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Ghost_Skeptic
SFN Regular
Canada
510 Posts |
 Posted - 09/20/2006 : 00:02:12 [Permalink]
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| According to this H5N1 Bird Flu may not be as deadly as first believed. Apparently, most cases af bird flu are mild and have gone undetected thereby skewing the denominator in the fatality ratio. |
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. / You can send a kid to college but you can't make him think." - B.B. King
History is made by stupid people - The Arrogant Worms
"The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism." - William Osler
"Religion is the natural home of the psychopath" - Pat Condell
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter" - Thomas Jefferson |
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Starman
SFN Regular
Sweden
1613 Posts |
Posted - 09/20/2006 : 03:37:38 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
For the last 4 months I've had sub-sonic vibrations in my condo, courtesy of the ventilation system. In the beginning, only my girlfriend noticed it, but had trouble sleeping because of it.
We suffered from the same thing a few years ago. A real nightmare. We faced the same reactions as you describe. We were fortunate that the then chairman of the condo board is a friend of ours.
In the end we paid for the new ventilation fan ourselves (~$1000).
I was the easy way out of that mess.
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"Any religion that makes a form of torture into an icon that they worship seems to me a pretty sick sort of religion quite honestly"
-- Terry Jones |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2006 : 04:37:35 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Ghost_Skeptic
According to this H5N1 Bird Flu may not be as deadly as first believed. Apparently, most cases af bird flu are mild and have gone undetected thereby skewing the denominator in the fatality ratio.
I wouldn't gets your hopes up here. There were a couple of widespread population testing projects carried out and very few people had antibodies suggesting very few mild cases the death rate has indeed been very high. Chicken farmers and vendors were targeted for the testing. |
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Antigone
New Member
44 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2006 : 17:04:18 [Permalink]
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Hey Cune (or anyone else who knows) can you recommend any books on the ancient middle east (areas such as Palestine, Babylon, areas associated with The Epic of Gilgamesh) that do NOT confuse history with religious myths and religious history? I want a book on history for that area that doesn't use the bible as a source. Which is very difficult to find for some reason.  I bought a book called Mythic Past by T. Thompson, but I want something that focuses on historical events.
Thanks!  |
Mortui non dolent |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2006 : 17:34:02 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Antigone
Hey Cune (or anyone else who knows) can you recommend any books on the ancient middle east (areas such as Palestine, Babylon, areas associated with The Epic of Gilgamesh) that do NOT confuse history with religious myths and religious history? I want a book on history for that area that doesn't use the bible as a source. Which is very difficult to find for some reason. I bought a book called Mythic Past by T. Thompson, but I want something that focuses on historical events.
Thanks!
Oh. Good question. To begin: it's hard to discuss the history of the Levant without using the Bible. Say what you will about it, the fact remains that there was a kingdom of Judah and a kingdom of Israel and the Assyrians and Babylonians and Persians did happily invade that region from time to time.
But your question is more complex, because scholars who want to write about Mesopotamia proper tend to stick to Mesopotamia proper, and vice versa for Bible scholars. So you're really looking for two books, to some extent.
As for Mesopotamia, a new book out that a number of professors are using for their classes is Marc van de Mieroop's A History of the Ancient near East. Like any history, it's sort of dry, but van de Mieroop's smart and the material is up to date.
I'll have to check back re a good history of the Levant that's not too Bible-centric. They're out there, so don't worry!  |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2006 : 18:03:44 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Cuneiformist
...
As for Mesopotamia, a new book out that a number of professors are using for their classes is Marc van de Mieroop's A History of the Ancient near East. Like any history, it's sort of dry, but van de Mieroop's smart and the material is up to date.
...
Hey! I know that book! I've leafed through it in a (very religious, near fundamentalist) friend's house. Good stuff. Bet he never read it; he was Lebanese, so he was obsessed with looking like he understood the Middle East history. He didn't. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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Ghost_Skeptic
SFN Regular
Canada
510 Posts |
 Posted - 10/10/2006 : 01:11:30 [Permalink]
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Once again it is that time of year - The Ignoble Awards
Details about some of the winners
The prize for medicine - This might qualify as Natural Cure you odn't want to know about.
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"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. / You can send a kid to college but you can't make him think." - B.B. King
History is made by stupid people - The Arrogant Worms
"The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism." - William Osler
"Religion is the natural home of the psychopath" - Pat Condell
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter" - Thomas Jefferson |
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Ghost_Skeptic
SFN Regular
Canada
510 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2006 : 00:25:57 [Permalink]
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A recent study indicates that the performance of women on a math test was heavily influenced by their belief that women are gentically infereior at math.
quote:
Before they were given the test, the women were required to read one of four essays — three of them dealing with gender difference in math. One essay argued there was no difference, a second argued the difference was genetic and a third said the difference was the result of social construction and the way girls were taught in elementary school. The fourth essay covered the subject of women in art.
quote:
The women who were told that prior experience determined their math ability got twice as many answers right on the exam as women who were told their genetics were to blame, the researchers said.
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"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. / You can send a kid to college but you can't make him think." - B.B. King
History is made by stupid people - The Arrogant Worms
"The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism." - William Osler
"Religion is the natural home of the psychopath" - Pat Condell
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter" - Thomas Jefferson |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2006 : 00:59:41 [Permalink]
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Congress' approval rating is at 16% and I just paid under two bucks ($1.999) a gallon for gas for the first time in well over a year.
I've got a rosy outlook on life right now! |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2006 : 03:30:02 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Congress' approval rating is at 16% and I just paid under two bucks ($1.999) a gallon for gas for the first time in well over a year.
I've got a rosy outlook on life right now!
Let's re-elect these wonderful Congressmen who've lowered gas prices!
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2006 : 03:49:49 [Permalink]
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I finally got my electric scooter-bike this week. Instead of having to make an unalterable round-trip reservation a day in advance for the old-folks-and-handicapped van to take me places ($5 round trip), I can now zip off on a whim, like when I drove my car.
Except my scooter only goes 20 mph with a strong tail wind, and won't take me further than an optimistic 30 miles. On the other hand, 20 mph seems really fast to someone who's been limping along with a cane for three years. And the electric charge it takes to get three miles to town and back costs me just a penny. My Expresso S scooter emits no CO2, only a smugly green whirring sound from its rear hub brushless DC motor. No license, plate, or insurance required. The vehicle is a bicycle under the law.
The feeling of being set free is awesome. It ain't a Harley, but yippee!
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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McQ
Skeptic Friend
USA
258 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2006 : 06:22:10 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by HalfMooner
I finally got my electric scooter-bike this week. Instead of having to make an unalterable round-trip reservation a day in advance for the old-folks-and-handicapped van to take me places ($5 round trip), I can now zip off on a whim, like when I drove my car.
Except my scooter only goes 20 mph with a strong tail wind, and won't take me further than an optimistic 30 miles. On the other hand, 20 mph seems really fast to someone who's been limping along with a cane for three years. And the electric charge it takes to get three miles to town and back costs me just a penny. My Expresso S scooter emits no CO2, only a smugly green whirring sound from its rear hub brushless DC motor. No license, plate, or insurance required. The vehicle is a bicycle under the law.
The feeling of being set free is awesome. It ain't a Harley, but yippee!
What? No Segway? 
Enjoy the open road, HalfMooner! Feel the wind in your hair/helmet/peach fuzz and wear your leathers proudly! |
Elvis didn't do no drugs!
--Penn Gillette |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2006 : 06:33:29 [Permalink]
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| What kind of battery technology does it have? |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2006 : 13:36:44 [Permalink]
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Thank you, McQ! I think the Segway question kind of answers itself.
Mab: It uses four 12 VDC deep-discharge type sealed lead acid batteries, wired in series. The motor is a brushless, 500 Watt DC motor, built into the hub.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
Posted - 10/24/2006 : 04:43:10 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Congress' approval rating is at 16% and I just paid under two bucks ($1.999) a gallon for gas for the first time in well over a year.
I've got a rosy outlook on life right now!
Doing a conversion based on the current exchange rate (0.7567) and the less variable liters to gallons in Sydney, Australia, we're paying an average of around US$3.37 per gallon. (Based on AUS$1.20 per liter, to use sensible units).
While fuel prices are high, I for some reason find the weekly hikes more annoying. We're expected to believe these price trends are anything but a chance to screw people too lazy/ignorant to fill up before the weekend. There's a regular-as-clockwork 10% premium for filling up on the weekend. I'm sure this phenomenon is widespread.
My weekly usage is typically a little more than a tankfull, so I fill the car and a 10 litre can on a Monday/Tuesday, whether I desperately need it or not. It probably only saves me $100 or so a year, but better in my pocket than theirs.
The source of this image is here.
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John's just this guy, you know. |
| Edited by - JohnOAS on 10/24/2006 04:45:49 |
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The Water Cooler
Topic Locked
