My genius knows no bounds.
Today I received my United Visa Credit Card. Its awesomeness shall rain down from the heavens and bless us all with its mighty juju. 18,500 frequent flier miles just for signing up. One mile for every dollar I spend. $1,040 worth of bills every month. 12,480 frequent flier miles a year. I'm going to Japan in November. That'll land me...
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Today I received my United Visa Credit Card. Its awesomeness shall rain down from the heavens and bless us all with its mighty juju. 18,500 frequent flier miles just for signing up. One mile for every dollar I spend. $1,040 worth of bills every month. 12,480 frequent flier miles a year. I'm going to Japan in November. That'll land me...
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VIEW 9 of 9 COMMENTS
I got this in the email today:
Dear Sir/Madam;
You status with our online-university is still non active.
If you are still willing to become enrolled in our 2 week "Life Experience" degree program then we will need to know by Friday, May 19th. This program is equivalent to our 2-4 year degree programs. We realize that you have the experience and therefore would recommend...
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Dear Sir/Madam;
You status with our online-university is still non active.
If you are still willing to become enrolled in our 2 week "Life Experience" degree program then we will need to know by Friday, May 19th. This program is equivalent to our 2-4 year degree programs. We realize that you have the experience and therefore would recommend...
Read More
ryah:
it's a cult in disguise.
ryah:
ugh.
I love physics. I really do. I can't get enough of it...but it is not equipped to answer the really important questions. Physics is great at telling us "what" happened, but very rarely can it tell us WHY. Yes...we understand that adding one proton to a Carbon atom gives us Nitrogen...but WHY? Carbon and Nitrogen have totally different characteristics. WHY does one androgynous proton change...
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imagoldfish:
What makes you think there's an answer to WHY? Or that there is a "true nature of things"?
imagoldfish:
"When you have 6 protons in an atom you always get a predictable set of properties. It's not random...there has to be a reason. Cause and effect dictates that given an effect (an objects properties), there must be a cause."
Are you a believer in Intelligent Design, perchance?
I mean, I guess ultimately the question is whether you a. believe in a prime mover, and b. believe that it is possible for us to know that for sure.
But still, it seems to me that WHY questions are generally either different ways of getting at HOW questions - "Why does this thing work the way it does? Because of the following features it has" - or are totally unanswerable.
I mean, to go with what you're saying above, here's an example - why does a barbie have blond hair? You can answer this in several ways:
a. Because she was made that way (the God answer)
(but why was she made that way? because of the whimsical desires of her maker. but why did the maker have whimsical desires? - the ad infinitum follow up)
b. Because she is the appearance of the Form of Barbie on our Earth. (Plato answer)
c. Because at the time of her original creation, blond hair was a cultural symbol of sexiness, (insert anthropological sort of explanation here) - this is an example, I think, of a kind of how answer to a why question, in that it gives you more facts about something, particularly its function and/or point of origin, or to really boil it down, a more elaborate description of the object, to answer your why question.
But if you're just driving at some general kind of existential angst, like OMG the world is so beautiful and complex and amazing but has all these crazy patterns whyyyyyy?
Then yeah, I'm gonna posit that the only answer that can fully cover it is God, or something along those lines.
Oh, I guess there's another approach, which would be the Heidegger route, which goes something like "Indeed, why IS the question, the question of BEING, which philosophers have been ignoring for ages and which man is the only creature who asks, meaning that he has a priviledged relationship to BEING". You might dig it. Check out his Letter on Humanism for a brief intro to the stuff, if you're not familiar with it already.
Are you a believer in Intelligent Design, perchance?
I mean, I guess ultimately the question is whether you a. believe in a prime mover, and b. believe that it is possible for us to know that for sure.
But still, it seems to me that WHY questions are generally either different ways of getting at HOW questions - "Why does this thing work the way it does? Because of the following features it has" - or are totally unanswerable.
I mean, to go with what you're saying above, here's an example - why does a barbie have blond hair? You can answer this in several ways:
a. Because she was made that way (the God answer)
(but why was she made that way? because of the whimsical desires of her maker. but why did the maker have whimsical desires? - the ad infinitum follow up)
b. Because she is the appearance of the Form of Barbie on our Earth. (Plato answer)
c. Because at the time of her original creation, blond hair was a cultural symbol of sexiness, (insert anthropological sort of explanation here) - this is an example, I think, of a kind of how answer to a why question, in that it gives you more facts about something, particularly its function and/or point of origin, or to really boil it down, a more elaborate description of the object, to answer your why question.
But if you're just driving at some general kind of existential angst, like OMG the world is so beautiful and complex and amazing but has all these crazy patterns whyyyyyy?
Then yeah, I'm gonna posit that the only answer that can fully cover it is God, or something along those lines.
Oh, I guess there's another approach, which would be the Heidegger route, which goes something like "Indeed, why IS the question, the question of BEING, which philosophers have been ignoring for ages and which man is the only creature who asks, meaning that he has a priviledged relationship to BEING". You might dig it. Check out his Letter on Humanism for a brief intro to the stuff, if you're not familiar with it already.
My sister got married last night. It's a weird feeling I have been having problems articulating. My sister and I are and always have been very close. I really like the guy so it's not a negative feeling. In the vaguest sense I believe it has something to do with sharing. Whatever. They had an awesome ceremony, and a kick ass reception. Good times were...
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quasi_sean:
That's how I felt when my little sister had her kid.
And thank you for the site! The studying shall commence!
And thank you for the site! The studying shall commence!
volkov:
it's just a joint training exercise in the French and Dutch Anitillies islands in the Carribean. mostly just an international game running around "bang! yur dead! I got you!"
"nuh-uh! noyewdint!"
it'll be mostly fun.
"nuh-uh! noyewdint!"
it'll be mostly fun.
Vegas ruled. I came home with several hundred more than I initially brought . Suck it casino barons!!
I'm about to start my own software company. I already have two hefty projects lined up. It's all very exciting.
Rainer Maria is NOT teh suck. Smith is teh suck.
Ohhh....burn!!
I'm about to start my own software company. I already have two hefty projects lined up. It's all very exciting.
Rainer Maria is NOT teh suck. Smith is teh suck.
Ohhh....burn!!
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
lemonkid:
Ya grifter, you. 
quasi_sean:
I'm going to Vegas in August....I hope I am as fortunate as you.
Tomorrow I leave for Vegas. I've been practicing and have a plan. Beware Vegas!! Beware of my Blackjack skillz!
Tomorrow Rainer Maria, the fucking coolest band in the northern hemisphere, is playing in Houston. It's killing me that I will miss this show...even if it is for Vegas.
Tomorrow Rainer Maria, the fucking coolest band in the northern hemisphere, is playing in Houston. It's killing me that I will miss this show...even if it is for Vegas.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
micajah:
HOOKERS!
smith:
Rainer Maria is teh suck, dude.
I can't get Michael Jacksons Billie Jean out of my head. It's almost maddening.
Today I partake of the glory that is, "Thank you for smoking". It better not suck.
For some inexplicable reason the only coupons I feel obligated to use are from Best Buy. It seems like such a tragic waste to just throw them away. I feel like they have me in...
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Today I partake of the glory that is, "Thank you for smoking". It better not suck.
For some inexplicable reason the only coupons I feel obligated to use are from Best Buy. It seems like such a tragic waste to just throw them away. I feel like they have me in...
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First I will teach myself Ruby.
Then I will teach myself Rails.
Then I will learn Ajax.
Then...oh yes, then I will rule the world.
---------------------------
Sorry about the nerdocity up above. On to other, better, tastier things.
Tasty things like the prospect of a new Ryah set. Or maybe Coke Blak. Or we could even talk about Peanuts (The food...not the cartoon).
Ask...
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Then I will teach myself Rails.
Then I will learn Ajax.
Then...oh yes, then I will rule the world.
---------------------------
Sorry about the nerdocity up above. On to other, better, tastier things.
Tasty things like the prospect of a new Ryah set. Or maybe Coke Blak. Or we could even talk about Peanuts (The food...not the cartoon).
Ask...
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VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
martini:
mmm peanuts.
your journal has made me hungry twice now.. damn you!
oh, and if you show him your nipples.. i wanna watch.
xo
your journal has made me hungry twice now.. damn you!
oh, and if you show him your nipples.. i wanna watch.
xo
quasi_sean:
^ -wowzers.
If God is omniscient and knew Adam would eat the Apple of Knowledge, how can punishing them and everyone that came after them be considered good? Yes, Adam was given free will and chose to eat the apple, but that would be like if I were to give a child a piece of candy and tell him never to eat it knowing full well the...
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bones_708:
Just eat your apple and shut up! 
martini:
mmmm sacrilicious..
xo
xo
Other than entertainment, how is the study of history relevant to current times?
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
shadowd:
Simple Pattern Recognition - without historical data there can be no pattern recognition. 
micajah:
Pfffffff. Who cares.
So I was thinking of rounding up all those fucking illegal aliens and putting them into what I'll call "Shitty" camps. They could dig really big holes and take special showers.
So I was thinking of rounding up all those fucking illegal aliens and putting them into what I'll call "Shitty" camps. They could dig really big holes and take special showers.
[Edited on Jun 05, 2006 2:06PM]