, "Oh, I know it's cheating but I suppose the money couldn't hurt."

Dad: Now, ask your sister the same thing.

(after a while)

Son: Sis said she'd do it too.

Dad: See here, in theory, we're sitting on top of two million dollars. In reality, we're just living with a pair of whores

Oh MAN!!! Now I've got to find another funny joke to tell at parties! Sheesh! I didn't realize it was so widespread!

 

Oh, and the list is one of the most retarded ideas I've heard in a long time. Anyone who participates in such a thing may as well just hang it up and live single for the rest of his/her life because no relationship is gonna withstand that for long.

From Reuters,

AHMEDABAD, India - Poachers have killed three Asiatic lions in the rare animal's only natural habitat in the world, prompting security to be tightened in the sanctuary.
Claws, skulls and bones of the lions were missing when the carcasses were found, Pradeep Khanna, chief wildlife warden at Gir wildlife sanctuary in the western state of Gujarat, told Reuters on Monday.

"It is shocking, and a clear case of poaching," Khanna said.

The number of lions in Gir, where the lions are protected and bred in natural conditions, had risen to 359 in 2005 from 327 four years ago, a government census showed.

Conservationists and wildlife experts say about 10 lions have died in the last year, mainly from drowning and poaching.

India is already struggling to save its endangered tigers, as people invade their habitat and poachers kill them for body parts that fetch huge sums on the international black market.

I'm personally disturbed that there's a black market for "claws, skulls, and bones" from this magnificant animal and I hope the government there beefs up law enforcement to protect them from the most effecient, destructive, and dis-honerable of all preditors: Humans. How does this news and other reports just like it from other Asian countries like Thailand, other SE Asian countries, even Siberia, effect the planet as a whole, and how does it make you feel individually?

Additionally, using a "panel" form of insulation in the construction has advantages, too. Less thermal bridging and therefore, more effective insulating qualities. The weak spot in most roof systems is the lumber material bridging between the warm and cold spots. Panels reduce the bridging of the tmperature zones. if you ever see a roof with "frost lines" in spring and fall seasons, that house has serious "thermal bridging" happening.

Well that describes our house. I'll remember that bit about the panels. Now that's good information. I just wish all replies were so informative...
Sadly, I'm seeing nothing but absolutely insane asking prices for land around here and in the county to the east. I don't know how we'll be able to afford to build a shed let alone a project on this scale if we spend all our money on the land. I don't get why people suddenly think their land is worth so much...

I've gotten a preliminary estimate on the cost of the building and after all is said and done including landscaping and road work, I can expect this one building to cost upwards of $400k USD. I hate to think of how much the actual residence would cost to build when the time comes...

Hmm, I've been getting a lot of comments telling me to 'toe the line' on this thread. Please note that I'm not trying to 'trivialize' this topic.

This sort of talk verges on the the insulting. Just remember, what may be dangerous to you need not be dangerous to me. Please note that. The world is not one-dimensional, and neither are human beings. We each have our talents, and learning to communicate with animals is one of mine. Did you know that wild birds come when I call?? They do. And speaking of cats, did you know that most wild cats have a complex language of facial gestures that they actually use to communicate, and that a human can use this language to communicate with them? Simply put, in 'civilized' societies people learn different skills from those who live in closer contact with the wild.

 

It ADDS to this discussion, not subtracts from it, that you're getting the benefit of a very different point of view.

 

I'd also just like to point out that this is an international forum, and just because certain rules apply in America, they don't hold true everywhere. For example, wild dogs roaming the countryside do not pose a problem where we are, as natural predators keep their population down.

 

If packs of dogs revert to 'wolf like' behavior to survive in 'backward' nations (as you put it) such as mine, that is freedom, not suffering. They eat quite as well that way than when fed by the oft-degrading hand of man. And I'm talking about a mountain region where sources of food for these hunting packs exists. I hardly call this maltreatment. So this isn't maltreating a dog, it's giving it the ultimate freedom, the freedom to live and die free. NOTE that I'm only talking about how wild dogs exist in my particular geographical region, not elsewhere. And if 30,000 dogs are 'put down' in american 'shelters' every year, don't look at me, I'm hardly responsible for the practices of 'civilized' societies.

See, my point is this - just because it is impossible/dangerous for you to befriend a leopard, doesn't mean the same rule applies to me. Perhaps I have some levels of experience here that you don't, as I've spent quite a few years in their home jungles.

 

A leopard is still, technically a 'cat'. Just because you want to talk about house cats is no reason to 'shout me down'. By all means talk about house cats - am I stopping you? But to imply that I'm purposely trivializing the discussion is totally unnecessary and worse, untrue. I would have thought that it would be nice for you to get input from 'another kind of world' rather than to just keep this thread in the 'western' hemisphere. As I said, it ADDS to the discussion, instead of subtracting from it.

I created a special topic just for you to discuss your adventures with wild animals. It's under Science and Nature. Please post your comments regarding wild cats and such there. This topic is regarding the personalities of people who prefer either a domestic cat or dog.

My favorite car is whatever gets the best gas mileage. Right now, that appears to be engines that run on hydrogen, though good luck getting information on this in the mainstream media. Cars that run on water are not good business for the oil industry. And as a result, they are not made available to the public. In lieu of a water fueled car, I'll take function over fluff, and safety over aesthetics. So far, the humble late 80's/early 90's Toyota 4-runner seems to fit the bill. A Volkwagen Toureg would sure be nice, but who the heck wants to take out a mortgage and go into debt over a car?

Well, I have many "favorite" cars, but since my net worth is under $50M I'll mention a couple or three that are also "reasonable" as opposed to the Bugatti Veyron at an obscene price of $1.44M base (current pound to dollar conversion)! To quote the first paragraph in Wikipedia's entry:

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is currently the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive street-legal production car in the world, with a proven top speed of over 400 km/h (407.5 km/h or 253.2 mph).[1]It reached full production in September 2005. The car is built by Volkswagen AG subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS in its Molsheim (Alsace, France) factory and is sold under the legendary French Bugatti marque. It is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti firm. It is also the world's second supercar with 16 cylinders, after the Cizeta Moroder V16T.

Since you brought it up, the VW Touareg is on the top of the list. Sadly, the diesel variation that will begin to be imported in '08 or '09 with a 6 cylinder motor and awesome (for a 5500 pound AWD vehicle) efficiency that should be rated around 28 MPG City and 35 MPG Highway I think, will cost around $50k... But, boy is it a sweety!

 

Next in line would be the VW Touareg with the 10 cylinder diesel motor that gets and admirable 25 MPG overall and is extremely powerful. I love to feel those "G's" pushing my head into the cushion when my foot gets on it. Something about pure torque that really makes my day. Gives you that feeling.. like... victory. Unfortunately, "victory" comes at a steep price: $70k+

 

Next would be pretty much anything Audi, especially the R8. Of course I'd rather have a diesel for the economy and torque, but this will do: a V-10 engine based on the same power plant used in the Lamborghini Gallardo. Forget about gas mileage on this one, and I think it's safe to say it's priced well over $100k... I can dream too, right?

 

...Right???

So I get some audio engineering related email since that's what I went to school for (Shoreline Community College, AA/AS 1993) and I ran across this the other day: http://www.purepoweraps.com/

Anomalies like noise, clipped sine waves, and surges are the leading cause of lower life expectancy in electronics of all sorts, high end and Kmart level. Obviously, if you buy all your home electronics from Wallyworld or Kame-a-part, you've got issues that supersede power conditioning, so we won't even go there. For others who might actually buy high-end components or actually have an expensive theater and/or recording studio in their homes (or elsewhere), power conditioning is one of the most important ways of making that sound quality reach its full potential. I'd love to know how a $10M studio cleans its electricity, other than good old fashion AC to DC (rectifiers) with battery backup, back to AC again through HUGE inverters. I bet it'd be nothing to spend $100k on power conditioning alone in a setup like that. I've heard of people taking a drop off the utility, bringing it in to the door, and injecting a transformer right there, before the electricity enters the studio's wiring. They must've done more though because it wouldn't accomplish much except to provide newly transformed voltage to them; they'd still be vulnerable to brownouts, frequency fluctuations, and surges.

The wiring is something to pay attention to also. Copper wire can easily, if not shielded properly, provide just the right pathway to accommodate Radio Frequency interference and without the proper grounding, that interference can carry all the way to the speakers or your recording. (If you're recording, you really need to isolate those mics, by the way. A mic stand can pick up low frequency vibration from air traffic or ground traffic. There are cheaper ways, but Bad Animals studios in Seattle WA actually has several feet of concrete isolating the studio from the walls and the slab the studio sits on is floating on top of a layer of oil which sits sealed upon another slab of concrete. However you do it, that's definitely one way to shield your recording from low frequency interference.) Now the wiring should avoid parallel runs for much distance and it should all consist of top-of-the line heavy gauge construction. Having just one master ground is key because then, you're just working from one reference to drain all the interference to instead of two potentially competing grounds whose voltages may differ, even slightly. In a house, I recommend a copper water pipe that you know to go to the outside world. If you're not sure about its grounding, you can measure its voltage in relation to a known ground. You should detect absolutely no voltage with a good Fluke volt/ohm meter that is sensitive down to .00 volts. To really fully, and obsessively shield your studio, room, or house from RF interference, build it all underground and encase a copper cage around all six walls like a chain link fence and drain the ground to just one point along with all the electrical grounds. If your middle initials aren't N.S.A., you probably can't afford that, so you'll have to expect some amount of interference depending upon your budget, but using a AC/DC/AC method, such as the solution I've linked at the beginning of this article is probably the most cost-effective means of beginning this process.

One way to determine if your sound system is on a clean power supply is (and this works best with self-amplified speakers such as Mackie HR824 professional studio monitors) to simply turn all the electronics on and listen to the speaker. If you turn the volume up to about half and with your ear next to the speaker you don't hear any static, white noise, 60Hz ground loop, or anything at all, you've done a tremendous job of "cleaning" your power and ground system! Congratulations. Questions? I'll try and answer as many as I can.

I laughed till my face and gut hurt after watching that movie, Grizzly Man. What a moroon! It was especially hysterical when he bragged about not having a firearm with him, "because I know these bears won't hurt me." HA! That's good stuff right there. Sadly he had his girlfriend sold on his stupidity too and she was killed shortly after whacking the bear (in the beginning of enjoying his tasty little snack -the Grizzly Man), on the head with a frying pan. I have no idea how they knew which bear did it, but not long after, a team of professional hunters or Park Rangers (if memory serves) came to the island and shot the bear (Ironic since The Grizzly Man was there to "protect" the bears and their habitat!) and they found the bodies partially digested. Must've been one big bear! I think the Kodiak variety of Grizzly is the second largest carnivore in the world, next to the polar bear. I wouldn't be caught within ten miles of one without at least a .45-70 rifle locked and loaded. The game guides on a neighboring island all laughed and thought he was mad, but he did make it for four years, so they weren't laughing when he finally met his demise. Thing is, he may have been right except for the fact that the bears he befriended weren't around when he was attacked. The bear that attacked him was from another area and was only there for a short while so he didn't know the dude and lady. He only knew them to be an especially rare and tasty treat. Last one he'd eat, as it turned out.

We've got a neighbor who told me he was out in his trailer doing some work or something one summer afternoon. He said he walked out of the door and saw the strangest, most unexpected thing. He couldn't identify it at first but when he did, he walked very quietly and quickly away from the trailer. On the roof of the trailer was a mountain lion taking a nap! The lion's tail was hanging over the edge of the roof and, while he was tempted, the guy wisely refrained from reaching up and playfully grabbing it. Had he done that, it would've ended with a hospital visit or worse. On the other hand, he said something to a neighbor about the incident and, sure enough, within an hour word got around that a mountain lion was spotted and another neighbor showed up, shotgun in hand, looking for "that damn cougar", ready to kill it. He was told to leave immediately. People, even locals who live with nature, seem to have an unnatural fear of big cats and other wild animals who might consider humans, especially adolescent humans, on their menu. My dad has an innate fear of wolves and hates eagles because they kill fawns. I told him the deer are so think here I'd welcome wolves and anything else that has them on their menus. At least that way the predators are well fed and I'm less likely to meet one of those stupid animals crossing the road right in front of me while I'm driving (I totaled a car that way once when I was much younger). While you should always maintain a healthy respect for big cats and wild animals in general, I do believe they want nothing to do with that stinky, slow, loud, dangerous animal called human and when they cross paths, they tend to not attack unless you've accidentally crossed between them and their young ones. That can spell your death, even if you back away and try to apologize profusely... Most humans they've encountered were either hunting them or hunting one of their siblings so they not only fear all humans, they hate them as much as that emotion can be attributed to a wild animal. Big cats aren't stupid, they're survivalists, but more importantly they're BIG! One swipe with that big 'ole paw has the potential not only to knock a person ten feet, but also could kill that person with its claws.

Basically, I'm saying that advising someone to go out and "get to know" or "tame" or "befriend" a wild animal such as a Big Cat is dispensing irresponsible and reckless advise and anyone doing should follow their own advise so we can read his "statistic" in the paper later too. You're a sure candidate for the Darwin Awards if you do something as stupid as that.

You gotta drink milk, does'nt matter if its from cows, goats,sheep or humans, the stuff's good for you.You drink enough for what your body needs, do not listen to all the know alls & do gooders they only tell you rubbish to make money.
Civilizations & nations survived on milk 'cause there was always plenty of animals around.
Use your commen sense.

One thing I haven't seen here, speaking of common sense, is we're not really talking about the same milk that has been consumed by people in history. Pasteurization is a relatively recent phenomena and heating the milk (and juice, and everything else that undergoes this process) not only kills harmful bacteria, it kills beneficial bacteria and enzymes. The only cheese I eat is made from RAW milk that is sourced from cows that haven't been treated with rBst or antibiotics. That way I'm eating a living vital food that nourishes me. It is not a good source of calcium; if you want a good source of calcium go eat your green veggies like broccoli. The growth hormones injected into cows to make them produce more milk has several impacts: First, the udder was only "designed" to accommodate a given amount of milk production and flow per day. When this virtual milk-making machine produces more milk then the teats were designed to handle, they become sore and soon puss will begin to leak into the milk. So when you drink that glass of 2%, just remember you're also ingesting a little bit of udder puss too. A further consequence of growth hormone is earlier onset of puberty in children. While this may not seem like a bad thing to you, there are many health risks to a human body that begins to mature before nature intended including reproductive health issues. Also, rBst has been shown to be a potential cause of breast tumors and obesity in children and adults alike.

Bottom line is if you're consuming anything that's been pasteurized, even if it's rBst-free or organic, you're still eating dead food so you're not going to gain much if any benefit from it. Pasteurized fruit juice is just sugar water. Maybe not so bad as soda pop, but not much better either. Pasteurized milk is, as Thorned Rose posted several times, actually harmful to you. A possible healthier alternative, if you can get it, might be raw goats milk or sheep milk. But, really, humans were only meant to drink human milk for the first few years of life. I hear coconut milk is healthy...

For those of you who hold on to your precious milk insisting it's not bad for you, consequence isn't a concern for you, but the consequences will catch up with you some day regardless. I only wish my mom had been informed of these things when I was growing up. Maybe today I wouldn't have asthma and a tendency to gain weight. Did you know that Elmer's Glue is made from milk? Mmmmmm..... glue....

Uhh...smoking is an addiction. A smoker's body craves a cigarette the same way that it craves water.

 

So...just don't drink water for the next, oh, week. Just don't do it anymore. I'm 100 percent serious.

Uh, so you're saying if you just stop smoking you'll die? If you stop drinking water for a week you'd probably die or at the very least become too weak to stand. Are you trying to tell us the same would happen if you stopped smoking? Well, I don't know what you're smoking, but that doesn't happen with me. Occasionally I'll stop smoking completely for a month or so just to let my lungs recover and to detoxify. I have absolutely no withdrawal symptoms. None. Neither mental nor physical. Nor did I when I quite smoking the Camels. So I really don't get where you're coming from with that "body craves a cigarette the same way it craves water" crap... Perhaps you could elaborate...

Hmm, considering that my 'ambition' in life, if it can be called such, is to have a cold, stone walled castle on a mountain, with a view over several ranges, and leopards (wildest and fiercest and stealthiest of all cats) as pets, so I'd say I'd like cats.

 

The average cat is nice, but it's become too tame under the influence of humans over thousands of years. I've made the acquaintance of leopards in my time in the jungle and find them a beautiful, intelligent and independent species, and one that it would be fascinating to make friends with.

Besides, a leopards fur is like strands of bronze and gold (truly) and it's gaze is like the sphinx.

Many people consider 'wild animals' too wild to befriend. However, I have found that these creatures are less insensible to kindness than some humans. Kindness, patience and gentleness can win the friendship of the wildest creature of the wild.

 

Oh, as for dogs, they're a leopard's favorite food, so I'm afraid that keeping both leopards and dogs is rather difficult, so I'll go with the superior being.

Ok, just to be crystal clear here, we're talking about cats, specifically felis catus, not its wild cousin, felis panthera. Also, we're talking about Canis lupus familiaris or the domestic dog, not its wild brother the grey wolf -Canis Lupis. There are many variations of cats and dogs with regard to domesticity you could get a little poodle, for instance, which is about as needy a dog as you could find, or you could get a rottie which can take to a feral pack with little encouragement. Same goes for cats. There is the infinitely domestic Persian long-hair, and there is my little black monster who was bred from "barn cat" stock and would probably be able to adapt to the wild quite well. Feral cats and dogs are not "wild" per se, they're just not affiliated with any human clan and so they're independent. These cats and dogs, though, can be brought into a human society and, while they'll probably always be somewhat feral, they can become a part of a human family. Left to their own devices, these roaming packs of feral domesticated cats and dogs will roam the countryside spreading contagious diseases and cause all sorts of problems. The subject is not trivial and shouldn't be downplayed as it's a serious problem all around the world. I read, in researching this post, that animal shelters in the U.S. alone destroy more than 30,000 cats and dogs each year.

 

I'm obviously a cat person, for several reasons. First, since they often sleep 16 hours of the day, they're really low maintenance. This appeals to me on the same level as children. I don't like most children because they require too much maintenance. Cats are independent and, in the summer at least, they can be self reliant too. They do a good job of keeping the rodent population in check and they're watchful and protective too. Neither of the breeds we've got (Russian Blue and American shorthair) are terribly good at personal protection, but there are breeds out there that could rival the smartest German Sheppard. One such breed is the new Pixie Bob. It's bred from barn cat stock from the foothills of the Cascades in Washington State, US. This breed reaches a weight of 16 to 28 pounds (7-13kg) and has superior intelligence to that of most cats. The Pixie Bob can easily be taught to fetch sticks and things and to walk on a leash. It can be trained to be a "companion animal" qualifying it to be exempt from anti-pet rules in restaurants and grocery stores just like seeing-eye dogs! A very cool pet, the Pixie Bob and several other "wild-like" breeds have traits that make them much like wild cats without actually being wild. If you really feel like most domestic cats are "too domestic", there are alternatives other than going in to the jungle and trying to befriend a beast that would just as soon eat you for lunch as look at you. Wild cats, while playful at times, are always unpredictable and should never ever ever be approached in their territory. Unless you're suicidal that is, then, by all means, approach!

That's completely awesome and amazing. I wonder if they're going to release that chipset on the 27th? I believe it's pretty much accepted that's the date they're going to release Leopard and Adobe CS3, and possibly a new laptop or at least the Santa Rosa motherboard for the portables or at least the iMac line. What Apple are you using now? I'm on the newest 17" MacBook Pro, stock configuration. It's quite nice, but I'm unimpressed by the display which flickers occasionally. It's a desktop replacement, though, so I like the independence and power all in one package. You have to really watch your settings on the battery if you want it to run for long during a power outage as I found out the other day. I think it shuts down one of the cores and probably scales back the other when you've selected the correct settings. Probably would last twice as long as it did without me setting it right! I noticed that the fans weren't audible one battery and the core temps didn't increase, so I think they were scaled way back. Anyway, regarding the work station, maybe after they release the 8-core, the price for the Quad will fall a bit. I'd love to own that amazing piece of technology, but I can't possibly afford something like that at this point, partially because I'd have to buy a monitor (23") too.

I have this tree in our garden that was blown down in a storm, and we pushed it upright again (just put our backs to it, as there are no winches, etc. available in the Himalayas) and then we piled a lot of heavy stones around the base of it so it wouldn't fall down again. Anyway, the tree survived and it's putting out the most beautiful pink blossoms, it feels good to look at it. Reward enough, I would say.

Litemage: I'm happy you saved a tree from certain death and I'm glad you appreciate its blossoms, but I fail to see what that has to do with the discussion at hand. Please try and remain on topic and refrain from trivializing perfectly good discussion. Thank you.

Cooking appeals to the creative, scientific (chemistry) side of the brain. I not only cook, I bake bread, brew melomel (mead with huckleberries or blueberries), and I brew beer. It's most satisfying when the work is done, but it can be a bit tedious too. I can spend all day on a brew and several hours more between the initial brewing and the bottling. Bread is not so bad, just start out with a decent recipe and start experimenting until you've got your loaf. I use a bread machine personally. Makes a consistent loaf every time.

I'm pretty sick of your ignorant generalizations. First atheists, now muslims. Give me a break. People like you are causing racism in American.

You know what I'm sick and tired of? People like you who use any topic they disagree with and pull the old "racism" card out of their behind. What the hell does religion have to do with race??? Please answer me that simple question. There's plenty here to criticize without throwing race into the mix. How about just plain ignorance?

 

I haven't heard a peep yet about the 7/7 or 9/11 attacks and the fact there's about three feet of good hard evidence both attacks were carried out by England and the US governments against their own people. There's an overwhelming amount of evidence that, as is the usual case in history, someone's terrorizing a population then blaming it on another group. Why can't people see what's going on? It's so crystal clear, I honestly don't know how people can miss it. The London Bombings were particularly obvious in their blatant fumblings. They barely managed to pull that one off, but it appears they fooled at least one person, Electric Ink. Open your eyes, people. Christians and Muslims have been at each other's throats for a very very long time, but we'd all pretty much forget about it sooner or later if the instigators would just let us. But that wouldn't serve their interests. They have to keep us enslaved and in order to do that, we've got to be fighting each other so we don't look at them and see the real enemy.

 

Will you all wake up when the Instigation to go kill Iranians is perpetuated? Or will you buy the Party Line on that one too?

 

Will you wake up when the Canada/US/Mexico borders disappear and your countries do too? The North American Union is all but a done deal people. Forget your heritage, your currency, your culture. Forget your national anthem, forget your Country Motto, In God We Trust. It'll all be a memory soon. Will you wake up then? Or will it be too late...

 

(Play Evanescence -Wake Me Up Inside while reading this post)

I called the company because I wanted a free "sample carton" of cigarettes now that my state allows such things to be delivered in the mail and now they don't give away samples. Instead the lady put together a "care package" for me and shipped it out and also sent me two $10 coupons good for anything they make. In the "care package", was a black hemp cap to keep my head warm in the cool times -something I'm definitely going to put to good use made from one of my favorite materials! A Zippo lighter with the company logo on it was also included along with a package of authentic dried New Mexico salsa mix! Altogether, probably about $50-60 value! Not bad for just asking nice! Anyway, I can't recommend this company enough. If you smoke, or even if you just want some sage or something, call them and order a catalog. You'll be pleasantly surprised I think.

Relax, take it easy. I hate to sound like some kind of religious nut, mainly because I'm really not, but in this case, I'm going to delve into the bible for a second. I don't know the book or verse, but in there, I'm quite sure it says, "Moderation in all things." I couldn't agree more. Here's my advise, and it comes from experience so I'm not just pulling this out of my anal orifice: First, buy only American Spirits or another equally high quality natural cigarette. It's all those added chemicals that'll kill ya quicker than you can say Chemotherapy! Next, stop smoking so much! Take it down to where you're only smoking two or three smokes a day. No one's going to die from smoking two or three (natural) cigarettes a day. There. You're happy, Sante Fe Natural Tobacco Company is happy, and best of all, you get to keep on smoking. It also helps to buy them on-line from a res in New Mexico. No tax that way.BTW, I only smoke one or two Natural American Spirit Medium cigarettes a day. Slow down, relax. These cigarettes are so loaded with tobacco they'll take ten to fifteen minutes to smoke and WOW! what a rush of nicotine!Moderation...Moderation...Moderation...Moderation...Moderation...Moderation...

In the days of the Roman Caesars, the "games" were used to occupy the masses so they wouldn't notice when those who were elected to govern them were taking their rights and freedoms away. One day, the Romans awoke to see their empire aflame and in ruins.

 

Throughout history, a few people have used such distraction to blind the masses while they robbed them blind, then executed them en masse. Nothing has changed.

 

The masses and, obviously, you have been distracted with "games" and most of you haven't even noticed that the attack on our country on 9.11.01 wasn't from without, it was from within and your government was at the very least complacent if not actually an accomplice to the crime of killing many of NYC's firemen and several thousand civilians, including one secret service agent in building 7, which was admitted to be a controlled demolition by the owner, Silverstien.

 

But, never mind all that, as long as your precious Patriots (interesting name) win the bowl or the Seahawks make it to the playoffs, all is right with the world. Move along now, nothing to see here...

Greetings, all.
I was wondering if there is anyone in the community who is practicing, or is considering practicing the Japanese martial art of Aikido. If so, is there anyone who would like to share the techniques involved in it?

From what I know, Aikido, unlike the other martial arts, is more about channeling your opponent's energy against him/herself, rather than relying on a full-out attack style (punching and kicking), like karate or judo. There's also an interesting philosophy behind it, as well documented by the great teacher Morihei Ueshiba.

So...from here, let's talk about how your experiences practicing Aikido.

I've taken Aikido several times through the years and once achieved a third degree white belt. (The belts go from 1st to 9th white, then from 1-9 black) My original Dojo was in Kalispell, Montana, and my Sunse (you'll have to correct my spelling for me if you don't mind) was Walter VanKrennin(sp?) who was in his 60's then, about 25 years ago. I don't remember the name of my sunse at the University of Washington, but I took classes there too. Aikido, in it's pure form as taught by Morihei Ueshiba, is totally self-defense and you couldn't start a fight using it. The idea is you extend your opponent's attack energy through the space you occupied when the attack first began thereby throwing him off balance and to the ground. The training includes wooden swords (I don't remember the Japanese term) and staff weapons which simply act as extensions of your arms. Falling is practiced routinely regardless of "rank" and is one of the most important things you'll learn and know from the art. I really enjoyed my time in Aikido and my sunse in Montana, by the way, was a student of the master himself, Mr. Ueshiba. He never went past 7th or 8th (don't recall) degree black because of internal politics. There were (are) factions that changed the form to include attacks so they could compete and he didn't agree they should take the art in that direction. I have to agree with him; there are plenty of other martial arts that have an attack, Aikido should remain for self-defense only. Thank you very much for this great topic! Five stars for you!

I don't suppose it matters to anyone that the United States is NOT a Democracy....

 

The United States is a Representative Republic and even at that level it's failing rapidly. It's also a hidden monarchy in that 37(or some very significant number) of the presidents and many other higher elected politicians (John kerry, W.J. Clinton, Richard Cheney, *Any* Bush, and too many more to list) have been relatives of various thrones, especially the British Throne. Do your own research if you don't believe me, it's well documented.

The more I think about it, the more I think the air intake temperature could be controlled or stabilized by integrating the intake into the geo-thermal system somehow, maybe by encorporating the air duct inside the water piping allowing it to be completely surrounded by water, but there would be corrosion and condensation to consider there too. I'm sure this design or idea isn't unique, but I can find nothing on it so far doing internet searches... Another thought I had was to just blow the air through underground water and pick it up again above the water line. That would be the most effective way to control the air temp, but it'd also result in air that was high in humidity, which would need to be removed at some point. Maybe I just need to go take some architect classes at the local community college...