4/5     RIAA says MTU student owes them $97.8e12:
        http://www.freep.com/money/tech/newman5_20030405.htm
        \_ Actually, it's $97.8e9  Boy, you freepers sure are good at math.
           \_ Its not http://freerepublic.com, its Detroit Free Press.  So I
              guess that makes you the idiot, eh?
              \_ Freepers are also good at calling people names!
                \_ And the left is good at killing 50+ million people
                   in the 20th century.
                   \_ these responses may mark an all-time low.
                      \_ Actually, some estimates for the 20th
                         century RIAA/MPAA death toll
                         range up to 200 million.
                   \_ Republicans slaughtered 9 million in 1964 alone.
                      \_ All during the civil rights movement where they tried
                         to keep minorities down, right?

4/5     It was probably the fault of the racist white Crusaders.
        'Middle Ages were warmer than today, say scientists '
        http://csua.org/u/c78
        \_ no one's claiming that the current temperaturre trend is
           unprecedented in history.  CO_2 levels, on the other hand *are*
           unprecedented.  The fact that CO_2 is a green house gas is
           not in dispute.  Without the greenhouse effect, the earth would have
           average temperatures well below the freezing point of water.
        \_ tell you what.  you go read all the articles on climate change in
           Science and Nature for the next month, and report back when
           you know what the fuck you're talking about.  Global temperature
           increase is potentially not the most severe problem from
           anthropogenic climate change.  Also read "Storm Warning," by
           Lydia Dotto.
                \_ Please answer these questions then.  Since ocean
                   temperatures have been systematically collected (for ~25
                   years), they have not changed.  Why ? Surface temperatures
                   have risen, atmospheric temperatures have fallen, why?  The
                   earth was several degrees warmer in medieval ages, why?
                   None of the atmospheric models include or predict El Nino
                   and other ocean warming effects, why?  You can say there
                   has been increases in CO2 levels, and maybe a 0.5 C change
                   in temperature, primarily before 1950.  Thats it.  You seem
                   to have a very naive understanding of how grants are
                   distributed in science.  You think someone proposing to
                   dispute dire climate change would receive significant
                   funds?  [formatd. and learn to format to under 80 columns]
                \_ This article doesn't bother you - please explain to me what
                   has changed.
                   The Cooling World - http://www.globalclimate.org/Newsweek.htm
                   \_ You can't be serious.  Those "science" articles are a
                      joke.
        \_ I like this quote from the article: "It makes one wonder why there
           is so much fear of warmth."  I dunno, I hear Venus is lovely
           this time of year.
           \_ Are you the same person who quoted Ghandi in the other thread?
              Cute, but not a statement with any scientific weight.

4/5     What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the
        homeless, whether the mad destruction is brought under the name
        of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?
                                    - Gandhi
        \_ Gandhi was a British subject, disgruntled because he could not
           become an officer, who slept with preteen girls in the
           nude, was fixated on his own feces, gave tacit approval
           of the wholesale slaughter of Muslims after independence,
           advised the Jews of the Holocaust to go quietly, and was a
           supporter of the caste system.
           \_ Interesting; could you cite a few sources?
           \_ So what? Look up ad hominem.
              \- i imagine this is a troll, but in case it leaves some of
                 with mistaken impressions:
                 1. he was a british subject as a consequence of birth.
                    g. washington was also a british subject.
                 2. "couldnt not become an officer" ... "yes, g. washington
                     also was disgruntled because he couldnt become archbishop
                     of canterbury"
                 3. girls and feces ... feces not quite right. something
                    possibly to the girl stuff. i dont think there was any
                    accusation of molestation. YMWT(see) the play "gandhi vs.
                    the mahatma".
                 4. muslim: the main reason i replied. that is 100% opposite
                    to the actual state of affiars.
                 5. jews: dunno the answer there
                 6. caste system: more complicated than that
                 People in india have much more complicated and diverse
                 reactions and mpression of Gandhi in india. I dont think
                 much of this particular quites but he has some others that
                 much of this particular quote but he has some others that
                 arent to be believed slavishly but worth thinking about.
        \_ You want a real answer?  The answer is that it doesn't matter to
           the dead, but for millions of others who didn't get dead it
           matters a lot.  It's a naive and childish but catchy little quote.
        \_ It matters to me, if I get a good paying job because the economy
           improves because market and consumer confience recovers because
           of a decisive military victory for whatever reason and because,
           in time, we will have virtually unlimited supply of fuel.
                    \_ In time we will have a virtually unlimited supply
                       of fuel, but not because of Iraq or the war. Rather
                       the source will be our own waste coverted to fuel
                       via a fast depolymerization process (see this month's
                       discover for more info).
           \_ moron... in time, we will only be running out of fossil fuel.
              \_ The world has 2000-4000 years worth of coal, much of which is
                 in the U.S. Probably a good 200 years of oil, also.
                 I'm not advocating relying on fossil fuels, which is
                 a bad idea for alot of reasons, but we're not running
                 out any time soon.
                 \_ on the contrary, estimates of oil reserves can vary widely.
                    there are those who think oil will run out by the 2050's.
                    I.e. well within your projected lifetime.
                 \_ 2000+ years coal and 200 years oil!?  Are you serious?  URL
                    for sources please?
                    \_ I got those numbers from a UN report, which is
                       available on the web, but I can't find it right now.
                       if you're patient, I'll post it tomorrow, when I can
                       ask the guy who showed it to me(I'll post it anyway.)

4/5     How come the US hasn't planted any "Made in IRAQ" WMD in Iraq yet?
        \_ Why would it have to?  What difference would it make at this point?
           \_ You are right, the Bush adminstration has no credibility in
              any case. All their excuses for war have turned out to be lies.
              \_ Hmm.  I was more implying that at this point, we're committed
                 to the war, and whether we find WMD or not, US public opinion
                 will remain largely unchanged.  Now that we're actually in
                 Iraq, I doubt finding WMD will sway international opinions
                 much either.  *shrug*
        \_ WMD was just an excuse.  Iraq used chemical weapon roughly at the
           same time as USA used it against Vietnam.
           \_ Is this another reference to sarin?  Or are you talking about
              agent orange?  Including agent orange in the set of WMD is kind
              of semantic.
              \_ I believe he's referring to the discredited Peter Arnett
                 stuff about using sarin in Vietnam on our own guys and local
                 friendlies.  Some people just can't but help believe anything
                 bad said about America.

4/5     Looking for GIFs/JPGs that have symbolic meanings for the 70's era,
        like disco/flower pics, etc. What's a good 70's site with good
        pics? ok thx.
        \_ browse these links?
        http://web.bham.ac.uk/burforar/plain70s.html
        \_ Look for some Marilyn Chambers pix.

4/5     People who don't know anything about climate shouldn't pretend to
        have a scientific position.

4/5     Is it just me, or is more spam appearing over the past few days?
        My Yahoo account went from getting ~5 a day to getting about 35
        just in the last few days.
        \_ I've been getting 40-50 (~30 actually caught) a day in my
           Yahoo account for months now.  Their filtering algorithm is
           rather abysmal. And their "Mark as Spam" feature is useless, as
           I've sent to them the same type of spam I've been getting over and
           over again, yet they still appear in my Inbox.