Submit an Article | Bookmarked Articles

Viewing Articles About All - Page 1

Big Foot Real or fake? An In Depth Analysis	August 20, 2008, 4:15PM
by: Crazydude13666
Sightings of Bigfoot, also called Sasquatch, were first reported in parts of the United States and Canada in the early 1800s. Since then there have been hundreds of reports of a large, hairy hominid or ape, with the distinguishing characteristic of a 16"-20" footprint. Similar stories from around the world about giant and elusive ape-like humans include the Yeren of China, the Yeti of the Himalaya mountains, the Yowie of Australia and the Mapinguari of South America... In 2008 two men, Matt Whitton and Rick Dyer, held a press conference to claim they had found a Bigfoot body in the forests of Georgia. I studied Anthropology in High School (the study of humans, evolution and habits, traits and customs) may I weigh in? First the bible had many references to Big Foot and the Indians had over 100 words in there language referring to big foot. So there is a good chance big foot was real just died off by now! Number 2 most sightings are close to a cave so maybe they are more of a cave dweller... They would have the upper hand down there if they know the caves... And we may never find there bodies. After some research I have also found out that the area in which the Georgia Big Foot was found had caves near by and did in fact have had many sighting over a period of 20 years. Why haven't we found any remains? Very few remains of ancient wood apes have ever been found in Asia, where they were much more abundant. Millions of gigantos (a branch of the wood ape line) lived and died in Asia over the ages. All the remaining physical evidence we have of them could fit into a few shoe boxes. Fossils of any land animal are very rare. Remains do not become fossilized very often, but unless that happens, all the remains will, in time, become completely reabsorbed into the ecosystem. There would be remains of animals everywhere if remains were not naturally recycled, including bones and teeth. Fossils or preserved bones of wood apes may exist in the Americas, but they will be exceedingly rare, because these animals are rare to begin with, and only a tiny fraction of that population will die in locations and soils that will preserve bones somehow. Odds are slim at best that any bones (which are normally fragmentary) will be found, collected and identified unless a focused effort is made to look for them. Until efforts are made in many places, over a long period of time, no one should be scratching their head wondering why "we" don't have any physical remains. Also if they did find Big Foot what DNA do they have to compare it to? Even Humans and Gorillas only have 2 common genetic similarities... So of course you would start by checking those two. Big Foot could possibly share a few basic mammal traits of the opossum. Unless we rerun the DNA and take a more in depth look we may never find the answers we seek. With time an Autopsy will be done with the specimen in Georgia and I feel we will have a better understanding of this creature we know so little about. Like most findings the information is in the eye of the beholder. So whether you believe or disbelief next time you find yourself in the woods you might want to keep an eye out for the one they call Big Foot!
topic: Current Events
[reply] [0 comments]

Mirror to the soul?	August 15, 2008, 12:01AM
by: red_bleedinghearts
Do you ever look into a mirror as if you can look through yourself? As if you can peer into your own eyes and learn what you need to do to fix your problems, whether in life or just personal problems, things you hate about yourself? I do it all the time. In fact, I think everyone does at one point or another, and that it's perfectly normal. Of course, we all know the answers aren't in the mirror. Logic tells us there's nothing we can learn from it, but I know, at least in my own case, I do it anyway. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why. Perhaps I'm hoping to one day see something I didn't notice before, or maybe it's in the hopes that one day I'll look in the mirror, and I actually will see inside myself and be able to repair whatever I feel is wrong. Sometimes it's hard to pinpoint intentions. Not only the intentions of others, but those of yourself as well. Every once in a while, I find myself doing something and wondering why. Helping people and wondering if my intentions really are as pure as I believe them to be, or if they're something underlying, something lurking just below my consciousness, that throws little hints at my brain to do a good deed because there's a chance I might get something in return. Don't get me wrong, I'm a good person. I believe that with all my heart, but doubt creeps in. It always does at some point or another in every situation you will ever enter in your lifetime. I just don't like being selfish at all and get paranoid from time to time that I might be acting in a selfish manner. I guess some of this way of thinking was pre-programmed into me before I was born, because most people are either selfish, or they aren't from birth. Some of it most likely comes from the way I was raised as well. Constantly reprimanded for any type of behavior that even hinted at selfishness, and taught to be completely selfless at all costs. I believe that is what has instilled most of my "selfish paranoia", but I suppose that's what a by-the-book Christian raising gets you. It might even be just one small part in my decision several years back to become Pagan. And one more of many reasons why I peer into the mirror, wanting to discover something new, but all the same afraid of what might be found. All that being said, if there were such a mirror, a magic mirror per se, one that could show you your own soul, your true intentions in everything as well as your faults, would you be brave enough to look in? Even with the potential to see all of that and fix whatever is wrong with you, personally, would you have the guts? Would you steel yourself for the inside image of yourself, take it all in, and summon up the strength and courage to attempt mold yourself into the better, stronger, braver person you long to be? Or would you simply avoid said mirror and live the rest of your life just the way you are, fumbling in darkness and grasping for self-realization? To be one-hundred percent honest, I'm not sure what I would do. As much as there are things about me, about my personality, that I would love to correct, I would have fears. I would be afraid of seeing more negativity and broken parts in my soul than I'm capable of fixing. I just wonder...If such a mirror did exist, if I did look in and see answers I didn't like, would it break my soul? Change the person I am entirely? What could happen?
topic: Various
[reply] [1 comment]

Integrity	August 14, 2008, 11:06PM
by: Klarth
Define it. No, really. Define it. Can't? Good. Let me give you a definition. in·teg·ri·ty /ɪnˈtɛgrɪti/ Spelled Pronunciation[in-teg-ri-tee] –noun 1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. 2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire. 3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull. So, I've noticed this word slung around rather callously. Integrity, hm? I have to ask you-knowing each other on a day to day basis on a profile and forum site such as Darkstarlings.com, how can one measure another's integrity? Integrity, being the adherence to moral and ethical principles. I can tell you my moral and ethical principles have not changed in the least since the day I was born. I have been swayed by colourful oratory. I have been influenced and persuaded by saccharine, cloying words. But my basic moral and ethical fibre remains unchanged. I would not kick a dog; I would not knowingly cause anyone but an enemy injury. And yet my integrity should be thrown into question. How do we know one another? Through our faces? Our words? Yes, but most of all, how we act, that strict and rigid basis of personality which defines us, which, whether laughing at a dirty joke or doling out some high-handed contempt, remains the same. Hypocrisy does not demerit integrity. What demerits integrity is an inability to measure up to one's own standards. If you trust yourself to do the right thing, and find yourself failing to do so, not out of injury or impossibility but out of cowardice or maliciousness, you have damaged your integrity in the eyes of others and yourself, and you lose that amount of respective respect. The same does not apply when you are deceptive for the sake of personal safety or omit details for the same reason. Whether or not it s 'right' or 'wrong' in the eyes of others-particularly those not concerned with the situation-is not the issue at hand. What matters is that whatever you do, you retain your self-respect and your dignity. Those who regard you highly will understand, whether in the next moment, the next day, the next year. To be judgmental is to put yourself in a position where you are at risk of criticisms. There is no fortified position one can take unless one is a victim. However, you cannot knowingly and logically defend the indefensible, which is to say, in as many words, 'let he without sin cast the first stone'. When you accuse someone of a lack of integrity, you are putting yourself on trial. If, at any point, your integrity has been damaged due to a trespass on your part, wat right have you to accuse another? If a person is willing to be truthful with you having been deceptive in the past, why must you dwell on the past? Why can you not be grateful at the truth of the moment, and admiring of the courage it may have taken for them to come forward? No. Integrity is not something one must judge another on. If a person feels their integrity is in jeopardy, that is a problem they must deal with directly, themselves. Otherwise it isn't a fixable problem, it is a shameful malignancy. No one should have to feel that way. That's all. Think about it.
topic: Philosophy
[reply] [59 comments]

governemnt and taxes	August 13, 2008, 11:55PM
by: lightstarling
Social contract Theory; is based on the assumption that all men live in a state of nature which is not ideal. In order to move away from these conditions men enter a contract with each other, allowing them to live in peace and unity. The theory of the social contract can be seen as a justification for the formation for the state. All members within a society are assumed to agree to the terms of the social contract by their choice to stay within the society without violating the contract; such a violation would signify a problematic attempt to return to the state of nature and disorder. Social contract: the social contract establishes the obligation of society to the individual; the social contract is an implicit agreement between individuals and the government which forms the basis of civil society in which we live. According to John Locke, because of the chaotic state of nature, individuals become willing to give up a part of their freedom to join society with others in order to preserve their most precious rights. However, governments only have the power that society grants unto them. This is one of the primary differences between citizen and subject; the just powers of any civilized society are derived from the people, with the consent of the individual. As the individual pays out a portion of their earnings for income tax they are also helping with the redistribution of wealth in order to eradicate poverty, to support local state and national government organizations, to educate and provide medical care, etc. As redshift.com states"only basic services are provided by the government, and the free market economy is driven by profits, not supplying the needs of the individuals. As a result we see massive problems all over the country in nearly every area of life: education, health care, crime, employment etc. We've grown past the point where individuals or small groups can take care of themselves." This should not be, all who contribute whether or not a minority or small group should be covered as well as everyone else.Its not as if the government is paying half of everyones bills. They only cover "basic needs" and everyone should have their basic needs covered especially if the governments obligation to us is being kept at a minimum. Example of government FAIL: Hurricane Katrina was a breaking point for many individuals. Individuals have paid their taxes, moneys that are directed to such organizations such as FEMA, and in doing so also keeping with their obligation to the social contract. FEMA, therefore is a representation of society, a society that tragically failed to respond to the urgent needs of the individual Government is a direct representation of society. This is proven in Locke's theory. Therefore, if the government has failed in its contract to the individual-then society has failed to keep its obligation to the individual. Not only does todays government fail to provide for us after we keep up our part of the social contract but they also infringe on our civil liberties with acts such as "The Patriot Act" not very nice. Now, I'm aware of how many others agree that our "government is corrupted" and I'm just another ranting hippie. I won't be surprised if this article gets few comments max because its not like this isn't something you haven't heard before. But really we need better order, and I'm aware that the country of my citizenship has more to offer to its citizens than most others do. I'm fortunate. But what do you do when everything you offer goes elsewhere other than where its supposed to go? Helping society, helping others, helping you, helping each other. We can't help each other if what we contribute has yet to show its effects. I'm only seventeen, I have yet to experience the injustice of this all. I hope that in the near future we may have better leaders with a good insight into this issue. After all this is America. (Pardon to those who don't live here )
topic: Current Events
[reply] [42 comments]

Why We Are Here	August 9, 2008, 7:28PM
by: lil_misz_sunshin3
ever find yourself wondering why we all live? The answer is actually pretty simple. We are here to make this Sims game called life interesting for each other. What a crap job, right? Yeah. well you can deal with it, or make something of yourself. People over the years have done things like get jobs and help people, so they feel like they have something to live for. No one really does. This wretched life would be over if you guys just stopped having those stupid life forms called babies. I don't care if you have one. I don't care if you are one, or still act like one. Stop making them! All you're doing is making something else to suffer just as you are. "I'm not suffering" you may say, but you are. I don't care how happy you think you are, you are suffering. If you're not, you're not human. If you really want to stop the suffering, do as you were made to do, and entertain. It doesn't have to be someone else. Entertain yourself. Do what you want. Say what you want. Go crazy! It doesn't matter what anyone thinks or says, you're just being you. In the defense of your own self: "I have not commited a crime, nor a felony by being me. I am doing what I was intended to do, by entertaining myself. And you should do the same." The trouble is worth the fun of chaos. Live your life as you wish. Don't fall in line like the rest of them. And if you do get in trouble, hey! There's always suicide! ;)
topic: Rants
[reply] [9 comments]

	August 5, 2008, 1:58PM
by: nightside_shadow
New Study Finds 'Teens' Music Tastes Are Mental Diagnostic Indicators Musical key to unlocking teenage wasteland. DOCTORS should ask their teenage patients what type of music they prefer to determine if they are at risk of developing a mental illness or committing suicide, researchers say. A study, published in today's Australasian Psychiatry journal, found that teens who listened to pop music were more likely to be struggling with their sexuality, those tuning in to rap or heavy metal could be having unprotected sex and drink-driving, and those who favoured jazz were usually misfits and loners. The findings prompted a call for doctors to include musical tastes as a diagnostic indicator in mental health assessments. The study's author, Felicity Baker, said yesterday: "There is no evidence to suggest the type of music you listen to will cause you to commit suicide, but those who are vulnerable and at risk of committing suicide may be listening to certain types of music." She said an Australian study of year 10 students had shown significant associations between heavy metal music and suicidal tendencies, depression, delinquency and drug-taking. An American study had also shown that young adults who regularly listened to heavy metal had a higher preoccupation with suicide and higher levels of depression than their peers. Deliberate self-harm and attempted suicide were also associated with teenagers who listened to trance, techno, heavy metal and medieval music as part of the Goth subculture, while those who attended dance parties were much more likely than their peers to be taking drugs. Some genres of rap music, such as French rap, were linked to more deviant behaviours, including theft, violence and drug use. Teens who listened to hip-hop were usually less troublesome, Dr Baker said. "But it's important to point out that music doesn't cause these behaviours," she said. "It's more a case of teenagers who may have a mental illness or are involved in these antisocial behaviours being drawn to certain types of music." Michael Bowden, a child psychiatrist and the head of medical programs at the NSW Institute of Psychiatry, said most doctors already questioned teen patients about their influences, whether from their peers, the internet or music. "Over the years there have been concerns about suicidal themes in some music and whenever a famous person, such as (Nirvana singer) Kurt Cobain, kills themselves we see a copycat effect among teenagers," he said. "But sometimes an adolescent's musical tastes will reveal nothing. The key to understanding any teenager is to treat them with respect by listening to what they have to say, rather than typecasting them according to the type of music they listen to." WHAT STUDIES SAY ABOUT YOUR SOUNDS: POP: Conformists, overly responsible, role-conscious, struggling with sexuality or peer acceptance. HEAVY METAL: Higher levels of suicidal ideation, depression, drug use, self-harm, shoplifting, vandalism, unprotected sex. DANCE: Higher levels of drug use regardless of socio-economic background. JAZZ/RHYTHM & BLUES: Introverted misfits, loners. RAP: Higher levels of theft, violence, anger, street gang membership, drug use and misogyny. --- Taken from Frantik News. http://www.frantiknews.blogspot.com/#teens ----- Personally, I think its bullshit.
topic: Various
[reply] [11 comments]

Forum and Group Updates	August 2, 2008, 7:51PM
by: eon
I've made a series of small updates and refinements to the forum / group platform. While small, some of these changes will make things a lot easier or more interesting to use. Updates: 1. Video posts, BBCodes and you: It is now possible to display YouTube, Google and MySpace videos directly inside of forum and group posts. Previously, if you tried to do this, the embed code would be stripped out (for security reasons) and the video would not appear. Well, if you use an embed code it will still be stripped out, but I've introduced new BBCodes which will allow you to do this safely (and more quickly and easily). It's as simple as taking the address of the video page and putting it inside of the correct BBCode tag. As an example, you could post a YouTube video with a code like this: [tube]Address to YouTube video page goes here[/tube] In addition, when you post videos this way, a 5-star rating icon will appear, allowing viewers to rate the video. These ratings will be unique to DS (separate from the video site where the video is hosted). To view the guide to the new BBCodes, click the New Post link and then click the link for BBCodes. Or just edit any post and scroll down a bit. There are other newly added BBCodes which will make it easier to add links, images and other things to your posts. 2. Search functions. Searching in forums and groups has been updated to include two new fields. One will limit the age of posts you search (so you can narrow down your results if you only want more recent posts). The other will let you display search results as either 'Topics' or 'Messages'. Previous search results have all been in 'Topic' format. That is, when you search for a certain keyword, you just get a list of topics containing posts which match, and you need to go hunting through them to find whatever you're looking for. Now, if you set results to 'Messages' you'll get to see a preview of each individual post which contains the keyword you searched, as well as a link directly to that post. In most cases, this makes it much easier to find what you're looking for. Try it! 3. Andromeda signatures in forum and group posts. The optional 10 rotating signatures that are available to Andromeda members will now appear in forum and group posts. This is significant because images are allowed in these signatures (they are not allowed in regular signatures). Previously, my concern here was that I didn't want the forums cluttered with too many large or obnoxious images that are repeatedly posted in sigs. To help keep our forums and groups from being cluttered this way, I have set a limit on the size of images which may be posted inside of these signatures. That limit is 400 pixels wide by 100 pixels high. 4. Refinements and bug fixes. I've made a number of other small refinements and bug fixes to the forums and groups. For example, signatures and "updated by" notices are now stored separately in the database from the actual messages. What this means is that when you quote posts, the sigs and "updated" notices will no longer appear in the quoted text. They will also be absent from search results. This will reduce clutter overall and make things easier to read. I fixed quite a few pesky bugs as well, many of which were long standing. So if you had any favorites, they are probably gone now. (Sorry.) This is all a part of my overall plan to modernize our forum/group platform to increase it's features and ease of use. There will be more to come in this department (eventually). For now: Enjoy...
topic: Site News
[reply] [7 comments]

The Etiology of the Pyramids and Sunburns on White People	July 23, 2008, 5:31PM
by: quirky_one
A long time ago in a galaxy very, very near here there was the Earth. Of course Earth is in our galaxy but it was named Dirt World at the time so it is kind of different. At the time (the time being the somewhat less than definitive "long time ago") humans had just finished evolving from dinosaurs and were really tired. While they lay down to take a nap, aliens came and started poking around the Earth (still at this time named "Dirt World"). They were employees of an intergalactic real estate firm looking to buy up planets that had been foreclosed on. They apparently liked what they saw because they bought it despite the price being significantly higher than they expected. Needless to say, the newly evolved humans were quite shocked to awaken to aliens moving all their stuff around. The aliens were equally surprised to find that the humans had not gotten the eviction notice. Of course Earth had gotten the notice but at the time everyone had been dinosaurs and nobody could read. The aliens, already upset at the Earth's steep price, held a meeting to decide what to about the humans. After digging up some violent dinosaur footage meant strictly for home viewing, it was deemed convenient to label them as "savages" and have them placed into reeducation camps were they would be forced to watch reruns of pro-alien films like E.T. and My Favorite Martian. The aliens couldn't have expected better results. Stephen Spielberg was nominated for best director and violent xenophobic uprisings dropped by 90%. Unfortunately the good times came to an end when a bootleg copy of Alien III fell into the human's hands. Public opinion polls showed a marked decrease in the alien approval rating. People began questioning the laser force field prisons and soon angry youths were throwing rocks and calling the aliens hurtful names. Meanwhile, intellectuals huddled in coffee shops and wrote petition letters to the ISCS (redundantly named "The Intergalactic Space Congress of Space" in true bureaucratic style). The letters didn't seem to have any effect and the authors got old and died. Tensions continued to get worse and soon human forces under the command of Dan Quail's distant ancestor, Steve Quail, drove the aliens from the Earth (now no longer named Dirt World but actually named Earth). In response, the hard line intergalactic government under pressure from real-estate special interest groups launched an invasion fleet to Earth. The original name of the operation was dropped by the administration in fear that "Operation Earth Smash" gave the mission an overtly aggressive feel. The newly named "Operation Earth Hug" deployed on Stardate <*<>* (which admittedly means very little to anyone who doesn't run on Northern Quadrant Sector 5112A Standard Time). Congress however only approved a single landing zone just west of the Nile River. Having found this information by looking at the ISCS's user friendly website, the human decided to build up defenses in the area. After reviewing several promising designs, a brilliant defense was selected. The pyramid provided a perfect anti-landing device and humans began building them all over the useless alien landing strip now called Egypt. When the aliens arrived and tried to land, the pyramids kept poking the bottom of their spaceships. It was very frustrating. They sent an appeal to the Intergalactic Space Congress of Space for a new landing zone but by the time the Bylotar Opposition Party exhausted its filibuster, their attempt at landing in central Mexico had been thwarted as well. On Stardate <*<<* Grommela Purgonotte, the first female Fishmander to become President, came to power. It had generally been forgotten that a Starfleet had continually circled Earth (still often referred to as "Dirt World" in a derogatory sense) for over a thousand years. The gas prices at the time induced severe budget cuts and the fleet was recalled. After several days of drunken street celebrations, mankind received its many political prisoners who had been held on Pluto for around eighty generations. The result however was a gangly race with a pale, snow-like complexion. The new arrivals found that rather than returning to a glorious homecoming, they were made fun of by their peers. As if that was not enough, the sun that had provided their ancestors with sustenance now burnt their skin and turned it unattractive shades of red. They appealed to a now much more sympathetic ISCS which granted them compensation for their unjust treatment and minimal exposure to sunlight as part of "alternative interrogating techniques". The ghostly white humans received an oddly timed outpouring of alien sympathy because the now two thousand year old "laser force field prison notes" that had only recently been leaked to the press. The result was that whites in return for their suffering were given three eternal gifts: sunscreen, really big shade hats, and Europe. Of course the Palestinians who were given a small arid region along the Mediterranean in return for the Continent were not pleased but they were given strong assurances that their new home would remain theirs forever.
topic: Life
[reply] [50 comments]

A Dying Breed	July 18, 2008, 6:26PM
by: Sin_Suffix
Have you ever noticed how performance theaters seem to be dying out? With movies and T.V. who wants to pay $20-$300 to go see a play? Or a comedian? Or even a magician? Live entertainment is slowly, but surely, dying out. This has been happening for the last 4 decades now. Yet there are some things t.v. and movies just cant give you. For the old, it can be memories of theaters when they were young. For the young it can be seeing real people do amzing things. It makes performances real. Or for people like me, who are beyond amazed at how much work are in the set, lights, and sound. I am Head Light and Sound Technician at a local community theater. I dont make tons of money. I don't work 40 hours a week. However, every time an elderly person says "Wow that was great. Brings me back to my youth!" or I see a little kid looking dumbstuck I cant help but smile. And thats what makes my job worth it. Most people these days have lost track of what they wanted. Remember the days when you were little and you wanted to be a firefighter? Or a policeman? Or a nurse? Why did you want that job? To help people? To save lives? Do you still want that job? Money has a habit of blinding people, making them lose touch with real human reasons. Of course you need money to survive. But when you are picking something to do for the rest of your life, money shouldnt be the only factor. Would you want to go to a psychologist who could really care less about your mental health, but who loves your money? My business is dying. Yet I still do it. Why? Becuase it makes me happy, and makes other people happy. Also, you can always find a way to do something you like. Even if its just volunteer work. Of course people will knock you down for it. Oddly enough it happens to me all the time. They say "But dude, you can make so much more doing this! Or this!" Let them be miserable at their $15 an hour job while you are happily chipping away making minium wage at the job you love. One day it will pay off. I encourage you to remember why you want to do things. And stick by what makes you happy. Not many people do that any more. And dont give up. I know that sounds cliche, but I mean it.
topic: Rants
[reply] [4 comments]

A view on open minded christianity.	July 15, 2008, 9:29PM
by: The_Dustin_Volta
Many people speculate that there is no point in being a Christian because there is the possibility that God does not exist, but I think, regardless of whether God exists or not, if you live a good, christian lifestyle, even if God doesn't exist, you will experience no negative consequences. For example, a good, keep in mind open minded [thats very important] Christian will not kill someone, for it is against their religious creed, therefore pointless taking of lives will not ensue innocent people just trying to live there lives. Think about this as well, a Good christian will not lie to you, which is a very respectable characteristic for anyone to have, truthfulness doesn't cause the pain and anguish that lying can produce. Also, A good Christian loves everyone around them, regardless of their personality/beliefs[Thats right, a real christian doesn't hate gay people], everyone enjoys feeling loved and wanted, and a good Christian can bring love and happiness to all who inhabit this planet with them. In short, I believe that there is no reason to believe a good Christian is living a pointless life, because if they are an open minded, truthful, loving person, there indeed a point, the point being they are making the world a better place.
topic: Philosophy
[reply] [13 comments]

pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 next