the_blob23

There are many places to mine silver, but as others have pointed out, the crafting guild is by far the best location. Its relative proximity to a bank, the lack of people using it and the robust supply of silver make it the prime place for a silver miner.

Show me one instance where the media has "hyped up" the use of condoms. Obviously, condoms don't protect you from every single disease and pregnancy, just as airbags don't protect you from every crash. That doesn't mean that these devices are inherently ineffective. What are you talking about? No one has even made the claim that condoms protect against human papillomavirus. Physicians have known that oral contraceptives and condoms aren't particularly effective against HPV for years. There have been multiple studies about oral contraceptives and condoms, and all have found no evidence that they are effective against HPV. Effect of oral contraceptives on risk of cervical cancer in women with human papillomavirus infection: the IARC multicentric case-control study. The Lancet 2002; 359:1085-1092 That condoms don't protect against every single STD in no way implies that they shouldn't be used. Too bad I never made that claim. From one of my previous posts in this thread: And later on, I said: It is painfully obvious that the data I originally presented deals with the perfect use of condoms. Even when typically used, condoms still have a success rate ranging from 80% to 85%, depending on the study one consults. Once again: The fact that condoms do not work 100% of the time in no way implies that they shouldn't be used. Condoms are the bane of most STDs. That's why people use them. There are very few STDs that condoms do not protect you from, and in those cases, it is wise to be tested anyway. Is is really, though? What about oral sex? If someone has unprotected oral sex, then there is a high risk of catching an STD. Abstinence isn't a practical solution for the vast majority of the world's people. Are most people going to listen to the advice, "Don't have sex"? I highly doubt it. It is better to teach them about anatomy and human sexuality so they aren't ignorant when they decide to have intercourse for the first time.

Uh, they do what they are supposed to? Condoms prevent pregnancy over 98% of the time if used correctly and consistently. They also stop the majority of STDs from spreading. Contrary to your claims, the media and Planned Parenthood have nothing to do with the issue of condom effectiveness. Do you have peer-reviewed clinical studies to back up your ridiculous statements? I suggest you refrain from posting such blatant falsehoods like the above without evidence. I can't help but comment on the delicious irony of an abstinence advocate commenting on HPV/cervical cancer. After all, it was abstinence promoters who aggressively fought against FDA approval of a vaccine for this terrible disease for years (the vaccine was finally approved June 8). George W. Bush was opposed, as were numerous abstinence groups around the country. Senator Tom Coburn even had the gall to say, "Pre-marital sex is dangerous, even deadly. LetÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s not encourage it by vaccinating ten-year-olds so they think theyÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢re safe.ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃ

Teenage pregnancy is a massive problem in the US and no small problem in the UK. This thread has largely turned into a debate about abstinence and other forms of contraception. Medically and scientifically, the promotion of abstinence in sex education has been a miserable failure. Condoms work. This has been scientifically verified. Only two percent of couples who use latex condoms correctly and consistently as their main form of contraception will have unintended pregnancies (Hatcher, et al., 2004). Education works. By teaching kids about the reproductive system and outlining methods of safe sex, teenage pregnancy can be reduced. Abstinence doesn't work. There have been no peer-reviewed medical studies that support the notion of abstinence as the primary form of contraception. How is abstinence even defined? Can one have oral sex and still be considered a virgin? If so, then the effectiveness of abstinence against STDs is greatly overrated. Most contraceptives are evaluated by their "perfect use" (used correctly every time) and "typical use" (accounts for human error and inconsistency) effectiveness. While abstinence has 100% effectiveness against pregnancy in the area of perfect use, there is no data on its typical use. How many people abandon abstinence in their later years of adolescence? There are probably many people who break their vows. From pregnancy to HIV prevention and treatment, the advocates of abstinence are deeply wrong about the effectiveness of the method they promote.

When I was in a cooking class a long time ago, we always had to wash dishes after we prepared something. All of the work was done in groups, so there were about five kids per group. I told one of the members of our group to start filling up the sink and adding soap while I wiped down the counters. The girl in question began to fill up the sink with water, but she added hand soap to the mix. I was in shock--"What the hell are you doing?" She then yelled at me about how I didn't know anything about cooking and cleaning. I may not know much, but I certainly know not to put hand soap in the dishwater. :lol:

Zidane just spoke a few minutes ago about the finals incident, and publicly apologized for the headbutt. He did not reveal what Materazzi said.

The conversion won't cost as much money as people think, because the government is already working in metric. Only public displays like road signs still have Imperial measurements on them. The private sector is where most of the conversion will need to be done. That shouldn't be too hard, as most commercial products have both Imperial and metric labels. Just remove the Imperial labels while keeping the metric information and enlarging it. That's not hard at all.

From all of the unconfirmed reports I've heard so far, Materazzi first twisted Zidane's nipple, a gesture which Zidane shrugged off. He ran forward, smiling, and then abruptly turned around after Materazzi said something. I'm willing to bet anything that it was a racial slur. Usually, trash talk happens in games and the players don't react like Zidane did. A racist remark from Materazzi could very well have sent Zizou over the edge.

It would be nice to see Zidane stay for a little while longer in soccer, even though he came out of retirement for the World Cup. He is obviously in good enough physical condition to play--he looks almost as good as he did in 1998, and what he's lost in youth, he's gained in experience (minus the recent unfortunate incident). I saw the picture of him walking with his head down past the World Cup trophy into the darkened tunnel, and it made me sad to think that one of the all time greats had to exit in such a manner. Zidane deserves better than that.

Aren't both caucasian? Zidane is actually from Algeria, I believe. Materazzi probably used some sort of extremely offensive slur. I don't know if he knows French or not, the comments might have been in English. I don't know if I remember correctly, but I thought (emphasis on thought) I saw Materazzi whispering something to Zidane and smiling after. I don't know, however, because I don't have access to a replay. Nothing can excuse Zidane, but the French team is saintly compared to Italy. The Italians have played dirty soccer the entire tournament. Elbowing US players in the face and drawing blood, diving this way and that, "falling" over a harmless tackle in the box for a red against Australia, and various other ignominies have been recorded. It is discouraging to see France lose, because they dominated the game after about the 25th minute. It is more discouraging to see them lose to a team that has lost any idea of basic sportsmanship.

South Africa hosts in 2010.

That's true, but the it appeared to me like the ref didn't award the red card until he saw the headbutt on the giant monitor. I wonder what Materazzi said to Zidane to cause the attack? I hate to see cheating scum like the Italians win (remember the Australia game, anyone?), but that's how it went down. Congrats, I guess.

Actually, all official US government documents are required to contain metric measurements as per 15 USC 205a et seq, which is more commonly known as the Metric Conversion Act (1975). This act encouraged voluntary conversion to SI units over a decade, but the board that was in charge of overseeing the conversions was closed in 1982. In 1988, a spending bill amended the Metric Conversion Act and required that all government documents use only metric units by 1992. All government agencies and the US armed forces now use metric. The only places where it has not been adopted are in the private sector and straggling public displays, such as road signs. It would be best if the US just finished the conversion already.

The eyelid that you speak of is called the "nictating membrane." It is the diminutive pink bump in the eye that serves no functional purpose. As homo sapiens evolved, it was rendered redundant and thus it is found in its current capacity.

The metric system is practical and useful. The Imperial system is clunky and worthless for any measure of international scientific collaboration. The US, Myanmar and Liberia all need to bite the bullet and send the Imperial system into the dustbin of history. I am an American, and I am willfully ignorant of Imperial measurement, save for miles and other specific units. I couldn't tell you how many ounces are in a pound, or how many quarts are in a gallon, and I don't want to be able to. Give me volume and temperature measurements to me in metric, any day. The Imperial system has too many idiotic quirks, such as fathoms and British Thermal Units. Toss it.