Friday 13th, unlucky for some?

""Do you believe in luck?" Since we cannot answer the fundamental question of all existence, "Why sjould there be anything?" then logically there is nothing else but luck."

John McKay, London, United Kingdom
Recommended by 0 people

- Logically? Logically!?!
D-, please show workings!


"It makes absolutely no difference what day it is. It's just a bit of stupidity put into the heads of children (like father christmas and religion) that gives them hang-ups for years. I wish people would be more responsible."

margaret hamilton, Walsall
Recommended by 4 people

- Perhaps Margaret should have a word with the commitee that comes up with these ideas?


"It is all rubbish. A black cat which you pictured on this article is considered unlucky in Russia, but lucky in Japan. Both can't be right. This fear of the number 13 (especially prominent in the United States where the 13th floor is bypassed in tall buildings as no one wants to work/live on them) is a spin off from their religiousosity. No such qualms in the UK."

Noddy, Soton, UK
Recommended by 7 people

- And while we're at it, can we settle the arguments once and for all about Polar Bears? My Eskimo mate is shit scared of them but I keep telling him there's nothing to worry about. I've never even seen a Polar Bear.

So which is it? Both can't be right?


"Do we have to?"

Jim, Jimtown
Recommended by 0 people

- Nope, no idea what Jim is on about but the moderator thinks it's fit to publish. I'd imagine it's a similar moron hierarchy that allows 'Celebrity Dancing on Ice' to be commissioned.

What are the limits of freedom of speech?

"I think everyone should grow up and shut up. I swear, if you can't handle criticism, you should think why that might be rather than railing at your critic. Whether it's your fragile religious beliefs or race-based counter-culture, I'm not interested in hearing it and I'll damn well tell you so, because I am British and I will damn well speak my piece."

Carl, Swindon
Recommended by 53 people

- Do you think if I called Carl a moronic, racist c*** he would pause and think why that might be? Or do you think he would rail against his critic by attempting to punch me repeatedly in the face?


"Freedom of speech - where ? Certainly not in the UK anymore; everything is now considered racist."

PAUL, LONDON
Recommended by 6 people

- Really? Everything? or just everything you say, Paul?


"Who was it that said."I do not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say" ?"

Spike Milligan, Lee-on-the-Solent., United Kingdom
Recommended by 26 people

- I'd just Google it, Spike.


"I agree that hate speech is wrong, but nowadays no one is allowed any freedom of speech without the PC brigade ready to pounce."

Felicity Who, Lancaster, United Kingdom
Recommended by 17 people

- Translation :- "I'm not racist but you can't even call a chap a 'darkie' now without someone getting upset!"


"Freedom of speech, a joke, and no longer exists in the U.K. Sacrificed on the religious alter of polical correctness"

Ron C, Northwest, United Kingdom
Recommended by 67 people

- Ron's right! How on Earth have we let this Stazi-like control silently creep into every aspect of our daily lives?

Perhaps we should move to a far more liberal country, like China or North Korea? Or why not one of the last bastions of civilization and free speech, like the Ivory Coast? No dilly-dallying with the namby-pamby PC brigade there.

Or maybe...just maybe, Rons Haiku-like hyperbole is a result of his annoyance that he doesn't have anything remotely controversial to say and will drift back into his conformist little life once the excitement and anarchy of pressing the "Add Your Comment" button has died down.

How important is Darwin?

""how crucial are darwin's ideas?", most ordinary people would not have a clue."
[steve-LG], United Kingdom
Recommended by 12 people

- Is Steve trying to suggest that most ordinary people are rather ignorant and not as well educated as your average, intellectually superior Have Your Say-er? Or does Steve inhabit a world where he has acsended the status of mere mortal and now deigns to spout his wisdom via an ethereal presence on Have Your Say and recommended by his 12 disciples?


"Dariin proves (not intentionally) what a waste of space religion is and what utter fools any one is who believes in creationism"
Adrian, Leeds
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- Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Darwins work called The Origin of Species, and not The Origin of Life, The Universe and Everything in it?

Still... biology, theology ...it's all the bleedin 'same innit?!


"It is amazing to me that such an obvious process as evolution went unnoticed for so many centauries. Maybe Darwin’s greatest legacy is the proof that religious dogma retards progress."

The Wardster, Ipswich, United Kingdom
Recommended by 11 people

- I know what you mean Wardster, that whole E=MC2 thing had everyone guessing for a while too. It's the local Bishops fault if you ask me!


"Put it this way- he's WAY bigger than Jesus."

Na Breithne, London
Recommended by 3 people

- In what way Na? Book sales? T-shirts? Followers?

A-ha! His beard!

Have you been affected by Australia fires?

"I used to go barbecueing in that area and had planned to go back there this past week. But I had to cancel my travel plans and lost some money on the airfare. My friends in Melbourne say that they could not go trekking through Kinglake and Marysville and its been a big inconvenience for them."

Nick Faht, Vancouver
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- Sadly at least 181 people have lost their lives to the fires so far but I think Nick manages to put it into perpective.


"I'm so glad the BBC has finally put up a HYS about this - disgraceful to think it has taken you so long.

My thoughts go out to all those families who have lost so much in the terrible fires in the state I was born in."

John Byng
Recommended by 2 people

- Yes, because the first thing every tragedy needs is a BBC Have Your Say forum.


"We will all be affected now because gordon brown will see this as an excuse to increase green taxes on his crusade to save the world."

leon hughes, mold, United Kingdom
Recommended by 3 people

- Nice! See what Leon did there? He took the deaths of 181 people and used them to make some illogical comment about tax. Way to go Leon!


"Have you been affected by Australia fires?"

I am neither an Aussie nor a non-Aussie I living there. However, you don't have to be either to be saddened by the loss of life and destruction. I hope that the Aussies, well known for their toughness and hardiness, will come out of this tragedy stronger than before.

I pray for your swift recovery."

Muhammad Zaman
Recommended by 22 people

- ...which would make you some sort of Schrodingers' Aussie that exists in a state of flux until the box is opened?

Did it work? Truancy policy

"I was a truant. As an academic child, I skipped the classes that I found pointless: namely Technology, "Dance", "Personal education" and PE."

just a point Hampshire, United Kingdom
Recommended by 0 people

- Are you a fat maths teacher?


"Anyone who's walked round a town centre or shopping mall in school hours knows that truancy is rife. Schools are only too glad when certain pupils fail to arrive. Parents ( in many cases single parents) don't care about eduction and often condone or even encourage truancy. Imprisonment does nothing except increase taxes for the law-abiding - the answer, is to remove benefits from truants' parents and stop paying them to produce kids they can't be bothered with."

Jan Thomas Arnold, notts, United Kingdom
Recommended by 3 people

- I can picture Jan foaming at the mouth as they typed this. Ten out of ten to Jan though from going from 0 to insanity in less that 5 seconds. Is there really a government department that pays people to have children? I think we should be told.


"The trouble is, the children have more rights, you can't do this to be, you can't do that and so on. OK protect children by all means, but this is getting stupid!Allow teachers to smack a child, allow teachers to make then do extra work, get some discipline back in the classrooms and if they truant, make them do community work!The blame for this also lies with the parents as they can't be bothered half the time either, but jailing them does not work either!!!"

AJ Wilson Briggs, Amsterdam (ExUK), Netherlands
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- So...in order to encourage the small percentage of children that don't attend school, AJ suggests the application of violence. Hmmm, it might work. Shame these kids have got all those bloody rights that protect them against casual brutality at the hands of adults.


"How should truancy be tackled? Is jailing parents the best solution? I cant say how truancy should be tackled. My children never did play truant. I suppose the ones that do play truant, will be the future Unemployed. These seems to get everything given for them, and excused all responsibility. So perhaps not playing truant has done my children no favours, as they will work, to support the unemployable."

Bert, Wisbech, England
Recommended by 11 people

- Damned if you do, damned if you don't eh Bert? Perhaps your children could ask if their taxes could be be spent on much nicer, middle-class things rather than supporting those less fortunate?

Should ecstasy be downgraded?

"Do I care about people taking E ? Nope. Do I care about people smoking a spliff ? Nope. I care about people who burgaled my house twice, who stole my car, who threw my moped down a flight of stairs, who broke into my rental home when it was unoccupied. Burglary has gone up, as recent figures show. So why are the government messing around with drug legislation when they should be putting more police on the beat and catching burglars, rapists, murderers. You know, the stuff people care about!"

Simon Soaperq, London
Recommended by 23 people

- Do I care that Simon has been burgled? Nope. Do I care that Simon had his car stolen? Nope. Do i care someone threw his moped down a flight of stairs?...you can probably see where I'm going with this...

"What are Drugs?????????????????"

Salesman Bob, Industrial Park, Wakefield
Recommended by 0 people

- Remember, Bob took the time to write this, a moderator took the time to read it and then decided it was worth publishing.

"Here's a question to all those who seem to be pro-drugs:

Would you rather your daughter took up horse-riding or ecstasy?

Enough said. Only an utter deluded, fool in self-denial could advocate a drug that alters the chemistry of your brain and is likely to lead to mental and physiological health issues later in life, if it doesn't kill you before."

Wu Shu
Recommended by 5 people

- Ignoring the false dichotomy, I've got a few questions before I answer this. Who's buying the horse? Who's paying for the stable? The farrier? The vets fees? Am I going to have to get up at the crack of dawn to muck it out while Little Miss Lazybones stays in bed again?

Not so clear cut as you make out, is it Mr Shu! And let's not forget your last statement that could refer to pretty much anything produced by Glaxo-Wellcome in the last 20 years

Are you satisfied with the bankers' apology?

"The UK economy in Tatters, Homes Repossessed, 2miilion + Unemployed, the Tax Implications for Decades to come, and all we get is Sorry.
The word that keeps recurring to me, is 'Treason'."

Brian Bunting, Chorley Lancashire
Recommended by 108 people

- Errm, let's have a quick look shall we...

Treason: • noun the crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill or overthrow the sovereign or government

Recession • noun a temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced.

Having little voices contantly whispering '...treason...treason...' is obviously adding to Mr Buntings confusion

"we all waiting for Media's apology. ....!
( BBC and others )Non stop doom and gloom promoting, scaremongering and panic creating !"

Rob Brooks, Manchester
Recommended by 17 people

- Yes, because not reporting what's happening would clear this little financial mess up, quick sharp!

"Saying your sorry is one thing menaing it is another..
They dont mean it."

Marcus, Australia
Recommended by 42 people

- Or mena it either, presumably?

"Its time to rid this country of these gutless greedy cowardly incompetents (politicians included). Bring in the Army !!"

Angry, Brentwood
Recommended by 28 people

- Does a state of martial law under the direction of a person calling themselves 'Angry' really seem like a good solution? Well does it?!?

"Yes, as a Christian I strongly believe in practising what my religion preaches. That said, i believe the bankers should be forgiven.

This is the only way we can move on from here."

Jonathan, Birmingham

You can pray for their souls if you want to but I want to see backsides in jail cells. And that includes the accountants who signed off on their fraud."

Na Breithne, London

- There are internet sites that cater to that sort of thing now Na.