mr d

Hello I view most religions as not really being good or bad. Most simply provide a believer with a code of ethical beliefs, historical stories (either based on real events, or more along the lines of morality fables) that serve to give a person a sense of belonging to a community and a easy way to understand concept of the world about them. Some may say this premotes ignorance in a simplistic understanding of the world, but in reality very few people need to have and complex understanding of the world around them. Are they too ignorant to understand? No, they just do not need that information to live their lifes. An example: I know the Christian bibical story of creation, I also know the bigbang/singularity theory of science. Does it really matter which one I hold more faith in in my every day life? No, either one is good enough to provide and explaination of the creation of the Universe. My live and what I have to accomplish everyday can be done with either as my belief, or neither, or if I believe the Universe was created by the Great Cat Tofu when he coughed up the cosmos hairball. For my needs any will do. Rather a this is how it went down, now get on with your life type of approach. It is us thinking ourselves so much more intelligent and advanced, that now we try to pretend these books were written as some form of Social Theory and Scientific Docterine. How proud so many people seem when they can now show how their new found knowledge disputes text written for people living in the Bronze and Iron Ages. I should well hope they can, otherwise it reflects rather poorly on any claim of advancement we report to have made. Can a religion be bad? Yes depending on how that religion exists in a social context with others around it who do not believe in that religion. But a lot of that is not a result of the religion, but in the leadership of the religion. As above most religious text where written during the Bronze and Iron Ages, so much of what is contained with in deals with how people had to deal with life as it existed then. This means that as life has changed into the Industrial and Technoloigcal Ages, leaders for religion must re-interpret to cover life as lived now. And those interpretations by leaders have often had dire consequences on people. But does the blame here lie in the religion or how it was interpreted. I tend to find that the practitioners of a religion tend to determine if it is considered good or bad. Personal problem I find with religion is the fact that many ask you as a believer to surrender your ability for free thought, over to a belief in blind faith. They preach that they alone hold the Ultimate Truth, and they alone can show you the path to obtaining that Truth. A few allow for the questioning of the world around you as a means to discover this truth, for you must come to understand it by yourself. But others would have you adhere to only what they tell you without question. Only they can show you how to obtain the truth, but you must not think on your own only obey. They are the guardians of the Truth, tresspass against them at your own peril. All you need to know is what they tell you, all that needs to be known is what they deem holds true to their Ultimate Truth. Yet often I discover this Truth is the leadership's concept by interpretation of the truth. And many times has little to do with the basis of the religion, but more with maintaining power within the leadership. So I'll continue to be one of those racial individuals out seeking what Truth I can find for myself. I'll listen to what you have to say, for your beliefs may have kernals of that Truth. And if it helps you make it through your life, which is not easy, please go ahead and believe for yourself but allow me my own. And just get on with it. Mr D 'There's an invisible man in the sky...' G Carlin

Hello Having instructed a bit, two main points i'd include are. 1) Find a good textbook, preferrably one that doesn't just lay out a broad swathe of information on the subject. But concentrates more on specific ideas you think are most important to what your trying to get across in your lectures. A book that tries to inform as it were and not just pass along information. Have discovered for some students that they learn more from being off by themselves studing a good book, then they do in lecture. With a book you, as they say, you learn at your own pace; when and where your have time. Be prepared to look at many books though just to find the right one. 2) Try to ingage your students. Your clicker is a good idea, but try to structure your lecture so you can actually call upon students to discuss questions. Not just answer a question, but force them to think for themself. Example: say your discussing about particle contamination, instead of asking a question of what is the effect of dust particles upon magnetic recording surfaces. Instead start with a general question to the class like 'what type of particles might be in the surrounding enviorment.' Hands will shootup pick a few people to give a few answers. Then futher the discussion by asking what effects these particles might have on say magnetic recording disk. Then what about this type of media or that, or what effect does differnet size or composition of the particles might have. At this point pick out students who might not normally volunteer to answer, but be prepared to lead them along to get out an answer if need be. We all remember how much we hated being called on, but find in reality most people want to answer. It helps to develope a repore with your students, and makes them feel they are participating in their own education. For you as an instructor it helps give feed back on not only how well your lecture is getting across. But also informs you as to the thought processes and comprehension abilities of your students. Mr D

Well if intelligent they certainly won't want to talk to any politicians, have to be out amoung the common folk. They'd land give us a devise whose construction methods, materials, and function could only come from another world, pose for a few pics and a bit of video, and get the heck out of here. Before they could be contaminated by Happy Meals, Religious conversion, or just plain shot-gutted-and strapped across the hood of a pickup truck. Hey you scientist types would want physical proof you could disect right. Mr D

Hello Well about you and Cali, if you read my first post I believe you can tell it was directed to him as by situation. Wasn't until my second post that I realized the you were the respondant, and thought 'Well this seems to fire him up so much may be he's responding for Cali'. Or conversation by proxy. Plus felt you were on such a roll there that it would be rude to interrupt you. Now as to why it's funny to older people, it's not just that they've been through simular circumstances. But it is the dramatic production so many young people make of the situation. Not sure what an English equivalant show would be, but in the U.S. you have teen dramas like Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, The O.C, and formerly Beverly Hills 92010 (please Lord kill off these abominations); were the lives of the teenagers portrayed play out like greek tragedies. Every love is your greatest love, if someone leaves you your on the verge of suicide at any moment. If just the right person doesn't totally love you your life is meaningless. Ad nausium. And while most older adults look at people acting in such ways as comical, many teens in real life play out their relationships in just such a way. I believe even you yourself as a tad bit older now, probably look at teens you might know or see acting in such a maner to be humerous yourself. hope that claarifies for you some. Mr D

Hello To answer your question; yes because you are young a number of people will find what happened to you highly humorous. It would take me more than the fingers of both hands the number of young co-workers, friends and students who over the years have come crying to me over a gf or bf’s infidelity. And all of them acted the same; how could they do this to me, why did this have to happen, how could they not love me… And when you tried to tell them anything they’d be there crying ‘How could you know how I feel. No one knows how I feel, nobody loves me’ yadda yadda yadda. Well read the previous posts, a hella’ a lot of people know how you feel. Why because it’s happen to them or those they knew as well. They survived; a few embittered, but most probably look back and chuckle over it. As you will most likely do too one day, it’ll make a great joke/story to amuse your friends with. Case in point and why my first post. Worked some years back with a young fellow a year or two older than you, we had to work late one night and he told his girlfriend to go ahead and attend a concert they had bought tickets for. Also going were her female friend and her steady. Around midnight he gets a call from her stating they were too wasted to drive home, got a hotel room and were sitting around downing a few brews. Upon telling this to my self and an even older co-worker we advised him if he had any brains in his head, he needed to get himself down there right then. But he was all ‘Oh we love and trust each other.’ ‘She’s faithful to me I can trust her.’ And guess what, you got it, what happened to you happened to him. Next day when he came in crying about the whole sorted affair, about all we did was hold up a dictionary and say ‘Look here’s your picture under the word dumbass’. What did he do about it in the end? Why he made up with this girl, and spent some quality time with her and her friend. Let her think all was fine with the world, right up to the moment he dumped her. ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’, as the Spartans use to say, not the Klingons as some Star Trek fans believe. This part also reasons into my earlier post. Do I say dump her? I’ll give you no advice. That’s what learning from life is all about. And I won’t make it easy for you by giving you an out of ‘I shouldn’t have done that, but that creepy fellow from the web told me I should’. You already know if you can truly forgive such and act, and if you believe you can really trust this person’s promises. Don’t look here for validation. Hoping you take this in the spirit intended, that of enough of the ‘oh so sorry for poor Dak’. Ain’t going to let you wallow about in self pity, or are you the kind of Smuck/Putz (American) Wanker(British) who thinks you deserve to be treated this way by people? Hells no; so grieve for a while then say ‘So What’, is that the best you can throw at me life. Mr D “SOUND OFF LIKE YOU GOT A PAIR” R Lee Ermey ps you do know my original post was directed to Callipygous, and not you? But I think the above can apply to both cases.

Hello Using the original Hutu spelling of the word. Glad to see however I have my very own English Professor, but tell me do I not get any pudding if I don't finish all my meat? Vvery responcylible off yuk olde chap. Mr D

Hello Oh... do you need some empathy. Well poor, poor Dak...There, there now. Let me get my violin out. Feeling better? True it is sad you experienced this, but your 19 years old and guess what things like this will happen to you. Now if you told me you were 34 and had a pair of kids, I'd have more sympathy for your situation. More for children's sake than your own. A 19 year old being with a young teenage girl, who goes out on her own without you, gets drunk, and has sex with other people. What did you expect would happen? I fully agree things like this do hurt, but your an adult now and not a teenage drama queen. In time this will pass, quite like a kidney stone and all the pleasure that intells. And how you handle this will begin to shape what type of man you will be in the future. You must make a decision on what to do, than do it and except the consequences. Your life is just beginning, and if this is the worse that happens to you, you are far luckier than most. Mr D

Hello Want humor, read the news. Yes it will provide you more chuckels and laughs than you thought possible. This is in regards to the fun time America is having with former Florida Rep. Mark Foley. Caught sending 'salacious' email to an underaged male page, a fact known by House leaders of his own party and ignored by them till the need to cover their own posteriors arose from the revelation. What's funny, I find this is. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061004/ap_on_go_co/congressman_e_mails;_ylt=AvtQ_dXj2isciRbvNPMc0hCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXIzMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM- Now remember folks, as your leaders (and criminal defense attorneys) are quite adept at showing you. You are never responcible for your own actions, someone or something is always hanging about for you to pin your foibles on. You are never to be blamed or held responcible, however do remember at press conferences to shead a tear or two when claiming how these people-places-events scarred you for life, and they are responicble for making you do what you did. Oh, and if you can announce your going into treatment, like Rep. Foley or the actor Mel Gibson, plus bonus points if you can shortly there after find God (if in the West thrown in the name Jesus here and there, good Christians are compelled to forgive you then) who is now your personal savior. So remember no matter what mistakes you do in life it is not your fault. Mr D ps... how bad can a day be in which you get to use the words foible and salacious?

Hello I think it's simple, you should invite your girlfriend and this other woman who was involved out for drinks to talk over the situation. Lots of drinks, make a night of it. Things may look different and be much more crowded in the morning. Your young and still looking for a Miss Right, as you age you'll find this changes to Miss Well She's About The Best I'll Find. So maybe she's got a gimpy leg, and her left eye does not look at the same spot as her right. But what the heck, you ain't that great a catch yourself if you think about it. This person will be your wife if they're thinking the same about you. Mr D

Hello Let's see, next we have the manifesto, then we see a person on the news saying 'they were such a quite person, kept to themselves a lot'. Sorry couldn't help it. A time of self reflection is not a bad thing, helps you think things out. But with age you'll discover most of your memories of life are about the people you meet on the journey. Good, bad, or indifferent they're what decides how you turn out;and what real value and difference you had in the world. Is it really how those people act that is the problem? Or is the problem they don't act how you want them to. In isolation you do as you want, when you want, how you want. The world is a place of give and take, and boy do a lot of people want to take, but most people will give freely of themselves if they don't think your acting to manipulate them for your own gains. And even if they're crass, or cruel, or pitiful; so what, who defines you you or them. Lifes a comedy so laugh it off and experience what is out there waiting for you. Aged as I am I find what they say true that 'you regret more what you didn't do, than what you did'. Sounds odd but true none the less. And here you are Mr. Isolation asking a question on a chat board hoping for responces. Thinking about starting a web page where people can write to you, and you can choose to respond or not. Do you believe your a person worth knowing? Do you have something to offer to others out there? As the great philosopher Popeye said 'I yam what I yam'. If they don't want to know you, so what, their loss. Don't let other people define you, or your thoughts. Grab life by the horns, go for the gusto (see you can learn something from watching beer ads). Mr D

Hello Scientific or Percieved reality. That Scientific one is so pesty, all those squiggly little numbers. Mr D All I know about the insane is how to escape from one of their asylums.

Hello Just to drive the phyisists here crazy, and the fun of running a mental exercises, thought I'd try to think of a way to go beyond the speed of light. No not challenging Einstein here, nor is this the results of complex experiments carried out. Just a fun trying to force myself to think outside the box. That said how about this. Requires to unproved or tested ideas. 1) Mattered excellerated to the speed of light converts to energy at a point slightly before the speed of light. 2) The speed of light is the speed of time. Part one: required to overcome the inertia problem caused by mass. If mass is converted into energy than it can travel at the speed of light. Undetermined state of consciousness of any person so transformed. Part two: If the speed of light were the speed of time excelerating beyond the speed of light would would shift time wise the excelerated energy. If light is time, at the point you surpass the speed of light you would no longer be referenced in that timeframe. You would excelerate pass the time in which your energy was created (Problems here that it maybe you are instead the new speed of light and created a new time frame.). So to all appearences you can not travel faster than the speed of light within the time framework you are in. Because at the point you do travel faster you are no longer in that time, but have created displaced time for yourself, since the time you excelerated from has not yet occurred except as your energy. Displaced time needed here to explain how energy which is already in existance at the time frame you move into could co-exist with your current energy. As matter can not be created or destroyed but changes form. You can both exist in the same location because you are not existing at the same time. This would tend to mean you could not change or interact with the current time around you. Or more simply you can not go back or forward in time and change events, such as shoot your own mother twenty years ago. Because though your energy excellerated into time can be within a different time frame, your energy is still part of the time in which it was created. The shot you fire is actually being fired in your time. Full of holes, but just for fun Mr D

Hello Well could be. If the crack you stepped on was the space between the vertbra in your mother's back, and you were of sufficent weight. Why yes you could crack her back. Also if you were standing about squishing spiders, and I was on a building above you with a bucket of water. Why I feel certain a down pour would commence instantly. Too literal, try climbing out of that box. Did not say you would see this actual manisfestation, but how you might believe you have. Mr D

Hello Well I guess technically you may see visions. Why, staring into to mirror and chanting could be used as a form of self hypnosis. Altered mental state could cause changes in perception and processing, so that you could infact percieve your own reflected image as something other than what it is. And if your of the mind set that this person will appear, your reflection could become them in your mind. Notice I did not use the name of this person. Are you people crazy, use the name of spirits and they can gain control over you and possess your body. Gee are you trying to open the doorway for demonic forces to enter our plane of existance. Hey I don't have that much Holy Water left to keep driving this creatures back, so knock it off. Mr D

Hello If you leave you system on, and it has access to the internet, there are program that can self connect supposedly to do such things as self updates. Others wait for you to login then will run checks in the background. Of course this is for your benefit, to keep you up with the latest version. They never collect or keep any personal information they find, or use it to check for illegal software. They are swell lads that way. Mr D

Hello People entering the Institution of Marriage should be prepared for the commitment. And most people in Institution are committed. Mr D

Hello In a way your right in away. The second amendent deals with arming of state militia, as back then there was disagreement as to whether or not their should be a strong Federal goverment. And whether that goverment should have an army at it's disposal. Also back then there was no huge tax system to provide income to finance an standing Army. As first invisioned the Federal Goverment would have at it's disposal a small military force to help defend the nation and provide security in a time of peace. But it was expected that citizens would be required to form State Militias that could be called up in times of war to form the United States Military. Kinda didn't trust a large Central Goverment with a huge military at its disposal. This also influenced the 3rd Admendment, which shows how the past billeting of troops by the British didn't set too well with people. And this is pretty much how it was until the Civil War, where you see battles fought by say names sort of like the 10th Illinois Volunteers, or Pennsylvnia 8th Regiment. A number of eastern states had requirements as to type of arms, and amount of powder and shot each man was expected to supply for his militia duty. Even clothing and uniforms were also required by some, while the state would use a portion of its own money to provide for larger purchases such as cannon or a small ship for harbor patrol. After the War it was decided a strong Federal Army was needed, with less State power allowed. Both to hold the Nation together, and it was decided such a system of Militias made the U.S. more vunerable to powerful outside nations that did have standing armies. The idea itself is derived from the early Roman Republic concept of a citizen army. But you are also right in a way that certain people who helped draft the Constitution believed ultimate power should be held in the hands of the populous. Such as Thomas Jefferson who believed that goverment needed change by revolution, peaceful or non, to be keep fresh and viable. Mr D

Hello What you are likely seeing is misdirection or redirection being used. In the old Military or Itelligence lingo it's someone running Pysops (Psychological Operations) Been noticing this quite a bit recently in a few science forums I occasion. The person running the discussion is not there to discuss or debate their question, but rather to insite conflict between other participants. Find often the instigator has some agenda, such as a religious slant to their question, but bundle it into a philosophical or psychological wrapper. Have my suspicions who these people might be, with a new tack being taken to attach their beliefs to older discarded ideas to gain a tad of what antique collectors refer to as provinance. They don't care to discuss it with you because, they are not interested in your opinion. They are ready know their percieved answer, or they are only there to insert the question into the discussion. Let's use for and example the discussion of Creation with religious and scientific views. Now my goal is to make my religious viewpoint seem like a scientific viewpoint, so I'm not concern with discuss Creation with you as I know the Ultimate Truth. Hence your can not understand the truth, and I can not discuss it with you. What I know is that amoung scientists, many hold religious beliefs as well as being scientists. So your find a wide spectrum of opinions even amoung the scientists. And since they can't come to any agreement, my religious view, which I've merged with this mask of science, can be seen as just as valid as theirs. You'll also see such tactics as taunting, false anger, and fained feelings of persecution. But used to direct you away from noticing they have not answered your question. Old enough to have first hand experience with the Krishnas, Moonies, and Scientology people trying this out in person. Now they have the wonderful world of the internet to explore. Of course other groups maybe employing these tactics besides religious one, many political groups will do the same. And it is not illegal to employ these means. Just need to be careful, as these people have been trained to look for people who may be psycologically vunerable to their operations. Are you down, sad, lonely, disillusioned; why we have the answer here for you. Just let us make all those hard decissions for you, we'll take care of you. Mr D

hello I think the point of that episode was that the super intelligent beings were planning to destroy the winner of the contest. For if you were creative enough to build a weapon of enough destructive force, then you were the greater danger. But it is by a demonstrated quality of mercy, that they considered showed a evolving knowledge of morality that spared the humans. It's interesting to see when science fiction can tackle topics of greater importance, by hiding the lesson wrap in the trappings of fantasy adventure. Though I think the original Twilight Zone shows did a better job of it. Mr D

Hello A question you might ask yourself is which is you think is their true view. To recieve your call your name must have fallen onto a list, of whose members they assumed would be more open to the type of call you recieved. (And you might ask yourself what that list was, and how did this group aquire it? Some one you know selling your data.) The other, a website opened for greater viewing by a larger web audience, who might have searched out the site, or stumbled upon it, or came there by your choice of keywords they added to their search list. And might not be thought to be as charged by the issue. Strange thought Mr D

Hello It has both to do with the politics of developement, and the practical security side. Politcal; the Goverment mandates using American firms whenever possible. Keep that money in the U.S., encourage growth and advancement of American technology. Some of this also deals with porkbellying by congress. Practical; in particular in the field of technology you not not wish to be dependant on a foriegn goverment's regulations or politics. As stated above an Allie one day may not be the next. That can be as simple as a change in politcal party control in a foriegn nation. You could be say having cluster bomb technology being developed abroad, yet a new political party is elected (democratically). That party wishes renegotiation of farm imports, so in the mean time places a moritorium on the exporting of technology and hence halting delievery of purchased ordinance. Also using technology developed elsewhere opens the risks that technology may also be aquired by hostile elements. They could then develope new counter measures, rendering useless the technology you purchased abroad. Mr D

Hello Thought I'd put these up about Trophy system. http://www.defense-update.com/products/t/trophy.htm http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/trophy-active-defense-system http://www.defensetech.org/archives/002361.html Techblog has a bit better video from U.S. Fox News Network. Defensetech gives a better explaination of Trophy and why it was past on. Video seems a bit misleading, making it appear in their animations that a defensive 'energy' sheild is being deployed around the vechicle. The actual defensive shield is radar which scans an area around the vehicle for detection of incoming objects (mainly to deal with shoulder launched rockets and RPG's). If detected it is quickly tracked, trajectory calculated, and a 'fragmentation beam' intercepts. The fragmentation beam reads more likely to be a explosive package of fragmenting material,launched into the path of the detected object and exploded; resaulting fragmentation damage causing detonation of the missle or RPG. Inventive, but not the Science Fiction weapon technology the Media is try to make it look like. Problem hinted at appears to be the systems ability to differentiate between targets. Dangerous in areas occupied by non-combatants. Mr D

Hello What does Esp = Hsp mean? Simply is what some people take for extra sensory perseption actually hyper sensory perception. People are born with different abilities of sight or hearing, or even emotional perception. But usually within a range. But what if the person has heighten senses, as an example better hearing or a broader spectrum of sight than is normally found. Not extra senses, but just more of that sense than the top of the normal range. such as they would heard sounds others could not, sounds that they would react to long before you or I would with normal hearing. To others it would appear as though they are somehow knowing a car is approaching since you can not even hear it. You interpret it as being they have some extra sense that you lack. But is not and extra sense, but merely a heighten sense that all humans possess. Strange Thought Mr D

Hello Listening to radio news while on the way to work, when a report came up discussing the cost of education in America. Found it quite shocking to see projected current cost of a Bachelor Degree from an average size University. That being $40,000 American. I think that's around 16,000 Australian, 18,000 British Pounds, and 32,000 Euros. Futher they reported that most students upon graduation will spend the first ten years of their working lifes paying off student loans. And that some fifteen years ago a young first time home buyer from these recent graduates put and average of 15% down when buying their first home. That amount is now 0% with the average person carrying around $6,000 in credit card dept, easily obtainable credit cards gotten on campus to blame. So thought I'd ask those younger folk out there amoung you still in University, if you thought those figures about right for the Americans. And for those obtaining their education elsewhere, what is the cost to you ( I guess a note about wages in living expenses in your area might help to judge against); both initial cost and how you expect it to effect you financially upon graduation. And for a spot of levity, included in the report was facts you should know about incoming freshmen. Such as most have only known 2 U.S. Presidents, and 2 Popes. Also a large number of them have no idea about 8-tracks, and have never owned a vinyl record or cassette tape. Most of those sampled have never sent a hand written letter. And as I am amoung those who do this being ancient, hate it when professors referrence things that occured before 1990. So what do you find your professors referrencing that make no sense to you? Mr D

Hello If twenty Risers, 18.5cm to first, 18.5 from last to landing would be plus 37cm needed to be added. or 37cm + (18.5cm * 20) = or 37cm + 370cm = 470cm or 4.7 m Again considering construction of say a stircase where a floor and landing are taken into calculations. For the number of Risers to equal 21, the landing would have to be included as a Riser. or that the height of the last riser needs to be equal to the final height of 4.07m. Mr D