I've always liked science, so used to read a great deal of science fiction. Ray Bradbury is perhaps my favorite SF author, although I also read Wells, Doyle, Verne, Asimov, and many others. As I grew up, I began reading more real science - astronomy, geology, new physics, etc. In this field, Sagan excells. Other good writers include John Gribbin, Fred Alan Wolf, Gary Zukav, Fritjof Capra, etc. I think these are important writers because they explain aspects of the BIG picture, i.e. the Universe and humanities place in it, in a manner which is easily understood. Also have examined some texts on pagan beliefs by various authors. Eventually, I also began reading history told from the viewpoint of various cultures, which helps makes a lot of the mythologies which form the basis of Western culture much clearer. Most recent book read was a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury, "The Toynbee Convector", mostly not SF, but still good reading.
gaiagirl
JoinedPosts by gaiagirl
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What sorts of books or other material do you read?
by zagor ini dont think i have a particular style.
in fact it changed through different stages of my life.
as a kid i loved reading novels, which changed once i came into my teens, and i started developing interest in hard stuff of natural world, psychology, ancient cultures and mysteries.
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Armageddon Bangers
by KAYTEE inarmageddon according to you know who was coming in 1975, how many armageddon bangers (a ref.
to the purchase of a car that would see you through to armageddon,) how many have you purchased up till now?
i have had 8 and counting.. kt.
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gaiagirl
In many parts of the U.S. and on the "Car Talk" radio show, worn out cars are called "beaters". Currently driving a 16 year old Toyota, although I hardly think of it as a "beater", its in really good shape, and runs great. Perhaps it would be a beater if it were an American car.
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Rejecting the Kingdom Message Results in Death
by The wanderer in<!-- .style1 { font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; } .style2 { font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px; } .style3 {font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 16px; } --> rejecting the kingdom message results in death"now what do you have to look forward to?
" "you are back at square.
this is what my best friend said to me regarding the rejection of the truth.
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gaiagirl
Perhaps a list of names of people who WOULD have died, but have accepted the Kingdom Message, and therefore NOT died would convince skeptics.....?
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The more expensive house: Vinyl or Brick?
by YoursChelbie inthere is a significant difference in the prices of houses that are built of brick exterior to comparably sized ones with vinyl exterior.
i assumed brick costs more because it's more durable, but was surprised to find that brick houses such as the one i chose at random pictured here for sale in texas actually costs over 50k dollars less than the one with the vinyl exterior in the far northern us.
both have four bedrooms.
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gaiagirl
Any real estate agent will tell you that the single most important factor which determines the value of any home is location, because when you buy a home, you are also buying a set of neighbors, as well as a location from which you will likely drive to work. A mansion will not bring a good price if it is next to a trailer park. A run down house in an upscale neighborhood WILL bring much more than if it is located elsewhere. IF all other factors (location, floor plan, square footage, etc) were equal, a brick home would be much more valuable than one with vinyl siding, simply because brick cost more to buy, and takes much more labor to build. It is widely perceived as being more durable, and I've lived in brick apartment buildings which were more than 100 years old. Vinyl is a tough covering most often used over wood siding to eliminate the maintainence chore of painting the wood every few years. The wood underneath can still rot, or be attacked by insects. But, as you have observed, a vinyl covered house CAN be worth more, if the design and location is significantly different.
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Did you ever get in trouble for....
by Fleshybirdfodder inreading the bible during the watchtower study when you should have been "paying attention"?
as a kid i constantly got repremanded for that.
guess even then i'd rather find out for myself.
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gaiagirl
Reading, and highlighting, all the verses describing "leviathan", because the description fascinated me.
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The Blind Watchmaker - Dawkins
by mavie ini'm about halfway through this book.
i understand dawkin's general thesis here, and i think it is sound.
however, i still am having a hard time understanding a couple things..
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gaiagirl
Because of the manner in which DNA is contributed by both parents, distinct genetic changes happen every single generation, that is why we are not identical copies of either of our parents, but a composite of some features and qualities of both. We are genetically close enough to the previous still living generations to be able to procreate with them (ewwww!), but if there were someone living from, say 500,000 years ago, there might be enough genetic difference to make procreation impossible. To make the illustration another way, suppose a colony of humans were started on Mars, and left alone or forgotten for 500,000 years. With no way to interbreed with the population on Earth, and with a different set of environmental selective pressures acting upon them, their genetics would change in a different way from the parent stock on the home planet, so that by the time a half-million years had passed, they would probably not be close enough to "human" to be able to breed. This is one way that species form, a particular population becomes isolated, and no longer interbreeds with the rest of the species. Over time, small differences become large differences. Would a wolf recognize a chihuahua as something related to itself? Could they produce offspring? Not sure if anyone has tried the experiment, but I'm feeling that a chihuahua is getting outside the envelope of "wolf" and perhaps even "dog" and is becoming something else, whose common ancestor, many generations ago was a wolf.
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Could Britain become a racists paradise?
by Gill inmy husband works for an engineering company.
he is a highly skilled engineer and runs the maintenance department.
in britain at the moment it is very difficult to find highly skilled engineers and so firms have been recruiting abroad, only to find that these 'high' skills are just as rare abroad and also nearly as expensive.. so, my husbands firm have basically decided, to cut costs, they have written out a new contract for all their workers.
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gaiagirl
I agree with the earlier post, it really doesn't sound like a "racial" issue, more like a situation of exploiting an available cheap labor pool. Would it be racist if the cheap labor was uneducated folks from somewhere in England, perhaps "chavs"? However, the provisions regarding sick leave, etc, really do sound unfair. I can't see how they can expect the product to be "perfect" if they don't wish to use highly skilled people to produce them.
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Doesn't Look Good For 2007
by Undecided ini got up this morning and turned the thermostat up and the furnace wouldn't light.
so far i haven't been able to fix it.
the gas won't come on to light it.
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gaiagirl
Here are the lyrics to a song called "Generic Blues", by Weird Al Yankovic. This guy has it MUCH worse than anyone I've ever met. For the full effect, imagine it being sung to the best blues riff you've ever heard, accompanied by harmonica and electric guitar. I woke up this morning Then I went back to bed Said I woke up this morning Then I went right back to bed Got a funny kind of feelin' like I got broken glass in my underwear And a herd of wild pigs is trying to chew off my head You know what I'm sayin' Well I ain't got not money I'm just walkin' down the road Said I ain't got no money, honey So I'm just walking down this lonely old road Well, I wish I could get me some money But I forgot my automated teller code I was born in a paper sack in the bottom of a sewer I had to eat dirt clods for breakfast, my family was so poor My daddy was a waitress, my mama sold bathroom tiles My brothers and sisters all hated me 'cause I was an only child I got the blues so bad, woo Kinda wish I was dead Maybe I'll blow my brains out mama Or maybe I'll, yeah maybe I'll just go bowlin' instead I'm just a no good, scum sucking, nose picking, boot licking, sniveling, groveling, worthless hunk of slime Nothing but a low-down beer bellied, bone headed, pigeon toed, turkey necked, weasle faced, worthless hunk of slime Guess I pretty low self image Maybe it's a chemical imbalance or something -- I should probably go and see a doctor about it when I've got the time (Guitar Solo)Make it talk (More Guitar Solo)Aw, make it talk, son, make it talk OK, now make it shut up(Guitar Solo stops) Plagues and famine and pestilence always seem to get me down I always feel so miserable whenever I'm around I wish somebody would come along, stick a pitchfork through my brain I'd flush myself right down the toilet, but I'd just clog up the drain I got the blues so bad Kinda wish I was dead Maybe I'll blow my brains out mama Or maybe I'll go bowling Or I just might go bowling Maybe I'll just rent some shoes and go bowling Maybe I'll join a league, enter a tournament, put on a stupid looking shirt and go bowling instead Yeah
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Doesn't Look Good For 2007
by Undecided ini got up this morning and turned the thermostat up and the furnace wouldn't light.
so far i haven't been able to fix it.
the gas won't come on to light it.
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gaiagirl
It could have been worse...at least your cars floor is solid enough to HOLD water. I once had a car which had so much rust on the floor that water would have ran out as fast as it could rain in. And you COULD have had a gas LEAK instead of NO GAS, and you might have wakened to a fire, or perhaps not have wakened at all. A day above ground beats a day 6 feet below...
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Where should I go buy a new computer chair, desk, floor mat?
by averyniceguy ini just moved here in a house where there are all wood floors, no carpet, so i am mainly looking for a new computer chair and the right floor mat.
i am also considering to get a new desk.
i want to be very comfortable.
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gaiagirl
In my area, Office Depot and Staples carry a good selection of those things.