If there is a life on earth ending event occurring from some asteroid they COULD find, does it matter at all? There is nothing we can do about it anyway.
If we found an asteroid that was going to wipe out the earth five years from today, there's plenty we could do about it. You'd be surprised how much $200-trillion will buy. (Maybe they'd just write "$ALL" on the cheque.)
I don't think we understand consciousness nearly well enough to be able to make such a strong statement.
The best explanation based on our entire understanding of reality is that consciousness is an illusion. It has important survival advantages. No magic required.
I find it far more likely that after you die, you inhabit the dream realm (or a realm similar to it) semi-permanently.
Again, reality contradicts your fantasies. In order to have memories, thoughts, consciousness, or dreams, we need the hardware of the brain. If this is a rotting hunk of meat, we have nothing. How could we? If we could have a consciousness or memory without a brain, why do we have one? Ballast? And if your brain is damaged, why can this change your personality or make you a drooling vegetable if we really are spirits far above the mortal coil?
These beliefs are, from what I understand, vaguely Buddhist.
Now, Buddhism is a religion that I cannot understand. It commands you to sit very still and starve to death. How does this help you, your community, or the spread of the religion?
So how come these effects are most strongest in places like oil rich Saudi Arabia, rather than very poor countries like Bangaldesh?
Because these places have the sharpest divide between rich and poor. This makes poor people angry and wanting to overthrow their dictators. Then, they get swept up into a cult whose anger is (symbolically?) directed toward western countries.
I suspect given a choice quite a lot of them would love to. Their life isn't exactly a bed of roses is it.
You're just being politically correct. The reason their lives isn't a bed of roses is because they are caught in a cycle of welfare dependency but are too proud (or lazy) to escape it. Traditional aboriginal life sucked compared to modern life. The most merciful thing a modern western country could do for aboriginals would be to annex their land and end their welfare payments. They would then be forced to join the modern world.
My question is, and I don't mean to troll, what happened? From my perspective, it seems that many people almost disdain the idea of progress in culture and arts now.
Religion happened. The takeover of the Middle East by Islamic institutions plunged it into a dark age from which it has not yet emerged. The same thing happened to western Europe when the Christian institutions took over the continent during the dark ages there. That ended when a few brave souls embraced science instead of religion as the tool for improving life.
hard to come to any other conclusion, than that the people who do such things are complete psychopaths - criminally insane, if you will.
That's a cop-out. They're indoctrinated cult members. They understand what they are doing, but they think it is a one-way ticket to heaven. They were brainwashed with hatred from the day they were born and then the radical-Islamist cult came-a-callin'. They think what they are doing is right. You can call them schizophrenic, as they have complete faith in their delusional beliefs.
Of course, it's usually the younger ones that blow themselves up, since the older ones know that the cult is a scam and the young ones are useful idiots. The radical Islamists tried many tactics over the years, but they've found the most successful one for their purposes to be slaughtering civilians. They would lose their purpose and support if not for the conflicts that they themselves create (witness Hamas and Hezbollah). Eventually, they will convince enough Americans to hand Iraq over to them in order to stop the slaughter (within Iraq).
One reason that Microsoft doesn't start suing Linux vendors and users is that there are so many trivial software patents around owned by numerous other industry players that they might very well launch a devastating attack on Microsoft. I'm sure that if IBM put effort into it, it could find that Microsoft is violating 1,000 of its patents. And Microsoft would find that IBM is violating 300 of its patents. And the other players launch off their missiles. Industry-wide disaster ensues.
Besides why would an alien race need the whole galaxy? A small section would do.
There's no limit on the population of a race other than its essential resources. No "small section" will ever suffice.
Or we could be the first advanced race and as we reach out amoung the stars we shall find other less advanced races.
Any race with the power to reach its frontiers also has the power to destroy itself. If we ever colonize the galaxy, we will probably find the artifacts of all these previous races.
I wish there was a way to incite a universal boycott of ALL **AA related products. Perhaps that would get someone's attention.
Everyone who is harassed by the RIAA should counter-sue them for $100M for being an illegal price-fixing monopoly. They have already been convicted of this.
I am quite certain that we will see things saying how appropiate.
Yes, how appropriate that totalitarian states largely use Windows, the ultimate monopolistic totalitarian closed software regime that allows total control of the peasants by the central authority that vigorously crushes all opposition. OSS is the ultimate expression of democracy: open to all.
Slashdot Mirror
Ah, we've isolated the problem.
I didn't say that welfare is a bad thing. I just said that Gates shouldn't be expected to provide it to the public.
I must have missed a turn. Gates is a business man. Why would you expect him to operate a welfare system that benefits you?
Yes, but Canadians don't.
This is because Canada buys its tanks from Europe.
If we found an asteroid that was going to wipe out the earth five years from today, there's plenty we could do about it. You'd be surprised how much $200-trillion will buy. (Maybe they'd just write "$ALL" on the cheque.)
Reality?
The best explanation based on our entire understanding of reality is that consciousness is an illusion. It has important survival advantages. No magic required.
Again, reality contradicts your fantasies. In order to have memories, thoughts, consciousness, or dreams, we need the hardware of the brain. If this is a rotting hunk of meat, we have nothing. How could we? If we could have a consciousness or memory without a brain, why do we have one? Ballast? And if your brain is damaged, why can this change your personality or make you a drooling vegetable if we really are spirits far above the mortal coil?
Now, Buddhism is a religion that I cannot understand. It commands you to sit very still and starve to death. How does this help you, your community, or the spread of the religion?
and then choke you with their magical powers.
Isn't it funny how kids are forced to pledge their allegiance when they aren't old enough legally pledge anything.
Sounds risky. Better to unload the whole clip.
Because these places have the sharpest divide between rich and poor. This makes poor people angry and wanting to overthrow their dictators. Then, they get swept up into a cult whose anger is (symbolically?) directed toward western countries.
You're just being politically correct. The reason their lives isn't a bed of roses is because they are caught in a cycle of welfare dependency but are too proud (or lazy) to escape it. Traditional aboriginal life sucked compared to modern life. The most merciful thing a modern western country could do for aboriginals would be to annex their land and end their welfare payments. They would then be forced to join the modern world.
That's a cop-out. They're indoctrinated cult members. They understand what they are doing, but they think it is a one-way ticket to heaven. They were brainwashed with hatred from the day they were born and then the radical-Islamist cult came-a-callin'. They think what they are doing is right. You can call them schizophrenic, as they have complete faith in their delusional beliefs.
Of course, it's usually the younger ones that blow themselves up, since the older ones know that the cult is a scam and the young ones are useful idiots. The radical Islamists tried many tactics over the years, but they've found the most successful one for their purposes to be slaughtering civilians. They would lose their purpose and support if not for the conflicts that they themselves create (witness Hamas and Hezbollah). Eventually, they will convince enough Americans to hand Iraq over to them in order to stop the slaughter (within Iraq).
Yes, let's play Global Thermonuclear War.
One reason that Microsoft doesn't start suing Linux vendors and users is that there are so many trivial software patents around owned by numerous other industry players that they might very well launch a devastating attack on Microsoft. I'm sure that if IBM put effort into it, it could find that Microsoft is violating 1,000 of its patents. And Microsoft would find that IBM is violating 300 of its patents. And the other players launch off their missiles. Industry-wide disaster ensues.
The only winning move is not to play.
Keep in mind that Canada is always only a few weeks away from having nukes.
The main question is whether we'll be knocked out by the Y-bomb or the Z-bomb.
There's no limit on the population of a race other than its essential resources. No "small section" will ever suffice.
Any race with the power to reach its frontiers also has the power to destroy itself. If we ever colonize the galaxy, we will probably find the artifacts of all these previous races.
Everyone who is harassed by the RIAA should counter-sue them for $100M for being an illegal price-fixing monopoly. They have already been convicted of this.
On the subject of Global Warming, allow me to be the first Canadian to say YES, YES, AWESOME, FUCK YEAH!
Yes, how appropriate that totalitarian states largely use Windows, the ultimate monopolistic totalitarian closed software regime that allows total control of the peasants by the central authority that vigorously crushes all opposition. OSS is the ultimate expression of democracy: open to all.
So how is broadband within the large US cities? If that still sucks, then the problems aren't caused by geography and demographics.
Hmmm, that's odd...
We could use "Blu Arne" or "HD Arne". Does the guy have a nickname?
Give a welfare bum a handout and all they want is more. Actually, they bang their fists on the table and demand it.