Oedo 808

I'll do it

I'm in then.

Truly terrible.

They could not refund me and will not refund in cash if card was used.

Refunds usually come in the form of the payment given. I have never encountered a refund in cash from a card transaction. I can't say any more about it than that but neither can 99.9% of the contributor's to this board. I hope you get your money back shortly.

Can we have a wee look into this section? There seems to be few posts that don't really belong there.

Quality. Loving it.

Sing when you're winning?

I wasn't being entertained and felt no optimism. I've watched his matches fairly religiously in the past but life is too short for the inevitability of Murray deja vu.

I was quietly optimistic before the match.

I thought he'd get beat going into the match, but he started well. I realise Nadal is the better player but today it felt like he had him. Out of nowhere it all fell away. Was it a capitulation? It felt like it. Either that or he's just not good enough.

I don't know who else watched the Tsonga Djokovic match, but that was a more enjoyable spectacle. Loved it.

I got a bit bored and switched off. Disappointing really.

Interior semiotics

Rolling out a social networking site by limiting the number of people who can sign up to it? Hmm.

Seconded

I like Adam's voice.

The organ sounds a bit out of tune during the sharks circling lyric but I thought that was maybe deliberate.

As for the bit in bold, it was a joke, indicated by a not so subtle I shall refrain from putting any more into arguments in future.

It was difficult for me to know that because the smiley didn't occur at the end of the sentence I quoted, but instead during the middle of the next sentence. I'm not used to seeing it done that way o_O so maybe that explains the confusion.

in my opinion humans will not change much through natural means (genetic engineering of course is a different entity). Due to globalisation our genetics are becoming more varied and less selective for the traits which distinguish populations. We don't adapt to the environment, we adapt the environment to our needs.

It seems to me that this is a personal hunch rather than an idea based on evidence. I agree that adaptation can move more quickly in the petri dishes of genetic engineers than it can in nature but I think to imagine we have somehow removed ourselves from evolutionary forces is wrong. Technology and the adaptation of our environment won't cause biological adaptation to stop, it will simply alter the course. (And that's only when everyone has the benefit of those same technologies)

Last Night's TV - Horizon: Are We Still Evolving?, BBC2; Leah's Dream, ITV1 - Reviews, TV & Radio - The Independent

Are humans still evolving? | The Human Genome

Are human beings still evolving? It would seem that evolution is impossible now that the ability to reproduce is essentially universally available. Are we nevertheless changing as a species? : Scientific American

Or if you have more time and would like to hear a lecture on the subject: (Evolution speeding up?)

FORA.tv - Professor Christopher Dye: Are Humans Still Evolving?

In other news: still waiting for Jan to get back to me.

Just out of interest, how many books are in the series?

After A Game of Thrones was published Martin expanded his planned trilogy of books to become a quadrilogy because he had not managed to include every plot point he had initially intended for thrones. The four novels were later expanded to six as the story grew. During the writing of the third book the novel became so long that the publishers refused to print its 1,521 pages so he split it into two books. Of the seven volumes now planned only four have been published. The fifth novel will be published on July 12th, 6 years after volume four.

It seems the writing of the books is almost as epic as the storyline.

No more things for Columbo - Peter Falk Dead -- 'Columbo' Star Dies at 83 | TMZ.com

Sad to see him go but it's a relief to be honest. Love Peter Falk but he's been ill for a long time.

She's fucking disgusting!

Epic Troll

Has anyone ever told you that you come across as a misogynist, or at least sexist?

If you're telling me I am coming across as a misogynist or sexist I can only imagine that I have not made myself sufficiently clear or that there has been a misunderstanding somewhere along the line. Perhaps you can explain what you have taken issue with.

There's a difference between being ignorant and just not knowing something.

Actually, no there's not. There's absolutely no difference between ignorance and not knowing something. That is how ignorance is defined. Most people are simply ignorant of the meaning of ignorance and use it liberally, unaware of the irony. As a catalyst for seeking out knowledge ignorance is a good thing.

If someone calls you ignorant it's usually safe to agree with them because 99% of the time they have no fucking clue what they're talking about.

Where does that sort of behaviour land in the theory of natural selection?

Pretty much perfectly. It's just one evolutionary tactic.

The socially acceptable method in humans is to Marry (pair bond), have kids and invest in your few genetic offspring so they are (hopefully) successful and in turn are able to pass on their genes.

But as a man you have the option to try and pass on your genes to as many women as possible. You put less (or no) effort into each child meaning there is less chance they will be successful - you are playing a numbers game. You could do a mix of both like the guy in your example. Or you could be despot and impregnate hundreds, if not thousands of women.

Women don't have those same options, but they do have the option of finding one man to support their offspring and others to father their children. These are all just evolutionary strategies.

The two are closely correlated. It's impossible to pass on your genes if you die before reaching sexual maturity (in humans, after puberty). Our advances mean more people are living to this age. Even people with genetic diseases who would have died before this stage, are living long enough and being able to reproduce.

The point is a man or a woman who produces two children is genetically more successful than a man or woman who has one. That's natural selection. I think you're tied into this idea that something has to die without passing on its genes for natural selection to take place. In a rapidly expanding world population that's not the case.

However being a dickhead and not being able to keep a relationship with a woman is a means for not reproducing.

That's a bit of a confused sentence but for some reason you seem to be assuming that complete cunts don't get laid and that 'keeping a relationship' is in some way desirable.

One could argue natural selection in mankind has not occured for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Humanity is still evolving. The modern world, farming, industry has a causal effect on natural selection. Natural selection isn't just about who dies before they can pass on their genes, it's about who is most successful at passing on their genes. Being born is a natural selection. Our species evolves every day.

I suppose you have to ask yourself what a local band would get out of participating here. As a musician the driving force for being involved would be to promote your music. Since the gig announcements section doesn't work effectively (I did make suggestions a while back) and people have discovered ways to invite hundreds of people to every gig via facebook, ab-music has become less relevant.

This used to be a one stop shop for a large part of the aberdeen scene, but now it's not. That's just the way it is.

This thread smacks a little of people prematurely writing their own obituary. The taste of decay and bitterness is palpable. Anyone who didn't realise a few of the slots would already be handed out or at the very least short-listed is highly naive. I would have been happy to do a slot just to play a gig but to get all excited about playing the Northern Lights festival would have been ridiculous in the extreme.

I felt like this last episode was a denouement more than anything else. For me the climactic moment of the series was in episode 9, this was mostly leading you towards series 2.

I probably preferred the content of the first series, but I agree that the bits with Armando Iannucci were an improvement on the sketches. The one he did about political correctness with regards to the naming of dead prostitutes was amazing.