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News & Science: Palin to resign as Alaska governor

Fri, 03 Jul 09 18:12:12 -0400

[url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31726640/ns/politics-more_politics/]Source[/url] [quote:edf1e51145]Palin to resign as Alaska governor Former VP hopeful says she'll work for change from outside government updated 8 minutes ago WASILLA, Alaska - Sarah Palin made a surprise announcement Friday that she will resign as governor of Alaska in a few weeks, saying she will try to "effect positive change" from outside government. The former Republican vice presidential candidate hastily called a news conference Friday morning at her home in suburban Wasilla, giving such short notice that only a few reporters actually made it to the announcement. She said the decision has been "in the works" for a while and comes after "prayer and consideration" and discussions with her family. She is handing the reins over to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who will be sworn in at the governor's picnic in Fairbanks on July 26. Parnell and most of Palin's cabinet and Palin's family were at the announcement. Palin was vague about why exactly she is stepping down rather than finish out her first term, which ends in 2010. "We know we can effect positive change outside government at this point in time on another scale and actually make a difference for our priorities," she said. She added that she was tired of what she described as "superficial, wasteful, political bloodsport." Some have speculated in the past that Palin may be interested in a run for president in 2012, but she did not mention running for another office at her press conference. Sources told NBC's Andrea Mitchell that it appears Palin is out of politics for good. No 'lame duck' "I know when it�s time to pass the ball for victory," Palin said, adding that she didn't want to be a "lame duck" politician. �Many just accept that 'lame duck' status and they hit the road. They draw a paycheck and they kind of milk it. I�m not going to put Alaskans through that. I promised efficiencies and effectiveness," she said. Later, on the micro-blogging service Twitter, she promised supporters more details: "We'll soon attach info on decision to not seek re-election ... this is in Alaska's best interest, my family's happy ... it is good. Stay tuned." Palin's decision even took Parnell by surprise. He said he was told on Wednesday evening, and was not aware that any presidential ambitions were behind the move. The Alaska Republican Party said it was grateful for Palin's leadership and excited about Parnell taking over. "Gov. Palin's decision not to run for re-election means there will be a vigorous race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010. Alaska has an impressive cadre of conservative candidates we are confident will vie for the office of governor and the party stands ready to fully support which ever conservative candidate our members choose to represent them in the general election," the party said in a statement. State Democrats ridiculed Palin's timing. "Sarah Palin's decision to step down as governor is a shock to Alaskans, coming at a time when leadership is needed secure a gas pipeline and address rising unemployment," said Patti Higgins, chair of the Alaska Democratic Party. "Palin's lack of commitment to her sworn obligation to serve her term to the best of her ability is a betrayal to all Alaskans." Palin was elected Alaska's youngest and first woman governor in 2006 at age 42. She emerged from relative obscurity nearly a year ago when she was tapped as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate. She was only the second woman to appear on a major party presidential ticket � Democrat Geraldine Ferraro was the first when she ran unsuccessfully for vice president with Walter Mondale in 1984. [/quote:edf1e51145]

Multimedia: Atheist melon sketch on Mitchel and Webb

Fri, 03 Jul 09 10:30:07 -0400

This cracked me up last night I can't find it on youtube yet but the sketch in question starts at 24:06 on bbc iplayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lj87g

News & Science: Scots 'using chip fat' to boost tan

Fri, 03 Jul 09 07:19:03 -0400

[quote:7a45bbb593]Published Date: 03 July 2009 Sun-worshipping Scots are risking skin cancer by using moisturiser, baby oil and even chip fat instead of protective cream, researchers have said. A survey found that unhealthy sunbathing habits are to blame for Scots having the highest risk of contracting skin cancer in the UK. One in five polled admitted to "binge" tanning, and a quarter said they used sun lotions. with lower than recommendADVERTISEMENT ed protection, while four out of 10 Scots also admitted experimenting with their own sun lotions, such as cooking oils and moisturiser. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), who carried out the survey, urged sun worshippers not to "fry" this summer by investing in high-factor lotions. RPSGB spokeswoman Laura Wilson said: "This is a serious issue. I am worried that people still think the warnings about the sun do not apply to them. In Scotland we have higher rates of melanoma than in Australia. "Scots tend to think they do not need to use sun creams at home but people must respect the sun at all times and make sure they use a recommended sun protection cream." The YouGov survey of more than 1,000 people in Scotland found that four out of 10 had experienced blistered or peeling skin after spending too long in the sun. The RPSGB urged Scots to seek sun protection advice from their local pharmacy. The spokeswoman said: "They are in an ideal position to give advice on how to prevent sun damage, make sure people get the right protection for their skin and know when and how to apply the right amount safely. They can also advise on aftercare treatments if people are suffering from sunburn." The society advises applying cream with a minimum sun protection factor of 15, staying in the shade during the hottest part of the day between 11am and 3pm, and wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sun glasses with UV protection.[/quote:7a45bbb593] [url=http://www.kilsythchronicle.co.uk/latest-scottish-news/Scots-39using-chip-fat39-to.5426261.jp]butter me up[/url]

Recycle Bin: How to convert video files to MP4/3GP/WMV/FLV and other vide

Fri, 03 Jul 09 04:49:30 -0400

I am not very good at digital stuff and I don't know exactly what the video format is, such as mp4, wmv, avi, and so on. I only know my iPod accepts mp4 video, my windows movie make supports wmv and if you want to upload your videos to youtube.com you have to make it into flv I think. And if you have a Camcorder video I think not many player can play it so just convert them. You know I can easily manage those video format because of [b:5e809cff30]Aiseesoft [url=http://www.aiseesoft.com/total-video-converter.html]Total Video Converter[/url][/b:5e809cff30] It allows you to convert videos to any video format you want(including HD video). Here I will share with you how to use it: [b:5e809cff30]Step 1: Load Video[/b:5e809cff30] You can load your videos into the converter by clicking �Add File� [img:5e809cff30]http://www.aiseesoft.com/images/guide/total-video-converter/screen-new.jpg[/img:5e809cff30] [b:5e809cff30]Step 2: Choose output info[/b:5e809cff30] This converter provides you many output profiles for you to choose, you can choose your output profiles according to your need. And also you can just choose a certain video format. You can also adjust the settings of your output profiles. You can even save a certain settings as your own output settings. [img:5e809cff30]http://www.aiseesoft.com/images/guide/total-video-converter/settings-new.jpg[/img:5e809cff30] [b:5e809cff30]Step 3: Conversion[/b:5e809cff30] Click �Start� button to begin your conversion and few mins later you can get your video. [b:5e809cff30]Tips:[/b:5e809cff30] How to effect, trim and crop the video to improve your output video quality. After your Load your video you can click �Effect� button to access the effect panel [b:5e809cff30]1: Effect[/b:5e809cff30] Adjust the video effect as you want: Brightness, Contrast, Saturation and Deinterlacing. [img:5e809cff30]http://www.aiseesoft.com/images/guide/total-video-converter/effect-new.jpg[/img:5e809cff30] [b:5e809cff30]2: Trim[/b:5e809cff30] Clip your video, pick up any part of your video to convert. You have 3 ways to do trim: 1.Dragging the slider 2.Controlling the �Trim From� and �Trim To� button 3.Setting the Start and End time [img:5e809cff30]http://www.aiseesoft.com/images/guide/total-video-converter/trim-new.jpg[/img:5e809cff30] [b:5e809cff30]3: Crop[/b:5e809cff30] Adjust video size, Cut off the black edge of your video to let you enjoy your movie in full screen by click the 'Crop' button You have 2 ways to do crop: 1.Move your mouse cursor onto one of the eight small adjustment boxes on the cropping frame and drag the crop frame to crop the video such as cutting off top and bottom black bar. The cropped result will be shown on the Output Preview at the same time 2.Type the value directly or set the value in "Left", "Right" and "Cropped area size" area to set the position of the cropping frame. [img:5e809cff30]http://www.aiseesoft.com/images/guide/total-video-converter/crop-new.jpg[/img:5e809cff30] You can also select the aspect ratio from the Zoom Mode drop-down list. There are 4 choices for you: Full Screen, 16:9, 4:3 and Keep Original. After you convert your videos you can put your video to iPod, Windows Movie Maker, youtube.com, and other player without any problem.

News & Science: India legalizes homosexuality

Fri, 03 Jul 09 02:58:24 -0400

[quote:55f5551a27] India decriminalises gay sex NEW DELHI: India took a giant, albeit belated, step towards globalisation on Thursday when the Delhi high court delivered a historic judgement to amend a 149-year-old colonial-era law � Section 377 of the IPC � and decriminalise private consensual sex between adults of the same sex. It is the biggest victory yet for gays rights and a major milestone in the country's social evolution. India becomes the 127th country to take the guilt out of homosexuality. In a judgment that has aroused strong reactions from religious and political groups, the court declared that Section 377 IPC, where it ``criminalized consensual sexual acts of adults in private'', violated fundamental rights to personal liberty (Article 21 of the Constitution) and equality (Article 14) and prohibition of discrimination (Article 15). A bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Muralidhar clarified that the provisions of Section 377, enacted in 1860 to deal with an unspecified range of ``unnatural offences'', would hereafter be restricted to non-consensual penile ``non-vaginal sex'' (rape by a homosexual) and ``penile non-vaginal sex involving minors'' (pedophilia). In a courtroom tense with anticipation, the bench invoked Jawaharlal Nehru's stirring words to the Constituent Assembly, while linking the issue of homosexuality with the politically resonant theme of inclusiveness. ``If there is one constitutional tenet that can be said to be (the) underlying theme of the Indian Constitution, it is that of inclusiveness.'' As a corollary, it added that ``those perceived by the majority as `deviants' or `different' are not on that score excluded or ostracized.'' Upholding the petition filed by Naz Foundation, the court ruled: ``Indian constitutional law does not permit the statutory criminal law to be held captive by the popular misconceptions of who the LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders) are. It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster the dignity of every individual.'' ``There is almost unanimous medical and psychiatric opinion that homosexuality is not a disease or a disorder and is just another expression of human sexuality,'' the court observed. While stating that its reinterpretation of Section 377 would hold till Parliament amends the law, the court commended the Law Commission's 172nd report which, it said, ``removes a great deal of confusion''. The Law Commission suggested repeal of Section 377 while redefining rape to include sexual offences of non-consensual sex between adults of the same sex and pedophilia. The verdict triggered protests from religious leaders across the spectrum who invoked the ``will of God'' to claim that the ruling would lead to the ``ruination'' of society and family values. Social workers and psychologists, however, welcomed the order, describing it as ``scientific and humane.'' Political parties seemed divided. The CPM welcomed the judgement, while Samajwadi Party said it was totally opposed to it. Both Congress and BJP sought to buy time in order to assess the popular opinion � both said they would have to study the order before commenting on it. BJP leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, though, came out in opposition, indicating an emerging left-right divide on the issue. The court has clarified that its judgment would not result in the re-opening of criminal cases involving Section 377 IPC that have already attained finality. [/quote:55f5551a27] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi-High-Court-legalizes-homosexuality/articleshow/4726608.cms[/quote]

Introductions: Hello!

Thu, 02 Jul 09 22:58:41 -0400

Hello everyone! Name's Kris. Aged 16. Male. I'm a recently, erm, converted atheist. However, the more I learn about atheism and its arguments against theism, the more I realize that these are the kinds of thoughts that I've had my whole life, but my need to please "God" squashed them out before. In other words, I'm excited to live my life free of fairy-tales! I'm also excited to get started using this forum! So--I guess I'll see everyone around?

Heretic Hall: Well, this is interesting.

Thu, 02 Jul 09 16:41:25 -0400

If predictable: [quote:bca671b1bb] it has been suggested that the reliability of findings published in the scientific literature decreases with the popularity of a research field. [/quote:bca671b1bb] http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005996

Humor: Let the bodies hit the floor

Thu, 02 Jul 09 13:16:37 -0400

News & Science: Vegetarian diet weakens bones

Thu, 02 Jul 09 12:05:26 -0400

[b:71ecac124e][size=18:71ecac124e]Vegetarian diet weakens bones[/size:71ecac124e][/b:71ecac124e] SYDNEY (AFP) � People who live on vegetarian diets have slightly weaker bones than their meat-eating counterparts, Australian researchers said Thursday. A joint Australian-Vietnamese study of links between the bones and diet of more than 2,700 people found that vegetarians had bones five percent less dense than meat-eaters, said lead researcher Tuan Nguyen. The issue was most pronounced in vegans, who excluded all animal products from their diet and whose bones were six percent weaker, Nguyen said. There was "practically no difference" between the bones of meat-eaters and ovolactovegetarians, who excluded meat and seafood but ate eggs and dairy products, he said. "The results suggest that vegetarian diets, particularly vegan diets, are associated with lower bone mineral density," Nguyen wrote in the study, which was published Thursday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "But the magnitude of the association is clinically insignificant," he added. Nguyen, who is from Sydney's Garvan Institute for Medical Research and collaborated on the project with the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City, said the question of whether the lower density bones translated to increased fracture risk was yet to be answered. "Given the rising number of vegetarians, roughly five percent (of people) in western countries, and the widespread incidence of osteoporosis, the issue is worth resolving," he said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090702/hl_afp/healthfooddietaustraliavietnam

News & Science: Political in-fighting during McCain/Palin campaign...

Wed, 01 Jul 09 12:57:36 -0400

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/30/politics/politico/main5126634.shtml [quote:1d760c85e2](The Politico) This story was written by Jonathan Martin. A hard-hitting piece on Sarah Palin in the new Vanity Fair has touched off a blistering exchange of insults among high-profile Republicans over last year�s GOP ticket - tearing open fresh wounds about leaks surrounding Palin and revealing for the first time some of the internal wars that paralyzed the campaign in its final days. Rival factions close to the McCain campaign have been feuding since last fall over Palin, usually waging the battle in the shadows with anonymous quotes. Now, however, some of the most well-known names in Republican politics are going on-the-record with personal attacks and blame-casting. William Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard and at times an informal adviser to Sen. John McCain, touched off the latest back-and-forth Tuesday morning with a post on his magazine�s blog criticizing the Todd Purdum-authored Palin story and pointing a finger at Steve Schmidt, McCain�s campaign manager. Kristol cited a passage in Purdum�s piece in which "some top aides" were said to worry about the Alaska governor's "mental state" and the prospect that the Alaska governor may be suffering from post-partum depression following the birth of her son Trig. �In fact, one aide who raised this possibility in the course of trashing Palin�s mental state to others in the McCain-Palin campaign was Steve Schmidt,� Kristol wrote. Asked about the accusation, Schmidt fired back in an email: �I'm sure John McCain would be president today if only Bill Kristol had been in charge of the campaign.� �After all, his management of [former Vice President] Dan Quayle�s public image as his chief of staff is still something that takes your breath away,� Schmidt continued. �His attack on me is categorically false." Asked directly in a telephone interview if he brought up the prospect of Palin suffering from post-partum depression, Schmidt said: �His allegation that I was defaming Palin by alleging post-partum depression at the campaign headquarters is categorically untrue. In fact, I think it rises to the level of a slander because it�s about the worst thing you can say about somebody who does what I do for a living.� But Kristol�s charge was seconded by Randy Scheunemann, a longtime foreign policy adviser to McCain who is also close to the Standard editor and was thought to be a Palin ally within the campaign. �Steve Schmidt has a congenital aversion to the truth,� Scheunemann said. �On two separate and distinct occasions, he speculated about about Governor Palin having post-partum depression, and on the second he threatened that if more negative publicity about the handling of Governor Palin emerged that he would leak his speculation [about post-partum depression] to the press. It was like meeting Tony Soprano.� Schmidt said Scheunemann�s charges were �categorically untrue.� �It is inappropriate for me to discuss personnel issues from the campaign,� Schmidt continued. �But suffice it to say Randy is saying these things not because they�re true but because he wants to damage my reputation because of consequences he faced for actions he took.� Schmidt is alluding, without saying so directly, to the stories that emerged after the campaign that Scheunemann had been fired. Scheunemann said Schmidt did try to fire him but added: �I�ve got a paystub through November 15th.� The questions about Scheunemann being terminated are central to the larger battle about who was trashing Palin, something that quickly came to the surface in the back and forth between Schmidt and Kristol on Tuesday. The vitriol also suggests the degree to which Palin remains a Rorschach test not simply to Republicans nationally but within a tight circle of elite operatives and commentators, many of whom seem readyto carry their arguments in 2012. Was Palin a fresh talent whose debut was mishandled by self-serving campaign insiders, or an eccentric �diva� who had no business on the national stage? Going forward, does she offer a conservative and charismatic face for a demoralized and star-less party? Or is she a loose cannon who should be consigned to the tabloids where she can reside in perpetuity with other flash-in-the-pan sensations? Schmidt, who has returned to his California-based political and public affairs consulting business, said that he �worked incredibly hard during the campaign to defend Sarah Palin and her family against a lot of attacks that I thought then and think today were very unfair.� And he got in a dig at Kristol, who frequently offered unvarnished assessments of McCain�s campaign from his perch at the Standard, on Fox News, where he is a contributor, and in his then-New York Times column. �Bill Kristol, going back to the time of the campaign, has taken a lot of cheap shots at the campaign without ever offering a plausible path to victory,� Schmidt said. �He�s in the business of ad hominem insults and criticism.� Responding to Schmidt�s counter-attack, Kristol directly fingered Schmidt: �It�s simply a fact that when the going got tough, Steve Schmidt trashed Sarah Palin, both within the campaign and (on background) to journalists. This was after Steve took credit for the Palin pick when, at first, he thought it made him look good. John McCain deserved better.� At this, Schmidt unloaded in a lengthy telephone interview, suggesting that Kristol was carrying out a personal vendetta based out of anger over the attempt to fire Scheunemann in the final days of the campaign. In doing so, Schmidt revealed what has been whispered about for months following the campaign: that he and another top aide had ordered a leak hunt in the campaign�s internal email system. �What this is about is a personal issue that happened late in the campaign relating to a close, personal friend of Bill Kristol and people at the Weekly Standard,� Schmidt said, refusing to use Scheunemann�s name. �At the end of the campaign there were a series of leaks that were so damaging that it was consuming the 24-hour cable news cycle. Leaks to reporters where Sarah Palin was called all manner of names. [McCain senior adviser] Rick Davis and I jointly felt that was outrageous. So we made an attempt for the first time in the campaign to try to ID who was leaking information that was so damaging and demoralizing to a campaign that was in very difficult circumstances,� Schmidt said, noting that an IT professional executed a system-wide search by keyword. �What was discovered was an email from a very senior staff member to Bill Kristol that then entered into the news current and continued the negative in-fighting stories for an additional news cycles. I recommended tough medicine for that individual that was carried out,� Schmidt said, again referring to Scheunemann. �Bill Kristol might not have liked that decision, and he might be mad about what happened to his friend, but going all the way back he has been a part of this story and I�ve preserved his confidentiality in that until now. But his use of his public forums to take a personal fight and make character attacks is just simply dishonest and wrong.� Scheunemann, confirming that his email had been searched, accused Schmidt of �acting in a manner of Iranian secret police� in going to his account. The foreign policy hand said what was discovered was a message from Kristol inquiring who was the source in the campaign of the �diva� leak, the now-famous complaint from a senior McCain campaign official to CNN�s Dana Bash that Palin was acting like a spoiled and selfish celebrity. Schmidt suggesed that Scheunemann had fingered Nicolle Wallace, a senior McCain adviser who helped work with Palin, to Kristol in the message. �It led to a whole another round of speculation, including Fred Barnes the next night attacking Nicolle Wallace on the air,� Schmidt said, suggesting without saying directly that was why an effort was made to terminate Scheunemann. Barnes, another Weekly Standard editor and Fox News contributor, accused Wallace on Fox News in late October of being �a coward� for running up tens of thousands of dollars in high-end clothes for Palin and then letting the governor take the blame for the purchases. After Wallace denied she had purchased the clothes, Barnes apologized on the air the following night. But Scheunemann said the clothes controversy was an entirely separate issue and one which he made no mention of in his email to Kristol. Asked directly if he accused Nicolle Wallace of being the source behind the �diva� leak in his message to Kristol, Scheunemann said: �My email did not accuse Nicolle Wallace. It said something very disparaging about Nicolle but it did not accuse her of being the leak.� A source familiar with the contents of the email said that Scheunemann actually accused Nicolle Wallace�s husband, Mark Wallace, of being the source of the leak. When Kristol questioned the likelihood of a male like Mark Wallace using such a gossipy term as diva, this source said, Scheunemann wrote back that Mark Wallace knows something about divas because he�s married to a diva. Asked about the email, Nicolle Wallace said: �I did not have any knowledge of this. This is all news to me.� As for being called a �diva,� Wallace laughed for a few seconds. �I don�t have anything to say on that,� she said. Mark Wallace, taking the phone from his wife, also laughed about the diva accusation but wouldn�t respond when asked whether he had been the source of the �diva� leak. �I�ve maintained a zero-talk policy since the campaign,� he said. �And even in cases where that�s detrimental to me in defending myself against strange post-election accusation I will maintain that zero-talk policy.� The leak-hunting, Scheunemann said, began after POLITICO�s Ben Smith wrote a story in late October suggesting that Palin had �gone rogue� and began ignoring the advice of her campaign handlers. �So after that, they went nuclear with �diva� the next day,� Scheunemann said, referring to the Palin-bashing done to CNN�s Bash the day after the POLITICO story. �But did anybody search Mark or Nicolle Wallace�s emails for leaks to Dana Bash?� Schmidt said Kristol was driven by a personal vendetta over the attempt termination of his decades-long friend, Scheunemann. �Nonsense,� Kristol replied. �My post today was (self-evidently) triggered by the Todd Purdum article that appeared today, which had Schmidt�s fingerprints all over it. I hadn�t thought about Schmidt in months, and will be happy now to return to more pressing issues, like the presidency of Barack Obama.� As for the charges of being a sunshine soldier with regard to Palin, Schmidt said: �Nonsense. I�m a team player. That�s a reflection of [Kristol�s] values. He�s the Washington, D.C., talking head and glitterati. I live in Northern California and I really don�t give a s--- about that stuff.� The nasty back-and-forth between the two well-known Republicans and re-litigating of internal backbiting underscores the degree to which the internecine and very personal battle over last fall�s ticket between those seen as Palin allies and Palin detractors still rages on nearly six months into President Obama�s term. And it comes as Palin strugglesto find her footing, at times appearing to want to take a strictly Alaska-first approach, but then re-emerging on the national stage - something chronicled in the nearly-10,000-word Vanity Fair article. Loyalists to Palin, including Kristol, were outraged at Purdum�s piece, believing it to be another example of what they see as elite media contempt for the Wasilla native. In his post, Kristol also criticized Purdum for writing that several Alaskans had told him during the reporting of the piece that they had checked the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders definition of �narcissistic personality disorder� and found it fit their governor. �Is there any real chance that �several� Alaskans independently told Purdum that they had consulted the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders?� Kristol wrote. �I don�t believe it for a moment. I�ve (for better or worse) moved in pretty well-educated circles in my life, and I�ve gone decades without �several� people telling me they had consulted the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.� In response, Purdum, a Princeton graduate, wrote of his Harvard-degreed critic: �I'm not nearly as well-educated as Bill, but the great Irving Berlin taught me that �you don't have to go to a private school not to pick up a penny near a stubborn mule.� In the age of Google, I'm confident that plenty of Alaskans know more about finding medical reference works -- and all sorts of other knowledge -- than Bill thinks they do.� by Jonathan Martin Copyright 2009 POLITICO[/quote:1d760c85e2]

News & Science: Vegetarians get less cancer

Wed, 01 Jul 09 08:57:44 -0400

This story has been all over the British press today - this article is from the Telegraph. [quote:0bd7fb9c15]Researchers who studied tens of thousands of Britons over more than a decade found that vegetarians were 12 per cent less likely to contract cancer than their meat eating counterparts. With a third of the population developing cancer in their lifetime, changing diets could result in more than two million people avoiding the disease altogether, said the researchers. For some cancers like leukaemia, stomach and bladder cancers the difference was even more striking with up to 45 per cent fewer non-meat eaters contracting the diseases than carnivores. Dr Naomi Allen, an epidemiologist at Oxford University and co-author of the study, said: "This is strong evidence that vegetarians have lower rates of cancer than meat eaters." Although it is widely recommended people eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to reduce their risk of cancer and other diseases, there is very little evidence looking specifically at a vegetarian diet. The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, is one of the findings from the European Perspective Investment into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) which is following half a million people. More than 61,000 people aged between 20 and 89, roughly half of whom were vegetarian, were followed for more than 12 years in the British arm of the research which is supported by Cancer Research UK. During the time 3,350 people contracted 20 different cancers and the team compared the rates of meat eaters, fish eaters and vegetarians. All the results were adjusted to take into account smoking, obesity, alcohol intake and lifestyle. While common cancers such as prostate and breast cancer showed little difference, the overall cancer rates were different as were those for blood, stomach and bladder cancers. Fish eaters actually had the lowest rate of cancer � 18 per cent lower than meat eaters � but they were also the smallest sample. Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of health information, said: "These interesting results add to the evidence that what we eat affects our chances of developing cancer. "We know that eating a lot of red and processed meat increases the risk of stomach cancer. But the links between diet and cancer risk are complex and more research is needed to see how big a part diet plays and which specific dietary factors are most important. "The relatively low number of vegetarians who developed cancer in this study supports Cancer Research UK's advice that people should eat a healthy, balanced diet high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in saturated fat, salt and red and processed meat." Su Taylor, of The Vegetarian Society, said: "That is why we need more research along these lines to find out exactly what is going on. We are not saying vegetarianism is the panacea for all ill health but it certainly helps protect against a number of diseases." [/quote:0bd7fb9c15] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5698784/Being-a-vegetarian-can-cut-your-risk-of-cancer-by-a-half-claim-scientists.html

Recycle Bin: Tips for MTS, TS, M2TS High Defination Video Format

Wed, 01 Jul 09 05:58:01 -0400

More and more people have their own Camcorder to record their life, family parties and something important to them. But there are some problems when you: 1. When you want to edit them in Windows Movie Maker or some other edit software 2. When you want to put them into your portable media players, such as iPod, iPhone, Zune, Creative Zen and so on 3. When you want to watch them on some HD video players, such as Xbox, PS3, Apple TV and so on. 4. When you want to share your videos with your friends on youtube, myspace and other online video website. All the problems' reason is the video format, MTS. The video format of your HD Camcorder is MTS, and it is not supported by almost any video editing software, PMP, HD video Player and youtube. So you have to convert it to common video formats. [b:4f82eda4ea]Tip 1: Some knowledge about MTS, M2TS, TS[/b:4f82eda4ea] MTS format is a high-definition MPEG, AVC, H.264 transport stream video file format which commonly used by HD camcorders such as Sony, Canon, Panasonic, JVC. etc. .MTS files are used primarily with Sony hardware. Camcorders make use of MTS in the form of AVCHD, a format for recording and playback of high definition video. M2TS is a Sony high definition video file type. M2TS files are raw AVCHD videos recorded using Sony's camcorders, such as the HDR-SR(xx)series models. Panasonic, Canon and other brands of AVCHD camcorders also record in M2TS format. TS (Transport Stream) is a communications portocol for audio, video, and data. It is a type of digital continer format that encapsulates packetized elementary streams and other data. [b:4f82eda4ea]Tip 2: How to solve the 4 problem above.[/b:4f82eda4ea] It is easy to imagine that i met those problems when i got my first HD Camcorder. But now it is really easy for me to solve those problems. The most important thing is convert your MTS file to other video files. And here i recommend you [b:4f82eda4ea]Aiseesoft [url=http://www.aiseesoft.com/mts-converter.html]MTS Converter[/url][/b:4f82eda4ea] The following is a simple guide for you: [img:4f82eda4ea]http://www.aiseesoft.com/images/guide/mts-converter/screen.jpg[/img:4f82eda4ea] [b:4f82eda4ea]Step 1: Load Video[/b:4f82eda4ea] Click �Add File� to load the video that you want to convert to Aiseesoft MTS Converter. [b:4f82eda4ea]Step 2: Choose Your Output Profile and Settings[/b:4f82eda4ea] From �Profile� drop-down list you can choose your output profile according to your need. For example, if you have a iPod and you want to convert video for it, you need to choose �iPod� from the profile list and then it also provides the second chance to specify your iPod generation. You can also click �setteing�adjust the settings of your output video, such as �video/audio encoder�, �Video/audio Bitrate�, �Channels�, �Resolution� and so on.. [b:4f82eda4ea]Step 3: Video Editing[/b:4f82eda4ea] This powerful MTS Converter allows you to do many video editings. 1. Click "Effect" to make special effect for your movie. You can adjust the �Brightness�, �Contrast�, �Saturation� and also you can use �deinterlacing� to improve you output effect. 2. Trim: �Trim� function allows you to pick up any part of your video to convert. You can just convert a part of your video that you want. 3: Crop: Cut off the black edges of the original movie video and watch in full screen on your iPod using the "Crop" function. [b:4f82eda4ea]Step 4: Conversion[/b:4f82eda4ea] After you have done all the steps above you can click �Start� button to start your conversion. [b:4f82eda4ea]Tip 3:[/b:4f82eda4ea] If you want to know more about TS, you can have a look [b:4f82eda4ea]Aiseesoft [url=http://www.aiseesoft.com/ts-video-converter.html]TS Video Converter[/url][/b:4f82eda4ea]

Heretic Hall: Remote Viewing

Wed, 01 Jul 09 03:14:43 -0400

So, I was contacted by an old high school friend today... and he immediately started talking to me about Remote Viewing (RV). He tells me he's been doing it for six years and how they do all this great stuff with it etc. etc. I basically tell him I don't believe that crap, to which we proceeded to have a 3-hour conversation about it. I repeatedly ask for real results, I even told him I'd pay him $50 if he can locate my wife's missing glasses (they're worth $100) to which he refuses, and he's shown me nothing but vague and completely subjective doodles as his "results" for past RV sessions. In a similar manner to religion, he tells me that I must first be open to it and "learn" it by being trained to do it in order to actually become a believer. UGH! This reeks of religion (you must have faith to know!) Anyways, just venting, I hate this shit. I know I haven't posted in awhile, too, but I still love you guys :) P.S. If anyone really cares, I can post the log... but it's very long.

News & Science: Darwin the Werewolf-Slayer

Tue, 30 Jun 09 15:35:55 -0400

[url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080135.htm]Darwin Killed Off the Werewolf[/url] ScienceDaily (June 30, 2009) � It was Darwinian theory that did away with the werewolf. For much of recorded history, humans have reserved their greatest fears for dog-human hybrids like the werewolf. These beasts were once thought to be real, hiding behind every tree waiting for the unsuspecting traveler. But, argues Brian Regal, assistant professor of the history of science at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, USA, the publication of Charles Darwin�s On the Origin of Species 150 years ago focused minds on a different kind of monster � ape-men such as the Yeti, Bigfoot and Sasquatch. Regal will present his thesis in July at the annual meeting of the British Society for the History of Science in Leicester, UK. He will use period artwork to chart the �evolution� of the werewolf into Bigfoot. From the late 19th century onwards, stories of werewolf encounters tailed away significantly, says Regal. �The spread of the idea of evolution helped kill off the werewolf because a canid-human hybrid makes no sense from an evolutionary point of view,� he says. �The ape-human hybrid, however, is not only evolutionarily acceptable, it is the basis of human evolution.� Today, in Darwin�s bicentenary year, werewolves have been relegated to films. When it comes to the actual monster scene, it�s Bigfoot that now dominates.

Heretic Hall: What if the great die-outs throughout history were caused by

Tue, 30 Jun 09 13:25:50 -0400

We all know that there have been great die-outs throughout history, like the dinosaurs being wiped out by the asteroid. If I remember correctly, the die-outs are all spaced fairly equally apart. Although an asteroid impact is suspected of wiping out the dinosaurs, I don't think scientists attribute all the die-outs to such impacts. What if the great die-outs throughout history were all caused by the same thing and scientists were wrong about the dinosaur/asteroid? (btw, this is all half-assed theory stuff to play with... not to be taken too seriously) What if those millions of years with periods of massive die-outs were actually caused by the evolutionary rise of an intelligent species? Like right now, we are the cause of a massive die-out (acknowledged by scientists today). What if the dinosaurs were not wiped out by an asteroid/meteor... but instead had one reptilian species gain intelligence and tool-working powers and having a thermonuclear war. Wouldn't that account for the the possible radioactive dust layer around the earth? After several million years, what evidence would be left of ancient civilizations?

Recycle Bin: Why are atheists often defeated in good debates?

Tue, 30 Jun 09 09:17:58 -0400

The posts here shows relative inexperience/ignorance of atheists here, who still hold on for dear life on the radical claim (only by atheists mind you) that order can somehow be made by inorganic, non-intelligent objects. This shows the lack of debate experience of many atheists in this board, especially on major debates with good theist debaters. These are usually considered in debate as atheist newbs (those who cling to the radical statement "Order can exist in inorganic objects w/o intelligence guiding it."). Most experienced atheists wisely avoid, read: dodge, this topic because they're beaten black and blue. No serious scientist will state this (well atheist scientists don't count of course they're biased). Science can never take such a radical claim seriously. To make that claim work, you'd have to violate "special exception rule". You are stating basically: "Some inorganic objects are incapable of order without an intelligence guiding them (random metal parts don't make an engine by themselves). But some inorganic objects are capable of order (crystals, sowflake, molecular chemistry, etc.). It is logically inconsistent according to current scientific laws. It's "cherry-picking". It's either "All inorganic objects can form order by themselves", or "All inorganic objects cannot form order by themselves." There are no exceptions. No middle ground here. Anything else is considered "special exception" violation. Crystals forming order? That's highly subjective. It depends on the observer, and on what definition of "order" we are considering. The crystals you see in nature cannot be considered order. I see crystal in nature and they're just scattered all around. Gems inside the earth, in seeming disarray (no order there). Snowflakes falling without order, scattered in winter, falling anywhere they want. Tel you what: If I saw snowflakes falling in winter, not scattering but forming a statue of Liberty (exact copy please), then maybe just maybe I can consider that order. Molecular chemistry? lol. Subjective. It depends on the observer's definition of order. Period. Problem: Who makes the "definition of order"? By what power? It is not the case with our simple example: Scatered metal parts don't form an engine by themselves. Plain and simple, self-evident scientific observation. Basic logic, common sense. Non-debatable.

General Topics: What should the caption be?

Tue, 30 Jun 09 08:41:49 -0400

[URL=http://img81.imageshack.us/i/captionthis.jpg/][img:3a0ae1bbf7]http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/5359/captionthis.th.jpg[/img:3a0ae1bbf7][/URL] I'd like to hear what other people think a good caption would be for this. Funny, deep, ironic, social commentary... whatever comes into your head.

General Topics: Kill it!! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!

Tue, 30 Jun 09 04:34:48 -0400

So my more basic instincs kick in when I see this scary sewer lifeform: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2vXumcM8Ok[/url] Anybody knows what it is?

Heretic Hall: Ashes confession

Mon, 29 Jun 09 22:08:11 -0400

[quote:056f7848f8]I want to stamp on Ricky Ponting's head repeatedly until it's nothing more than a pile of sludge. Seriously. I fucking loathe the cunt! [/quote:056f7848f8] Sorry. However I think England are going to get fucking wiped by the Aussies this summer. I hope that made you feel better. :)

News & Science: There�ll be no tent for God at Camp Dawkins

Mon, 29 Jun 09 20:59:02 -0400

[url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6591231.ece]LINK[/url] [quote:531f23ccfa] WHEN schoolchildren break up for their summer holidays at the end of next month, India Jago, aged 12, and her brother Peter, 11, will be taking a vacation with a twist. While their friends jet off to Spain or the Greek islands, the siblings will be hunting for imaginary unicorns in Somerset, while learning about moral philosophy. The Jagos, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, are among 24 children who will be taking part in Britain�s first summer camp for atheists. The five-day retreat is being subsidised by Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist and author of The God Delusion, and is intended to provide an alternative to faith-based summer camps normally run by the Scouts and Christian groups. Crispian Jago, an IT consultant, is hoping the experience will enrich his two children. �I�m very keen on not indoctrinating them with religion or creeds,� he said this weekend. �I would rather equip them with the tools to learn how to think, not what to think.� While afternoons at the camp will involve familiar activities such as canoeing and swimming, the youngsters� mornings will be spent debunking supernatural phenomena such as the formation of crop circles and telepathy. Even Uri Geller�s apparent ability to bend spoons with his mind will come under scrutiny. The emphasis on critical thinking is epitomised by a test called the Invisible Unicorn Challenge. Children will be told by camp leaders that the area around their tents is inhabited by two unicorns. The activities of these creatures, of which there will be no physical evidence, will be regularly discussed by organisers, yet the children will be asked to prove that the unicorns do not exist. Anyone who manages to prove this will win a �10 note - which features an image of Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory - signed by Dawkins, a former professor of the public understanding of science at Oxford University. �The unicorns are not necessarily a metaphor for God, they are to show kids that you can�t prove a negative,� said Saman-tha Stein, who is leading next month�s camp at the Mill on the Brue outdoor activity centre close to Bruton, Somerset. �We are not trying to bash religion, but it encourages people to believe in a lot of things for which there is no evidence.� Stein, 23, a postgraduate psychology student from London, was inspired to work at an atheist summer camp in America after reading The God Delusion, the bestselling book that sealed Dawkins�s reputation as Britain�s most prominent non-believer. Stein is now helping to bring the US concept, called Camp Quest, to Britain as an alternative to faith-based children�s retreats. The Scout Association, which has 500,000 members who collectively spend 2m nights camping out each year, is Britain�s biggest organiser of children�s camps. All new Scouts - whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim or from another religious background - are required to pledge to do their �duty� to their god or faith. Atheism, however, is not accounted for in this induction oath. Christian organisations that run summer camps include the Church Pastoral Aid Society, an evangelical group, which operates 100 schemes attended by about 9,000 children. Camp Quest was founded in America, where Bible classes and Christian retreats are widespread, by Edwin Kagin, an atheist lawyer from Kentucky. Since launching in 1996, Camp Quest operates at six different US sites, with a new camp due to open in Florida at Christmas. Amanda Metskas is currently supervising 71 children at a Camp Quest project in Clarkesville, Ohio. Her classes include a session called Socrates Cafe, which debates issues such as definitions of knowledge, art and justice. �We teach them that even people like Sir David Attenborough are religious sceptics,� said Metskas. Kagin, 68, the son of a church minister, will be visiting the camp in Somerset next month.�Richard Dawkins has made a contribution towards the setting up of the camp in England, but I think now the idea has a momentum of its own,� he said. A week-long stay at the Mill on the Brue Activity Centre normally costs more than �500, but parents who have booked their children on the Camp Quest package are paying �275. Next year Stein hopes to run atheist camps at Easter and during school half-term breaks. [/quote:531f23ccfa]