FWIW there does seem to be a real push from elements of the US to say that there are things out there doing stuff that we can't explain (from a former US President down), and moreover this has noticeably increased in intensity over the past 12 months.
The question is why.
Is it some sort of push to increase defence spending?
Unlikely - there's no pushback to do so even without this.
So why?
Comedy value.
Probably.
However if the US had discovered (say) a radio signal or some other strong indicator of ET then I imagine they'd be really concerned as to how it might play. In that circumstance perhaps they'd roll out some weak (old and non genuine) stuff just to test the water. I have any such thing as a very low probability indeed, but it sort of fits the pattern, and one day (although perhaps not for many thousands of years) something will be found.
Slightly more likely is that they want to spend more on space, and having some sort of unspecified threat allows some militarisation which would be completely unacceptable if the threat was only here on Earth.
Anyway the ET aspect is most likely zero, nut there is just perhaps a politcal aspect.
You don't even begin to explain why the Yankee political, military and journalistic establishment is behaving like this. I do not believe for a moment they would hype up an extra-terrestrial "threat" so as to "get more money for militarised space research". That's lunatic behaviour. These people, including Obama, are not lunatics
I'm not explaining because I think all of this is very unlikely.
With all due respect, that is limitlessly pathetic
That applies to both sides. Because any explanation for all this is gonna be crazy. How and why are all these highly-informed Americans acting so nuts, why push the narrative that it could be actual ALIENS?
Due respect noted. Abuse disregarded. I suggested a plausible idea which as I made very clear I think is very unlikely. It is plausible though.
Nobody is actually doing anything at all about this stuff because it is very likely fantasy. It's not impossible though and in the wildly unlikely event that there is something then we might tease out the possibilities.
Sorry for the snappiness, but it is frustrating when you just don't address the question. If you don't believe it can possibly be aliens (and I totally get that, I find it very hard to believe myself) then you do have to explain why the US authorities are behaving as if they have evidence that this "could" be aliens
Why would they even go down that road?
I believe completely that it could be aliens, but I assign that a very low probability (very low indeed). If we wait long enough I assign a very high probability to us finding intelligent life elsewhere. Long enough might be millions of years though.
Overall I have no idea why the US might be doing this. All I can think of it is in order to change the political agenda with regards to what happens in space in the future. There's a tiny possibility that it might be that they've actually found something. Both of these reasons - small chance and tiny chance I think make sense as I've represented them. Clearly though they are, so far as I am concerned, possibilities rather than anything likely to be true.
Fair enough. The mystery abides
It does. What do you have to offer in terms of ideas?
PS. Absolutely mad and unthought out ideas are fine in mine book. I'll not criticise.
I find it almost impossible to believe it is aliens. But that could be my Normalcy Bias
But I can see with my own eyes that a lot of clever, informed people think this is a real possibility, and the evidence is growing in plausibility, but far from convincing. But then I also wonder what we would find *convincing*. Advanced intelligent alien life on earth would be outside our normal world-view, and so profoundly unsettling to many, we might refuse to believe it, even if we had the "Philip Thompson Experience" and the genderfluid sex aliens raped us from behind with their intergalactic love-bassoons
I just dunno. Fascinating story, and a welcome break from Covid, so thanks America
Ok, so much like me then. Do ponder the political question as to why on earth this would be a thing for the US government - I haven't a clue, but there's something.
Mr Alien, knocking on our door is something I would so love to see. I'd be stupidly blind terrified mind you. If we as a race aren't a bit crap in weird situations then I certainly will try to fill in the gap. Nonetheless I think its the thing I'd most like to see before I die.
Meeting an alien would almost certainly be terminal for you... and them. They'd have trillions of alien pathogens about them that your body is not evolved to fight, and vice versa.
But they wouldn't be evolved to fight your body either; as you say, and vice versa. They wouldn't want to get involved with one another.
That's actually a very good explanation as to why They might be Here, but They haven't made contact. They don't want to kill us as we killed native Americans with our viruses. Nor do they want to catch anything off us. As they are so smart and all, They will know all this
I want to meet one, nonetheless
We'd all like to meet one. Interesting capitalisation. Don't people capitalise God also?
Serious question: what would people - especially outright skeptics - accept as convincing evidence of alien life visiting earth?
The more I think about it, the more I am sure that almost anything would be dismissed. Any video can be faked. Whatever the president says might be a ploy. The CIA are trying to hoodwink us!
Even if aliens TOTALLY destroyed Newent, Gloucestershire, in a single harmonised laser assault, many would reject the evidence
It’s not just hypothetical aliens. It’s anything. We’re very close to the point that anything you aren’t seeing in the same room as you might easily be faked. I think it’s going to take us further down the “I have alternative facts” path sadly.
FWIW there does seem to be a real push from elements of the US to say that there are things out there doing stuff that we can't explain (from a former US President down), and moreover this has noticeably increased in intensity over the past 12 months.
The question is why.
Is it some sort of push to increase defence spending?
Unlikely - there's no pushback to do so even without this.
So why?
Comedy value.
Probably.
However if the US had discovered (say) a radio signal or some other strong indicator of ET then I imagine they'd be really concerned as to how it might play. In that circumstance perhaps they'd roll out some weak (old and non genuine) stuff just to test the water. I have any such thing as a very low probability indeed, but it sort of fits the pattern, and one day (although perhaps not for many thousands of years) something will be found.
Slightly more likely is that they want to spend more on space, and having some sort of unspecified threat allows some militarisation which would be completely unacceptable if the threat was only here on Earth.
Anyway the ET aspect is most likely zero, nut there is just perhaps a politcal aspect.
You don't even begin to explain why the Yankee political, military and journalistic establishment is behaving like this. I do not believe for a moment they would hype up an extra-terrestrial "threat" so as to "get more money for militarised space research". That's lunatic behaviour. These people, including Obama, are not lunatics
I'm not explaining because I think all of this is very unlikely.
With all due respect, that is limitlessly pathetic
That applies to both sides. Because any explanation for all this is gonna be crazy. How and why are all these highly-informed Americans acting so nuts, why push the narrative that it could be actual ALIENS?
Due respect noted. Abuse disregarded. I suggested a plausible idea which as I made very clear I think is very unlikely. It is plausible though.
Nobody is actually doing anything at all about this stuff because it is very likely fantasy. It's not impossible though and in the wildly unlikely event that there is something then we might tease out the possibilities.
Sorry for the snappiness, but it is frustrating when you just don't address the question. If you don't believe it can possibly be aliens (and I totally get that, I find it very hard to believe myself) then you do have to explain why the US authorities are behaving as if they have evidence that this "could" be aliens
Why would they even go down that road?
I believe completely that it could be aliens, but I assign that a very low probability (very low indeed). If we wait long enough I assign a very high probability to us finding intelligent life elsewhere. Long enough might be millions of years though.
Overall I have no idea why the US might be doing this. All I can think of it is in order to change the political agenda with regards to what happens in space in the future. There's a tiny possibility that it might be that they've actually found something. Both of these reasons - small chance and tiny chance I think make sense as I've represented them. Clearly though they are, so far as I am concerned, possibilities rather than anything likely to be true.
Fair enough. The mystery abides
It does. What do you have to offer in terms of ideas?
PS. Absolutely mad and unthought out ideas are fine in mine book. I'll not criticise.
I find it almost impossible to believe it is aliens. But that could be my Normalcy Bias
But I can see with my own eyes that a lot of clever, informed people think this is a real possibility, and the evidence is growing in plausibility, but far from convincing. But then I also wonder what we would find *convincing*. Advanced intelligent alien life on earth would be outside our normal world-view, and so profoundly unsettling to many, we might refuse to believe it, even if we had the "Philip Thompson Experience" and the genderfluid sex aliens raped us from behind with their intergalactic love-bassoons
I just dunno. Fascinating story, and a welcome break from Covid, so thanks America
Ok, so much like me then. Do ponder the political question as to why on earth this would be a thing for the US government - I haven't a clue, but there's something.
Mr Alien, knocking on our door is something I would so love to see. I'd be stupidly blind terrified mind you. If we as a race aren't a bit crap in weird situations then I certainly will try to fill in the gap. Nonetheless I think its the thing I'd most like to see before I die.
Meeting an alien would almost certainly be terminal for you... and them. They'd have trillions of alien pathogens about them that your body is not evolved to fight, and vice versa.
But they wouldn't be evolved to fight your body either; as you say, and vice versa. They wouldn't want to get involved with one another.
That's actually a very good explanation as to why They might be Here, but They haven't made contact. They don't want to kill us as we killed native Americans with our viruses. Nor do they want to catch anything off us. As they are so smart and all, They will know all this
I want to meet one, nonetheless
Native Americans are genetically 99.9999% identical to us. Aliens 0.00000% if they even have genes in the first place, which they don't.
Serious question: what would people - especially outright skeptics - accept as convincing evidence of alien life visiting earth?
The more I think about it, the more I am sure that almost anything would be dismissed. Any video can be faked. Whatever the president says might be a ploy. The CIA are trying to hoodwink us!
Even if aliens TOTALLY destroyed Newent, Gloucestershire, in a single harmonised laser assault, many would reject the evidence
It’s not just hypothetical aliens. It’s anything. We’re very close to the point that anything you aren’t seeing in the same room as you might easily be faked. I think it’s going to take us further down the “I have alternative facts” path sadly.
Yes, that was kinda my point. Fake News and AI and Deep Fakes and the rest means nothing is reliable. Only the intergalactic love-bassoons actually up your arse. And they are quite "comfy"
FWIW there does seem to be a real push from elements of the US to say that there are things out there doing stuff that we can't explain (from a former US President down), and moreover this has noticeably increased in intensity over the past 12 months.
The question is why.
Is it some sort of push to increase defence spending?
Unlikely - there's no pushback to do so even without this.
So why?
Comedy value.
Probably.
However if the US had discovered (say) a radio signal or some other strong indicator of ET then I imagine they'd be really concerned as to how it might play. In that circumstance perhaps they'd roll out some weak (old and non genuine) stuff just to test the water. I have any such thing as a very low probability indeed, but it sort of fits the pattern, and one day (although perhaps not for many thousands of years) something will be found.
Slightly more likely is that they want to spend more on space, and having some sort of unspecified threat allows some militarisation which would be completely unacceptable if the threat was only here on Earth.
Anyway the ET aspect is most likely zero, nut there is just perhaps a politcal aspect.
You don't even begin to explain why the Yankee political, military and journalistic establishment is behaving like this. I do not believe for a moment they would hype up an extra-terrestrial "threat" so as to "get more money for militarised space research". That's lunatic behaviour. These people, including Obama, are not lunatics
I'm not explaining because I think all of this is very unlikely.
With all due respect, that is limitlessly pathetic
That applies to both sides. Because any explanation for all this is gonna be crazy. How and why are all these highly-informed Americans acting so nuts, why push the narrative that it could be actual ALIENS?
Due respect noted. Abuse disregarded. I suggested a plausible idea which as I made very clear I think is very unlikely. It is plausible though.
Nobody is actually doing anything at all about this stuff because it is very likely fantasy. It's not impossible though and in the wildly unlikely event that there is something then we might tease out the possibilities.
Sorry for the snappiness, but it is frustrating when you just don't address the question. If you don't believe it can possibly be aliens (and I totally get that, I find it very hard to believe myself) then you do have to explain why the US authorities are behaving as if they have evidence that this "could" be aliens
Why would they even go down that road?
I believe completely that it could be aliens, but I assign that a very low probability (very low indeed). If we wait long enough I assign a very high probability to us finding intelligent life elsewhere. Long enough might be millions of years though.
Overall I have no idea why the US might be doing this. All I can think of it is in order to change the political agenda with regards to what happens in space in the future. There's a tiny possibility that it might be that they've actually found something. Both of these reasons - small chance and tiny chance I think make sense as I've represented them. Clearly though they are, so far as I am concerned, possibilities rather than anything likely to be true.
Fair enough. The mystery abides
It does. What do you have to offer in terms of ideas?
PS. Absolutely mad and unthought out ideas are fine in mine book. I'll not criticise.
I find it almost impossible to believe it is aliens. But that could be my Normalcy Bias
But I can see with my own eyes that a lot of clever, informed people think this is a real possibility, and the evidence is growing in plausibility, but far from convincing. But then I also wonder what we would find *convincing*. Advanced intelligent alien life on earth would be outside our normal world-view, and so profoundly unsettling to many, we might refuse to believe it, even if we had the "Philip Thompson Experience" and the genderfluid sex aliens raped us from behind with their intergalactic love-bassoons
I just dunno. Fascinating story, and a welcome break from Covid, so thanks America
Ok, so much like me then. Do ponder the political question as to why on earth this would be a thing for the US government - I haven't a clue, but there's something.
Mr Alien, knocking on our door is something I would so love to see. I'd be stupidly blind terrified mind you. If we as a race aren't a bit crap in weird situations then I certainly will try to fill in the gap. Nonetheless I think its the thing I'd most like to see before I die.
Meeting an alien would almost certainly be terminal for you... and them. They'd have trillions of alien pathogens about them that your body is not evolved to fight, and vice versa.
But they wouldn't be evolved to fight your body either; as you say, and vice versa. They wouldn't want to get involved with one another.
That's actually a very good explanation as to why They might be Here, but They haven't made contact. They don't want to kill us as we killed native Americans with our viruses. Nor do they want to catch anything off us. As they are so smart and all, They will know all this
I want to meet one, nonetheless
Native Americans are genetically 99.9999% identical to us. Aliens 0.00000% if they even have genes in the first place, which they don't.
WHY ARE THEY HERE BRO
They are NOT aliens per se, they exist in other planes or dimensions that are revealed to us in altered states of consciousness.
There was a remarkable confrontation on Ch4 News tonight between Krishna Gurumurthy and the Israeli Ambassador ( a women). KG displayed all the characteristics of an upper caste misogynist in continuing to interrupt the ambassador. While not a defender of the current Israeli government it was embarrassing to see an attempt to take down the representative of a democratically elected government. She would have been within her rights to say SFTU.
Aliens? why not. If you put our current state of knowledge of the physical universe and its laws on on side of a balance and general ignorance and unexplained observations on the other, it'd damage the thing.
Serious question: what would people - especially outright skeptics - accept as convincing evidence of alien life visiting earth?
The more I think about it, the more I am sure that almost anything would be dismissed. Any video can be faked. Whatever the president says might be a ploy. The CIA are trying to hoodwink us!
Even if aliens TOTALLY destroyed Newent, Gloucestershire, in a single harmonised laser assault, many would reject the evidence
It’s not just hypothetical aliens. It’s anything. We’re very close to the point that anything you aren’t seeing in the same room as you might easily be faked. I think it’s going to take us further down the “I have alternative facts” path sadly.
Yes, that was kinda my point. Fake News and AI and Deep Fakes and the rest means nothing is reliable. Only the intergalactic love-bassoons actually up your arse. And they are quite "comfy"
Bloody good excuse to explain things for the wife though.
Spanish foreign minister @AranchaGlezLaya confirms to #BBCNewscast some EU member states are worried by Indian variant so U.K. might not be added to list of safe countries. If that happens Spain would only allow in Brits who’d had both doses of the vaccine. More soon. https://twitter.com/adamfleming/status/1395109650400432132/photo/1
Watch out Ayia Napa and Zante, the oldies are going to be coming to party like its 1969....
Some part of me wonders if the real reason the UK seem to be spreading such alarm about the "Indian" variant, is because they want the EU to ban Brits from going abroad, and take the decision out of the hands of UK ministers...
Your suspicions confirmed:
"Indian variant gives EU wobbles on opening up to Britons
Decision delayed on whether UK should be placed the EU's 'white list' – the equivalent of the British 'green list'"
Serious question: what would people - especially outright skeptics - accept as convincing evidence of alien life visiting earth?
The more I think about it, the more I am sure that almost anything would be dismissed. Any video can be faked. Whatever the president says might be a ploy. The CIA are trying to hoodwink us!
Even if aliens TOTALLY destroyed Newent, Gloucestershire, in a single harmonised laser assault, many would reject the evidence
How about some actual evidence?
Not a former POTUS making a joke on a comedy show, like he did in 2015 when he was President and joked that aliens were real as per your prior clip. Some real evidence.
That's my question (and it is sincere, I am curious)
What would constitute evidence?
I found a brilliant hoax video of a UFO in Malaysia. It has just the right mix of authentic graininess and Fuck Me SFX. They should have added an audio of people sobbing and screaming, rather than chatting excitedly
So look at this. If something like this was punted out there, and no one could debunk it, would it convince you?
Worth watching to the end, whether you are UFO positive or not
No, not being able to debunk something is not the same as it being real and authenticated.
What would be evidence? I don't know, maybe live footage of the supposed aliens on a credible news station? Beth Rigby asking the captain of the alien ship whether its going to resign?
Robert Peston saying the PM is about to announce there's no such thing as aliens would challenge my core.
Spanish foreign minister @AranchaGlezLaya confirms to #BBCNewscast some EU member states are worried by Indian variant so U.K. might not be added to list of safe countries. If that happens Spain would only allow in Brits who’d had both doses of the vaccine. More soon. https://twitter.com/adamfleming/status/1395109650400432132/photo/1
Watch out Ayia Napa and Zante, the oldies are going to be coming to party like its 1969....
Some part of me wonders if the real reason the UK seem to be spreading such alarm about the "Indian" variant, is because they want the EU to ban Brits from going abroad, and take the decision out of the hands of UK ministers...
I see Leicester is on the list for surge testing. A primary school case in the Eastern part of the city. 🙄
I'd be happy to contribute to a whip round for a flight to Portugal for @Leon and an endless stream of hookers for him in Faro just for a break, to be honest.
I'd be happy to contribute to a whip round for a flight to Portugal for @Leon and an endless stream of hookers for him in Faro just for a break, to be honest.
I'd be happy to contribute to a whip round for a flight to Portugal for @Leon and an endless stream of hookers for him in Faro just for a break, to be honest.
Didn't you say exactly the same thing to Eadric during Early Covid?
FWIW there does seem to be a real push from elements of the US to say that there are things out there doing stuff that we can't explain (from a former US President down), and moreover this has noticeably increased in intensity over the past 12 months.
The question is why.
Is it some sort of push to increase defence spending?
Unlikely - there's no pushback to do so even without this.
So why?
Comedy value.
Probably.
However if the US had discovered (say) a radio signal or some other strong indicator of ET then I imagine they'd be really concerned as to how it might play. In that circumstance perhaps they'd roll out some weak (old and non genuine) stuff just to test the water. I have any such thing as a very low probability indeed, but it sort of fits the pattern, and one day (although perhaps not for many thousands of years) something will be found.
Slightly more likely is that they want to spend more on space, and having some sort of unspecified threat allows some militarisation which would be completely unacceptable if the threat was only here on Earth.
Anyway the ET aspect is most likely zero, nut there is just perhaps a politcal aspect.
You don't even begin to explain why the Yankee political, military and journalistic establishment is behaving like this. I do not believe for a moment they would hype up an extra-terrestrial "threat" so as to "get more money for militarised space research". That's lunatic behaviour. These people, including Obama, are not lunatics
I'm not explaining because I think all of this is very unlikely.
With all due respect, that is limitlessly pathetic
That applies to both sides. Because any explanation for all this is gonna be crazy. How and why are all these highly-informed Americans acting so nuts, why push the narrative that it could be actual ALIENS?
Due respect noted. Abuse disregarded. I suggested a plausible idea which as I made very clear I think is very unlikely. It is plausible though.
Nobody is actually doing anything at all about this stuff because it is very likely fantasy. It's not impossible though and in the wildly unlikely event that there is something then we might tease out the possibilities.
Sorry for the snappiness, but it is frustrating when you just don't address the question. If you don't believe it can possibly be aliens (and I totally get that, I find it very hard to believe myself) then you do have to explain why the US authorities are behaving as if they have evidence that this "could" be aliens
Why would they even go down that road?
1. There are plenty of unexplained things seen by military pilots over the last 50 years 2. Obama made a joking comment on a TV show 3. There have been a raft of videos from drones in the last couple of years that *may* show things
These things may - or may not - be evidence of UFOs.
In the old days, unexplained things were "god". Now, they're UFOs. In the future they may be specific alien races, and they may be some other part of science.
It's great and exciting that we're talking about this stuff.
But the only things we've seen that are genuinely highly supportive of alien intelligent life visiting us are those recent videos. And these videos are also the ones that are - to be blunt - the ones that are easiest to fake.
I'd be incredibly excited if it turned out we weren't alone and were being visited by another intelligence. It would genuinely be the biggest, most exciting story in human history.
But the evidence we have is not yet there.
It's like attributing the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 to God's displeasure. Yes, something happened. Yes, God's displeasure is an explanation. But it is not the only explanation. And it may very well not be the correct one.
So why are they all saying it Robert?
No they aren't.
All the voices that are amplified in the press are saying it, because it's a big story.
Yes without the press being a hype machine, we wouldn’t have heard of Harry Reid. Or Marco Rubio. Or James Woolsey or John Brennan. Or John Ratcliffe. Or Christopher Mellon. Who have all been fairly explicit.
Let me ask any other way? Why do you think the Senate Intelligence Committee inserted this clause into the covid relief bill? With its members spending recent months ensuring the process remains very high up the news agenda?
For a thousand and one possible reasons.
Maybe because there's some weird unexplained stuff that needs to be investigated, but is almost certainly nothing?
Maybe because they want to move the agenda on from Covid, and culture wars, and traitors invading the Capitol?
Foxy said: "Pathogens evolve to match hosts. Could I catch a computer virus?"
Maybe not, but (the obvious comment) it might drive one nuts.
Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith infected a massive alien mother-ship with a computer virus.
My late mother's favourite film that, and therefore also one of my favourite films!
One of my favourite alien contact films is a superb South African one: "District 9" in which the aliens are desperate refugees, and as unwanted as other refugees. It's on Amazon.
Don't buy it to make money. Let's say you squirrelled away a few quid of bitcoin every month for your life. You shuffle off this mortal coil. In your will you leave, say, a million quid of assets plus a bitcoin account and password confidentially given.
The revenue stings your beneficiaries for death duties on the estate. They claim there's another million in the bitcoin account and they want the tax.
If they don't have the details of the account, which they won't, your beneficiaries can tell them to go f8ck themselves.
Ah, not a Ponzi scheme, just a way to commit a crime?
More correctly, a way to commit a crime and get away with it.
You see, unlike the brinks mat boys, there's no way the revenue, could, or would ever recover the assets. Ever. Gone for good. For centuries if necessary. To be brought out by great granchildren long after the rozzers had forgotten about the whole thing.
It would be up to the good conscience of the people of Britain to decide how much the revenue, in their judgement, DESERVED to be paid in death duties.
It is, in other words, a massive shift in power away from governments and to ordinary people, and that is why governments really hate it. That's why the CCP hate it. It threatens to redraw the social contract between the government and the governed.
Except its not, since the coins are worthless. If a bitcoin was worth $1 and that was reliable then it would be as you say. But its not.
Bitcoins are far from worthless IF you pass them to someone else BEFORE the gong sounds.
Similar to using a restaurant or dry cleaners or whatever to launder your filthy lucre. A bit more risk (if you are slow or unsavvy) but on the plus side harder for the tax or legal authorities to figure out what's what.
Serious question: what would people - especially outright skeptics - accept as convincing evidence of alien life visiting earth?
The more I think about it, the more I am sure that almost anything would be dismissed. Any video can be faked. Whatever the president says might be a ploy. The CIA are trying to hoodwink us!
Even if aliens TOTALLY destroyed Newent, Gloucestershire, in a single harmonised laser assault, many would reject the evidence
Most people are sceptical about something, and proper full fat scepticism couldn't accept as certain evidence of alien life because the same uncertainty belongs to everything.
However, to try to answer: Sustained personal experience by a large number of people of something which cannot be explained any other way would be a start. But more would be needed:
What would convince most other people of alien existence? Widespread agreement in the physics, biology and engineering disciplines at the most respected level, accompanied by peer reviewed papers in reputable academic journals, all converging on points of agreement about the interpretation to be placed on empirical data, preferably outlining the sorts of new data which would falsify the conclusion.
It is similar to the sort of evidence that would confirm the existence of the Loch Ness Monster (missing because there isn't one).
No amount of anecdote, journalism or fuzzy videos will make up for this. Just as withy the Loch Ness Monster.
However we would by then all be dead of alien viruses.
Serious question: what would people - especially outright skeptics - accept as convincing evidence of alien life visiting earth?
The more I think about it, the more I am sure that almost anything would be dismissed. Any video can be faked. Whatever the president says might be a ploy. The CIA are trying to hoodwink us!
Even if aliens TOTALLY destroyed Newent, Gloucestershire, in a single harmonised laser assault, many would reject the evidence
Sort of feels like something to worry about after the President says it.
Indeed. And not only do we both use DNA (rather than some other nucleic acid, if they use a nucleic acid at all), they use c, g, a, and t, rather than other bases, and then we go from there.
There was a remarkable confrontation on Ch4 News tonight between Krishna Gurumurthy and the Israeli Ambassador ( a women). KG displayed all the characteristics of an upper caste misogynist in continuing to interrupt the ambassador. While not a defender of the current Israeli government it was embarrassing to see an attempt to take down the representative of a democratically elected government. She would have been within her rights to say SFTU.
Foxy said: "Pathogens evolve to match hosts. Could I catch a computer virus?"
Maybe not, but (the obvious comment) it might drive one nuts.
Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith infected a massive alien mother-ship with a computer virus.
My late mother's favourite film that, and therefore also one of my favourite films!
One of my favourite alien contact films is a superb South African one: "District 9" in which the aliens are desperate refugees, and as unwanted as other refugees. It's on Amazon.
A magnificent movie, and a brilliant satire of apartheid
Spanish foreign minister @AranchaGlezLaya confirms to #BBCNewscast some EU member states are worried by Indian variant so U.K. might not be added to list of safe countries. If that happens Spain would only allow in Brits who’d had both doses of the vaccine. More soon. https://twitter.com/adamfleming/status/1395109650400432132/photo/1
Watch out Ayia Napa and Zante, the oldies are going to be coming to party like its 1969....
Some part of me wonders if the real reason the UK seem to be spreading such alarm about the "Indian" variant, is because they want the EU to ban Brits from going abroad, and take the decision out of the hands of UK ministers...
Your suspicions confirmed:
"Indian variant gives EU wobbles on opening up to Britons
Decision delayed on whether UK should be placed the EU's 'white list' – the equivalent of the British 'green list'"
Also ridiculous, because either it's as transmissable (ignoring the question as usual about whether it is dangerous) as "feared" - in which case it's almost certainly all over Europe anyway already, or well enough seeded, and just not detected - or it isn't in which case it's moot.
Don't buy it to make money. Let's say you squirrelled away a few quid of bitcoin every month for your life. You shuffle off this mortal coil. In your will you leave, say, a million quid of assets plus a bitcoin account and password confidentially given.
The revenue stings your beneficiaries for death duties on the estate. They claim there's another million in the bitcoin account and they want the tax.
If they don't have the details of the account, which they won't, your beneficiaries can tell them to go f8ck themselves.
Ah, not a Ponzi scheme, just a way to commit a crime?
More correctly, a way to commit a crime and get away with it.
You see, unlike the brinks mat boys, there's no way the revenue, could, or would ever recover the assets. Ever. Gone for good. For centuries if necessary. To be brought out by great granchildren long after the rozzers had forgotten about the whole thing.
It would be up to the good conscience of the people of Britain to decide how much the revenue, in their judgement, DESERVED to be paid in death duties.
It is, in other words, a massive shift in power away from governments and to ordinary people, and that is why governments really hate it. That's why the CCP hate it. It threatens to redraw the social contract between the government and the governed.
Except its not, since the coins are worthless. If a bitcoin was worth $1 and that was reliable then it would be as you say. But its not.
Bitcoins are far from worthless IF you pass them to someone else BEFORE the gong sounds.
Similar to using a restaurant or dry cleaners or whatever to launder your filthy lucre. A bit more risk (if you are slow or unsavvy) but on the plus side harder for the tax or legal authorities to figure out what's what.
Oh absolutely if you can palm it off to another mug then great, because now you have some real money. But then when you do get your real money, you might find the authorities land you with an unexplained wealth order or similar, which could be unfortunate to say the least.
As a hold of value though its useless. While its climbing up in value because more mugs want to put more of their money in it then great, but when the bubble goes there's nothing intrinsic defending its value.
Foxy said: "Pathogens evolve to match hosts. Could I catch a computer virus?"
Maybe not, but (the obvious comment) it might drive one nuts.
Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith infected a massive alien mother-ship with a computer virus.
My late mother's favourite film that, and therefore also one of my favourite films!
One of my favourite alien contact films is a superb South African one: "District 9" in which the aliens are desperate refugees, and as unwanted as other refugees. It's on Amazon.
Sharlto Copley is a very interesting actor, certainly not pigeonholed.
I'd be happy to contribute to a whip round for a flight to Portugal for @Leon and an endless stream of hookers for him in Faro just for a break, to be honest.
Didn't you say exactly the same thing to Eadric during Early Covid?
Also ridiculous, because either it's as transmissable (ignoring the question as usual about whether it is dangerous) as "feared" - in which case it's almost certainly all over Europe anyway already, or well enough seeded, and just not detected - or it isn't in which case it's moot.
Just because its seeded is not a reason to seed it more, especially given they're miles behind on their vaccination program.
Also ridiculous, because either it's as transmissable (ignoring the question as usual about whether it is dangerous) as "feared" - in which case it's almost certainly all over Europe anyway already, or well enough seeded, and just not detected - or it isn't in which case it's moot.
Just because its seeded is not a reason to seed it more, especially given they're miles behind on their vaccination program.
I did say "well enough" seeded, and with the sort of stuff the models are producing everyone should have it in about 4 weeks. Also, the message that some in the UK are giving out is that levels of vaccination barely matter. It's still going to somehow kill 40,000 by end of July.
There was a remarkable confrontation on Ch4 News tonight between Krishna Gurumurthy and the Israeli Ambassador ( a women). KG displayed all the characteristics of an upper caste misogynist in continuing to interrupt the ambassador. While not a defender of the current Israeli government it was embarrassing to see an attempt to take down the representative of a democratically elected government. She would have been within her rights to say SFTU.
Pyongyang Daily News Channel up to its usual form. No surprise.
Spanish foreign minister @AranchaGlezLaya confirms to #BBCNewscast some EU member states are worried by Indian variant so U.K. might not be added to list of safe countries. If that happens Spain would only allow in Brits who’d had both doses of the vaccine. More soon. https://twitter.com/adamfleming/status/1395109650400432132/photo/1
Watch out Ayia Napa and Zante, the oldies are going to be coming to party like its 1969....
Some part of me wonders if the real reason the UK seem to be spreading such alarm about the "Indian" variant, is because they want the EU to ban Brits from going abroad, and take the decision out of the hands of UK ministers...
Your suspicions confirmed:
"Indian variant gives EU wobbles on opening up to Britons
Decision delayed on whether UK should be placed the EU's 'white list' – the equivalent of the British 'green list'"
Also ridiculous, because either it's as transmissable (ignoring the question as usual about whether it is dangerous) as "feared" - in which case it's almost certainly all over Europe anyway already, or well enough seeded, and just not detected - or it isn't in which case it's moot.
Of course, but the “reciprocity” argument implies it's to do with politics.
The 27 envoys agreed in Brussels that non-EU citizens fully vaccinated with EU-approved jabs would be allowed into the bloc.
But fears were raised that the EU could insist on British holidaymakers undergoing the same quarantine and testing rules the UK imposes on its member states.
The ambassadors said governments should take into account “reciprocity” when setting their quarantine and testing rules for visitors. Every EU country except Portugal is on the UK's amber list, meaning quarantine rules apply.
I'd be happy to contribute to a whip round for a flight to Portugal for @Leon and an endless stream of hookers for him in Faro just for a break, to be honest.
I thought with the indoor pub reopening and the roaring 20s, free lancers like flint knappers would be spending every night over indulging...
I'm waiting for two weeks after my second jab. I don't want to be the soldier shot at 10.59am on the 11th November, 1918
Once I've got the 2nd jab, look out London I need a quiet glass of rose!
Also I will immediately fly to some sunshine, if it's not here first
I have a weekend of carnage already booked for after 2nd jab, well middle aged folk on the piss (most of which have kids, so don't get out that often)
I am so out of the loop of going out, and so fearful of a hangover, that I paid £50 to go to the Boisdale in Canary Wharf Friday night, have my first Sat off work this year, am banned from football so no Sat game... and am sacking it off for a night in!
Also ridiculous, because either it's as transmissable (ignoring the question as usual about whether it is dangerous) as "feared" - in which case it's almost certainly all over Europe anyway already, or well enough seeded, and just not detected - or it isn't in which case it's moot.
Of course, but the “reciprocity” argument implies it's to do with politics.
The 27 envoys agreed in Brussels that non-EU citizens fully vaccinated with EU-approved jabs would be allowed into the bloc.
But fears were raised that the EU could insist on British holidaymakers undergoing the same quarantine and testing rules the UK imposes on its member states.
The ambassadors said governments should take into account “reciprocity” when setting their quarantine and testing rules for visitors. Every EU country except Portugal is on the UK's amber list, meaning quarantine rules apply.
That's fecking stupid.
That really is putting politics ahead of healthcare.
Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford college should go, says independent report
I'm not instinctively opposed to people removing statues if the matter is given some thought and not done lightly (and so not purely as some moralistic posturing about people long dead from different times), but I am intrigued about it being recommended in an 'independent' report. I'm not sure what independent means in that context - presumably meaning not a part of the college, but presumably also not of a group already advocating removal, but on an issue like this what benefit is there to a presumably uninterested party weighing in? It's not like these things come down to evidence which an independent report might find, it's just a cultural judgement call.
Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford college should go, says independent report
I'm not instinctively opposed to people removing statues if the matter is given some thought and not done lightly (and so not purely as some moralistic posturing about people long dead from different times), but I am intrigued about it being recommended in an 'independent' report. I'm not sure what independent means in that context - presumably meaning not a part of the college, but presumably also not of a group already advocating removal, but on an issue like this what benefit is there to a presumably uninterested party weighing in? It's not like these things come down to evidence which an independent report might find, it's just a cultural judgement call.
Can't we move the statue to @Casino_Royale 's house? Everybody wins!
Also ridiculous, because either it's as transmissable (ignoring the question as usual about whether it is dangerous) as "feared" - in which case it's almost certainly all over Europe anyway already, or well enough seeded, and just not detected - or it isn't in which case it's moot.
Of course, but the “reciprocity” argument implies it's to do with politics.
The 27 envoys agreed in Brussels that non-EU citizens fully vaccinated with EU-approved jabs would be allowed into the bloc.
But fears were raised that the EU could insist on British holidaymakers undergoing the same quarantine and testing rules the UK imposes on its member states.
The ambassadors said governments should take into account “reciprocity” when setting their quarantine and testing rules for visitors. Every EU country except Portugal is on the UK's amber list, meaning quarantine rules apply.
That's fecking stupid.
That really is putting politics ahead of healthcare.
This 34 year old has just tested the booking site, and it is allowing me to progress. Nearest centre is 9 miles away, should be doable on the bike.
Remember you need to get back again and there's an outside chance of a reaction, so be careful about testing your limits.
Yes, probably best to wait for a closer one that I can taxi.
You'll be able to bike the 9 miles back no worries. The immediate reaction is almost inevitably a dead arm - headache or feeling a bit off kicks in later by which time you'll be back.
This 34 year old has just tested the booking site, and it is allowing me to progress. Nearest centre is 9 miles away, should be doable on the bike.
Remember you need to get back again and there's an outside chance of a reaction, so be careful about testing your limits.
Yes, probably best to wait for a closer one that I can taxi.
You'll be able to bike the 9 miles back no worries. The immediate reaction is almost inevitably a dead arm - headache or feeling a bit off kicks in later by which time you'll be back.
This 34 year old has just tested the booking site, and it is allowing me to progress. Nearest centre is 9 miles away, should be doable on the bike.
Remember you need to get back again and there's an outside chance of a reaction, so be careful about testing your limits.
Yes, probably best to wait for a closer one that I can taxi.
You'll be able to bike the 9 miles back no worries. The immediate reaction is almost inevitably a dead arm - headache or feeling a bit off kicks in later by which time you'll be back.
There was a remarkable confrontation on Ch4 News tonight between Krishna Gurumurthy and the Israeli Ambassador ( a women). KG displayed all the characteristics of an upper caste misogynist in continuing to interrupt the ambassador. While not a defender of the current Israeli government it was embarrassing to see an attempt to take down the representative of a democratically elected government. She would have been within her rights to say SFTU.
Nonsense! Upper caste Hindus are Modi fans, and therefore would back Israel to the hilt!
Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford college should go, says independent report
I'm not instinctively opposed to people removing statues if the matter is given some thought and not done lightly (and so not purely as some moralistic posturing about people long dead from different times), but I am intrigued about it being recommended in an 'independent' report. I'm not sure what independent means in that context - presumably meaning not a part of the college, but presumably also not of a group already advocating removal, but on an issue like this what benefit is there to a presumably uninterested party weighing in? It's not like these things come down to evidence which an independent report might find, it's just a cultural judgement call.
Given the make-up of the commission, its terms of reference, and the steer it was given this was inevitable.
Nevertheless the details will be interesting. I note that the Guardian only says that a majority of the commission supported taking the statue down - and I don't know if that vote was taken before or after Peter Ainsworth's sad death - whereas the recommendations (e.g. on outreach programmes and new scholarships) were unanimous.
What will happen now is that almost all the focus will be on the controversy of the former - which will be divisive, and open things up all over again - whilst the potential of the good work of the latter gets lost.
Serious question: what would people - especially outright skeptics - accept as convincing evidence of alien life visiting earth?
The more I think about it, the more I am sure that almost anything would be dismissed. Any video can be faked. Whatever the president says might be a ploy. The CIA are trying to hoodwink us!
Even if aliens TOTALLY destroyed Newent, Gloucestershire, in a single harmonised laser assault, many would reject the evidence
Sort of feels like something to worry about after the President says it.
Indeed. And not only do we both use DNA (rather than some other nucleic acid, if they use a nucleic acid at all), they use c, g, a, and t, rather than other bases, and then we go from there.
A fungal spore equivalent could be more of an issue, I guess. To which our insides might just be a source of convenient warmth, moisture, and darkness.
But a virus or a bacterium that evolved for an entire different ecosphere with a different basis of life - that would be way past less likely than getting an STD from a tree.
I'd be happy to contribute to a whip round for a flight to Portugal for @Leon and an endless stream of hookers for him in Faro just for a break, to be honest.
A stream of hookers sounds like the sort of thing Trump would like…
June 21st - this may seem like an obvious point, but if "the Indian variant" is the apparent threat to full lifting of restrictions on June 21st, then what is the relevance of foreign holidays (discouraging of). If the Indian variant is already here and causing alleged havoc, then what variant is restricting foreign holidays combatting?
If on the other hand fear of importing variants, and will continue to be, the problem, then why is anyone allowed to travel at all? Given that variants can apparently arise anywhere?
Sadly that is the same argument that got us into this mess in the first place. It ignores the fact that no matter how well we might combat the virus at home if we allow overseas travel then it can be continually replenished from other parts of Europe or the rest of the world.
"the entire US political establishment, left to right, lining up behind the aliens hypothesis"
Really? That statement is itself nonsense.
Just bring up the New York Times website on you computer. And search of a mention of the word "alien". Which yours truly just did. With ZERO results.
Of course could be that the aliens are suppressing the "fact" that the "entire US political establishment" is as obsessed with UFOs or whatever the kids are calling them these days, as you are PRETENDING to be?
Remember Leon critiquing CycleFree for being MUCH MUCH MUCH to long with her commentaries.
Talk bout the Alien calling the Earthling green!
+++++++++
You didn't google very hard. The New York Times was actually the first major media corp to approach this in a serious way - famously so, in 2017:
Hmm, 2017. Looking at those reports and the recent ones... Well, unlike the UAPs, this story is not exactly fast-moving, is it?
Wake me up in 2025 for another look.
Way optimistic. I linked to this :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMinnville_UFO_photographs on the previous thread. This has been going on for at least 71 years. We could have another Labour government before an alien invasion at this rate!
If I had to bet between alien contact and a labour government I think alien contact would be an odds on favourite. Labour just doesn't know its dead yet
Comments
Though we've just sacked our Manager days before the Play Off after a close to the season that roughly matched Liverpool's post-Christmas form.
If you put our current state of knowledge of the physical universe and its laws on on side of a balance and general ignorance and unexplained observations on the other, it'd damage the thing.
What would be evidence? I don't know, maybe live footage of the supposed aliens on a credible news station? Beth Rigby asking the captain of the alien ship whether its going to resign?
Robert Peston saying the PM is about to announce there's no such thing as aliens would challenge my core.
I was just a lurker. I may have got that wrong
Maybe because there's some weird unexplained stuff that needs to be investigated, but is almost certainly nothing?
Maybe because they want to move the agenda on from Covid, and culture wars, and traitors invading the Capitol?
Similar to using a restaurant or dry cleaners or whatever to launder your filthy lucre. A bit more risk (if you are slow or unsavvy) but on the plus side harder for the tax or legal authorities to figure out what's what.
However, to try to answer: Sustained personal experience by a large number of people of something which cannot be explained any other way would be a start. But more would be needed:
What would convince most other people of alien existence? Widespread agreement in the physics, biology and engineering disciplines at the most respected level, accompanied by peer reviewed papers in reputable academic journals, all converging on points of agreement about the interpretation to be placed on empirical data, preferably outlining the sorts of new data which would falsify the conclusion.
It is similar to the sort of evidence that would confirm the existence of the Loch Ness Monster (missing because there isn't one).
No amount of anecdote, journalism or fuzzy videos will make up for this. Just as withy the Loch Ness Monster.
However we would by then all be dead of alien viruses.
A niche joke, I appreciate.
Also ridiculous, because either it's as transmissable (ignoring the question as usual about whether it is dangerous) as "feared" - in which case it's almost certainly all over Europe anyway already, or well enough seeded, and just not detected - or it isn't in which case it's moot.
As a hold of value though its useless. While its climbing up in value because more mugs want to put more of their money in it then great, but when the bubble goes there's nothing intrinsic defending its value.
Once I've got the 2nd jab, look out London I need a quiet glass of rose!
Also I will immediately fly to some sunshine, if it's not here first
It also didn’t add much to the sum of human knowledge.
Different bloke. His tastes weren't as exquisite.
Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford college should go, says independent report
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/may/19/cecil-rhodes-statue-at-oxford-college-should-go-says-independent-report
Let me and Ben Houchen be our new Northumbria University overlords.
Of course, but the “reciprocity” argument implies it's to do with politics.
The 27 envoys agreed in Brussels that non-EU citizens fully vaccinated with EU-approved jabs would be allowed into the bloc.
But fears were raised that the EU could insist on British holidaymakers undergoing the same quarantine and testing rules the UK imposes on its member states.
The ambassadors said governments should take into account “reciprocity” when setting their quarantine and testing rules for visitors. Every EU country except Portugal is on the UK's amber list, meaning quarantine rules apply.
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
And I'd reply: "yer right mate"
That really is putting politics ahead of healthcare.
Nevertheless the details will be interesting. I note that the Guardian only says that a majority of the commission supported taking the statue down - and I don't know if that vote was taken before or after Peter Ainsworth's sad death - whereas the recommendations (e.g. on outreach programmes and new scholarships) were unanimous.
What will happen now is that almost all the focus will be on the controversy of the former - which will be divisive, and open things up all over again - whilst the potential of the good work of the latter gets lost.
But a virus or a bacterium that evolved for an entire different ecosphere with a different basis of life - that would be way past less likely than getting an STD from a tree.