10 METRO Thursday, October 29, 2009 D Reasonable doubt Halloween: Enjoy, but be careful Recessionosaurus, Im a sceptic and dont claim the behemoth was an elephant or a hippo. While I think the argument for it being a hippo is quite persuasive, I dont think it is compelling enough to demonstrate the behemoth was anything more than a mythical creature, much like the unicorn which is also mentioned in Job. Moreover, in regards to the tail, is there any reason, apart from a desired conclusion, as to why you dismiss the possibility of its tail being used as a euphemism for genitals and the passage being a description of the behemoths virility? Secondly, on the point of fossilisation, fossils are dated to millions of years ago because they are found in sediment that has been dated through various, independent techniques to be millions of years old your explanation completely ignores this. You also highlight that experts werent there. How significant do you hold to this notion that something can be disregarded purely because somebody wasnt there? Do you think that a lack of eye- witness testimony should be enough to establish reasonable doubt in a criminal trial? Jamie G Once by the dimming light of the last October evening, Druids gathered near Tara and kindled a sacred fire of twigs. When this fire took hold it was carried across our land and into cleaned-out hearths and a new year was welcomed in as it burned into a big, bright fire, flickering against the growing darkness outside. The Church of modern Ireland has used another sort of kindling, with no regard to season or need. And while these have given off a toxic smoke, they have refused to light. Dublins best-read letters page Metro Mail E-mail letters to mail@metroireland.ie with a name. Or text us. Text MAIL followed by comment and name to 53131. *Texts cost 30cent per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, Hospitality House, Cumberland Street South, D2. Customer service number 0818286606 talk to us Up in smoke: Ireland is looking at a huge budget deficit in December, so surely there is a more profitable way to dispose of the 50million worth of confiscated cigarettes than for the Government to destroy them? If the CAB seize monies from criminal organisations, do they burn that too? Conor Touch: L in Dublin, the X Factor did not claim Westlife were the UKs most successful band. They claimed they were the UKs best selling band, as in the best selling band in the UK, which makes no claim on their nationality. For my part, I was disgusted to hear them described as a band. What instruments do they play? D, Dublin Ah, culture: At 9am the other day, I spilled a drop of yoghurt on the right leg of my black trousers. And, let me tell you, NOTHING stains like yoghurt! Its not exactly the most innocent-looking stain either... I couldnt get it out so I was forced to walk around all day with a big paranoid head, just waiting for someone to comment on it. Any other fashion accidents that make your day that little bit more embarrassing? Maria In Brief Samhain still comes around, but it is an orgy of imported horror. The old fields of Tara lie under cement and Tarmac, our young are preparing to leave again, our environment is in ruins and our luck has gone. Is it what we deserve? John White So, Halloween approaches and, while this is a fun time for people, it is not so fun for our furry friends. Year after year, we hear of harrowing stories of cruelty which have been inflicted upon defenceless animals. My poor dog is completely terrified after hearing bangers some weeks back, and has completely refused to leave the house since. Hes lucky though to have the choice of staying indoors. However, others are not so lucky think of feral or stray animals, or those which are kept outside. This can be a terrifying time for them, so just a reminder to everyone to please be extra careful and mindful of their pets, and to keep them indoors, particularly on Halloween. Animal Friendly Sendusyour txt What about equality rankings which measure exposure to danger in the workplace? Each year, far more men than women die doing their job in Ireland. TK Saw a slogan on a van for a local shop that read, London, New York, Edenderry (mostly Edenderry!) Tony D Recessionosaurus, Christian science is bull. The Bible is a nice book of proverbs and an interesting insight into the minds of the people who wrote it, but a scientific resource it is not! Eoghan Whats the story with people robbing other peoples milk from the canteen fridge? Come on, the recession cant be hitting you THAT hard! Pat Mustard Ambiguous references to God-knows-what (ho ho) in the Bible? Then it has to be true! Fetch my rocks, Im stoning my children for disobedience! SB I went into a DVD shop the other day and saw Bambi on sale for 20. Bloody recession, I thought to myself, thats a little dear. GF txt MAIL to 53131* New cubism If you cant solve Rubiks puzzle, make art Icon: A portrait of Chinese leader chairman Mao stares out at visitorsPop art: Bono is immortalised Dogs life: A giant mosaic of a bulldog dominates a show of works from the artists at Cube Works Pictures: Barcroft IF YOUVE struggled for years to solve that infuriating Rubiks Cube, we have an idea for you. Instead of hurling it into a cupboard, why not make it into art? Admittedly, youd have to get quite a few of the cubes but the effect, as you can see here, is quite dramatic. These impressive mosaics were cre- ated by Josh Chalom and a team of determined artists. They used replica cubes, bought in China, and built the masterpieces brick by brick over hundreds of hours. The Last Supper is one that touches a lot of people, said 50-year-old Cha- lom, from Toronto. When we were building it, people would stop to look. It made people smile and that is what it is about. In his latest venture, his Cube Works studio plans to build a replica of Michelangelos Sistine Chapel ceil- ing frescos. It will require 250,798 cubes, weigh 58 tonnes and will see 32 cubists work on it. BY JOEL TAYLOR index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html