The easiest answer is that Heaven is not something that can be easily distilled into a mortal mind. If indeed it does exist, then you will not be able to rectify it within your mind. That's the faith part. It would exist and be expereinced differently by different people. How can that be? How can we possibly comprehend that or make it work? Well with our logic we can't. By our understand of physics it wouldn't work. That's why it does not exist in the land of the living so to speak. It can only exist outside of what we can comprehend.
Now you gave an honest reply, and I am attempting an answer here, but basically I think that, at their core, science and religion are attempting to describe two entirely different universes. The problems occur when there is an attempt to overlap them. Again, that's my just my pair o' pennies, but there ya go.
But I have to tell you I did LOL at the thought of a cosmic screw-up whereby Beau Bridges was waiting for me witha chew bone;-)
While I think the original post was trolling more than anything else, I would like to weigh in on this as well. We had to put our dog down last week and I have given some thought to dogs (and other loved pets) in Heaven. Having read the Bible I can tell you that there is scant discussion of Heavenly details. The overall theme though, is that Heaven is everything that is good. So why, if someone goes to heaven, would they be denied someone that they loved like their dog? I don't know whether there is a Doggie Heaven or not, but I have no doubt that if I make it there, that Bo will be there along with all the other pets I have loved.
That's my $.02 of belief.
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NBA Rejects EA Deal
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That's great. I remember the Phoenix Sun's gorilla doing that back when I followed basketball (over a decade ago;-). Since I now live in Portland, I have to check out the next Blazers/ Sonics game.
Well I for one, welcome our new Alaskan Mecha overlords.
Re:EA probably allowed players to go into the stan
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NBA Rejects EA Deal
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LOL! Oh man what a great visual. I wonder how many arms Chewie would rip out of their sockets if his team lost? Even Ron Artest would look good in comparison. Well maybe not...
First off, AFAIK, the French attempted to come up with the metric system so they would not have to use the British system, and they did not have their own. They decided to use one millionth of a quarter of the Earth's diamter as their baseline. When they completed their calculations, they ended up with the Meter, which is a hair longer than the yard. Due to errors in their calculations they did not actually capture what they were trying to. They were off by a touch.
My point, was that as long as your calculaions are off, and since the Yard and the Meter are so close to each other, if they had simply made the Meter equal the Yard (which was well within the tolerences of the final result) then much of the whole harranging would simply dissappear. Cnnversions between the two would be eay and seamless. Same with the Kilogram and the Liter. But what the French wanted, above all else, was something not British. So they made sure the two did not match.
If a country wants to change its units, then more power to them. If they think that using Meters instead of Feet somehow makes them civilized, good for them. But if a country wants to keep its units, if, indeed, it is happy and comfortable with them, then why change them? I have used Inches, MM, Feet, CM, Yards, and Meters. The only difference between them is that I have to mentally convert the metric stuff in my head so I have a feel for the measures involved. To me, and I think you'd find most Americans, that is the extra annoying step. Why Americans seem to be able deal with these measures when the other countries can't I really don't know.
In a nutshell, no country should change their units unless they want to. For most people, they will not want to unless they have a good reason. In the US, the vast majority of the population will tell you that there is no reason to convert to metric. I see no reason to support the opposite. Britain, Australia, France, India, Uganda, Peru, and every other country should use whatever units they are happy with. They each have their own culture, language(s), and so forth, so why not?
Obviously the metric system makes sense to you and so you use it. The English system makes snse to me, and that's why I use it. I absolutely applaud you and your use of the system for your needs. I think its great that the former British colonies are making changes that their population support. Why then, do you begrudge the US for doing what it's population supports?
Re:EA probably allowed players to go into the stan
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NBA Rejects EA Deal
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· Score: 1
Then you have to go and unlock the cheat codes to get the best attorney. If you do it right you get Johnnie Cochrane!
I just started using GIMP for some personal photos. We have 1 copy of Photoshop at work (and the computer its on is currently the subject of a turf war between departments if you can believe it) but thus far GIMP has done everything I've needed. Once you get to the point where you need something better, however, that's when the investment makes sense. Till then, I'll be happy its not MS Photo Editor;-)
If the units in question are a hold over from Colonial rule then yes, I can udnerstand a country wanting to throw them out. Are you saying that Brits are forcing their former colonies to change? Or is the impetus for change coming from the people themselves? If its the latter than you have proved my point. That the cause for the change has to be an internal desire to change. In the US there is no desire to change except for the science types.
I have no doubt that other countries have their various concepts of weight, measure, and speed ingrained. The difference is that no one is asking the other countries to change. Individuals certainly can change their concepts, as you have done, but why? Why is it important for a farmer in Nebraska or a housewife in San Diego to suddenly get a kilo of beef or buy a meter of fabric? There is no impetus for 90% of the american population to change.
If I move to India (even if I visit) than I should change to whatever is present there and make due with whatever internal steps are necessary to udnerstand the change. The same is true of someone moving here.
If the goal is to have the measure realte back to something "concrete" than why not go with nautical miles, since each one represents one second of Longitude? The reality is that the meter is now measured as the distance light covers (in an absolute vacuum of course) in 1/299,792,458 of a second. How is that anything other than contrived?
When they set about to determine the length of the meter they wanted it to be based upon a measure that doesn't change. Through a convulted process of measuring the Earth's surface, etc., they came up with a figure almost, bu not quite a yard. If they had just made equal the yard we would not be having this discussion. If a meter was easily related to, if a third of a meter remained a foot for the masses, the metric system would be far easier to digest for the masses and would ahve already been adopted because the changes would have been minimal. Same as making a Kilogram equal to a pound. Instant conversion.
The biggest problem with the metric system for Americans is that we already have the concepts ingrained. We know what 60mph is, but what is 100 km/h? If something is a foot away, we think of it as being a foot away, not a third of a meter or 30cm or whatever.
The easiest way to get the US to convert to meters would be to make a meter equal a yard, call a third of a meter a foot, and be done with it. If they would have done that back when they contrived the meter the switch would have already happened.
On display at the Multnomah County Main Library here in downtown Portland is a water cooler from around 1915 that is lined with Uranium. Instructions just above the spigot say to enjoy 6-8 glasses a day to help improve your health through the benefits of radiation. I think that's kind of silly. Same as I think phreneology is laughable and epicycles are just ridiculous. Therefore I would argue that there are far more things in our current society that will be ridiculed by future folks than embraced.
I think it is basic human tendency to think yourself superior to your neighbors, be they historical, physical, or metaphorical. I don't see any reason why our current generation will be any different. While I don't claim to know what will happen between now and 2504, I think if you and I were to take a trip up there we would be staggered by what we found. SO I think it actually probable that the 2504 version of The Way Things Are will be highly critical of the 2004 version.
On a completely different track, congrats on the kind words from Turtledove. I enjoy his work immensely and will be checking out your writing;-)
Well the 1902 winner was the discovery of Phrenology:-)
On a more serious note, do you ever stop and think that 500 years from now our ancestors are going to be making fun of us and our backwards notions of the world?
Can a wiretap imitate your voice and say things incriminating? How about a bug?
Absolutely. At the end of the day they produce nothing more than voice recordings. People accept that and trust that there are controls in place to prevent Law Enforcement from manipulating them for nefarious purpose. The same would be true in tapping of a computer. If the prosecution has no way of verifying that the files found were not tampered with, then they will lose, and the technology will be refined until they can verify that no tampering was done.
This isn't to say that police have not tampered with evidence, nor that they will be immune from doing it in the future. But don't confuse stories here and there with an overarching conspiracy that everyone is in on. That's hollywood, not life.
Exactly. As long as due process is followed it is in the same realm as a wire tap or bug. It is when the due process bit is removed that we need to start worrying.
Slashdot Mirror
Brag when servers are taken down by the Memepool effect.
You're right, I can't argue with that;-)
Your UID is mOoZik and you complain about not holding up "basic English 'practices'?" Hello Mr. Pot, please meet Mr. Kettle.
If a spammer and a phisher were both drowning in a pool, and you only had enough time to save one, would get lunch or go for a walk?
Now you gave an honest reply, and I am attempting an answer here, but basically I think that, at their core, science and religion are attempting to describe two entirely different universes. The problems occur when there is an attempt to overlap them. Again, that's my just my pair o' pennies, but there ya go.
But I have to tell you I did LOL at the thought of a cosmic screw-up whereby Beau Bridges was waiting for me witha chew bone;-)
That's my $.02 of belief.
That's great. I remember the Phoenix Sun's gorilla doing that back when I followed basketball (over a decade ago;-). Since I now live in Portland, I have to check out the next Blazers/ Sonics game.
Well I for one, welcome our new Alaskan Mecha overlords.
LOL! Oh man what a great visual. I wonder how many arms Chewie would rip out of their sockets if his team lost? Even Ron Artest would look good in comparison. Well maybe not...
My point, was that as long as your calculaions are off, and since the Yard and the Meter are so close to each other, if they had simply made the Meter equal the Yard (which was well within the tolerences of the final result) then much of the whole harranging would simply dissappear. Cnnversions between the two would be eay and seamless. Same with the Kilogram and the Liter. But what the French wanted, above all else, was something not British. So they made sure the two did not match.
If a country wants to change its units, then more power to them. If they think that using Meters instead of Feet somehow makes them civilized, good for them. But if a country wants to keep its units, if, indeed, it is happy and comfortable with them, then why change them? I have used Inches, MM, Feet, CM, Yards, and Meters. The only difference between them is that I have to mentally convert the metric stuff in my head so I have a feel for the measures involved. To me, and I think you'd find most Americans, that is the extra annoying step. Why Americans seem to be able deal with these measures when the other countries can't I really don't know.
In a nutshell, no country should change their units unless they want to. For most people, they will not want to unless they have a good reason. In the US, the vast majority of the population will tell you that there is no reason to convert to metric. I see no reason to support the opposite. Britain, Australia, France, India, Uganda, Peru, and every other country should use whatever units they are happy with. They each have their own culture, language(s), and so forth, so why not?
Obviously the metric system makes sense to you and so you use it. The English system makes snse to me, and that's why I use it. I absolutely applaud you and your use of the system for your needs. I think its great that the former British colonies are making changes that their population support. Why then, do you begrudge the US for doing what it's population supports?
Then you have to go and unlock the cheat codes to get the best attorney. If you do it right you get Johnnie Cochrane!
I just started using GIMP for some personal photos. We have 1 copy of Photoshop at work (and the computer its on is currently the subject of a turf war between departments if you can believe it) but thus far GIMP has done everything I've needed. Once you get to the point where you need something better, however, that's when the investment makes sense. Till then, I'll be happy its not MS Photo Editor;-)
Well at least you're honest in your priorities;-)
If the units in question are a hold over from Colonial rule then yes, I can udnerstand a country wanting to throw them out. Are you saying that Brits are forcing their former colonies to change? Or is the impetus for change coming from the people themselves? If its the latter than you have proved my point. That the cause for the change has to be an internal desire to change. In the US there is no desire to change except for the science types.
If I move to India (even if I visit) than I should change to whatever is present there and make due with whatever internal steps are necessary to udnerstand the change. The same is true of someone moving here.
If the goal is to have the measure realte back to something "concrete" than why not go with nautical miles, since each one represents one second of Longitude? The reality is that the meter is now measured as the distance light covers (in an absolute vacuum of course) in 1/299,792,458 of a second. How is that anything other than contrived?
When they set about to determine the length of the meter they wanted it to be based upon a measure that doesn't change. Through a convulted process of measuring the Earth's surface, etc., they came up with a figure almost, bu not quite a yard. If they had just made equal the yard we would not be having this discussion. If a meter was easily related to, if a third of a meter remained a foot for the masses, the metric system would be far easier to digest for the masses and would ahve already been adopted because the changes would have been minimal. Same as making a Kilogram equal to a pound. Instant conversion.
The easiest way to get the US to convert to meters would be to make a meter equal a yard, call a third of a meter a foot, and be done with it. If they would have done that back when they contrived the meter the switch would have already happened.
I couldn't resist the opening you left when you couldn't resist;-)
I would like to check out some of your work. Is there a particular book that you recommend starting with?
I think it is basic human tendency to think yourself superior to your neighbors, be they historical, physical, or metaphorical. I don't see any reason why our current generation will be any different. While I don't claim to know what will happen between now and 2504, I think if you and I were to take a trip up there we would be staggered by what we found. SO I think it actually probable that the 2504 version of The Way Things Are will be highly critical of the 2004 version.
On a completely different track, congrats on the kind words from Turtledove. I enjoy his work immensely and will be checking out your writing;-)
On a more serious note, do you ever stop and think that 500 years from now our ancestors are going to be making fun of us and our backwards notions of the world?
After all, we trade that for some TV, Cheetos, and Mountain Dew.
If I had mod points (which I haven't had in months:-( I'd surely be throwing some your way!
Absolutely. At the end of the day they produce nothing more than voice recordings. People accept that and trust that there are controls in place to prevent Law Enforcement from manipulating them for nefarious purpose. The same would be true in tapping of a computer. If the prosecution has no way of verifying that the files found were not tampered with, then they will lose, and the technology will be refined until they can verify that no tampering was done.
This isn't to say that police have not tampered with evidence, nor that they will be immune from doing it in the future. But don't confuse stories here and there with an overarching conspiracy that everyone is in on. That's hollywood, not life.
Exactly. As long as due process is followed it is in the same realm as a wire tap or bug. It is when the due process bit is removed that we need to start worrying.
Well DUH!