The questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread VI

[GoodGame]

Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free zones: Violation of the rights of smokers/tobacco users or guaranteeing rights of non smokers/tobacco users?

Assuming we're talking about the USA, I'd say it's protecting the natural right to be smoke-free.

 

[GoodGame]

I am thinking film in particular, but if you must recommend something else that's fine, and while I'm not a big fan of anime, again, if it's something you suggest I'll take it.

You can watch some Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex for free on VEOH.com. No cost other than your time.

 

[Bill3000]

Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free zones: Violation of the rights of smokers/tobacco users or guaranteeing rights of non smokers/tobacco users?

Smokers don't have rights.

 

[Cutlass]

Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free zones: Violation of the rights of smokers/tobacco users or guaranteeing rights of non smokers/tobacco users?

Good for the non smoker. The smoker is a polluter, so don't deserve the same rights.

 

[Elrohir]

I am thinking film in particular, but if you must recommend something else that's fine, and while I'm not a big fan of anime, again, if it's something you suggest I'll take it.

Let me share with you this short film I found while searching yesterday, I liked it!

Link to video.

Well, I saw District 9 last night. It's Sci-Fi, and I thought it was excellent.

That's in theaters now, though, so maybe you meant something on DVD/online. If you haven't seen Firefly, and the followup movie Serenity, you have to. That's my first suggestion. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a sort of quasi-scifi/romance movie that I saw awhile back, and I thought was rather interesting. If you haven't seen The Shining, then you should, as that's the horror movie that I've seen that I've enjoyed the most.

Tv shows: Arrested Development is one that I've recently gotten into - I think it was canceled after three seasons, and I think is very funny. (In a very odd way) Dead Like Me is a rather odd show that I've only watched the first season of, and is a sort of dark comedy - it's about a group of grim reapers in Seattle. And anime wise, if you like steampunk type stuff, then I guess I could recommend Trigun - I remember liking it back in the day, but I think it was kind of silly in places. It's rather steampunkish, though, so you might like it. Also, Death Note is one that I watched awhile back, and is just excellent - it's got some fantastical and horror elements, but it's primarily about suspense, and psychological games between a detective and a serial killer. It's actually quite good.

Firefly, Arrested Development, Death Note, Dead Like Me, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind can all be seen for free, legaly on Hulu. I don't know if you live in the US or not, or whether that matters, though. (I'm sure you can find all the things I've recommended legally from a store/Netflicks, or less legally, and with varying degrees of quality, online)

I hope that helps. That's just off of the top of my head, I'm sure I'm missing a whole lot of really good stuff.

 

[Veritass]

Recommend me something to watch! Preferably something, well, good. At the moment i'm looking for some kind of -punk, cyber, steam, whatever. A good sci-fi, horror, or comedy would be good, in that order of preference though. Language doesn't matter, nor does its availability, the internet is a wonderful place. I'd like something newer, so within 10 or so years, but if you really recommend it then the age doesn't matter. Thankya!

YouTube search for "stupid game show answers". Twenty or so 3-minute videos of people being stupid on national television.

 

[Cutlass]

How solid is the case that Thomas Jefferson had a child with Sally Hemmings?

 

[GoodGame]

How solid is the case that Thomas Jefferson had a child with Sally Hemmings?

AFAIK, it's pretty rock solid, with genetic testing of descendants rock solid. I recall reading that TJ denied relations with her, but the record was he was the only male on the estate with her. It may have been an act of mercy to ease her loneliness however, IDK.

But I'm recalling that from a Dummies guide. More sources:
http://www.monticello.org/plantation/hemingscontro/hemings-jefferson_contro.html

Shortly after the DNA test results were released in November 1998, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation formed a research committee consisting of nine members of the foundation staff, including four with Ph.D.s. In January 2000, the committee reported its finding that the weight of all known evidence - from the DNA study, original documents, written and oral historical accounts, and statistical data - indicated a high probability that Thomas Jefferson was the father of Eston Hemings, and that he was perhaps the father of all six of Sally Hemings' children listed in Monticello records - Harriet (born 1795; died in infancy); Beverly (born 1798); an unnamed daughter (born 1799; died in infancy); Harriet (born 1801); Madison (born 1805); and Eston (born 1808).

Since then, a committee commissioned by the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, after reviewing essentially the same material, reached different conclusions, namely that Sally Hemings was only a minor figure in Thomas Jefferson's life and that it is very unlikely he fathered any of her children. This committee also suggested in its report, issued in April 2001, that Jefferson's younger brother Randolph (1755-1815) was more likely the father of at least some of Sally Hemings' children.

This source has a different take on the testing (negative):
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wircgs/genetic_genealogy.html

This case demonstrates several lessons relevant to Y-DNA testing. According to an article published in Nature Magazine, DNA tests “proved” that Thomas Jefferson had had a liaison with his slave, Sally Hemming. The article stated that “Jefferson sired the last son, Eston through that union, and probably 6 others.”

Conclusions were based on Y-DNA samples of direct male descendants of Sally’s oldest son and descendants of a Jefferson relative, since there were no surviving male descendants from Thomas Jefferson's marriage. Lesson One: when no living descendants of an ancestor are alive to be tested, climb up the pedigree until you find an even older ancestor who has a living male descendant. In this case the researchers climbed-up Jefferson’s pedigree to his paternal grandfather and then tested a living male descendant of Jefferson’s paternal uncle.

A later issue of Nature retracted the original conclusions because at least 25 male Jeffersons (presumably with identical Y-DNA) were living at the time of Sally’s conception of Eston, including eight adult males who frequently lived at Monticello. Each of them is as likely of fathering the child as the, then, 64 year old Thomas Jefferson. Additionally, there is always a possibility of later DNA mingling from the Jefferson line with the Hemmings line. Lesson Two: Don’t leap to conclusions. These results were reported by Pulitzer Prize winning author Phillip Ellis who wrote the book, American Sphinx – The Character of Thomas Jefferson. But he jumped to his conclusion; there was no such definite proof.

Like many of us who sustain the family myth of a famous ancestor, Sally’s descendants found it more appealing to entertain a link to a US president than a commoner. Lesson Three: Know what DNA can and cannot do. As a stand-alone test (even when combined with family tales), DNA is merely suggestive of proof. Better traditional documentation might have allowed this DNA test to become a final confirmatory proof of this “Thomas Jefferson/Sally Hemming Liaison” hypothesis, though The absence of matching DNA would be definite disproof – as was the case for the 6 other children of Sally Hemming, once the results were more carefully examined.

I think PBS explains it better: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jefferson/true/primer.html

Rare DNA Halotype.
The average frequency of a microsatelite halotype like Jefferson's is about 1.5%. It has never been observed outside the Jefferson family, and it was not found among a sample of 670 European or 1,200 people worldwide.

8 Jeffersons Could Have Been the Father of Eston.
This DNA study testing the Y chromosome found that there was a link to "some" Jefferson, but not necessarily Thomas, having been the father of Eston, Sally Heming's youngest son. These DNA tests indicated that any one of 8 Jeffersons could have been the father of Eston and there was nothing to indicate it was Thomas. The 8 possibilities identified by the DNA tests are Thomas, Randolph (Jefferson's brother), Randolph's 5 sons, and a cousin George and in 5 of Randolph's sons, who were in their teens or 20s when Sally Hemings was having children.

So I'd say the current testing doesn't rule it out, but hasn't made an incontestable identification, given that many of the facts are historical sources at this point. If it were a paternity suit tried in Jefferson's day, a legal conclusion might be reached. So basically, probably a Jefferson, but not necessarily Thomas Jefferson.

 

[Ulyaoth]

Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free zones: Violation of the rights of smokers/tobacco users or guaranteeing rights of non smokers/tobacco users?

Rights don't exist. They're merely what the government has decided they'll allow you to do or not have to do for the time being.

Did you read from his literary circle already? E.g. Robert E. Howard, et all. REH wrote a few stories that were Cthulhoid in ways. Looking up Lovecraft's bio, August Derleth comes up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Derleth

I read August Derleth's Lurker at the threshold, it was alright. And I was thinking more of like his macabre works, similar to Poe, but I've read all Poe's stuff.

 

[Flying Pig]

Does anyone remember the advert with 'the water in Majorca don't taste like what it ought'a?' What was it advertising?

 

[Catharsis]

Heineken.

 

[Integral]

Quick question!

Can we put attachments in a PM?

 

[Dumanios]

I don't know.

 

[cardgame]

Quick question!

Can we put attachments in a PM?

I'm not sure, but imageshack is a very quick uploader for me, anyway, better than CFC's thing.

 

[Kerozine]

What is capitalism, and why do certain individuals hate it so much?

 

[Huayna Capac357]

It encourages inequality.

 

[Flying Pig]

Spot the derailer.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

How am I derailing? I answered his question!

 

[Ulyaoth]

What is capitalism, and why do certain individuals hate it so much?

It's the system by which those with money(capital) manipulate the workers and people with ideas who actually do things for society to get themselves more capital and making everyone else dependent on them. All is done with government help.

 

[Kerozine]

It encourages inequality.

What is capitalism, how does it encourage inequality (in what sense?), and what are the possible remedies?