What do you believe in Ele?I know you're a bit of a science buff.Anything else?

Not sure. I have a lot of clutter here.Have been avoiding Chinese-made products as much as possible for about 20 years. Don't like their monopolistic practices and economic aggression.My phone and IT stuff are from Korea. My husband's cars are Japanese. M...  moreNot sure. I have a lot of clutter here.Have been avoiding Chinese-made products as much as possible for about 20 years. Don't like their monopolistic practices and economic aggression.My phone and IT stuff are from Korea. My husband's cars are Japanese. Most of my food comes from within a radius of 40 kilometers. Most of my clothes are from fabrics grown and made in this country, and designed and sewn in this country - the exceptions being the few necessities we can't produce. It's not jingoism; it's low carbon-footprint values.But these days there are components that come from all sorts of places; one can't always know where every part of every item has come from.If I had to take drugs to keep me alive, I imagine they most likely be manufactured under the red flag. Hard to escape that one.  less

Thank you!

Ha! For such an exceptionally bright person, your reply makes me wonder what kind of fooling you're talking about.

Guidelines for helping- Most of the time, most people are the only ones who can help themselves.- Wait until someone asks for help, and always ask exactly what kind of help they want.- Only give it if you can do so without cost to yourself, or if you can ...  moreGuidelines for helping- Most of the time, most people are the only ones who can help themselves.- Wait until someone asks for help, and always ask exactly what kind of help they want.- Only give it if you can do so without cost to yourself, or if you can afford the cost willingly.- If it's advice, don't expect them to take it.- Don't expect anything in return unless it's agreed in advance.- If someone is unconscious, ring for help without waiting for permission.- If someone seems incapable of helping themselves due to disability,    first ask if they want help and to give you instructions on how.- If someone is unable to ask (an animal, too young, too old or injured) give help immediately and ring the emergency help line.  less

Yes, in several different ways.I could be fooled again if the con devises some new tactic.But I'm a lot more cautious now with anything or anyone that is unfamiliar.How about you, Ele?

No.But I do believe that some as yet inexplicable phenomena do occur.

I accept the method and evidence of science.I believe in the benefits of empathy, honesty, responsibility and developing wisdom.I believe in the value of unconditional love.

A savoury pie, please, (not sweet).

I feel the vibrations through the ground, floor, walls and furniture.The other night at three am I was woken by the vibrations of the barking of a dog on a hill 2 ks away.Living in a rural environment, the senses have opened out and become much more sensi...  moreI feel the vibrations through the ground, floor, walls and furniture.The other night at three am I was woken by the vibrations of the barking of a dog on a hill 2 ks away.Living in a rural environment, the senses have opened out and become much more sensitive than back when I lived in the inner city.  

At the farmers market about three weeks ago.And on the news in the last few weeks.

In terms of sensing and then responding, a sprinter reacts to a starting gun in about 150 milliseconds.  I googled many sites and couldn't find a precise answer.Psychologists and neuroscientists now know that thoughts travel at different speeds depen...  moreIn terms of sensing and then responding, a sprinter reacts to a starting gun in about 150 milliseconds.  I googled many sites and couldn't find a precise answer.Psychologists and neuroscientists now know that thoughts travel at different speeds depending on the type of thought, how well established (trained) the particular thinking skill is, how much emotion or rationality is required, whether the thought is conscious or unconscious, and so on. In learning a new task or in creating something original, the cognitive processes may be much slower, until experimentation has proved what works. Practice gradually improves speed and accuracy. With some tasks, ceasing to think and just allowing the body to do what it knows how to do is much quicker and more efficient - hence a martial artist needs to be able to enter the "zone" to function at his or her best. We do this when we eat with a knife and fork or write - hardly noticing the brain's instructions in moving the body - yet cognition and micro instructions are...    less

Odd - unless it's a precaution against the chance of a last minute reversal of the sentence and needing another injection to revive the prisoner. I don't know if reversal within the first few minutes is possible.

Logic or evidence that something is not what I thought, works better or is beneficial.

Thanks, Savvy. If I had heaps of money, I'd probably spend most of it on environmental &/or social justice issues. But there's a part of me that would love to travel the world by sailboat, bicycle, on horse, donkey, camel or elephant backs, or on foot. Na...  moreThanks, Savvy. If I had heaps of money, I'd probably spend most of it on environmental &/or social justice issues. But there's a part of me that would love to travel the world by sailboat, bicycle, on horse, donkey, camel or elephant backs, or on foot. Natural environments count high for me, but so also do people and cultures. I guess it's what makes the world what it is - and we're lucky to be alive to experience it. Even though there are times when it can be sad, distressing, brutal or painful, there is also so much beauty, wonder, awe and goodness.It's true about Daintree. Try looking up the spiders that look like 1960s jewellery. There are details in the flora and fauna that are amazing.What have been your best holidays?  less

When I was a kid, it was my parents who decided on the location. While very young, it was a kids' home while they went off on their own. In primary school years, holidays occurred whenever the stock market was high & yielding good dividends. They took my ...  moreWhen I was a kid, it was my parents who decided on the location. While very young, it was a kids' home while they went off on their own. In primary school years, holidays occurred whenever the stock market was high & yielding good dividends. They took my younger sister and I to Fiji and New Caledonia.In highschool years, after Dad had died, Mum took us to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Bali.In my tertiary years in London, UK, I went on camping trips in Europe during the long summer holidays: France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Netherlands and Denmark.Since returning to Australia at 23, have never been overseas and rarely been on a holiday.Bus trip camping with 15 friends to Uluru and several other sacred sites in the central desert.Ari and I had our honeymoon in the Daintree National Park.As time passed, income dropped, making holidays unaffordable.Ari and I will make a major sacrifice to attend his niece's wedding in Melbourne this coming December.That's probably the last holiday we'll ever have.I think of holiday...    less

Not really over-generalising in this instance.One of the Buddha's Four Noble Truths was The Truth of Suffering. It states that sickness, old age and death can happen to us all and are sources of distress.A modern way of interpreting this is to say "life n...  moreNot really over-generalising in this instance.One of the Buddha's Four Noble Truths was The Truth of Suffering. It states that sickness, old age and death can happen to us all and are sources of distress.A modern way of interpreting this is to say "life necessarily contains dissatisfactions".Freud defined these as the frustrations of unfulfilled drives or primal instincts.Maslow described them as a hierarchy of needs, starting with the physical (air, water, food, safety, shelter, procreation), moving through the emotional (belonging, respect, trust, love etc), to the intellectual and finally the spiritual (meaning, purpose, creativity, maturity, self-fulfillment, enlightenment).As children we feel happy when these needs are fulfilled; as adults, when we achieve them for ourselves and others. We feel discontent or unhappy when we cannot fulfill them. Anxiety, fear, doubt, jealousy, envy, vindictive glee, sadism, callousness, anger, sadness, grief, greed, shame, remorse and depression are all different just k...    less

In favour of affirmative action for university admissions.Intelligence is not limited to race, sex or class. It crops up in every social group. And yet, statistically, the higher the intelligence, the rarer it is. No nation can afford to squander its most...  moreIn favour of affirmative action for university admissions.Intelligence is not limited to race, sex or class. It crops up in every social group. And yet, statistically, the higher the intelligence, the rarer it is. No nation can afford to squander its most talented assets.However, having worked in the sector, I've seen that there is a higher dropout rate for those who get admitted without first passing the basics qualifications - much more common for those who are the first in their family to get tertiary education - which is code for an under or non-privileged social and familial background.This drop out rate doesn't mean we should abandon affirmative action. Rather, it means there is a need for bridging courses of 6 months to a year to train such students in the skills they need in order to be successful at uni. These skills include: formal vocabulary, grammar using active voice and direct style; critical, analytical, comparative and synthetic (creative or combining) thinking; how to research; how to compose an...    less

Probably true.It would help her understand if he were willing to answer her questions honestly.

Some of us Boomers do experience difficulties with IT, apps and learning how to use them.But we don't need to fathom it (i.e., deeply sound out and understand its inner workings)in order to be able to use it.Once one has learned the commands and sequences...  moreSome of us Boomers do experience difficulties with IT, apps and learning how to use them.But we don't need to fathom it (i.e., deeply sound out and understand its inner workings)in order to be able to use it.Once one has learned the commands and sequences by rote (repetition), using any app is as simple as switching an electric light on or off.Even though the social pressures from govt, family, friends and community can be very strong,nobody actually imposes phones or computers on us.Options still exist everywhere for people to communicate via landline, fax, post and in person.Rather, we choose to hook into the electricity grid, buy a modem and computer or a mobile phone, sign a contract with a service provider, and connect ourselves to the Net. No one beat us, threatened us with a gun or any other kind of coercion.There's no point in blaming younger generations for anything, least of all their luck in growing up as digital natives, able to surf with computers or cells as easily as they breathe. Certainly no jus...    less

Mostly yes, but doesn't have to be.It's up to us to create it.

I did think that when I first realised the seriousness and current rate of acceleration of climate change.I just didn't want to be around to witness it.The intensity of the grief was as bad as any major depression.But slowly I adapted and accepted.Now, I ...  moreI did think that when I first realised the seriousness and current rate of acceleration of climate change.I just didn't want to be around to witness it.The intensity of the grief was as bad as any major depression.But slowly I adapted and accepted.Now, I do what I can to minimise my greenhouse gas footprint - and other than that, adapt for survival and try to enjoy life as best I can while it's still possible.  

8 billion people is considered by climate scientists to be overpopulated.We consume more resources than the Earth can replenish and still retain a balanced atmosphere and ecosystems.We would need to reduce our total to about 5 million in order to maintain...  more8 billion people is considered by climate scientists to be overpopulated.We consume more resources than the Earth can replenish and still retain a balanced atmosphere and ecosystems.We would need to reduce our total to about 5 million in order to maintain the balance in this current round of evolution.We also need to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy from sun, wind and hydro.There are lots of other solutions we need to get into as quickly as possible.It will take everyone's efforts around the globe to make a sufficient difference to survive.  less

Heartfire,Scribbler,Bookworm,maybe others I've forgotten.

Ari and I celebrated the SUmmer Solstice yesterday in our usual way, rising in the dark to watch the dawn with a cup of tea. Hope you're having a happy eight days of Hanukah.Hope your family are well.

Bought a butter yellow linen shirt and dark olive green linen sheet set - 30% off and needed them anyway.Feeling very happy about it.Spent the day recovering from a hike up a mountain with friends yesterday - calf muscles complaining - gentle yoga stretch...  moreBought a butter yellow linen shirt and dark olive green linen sheet set - 30% off and needed them anyway.Feeling very happy about it.Spent the day recovering from a hike up a mountain with friends yesterday - calf muscles complaining - gentle yoga stretches.Will be right again tomorrow.  

Despite Musk's apparent Midas touch in the past, I think he may have overreached this time.His other businesses had obvious technical value.Social media are fickle platforms and I don't think Elon understands people.Stu B's advice is well informed.

Thankfully, nothing except recovery from a walk to Brummies Lookout yesterday.Glad to see you still have your nubile fanclub, Randy.Wishing all Muggers some good deals for Black Fridayand a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with loved ones.

They don't even try to say why it might be special.The sellers and the buyers (if any) would have to be mad.

Sorry to hear that, Cosmic.No one deserves to be abused for their point of view or leanings.In fact, I think that kind of abuse is the opposite of free speech. It's an attempt to bully opponents into silence, force them to shut down and hide.Which makes i...  moreSorry to hear that, Cosmic.No one deserves to be abused for their point of view or leanings.In fact, I think that kind of abuse is the opposite of free speech. It's an attempt to bully opponents into silence, force them to shut down and hide.Which makes it all the more important to hold one's ground and do it in an unconditionally patient and respectful way. We can say why we hold the views we do. We can point to the evidence of places in the world where the policies we like best have been proven to work very well, and show exactly how they work. We can refer to scholarly research, documentaries, YouTube and TED talks by experts.Online environments for media and social sites have definitely multiplied the tendency for those with strong views to become more verbally abusive.The media encourage this, particularly those owned by the Murdoch empire. People flock to the news that reinforces their pre-existing bias, and they deliberately avoid examining and thinking about alternative opinions and arguments. In ad...    less

Have I seen snow? Rarely. Can count the times.- when I was 4 and our family went to the ski fields of Mount Kosciuszko (NSW).- when 21 as a student in London, UK during the coldest winter on record,    .......tobogganing down the hill ...  moreHave I seen snow? Rarely. Can count the times.- when I was 4 and our family went to the ski fields of Mount Kosciuszko (NSW).- when 21 as a student in London, UK during the coldest winter on record,    .......tobogganing down the hill at Green Hill Observatory- while cycling along the lowers foothills of Snowdonia in Wales- driving through and pausing in Switzerland's Susten Pass on the way to Geneva- in my 30's hiking along the back of Mount Buffalo (Victoria) in mid-Summer - got hypothermiaI've never had to shovel snow.I don't envy you the hard yakka of having to dig your way out just to get to food and groceries at the nearest shop.I've been watching the increasing severity and changeability of extreme weather events in your neck of the woods.We're not immune here either. But the kinds are different: cyclones, floods, droughts and bushfires - all of catastrophic proportions.  less

About the size of the Emperor's new clothes.

Any plans for Hanukkah?

I often dream of moving back to England where I was born.My Anglo ancestors committed horrors against the Nungar and Gunditjmara people here in Oz.I have a strong feeling that I don't really belong here and never have - even though I love the landscape an...  moreI often dream of moving back to England where I was born.My Anglo ancestors committed horrors against the Nungar and Gunditjmara people here in Oz.I have a strong feeling that I don't really belong here and never have - even though I love the landscape and many aspects of Aussie life.I loathe the cold and rain of England, the polluted air and overcrowdedness of London, the dangers of molestation, mugging and theft on public transport, the increasing shifts of politics to the right. And the fact that the national parks have no true protection of endemic flora and fauna; there is nowhere free of the profound effects of human actions on the land, nowhere still wild. The cost of living there is more than double what it is here.Yet there are other aspects I love about the UK: the cosmopolitan and multiracial cultures, old and ancient architecture, the wealth, depth and ubiquity of arts and literature, and the fact that even the least educated speak English better than the best educated Aussies.When it comes to the cr...    less

Try wholemeal rye bread with thinly spread hatcho miso, thick slices of avocado, parsley and pepper. Guaranteed yummy.

I can't give a good technical answer but homo sapiens has moved from mono to stereo to quadrophonic surround sound. We have base woofers so loud that can destroy our hearing and few laws to prevent accidental overexposure. We have such precision with reco...  moreI can't give a good technical answer but homo sapiens has moved from mono to stereo to quadrophonic surround sound. We have base woofers so loud that can destroy our hearing and few laws to prevent accidental overexposure. We have such precision with recordings that they can sound almost exactly like the original, or be tweeked way beyond the expertise of the musicians, sound artificially "perfect", or sound totally synthesised. IT can fake sound so that we have to be careful about the probability and evidence for whether recordings are real.  less

It's partly a function of the fashion industry, partly a culture which expects us to dress appropriately for each occasion, and partly affluence.Consider someone in the third world: it's likely they may have no shoes or only a very few pairs, probably sec...  moreIt's partly a function of the fashion industry, partly a culture which expects us to dress appropriately for each occasion, and partly affluence.Consider someone in the third world: it's likely they may have no shoes or only a very few pairs, probably second hand and many times resoled and mended.I'm sure most Westernised men wear more than just shoes. They'll probably have slides, bedroom slippers, boots for hiking or work, formal shoes, casual shoes, sports shoes, and gumboots or equivalent for wet days.Queens and trannies will probably have a huge range.Some women have only their orthotics; nothing else would work.  less

It's partly a function of the fashion industry, partly a culture which expects us to dress appropriately for each occasion, and partly affluence.Consider someone in the third world: it's likely they may have no shoes or only a very few pairs, probably sec...  moreIt's partly a function of the fashion industry, partly a culture which expects us to dress appropriately for each occasion, and partly affluence.Consider someone in the third world: it's likely they may have no shoes or only a very few pairs, probably second hand and many times resoled and mended.I'm sure most Westernised men wear more than just shoes. They'll probably have slides, bedroom slippers, boots for hiking or work, formal shoes, casual shoes, sports shoes, and gumboots or equivalent for wet days.Queens and trannies will probably have a huge range.Some women have only their orthotics; nothing else would work.  less

News media broadcast according to seven key values:ImpactEvents are more newsworthy when they affect a greater number of people.
RelevanceThe bigger an issue is in the public mind, the more newsworthy it is.TimelinessAn event is more newsworthy the sooner...  moreNews media broadcast according to seven key values:ImpactEvents are more newsworthy when they affect a greater number of people.
RelevanceThe bigger an issue is in the public mind, the more newsworthy it is.TimelinessAn event is more newsworthy the sooner it is reported.ProximityEvents are more newsworthy the closer they are to the community reading about them.ProminenceEvents are more newsworthy when they involve public figures. This may include politicians, judges, experts, anyone with a great deal of influence or power. It also includes celebrities (sports stars, actors, artists etc) because many people are interested in following them. ConflictTo be well informed, the public has the right to know all the arguments on all sides of an issue (even if many people prefer to hear only their own side).Events are more newsworthy when they involve disagreement. Many of us are closely following Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, and hoping the Ukrainians will win. The split between conservatives and liberals in th...    less

Yes, especially if there's a lane and a road with the same name within the same postcode. Guarantees that at least half will likely end up at the wrong address.

Reading the OT or Torah is a useful exercise for atheists. It contains much that explains many of the attitudes and practices in Western and Muslim cultures - hence helping to understand customs and conflicts around the world.It can also be seen as a roug...  moreReading the OT or Torah is a useful exercise for atheists. It contains much that explains many of the attitudes and practices in Western and Muslim cultures - hence helping to understand customs and conflicts around the world.It can also be seen as a rough approximation of the shifts from earliest nomadic, tribal, agricultural and urban societies to far more complex feudal and imperial cultures. It carries the traces of many other religions competing for supremacy. It also reveals something of the social psychology of its peoples.I'd be very surprised if the shepherds did not eat their animals. Irrespective of what the OT/Torah says, paleontology and anthropology show that the urge to control herds for easy access to meat was one of the earliest social evolutions from hunter-gatherer cultures. The Bushmen of the Kalahari hunted; the nearest tribe to them learned to herd cattle for milk and blood which shows in the enzymes and genes of their digestive systems. Others added the meat to their diets  less

Neither can I.Did he teach biology? If so, did genes play a role in reproductive biology?Did he teach geography? If so, what did the ages and types of rocks show? How about the evidence of fossil fuel residues in the last two hundred years of new sediment...  moreNeither can I.Did he teach biology? If so, did genes play a role in reproductive biology?Did he teach geography? If so, what did the ages and types of rocks show? How about the evidence of fossil fuel residues in the last two hundred years of new sedimentary rocks?Did he teach chemistry? If so, how did he understand the workings of biochemistry?Did he teach physics? If so, did that include Newtonian, and intros to Quantum and Astronomical?And what is it about the state and the employment contract that makes it possible for a teacher to refuse to teach his subject?  less

i myte frolic, skip and gimbol in the wyde wirld til the mowment of retirn to ye olde lores of gramarye, diacritics, punctuation and spelling

Thanks for the pick, Cosmic. :)

I've wracked my brain trying to remember when I last noticed something strange, new or surprising.It would have to go back to when I was very young and still didn't know much of the wider world.I remember the first times I saw a homeless person sleeping o...  moreI've wracked my brain trying to remember when I last noticed something strange, new or surprising.It would have to go back to when I was very young and still didn't know much of the wider world.I remember the first times I saw a homeless person sleeping on a park bench, a busker, a schizophrenic having a psychotic episode, a spruiker, a Scientology questionaire-er, a charity collector, someone with an odd pet like an exotic parrot or snake, someone dressed up as a koala... and so on. But soon, none of those things were strange to me; they're just another aspect of life - sometimes sad and wrong, other times joyous and fun, but still a part of the total reality.  less

For me, climate change is the most urgent issue because it affects the whole of life on this planet. It's already too late to stop it, but not too late to slow the rate and keep it within a survivable range.Yes, simultaneously, we need to brainstorm effec...  moreFor me, climate change is the most urgent issue because it affects the whole of life on this planet. It's already too late to stop it, but not too late to slow the rate and keep it within a survivable range.Yes, simultaneously, we need to brainstorm effective ways to deal with the alt right, populists and demagogues.We need to find a way to prevent fake news.  

Interesting question.I guess one could look at different types of inequality.Younger and older kids are usually unequal in many abilities - but we see that as a normal aspect of development and don't worry about it. We just sort the kids into grades on th...  moreInteresting question.I guess one could look at different types of inequality.Younger and older kids are usually unequal in many abilities - but we see that as a normal aspect of development and don't worry about it. We just sort the kids into grades on the education conveyor belt, and sort them into classes for ability (with or without the appropriate help).Yet if some disabled people have obstacles similar to those of a younger person, "normally able" people treat the disabled as less than equal. Disabled people have a much harder time getting jobs they are perfectly able to do. Many public facilities exclude them due to lack of physical access. Individuals enact acts of prejudice: ignoring, slighting, abusing, sexually harassing, assaulting, or patronising.There would be many examples like this: racism, misogyny, homophobia, ageism, class snobbery and its inverse, etc. Even though the common denominator is social inequality, the levels of what equals what are somehow different. For instance, if in China a pers...    less