It is absolutly a logical paradox. Destiny is not about control. If the the future is known in advance, logically, it must be pre-determined.
Just because your friend knew what you were going to do, that doesn't mean HE is controlling you, but something is. It's possible that the universe is in an interruptable cause->effect sequence that is pre-determined right from the start. The only thing that could possibly effect that sequence is something external to the system, i.e. God.
So one way or another God is pulling the strings.
Not that this is even REMOTELY on topic but
on
Geek Gift Ideas 2001
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I look at it this way:
Accepting Jesus as your personal savior in excange for enterance into Heaven would be a sweet deal. There's no risk. You don't actually have to DO anything (insert bible passage about good acts and heaven) and the reward, although not guaranteed, far outweighs the value of what you must do to get it.
BUT
you can't MAKE someone believe. I've read every religious text ever written (nearly) trying to find one that made sense. None of them did (the closest one was Taoism). I could possibly fool other people, and maybe myself, into thinking that I believed in God, but when it comes down to it, God wouldn't believe me....and that's where it counts....so what's the point?
I've read philosophers from St. Augustine to Kant, and I've read the bible from cover to cover and never have I found a suitable explantion to this question.
If God is truly omniscient, i.e. he knows everything, how can humans have free will? Either he knows what we're going to do, or we're free to do what we want. Either fate exists or it doesn't. If it doesn't then God is not omniscient, and if it does then we do not have free will and God (being the creator of the universe) is responsible for all human acts.
So do you have an answer that doesn't try to:
a) skirt around the meaning of 'omniscient'
or
b) assert that just because God knows what we'll do doesn't mean we don't have free will (that's a logical paradox...think about it)
or
c) use any of the other intentionally vauge assertions i've heard like "The bible says so" or "God works in mysterious ways". Those phases basically mean "I haven't really thought about it, and I'm not about to start now"
If you're getting a degree in C.S., why not work for the NSA? Your current skills will almost defenitly be useful, and you'll get to work on top secret stuff that nobody else knows about.
At my company, we have a mix of upper and lower level employees, all working together (becuase the company is fairly small). Any social contact outside of work would be very awkward just because some of the people who work here are 25 years older than I am.
HOWEVER, every friday at 4:30 almost everyone in the office, young or old, joins in on a big game of quake 3. We all look forward to it at the end of the week and nothing is a better outlet for taking out your aggression and relieving stress.
It's called the "Recording Industry Assocication of America" for a reason.
They represent the record companies, and record companies alone. If they wanted to represent artists and record companies they would have called it the Music Industry Association of America. But the only people they care about are the guys who own the CD fab plants and the copyright on the recordings. All that stuff about "protecting artist's rights" is just FUD.
If that isn't painfully obvious to you by now, you need to go back and read some more slashdot posts on the subject.
I've always wondered, when they transmit these numbers into space, what encoding/protocol do they use? I mean, it's not likely that an alien race is going to be using ZModem for interstellar communication.
And if they're just doing something like a series of beeps, that would take a LONG time for a 3.5mil digit number.
I built a voice controlled computer into my car that plays mp3's has a simple navigation system. I'm working on adding more components now (which is why there's no URL...sorry!)
But most of the info I needed, I found in the forums at www.mp3car.com
Money is not a motivation for drug development, it is a requirement.
You might be able to write an operating system with a $2000 computer and some free time, but research into life threating drugs takes lots and lots of money. Would you want to try to develop an anthrax vaccine in your garage with a home chemistry set and the family dog?
All the passion in the world won't buy lab equipment, pay for test subjects, or provide the expertise necessary to get the drug approved by the FDA.
This is precicely why violations of copywright law are not theft. However, they are not legal (or ethical) either.
Copywright (and patent) laws were created to allow people to make money off the sale of ideas. This was done to promote the creation of new ideas, which are the lifeblood of a democratic and capitalist society.
When you can get copies of a song (or book, movie or program) that you haven't paid for, you decrease the motivation for people to create new books, movies, songs, and software.
No, you're not actually taking anything from anyone, but as to "who gets hurt" when you steal music, the answer is: Everyone. So don't ruin it for the rest of us.
Which is not to say that media companies have been following the spirit (or letter) of copyright law either! But two wrongs...
...in as much as stealing arrangements of electrons can be considered "theft". P2P file sharing, on the other hand, is a whole other animal and I hope the EFF continues it's support of P2P file sharing.
As long as media companies refuse to publish their materials in a cost-effective, user friendly way that respects fair-use rights, people will always use whatever means necessary to get digital media in the format they want.
I think "Beale Screamer" said it best when he said: "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
I always thought those logos were sort of a poor-man's copy protection. Just in case you recorded the show (or captured it, or tivo'd it...) the logo would show up and let the viewer know that whatever they were watching orgininally aired on the network
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It is absolutly a logical paradox. Destiny is not about control. If the the future is known in advance, logically, it must be pre-determined.
Just because your friend knew what you were going to do, that doesn't mean HE is controlling you, but something is. It's possible that the universe is in an interruptable cause->effect sequence that is pre-determined right from the start. The only thing that could possibly effect that sequence is something external to the system, i.e. God.
So one way or another God is pulling the strings.
I look at it this way: Accepting Jesus as your personal savior in excange for enterance into Heaven would be a sweet deal. There's no risk. You don't actually have to DO anything (insert bible passage about good acts and heaven) and the reward, although not guaranteed, far outweighs the value of what you must do to get it. BUT you can't MAKE someone believe. I've read every religious text ever written (nearly) trying to find one that made sense. None of them did (the closest one was Taoism). I could possibly fool other people, and maybe myself, into thinking that I believed in God, but when it comes down to it, God wouldn't believe me....and that's where it counts....so what's the point?
I've read philosophers from St. Augustine to Kant, and I've read the bible from cover to cover and never have I found a suitable explantion to this question.
If God is truly omniscient, i.e. he knows everything, how can humans have free will? Either he knows what we're going to do, or we're free to do what we want. Either fate exists or it doesn't. If it doesn't then God is not omniscient, and if it does then we do not have free will and God (being the creator of the universe) is responsible for all human acts.
So do you have an answer that doesn't try to:
a) skirt around the meaning of 'omniscient'
or
b) assert that just because God knows what we'll do doesn't mean we don't have free will (that's a logical paradox...think about it)
or
c) use any of the other intentionally vauge assertions i've heard like "The bible says so" or "God works in mysterious ways". Those phases basically mean "I haven't really thought about it, and I'm not about to start now"
I think steve martin said it best, when he said this
If you're getting a degree in C.S., why not work for the NSA? Your current skills will almost defenitly be useful, and you'll get to work on top secret stuff that nobody else knows about.
At my company, we have a mix of upper and lower level employees, all working together (becuase the company is fairly small). Any social contact outside of work would be very awkward just because some of the people who work here are 25 years older than I am.
HOWEVER, every friday at 4:30 almost everyone in the office, young or old, joins in on a big game of quake 3. We all look forward to it at the end of the week and nothing is a better outlet for taking out your aggression and relieving stress.
You should fire it up and run SETI@home on it...
It's called the "Recording Industry Assocication of America" for a reason.
They represent the record companies, and record companies alone. If they wanted to represent artists and record companies they would have called it the Music Industry Association of America. But the only people they care about are the guys who own the CD fab plants and the copyright on the recordings. All that stuff about "protecting artist's rights" is just FUD.
If that isn't painfully obvious to you by now, you need to go back and read some more slashdot posts on the subject.
I've always wondered, when they transmit these numbers into space, what encoding/protocol do they use? I mean, it's not likely that an alien race is going to be using ZModem for interstellar communication.
And if they're just doing something like a series of beeps, that would take a LONG time for a 3.5mil digit number.
Using game technology for professional applications is a great idea, but not a new one. For example...
I built a voice controlled computer into my car that plays mp3's has a simple navigation system. I'm working on adding more components now (which is why there's no URL...sorry!)
But most of the info I needed, I found in the forums at www.mp3car.com
Money is not a motivation for drug development, it is a requirement.
You might be able to write an operating system with a $2000 computer and some free time, but research into life threating drugs takes lots and lots of money. Would you want to try to develop an anthrax vaccine in your garage with a home chemistry set and the family dog?
All the passion in the world won't buy lab equipment, pay for test subjects, or provide the expertise necessary to get the drug approved by the FDA.
Pages of propaganda and not a single sentance about fair use. Why am I not suprised...
This is precicely why violations of copywright law are not theft. However, they are not legal (or ethical) either. Copywright (and patent) laws were created to allow people to make money off the sale of ideas. This was done to promote the creation of new ideas, which are the lifeblood of a democratic and capitalist society. When you can get copies of a song (or book, movie or program) that you haven't paid for, you decrease the motivation for people to create new books, movies, songs, and software. No, you're not actually taking anything from anyone, but as to "who gets hurt" when you steal music, the answer is: Everyone. So don't ruin it for the rest of us. Which is not to say that media companies have been following the spirit (or letter) of copyright law either! But two wrongs...
I always thought those logos were sort of a poor-man's copy protection. Just in case you recorded the show (or captured it, or tivo'd it...) the logo would show up and let the viewer know that whatever they were watching orgininally aired on the network