chuck kottke

:rolleyes::laugh3: It needs some key lube then. Can 'moore's law' be applied to PV??

And Dog licks. Of course, God spelled backwards is Dog, so there has to be a cosmic connection! I'm otta' here!:escaping3:

I suppose, you could play along with a violin piece (reading the music on a page at the same time)? But enjoying a ginger cookie too? Isn't your neck kinda kinked too much while playing the violin to do that??:laugh3:

If atheists see the whole universe as an equation and set of physical laws, then it takes civility and civil society to allow us to unravel the mysteries. Hence, something that breaks that greater social contract to be fair with one another reduces our potential (as individuals and collectively) to gain that greater insight. You're right - morality is a human obligation, and we are inherently aware that it is wrong to steal or murder - in fact, compassion as I understand is innate in human nature, as science is showing us this to be true. We are not simply born "sinful", nor strictly self-interested. I am not an atheist, but I do understand atheists, and atheism - and perhaps to disregard atheism is simply done out of fear of actually discussing and considering some of the valid points Atheism might bring to the table about what is true and what is not?

True - I feel the same. Simplistic motivators and simplistic thinking can be misused to lead people into doing the unthinkable. Better to seek a better world in that which is tangible through our senses and common sense. Lasting happiness is one which is not achieve simply on the whims of the moment, but through a deeper understanding and appreciation of the roles we play in life. (but having moments of fun on occasion helps!)

Aha! Nobody Ever Expects the Spanish Inquisition!:P I remember the days of the Demon Dialers, always able to win the radio contests.. Ah, the levels ppls. go through!:laugh3:

Chance favors the prepared mind.;) Anyhow, what is this thread about again??

:jester::thinking2::sunny:It's wayy over my head!:laugh3: (sticks babelfish in ear:mudkip:, listens closely..)

Chris Martin can't be scooped by Goop? Well, what's this world coming too!:laugh3:

There is a neural network, and the cycle of life provides the nexus of connections, our minds, linked, and echoing throughout time and space.. The afterlife is in my mind what those who are living bring forward in time with them, of our memories. But there could be more - it would be unscientific to rule out the possibility, however remote as it may seem.. But I think of it in terms of the kind of world we want to live in, and the kind of world we want to be carried forth. Good patterns of peace, justice, enlightenment, and progress enhance our lives and the lives of our fellow time travelers. If we want a world that approaches heaven, then that is what we need to work towards.. It takes imagination to see the value of joy that will be for our next generation to live in, and to be willing to sacrifice for the betterment of humanity, or share in the experience that brings some greater happiness for all. Just ramblings..

:laugh3::laugh3::laugh3: And was he even elected, or selected?;) DieBold changed their name to Premier Elections Solutions; I like that - sounds much more like what they really do - election solutions - sort of like dissolving the vote in some sort of inky solvent!:P I took a look again at one of the election rigging films on Free Speech TV Nick, and I still think it's hilarious that the machines from DieBold used Epson memory cards designed and used originally in Tandy's laptop computers 20 years ago! Easily hacked with a boot hack. But can they still deliver the election? Gotta love it - Premier Elections Solutions, spun off of DieBold, got bought up by ES&S, another firm offering questionable voting machines.. but of course, the merger should produce better products, so says their spiel!:P Ah, nothing like progress to bring us more consistent results (if we pay the right piper, that is).. And with their aggressive sales methods, the European nations will have their to deal with them as well. Spread the love!:laugh3:

gives it a good *BUMP*:P

True - unfortunately, woven into many religions are stories of wars, justified as "good wars".. Not the central teachings, but still, therein lies the problem - kooks can use these bits to justify their extremism. Religious states scare me, regardless of the religion. And my own nation has it's own kooks for sure - with their use of religion to justify their warring ways..

Procrastination is best cured by having a regiment, and buckling down well ahead of a deadline, getting accustomed to the material so that when a test comes along, it's more like riding a bicycle than learning it for the first time. Good advice from a former procrastinator!;) (little rewards help after every assignment too.) *** there's another day dawning, and a new start around the corner...***

The original religion was probably worshiping the mother Goddess, but that's more of an anthropological & archaeological matter.. Back to the question "Do you think following God always means "you are doing the right thing"? Perhaps inherent in the question is what do the teachings of the religion say, and are they consistent, contradictory at times, and unquestionable?

True - Hitler's Nazis vs. Stalin's so-called Communists is one example where religion wasn't used as an excuse to fight. I think it all boils down to power-hungry individuals co-opting religion and culture to further their aims of control and conquest.. True - it's used as an excuse at times to start a conflict - & a poor one at that. I like the saying "who would Jesus bomb?" - kinda puts it all into perspective..

Kierkegaards, now there's a road to Norwegianism!:laugh3: God is big daddy (or big mommy, depending on the religion). In the nexus of human experience, if we respect one-another, and work towards the common good, understanding the need for fair play and selflessness to trump selfish desires in the main, but when appropriate self-indulgent behavior is healthy. Best to share the fun, methinks, but times for introspection are important too. It's situational, and subject to the individual - where would we be without those few obsessed individuals, who devote their lives to one purpose? Groups that work together for a common goal? Or generalists, who sample many things, and can put together a larger view for all to enjoy?? To each there is a role to play, and circumstances shape our choices as much as individual decisions do.. And God became the fog.

What's the best way to store electrical energy?

It's a metaphorical thought I was having, Ricardo. Silica can be mined from quartzite rock formations (lots of them), or sandstone, or inland desert sands - no need to eat up the beaches! ;) It only takes a little bit of sand by comparison to make silicon, the basis for solar PV cells at present - they're sliced pretty thin. And since it's basically from formations that represent common crustal elements, it's pretty benign to the environment (some dust issues, but misting water can cut down on that pretty well).. Comparing that to say silica to make bottles for Corona, or sand for cements & pavement - it's a fraction. But the thing that makes it great is everyone's got some. No cartels or consortiums (De Beers, Haliburton, Chevron, Shell, Exxon-Mobile, etc.) can hog control of the resource, and technology to make them can always be gotten. It could save the world from the resource grabs currently going on.

You've gotten me confused, Rudy! Do you mean the water heater takes solar power (from a collection system and heat exchanger), stores the heat in a thermal mass of sand, and the extracts the heat to heat water??:confused: That's a great method, if that's what you're looking at!

Why follow God all the time? Why not take the lead once in a while?:P (we are all part of the known Universe; our particles mingled with those from ancient times, had some nice hor devours and mead, and go back all the way to the formative forces that started with the big bang. ) Just honor truth, above all else (and remember to enjoy life once in a while. Even Socrates did!).

You may choose a ray guided sun celestial orb. :sunny: Or you may choose none of these, but then you still have made a choice. :nice: No matter what you choose, you will have chosen free will!! Have fun - spin a spinner, and make a selection - there all great options Ric!

After listening to Noam Chomsky today, I can think of one real solution to energy and power in the future. SAND. It's ubiquitous, and it makes great solar cells and reflector troughs. Technology can't be bottled up forever, so it's impossible for any one government or company to have a lock on solar photovoltaics - silicon from sand is too plentiful to control, and control issues are a big part of the problem. So, vote for sand in your energy budget whenever possible. Catch the rays, catch the spirit, catch the wind, and catch a few waves..:cool::sunny::cool::sunny::cool:

Welcome to Coldplaying, Sarah! Enjoy the madness of it all, and keep Buffalo a party town this winter!!;)

Sand and Sea will Free the World.