HAL9000

FECK! ARSE! DRINK! :)

Even if the technology has no other practical use, it would probably be useful for long-duration manned space missions. Manned missions to Mars, a large asteroid and a manned base on the Moon - all are in various stages of planning.

motorbird83 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ... I am not really trying to see if increased criminality is inherent in certain > races genetically as I don't believe it is (that's my personal conviction). ... With respect, no serious academic researcher using scientific methods would make such a statement. You have all but admitted to cherry picking data that supports your preconceived notions. Before the questions you ask can be answered accurately, the underlying genetic components of, for example, intelligence (which has a heritability of ±0.75 according to the prevailing scientific consensus) or criminality, etc., have to be quantified - a process that may or may not eliminate them from the equations on a sound scientific basis. Ignoring such factors on the basis of personal conviction is pseudoscience.

For the cat's sake, buy them a jar of vaseline?

FatherJack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > my husband ... OMG! Does that mean you are not really a local priest - or even a man? *crosses self*

I disagree, at least in respect of the UK, where everyone has access to education, health care and welfare benefits. We often see penniless, immigrants become multimillionaires through hard work and ambition. Actually, I know of a few illiterate, penniless, immigrants who have done very well for themselves. Other factors must be at play.

It would be interesting to hear your views on the work of Hans Eysenck and The Bell Curve? Edited because I pressed post instead of preview, doh!

I think it is plausible to read the reference to 'background' within the cited context as meaning someone with a black ancestry, which is how I interpreted it ? otherwise it would be open to your criticism.

I would say that most drivers quickly adapt to the size of the car they are driving. I do not think there is anything to be gained by constraining the learning process to a smaller then normal car. I cannot see the point of it? Not everyone can master the manual gearshift. I know several drivers (mostly women, as it happens) who could not pass the test on a manual but are now competent automatic drivers. In my view, the ability to drive a manual provides a little more versatility (if you can do it, go for it) but it is not really essential these days; the automatic has become ubiquitous.

@motorbird83 - Apologies if you have already done this: If I were asking such questions, I would probably look at comparable crime statistics in those countries where the ratio of blacks to whites are biased in the other direction. For example; South Africa and the countries of Central and West Africa. It might be a good idea to include some Caribbean islands like Jamaica, too, which may help to better model the black minorities within predominantly white populations. If one were to Google something like "Crime in Africa" or "Crime in the Caribbean" quite a lot of articles are found. This NationMaster regional index page provides access to country-by-country crime statistics, apparently. Surely, such a comparison would provide some insight into whether nature or nurture has the upper hand at various loci on the human spectrum?

I'm sorry, Frank. I think you missed it.

My 2.5-year old daughter developed similar night terrors about, of all things, Darth Vader - after watching Star Wars videos obsessively. Her fear vanished as soon as I bought her a small toy Darth Vader. My theory was that having a small version of the item enabled her to learn that it was harmless and completely under her control. I've no idea if my logic was right or wrong, but it seemed to work. Therefore, in the OP's case, buy him a small toy lion. Try to discover what real-world images correspond to the 'monsters' and 'men' and buy him small toys of them, too.

We're only speculating - I'm sure no supermarket chain would knowingly run an illegal checkout scam. They?re already making huge profits from downsizing products and repackaging them in bigger containers, offering deceptive ?specials? or bogus discounts and many other sleights of hand ? why would they bother with fraud? A rogue checkout programmer might chance it, though.

I grew up in Central London. I remember a trolley bus route that ran along Pentonville Road, which has a gradient similar to that of DKH, but it drew power from overhead cables via spring-loaded poles. Nostalgic Photo Collection

After a little more thought on the practicalities of a checkout scam, it is apparent that a better version could be perpetrated simply by adding X pence to the price of an item actually purchased. This version of the scam would probably be much harder to detect, as there's no missing rogue item. It would be easier to explain away as a pricing mistake or barcode error, too. The tills could be programmed to overcharge only bills that exceed a certain amount, say, ?30-?50 - to catch only 'big' shoppers. Who remembers the exact price of every item purchased during a weekly or monthly 'big' shop? I don't. Again ? just the idle, hypothetical musings of a glorified checkout computer :)

In case anyone missed the kernel of wisdom buried amongst all that loquacious prose above, I paraphrase: Those who think or even suspect that genetics and intelligence are linked are racists. Scientists and academics who try to resolve the question are idiots.

...unless some greater sleuth can come up with a convincing theory. Suppose a supermarket chain programmed it's checkout system to add a random low-cost item to every nth customer's bill across the entire country. The system would not overcharge the same customer again for a specified interval and exclude those who complain. If N number of customers were overcharged by, on average, X pence during every period of D days then the scam could rake in an annual revenue of: (N * X) * (365 / D) = Annual Revenue Substituting numbers gives the following figures: (250,000 * 0.50) * (365/30) = ?1,520,833.33 (100,000 * 0.65) * (365/10) = ?2,372,500.00 (5,000,000 * 0.65) * (365/90) = ?13,180,555.56 This is entirely hypothetical - I am NOT suggesting that anyone is actually doing this.

Sorry, I'm sure it was given in good faith, but I would strongly oppose Zeban's advice: "... anti depressants ... anti anxieties ... Do not be afraid of trying these if the doctor recommends them. they can be life savers for many people." With all your resolve, try to avoid taking antidepressants and anxiolytics: they have ruined the lives of millions of people. zeban Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi urbanpixie, go to the doctor and talk to them > about you feeling you are getting ill. They could > prescribe you anti depressants if they find you > clinically depressed or anti anxieties, which > although not really solving the problem of getting > out of your job, might make your > depression/anxiety easier to cope with and > therefore might make you coping with the job > easier. Do not be afraid of trying these if the > doctor recommends them. they can be life savers > for many people. > > It can also be something that you could sit down > and dicuss with your manager. perhap they could > help to reduce the stress you're under- if it's > either that and you going on sick leave then > really they should be willing to give some leeway, > especially if your doctor has made such > recommendations.

That was my reaction, too. It turns out the said administrator's job is at a plumbing and heating company.

@the-e-dealer Without context or a link to the source those figures make little sense. They seem too optimistic to me.

@ Nick1962 Life is unfair on many, many levels. Your friend will negotiate a plea bargain. He will be sentenced to two or three years (like his co-defendants but even less if he agrees to put someone else in the frame). After a few months he'll apply to serve the rest of his sentence in the UK. The application will be granted. A short while later (if he behaves himself) the UK prison service will release him on parole. He is likely to be out within a year or two at most - if he works the system. By the way, the manacles and orange jump suits are just for show - US law enforcement agencies think perp walks act as a deterrent.

Bagsie replacement AE-35 unit manager.

The US legal system endorses the legality of this kind of entrapment operation. I personally know several other non-US citizens that have become entangled in this sort of issue. US prosecutors are totally and utterly ruthless about these types of offences. Alas, there's not much anyone can do for him now. I think this is an interesting aspect of Tappin's case - the link at the end says it all, imho: The Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk is a U.S. medium range surface-to-air missile. The Hawk was initially designed to destroy aircraft and was later adapted to destroy other missiles in flight. The missile entered service in 1960, and a program of extensive upgrades has kept it from becoming obsolete. It was superseded by the MIM-104 Patriot in United States Army service by 1994. It was finally phased out of U.S. service in 2002, the last users, the U.S. Marine Corps replacing it with the man-portable infrared-guided visual range FIM-92 Stinger. The missile was also produced outside the US in Western Europe, Japan and Iran (See http://www.payvand.com/news/09/jun/1059.html). Source Wiki: MIM-23 Hawk

All?hu Akbar - let's all convert to Islam, now! Hajj Talbiyah

Sounds like you should count yourself lucky to have a job and an income. I would stick it out until a better job came along otherwise you may end up long-term unemployed and demoralised while just scraping by on benefits. Just my two cents' worth.