HAL9000

It's been deleted - local dog walkers have professional reputations to protect.

Curious - could Osservatore Romano's Jesuit journalist have missed all of the episodes in which a Menorah appears in the Simpson household?

The problem with that argument is that the BRICs already have high-tech manufacturing capabilities - in some areas their research and development facilities are equal to or more advanced than our own - or soon will be. The western economies cannot be resurrected with low-volume, high-value components like satellites, for example, because they only employ relatively small groups of highly-skilled/qualified technicians and the demand is limited. And we still have to compete with our western peers. What's left - luxury items like whiskey and wine are doing well right now but how long before Asian fakes flood those markets too?

I'm aware of his work but I haven't read any of Tainter's books yet - I've given up adding new titles to my reading list: life's too short :(

A few years ago I had an interest in a company that imported scientific instruments from India to Europe and the US - from optical laboratory microscopes to large-scale, computer-controlled biochemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing plants. The idea that Asian countries are manufacturing low cost, low complexity, commodity crap is completely misinformed. Time after time we obtained complementary quotes from local manufacturers - they simply could not compete on price and quality ? their only advantage was proximity for servicing and training. In time, as more Asian entrepreneurs arbitrage the price disparities, even those advantages are likely to evaporate.

If it were only Gibbon's voice crying in the wilderness....

SMG - Historically, every civilisation prior to ours has collapsed - often leaving barely a record of its demise: only the centuries of 'Dark Ages' that followed in their wake. I agree with louisiana - the future for the so-called western economic system looks dire. The idea that it is somehow different this time sounds like wishful thinking, in my view.

In my experience (as a one-time professional), most photographers usually develop an interest in a particular subject or style and then acquire a lens that will facilitate their creative vision. Buying a new lens merely in the hope that it will inspire some previously latent creativity seems rather forlorn to me - just my two cents' worth.

Probably more than any other factor, it depends on what kind of photography you wish to engage in: close up, landscape, architecture, portraiture, sports, fashion, photo reportage, wildlife - optimised lenses are available for each type of pursuit.

peckhamboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And as for the question about what you get when > you walk into the Bank of England with your tenner > - in theory, gold, as felt-tip says. Except that > Uncle Gordon only went and flogged it all at > rock-bottom prices a few years ago. Actually, it used to be pure silver - hence Sterling, but that arrangement was abrogated years ago - now one just gets a crisp new note of the same denomination as the one handed in.

FOOL PEOPLE into thinking they've just experienced a spooky coincidence by quickly copying their post and reposting it as your own :)

You may delete the content of a post as follows: View the page containing the post you wish to delete. Click on 'Edit Post' (at the bottom far right of your post). Replace the existing text with a dot. Click on the 'Save Changes' button.

If one records a few minutes of barking and immediately plays the sound back within the dog?s hearing, the dog usually stops barking PDQ. No idea why, though.

mockney piers Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sounds to me like the thinking of someone who > believes in the exceptional status of mankind, > conferred on us by our loving God perhaps. One of the reasons we are different from other species is our ability to contemplate supernatural forces and deities. In that respect and within the context of this thread, man is exceptional - to the limit of our knowledge. > We're just primates you know, I'm not sure what > the difference is between the baboon's stick and > man's flint tools. Especially as it is taught > behaviour passed down generations of the troupe > making it quite specifically a skill not instinct. Yet all of the evidence suggests that mimicry of tool use by non-humans is an instinctive ability - unless you have scientific evidence to the contrary. Hint - a paper by a scientifically astute baboon would be very helpful here :) In fact, tool use is not confined to primates: it has been observed in lower mammals and birds. It may be one of the instincts that helped man develop beyond sticks and stones. The overlap between instinct and intellect goes to the heart of this discussion: we know that survival is a powerful instinct yet we have the ability to rationalise or irrationalise it. > I love your hints that something esoteric > transcends the nonsense actually being written > down, but yet further lack of clarification only > serves to detract from the argument. On the contrary, I am merely trying to crystallise the argument for you. > I sense in there the idea that it is a divine > strength that gives mankind a will to live, and > the existence of the will to live is evidence of > this. Sounds like begging the question if you ask me. I think I see where you may be failing to comprehend - we are discussing human perceptions here, surely, not the actual intervention of supernatural forces? Excuse the fisk - it's merely instinctive behaviour on my part.

Survivors often appear to view it subjectively as inspired - in this case - by the religious beliefs of the Chilean miners (and most of their friends, family and rescuers). We are talking about people?s beliefs here, aren?t we?

I would say that baboons are not capable of applying scientific methodology - their actions (even the use of tools or simple learning abilities) are guided by instinct. My take on Silverfox's original point: the human will to survive is often inspired by irrational ideas - such as religion. In the case of the Chilean miners that was clearly an important factor in their minds and in those of the local community, some of whom took part in the rescue. The fact that technology was employed is not in question; it is merely a different facet of the event that is not relevant to this thread. The study of what makes humans tick, their beliefs, motivations, hopes and fears is grist for the behavioural psychology mill.

I can't understand why Hugo and mockney seem unable to grasp Silverfox's point, which I feel is an interesting and valid observation based firmly in the (scientific) realm of behavioural psychology? Also, the ideas quoted above about technology are very insightful - far from even slightly bonkers, in my view. I think sometimes your interpretations may be too literal - especially when others are expressing their ideas creatively?

Silverfox has a point - the will to survive is a well-documented factor: whether it is inspired by science or faith is irrelevant, IMHO.

woofmarkthedog Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm ... I saw what you wrote before the edit - was that a Freudian slip or what? :)

How about this - a shipwreck in a bottle! Brilliant.

It used to be the case that long distance flights with multiple stop-overs were cheaper - a three-hop flight for example was significantly cheaper that a direct flight. Not everyone likes the hassle, though. For UK to Australia it might be worthwhile looking at hops via a hub in Europe, the Gulf and/or the Far East, for example. I don't know if that still applies these days. But flexibility regarding flight times and dates does makes a big difference.

A real man wouldn't carry an umbrella - he'd wear a hat. I wear a hat - so it must be true.

Ha! Must be a change in the weather: I bought a couple of packs of Almond Halva and Loukoumia this afternoon and am well on the way to a gigantic sugar rush - I'm pleased to see I'm not the only one.

I thought I was real. So who are the real ones then?

I recall using something called "Bar's Leaks" for that sort of thing.