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Is God just?
Both western and eastern religions assert that the world is a just place, whether that is made possible by God, or through the subtle workings of the Law of Karma. In contrast, from an atheists perspective, the universe is at best an amoral place. Bad things happen to good people and vice versa; morality is only enforced, if at all, by humans, not God; morality a muddled mosaic of meaning undermined by mortality.
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Benja
4 hours ago
added the opinion of:
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Can science prove or disprove the existence of God?
People who believe in God generally believe that a purely analytical and scientific method of forming knowledge is constrained to a subset of reality that cannot encompass God. Atheists on the other hand, typically say that God is merely one of numerous theories that lack coherence and supporting evidence, and that these shortcomings already constitutes sufficient proof of God's non existence.
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Benja
4 days ago
gave their opinion.
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Packbat
4 days ago
gave their opinion.
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Must God exist to explain how the universe began?
This philosophical question is a form of the Cosmological Argument or First Cause Argument. The question is whether it makes sense that the universe "came into existence from nothing". Modern physics suggests that the notion of time, and hence cause and effect, break down at the time of the big bang, rendering the intuitive demand for a "first cause" meaningless.
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JGWeissman
on 08 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is living forever or having a greatly extended lifespan desirable?
The average life expectancy in developed countries is at best 80 years. Advances in technology may inhibit or even reverse aging, to open up the possibility of living extraordinarily long times. However, would this actually be a good thing for society, or even for the long-living individual?
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Packbat
2 days ago
gave their opinion.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is deterioration of the brain after death slow enough for cryonics to be worthwhile?
Shortly after death, the brain starts deteriorating due to blood circulation stopping. For cryonics to be practical, there must be a sufficient window of time between legal death and information-theoretic death (when vital structure in the brain is lost), in which cryonic preservation must take place. Skeptics of cryonics claim that as in little as 5 minutes of ischemia (a restriction of blood flow), the brain is irreversibly damaged.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Does cryonic preservation with today's best technology cause irreversible brain damage?
There are a number of companies today that charge for cryopreserving a body (or just a head) immediately after death. To minimize damage from freezing, the dead bodies are injected with cryopreservatives. A vital question is whether this process protects the critical neural structures in the brain. If not, then the process is by anyone's criteria a waste of time, since "information-theoretic death" will have occurred.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is information-theoretic death the most real interpretation of death?
Information-theoretic death is defined as the moment when the neural structures in your brain are destroyed. At that point, it becomes theoretically impossible to bring a person back to life. Some philosophers and scientists regard this as a more real interpretation of death than legal death.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is the Myers-Briggs personality test meaningful?
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a popular questionnaire-based test for modelling personality, adapted from the works of the influential psychologist Carl Jung. It's used extensively both casually and in the business world, but many professional psychologists challenge the scientific merit of the test.
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Benja
3 days ago
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Are our enemies innately evil?
It's easy to label our enemies "evil", as if they must know what they're doing is wrong, but decide to do it anyway. However, the alternative view is that our enemies have moral justifications for their actions, and believe in their righteousness just as much as we do.
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Benja
4 days ago
added the opinion of:
and
4 days ago
gave their opinion.
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Joe
4 days ago
gave their opinion.
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Is free will an illusion?
The belief that we control our decisions is seemingly undermined by the fact that the future is an inevitable consequence of the past. When we put our foot on a car's accelerator, we know that this causes chemical combustion in the car, and that the car has no choice but to go faster. Similarly, the putting of our foot on the accelerator was also caused by chemical combustion - one in our own brains. For this reason, many philosophers and scientists regard free will as illusionary.
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JGWeissman
on 08 Mar 2010
added the opinion of:
and
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is capitalism good?
Capitalism is an economic system where wealth is privatized, that is, controlled by individuals. It stands in contrast to socialism, where wealth is controlled by the government. Western economies are said to be capitalist systems, though in reality they are a blend of capitalist and socialist systems, where the left and right wing advocate socialist vs. capitalistic leaning economic policies respectively.
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Benja
on 10 Mar 2010
added the opinion of:
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Did the US Government play a part in the 9/11 attacks?
The standard account of the September 11th Attacks is that they were orchestrated by Al Qaeda. However, some people, particularly critics of the United States, have argued that the US Government knew about or even planned the attacks.
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Benja
on 09 Mar 2010
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Is censorship acceptable?
Censorship limits the freedom of speech and expression, typically by the government, for purported social good. In its most extreme form, it is illegal for people to question the leaders and ideology of the society they live in.
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JGWeissman
on 08 Mar 2010
added the opinion of:
and
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Should flag burning be legal?
Political activists sometimes desecrate their own country's flag as a protest against the government. Some governments have outlawed the act, while other governments consider it a form of freedom of expression for their citizens.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is humanity likely doomed to destroy itself?
Modern civilization has only emerged over the last few thousand years. Our successes have been accompanied by risks. Our population growth has also damaged our environment, and our wondrous technology has also created terrible weapons. Cynics suggest that the very engine of our success will likely be humanity's doom.
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JGWeissman
on 07 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Benja
on 04 Mar 2010
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Should women have the right to vote?
Since the late 19th century, countries began allowing women to vote, where that right was extended to nearly all countries over the course of the 20th century. Some conservatives believe both men and women would be better off if only men could vote.
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Benja
on 04 Mar 2010
added the opinion of:
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Lisa
on 03 Mar 2010
added the opinion of:
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Is cryonics worthwhile?
Cryonics is the preservation of an animal by cooling with the hope that future medical advances can revive that animal. Modern cryonics make use of cryopreservatives to minimize cellular damage caused by freezing, particularly to the brain. Advocates of the procedure typically believe that so long as the critical structure of the brain is preserved, a person could one day be brought back to life.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Are we prepared for a pandemic?
A pandemic is an outbreak of an infectious disease, like an epidemic, but of continental or global magnitude. They can be caused by either a virus or a bacteria - the Black Plague of the 14th century which killed at least a third of Europe's population is believed to have been a bacteria. Despite advances in sanitation and medicine, we could still be vulnerable.
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Benja
on 23 Feb 2010
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Do the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks?
A vaccine is a weakened form of a pathogen that our body can use to train its immune system without having to suffer negative health effects. Vaccination programs have radically reduced the number of deaths from infectious diseases, including diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella. Nonetheless, some skeptics avoid vaccinating themselves and their children, concerned with the potential risks of vaccines.
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Benja
on 23 Feb 2010
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Will solar be the biggest energy source of the future?
Theoretically, the sunlight hitting the surface of the earth amply meets human energy requirements. A 92-by-92-mile square grid in the Southwest of the United States could generate enough electricity for the entire country. However, some doubt whether solar energy sources can be constructed cheaply and quickly enough to significantly replace other energy sources. In addition, to meet base load demands, solar innovation must be coupled with substantial innovations in energy storage.
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Benja
on 23 Feb 2010
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Does nuclear energy require a significant amount of fossil fuel?
A common argument used by opponents of nuclear energy is that a significant amount of coal is required in the overall process of producing nuclear energy. This argument is not treated seriously by nuclear advocates, partly on the basis that the amount of fossil fuel energy used in the process is a tiny fraction of the amount of energy produced, and furthermore that there is nothing about the process that requires that energy input to be based on fossil fuels.
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Steve
on 15 Feb 2010
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Should the world embrace nuclear energy?
The cost-benefit analysis of nuclear power is complex. Its primary benefit compared with fossil fuels is that it is carbon free. Its primary benefit compared with alternative energy is that it has proven to scale effectively, with approximately 15% of the world's electricity coming from nuclear energy today. Its primary drawback is its safety concerns, including reactor safety, waste disposal, and nuclear proliferation.
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Steve
on 15 Feb 2010
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Is the earth approximately 6000 years old? (as opposed to 4.5 billion)
There are two contradictory accounts of the age of earth. One is the scientific account, which claims that the earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old. The other is a biblical account, which claims that the earth is approximately 6000 years old. The scientific position is that there is overwhelming evidence for their view, while Christian Science points to contradictions and anomalies in that position.
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Packbat
2 days ago
gave their opinion.
and
2 days ago
gave their opinion.
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Benja
2 days ago
gave their opinion.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Do miracles happen?
Miracles are events attributed to divine intervention. From a scientific perspective, miracles have no place because they violate the laws of physics and are unreproducible via experiments. As such, scientists tend to attribute miracles to the fallibility of human interpretation of events.
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Benja
3 days ago
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Is there life after death?
One of the major clashes between the scientific world view and religious world views, is that science does not support a belief in life after death. Christianity and Islam regard life as preparation for judgement at death, which will determine one's fate in the afterlife. Judaism regards death as not the end, but is much less focused on the afterlife than life itself. Buddhism and Hinduism believe in continual rebirth until enlightenment is attained.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Do we have an immaterial soul?
The belief in an immaterial soul requires that central aspects of a person, such as consciousness, memories, and personality, are not contingent upon our physical bodies. The concept was first formalized in western philosophy by Rene Descartes in the 17th century, who proposed that our soul interacts with our body via the pineal gland in the brain. That theory has since been rejected by mainstream science.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Can you put a price on life?
It is frequently claimed that you can't put a price on life. However, this view is somewhat contradicted by our real-world institutions, such as healthcare, insurance, and justice, which often do precisely that. Is putting a price tag on a person justified?
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Benja
2 days ago
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Is development aid to Africa effective?
Development aid is the donation of money, goods, and services to foreign countries for the purpose of long term development. It is distinct from humanitarian aid, which is focused on short term relief during events such as natural disasters. Many opponents of development aid reluctantly believe factors such as corruption render this form of charity ineffective.
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Benja
on 05 Mar 2010
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Is global warming caused primarily by humans?
Since the industrial revolution, humans have been emitting greenhouse gases that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) believe are responsible for Global Warming. While the majority of climatologists agree with the IPCC's conclusions, skeptics suggest that the IPCC's climate models are flawed and that recent climate changes should be attributed to natural causes.
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Benja
2 days ago
added the opinion of:
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Is the IPCC objective?
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is a scientific body formed by the United Nations in 1988 to summarize research on climate change for the purpose of informing policy makers. Those who are skeptical of anthropogenic global warming have questioned the objectivity of the organization.
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Steve
on 25 Feb 2010
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Do negative feedback loops mostly cushion the effect of atmospheric CO2 increases?
The earth's climate is a system that contains feedback loops. If an input variable changes in a feedback loop, it effects the system in a way that changes the input variable itself. These changes cumulatively increase in a positive feedback loop, but progressively dampen in a negative feedback loop. The concern with increasing CO2, is that more CO2 in the atmosphere will warm the earth, in turn causing more CO2 to be released due to effects such as warmer oceans, i.e. a positive feedback loop.
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Benja
on 23 Feb 2010
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Must all explanations be compatible with the laws of physics?
The laws of physics are foundational to all of science, describing with mathematics the basic ways in which the physical world behaves. Although physics doesn't provide the simplest explanation for everything - we need fields such as biology to explain emergent phenomena like life - it does require all explanations of the world to be compatible with physics. In contrast, some religious thinkers believe that this compatibility is impossible in explaining humanistic concepts such as free will.
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Benja
3 days ago
added the opinion of:
and
3 days ago
gave their opinion.
and
3 days ago
gave their opinion.
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Packbat
3 days ago
added the opinion of:
and
3 days ago
gave their opinion.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is free trade generally beneficial for a country?
Adam Smith is the founder of the concept of free trade, in his book "The Wealth of Nations" published in 1776. He came up with theoretical arguments showing that governmental barriers to trade such as tariffs and subsidies are ultimately not in the best interests of either side in a trade agreement. Karl Marx, the founder of communism, vigorously disagreed.
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Ascendaeus
5 days ago
gave their opinion.
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Benja
on 15 Mar 2010
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Did complex life evolve through the process of natural selection?
The theory of evolution is that life evolves as organisms randomly mutate, where the ones with traits best adapted to their environment survive and reproduce their successful mutations. Soon after Charles Darwin proposed this theory in the book "On the Origin of Species" in 1859, it became widely accepted by the scientific community. Its truth is central to modern biology and it remains the only scientific theory that could explain complex life without a creator.
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Benja
on 09 Mar 2010
added the opinion of:
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Steve
on 18 Feb 2010
added the opinion of:
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Does evolution violate the second law of thermodynamics?
The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy increases over time, or that a closed system moves from an ordered state to a random state. Critics of evolution suggest that life itself is prima facie proof that evolution is flawed, since the opposite appears to be happening - life has evolved from primordial soup to sophisticated creatures like ourselves. Defenders of evolution say that this objection is based on a misunderstanding of entropy.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is the world explainable without God?
Many religious thinkers do not find a purely scientific account of the universe plausible. Areas where the scientific explanation is questioned include the universe's origin, life on earth, human consciousness, and human morality.
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JGWeissman
on 08 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Should Intelligent Design be taught in science class?
Intelligent Design is the theory that God created complex life, as an alternative to the theory of evolution. Critics of teaching it in school claim that Intelligent Design is not a scientific theory, but a religious one.
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Benja
on 20 Feb 2010
added the opinion of:
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Is a technological singularity likely?
A technological singularity is a super-human intelligence made possible by technological advances. Several technologies are potentially heading in this direction, the most notable being artificial intelligence, but also others such as computer-brain interfaces and genetic engineering. Such an intelligence could in turn create an even greater intelligence, leading to an explosive, unpredictable, but undoubtably radical change to society.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Benja
on 27 Feb 2010
added the opinion of:
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Could a computer ever be conscious?
Consciousness, or our awareness of ourselves and the world around us, is central to our existence. Fascinatingly, it is also notoriously difficult to define. Is it unique to humans or other living creatures, or could robots one day have it to?
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Benja
on 25 Feb 2010
added the opinion of:
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Is the unconscious philosophical zombie possible?
The philosophical zombie is a hypothetical person whose behavior is indistinguishable from an ordinary person, but who lacks conscious experience. The zombie might say "the strawberry is red" but they would not experience the qualia of red, that is, the sensation of red. Some philosophers allege that the theoretical possibility of such a zombie undermines physicalism.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Is truth relative?
Is it meaningful to talk of "my truth" and "your truth" where both of us "right"? Critics of relativism say that such talk dilutes the very essence of truth.
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JGWeissman
on 06 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Packbat
on 05 Mar 2010
gave their opinion.
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Benja
on 05 Mar 2010
added the opinion of:
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