You don't actually have to vote for anybody, you can of course lodge an invalid or blank polling slip.

You do have to turn up at the polling station, and will get a fine if you don't.

That's no longer true, it's been defined as the distance traveled by light in free space in 1â299,792,458 of a second, since the eighties.

The Kilo, is still the Mass of some arbitrary chunk of metal held in a safe.

I've got nothing from home either.

Is the site up ?

Could someone with a proper internet connection please check ?

I try to get to Wikileaks from my Australian (state) government computer, and I'm getting a error 504.

Exactly the type of stupidity that believes this filtering will serve any useful purpose, also believes that blocking wikileaks serves some useful purpose. They can't even begin to understand.

We haven't even started "protecting the children" yet, and already we have a list of thousands of unpleasant sites, in the wild, and available to any determined individual of whatever age.

I so hate seeing my money spent on such clueless "policy", the insane idea that things will be the way they wish, if they just make enough rules.

"Expecting your date to put out because you bought her a nice dinner is OK..."

"Hi Dad ! I'm in JAIL !!!"

These two statements are much closer than the poster suspects.

I'll configure my electric monk to call twice a day, and be sure all my prayer needs are fully automated.

Humanity is still evolving, it is foolish to think we can stand outside of the evolutionary process. It just probably more subtle that examples we see in the wild.

I would suggest that there has been a very strong selective pressure towards resistance to addictive substances. Think of what distilled alcohol did to almost every aboriginal culture who encountered it and think of what Methamphetamine does to someones appearance and ability to survive in the modern world

Also as my ancestors survived the black death, it is possible that I have a greater resistance to contracting HIV, I could be even be immune, and my genes may of already saved me.

Evolution is still with us now, and always will be with any beings that replicate with variation. It is just slow and subtle.

We agree on almost all your points. My point was using the vague and loaded word "drugs" only confuses almost any argument you may make. Which drugs are you speaking of ? Dope, Alcohol, Methamphetamine, Prosac, Losec ?

Wow,harming someone else, and choosing to alter your conciousness are the same thing ?
Using that vague, loaded word "Drugs" does not a good argument make.

I think a different approach is required.
"Natural Formation", which is the best current understanding in the many fields of science that we use to understand our existence.
"Creationism", for those who think magic is involved.
It's irrelevant which creation myth you believe, as they all involve magic.