Syntho-sis

Visual Studio Express is just a set of programming tools that perform for the languages C#, C++, Visual Basic and a suite for Web Dev and that run under the Visual Studio IDE.

 

Although there are Integrated Development Environments for both Linux and Windows operating systems Visual Studio is largely considered to be far superior to all of the others. This can be attributed to Intellisense which can pre-compile code while you are programming thereby allowing you greater knowledge of the mistakes you may have made and also information on what it is that has been coded. The property pages are also very well laid out and versatile being easily modified to suit ones needs. It is a great IDE to use if you are a beginner and just learning and as you progress you will also develop the knowledge of the underlying structure that is being applied outside of the environment.

 

Obviously there are alternatives and some will say they are better. There is no other IDE that has the reputation that Visual Studio does and although I am more than content with Microsoft it would be nice to have a true competitor on the Linux platform in this category. I'm sorry but this is definitely a fail on the Linux end. Some will suggest that coding should not be done in an IDE for reasons of inefficiency, I don't agree. There are times when coding quickly is best suited to the job and times when complexity does not permit such an approach and each style needs to be weighted independently. Linux programmers tend to require and tend to focus on speed techniques as a good deal of their activities revolve around trying to take over the world and to the bringing about of the downfall of the corporate empire(sorry I had to.)

Ohh I see thanks for the explanation...As far as IDEs go...I like codelite. It comiples just about everything..

Cheers,

Isn't it ironic that High-level programming languages are supposed to be easier to learn than low-level languages?

lol

Where do I find a link for VCStudio Express and can you tell me more about it?

Well to be honest I've only browsed those sections and haven't really invested a lot of time exploring some of that stuff...(I do more with the compilers and txt editors)

If I find anything of interest I'll let you know though...

Cheers,

Okay I got it running. I found a great tool called Furious-mount that mounts bin, cue , and iso files to a virtual drive...From there I just had to run the executable of the install through wine.

Now my fear has come to fruition. The video quality is marginal and the sound and after installing Directx9 the intro video plays but it crashes when I go to play the game...like at the load screen.

I'm pretty sure its some kind of conflict of interest between directx9 and wine.

Just wanted to give an update.

Cheers,

Yea I've got the latest stable version of Wine and it works great for my other games. The only problem is that in order to get RoN to install I've got to download a bunch of dependencies and install them through the shell....Which is always an organic process and never fun..Classic all nighter.

I appreciate your answer nonetheless.

Cheers,

No this paper wasn't legit at all. Did you happen to notice that most of the images used are from various species of micro-organisms right here on Earth?

Why hasn't 'Science' or 'Nature' came out with anything? Are they out of the loop?

Yea right. Don't feed me bologna and call it filet Mignon.

Cheers,

If you are interested in trying out a new OS look into edubuntu. Ubuntu in general actually has a lot of software that is quite good at modelling physics, biology, chemistry, etc phenomena.

On their software center they have a whole section devoted to science and another to education.

The best part is that its all free and extremely easy to download.

Cheers,

Hey just had a quick question regarding ROS.

I'm running a linuix distro right now (Ubuntu) and have been trying to run a downloaded copy of 'Rise of Nations' (its from my original hdd) and have decided that setting up a virtual drive to mount the iso on is too much work with not enough return (issues reported include mouse problems and no sound when running the game). So I was curious about using a new OS to run the windows program. ROS shares alot of the API with windows but its built from the ground up and I'm not real familier with its capabilities with regards to applications and there is no database that I could find that lists this information.

Any help at all would be appreciated..

Cheers,

You can speculate all day but I doubt you will end much further from where you began. We (collectively humans, specifically scientists) just haven't gathered enough data to come to an accurate conclusion imo.

It's definitely worth going insane over, if anything is.

It might have to do with her being a Jew from Israel.

Are you pulling my leg? Is this true Mooey?

I read the bible in hebrew with arameic/hebrew/rashi comments. However, when in need to communicate with people who don't know hebrew (no one's perfect), I prefer this version: http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm

 

Side-by-side English/Hebrew bible. Of course, that doesn't include the sequel.. you'll have to find an alternative source for that.

 

~moo

Wow. To be totally honest, I'm impressed. Most of the people I know who do accept the bible as supernaturally inspired haven't even taken the time to learn Hebrew and Greek Aramaic.

Might I ask how you managed to learn both languages? I'm getting at software...in particular.

Cheers,

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What are some good commentated versions of the Gnostic gospels?

No, Julain and others had announced they had and were planning the release of the documents before the plane crash.

The plane crash happened within the last few hours...

It is much more difficult to prove a relation doesn't exist, than it is to identify its existence.

Did you notice that the Pakistani officials have already 'ruled-out' terrorism? hmmmmmmm

Most muslim countries hate us, hell most of the world does. Our policies and our actions do not help in relieving the hatered either. We have a tendency to act like spoiled kids, we want everything now and were not afraid to push people around to get it.

Pakistan is a major non-Nato Ally. This is a different situation.

I would like to a raise a single point. Is there any suspicion amongst you all that the release of these documents is related to the recent plane crash in Pakistan?

After hearing Ambassador Husain Haqqani reject the information contained in the documents I can't help but think that his country is involved in a very large operation. Whether this operation is bred of malice towards the West I will not say.

Provide your thoughts,

If you have the mental fortitude for this kind of exercise, by all means go for it.

Be sure to let us know about the results..

I wonder if supporting Democrats, Republicans or Libertarians is due to genetic predisposition or to environment, or, more likely due to both. People of a certain mindset, IMO, tend to look for people of the same ilk, I suppose and this reinforces certain belief structures. Science Forums are an example.

 

Incidentally, I just wondered which genes are in play when I speak to my wife and end up with my words totally unheard...???

If they disagree with your ideology, are they genetically inferior?

How come some Americans aren't born with a predisposition towards 16th century Russian political classes?

I go on Saturday usually but I have gone on Sunday as well. Which day is the 7th day of the week is one of those arguments I tend not to get involved in because it is as simple an argument as whether or not Sunday is the end of the weekend or the start of a new week.

It is a well-known fact that Christ kept the traditional Jewish Sabbath, which is Saturday.

You should do some research into the Jewish Calendar. A lot of interesting information regarding when the Sabbaths should be kept can be found in the Calendar.

Another thing, Do you know who changed the traditional 7th day Sabbath to Sunday? It was at the Council of Nicea which took place after there was a split in the early church and many things began to get changed.

It's almost like people don't understand History. If they would just look a littler further than their nose they would also find the reason the Catholics do the sprinkling of Holy water.

It was because a sick man named Novatian was never baptized. He figured that while on his deathbed if they would just come and splash some water on him, he would be good to go. So this is obviously a tradition... (Neander’s CHURCH HISTORY, I, 325)

Hmmm, what does the Bible say about all these traditions of men?

(Col 2:8 MKJV) Beware lest anyone rob you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.

I just don't understand how people can ignore that and instead make their own practices and ideas doctrines. What's the point of having a religion if that is what you are doing?

Just thought all that was interesting.

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I don't think the New Testament "changed" the rules. Jesus stated that the rules were still in place. What Jesus objected to was the Pharisees and their method of interpreting the law, deciding what shouldn't be allowed based on the law, and demanding compliance with laws even when doing so would be contradictory or stupid.

 

For example, jryan's second example about healing on the Sabbath days: the Pharisees, in interpreting the Commandments for themselves, had come up with a gigantic list of things to be banned on the Sabbath. Jesus turned around and said "That's not the point of the law!"

 

You should specifically note where Jesus states, "Therefore it is lawful to do a good deed on the sabbath days." He's not objecting to the commandment. He's objecting to their strict legalistic interpretation of it.

 

edit: more specifically, Jesus is sometimes referred to as "rabbi" or "teacher." He's there to teach the law, not to rewrite it. He just doesn't interpret it the way the Pharisees do.

You are absolutely correct. Many people fail to understand this very key concept..

Kudos to you.

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jryan, the ten commandments are in the old testament. My criticism is about people who claim to follow them and don't.

 

If oyu admit that the new testament CHANGES THE RULES, then I have no issues with consistencies with you -- you basically admit that you *don't* follow the strict rules of the ten commandments because the *NEW* testament refined them.

 

Fine.

 

The ten commandments are *EXTREMELY* clear about the Sabbath, even more than the "idol/picture/image" bit. There is no middle ground or gray area. You either do it, or you don't.

 

It seems to me that you are aware of the fact that your religion changed the original rules and therefore you're not obligated to follow them. If that's the case, then there's no problem in consistency. You don't follow the ten commandments - you follow the "general ideas" of them, maybe.

 

But really. It is *VERY* clear. I don't need to know what the new testament *changed* when I look at the literal (or symbolic) writing of the ten commandments to see if I follow them or not.

 

 

 

BTW, you will not get any argument from me that the bible is internally inconsistent. None. There's no doubt that it is.

 

~moo

That is entirely true. Most churches today take a very laid-back stance on the Ten commandments.

A good question to ask someone who claims that Christ did away with them is; Well you probably don't mind if I sleep with your wife then?

About the biblical inconsistencies. I'd be interested to see what you consider inconsistent. I have come across things that at first I though were wrong. After doing a bit of research I often come to find that I'm the one who is wrong. Like Abraham's age at his father's death. That is a very tricky one.

Can you provide an example or two?

I go to Church.

I'm sorry I have to comment on this. What day do you attend church jryan?

That's an unreasonable request, seeing as the 'old' testament had no concept of the 'father' vs. the 'son'.

 

However, I do agree that the Ark of the Covenant was not something that was 'prayed to'. It was, however, a symbol of God. It had "Skhina" (שכינה) which is something like the "spirit" or "breath" of God. Those who touched it died immediately, and the custom was to carry it indirectly.

 

So there are a lot of worship customs to the ark of the covenant, even though it's not explicitly stated that it is TO be worshiped.

Well, actually there was a Son and a Father...Maybe not fully realized by the Isrealites but..

(

1Jn 1:1 MKJV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life,

 

(1Jn 1:2 MKJV) (for the Life was revealed, and we have seen it and bear witness, and show to you the everlasting Life, who was with the Father and was revealed to us),

 

(1Jn 1:3 MKJV) that which we have seen and heard we declare unto you, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was the mediator between Man and God. John 1:1 is considered the true beginning of the Bible for the very fact that it reveals the very hand of God that created the universe.

So we both agree that the ark was not a graven image?

One of the many roots of the practice lies in the book of Kings in which Solomon, in keeping with the commandment "Honor thy Father and Mother", allows the intercession by his mother on behalf of others.

 

"... then the king sat on his throne, and had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat on his right. Then she said, 'I have one small request to make of you, do not refuse me.' And the king said to her, 'Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.'" [1 Kings. 2:19-20]

 

Likewise, Catholics don't consider the souls of the dead any differently than they do the souls of the living. They therefor do not consider Mary or any Saint as having ascended to Heaven anymore than they consider you or I having ascended. Therefor, asking Mary to pray on their behalf is no different than asking you or I to pray for them. They just believe Mary has an inside track.

 

From the Song of Mary:

 

"46 And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed."

 

Catholics tend to agree with Mary's statement above... as does God, who chose Mary for the same reason.

You know, to be honest with you, that doesn't really make any sense whatsoever.

The Bible does not instruct us to pray to Mary. If you can find one area in the whole Bible that says otherwise I will gladly yield.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.

Yes I know they do not believe she ascended to heaven, instead they believe she assumed...body and soul.

Once again the bible makes no mention of this that I can find.

Back to the point though. They are wrong to hope that one would pray on their behalf, excepting of course the Son, Jesus Christ.

(Mat 6:6 MKJV) But you, when you pray, enter into your room. And shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.

Does that say pray to Mary so that she may pray on your behalf? No, Christ clearly said to pray to the Father.

Also is it not Catholics who pray often repetitious prayers?

(Mat 6:7 MKJV) But when you pray, do not babble vain words, as the nations. For they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard.

It's almost as if they are trying to do everything the EXACT opposite of the way it was instructed..A bit ironic isn't it?

I don't think it gets any clearer than that.

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If these would be the case, then the same ten commandments written on stone by God himself, would be a symbol that doesn`t deserve worship.

Remember that after Moses, destroyed them, the pieces were kept in an arch, which was kept as a symbol of god himself.

 

And this goes the same, for jews, catholics or christians.

It doesn't get worship from the Jews. The old covenant gave very specific instructions about how to handle the Ark of the covenant.

Can you show me where it says it was a symbol of God the father?

Paul and Peter had completely different views regarding whether the Law should be follow. One based their views on what Jesus said, and the other didn't. Guess who quoted Jesus.

 

For the confrontation Paul described see Galations 2:11-17. However, I'll type out some passages from texts you probably don't have to give you a fuller sense of their relationship.

 

"For some among the gentiles have rejected my lawful preaching and have preferred a lawless and absurd doctrine of the man who is my enemy. And indeed some have attempted, while I am still alive, to distort my word by interpretations on many sorts, as if I taught the dissolution of the Law...But that may God forbid! For to do such a thing means to act contrary to the Law of God which was made to Moses and was confirmed by our Lord in its everlating continuance. For He said, 'The heavens and earth will pass away, but not one jot or tittle shall pass away from the Law.'"-Letter of Peter to James 2:3-5

 

"And if our Jesus appeared to you and became known in a vision and met you as angry and an enemy, yet he has spoken only through visions and dreams or through external revelations. But can anyone be made competent to teach through a vision? And if your opinion is that that is possible, why then did our teacher spend a whole year with us who were awake? How can we believe you even if he has appeared to you?...But if you were visited by him for the space of an hour and were instructed by him and thereby have become an apostle, then proclaim his words, expound what he has taught, be a friend to his apostles, and do not contend with me, whoa m his confidant; for you have in hostility withstood me, who am a firm rock, the foundation stone of the Church."-Peter(Clementine Homilies 17:19)

 

It is clear that Paul(even through his own writings) thinks the Law need not be followed. However, it is also clear that Jesus said the exact opposite.

Kudos to you for understanding Paul's actual viewpoint. Most people assume that in his Galation's letter that he was throwing the law away (He actually was condemning them for practicing circumcision on fully grown men.)

I'm sorry to tell you that Christ wasn't here to do away with the law. He came to magnify it.

He said:

(Mat 5:17 MKJV) Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.

 

(Mat 5:18 MKJV) For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.

 

(Mat 5:19 MKJV) Therefore whoever shall relax one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.

 

(Mat 5:20 MKJV) For I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

I did a word study on the word 'law' that is used.

What I found was the word is 'nomos' which is used through the idea of prescriptive usage, generally regulation, but specifically referring to Moses and more figuratively a physical principal.

Although God gave Moses the new covenant commandments, statutes and laws on Mount Sinai, Abraham had been following these same laws long before.

(Rom 8:4 MKJV) so that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Here also refers to putting away the physical practice of atonement for sin. Christ through his new covenant was the ultimate sacrifice and made the all other sacrifices were meaningless after this. See Paul's letters on this.

(Eph 2:15 MKJV) having abolished in His flesh the enmity (the Law of commandments contained in ordinances) so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, making peace between them;

 

(Eph 2:16 MKJV) and so that He might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity in Himself.

Can you identify what scriptures made you think that Christ put the law away?

cheers

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When Christ died on the cross, the law was nailed to the cross. It was the caretakers of the law that killed him.

 

There is simple logic that explains this. If you look at a law, it has two aspects; the good side and the evil side of the law. Thou shall not kill, requires understanding what is meant by killing to help one avoid the pitfalls of this sin. Learning this law also requires learning what is considered the preferred path, when so confronted. This double sided data is stored in the brain as two memory consolidations; God and Devil.

 

Satan is equated with all the dark sides of the laws; killing, torture, cheating, etc. This is what one expects to see in hell. While God or Jesus is associated with all the good sides of all the laws. This is what one expects to see in heaven. The two realms or brain organizations are separated and act independently; like heaven and hell. Each law you learn, helps fills in each of these two independent data grids.

 

A person might satisfy all the good aspects of the law, on the surface, so others can see. But he can have a dark inside, such as those who would condemn and killed an innocent Jesus. The preacher may try to be perfect but will also feel temptation. He has to pray against the Satan consolidation of law.

 

The opposite can also be true, sometimes those who appear dark on the surface, by not following all the works of the laws are reflected by a good inside. Mary Magellan may have been dark on the surface being a "ho", but she had a golden heart. Jesus preferred the sinners, because their inside was open to him. He could reach them subliminally, and he use that to change their outside. The self righteous were good to the eyes, but had a dark inside that tried to tempt him and when that didn't worked tried to kill him.

 

With faith, there is no law and therefore no good and evil to store in the dual grid "There is no longer yes and no, just yes in him.

He did not nail the law to the cross. He nailed our sins to the cross.

The law is only evil when men add unto it. The Pharisees were doing this to burden down the people and make themselves appear righteous. They were the ones who originated the things like you weren't allowed to spit on the ground on the Sabbath because it was plowing the dirt and might be work!

Christ came at his father's will to do a job. He came bearing a sword: that sword was the word and the law.

Yes certain aspects of the law were changed, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

An old testament principle was when you were building a house you would build a barrier around the upstairs opening so that people would not fall out. You would then be responsible for their blood.

Do you think Christ would abolish this practice? No! He wouldn't, that would stupidity.

Mat 19:16 And behold, one came and said to Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?

Mat 19:17 And He said to him, Why do you call Me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mat 19:18 He said to Him, Which? Jesus said, You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness,

Mat 19:19 honor your father and mother, and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Mat 19:20 The young man said to Him, I have kept all these things from my youth up; what do I lack yet?

Mat 19:21 Jesus said to him, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come, follow Me.

Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

Mat 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you that a rich man will with great difficulty enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 19:24 And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Mat 19:25 When His disciples heard, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

Mat 19:26 But Jesus looked on them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Mat 19:27 Then answering Peter said to Him, Behold, we have forsaken all and have followed You. Therefore what shall we have?

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

This young man was a Jew. He had been all his life. Do you think he ignored the law? No he did not! He says quite plainly that he had done these things all this life.

Christ wants more than just the law though. He wants to write it on our hearts and minds.

I'll add more later.

cheers

As Rickdog pointed out, you have it completely wrong. When Catholics pray to Mary (or any saint) it is in request that these saints pray on their behalf. This is not the same as creating an image of a false God and praying to it.

Why because Mary is in heaven with God?

"John 3:13 And no one has ascended up to Heaven except He who came down from Heaven, the Son of Man who is in Heaven."

I have it completely wrong then?

Paul, James and Christ were all in agreement..

Luther was incorrect when he called the the book of James straw..

Rickdog there are not 11 commandments. Jesus Christ was trying to break down the 10 to their basic premises. The first Five are love for God and the last Five are love for man.

Jesus taught that the law was not done away with.

“But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17)

He was talking about commandment keeping and certain aspects of the law he came to amplify. Animal sacrifice was replaced by the ultimate sacrifice, which was the death of the lamb (himself).

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17–19)

How come so many people claim to love him yet they won't even follow his basic instructions? Does anyone here believe that Christ broke the sabbath once?

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I'm not sure. Catholics, at least, use 'graven images' aka idols.

Exactly.. They don't even follow the basic commandments so how can they profess to be Christ's church?

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really? "Law" means what? The ten commandments? because.. well.. Christians ain't following two of 'em.

Well actually that's a fallacy. You said Christians, not all Christians ignore the law.

You just kinda lumped them all together but it's not reality.

That's like me saying that all 15 year olds listen to Nirvana...

Interesting article that correlates to politics but since it's science news I'll post it here..

Lemme know what you thinks

Cheers

How about cutting spending on all those pet projects congress has funneled into their bills?

That would be a nice start.

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Example: Bridge to nowhere