Posts by Mephis

30

"508 Million Year Old" Exceptionally Preserved Embryos Found

by Perry in

actually, they we found over 100 years ago.

but because so many dinosaur bones have yielded soft tissue, blood cells, dna fragments etc.

, many have predicted (including myself) when all this really broke loose in 2005, that many more similar discoveries would be made simply by going back and cracking open old fossils and having a look inside.

Mephis

Butt's a shill. Melanin is the answer he studiously pretends not to know. Squid ink is melanin concentrated, Melanin is not particularly prone to decay at all.

One cool result of the ink is that it potentially opens the way to better treat skin cancers because it's allowed the very slight rate of decay in one type of melanin to be measured.

"Because melanin survives so long, an analysis of the melanin from old cancerous tissue samples could give researchers a useful tool for predicting the spread of melanoma skin cancer in humans."

http://phys.org/news/2013-06-melanin-jurassic-era-mollusk-tool-cancer.html

Crazy what can happen when science goes on.

30

"508 Million Year Old" Exceptionally Preserved Embryos Found

by Perry in

actually, they we found over 100 years ago.

but because so many dinosaur bones have yielded soft tissue, blood cells, dna fragments etc.

, many have predicted (including myself) when all this really broke loose in 2005, that many more similar discoveries would be made simply by going back and cracking open old fossils and having a look inside.

Mephis

The key word here is "preserved", presumably un-fossilized, ie. original material.

They're fossils Perry. They're in an exhibition of fossils. Exceptionally well preserved means that whichever way they were fossilised managed to, well, preserve them exceptionally well and allow them to be studied.

Creationism is really, really, really bad at science.

21

JW TV - Britain Branch Report

by Listener in

although it is titled as "britain branch report" it's not much of a report.

it only goes for just over 6 minutes and half of it is some 'wild talk' about romeo and juliette, i say wild talk because it has nothing to do with the british branch and if there was any point to it, it's lost on me.. anyway, about the only thing said that is of any importance was this (at the 2.20 mark) -.

"the governing body, very kindly, have given us permission to continue construction once we have reviewed the scope of the building so we hope to be underway very soon".

Mephis

They investigate 300 sites, a local council approaches them to present a derelict, "heavily contaminated" site (quote from their own public consultation document) and it's God doing it? Jehovah is obviously the God of toxic waste disposal judging from Chelmsford and Warwick (USA) being his preferred options then.

8

JW-Facts--Here is that Circuit Assembly Financial Report Form you wanted!

by Atlantis in

our "spy" was able to get in and get out undetected.

we thank him/her for their kindness and courage.

remarks were made that the assembly this person attended only kept the women in their place.. i remarked to this person that one of these days the watchtower is going to "put down" the wrong woman who is going to clean their clock with a massive discrimination lawsuit!.

Mephis

@Jeff - it's in WF's linked guidelines.

"4. ...It is understood that whenever a need arises for these funds, the assembly overseer and the accounts overseer may request that they be returned.” A brother authorized to transfer circuit funds can log in to the jw.orgWeb site, view the current balance, and request an amount to be returned."

35

July 2016 W T Article Gives Reassurance to Aging Publishers

by BluesBrother in

congregations are full of older ones who were led to expect the end when they were still young enough to work ,and stay forever young.

now these ones face a sparse old age with little provision set aside.

the article ""do not be afraid .

Mephis

Isn't Jehovah a loving God? He's directed his organisation to address the needs of all the poor souls who genuinely thought they'd never die. What loving counsel it is to tell them that if they're up a creek without a paddle it's because they've not got enough faith.

11

Walking Fish - evolution or adaptation?

by Earnest in

a recent article in nature reports on a fish that has a pelvic girdle with features associated with terrestrial vertebrates.. discuss..

Mephis

Why is there only one common ancestor? Why is there no evidence of other "common ancestors" which were not as successful? Was there no competition to be the "first" common ancestor?

There are certain basic building blocks (eg DNA/RNA and the genetic code) to all known life on Earth which implies a specific way in which life came to be - 'the common ancestor'. Until the mechanisms of how that initial life came to be are known for sure, or at least to a high degree of probability, then the 'why' and related questions are unanswerable really. One of the reasons finding evidence of life elsewhere within the solar system (and beyond) would be so important is that it would help to begin to identify the causal factors more precisely. But so far as we know currently, life exists on Earth and it's all based upon the same basic building blocks and has a common origin. If there were other forms of life on Earth then they are obviously no longer with us and would seem to also be beyond our ability to detect. I don't think the mystery so much lies with 'alien' life on Earth, life here is adapted for Earth, but in how (if) life develops elsewhere and in different conditions.

10

Johan Cruijff R.I.P.

by fulano in

the greatest soccer player ever of my country died today.

only 68 years old.

he meanta lot to many people because of his skills, as a player and trainer.

Mephis

That orange shirt, the two stripes, the number 14.

So influential upon the game as player and manager.

36

Estimating future growth or decline of Watchtower

by shepherdless in

i have seen a few posts here, in various guises, in relation to whether watchtower is in decline.

plenty of people respond, but it is all fairly anecdotal, or "gut feel".

some of it has been wishful thinking.. as of late 2015, watchtower's numbers suggest it is still growing marginally, but there are various anecdotes on this site of publishers typically being older, and younger ones disappearing.

Mephis

Pew Survey covers the aging in the US. Pew have issues with sample size for JWs, but median age seems to be heading north of 50 there. ( http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/chapter-3-demographic-profiles-of-religious-groups/ )

I'd suspect that holds true for most industrialised countries as part of a more population trend, compounded by the JWs inability to retain born-ins.

13

Urgent assistance needed for Barbara and ARC!

by Atlantis in

my contacts are assisting in this effort but the more people the better!.

.. information needed in assisting barbara anderson with arc... barbara needed a boe for arc and i have already sent it to her so that problem is solved.

however we are in need of the following information:.

Mephis

No worries. Glad it was of use.

Just to source the first assertion I made. For the Elders to CO to Christian Congregation link, it's sections 12 and 66 of the ruling on Tayo et al v Charity Commission (2015)

http://www.charity.tribunals.gov.uk/documents/decisions/Tayo-etc-decision-09Apr15.pdf

All the best.

13

Urgent assistance needed for Barbara and ARC!

by Atlantis in

my contacts are assisting in this effort but the more people the better!.

.. information needed in assisting barbara anderson with arc... barbara needed a boe for arc and i have already sent it to her so that problem is solved.

however we are in need of the following information:.

Mephis

Just quickly from off top of my head, I believe they shifted some aspects of control onto the 'Christian Congregation' corporate entity, as this is not registered as a charity in the UK. That came up in the First Tier Tribunal Hearing. Circuit Overseers report to that according to evidence given there.

To the best of my knowledge, 'The Watchtower and Bible Tract Society of Pennsylvania - British Branch' was dissolved on Wednesday, 11th October 2000. See Charity Commission site: http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0®id=241623

The Watch Tower Bible And Tract Society of Britain had been incorporated nearly a year to the day before that.

Currently:

"The charity, a UK company limited by guarantee, is controlled by its governing document, the memorandum and articles of the company dated 25th October 1999, as amended by special resolutions dated 19th April 2000 and 21st November 2013." (Annual report, 2014)

Can't link directly because it's monstrously long link, but you want 26th November 2013 on the documents available (free of charge) from Company House: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03858051/filing-history

Hope that's of use.