HAL9000

Earlier in this thread, the discussion turned to the statistical improbability of life having originated on earth - the main argument against being that biochemistry requires molecules too long and complex to have arisen by chance during the brief window of opportunity thought to have been available at the time. A recently published article describes the discovery of an RNA enzyme only five nucleotides long that is able to catalyse a key reaction needed to synthesize proteins: Scientists Create Tiny RNA Molecule With Big Implications for Life's Origins

The Yam (African Cuisine) Almost every Afro-Asian grocer along Rye Lane sells yams, mostly the Dioscorrea esculenta cultivar known as white yam or puna. The yam is a natural health food packed with nutritious complex carbohydrates and protein with over 20% fibre content and rich in vitamins C and B6, potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. The taste and texture of the yam is quite unique ? nothing like sweet or regular potatoes, but just as versatile: it can be baked, boiled, fried, pounded and roasted. Yam sells for between ?2 and ?3 per kilo. A typical tuber/rhizome weighs a kilo or more. The following is a recipe of my own design that serves as a simple-to-make introduction to the epicurean delights of the yam. Yam Mash ? la Cr?me et Moutarde 1 kg White or Puna Yam (serves 4) 1/2 - 1 cup single cream (as required) 1-2 tblsp English mustard (as per taste) 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper corns Salt to taste Peel the tuber and dice the white flesh into cubes or slices 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Change the water and repeat a few times. Ignore any slimy exudate from the yam flesh ? it disappears on cooking. Place rinsed pieces in a large saucepan, add water to cover, bring to boil and simmer. The pot often fills with foam and may overflow ? stirring helps to dissolve the foam. Change the water if the foaming is excessive. A tablespoonful of white vinegar helps to suppress foaming. Simmer for at least 30 minutes or until a fork pierces the yam easily ? if in doubt, continue simmering. When cooked, drain off water, quickly rinse with cold water and bring back to the boil in fresh water until heated through. Drain the water from the saucepan; add the mustard, black pepper and salt and mash well with a hand-held potato masher while adding cream as required to produce a smooth, creamy texture. Serve as a side with any meat or fish dish. Enjoy. Edited because I forgot to mention: wash hands well after handling raw yam flesh as the juice can cause mild irritation.

Fair cop guv - the devil made me do it.

karter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > i wonder how hal saw it on ebay tho. Nothing sinister or particularly clever - the OP contains enough details to enable anyone with an eBay account and familiarity with eBay's powerful search engine to find it easily.

RosieH Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Haha, Hal, you looked it up? Yes, but it didn't do much good - I misread the time stamps of all those bids - fifteen, no less. I've just had another look. The winning bid was placed at 22-Feb-10 20:38:28 - just before the other bid was cancelled at 22-Feb-10 22:00:16 but someone else had already bid ?35 on 20-Feb-10 05:00:00! What on earth was s/he thinking? As you say, no cigar - but something definitely spooky going on - the mystery deepens. BTW, the search for 'body lotion' found 13,117 items currently listed on eBay - mind-boggling!

I think I've figured out what might have happened in this case. A bidder mistakenly bid ?35 thinking the item was priced in US dollars. That bid was cancelled either at the last minute or just after the auction had ended leaving the person who had just outbid him or her as the winner. A misunderstanding by one particular bidder fuelled a bidding frenzy leading the winner to pay over the odds.

I've noticed that bidders can go completely mad at times. Complete the sale: take the payment and deliver the item. If the buyer is dissatisfied you'll soon know about it by way of a SNAD dispute - in which case you may have to make a full refund. No point in pre-empting the issue. Just my opinion.

Easties EL Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ... think of the revelation > that the earth was not the center of the universe, If it's any consolation, modern science has put the earth back at the exact centre of the Observable Universe.

Dihydrogen monoxide is also highly addictive - one shot leads to a lifelong dependency. Say NO to DHMO! Also, when used in homeopathic remedies, dilution actually concentrates it - not many people known that!

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This is because poisons have been dissolved in it, > and then diluted until they have a negligible > effect. You forgot to mention the air guitar - indisputable proof that air retains a memory of everything it interacts with.

A blind man used to sell household odds and ends door-to-door. He was always polite and his prices were reasonable. We always bought something from him but he hasn't been around for some years now. Anyone else remember him?

Simian Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > there are also > MANY MORE reasons to question the pharmaceutical > industry. Because, boy are they deceitful! Boy are > they manipulative! They know how to pull the wool > over everyone's eyes. I agree entirely - beware the pharmaceutical industry. > I'll point you all to the Ben Acre's brief > article on the Merck Vioxx scandal as an example. I've posted similar links within this recent thread: Dangers Associated With Cholesterol Drugs P.S. Huguenot had a field day on that one :)

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think you missed this bit,,,[are] you telling me if > you w[e]nt to a pub in London, a bar in Tel Aviv or a > Cafe in The West Bank and said.."Pssst.that > assassination in Dubai..it was Mossad", you'll [not] get > any reaction other than "no sh1t Sherlock"! And if you asked them, 'who is the one true god?' they may all agree on YHWH/God/Allah - but that wouldn?t make it a fact. I think the ability to distinguish theory from fact goes to the heart of this discussion. Personally, I adopt the scientific approach: how ever well a theory explains an observation, it is still only a theory until it is independently verified by experiment, undisputed evidence or (when dealing with human affairs) proven beyond reasonable doubt in a (fair) court of law. Only then is it reasonable to treat the explanation as a fact or the truth. I accept the MOSSAD theory as a good (even the best) explanation of what is in the public domain but I recognise that it is only a theory ? not fact. To go beyond that leads to a slippery slope where fact and fiction can become blurred or indistinguishable.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > CT ... your definition seems to > be anything not proven in a court of law... In this particular case - an allegation of murder - I think that criterion would be appropriate. If we were discussing, for example, a CT concerning climate change, then it probably wouldn't be appropriate.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well, that's a fairly abitary and wide definition. It does help to define things properly before arguing about them. > I would argue that most people would accept that a > CT is one where groups of people disagree with the > consensus or 'establishment' view about something > and one where they think the 'establishment' is > hiding the truth By your argument, it is the Israeli government that is hiding the truth. Are they somehow exempt from being the focus of a conspiracy theory? I don't think so.

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Oh dear god - do you actually think I have spent > the last 8 + years thinking this happened in > November and not September? I get that little > credit?? 11th September - just to be pedantic about it.

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > is no proof of > conspiracy theories on the scale of the 9th > November 2001 being an inside job I'm not arguing that 9/11 (9th September, actually) was an inside job. You are jumping to conclusions in that respect.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > conspiracy? It's what most of the world including > HMs governnemt thinks! That may be what everyone thinks - but until it is proven it remains a theory - a conspiracy theory.

What now?

SeanMacGabhann Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- HAL9000 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- >> "Conspiracies by vested interests are everywhere." > such vagueness is by it's nature almost impossible > to argue with. hence my exasperation I can illustrate the point with a recent conspiracy that has already evolved an associated conspiracy theory: The conspiracy: the assassination of Hamas guerrilla Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai by a team using false passports. The conspiracy theory: that an Israeli assassination squad under the sanction of the Government of Israel carried out the murder. And here's another recent conspiracy: The Greek Government's derivative dealings with Goldman Sachs in order to mislead EU observers about the gravity of its financial problems. Goldman Sachs is a long-standing focus of conspiracy theories ? this conspiracy turns out to have been true. > But allow me to argue back and say the problem with "the masses" is they couldn't give a monkeys. True, in general ? but some people do care: in some cases their efforts to make sense of events leads to bizarre conspiracy theories but occasionally they stumble across the truth and a scandal is revealed. The bottom line is that vested interests are constantly entering into agreements to gain advantage over those not party to the agreement (a broad definition of conspiracy, BTW) - it is part of the human nature. Those with power, money and influence (such as governments and international corporations for example) are able to enter into secret agreements that affect the lives of millions. One man's paranoia is another man's vigilance. My attitude towards conspiracy theories changed decisively when it was revealed that South Africa's BOSS had tried to engineer a virus that was only pathogenic to blacks. I think it's a healthy sign of democracy and freedom of speech that ordinary people can enquire, gather evidence and speculate about unusual events - the alternative is oppression, censorship and dictatorship.

Sean - given that you haven't stated any position on this thread - your comment looks like an opportunistic cheap shot. You can do better than that, surely?

Ladymuck Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > *massive horror gasp" Sounds like you've had a peep and been proved wrong!

Ladymuck Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Daizie doesn't have testicles! Prove it!

Sean ? unless you've been struck dumb by dispair, you haven't actually said anything that constitutes a debating position.

Exactly ....