Justin

that's the whole question....

not why what..., not why when... not why who or why where...

just.... 'why?'

that's the whole question....

not why what..., not why when... not why who or why where...

just.... 'why?'

I was surfing on youtube and ended up on this page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLiRioRkYAo#

.... don't ask.

Anyway, does anyone know what the name of this piece of music is?

Please post a title of the composition and better yet, the former with the composer.

Thanks!

No particular order in my list:

Neil Pert

Danny Carey

John Bonham

Stewart Copeland

Igor Cavalera

Dave Lombardo

Ginger Baker

Mitch Mitchell (fire says it all)

David Garibaldi

Nick Menza

What's your list?

To get answers for their homework?

I've seen kids ask questions in all areas of schooling - even some that seem to be in desperation mode - as if they are in the middle of actually taking a test while they ask the question.

Does this go un-noticed? Is this encouraged? Is this factored in when grades are given?

What's the deal from a teacher's perspective on this.

Particularly with the philosophy and religion sections?

Example:

Someone ASKS if there is a God and if they are a Christian (for instance - could be any faith or philosophy), will always choose (in this case) the best answer as 'Yes, HIS name Jehovah' thus turning around the question into a pulpit.

Not that believing in God is a bad thing, but can religious people think on their own without having to consult their scripture and quote from it and lambaste if you don't agree?

Why do they do that so much? Or is this another case of where of the loudest screamers getting the most attention?

I've seen the movie and I've read the book. Personally, I'm glad I saw it before I read it, but I like both very much.

You are left to wonder about them after the movie, but then again, although the book explains them well, you are then left asking the same thing about the makers of the monoliths - still left with questions - I like that.

I do like the fact that in the book, the TMA-0 (Africa monolith) is actually transparent rather than ebony, if memory serves. Makes me think of all the little monoliths that serve as Hal's components in the movie. I wonder if the proportions of Hal's chips are 1x4x9?

Anyway...

If you have seen the movie - what's your take on the monoliths?

If you have read the book - what's your take on the monoliths?

If you have done both - what's your take on the monoliths?

If you have done both - which do you prefer? book or film?

I was thinking of HAL 9000 the other day as 'he' just had his fictional birthday so I re-read 2001 by Arther C. Clark. I had these thoughts:

Assumptions for the debate:

1.) There is no way to PROVE that the human mind is indeed conscious. Only to test if if appears that way.

2.) Human beings indeed have a soul or spirit.

3.) A computer like HAL 9000 could be built.

Since HAL would easily pass any consciousness test such as Alan Turing's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test)

Please answer the following:

1.) Would a computer like HAL actually be conscious or just convincing enough (like humans) to seem that way?

2.) If HAL is not conscious, does that mean that humans might not be conscious but instead are (biological) machines so complex we fool ourselves and others into believing we are conscious (like HAL)?

3.) If HAL is conscious, does HAL have a soul?

4.) If HAL has a soul, where did it come from? God, his programmers, elsewhere?

What do you think of this analogy? A friend of mine used this when I asked what his interpretation was of the function of each branch.

It was a general analogy - not applicable to any specific nation or to any specific reasoning behind using military force, but to the function of a given branch of service so to speak.

Anyway, what's your opinion?

Marines (as in invasion forces) - BANG! This is now ours.

Army (occupation forces) - Yep, still ours - BANG!

Navy (support forces) - BANG! Where do you think you are going exactly? BANG!

Air Force (suppression/initial attack) - BANG! Yes, we're coming. What was it exactly you planned on doing? BANG!

National Guard/Reserve - Who the hell do you think you are? BANG!

Total - DON'T MESS!

This is put in terms of how the US military is organized, but I don't mean to imply that at all - merely to ask opinions regarding FUNCTION. Regardless of nation. Is this a fair view of military purpose internationally? If not, how do nations differ?

Transmogrifier

Duplicator (with or without Ethicator)

Time Machine

Why is that one the best?

Spaceman Spiff - Interplanetary Explorer Extraordinaire

Stupendous Man - Defender of Freedom, Advocate of Liberty

Tracer Bullet, Private Eye

Others????

So I enter the question, then enter the details and then its already posted and answered 15 times before I can really get the whole question out there using the double details option that only is availible AFTER people are already answering the question.

Man, my fault (I'm new so cut me some slack on this please! lol), but the first 10 or so responses all asked what the question was because I hadn't gotten to it yet.

Just happened not 15 minutes ago in fact. Sure, I'm wordy, but is there a way to get everything in there before the question is actually and completely formulated? (advice would be nice for the long winded among us) lol

What can I say, I'm a dude with the gift of gab, go figure.

Was the Devil and does the Devil do God's work in testing the faith of humanity in God (IE - Eden, Job)? Is he the adversary of God or the adversary of Man? How do we know - to understand God's purpose for testing man through temptation, would we not have to understand God's plan which is impossible?

Was he expelled because the act of eating from the tree of knowledge actually defined the difference between good and evil, thus making hell and the Devil as God's adversary a requirement of the plan? Surely God knew this in advance so wouldn't that mean the Devil is angry because he knows he got played? (no matter how vital that was to the plan)

This, for arguments sake, casts Satan/Lucifer as the role of tempter. Perhaps he did fall, or is that just part of the story to create a choice for man to make between good and evil?

Perhaps Satan/Lucifer is in heaven with God right now, both knowing there is no hell, but us humans believing it exists is a vital part of the great plan?

I picture a scientist, a shinto priest, a rabbi, a catholic bishop, a daoist and an atheist sitting in a room. Each looks at a big white square and reports how many dots they see.

The scientist emperical evidence proves only 1 dot and says such. The zen monk says, I believe you need to study koan more to reach enlightenment - having reached enlightenment, I see more than 1 but less than 3 - you will know what that means if you meditate more. The rabbi declares with certainty that there are 3 dots - anything else is clearly false idolatry. The Bishop pipes in and says "Lord please save these people from the lies of the Devil - help them see the truth of 4 dots." The daoist says nothing, knowing that to speak would be to cloud the truth of simply being 5 dots. The Atheist wonders how irrational - what kind of person ignores the logic of seeing 6 dots, but says nothing - sick of being lectured.

God looks down and thinks "soon they will see the entire cube as the die it is"

We have terrorism threats in the form of fundamentalist Islam's violent direct action against American interests. That's a real danger. We also have dogmatic threats in the form of right wing Christianity's subtle and indirect effect that undermine the spirit of the United States Constitution. That's a real danger as well.

What actually, at the end of the day is worse?