<<When I read this, I could only wonder ... would you have the audacity to stand in front of George Washington or God and say that to their face?>>

Neither of those two individuals have any say in how we handle our message boards.


Solomon


"The probability of someone making a mathematical formulation on a non-mathematical subject is inversely proportional to its usefulness."
- Brust's Law of Mathematical Formulations

http://www.myspace.com/simutronicsdragonrealms

>>What question does god actually answer though? If god created the universe, how did he come to be? If he always was, why couldn't the universe always be?

The Big Bang theory was initially derided for what Stolas is doing -- rejecting that the physical universe is eternal easily invokes the notion of supernatural creation. If we accept the universe started at a specific point, then the infinite iteration of "But what caused THAT?" can most easily be answered with a force outside of nature.

Ignoring the infinite loop, looking at the origin of the universe vis a vis Big Bang gives us two options:

1: This demonstrates the universe is an effect without a physical cause.
2: This demonstrates our understanding of how the universe works is still flawed and requires additional refinement.

It's one of those interesting tells to see whether someone leaps to #1 or #2 first.

-Armifer
"...everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
-Viktor Frankl

<<The third one was a freaking two hour long live action episode of Dragon Ball Z guest starring Jesus.

This makes Revolutions sound so much more entertaining than it actually was.

The animation in Reloaded was terrible. Anything larger than a 13" TV and the fight with the replicating Agent looked like a swarm of pink Gumby's. And Jesus should have taken the blue pill.

Reloaded fleshed out some interesting parts of the world though, like Zion (it's more then a place, it's actually a refuge! Look! People living in the ruins of what might be a power plant!), and linked together some side stories (final flight of the osiris, kid) that all in all made the matrix feel like a place people lived. The first movie really only had, what, 10 PEOPLE in it, while reloaded fully felt as though this was actually a WAR.

Also, I think conditions of life in the face of advancing war machine is intriguing.

<<Neither of those two individuals have any say in how we handle our message boards.

SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS

<<2: This demonstrates our understanding of how the universe works is still flawed and requires additional refinement.

Isaac and myself sitting on the sand gazing at the ocean of truth.

Pelag ai Aldam Stolas

---

You wait around impatiently for your opponent to return.
>
Galren stops the contest, admitting you are the better opponent.

<<SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS
If you are going to use a quote, use the full quote; not the bastardized, misued one.

Sic semper Tyrannis = "Thus/Always/Ever to tyrants" makes no sense (silly Virginians)

Sic semper evello mortem Tyrannis = "Thus always death comes to tyrants" makes sense

Otherwise you just look silly.


Also...I agree with Galren.

>>Sic semper Tyrannis = "Thus/Always/Ever to tyrants" makes no sense (silly Virginians)

Unless you take a look at the Virginia seal...

---

-TG, et al

>>Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur.
>>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Ilewhay Iway amway ikelylay ethay onlyway ersonpay inway isthay eadthray atthay isway equiredray otay eakspay Atinlay onway away emisay-egularray asisbay, Iway oday otnay etendpray otay ebay uentflay inway itway.

-Armifer
"...everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
-Viktor Frankl

Outside of Chem classes I haven't had a course in Latin for uh... a decade? And I never was any good with languages.

It woulda been easier to read Armifer if he didn't include far more w's than I'm use to.

-- Mozzik, the Fateweaver

---

Caelumia says, "I love the tools even more."

>>Outside of Chem classes I haven't had a course in Latin for uh... a decade? And I never was any good with languages.

I've never had a formal course, and my simple needs have been easy to meet by rote. I moonlight as a classical and oratorio singer, and most of it comes down to the same liturgy used over and over again.

-Armifer
"...everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
-Viktor Frankl

>>I am not entirely sure that a Matrix movie should be a driving factor for philosophical discussion.

The latter two can be, if you're looking in the right places and have the right starting points. And there are probably things I missed.

But you are correct overall; art, in general, should not be used as a basis for philosophy, nor vice versa. They're different things.

...unless you're Freud or Campbell.

>>Of course I say this in a thread for a fantasy game discussing faith and the First Amendment.

I'm sort of just waiting for this digression to get pounced on by a BM. =P I'll keep this up as long as anyone doesn't get insulted by it. It's a pretty tame tangent.


---
"Close your eyes -
For your eyes will only tell the truth..
And the truth isn't what you want to see.
In the dark, it is easy to pretend
That the truth is what it ought to be." - Erik Claudin

<<Ilewhay Iway amway ikelylay ethay onlyway ersonpay inway isthay eadthray atthay isway equiredray otay eakspay Atinlay onway away emisay-egularray asisbay, Iway oday otnay etendpray otay ebay uentflay inway itway.

I read/sing/translate it fairly regularly. Mostly religious passages since they make up the vast majority of the latin language musical repertoire. Can I hold a conversation in it? Like you, heck no.

-Evran

Armifer: EMA is now five times less likely to blow up in your face than MDIS!
Infomercial Co-host: That's incredible, Armifer! I know -I- would want this spell after hearing that!

>>Both are interpretations of life around the viewer.

Art is an expression of a statement--that, yes, interprets life subjectively--from the artist to the viewer. Philosophy is more opaque: not very accessible to people who aren't actively participating in it, to some degree.

Art, like most things, is a part of philosophy: it can pose a question, illuminate, criticize... all of which is philosophy. But all of which is only part of philosophy: you have to actually process and reflect--even if the initial spark was a piece of art--in order to have philosophy.

I first figured out this difference in another space completely. The question that solidified my perspective was: Assuming it makes you think, does it make you think in order to experience it, or as a result of the experience? If it's the former, it's philosophy. If it's the latter, it's art. That's not a criticism, by the way; just the distinction I noticed.

You know, this is a lot less relevant outside of the field I first came up with it in. =D


---
"Close your eyes -
For your eyes will only tell the truth..
And the truth isn't what you want to see.
In the dark, it is easy to pretend
That the truth is what it ought to be." - Erik Claudin

>Can I hold a conversation in it?

Nobody can. At least not "fluently". People study Latin for 20 years and still can't speak it. It's such a grammatically convoluted and complex language that making the jump from canned phrases to verbal communication is simply not worth the effort and memorization for the hollow reward of being able to talk to yourself in Latin (since nobody else knows how anyway).

Also, Stolas is a dumb-dumb head.

~ Sage Kougen Aensworth, Star Shaper of the Compact

Ruea says in Ilithic, "At least you're very handsome. That makes the fact that you're always right far easier to live with"

CENTURION: What's this, then? 'Romanes Eunt Domus'? 'People called Romanes they go the house'?
BRIAN: It-- it says, 'Romans, go home'.
CENTURION: No, it doesn't. What's Latin for 'Roman'? Come on!
BRIAN: Aah!
CENTURION: Come on!
BRIAN: 'R-- Romanus'?
CENTURION: Goes like...?
BRIAN: 'Annus'?
CENTURION: Vocative plural of 'annus' is...?
BRIAN: Eh. 'Anni'?
CENTURION: 'Romani'. 'Eunt'? What is 'eunt'?
BRIAN: 'Go'. Let--
CENTURION: Conjugate the verb 'to go'.
BRIAN: Uh. 'Ire'. Uh, 'eo'. 'Is'. 'It'. 'Imus'. 'Itis'. 'Eunt'.
CENTURION: So 'eunt' is...?
BRIAN: Ah, huh, third person plural, uh, present indicative. Uh, 'they go'.
CENTURION: But 'Romans, go home' is an order, so you must use the...?
BRIAN: The... imperative!
CENTURION: Which is...?
BRIAN: Umm! Oh. Oh. Um, 'i'. 'I'!
CENTURION: How many Romans?
BRIAN: Ah! 'I'-- Plural. Plural. 'Ite'. 'Ite'.
CENTURION: 'Ite'.
BRIAN: Ah. Eh.
CENTURION: 'Domus'?
BRIAN: Eh.
CENTURION: Nominative?
BRIAN: Oh.
CENTURION: 'Go home'? This is motion towards. Isn't it, boy?
BRIAN: Ah. Ah, dative, sir! Ahh! No, not dative! Not the dative, sir! No! Ah! Oh, the... accusative! Accusative! Ah! 'Domum', sir! 'Ad domum'! Ah! Oooh! Ah!
CENTURION: Except that 'domus' takes the...?
BRIAN: The locative, sir!
CENTURION: Which is...?!
BRIAN: 'Domum'.
CENTURION: 'Domum'.
BRIAN: Aaah! Ah.
CENTURION: 'Um'. Understand?
BRIAN: Yes, sir.
CENTURION: Now, write it out a hundred times.
BRIAN: Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar, sir.
CENTURION: Hail Caesar. If it's not done by sunrise, I'll cut your balls off.
BRIAN: Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar and everything, sir!


Cydrik

______________________________________

"I have a Ph.d... in Horribleness!" www.drhorrible.com

>>The Life of Brian

Loved that scene.

~Kashik

Other European languages inherited the case system. German has only 4, but Russian has 6 (10 if you go into the old slavonic texts).

Yes, it blows you away when you first try to put your brain around it, but by the time I got semi-fluent in Russian (wish I still was) I became quite impressed with the freedom and articulation the system allowed. You can throw the words into the sentences in different orders to provide different shades of meaning -- meaning that is preserved in written form. Not like English, etc., where it is hard to tell if the meaning is "I never said steal the money" or "I never said steal the money!" and so forth.

Oh, and since this is a Conflicts forum.... uhhhhh.... somebody sucks. somwhere.


Cydrik

______________________________________

"I have a Ph.d... in Horribleness!" www.drhorrible.com

Gang,

While the discussion is facinating, it's dreadfully off topic.

Get back to conflicting just keep it related to DragonRealms.


Annwyl
Senior Board Monitor

If you've questions or comments, take it to e-mail by writing Senior Board Monitor DR-Annwyl@play.net, or Message Board Supervisor DR-Cecco@play.net.

And maybe 300 years from now people will talk about how we enslaved animals and computers to work for us. It is hard to judge the past using the morality of today.

Pelag ai Aldam Stolas

---

You wait around impatiently for your opponent to return.
>
Galren stops the contest, admitting you are the better opponent.