NJS

The "luck" is fair enough when mentioning lack of extinction events but the beauty of natural selection is that it pretty much smothers luck over time. You still need a receptive planet, hence the 'luck'. Statiscally though a receptive planet is almost ineveitble - along with other types of planet giving rise to other life forms. I find Fermi's paradox fascinating (if life elsewhere exists why isn't it here) but I feel confident we're not alone.

Exactly - every pound of profit is a pound less to spend.

The "luck" is fair enough when mentioning lack of extinction events but the beauty of natural selection is that it pretty much smothers luck over time.

In RE/Philosophy yes - in science no. Don't know about anyone else but all the RE teachers in my schools seemed to be rather straight-laced confirmed Christians. You should have tried a catholic school in the second half of the 70s - we're right, everyone else burns in hell, that's all you need to know.

I'm a lot more worried by the alleged asking price than any jollies.

I might be being naive but I find the Chinese/ground development option the most intriuging although obviously it would also have to involve the hoped for team investment.

In RE/Philosophy yes - in science no.

I'm more impressed and awewtruck about how things really are than if some bloke had snapped his fingers....

To clarify what I meant about our developing reason. I think it's special because it takes so long to come about. Some reptiles might have managed it if the dinosaurs didn't become extinct. But they didn't because of whatever catastrophe did for them. Say a meteor had hit the right (or rather the wrong) part of Africa 200,000 years ago and you might be looking at another few hundred million years before reasoned thought was achieved (if ever) on Earth. I hope that explained what I meant a bit more. Fair enough - I just see it as a more advanced version of what other animals have though I guess you're saying that its amazing that those animals have a lesser version as well. I suppose our lucky escape was Toba 74k years ago which nearly did for us. I read a very imaginitive novella a few months ago by Stephen Baxter which supposes that we have just about reached our evolutionary limits due to our intelligence - it considted of a number of short stories set in the future which showed humans coping with massive planetary change pretty much as we are while other species evolved to meet the changes without matching us. It really made me wish I could travel in time to see how we end up. (Though probably wiped out by the LHC or a virus if I'm being pessimistic)

The thing is our species is only about 150k years old which is nothing in evolutionary terms - although the last 5-6m years have seen leaps. I don't see it as that "special" when I see the burgeoning traits in other animals.

Yes: 1. Probably a tenner or less sounds about right. 2. Representing/speaking for fans as opposed to constant Sky Mongness 3. Would like to see it completely independent of club (though a hopefully "friendly" relationship) 4. Being an exile, I think t'internet now makes this possible for the first time.

He's right in the end. Well to within 95% certainty. I think it's pretty arrogant to assume we'll ever have all the answers. I also think there's the possibility of a higher, perhaps inexplicable, force or being or whatever you want to call it. Who knows? I don't think organised religions really have any of the answers though (to this at least). I find their versions of events completely ridiculous when you look at them in any detail. I find the subject fascinating though. I have an open mind on what you mention as well - my stance has always been that its the man-made bollocks used to enslave and control people that I object to. However I do think its only trough science that we will discover the truth - however strange that truth is.

The stereotypes in the article are just as bad though. I think a few people pointed out at the time, if the articles written when Keegan took over about people from the north east had aimed the same stereotypical insults at religious or race groups there would have been hell on. (Still garbage from Stevie though)

Firstly you underestimate teenagers - theres nothing stopping someone by the age of 13 or 14 having read up and researched for themselves anything of interest - of course that may mean a rejection of parental dogma but natural rebellion should provide impetus. The reason I care about the teaching of nonsense is a regard for the truth. I don't see any difference between teaching Young Earth Creationism and holocaust denial. If people want to fit personal beliefs around the truth then fair enough but flat out denial is wrong imo. On your other point that religion and evolution aren't exclusive, you're right up to a point but that gives rise to more questions. Christianity is fundamentally based on the concept of a soul and the "fall" of man when sin started. In that light I'd ask when the first homonid was ensouled by the Christian God - was it Homo Erectus? did the dead ends who dies out like the Neanderthals have souls? If God decided to kick off the soul thing in the middle east as per the bible did humans before that all go to heaven as they were without sin? or did they all go to hell as they were soulless? The bible "makes sense" if the account in Genesis is true, the fact that we know its bollocks raises a lot of questions which I'm afraid theologians can't answer as they have no evidence to back up any conclusions.

I think last Friday night's perceived events killed Ashley in a lot of people's views - they got their hopes up that he was trying to sort it out and "all" it would takes was backing Kev over the others - his speculated failure to do this was his coffin nail imo.

It's very easy for journalists and other fans (including some of ours) to jump on the "knuckle draggers force decent man out" bandwagon but this highlights the other side which is welcome.

My reading - and I'm sure most other peoples's - was that he meant the coppers.

Our SOS to a new manager saved us from relegation last season - your's didn't - kindly fuck off.

It's obvious to me that those expressing "sympathy" for poor Mike can't count as you illustrate. In the article by Parky's lass, some analyst mentions the club "haemorraging £20m a year" - utter fucking bollocks.

To be fair to Palin I think she just felt the need to support the "teach the controversy" position because she thinks that's what a social conservative should do rather than being a complete creationist fruitloop.

Of course it was a bad day to come in but even knowing £6m isn't huge money these days I just expect to see something from a player. Not writing him off of course.

Yeah I sit in L7 in the Milburn and had a good view of the empty seats in most other places including around about me and also judged by the queues to the bogs.

The thing is that teachers would have to be too tame if it did come up in science. If the age of the earth and common descent is discussed and you got a kid saying "I don't believe that" (as per the Dawkins prog a few weeks ago) they'd have to tread carefully in case they offend. Now obviously someone as militant as me would tend to support an aggressive "this is how stupid you are" approach but I have to accept it would just cause problems for the school - probably legal ones which again ideally I'd vigorously oppose but would prove ultimately fruitless. The problem with keeping it in RE as suggested is the old accident of history/geography problem - to be fair you'd have to include creation myths from all over the world rather than just the Genesis bollocks. I'd be tempted to just show the clip from The Simpsons where Ned asks the museum where their "alternative" is and they show him the collage backed by "What a fool believes".

My cold light of day thoughts are focusing on Lambias rather than Wise as the person who upset things.

Just thinking that - Mr Dubai: "Hang on you were here 3 months ago - why the urgency now?"