Ross!! Diane!!
I'm so happy for you both... and I know Kate will be too when she hears the news.
It really couldn't happen to a nicer guy... I've been away from a PC for a few days so didn't see this until just now...
Abaddon
JoinedPosts by Abaddon
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199
Otherwise Engaged...
by LittleToe injust a little breaking news:.
after several years of a great friendship with diane (previously posted as xena) things have started to really come together recently and i've succumbed to making an honest woman of her (or at least as honest as it's possible to make her.
last night (xmas day) i popped the question and she agreed to marry me (i wonder if she knows what she's let herself in for!!!)..
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Study Detects Recent Instance of Human Evolution
by zagor instudy detects recent instance of human evolution by nicholas wadea surprisingly recent instance of human evolution has been detected among the peoples of east africa.
it is the ability to digest milk in adulthood, conferred by genetic changes that occurred as recently as 3,000 years ago, a team of geneticists has found.. the finding is a striking example of a cultural practice the raising of dairy cattle feeding back into the human genome.
it also seems to be one of the first instances of convergent human evolution to be documented at the genetic level.
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Abaddon
If we were talking about building bridges intead of evolution, I think we would see one side of the debate ignorant of the definitions of, or coining new definitons for terms like stress and strain. They would also refuse to believe that the theory and practice of building bridges has slowly changed due to the scarsity of transtional forms, but would insist that each type of bridge was a seperate unique water-crossing concept uniquely created.
It ALWAYS happens like this; one side either through what they say and how they say it, or through admission of the fact, display they typically have not really studied evolution and do not have a scientific background or an adequate comprehension of the subject.
These same people still think that 'cause THEY don't understand it, it can't be true. They naturally gravitate towards people who make them feel that their (uninformed) opinion is a viable one... and these people they use to support their arguement will typically have the same issues with comprehension of the subject as them, either having predetermined the answer illogically (so logical will not change their opinion) or having no real specialisation in the subject.
Despite their willingness to use amateurs, minority opinions, and people operating outside of their scientific specialism to support their disbelief in evolution such people show no confidence in the services of similarly unqualified doctors, dentists, or even plumbers...
... I've always found that funny... they go to experts for their health but seek opinionated iconoclasts for the bits of science they don't get/like.
Frank
You seem to ignore or not to understand the two cases;
1/ Where milk from dometicated animals is used.
2/ Where it is not used.
In case 2/ nothing changes. there is no positive or negative selection of any genetic variation that occirs that allows lactase to be produced in adulthood. Any such variation is removed in time.
In case 1/ those with the variation would carry on using milk in adulthood; they would not start feeling ill when they drank milk so would have no reason to stop using it. Those without the variation would stop drinking milk when lactase prodution fell to the point where dairy consumption made them ill. Those with the variation would have a useful additonal source of sustenance; if they had more children than those without the variation, in time the extra children (most of whom would have the variation) would spread through the population simply by those with it outbreeding those without.
Imagine instead of lactose tolerance people without green eyes could only have half the children of those with green eyes; green eyes would spread through the population very quickly.
To use a false example like poisonous mushrooms gets your point nowhere. Milk is never poisonous; it can and is consumed by (ignoring dairy allergy which is a different thing all together) humans at first with no ill effect.
This changes in those without lactose tolerance.
Poisonous mushrooms on the other hand are NEVER a part of a human's diet as they are..., POISONOUS!!!
Likewise better nutrition leading to larger people has nothing to do with genetic change.
Apostate Kate
If you saw someone who didn't know much about Leonardo Da Vinchi declaring 99% of experts wrong, and saw that they didn't even properly understand the terms used in the discussion, you'd think they were hasty or arrogant in reaching their conculsion unless they could show definatively the 1% are right. Especially as it became apparent they hadn't studied the subject to any depth.
Please bear in mind that the FACT (which you admit) you do not know much about evolution is leading you into a situation where with incomplete knowledge you declare 99% of experts are wrong, and you have done nothing to make someone who knows about evolution think that the 1% are right. If this means you get treated a little incredulously, it's your own doing, don't make other people responsible for the recepetion your attitude generates.
Every species has DNA code that is as if written in stone.
FALSE. Please, read up on the subject.
Adaptations can take place but there is not nor ever has been any evidence that my chihuahua could ever adapt into an entire other species.
It already has. If humans disappeared tomorrow and there were environments where chihuahuas could survive in the wild, they would (in company with other toy breeds in the area) create a different gene pool to 'proper' size dogs. There would be no interbreeding with larger dogs due to mechanical issues based on the impossbility of fertilisation. 1,000 years later genetic drift of the two canine gene pools, the chihuapoodyorkies and the general mutts, would probable be so large interbreeding would be difficult even using mechanical intervention.
Mutations show no gain in genetic information. Genetic information can be "activated" for this lactose intolerance, but again, no new genetic material was found.
Look, if you have a gene sequence
GTCGTAAC
And in time it becomes
AAAGTAAC
... you have NEW genetic material, BY DEFINITON, just as if you at one point have the number 1234567 and later have the number 8884567 you have a NEW number.
I'm not a higly intelligent person but I stand behind the Second Law of Thermodyanics and Entropy.
No, you choose to accept the assurances of a minority who insist that this law precludes evolution because that is the opinion you want backed up. You ignore any decent physics student could show you the application of the 2nd law to evolution by cynics is a false one
From what I've read the fossel record shows periods of teeming life with complete die-offs and then teeming life again. That also discounts a slow billions year evolution.
Why say 'from what I've read', when it's obvious that this is at the least not enough? Do you know how rare a process fossilisation is? In additon to the above being regurgitated pap from some website or book that supports your opinion (we can see how you favour this over information that is commonly accepted by experts as reliable), you seem to have a charming misconception over what evidence there SHOULD be.
Show me proof where DNA code received additional information out of nowhere.
It doesn't get it from nowhere. This statement alone (akin to someone saying Leonardo Da Vinchi invented the colour green) marks your cards as opinionated but uninformed.
Where is the proof that ANY life form is evolving into a more complex life form.
In the fossil record; this is a massive bank of evidence of life forms evolving from one form into more complex ones. You do not seem aware that evolution is;
1/ The word used to describe the development of organsims as preserved in the fossil recod.
2/ The theory of how this change takes place.
By saying 1/ does not exist you risk placing yourself out there amongst the people who say the Earth is 10,000 years old...
Well it should be doncha think! If evolution has so much evidence that it is a fact, then we should SEE the mechanics of it in everyday life wouldn't we?
We do. Lactose tolerance and sickle cell anemia are two such examples. Of course, you are swallowing, hook line and sinker the false argument put forward by cynics. They make it sound like the failure of new forms of life to pop up every minute indicates evolution is false, when no one says new forms of life pop up every minute; the time scale is far far larger... of course, this ignores bacteria, which evolve like crazy and acquire new (for them) gemetic information all the time. But it does happen; a new species of plant (arrisng from a non-backbreeding self-fertile hyprid) was ntoiced in a train station car park, for example.
Do some research on ring species to try and understand why transitions are normally so hard to 'see'. The Lesser black-backed gull and the Herring gull are one such example... an ancestor species spread one way round the world... by the time it arrived from the West at the point the ancestor species had moved Eastward, the Western members of the species no longer bred with those in the original locale... yet at any point in its range you can take gulls from comparatively close breeding zones and they will interbreed. Two species with no visable transition.
Until there is scientific proof that a single celled organism can evolve into a more complex organism I will remain an unbeliever in evolution. If this is the means that all life came from, there must be evidence. There have been so many errors in scientific theory's in the history of science that it is ignorant to me to accept as fact an unproven theory.
The biggest thing you ignore is that evolution cynics do not change their opinion of origins as new evidence arrises; they are stuck in a time wharp where their hypothesis is exactly the same as it was, with no new evidence for it, as it was 10,000 years ago.
If REAL evidence was found tomorrow that disproved evolution it would be discarded as a theory by any reputable scientist.
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When You got Demons in your Pants...
by OUTLAW inwhen you got demons in your pants,you can do the demon dance!...
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Abaddon
Okay, who's been feeding my pot plants Polonium again? How the hell am I gonna smoke that?
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I thought I was alone
by elinor ini just could not believe it when i stumbled across this forum recently.
i was actually doing research for my dad who wanted to see the world's viewpoint of the failed 1975 prophecy.
he came into the truth less than three years ago and though my mom has been a witness since she was a teenager she never spoke of that particular time period to him.
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Abaddon
Well, I thought I was 'alone' between I guess '93 and '96, and then I found the xJW community online.
I can understand you wanting to fade, it;s what I did as I have kids an ex-wife and an entire family in...
... or I should say I HAD an entire family in, as 'the penny dropped' with some of my nephews and they've recently announced they're not going any longer. They did this on their own (and until recently on their own included not confiding in each other) as although my family don't shun me there's very little contact.
I'm so happy for you; it is hard learning you've been used the way you have, but;
... the best revenge is living well...
... and not fufilling the dire prophecies Dubbies make about people who 'fall away' (never use their terms; 'fall' sounds like a mistake or accident, most people 'walk away' quite deliberately... ).
So try to put your anger and frustration into doing just that, as that's the bet way to show Dubbism up for being the bunch of lies it is. You might have to re-examine your beliefs on loads; friendship, sex, god, evolution, charity, holidays; you might find once you put on your critical thinking hat you'll find religions are all just varying degrees of self-deception and whistful thinking. Sometime in the future you'll find you've (unawres) been thinking of things or acting like a Dubbie and have to kick yourself for it; it's not something you can 'get over' quickly.
But you can live, and live well, hell, live BETTER than you ever did before.
Merry Christmas!!!
But
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Jacob and Joshua Miller of Nemesis Claim to Have Been Officially ``Disfello
by WCC injacob and joshua miller of nemesis claim to have been officially ` .... style="background-color: #ffff00"business wire (press release), ca - 11 minutes ago.
the two of us were just informed that last night a jehovah's witness meeting took place in our hometown of kalispell, montana.
at .... december 21, 2006 09:00 am eastern time .
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Abaddon
OUTLAW
What am I doing wrong? My hair's not it's orignal colour but I am straight and my guitar playing sucks... maybe I need to watch more Will & Grace... ? Soak up those gay vibes from the TV...
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HELP! Trying to convince my parents I am going to meetings!
by stillAwitness ina few weeks ago i posted about about how my parents have been asking about wether or not my card has been sent to my "new congregation" since i moved out in july.
up until now, i have been stalling not knowing wether or not i wanted to just come out and say "i have not been going to meetings" or not take any action at all.
well someone left an interesting piece of advice on my thread that i have been contemplating doing.that maybe, perhaps i should just have my card sent to a congregation that isn't anywhere near the actual city i live in.
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Abaddon
It's simple; cultist parents are (wait for it) in a cult.
This means we are the adults in the relationship even if we aren't adults (yet) or are but don't act like we do.
Adults lie to children for good reason at times.
It is inevitable that a child of cultists who wants to get out of the cult will have to lie to their parents at time, for a good reason.
Anyone who has avoided doing this either has done extremely well and been fortunate (and should be glad they don't have to walk a mile in anyone elses shoes), or has no parents.
Anyone who has done it is in any case simply doing what most kids do to their parents at various points; I don't think I dated a single girl at University who was honest with their parents about smoking.
I think no matter what one might think about the veracity or otherwise of an individual (and hell is there some projection going on, I'm a skeptic little $ucker and I just don't see what some others do) one should be realistic about what standards one expects them to comply to, especially if we can't say we have always followed out own advice.
So, any one who hasn't lied to their parents, carry on criticising. Me, I'll just shut up and figure out if I will tell the truth about having a Christmas tree if asked by my parents...
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"Serena soaks up the pressure" Fame + JW
by DannyHaszard inserena soaks up the pressure
people are used to seeing us all serious on court.".
i love wimbledon.
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Abaddon
I wonder what chromosomes they have?
If you cut out photos of them and of male athletes and swap heads around you can see that aside from tits they have male torsos and upper bodies... wanna see what a black male athlete would look like in drag? Stick his head on a Williams sister!
Now they could just be gifted female athletes with very male physiques... they could have been fed steroids with their Cheerios throughout puberty... or maybe they're XXX'ers.
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Lurkers: Why the Watchtower REALLY Opposes Holidays
by metatron inno doubt many of you used to wonder why so many potential jehovah's witnesses had a problem with dropping the celebration of holidays,.
especially christmas.
i can recall some publishers wondering aloud why their bible studies were ready to swallow watchtower doctrines.
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Abaddon
If you can control someone's sex drive and their relationships with members of their family, then everything else is easy...
Good comments so far!
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Special Christmas Gifts (1 daughter, 3 nephews)
by Abaddon inthis christmas is a special one.. first of all it'll be the first i've celebrated with my eldest daughter.
she turned 16 this summer and moved to the netherlands from the uk to live with me and my fiance.
she is absolutely delighted with trees and tinsel and everything about it; her face when we went to the christmas decorations department was a classic... she has her own tree in her bedroom and i swear it's about to go through the floor it has so many fricking decorations on it... talk about tinseltown.... it is also our first christmas in our new house, which we moved to to make my daughter's move possible.. and finally, over the past few weeks i have learnt that three of my nephews have told their parents they are not going to meetings any longer.
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Abaddon
Thanks everyone!
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1/15 WT: The Watchtower's Sick Social Order
by metatron ini just got done reading the latest watchtower and it reinforces any notion that the old men who run this religion.
want nothing to do with ethical reform of their cult.. the magazine gives an effective look at the way that the watchtower hierarchy maintains their sick social order.. first, women are inferiors, period.
nevermind the fact that women can manage/run/ or lead an organization equally as.
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Abaddon
Heh... my daughter went to visit her grandparents a couple of months back, went along to a meeting to have a quiet life... there was some of this migoynistic bull about women being a weaker vessel in the meeting; she answered up along the lines of;
"Of course if you think women can bleed for a week every month and not die the idea of them being a weaker vessel compared to men might come as a surprise."
