Welcome Class, to Room 666...Again

[Assassin32]

But will I like it?

[The Spawn]

Most likely.

[The Spawn]

Patent allows creation of man-animal hybrid
Special report: the ethics of genetics

Antony Barnett, public affairs editor
Sunday November 26, 2000

Observer

A biotech company has taken out a Europe-wide patent on a process which campaigners claim would allow 'chimeric' animals to be developed with body parts originating from humans.
An Australian company, Amrad, was granted the patent last year, which covers embryos containing cells both from humans and from 'mice, sheep, pigs, cattle, goats or fish'.

Church groups have already reacted with outrage, denouncing the patent as 'morally offensive'.

Details in the patent do not make it clear what use these mixed-species embryos would be put to, but experts are in no doubt that the potential is there to create a hybrid creature.

Dr Sue Mayer, director of Genewatch, said: 'The company is saying that it wants a patent on a process which could produce chimeric animals using cells from a whole range of species including humans. Many people will find the thought abhorrent.'

A spokesman for the Catholic Church said: 'To patent a process where human life is used as a kind of bank to deposit into animals is morally indefensible.'

Dr Donald Bruce, a spokesman for European churches on bioethics, said: 'This patent should never have been passed. If people are talking about using human cells in animals, that is completely unacceptable.'

Last month the European Patent Office claimed it would never grant a patent on mixed-species embryos as they are considered against 'public order and morality'. But this patent, discovered by a researcher in Greenpeace's German office, was taken out in January 1999 and has since been sold to US company Chemicon International.

Thomas Schweiger of Greenpeace called on the European Patent Office to withdraw it. He said: 'The chimeras may be non-human but they may contain human organs, body parts, nerve cells and even human genetic codes. The company does not give concrete medical uses and obviously intended to give the company broad monopoly rights on the process and chimeric creatures.'

Schweiger believes that one possible use might be to grow human organs in animals for transplantation.

According to the patent the chimera-creating process starts by isolating a special hormone, the objective of which is to stimulate the growth of embryonic cells; known as stem cells. These stem cells are the 'master cells' which could in theory be used to produce virtually any type of replacement tissue for a damaged body.

Amrad chief executive John Grace denied his company had ever conducted research in this field and said the patent would not be used to create animals with human cells. He said the process was mainly used to produce genetically engineered mice for research.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005

[The Spawn]

August, 1975---Four female friends are driving through the state of Arkansas on their way to a friend's high school graduation party. On their way a special police boradcast comes across the car's radio: Five convicted felons had recenlty espcaped from a maximum security prison in the town of Charleston, not far from Gregorstown. The five criminals, all men, were known to be extremely dangerous, all of them severing terms for murder, rape and armed robbery. Shortly after this boradcast, the teens car broke down just outside the town of Gregorstown.

The four girls began to walk toward town, hoping to find someone who could repair their car. They didn't have to walk far when a van pulled up to the girls and a young man who claimed he was a mechanic offered to fix the car for free. The girls led him to the car and he got out to look at it. Thats when four men, all dressed in prison uniform jumped out of the nearby woods and took the girls hostage. Turns out the "mechanic" was one of the five escaped convicts. The five men lead horrified hostages into the nearby Arkansas woods where they had a camp set up in a secluded area of the forest.

The five felons, all dirty, angry and horny took turns in raping the four teenage girls. They raped them brutally, calling them all sorts of offensive names and when they were finished they brutally beat the girls until they were bruised and bloody. But they didn't let them go. They kept their hostages with them through the night, and in the early hours of the mornnig while the four girls uneasily slept, huddled nervously together, one of the convicts decided he wanted another go. He grabbed one of the girls, Kristen, an attractive blond, and proceeded to rape her again, while the other three girls screamed in protest. When the convict had finished, Kristen was barely alive. After the rape, the convict picked out a railroad spike the felons had in their camp, and caved the young girls head in, killing her instantly.

The other four felons were angry with their campanion, saying that the girl did not need to be killed, but he could care less, he was serving a life term for three murders.

After that the felons decided it was time to move on, the state police would be searching that area of the woods soon. They buried the girls body in a shallow grave and then they were off.

They travelled all day through the enormous Arkansas forest and the girls were becoming very tired. They were in serious pain from the brutal rapes and beatings and they were hungry and thirsty and the criminals were only giving them sips of water at a time. One of the three remaining girls, a 15 year old named Ashley had it the worst. She was in the most pain of them all and continually fell at some points saying she couldnt go on, but the convicts forced her too. Around dusk, the convicts came too a clearing in the woods were satanic rituals were obviously performed. Burnt out torches littered the ground and a blood stained altar of stone stood at the head of the clearing. The convicts decided to use this place for their new camp for the next couple days. As night fell Ashley's condition was worsening very quickly. She was becoming extremely ill and her friends were worried about her. Despite all this, the escaped convicts decided to have another go. They took turns raping the three remaining teens once again.

Sometime in the late night as the three girls slept uneasily, two of the felons woke up, one of them claiming he heard noises in the woods. The other convict said it was nothing, but his friend believed it could be the police preparing to sneak up on them and raid.

They would soon wish it was the police.

One of the convicts walked to the edge of the camp to investigate and thats when a tall, thin person wearing what appeared to be a real hollowed out goat head over his own as a mask, came out of nowhere and thrust him arm into the convicts mouth, reaching in deep and his friend watched in horror. The goathead man jerked his hand out, ripping out what appeared to be lungs and bits of other internal organs. The convict fell dead and hi friend screamed to wake up his buddies.

One of the woken up felons picked up a railroad spike and charged the goathead, but the strange intruder simply stuck out his arm and grabbed the felon by the neck with one hand. The goathead grabbed the spike and impaled it through the mans neck and up through his head unti lit jutted through his skull. He then ripped the mans head off with his bare hands. The three remaining criminal ran at the sight of thi, two of them running in one direction, one in the other. The three girls, now woken up by the commotion, ran in an opposite direction, helping their youngest friend as they went. As one of the felons ran into the woods in horror the goathead followed him. The convict hid behind a tree and thought he was safe, when the goathead came out of nowhere with an axe and chopped the convict to pieces as he lie defenseless.

The remaining two convicts ran as fast as they could when they heard a chainsaw behind them. The goathead came running and sawed one of the convicts to pieces. The last convict picked up a railroad spike and began to parry the chainsaw and was able to knock it out of the goathead's hands. Thats when the goathead picked him up and impaled him on a tree branch.

The three girls were lost in the woods now and desperately tired. They stopped because Ashley could no longer move. Thats when Goathead appeared infront of the girls with a chainsaw. They were about to thank him for saving them, when he implanted the chainsaw blade into one of the girls, Tina's skull. He sawed into her brain as blood splattered everywhere. The other two girls were able to run as this happened, Rebecca helping Ashley along. They came to a cabin where they were able to lock themselves in, but Goathead began to saw through the door with the chainsaw. Rebecca, however was ready. Where he came through the door, she soaked him in gasoline which had been in the cabin, but he knocked her down. Thats when the sickly Ashley came through, lighting a match and catching the evil man in the goats head on fire. He then proceeded to burn to death as the only two surviving girls, Rebecca and Ashley were able to walk away to the nearest town. They were badly hurt, but alive and they would survive.

The end.
---

[The Kingpin]

Interesting concept, did you write that?

[The Spawn]

No...its old school lit.

[The Kingpin]

Ah. What programming languages do you know?

[The Spawn]

Learning Java from the teacher next door, and C++...very little HTML. Everything's reading basically...then I know it.

[Assassin32]

Do you have any information on small-time mob bosses?

[The Spawn]

http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/

[The Kingpin]

Did you get the PSP?

[The Spawn]

I didn't get the flight.

[Assassin32]

At the beginning of the Plant Chapter in MGS2, Raiden's Skull suit is described. They talk about what it can do and what it's made of. Do you have a list or something of everything Campbell told Raiden about the Skull suit?

[The Spawn]

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=5387776#post5387776

[The Spawn]

Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was an electrical inventor, and lived during the late 1800's into the mid-1900's. He was a brilliant person, yet was an enigma to practically everyone. Known for his eccentric lifestyle, Tesla nevertheless maintained a rather high social profile, despite his prolific inventiveness. Some of his phobias included pearl earrings worn by women, never staying in a hotel room or floor whose number was divisable by three, and insisting on a large number of napkins at every meal with which he would meticulously polish his silverware. Tesla had a good number of friends, one of which was Samuel Clemmons, also known as Mark Twain.

Tesla's main claim to fame lay with his invention of the alternating current motor. Tesla believed that alternating current was vastly superior to (Edison's) direct current, but the problem was the lack of a practical motor. Alternating current is practical because of the fact that it can be altered or converted to suit a variety of situations. For example, if the voltage is made quite high, then the current necessary for a specific level of power is very low. This low current then becomes very efficient when sending electrical power over very long wires. (This is the reason why the power lines running across the countryside are at very high voltages.)

Tesla also worked with radio-frequency electromagnetic waves, and despite the claims made by Marconi, actually did invent the idea of Radio as we know it today. (There are numerous patents which bear this out.) In working with radio waves, Tesla created the Tesla coil as a means to generate and receive this form of energy.

Tesla went on to experiment with actual wireless transmission of electrical power. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, he built a laboratory to develop this. The Colorado Springs lab contained the largest Tesla Coil ever built, even today. Called the 'Magnifying Transmitter', it was capable of generating some 300,000 watts of power, and (reportedly) could produce a bolt of lightning 130 feet long. According to local acounts, Tesla actually managed to successfully transmit about 30 to 50 thousand watts of power without wires using the 'Transmitter'.

Tesla was also a great mechanical engineer, and patented dozens of devices ranging from speedometers to extremely efficient electrical generators. One unique device was his bladeless turbine. Instead of using fan-type blades, Tesla's turbine utilized solid disks of metal, and relied on what is called the 'boundry-layer effect'. His turbine ran on either compressed air or steam, and was so efficient that a device held in the hand could produce well over 10 horsepower! Today, this bladeless technology is being used in a special type of non-clogging pump designed for the oil industry. (In fact, the thicker the stuff it pumps, the more efficiently it pumps it!)

Tesla had a knack for visualizing inventions in their final, finished form. He also would envision a great many other ideas and concepts, which only later in this century would come to pass. One such idea was the creation of a large ring that would encircle the earth. Built on scaffolding, once completed, the scaffolding would be removed, and the ring would remain stationary. 20th century geosynchronous satellites work in a similar way.

Tesla was also responsible for a great many other inventions and devices that we take for granted today. He postulated the ability to locate objects in the air or in the ground by using radio waves. Today, we call it RADAR, and when used to peer into the human body, MRI. Tesla also created radio- control devices. His work with special gas-filled lamps set the stage for the creation of fluorescent lighting.

Tesla eventually died, literally pennyless, on January 7th, 1943. It is rather sad that a man who gave the world so much, received so little for his efforts. History books have been unkind as well. Even today, many texts still credit Marconi with the invention of radio, despite the Supreme Court decision which overruled the Marconi patent, awarding it to Tesla. In many parts of this country, people still refer to the electric utility as the 'Edison Company', even though they use the Tesla-Westinghouse alternating current system, NOT Edison's direct current. At the Niagra Falls power generating station, a small statue of Tesla is purposely left unilluminated at night. It has been said that Tesla is the Forgotten Father of Technology. Tesla himself once commented "... The present is theirs. (skeptics of the day) The future, for which I really worked, is mine." How true indeed.

[Outsiderzedge]

The Tesla Coil in Red Alert was cool.

[Assassin32]

Do you have information on nanomachines?

[The Spawn]

nanomachine

A nanomachine, also called a nanite, is a mechanical or electromechanical device whose dimensions are measured in nanometers (millionths of a millimeter, or units of 10-9 meter).
Nanomachines are largely in the research-and-development phase, but some primitive devices have been tested. An example is a sensor having a switch approximately 1.5 nanometers across, capable of counting specific molecules in a chemical sample. The first useful applications of nanomachines will likely be in medical technology, where they could be used to identify pathogens and toxins from samples of body fluid. Another potential application is the detection of toxic chemicals, and the measurement of their concentrations, in the environment.

The microscopic size of nanomachines translates into high operational speed. This is a result of the natural tendency of all machines and systems to work faster as their size decreases. Nanomachines could be programmed to replicate themselves, or to work synergistically to build larger machines or to construct nanochips. Specialized nanomachines called nanorobots might be designed not only to diagnose, but to treat, disease conditions, perhaps by seeking out invading bacteria and viruses and destroying them.

Another advantage of nanomachines is that the individual units require only a tiny amount of energy to operate. Durability is another potential asset; nanites might last for centuries before breaking down. The main challenge lies in the methods of manufacture. It has been suggested that some nanomachines might be grown in a manner similar to the way plants evolve from seeds.

[The Spawn]

Nanomachines:
Nanotechnology's Big Promise in a Small Package

BRENT SILBY

BRENT SILBY
Department of Philosophy
University of Canterbury

Introduction

Nanomachines are devices built from individual atoms. Some researchers believe that nanomachines will one day be able to enter living cells to fight disease. They also hope to one day build nanomachines that will be able to rearrange atoms in order to construct new objects. If they succeed, nanomachines could be used to literally turn dirt into food and perhaps eliminate poverty.

In this article I will outline some of the possible uses of nanomachines. I will then assess some of the problems involved in producing such machines. One of the problems I will look at is that of producing self-replicating machines. Will these machines be controllable? Or will their reproduction escalate exponentially, thus putting our whole planet in danger.

My conclusion will be that nanomachines offer humanity hope for the future, so the research should be pursued. However, I will also suggest that the dangers involved in producing self-replicating machines out weigh the potential gains and for this reason, self-replicating machines should not be built.


What are Nanomachines?

As the terminology implies, nanomachines are extremely small devices. Their size is measured in nanometers (a nanometer is about 1 billionth of a meter) and they are built from individual atoms. During the 1980's and 1990's, futurist and visionary K. Eric Drexler popularized the potential of nanomachines. For Drexler, the ultimate goal of nanomachine technology is the production of the 'assembler'. The assembler is a nanomachine designed to manipulate matter at the atomic level. It will be built with extremely small 'pincers' (as small as a chain of atoms) which will be used to move atoms from existing molecules into new structures. The idea is that the assembler will be able to rearrange atoms from raw material in order to produce useful items. In theory, one could shovel dirt into a vat and wait patiently for a team of nanomachine assemblers to convert the dirt into an apple, a chair, or even a computer. The machines in the vat would have a molecular schematic of the object to be built encoded in their 'memory'. They would then systematically rearrange the atoms contained in the dirt to produce the desired item.

http://www.def-logic.com/articles/nano1.jpg
This is a representation of a nanomachine. The colored balls represent the individual atoms that comprise the machine. (Picture from Twibell (2000), see references.)



Another goal of nanotechnology is to design nanomachines that can make copies of themselves. The thought is that if a machine can rearrange atoms in order to build new materials, it should also be able to build copies of itself. If this goal is achieved, products produced by nanomachines will be extremely inexpensive. This is because the technology (once perfected) will be self-replicating and will not require specific materials, which might be rare and therefore cost money. Arthur C. Clarke has predicted that nanotechnology will herald an end to conventional monetary systems.

If scientists manage to build nanomachines that can rearrange atoms, a world of exciting possibilities will open up. Purpose designed nanomachines could be used to provide breakthrough treatments for many diseases. Medical nanomachines programmed to recognize and disassemble cancerous cells could be injected into the bloodstream of cancer suffers, thus providing a quick and effective treatment for all types of cancer. Nanomachines could be used to repair damaged tissue and bones. They could even be used to strengthen bones and muscle tissue by building molecular support structures by reassembling nearby tissue. With the ability to manipulate human cells at the atomic level, medical science will rapidly devise treatments for most human illnesses. And since nanomachines will be designed to make copies of themselves, these treatments will be inexpensive and available to the entire population.

Food shortages and starvation will be a thing of the past if nanotechnology is perfected. Nanomachines will be able to turn any material into food, and this food could be used to feed millions of people world wide. Again, since the technology is self replicating, food produced by nanomachines will be low cost and available to all.

As well as food, nanomachines will be able to build other items to satisfy the demands of our growing population of consumers. Clothing, houses, cars, televisions, and computers will be readily available at virtually no cost. Furthermore, there will be no concern about the garbage produced by the new consumerist society because nanomachines will convert it all back into new consumable goods.

Environmental problems such as ozone depletion and global warming could be solved with nanotechnology. Swarms of nanomachines could be released into the upper atmosphere. Once there, they could systematically destroy the ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and build new ozone molecules out of water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Ozone (O3) is built out of 3 oxygen atoms, and since water and carbondioxide both contain oxygen, the atmosphere contains a plentiful supply of oxygen atoms. While the ozone construction teams are at work in the upper atmosphere, teams of specialized nanomachines could be employed to destroy the excess CO2 in the lower atmosphere. CO2 is a heat trapping gas, which has been identified as one of the major contributors to global warming. Removing excess CO2 could help halt global warming and bring the planet's ecosystem back into balance. This will benefit all species on Earth.

The perfection of nanotechnology and the production of nanomachines could herald a new age for humanity. Starvation, illness, and environmental problems could quickly come to an end. But how realistic are the goals of nanotechnology? Will it ever be possible to produce machines the size of atoms? And if so, how feasible is it to build nanomachines that can build objects from the atom up? Is it possible for nanomachines to build copies of themselves? Before we get carried away with the promises of nanotechnology, we should take a look at some of the problems that are yet to be solved.


Challenges to overcome

An important challenge to overcome is one of engineering. How can we physically build machines out of atoms? Rearranging atoms into new shapes is essentially building new molecules (nanomachines are sometimes called 'molecular machines') and this is no easy task. Using contemporary technology to rearrange atoms has been said to be analogous to assembling LEGO blocks while wearing boxing gloves. It is virtually impossible to snap individual atoms together. All we can do is crudely push large piles of them together and hope for the best. Scientists hope that once this initial challenge is overcome, nanomachines will usher in a new age of molecular engineering and previous problems will be a thing of the past. The new nanomachines will allow scientists to take off the boxing gloves and accurately snap together individual atoms to build virtually any molecule (within the laws of physics, of course).

This is nice in principle, but the question of how to build the first nanomachines remains. Nanotechnologists think that it will be impossible to build the first nanomachines by using large scale equipment (Chen C. 2000). Although progress is being made in the miniaturization of integrated circuits and in the ultra-fine finishing of high quality optical components, the large scale technology being used doesn't let us take off the boxing gloves. There is a limit to how far down these machines can go. Super smooth lens polishing is one thing, but moving individual atoms is something else all together. Nanotechnologists need to get the boxing gloves off before they can build the first nanomachines.

One way to work without boxing gloves is to patiently experiment with chemical synthesis. The idea is to build molecules of increasing complexity by allowing atoms to assemble or rearrange in natural ways. When molecules are mixed, they naturally form new molecules. Through extensive experimentation, more control can be gained over how molecules are formed. In time, it is conceivable that chemists will be able to position individual atoms by using a range of techniques developed in chemical synthesis.

One of these techniques might involve the removal and relocation of hydrogen atoms. This technique could be developed with knowledge of how hydrogen atoms interact with other atoms. For example, it is known that the propynyl radical C3H3 (its made out of 3 carbon atoms and 3 hydrogen atoms) is 'attracted' to hydrogen. It is also known that this radical has two ends. At one end there is a highly reactive radical, while at the other end there is stable carbon. This feature means that chemists may be able to synthesize a larger molecule with the propynyl radical at one end (the rest of the molecule would be built from the stable carbon end). If this larger molecule was held on a positioning device, it could be used to extract hydrogen from a range of different molecules by passing them by the reactive radical (Merkle R.C. 1993).

Chemical synthesis is promising. In computer simulations, molecularly stable gears and cogs have been formed through chemical synthesis.

http://www.def-logic.com/articles/nano2.jpg
A representation of nanogears made from graphitetubes billionths of a meter wide. (Picture from the NanoGallery, see references)



If chemists and engineers succeed in building nanomachines the hope is that these machines will be able to build a whole range of new molecules from the atom up. If all goes well, scientists will never have to move atoms round while wearing boxing gloves and the lengthy experimental process of chemical synthesis will no longer be required. But will it be that easy?

In order to make new molecules, a nanomachine has to somehow 'grab' individual atoms with its pincers and move them into new positions or attach them to other molecules. This seems to be quite simple, but as George M. Whitesides (2001) points out, there are serious problems that need to be overcome. Consider, for example, the fact that a nanomachine's pincers will be made out of several atoms and will therefore be larger than the individual atoms that it needs to move around. This means that the intricacy and accuracy of the nanomachine's movement will be severely limited. It will be clumsy. Assembling atoms would be like trying to piece together a mechanical wristwatch with your fingers rather than small tweezers.

Another problem arises from the fact that individual atoms are compelled to 'attach' to other atoms. Some atomic bonds can be extremely strong (especially with carbon atoms) so pulling them apart will require large amounts of energy. Furthermore, since carbon atoms attach to just about anything it seems likely that they will bond to the nanomachine's pincers after they've been pried away from their original molecules (Whitesides 2001). The only way to remove them could be to move them to molecules that they are more strongly attracted to. But then there is the possibility that the entire nanomachine will stick to the molecule. The situation is analogous to trying to build a wristwatch with magnetized tweezers and screwdrivers. It can't be done because the individual components stick to the tools.

Drexler et al (2001) brush aside these problems. They suggest that such concerns arise from a misunderstanding of how nanomachines work. For example, the idea that nanomachines use 'pincers' to move objects around is nothing more than a poor metaphor. In reality, nanomachines might contain an active tip (like the hydrogen extractor described above), which is no larger than the atom it is designed to manipulate. So Whitesides' concerns about the size of a nanomachine's pincers are easily answered. However, his concerns about the bonding of carbon atoms to nanomachines seem more difficult to answer. Drexler attempts to bury the problem by citing theoretical work done with the hydrogen extraction tool and by referring to experimental work done with hydrogen atoms. He doesn't directly address concerns about manipulating carbon atoms. This is important, because carbon is one of the most common atoms found on Earth and will no doubt be involved if nanomachines are used to build new molecules. Progress made with hydrogen might not translate easily to future work on carbon atoms.

[The Spawn]

Drexler does, however, mention some very promising work by Wilson Ho and Hyojune Lee. In an experiment, Ho and Lee

"...used an STM tip first to locate two carbon monoxide (CO) molecules and one iron (Fe) atom adsorbed on a silver surface in vacuum at 13 K. Next, they lowered the tip over one CO molecule and increased the voltage and current flow of the instrument to pick up the molecule; then they moved the tip-bound molecule over the surface-bound Fe atom and reversed the current flow, causing the CO molecule to covalently bond to the Fe atom, forming an iron carbonyl Fe(CO) molecule on the surface. Finally, the researchers repeated the procedure, returning to the exact site of the first Fe(CO) and adding a second CO molecule to the Fe(CO), forming a molecule of Fe(CO)2, which in subsequent images of the surface appeared as a tiny "rabbit ears" structure, covalently bound to the silver surface. Ho's group has also demonstrated single-atom hydrogen abstraction experimentally, using an STM" (Drexler et al. 2001).

This type of work will hopefully lead to more complex manipulation of atoms, and this could result in the development of tools that successfully 'pick and place' carbon atoms.

As our technological capacities develop, the promise of nanomachine technology becomes more of a reality. We may one day see the successful creation of nanomachine assemblers. These machines could end hunger and bring in a new age of advancement for humanity. Nanotechnology offers us big promises in a small package. However, the advantages it promises do not come for free. They come with some very big risks.


Big risks come in small packages

Cutting edge technology can take a while to catch on in the commercial world. However, there is one place in which it catches on very quickly: The Military! During humanity's history, technological research has moved fastest when there is a potential military application. The danger is that this trend will continue with nanotechnology. Imagine the possible uses of nanomachines in warfare. Self replicating nanomachines designed to target and destroy organic material could be released over enemy territory reducing the population to dust within a matter of hours. If these machines were designed to destroy each other after (say) 24 hours, the enemy's country would be left empty and safe to be invaded by military forces. Biological warfare would be a thing of the past since nanomachine warfare would be so much safer (well, for the 'good guys' anyway).

The only way to prevent this use of nanomachines would be through international agreements. Unfortunately, not all countries are willing to sign such agreements. And those who do sign might be tempted to develop the technology in secret--just incase the enemy is doing the same thing. Perhaps the most we could hope for would be a stalemate situation like the one between the United States and the U.S.S.R during the cold war. If both sides have the technology, they might be too nervous to use it, since they know that the other side will retaliate.

A more serious danger of nanomachine technology involves the ability to self replicate. Imagine that a nanomachine has the ability to make a copy of itself by rearranging the atoms contained in any nearby matter. Since it is producing an exact copy of itself, it is likely that the 'offspring' machine will be able to replicate. This is, after all, the way in which nanotechnologists intend to keep the cost of nanomachines down.

So now we have 2 nanomachines that can replicate. One more cycle will produce 2 more, which leaves a total of 4.

4 becomes 8.

8 becomes 16.

16 becomes 32, and so on.

After only 27 generations we would have over 134 million nanomachines on our hands. Since they are molecular, this doesn't seem like a big number. But the number could keep growing. After 39 generations there would be over 549 billion nanomachines on the planet. The point is obvious. Without a way of controlling the reproduction of nanomachines, the planet is in danger of being over run. Furthermore, since the nanomachines are using the planet's resources as raw material with which to replicate, the danger is that the planet could eventually be transformed into a seething mass of nanomachines.

George Whitesides (2001) responds to this problem by pointing out that Earth has already been ravaged by molecular machines--namely, biological cells. This is true. Earth was a much different place 3.5 billion years ago before the emergence of life. Self replicating cells have, over 3.5 billion years, completely transformed the planet. They have changed the planet from a world of inorganic minerals with a CO2 rich atmosphere, to a world that is perfect for biological life.

But this fact doesn't negate the danger in creating replicating nanomachines. In fact, Whitesides has reminded us that it is possible for molecular machines to replicate exponentially and transform the planet. If self replicating nanomachines get out of control, then they could alter the planet to such an extent that it is no longer suitable for biological life.

A possible solution to the problem is to limit the replicating abilities of nanomachines. For example, a mechanism could be developed by which new nanomachines are tagged with a number. This number could represent their generation. So, a nanomachine labeled 'gen 2' would produce offspring labeled 'gen 3', and their offspring would be labeled 'gen 4'. The replicating algorithm could be designed to only function if the generation number is less than 4. Also, nanomachines with a generation number higher than 1 could be encoded with a function that limits the number of reproductive cycles they can execute. By building in these safeguards, we may be able to control the population of nanomachines while at the same time allowing the existence of a number necessary to facilitate some of the advantages mentioned earlier.

However, these safeguards may not be enough. The biological world has shown us that evolution occurs and cannot be stopped. The same may be true of the nano-world. Consider the idea that each time a nanomachine makes a copy of itself, there is a possibility that an error could be made during the copying process. Such errors could be very small--perhaps no larger than a single 'bit' of information. Now imagine what would happen if an error occurred while a nanomachine was building its offspring's copying mechanism. To be more specific, imagine that a single 'bit' error occurred when encoding the function that limits the machine's replicative abilities. So, instead of checking that the machine's generation number is less than 4, it checks to see that it is less than 40. When this error is passed on to the machine's offspring, they will reproduce providing their generation number is less than 40. Since the error will be passed on to each subsequent generation, there will be a substantial explosion in nanomachine population. A single error could have the potential to send the nanomachine population out of control. And the more reproducing nanomachines there are, the greater the chance of another error occurring in at least one of them.

The only way to avoid the problem of uncontrollable replication is to avoid building self-replicating nanomachines. It may be true that self-replicating machines are the only way to ensure a cheap supply of nanomachines, but the potential risks outweigh the benefits. If nanomachines are built individually in labs, they will still be useful to cure disease and they will still be potentially useful for rearranging molecules to build new objects such as food. The only drawback is that none of it will come for free. Someone will still have to pay for the construction of the machines, and this means that their products will have to be paid for by consumers. So, poverty will not be eradicated. However, it could be that producing food with nanomachines is faster and cheaper than conventional means, which will mean that poverty may be eased a bit. Furthermore, if governments are willing to invest in the technology, nanomachines may be able to be used to fix some of our environmental problems by repairing the damage we've done to the atmosphere. So the research is worth continuing.


Conclusion


Nanomachines offer humanity hope for the future. The idea that we could one day cure diseases, fix the atmosphere, and reduce poverty in the world is an exciting one. If scientists can overcome the technical difficulties involved in producing nanomachines capable of these goals, then the fruits of their efforts will benefit us all. However, we must be cautious. The temptation to build self-replicating machines is strong, since it will give us an endless supply of new nanomachines at virutally no cost but self-replicating machines have the potential to get out of control. The best efforts to limit their replicative abilities may be insufficient, and our planet could be at risk of being over run by machines that can consume anything to produce more machines at an astounding rate.

The benefits of building nanomachines that can manipulate matter are real and cannot be ignored, so the technology should be pursued with vigor. However, the risks in producing self-replicating machines outweigh the benefits, so I conclude that self-replicating nanomachine technology should not be pursued. We should focus our efforts on perfecting machines that can produce the benefits outlined in this article while never building machines that can make copies of themselves.

[The Spawn]

How To Crack A Master Lock Combination

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use the Master Lock Combination Cracking Widget!
Once you have the sticking points for your lock (learn how to get these below if you don't have them yet), use the Master Lock Combination Cracking Widget to figure out the last number and to compute the possible first and second numbers in your combination...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction
I must have learned how to do this my senior year in high school. It has helped me many times to open one of my own locks whose combination I have forgotten. I'm sure there are other times when this can come in handy too. For example, you can entertain your friends (or scam your unsuspecting foes with a wager) by unexpectedly opening a lock in a number of minutes. I've also used this skill to fill up a friend's locker with balloons on her birthday.
I have decided that it is about time for me to share my wisdom on a grander scale. As with any form of knowledge about how the world works, this skill can be used for good or for evil. I can't say that I haven't jacked my friends' lockers numerous times, or even gotten into things I shouldn't have, but it's up to you to decide how you will use this power. There is nothing wrong with the skill itself, nothing dirty or illegal or anything like that. A lock is just a system to experiment on until we, the scientists, figure out how it works. Think of it as a challenge, with a nice reward at the end.

The Good Stuff
Okay, so let's get to the trick already! You'll need to have a lock you already know the combination to in order to practice. It also helps if a friend has a lock that you don't know the combination to (but he does) to verify that you have acquired the necessary skills as you go along.

First, we have to figure out the last number in the combination.
This is pretty simple once you get the hang of it, but can be tricky if you're just starting out. It involves pulling the "U" shaped part, or arm, away from the main body of the lock. Try this: with the lock closed (i.e. locked), pull the arm out as far as it can go. While continuing to pull arm out, try to rotate the dial of the lock. You will notice that the dial will "stick" at a particular position. You can release the arm now (phew!). If you rotate the dial a little bit, and try the same thing over again, you will find that the lock sticks in another place! Now the question is, are there a finite number of places where the dial sticks? [Geoff Menegay writes me that on his older Master Lock, there is only one sticking place, but it slides between two digits (i.e. goes between 23 and 25). In this case, the last number turns out to be the number in the middle (i.e. 24). Thanks Geoff!]


There are only twelve sticking points.
The reason that we care about the sticking points is that one of the points is the last number in the combination! Confirm this for yourself, since you already know the last number of the lock in front of you. The lock will stick on the last number. Okay, now the question is how to single out the last number from all of the "fakes" that Master Lock has put there to try to trick us. There are basically two types of sticking points, ones that stick ON a mark and those that stick BETWEEN marks on the dial. The distinction is crucial, so you should practice a little bit now identifying and contrasting the two types. Once you've learned how to distinguish the two types, you can reduce the number of possible last numbers from twelve to five!

At this point, since you know the sticking points, you can use the Master Lock Combination Cracking Widget and/or continue reading...


All seven of the points that stick BETWEEN marks are FAKE.
So, this leaves us with five points left. Four of the five numbers that the dial sticks ON have the same one's digit place. For example, the numbers 5, 15, 25, and 35 all have the same one's digit.


The SAME ONE'S DIGIT sticking points that stick ON a mark are FAKE.
That leaves us with just one sticking point, and thus we have found the last number in the combination! Try this out for yourself on your lock. After you figure it out, practice this on a friend's lock that you don't know the combination to (but that he does) and see if you can get the last digit right. Once you master this skill, give yourself a pat on the back! We're done with the challenging part (hurray!).


After we have the last number, we get the first two numbers with a little math and a lot of brute force.
Once we know the last number, there are only ten possibilities for the first number and ten possibilities for the second number, for a total of one hundred possible combinations. This might seem like a lot, but compared to the theoretical sixty-four thousand possibilities we've made a lot of progress. So, what are the possible values for the first and second numbers?

Use the Master Lock Combination Cracking Widget and/or continue reading...


The key to the first and second numbers is the modulus mathematical operator.
Whoa there, don't let the name of that scare you away! The modulus operator is just dividing one number by another and the remainder is the modulus. Anyone can do this, and you probably had to take remainders and such in grade school. The modulus operator isn't any different, it just has a fancy name.


Some examples and notation of the modulus operator.
Notation: (a%b)=c

Translation: c is the remainder of a divided by b

Examples: (35%4)=3; (2%4)=2; (5%4)=1; (16%4)=0. Got it? Good.


The first number modulus 4 is the same as the last number modulus 4.
For example, let the last number of the lock be 33. Then (33%4)=1, so we know that (first number%4)=1 as well. This means that the only possible values for the first number are: 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, and 37. Note that there are only ten possibilities. This is because dial only has 40 marks, and by enforcing the modulus operator we essentially are dividing the possibilities by 4. Try this out on your own lock, and verify that the (first number%4)=(last number%4).


The second number modulus 4 is the last number modulus 4 plus or minus 2.
If the last number modulus 4 is 0, then the second number modulus 4 is 2, and vice versa. If the last number modulus 4 is 1, then the second number modulus 4 is 3, and vice versa. Let's continue our example above, with the last number equal to 33. (33%4)=1, so the second number modulus 4 is equal to 3. This means that the possible values for the second number are 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, and 39. Again note that there are only ten possibilities. Try this out on your own lock, and verify that the (second number%4)=(last number%4)+-2.


Going through the one hundred possibilities takes a little time, and a little effort not to forget where you are in the sequence of possibilities.
The exact sequence or order of possibilities that you try out is really a matter of self preference. What ever is easiest for you is what will work best. On average, you will have to go through 50 possibilities before you figure the combination out, regardless of the sequence you choose. I personally like to go in ascending order with the first number varying the fastest. In our example above with the last number equal to 33, my sequence would look like {1-3-33, 5-3-33, 9-3-33, ..., 1-7-33, ..., 1-11-33, ..., 37-39-33}.


How quickly you can crack a lock depends on how quickly you can go through about fifty combinations.
Personally, it takes me about five to ten minutes to crack a lock. I don't really time myself or anything, but that is about how long it takes on average. I have had a combination that opened on the first couple of tries, and ones that were at the very end of my sequence. Some times you just get lucky. As a final drill, try to figure out your friend's combination. Once that lock arm slides open (at least for me), it's a rush.


One quick word of wisdom.
Getting the last number right is crucial to this whole process. If you have the wrong last number the rest of your time will be wasted. So take your time here and be confident. Sometimes rechecking once or twice isn't a bad idea, and it will save you a lot of time in the long run. Also along those lines, watch out for old locks that have been beaten up a little bit. Sometimes the dial can be shifted a little, so sticking points between marks appear to stick on the marks and vice versa. There should always be more between sticking points though, so this should be a clue if a shift has taken place.


Notes on applicability of this trick.
This method only works on Master Lock combination locks as far as I know. I would guess that other brands of locks work in the same way, but I do not claim to be able to crack them.


Quick Summary (a real Example)
If you can follow this wrap-up, you should be well on your way:

The 12 Sticking Points of my lock were found to be:

Between two digits: 1.5, 8.5, 11.5, 18.5, 21.5, 28.5, 38.5

On a digit: 5, 15, 25, 32, 35

-> Last Number = 32

-> Possible First Numbers: 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36

-> Possible Second Numbers: 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38

(turns out my combination is: 36-18-32)


Have Fun!!!

[The Kingpin]

Cool, I might try that.

[Assassin32]

Are you going to buy Jose Canseco's World Series ring?

[The Kingpin]

What's the point?

[The Spawn]

Don't watch baseball.

[Assassin32]

It point is it looks cool.

Do you have information on how terrorist groups are formed?

[The Spawn]

It depends on the goals of the individuals of said group. If they all share that same goal, a group is formed to reach it through fear and sacrifice. be it religious, or political.

[Assassin32]

Like the terrorists from Metal Gear games, is what I'm talking about.

[The Spawn]

Fox Hound?

[Assassin32]

Vulcan Raven, Sniper Wolf, Psycho Mantis, Liquid Snake, and Revolver Ocelot. Those guys. Can't remember if they were Foxhound, though.

[The Spawn]

http://darkmg.tripod.com/gwandmgscentral/id18.html

[The Spawn]

I don't think that answers your question though...I could personally answer that, but you would rather have an internet answer I am assuming.

[Assassin32]

No, I wouldn't rather have an internet answer, I would rather have a good one. What were you going to tell me?

[The Spawn]

I really don't think anyone in the Unit joined because of Shadow Moses. They were picked up by Big Boss for most of it, and Shadow moses just ended up on the list.

[The Spawn]

The power of google.

[Cobblepot]

http://www.daviesgeneralstore.com/ebay/Slimer.jpg
Always loved this guy.

[Assassin32]

Spawn, is there any conceivable way you could make a man like Dr. Frankenstein did?

[The Spawn]

He wouldn't live for very long.

[The Kingpin]

Why EML? He was just an *******...

[Antinicolae]

PSI-BALLS
PSI-BALLS -- A Brief Introduction
As the name says, Psi-Balls are balls of energy, that can be used to do almost anything. Psi-balls are used for various purposes, such as Healing, Telepathy, Message Sending, Confidence and Prosperity boosting etc. PsiBalls are easy to make, and they are tangible ...very soon we can start seeing PSI-Balls with the naked eye and this is the first step to seeing the aura. Psi balls store up energy and their potential is high. Depending on the type and extent of programming, psiballs can be used for purposes ranging from 'pulling someone out of depression' to almost anything.
CREATING PSI-BALLS - Exercise One
For this part, i recommend that you have a clean aura. You can find exercises for aura cleaning on the aura chapter. Turn off all disturbances in the surrounding and sit in a quiet place, or lie down in the bed. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths concentrate on your breathing. Now feel the white universal cosmic energy entering your head through the crown . Let the white light move down and spread to every part of your body. As it passes through each part, feel that specific part getting relaxed.

Let the energy move down to your feet, and come out through your hands. Feel the energy flowing out through your palms. Spend a few minutes feeling this energy flowing through your palms.Now hold out both your hands, palms facing each other, about four inches apart. Make sure that your elbows are supported. Slowly start moving your hand out and in. With each breath that you inhale, let your hands move out apart a bit, say a few millimetres , and while exhaling let them come closer. Let your hand movement resemble such an inward and outward motion.

Focus all your attention on your palms, and soon you might experience some kind of a sensation on your palms. Some people have a tickling sensation, while others have a warmth. Some others might feel a gentle coolness. All these are feelings of the energy that builds up between your palms. Once you start feeling it, then with each breath move out your hands farther, so that the psi ball increases in dimension. Make it as tight as it can be, and focus all your attention on it.

PROGRAMMING THE PSI BALL
Once you create a Psi-ball, then the next step is to program it. Visualise a clear picture of your goal...or what you wish to happen. In case you want someone to get well, visualise the person free from all diseases, happily smiling. Now project this picture into your energy ball. Focus this picture on your energy ball for a few seconds.Without opening your eyes , speak to your energy ball. Tell it to go out into the world, and bring to you what you desire. Then release the energy ball, and open your eyes

This is freaky! I just "programmed" a psi ball with the intention of seeing someone I haven't talked to in a long time get online. The scary thing is, they just signed on to msn messenger. I'm sure it's just a strange coincidence, but I'm still creeped out by out.

[The Spawn]

Wisdom is power...welcome to the room 666.

[The Spawn]

EML was a good *******.

[Assassin32]

How would you go about making him?

And did you see Corrales vs. Castillo?

[The Spawn]

Don't watch boxing.

Basically take a dead body and reanimate it.

[Assassin32]

You should, you would've loved that match.

What do you reanimate it with?

[The Spawn]

Pretty much electricity.

[Assassin32]

So a corpse with healthy organs in place will reanimate when electricuted? How much electricity?

[The Kingpin]

How much did Frankenstein use? Books never lie.

[The Spawn]

They don't have to be healthly...

Enough electricity to power a city.

[Assassin32]

Why wouldn't it live very long.

[The Kingpin]

Name some artists you listen to.

[The Spawn]

It wasn't given life the way humans are....artificial things lack the luxury of enduring through time.

Linkin Park, Evanescence, Green Day, The Used, Sugarcult, Liz Phair, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, Jimmy Eat World, Matchbox Twenty, Alanis Morissette, Sixpence None The Richer, Train, Breaking Benjamin, Lacuna Coil, Disturbed, The Killers, The Exies, Coldplay, Alien Ant Farm, Eminem, D12, Jet, Maroon 5, 3 Doors Down, 311, Five For Fighting, Ben Jelen, Seal, All-American Rejects, American Hi-Fi, Ataris, Lostprophets, My Chemical Romance, Offspring, Smile Empty Soul, Seether, Trapt, Drowning Pool, Blind Melon, AFI, Blink 182, Garbage, Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson, U2, Gwen Stefani, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Rage Against the Machine, P.O.D., Don Davis, Deftones, T.A.T.U, Trust Company, Madonna, Ludwig van Beethoven, Carmina Burana (O Fortuna), Chevelle, Story of the Year, Metallica, Dashboard Confessional, YellowCard, Hoobastank, Sum 41, Aerosmith, All-American Rejects, Ok Go, New Found Glory, Ataris, Beatles, Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns'n Roses, Lifehouse, Our Lady Peace, Fuel, Nirvana, PaPa Roach, Puddle Of Mudd, System of a Down, Titiyo, Jewel, Aimee Allen, Jem, N.E.R.D, Enya, Simple Plan, Cold, Nickleback, Saliva

I'm missing like 12

[Assassin32]

What happens when someone is hit with a depleted uranium bullet?

[Holly Goodhead]

It wasn't given life the way humans are....artificial things lack the luxury of enduring through time.

Linkin Park, Evanescence, Green Day, The Used, Sugarcult, Liz Phair, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, Jimmy Eat World, Matchbox Twenty, Alanis Morissette, Sixpence None The Richer, Train, Breaking Benjamin, Lacuna Coil, Disturbed, The Killers, The Exies, Coldplay, Alien Ant Farm, Eminem, D12, Jet, Maroon 5, 3 Doors Down, 311, Five For Fighting, Ben Jelen, Seal, All-American Rejects, American Hi-Fi, Ataris, Lostprophets, My Chemical Romance, Offspring, Smile Empty Soul, Seether, Trapt, Drowning Pool, Blind Melon, AFI, Blink 182, Garbage, Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson, U2, Gwen Stefani, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Rage Against the Machine, P.O.D., Don Davis, Deftones, T.A.T.U, Trust Company, Madonna, Ludwig van Beethoven, Carmina Burana (O Fortuna), Chevelle, Story of the Year, Metallica, Dashboard Confessional, YellowCard, Hoobastank, Sum 41, Aerosmith, All-American Rejects, Ok Go, New Found Glory, Ataris, Beatles, Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns'n Roses, Lifehouse, Our Lady Peace, Fuel, Nirvana, PaPa Roach, Puddle Of Mudd, System of a Down, Titiyo, Jewel, Aimee Allen, Jem, N.E.R.D, Enya, Simple Plan, Cold, Nickleback, Saliva

I'm missing like 12

you listen to T.A.T.U.? wow

and you listed jewel twice

[The Spawn]

I know I listed it twice...I just wanted to see you if actually read the whole entire list.

[The Spawn]

It goes right through them and hole left behind increases in circumference until the whole entire torso is over taken.

[Holly Goodhead]

I know I listed it twice...I just wanted to see you if actually read the whole entire list.

riiiiiight

im thinking about becoming an evil villainess, what should i wear

[The Spawn]

Sarcasm.

[Holly Goodhead]

hm what color is that?

[The Kingpin]

First of all, Linkin Park is emo and ****ty. D12 also isn't that great save for that one song they sang with Hieroglyphics. Alien Antfarm and NERD are good choices.

[The Spawn]

**** brown.


I'm an open minded person...I like pretty much all types of music, all types of culture, etc....the one thing I will discriminate against are types of people.

[Holly Goodhead]

**** brown.


I'm an open minded person...I like pretty much all types of music, all types of culture, etc....the one thing I will discriminate against are types of people.

im not a big brown person, if i were evil i think i would be generic and dress in black. or a light pink

[The Spawn]

The color of your sig it is then.

[Holly Goodhead]

what about 1 brown high heel, and 1 light pink high heel. thats pretty

[The Spawn]

No...no it isn't....

It should be tight black leather...all black. And a silver tiara. Since you are a Princess...I don't know how the mangina part would be symbolized though.

[Assassin32]

After that doesn't radiation get in the air and harm people around where the bullet was shot?

[The Spawn]

Yes.

[Holly Goodhead]

No...no it isn't....

It should be tight black leather...all black. And a silver tiara. Since you are a Princess...I don't know how the mangina part would be symbolized though.

ugly

[The Spawn]

Do you have anything to add to this thread?

[Holly Goodhead]

my presence

[The Kingpin]

The poster dpm07 annoys me, he's always trying to act smart in the most desperate ways.

[Assassin32]

Could you elaborate on that "yes"?

[The Spawn]

I've seen this dpm07 post once.

[The Spawn]

Yes, people will die.

[Assassin32]

I meant like how long will the radiation stay in the air, and if you go around shooting those bullets will you be affected?

[The Spawn]

The radiation from the atomic bomb is still around those two cities.

[Holly Goodhead]

hi spawny :)

[The Spawn]

We are conversing in another thread.

[Assassin32]

What would happen if someone shot depleted uranium bullets in Las Vegas?

[The Kingpin]

Princess Mangina your location is a good song.

[The Spawn]

Many people would die.

[Assassin32]

Would they have to close down part of the city?

[The Spawn]

If it weren't an important city.

[Holly Goodhead]

whats the best way to kill someone and make it look like suicide?

[Assassin32]

Do you have anything on the Yakuza in Las Vegas?

[The Spawn]

Pushing them off a building with latex gloves and fleeing the scene rapidly.


The Yakuza in America

On October 3, 1991, William Sessions, then-director of the FBI, testified at a hearing on Asian organized crime before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. "The Boryokudan," he said, referring to the yakuza, "have built one of the world's largest criminal organizations ... According to a publicized report of the National Police Agency of Japan, the Boryokudan, in 1988, grossed almost 10 billion U.S. dollars in revenue, one-third from crystal methamphetamine, a relatively new and powerful stimulant known on the street as 'ice.' The Boryokudan control an estimated 90 percent of the 'ice' flow into Hawaii. The Boryokudan also smuggle guns from the United States into Japan "

The yakuza have made their presence felt in the United States principally in Hawaii, but also in California, Nevada and even New York.

Hawaii has a natural appeal for just about everyone, but criminal opportunities attract the yakuza there more than the exquisite beaches and lush flora. Yakuza members blend in easily in Hawaii because tourists from Japan and other Asian countries flock there. They invest in high-priced real estate, one of their favorite enterprises, and use the island state as a way station for crystal meth headed for the American mainland and firearms head back to Japan. They also work with local crime gangs, funneling tourists from Asia to gambling parlors, sex shows and bordellos in exchange for kickbacks from locals.

The yakuza have also put down roots in California where they have made alliances with Korean and Vietnamese gangs and furthered their traditional partnerships with the Chinese triads. Los Angeles is particularly attractive because of the influx of young actresses desperate to get their big break in the film industry. Yakuza shills have become adept at luring these vulnerable women into porn films and prostitution. Japanese men, whether on sex tours or at home in Japan, often desire western women, particularly blondes.

Like most American organized crime groups, the yakuza love Las Vegas, where gambling—both legal and illegal—is everywhere. Showgirls and hookers are also plentiful in Vegas, and the yakuza are instrumental in steering Asian tourists to establishments owned by Americans who pay substantial "finder's fees."

Yakuza members have even been spotted in New York City, where they have made loose alliances with the American Mafia. Although cultural differences and the language barrier make a strong bond nearly impossible, the two groups have been able to cooperate in illegal gambling operations, with the yakuza channeling Japanese tourists to illicit after-hours casinos around the city.

[The Kingpin]

Are the Bloods and the Crips still rivals? I hear they're always signing treaties, but keep breaking them.

[The Spawn]

They're gangs and don't know any better.

[The Kingpin]

Yeah but are they still rivals?

Anyways, have you read the comic book with a Spawn and Batman crossover? I just bought it, it's alright. Not as good as I thought it would be though.

[The Spawn]

I bought it in Canada two years ago...dialouge was pathetic.

Rap makes it seem like they're still rivals.

[The Kingpin]

True to both.

New colors looks horrible.

[Swordmaster]

I like them, but I'm a dark kinda guy

[The Spawn]

In the school I work at, there are freshmen in the bloods.

[The Kingpin]

Yeah I know some crips...doubt they'd have the balls to do anything bad though.

[The Spawn]

Now with me around.

[Assassin32]

What exactly does the magic bullet theory state?

[william_blake05]

Those who adhere to the theory there was only one shooter (ie Oswald) must believe that one bullet passed thru JFK and then performed all sorts of logic and physic-defying movements to end up lodged where it did.
At least I think thats it...

[Assassin32]

I know that, but it can't be that simple.

[william_blake05]

We'll never know so there's no point debating the simplicity (or lack of) in the theory.
Either there was one shooter, two,three, ten or whatever, the effect was the same: Whoever wanted Kennedy dead got what they wanted.

[The Spawn]

Question answered?

[Assassin32]

What was that uniform Big Boss was wearing at the end of Snake Eater called and what is it worn for? I think it's the same uniform De Niro was wearing in the Deer Hunter.

[william_blake05]

Here we call it a Swandri. It's made from warm, rugged material suitable for outdoorsy-type activity.

[The Spawn]

Definitions of Apophenia on the Web:

The spontaneous perception of connectedness and meaningfulness in random phenomena: seeing patterns and connections where none exist. To experience it, stare at a television tuned to a dead channel, or keep watching the skies. See also: The Dr. Bronner Effect. Wm. Gibson and apophenia.
www.sff.net/people/gunn/dd/a.htm

The spontaneous perception of connections and meaningfulness of unrelated phenomena.
www.thepeacefulplanet.com/glossary.html

Apophenia is the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data. The term was coined in 1958 by Klaus Conrad, who defined it as the "unmotivated seeing of connections" accompanied by a "specific experience of an abnormal meaningfulness".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophenia

[The Spawn]

http://near-death.com/

[Danalys]

i couldn't even bare to read a whole page of that site. perhaps the authors are experiencing Apophenia.

[The Spawn]

Possibly.

[Assassin32]

I don't think it's called a Swandri. Spawn, what is it?

[Fray Ok]

Definitions of Apophenia on the Web:

The spontaneous perception of connectedness and meaningfulness in random phenomena: seeing patterns and connections where none exist. To experience it, stare at a television tuned to a dead channel, or keep watching the skies. See also: The Dr. Bronner Effect. Wm. Gibson and apophenia.
www.sff.net/people/gunn/dd/a.htm (http://www.sff.net/people/gunn/dd/a.htm)

The spontaneous perception of connections and meaningfulness of unrelated phenomena.
www.thepeacefulplanet.com/glossary.html (http://www.thepeacefulplanet.com/glossary.html)

Apophenia is the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data. The term was coined in 1958 by Klaus Conrad, who defined it as the "unmotivated seeing of connections" accompanied by a "specific experience of an abnormal meaningfulness".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophenia


sounds interesting.

[The Spawn]

Whatever they called it in the game is fictional. In reality, it is indeed a swandri.

[The Kingpin]

What college did you graduate at?

[The Spawn]

Three...back then it seem so high and mighty to do so, but now, four years is pathetic.

[The Kingpin]

Wait....what?

[The Spawn]

AKA:

Oxford
Yale
Harvard

[The Kingpin]

Oh...three colleges. You did all that...but now you're a high school English teacher?

[The Spawn]

That isn't my only occupation...

Also, unlike the rest of the world, I don't go through academic attainment just to make money...I find that the only wealth is in the mind.

[The Kingpin]

Yeah, that's true.

[The Spawn]

Especially today...if you forget your friends and your fellow peers, surpass them with this neglect, devote this time to studying, and the only competition you will have is from foreigners.

Assuming you're an American.

[The Spawn]

Book on pressure points:

http://www.rhys.trinicle.net/pics/miscellaneous/(ebook%20-%20Martial-Arts)%20Pressure%20Points%20-%20Military%20Hand%20to%20Hand%20Combat%20Guide.pd f

[The Spawn]

HOW HOT IS HELL? (A true story from a Yale professor)

A thermodynamics professor gave his graduate students an exam with one take home question: "Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Support your answer with proof."

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools off when it expands and heats up when it is compressed) or some variant. One Student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So, we need to know the rate that souls are moving into Hell and the rate they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell; let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and since most people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all people will end up in Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Second, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

No. 1., If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

No. 2., Of course, if Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Miss Theresa Banyan during my freshman year that, "It will be a cold night in Hell before I sleep with you" and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded with her, then No.2 cannot be true, therefore Hell is exothermic.


The student received the only "A"

[The Spawn]

Another answer:


The temperatures of Heaven and of Hell are not given specifically in the Bible. Fortunately there is sufficient data available to calculate the temperature of Heaven, and the maximum temperature of Hell can also be determined.

The temperature of heaven can be rather accurately computed. Our authority is the Bible, Isaiah 30:26 reads,

"Moreover, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days."

Thus, heaven receives from the moon as much radiation as the earth does from the sun, and in addition seven times seven (forty nine) times as much as the earth does from the sun, or fifty times in all. The light we receive from the moon is one ten-thousandth of the light we receive from the sun, so we can ignore that. With these data we can compute the temperature of heaven: The radiation falling on heaven will heat it to the point where the heat lost by radiation is just equal to the heat received by radiation. In other words, heaven loses fifty times as much heat as the earth by radiation. Using the Stefan-Boltzmann fourth power law for radiation
(H/E)4 = 50
where E is the absolute temperature of the earth, 300°K (273+27). This gives H the absolute temperature of heaven, as 798° absolute (525°C).

The exact temperature of hell cannot be computed but it must be less than 444.6°C, the temperature at which brimstone or sulfur changes from a liquid to a gas. Revelations 21:8:

" But the fearful and unbelieving... shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone."

A lake of molten brimstone [sulphur] means that its temperature must be at or below the boiling point, which is 444.6°C. (Above that point, it would be a vapor, not a lake.)

We have then, temperature of heaven, 525°C (977°F). Temperature of hell, less than 445°F). Therefore heaven is hotter than hell.

[X-Chick]

What's up, assclown?

[The Spawn]

Daruma

Daruma is the founder of Zen Buddhism in Japan (552 AD). Originally an Indian priest named Bodhidharma, he crossed all over China to introduce Buddhism in Japan. The legend says that he crossed the sea from China to Japan standing on a bamboo. Daruma is mostly shown in a position of meditation. He is said to have lost the use of his arms and legs by meditating for nine years in a cave. Therefore he is often shown as Daruma doll without legs and arms. The Daruma dolls, or today simply called Daruma, are a symbol of good luck in Japan. Students having their exams or companies starting a new enterprise, buy a Daruma for good luck.

Kintaro - the Tarzan kid


Kintaro, also called the "Golden Boy", was a child of extreme strengths. The son of a princess, he was brought up by Yamauba, an old woman living in the mountains. Kintaro lived in the mountain woods and talked to the animals. He was so strong that he could bend trees like nothing.

In one of the legendary stories, Kintaro one day had a fight with a demon that took the form of a gigantic spider. Kintaro uprooted a tree and smashed the evil spider demon with the tree. On Japanese art objects, Kintaro is usually shown fighting with a wild animal or a demon. Needless to mention that he won all his fights. When he was grown-up (!), Kintaro became a warrior calling himself Sakata Kintoki.


Oni

Oni are devil-like demons with long nails, wild hair, a fierce look and two horns on their forehead like the devil images known in Western Christian cultures. They wear tiger skins and can fly. Oni hunt for the souls of those who did evil things in their lives. In a nutshell, a guy one would not like to encounter in the darkness!

The Oni character is a deep-rooted aspect of Japanese culture. Japanese children grow up with tales of Oni. In medieval times, people living on distant islands were considered as oni. And during the time of the Japanese seclusion from the rest of the world and during war times, foreigners were looked at as Oni.

Raiden

Raiden got his name from the two Japanese words rai for thunder and den for lightening. According to the Japanese legend he saved Japan from a fleet of invading Mongolians in 1274. The way he managed it, was by sitting on a cloud, throwing a shower of lightening arrows against the Mongolian fleet. As the god of thunder, Raiden is shown with a drum.

Sarumawashi (Saru Mawashi)

Sarumawashi are more a character of real life than of mythology. Sarumawashi is formed of the Japanese words saru (monkey) and mawashi (trainer). Sometimes it is written as Saru Mawashi. Sarumawashi are street performers, traveling from one place to another and making a living by entertaining people with their trained monkey/s.

Unlike in Western civilizations, monkeys are a symbol of wisdom in Japan. Saru Mawashi are neither a legend nor a thing of the past. Even today, they can be found in Japan in crowded places making a living by showing performances of their trained monkey. Saru Mawashi performances are even shown on Japanese TV shows.

[Assassin32]

When someone is sentenced to death, how do they decide whether he gets a lethal injection, the gas chamber, the chair, or whatever?

[X-Chick]

It really depends on the state. In most states, the lethal injection is now the sole method, so no one has to decide. But there are still 10 states that have the chair, 5 still have the gas chamber, 3 that have hanging, and 2 that has a firing squad. In those states, typically the injection is given unless the inmate requests another method.

[The Spawn]

Anything else?

[Mr. Edward Hyde]

Tell us of more government conspiracies Mr. Spawn.

[The Spawn]

I require specifics.

[Mr. Edward Hyde]

I require specifics.
It's 2 AMish I don't really care. I'm bored. :(

[Mr. Edward Hyde]

I'll read whatever you post, and don't tell me your asleep because secret government badass vigilante english teachers don't sleep.

[The Spawn]

But they do watch anime.

[The Spawn]

http://www.deathbunny.co.nz/bitsgfconsparticle.htm

[Assassin32]

What were those unexplained "fireflies" that John Glenn saw in space, really?

[Mr. Edward Hyde]

http://www.deathbunny.co.nz/bitsgfconsparticle.htm
Don't feed me lies, I trusted you. :(

[The Spawn]

Ice particles.

[Mr. Edward Hyde]

Ice particles.
Oh yeah, those. :confused:

[Da Docta]

whats this thread about

[Mr. Edward Hyde]

whats this thread about
Apparently you can read, so.....read.

[Assassin32]

When M. Bison from Street Fighter shoots that electricity out of his hands, what would you call that? Electromagnetic charge projections?

[The Spawn]

Magic....?



I watch the anime, not the game.

[Assassin32]

Would electromagnetic charge projections be accurate?

[The Spawn]

To be realistic yes...but that range is insane.

[Assassin32]

Are you saying the range is unrealistic?

[The Spawn]

Based on public knowledge of present technology, no.

[Abaddon]

why won't you share with me,the secrets of your diary?:o

[The Spawn]

If you're not going to be productive in this thread, ask these questions in the thread I'm actually giving your type attention...aka, the wack PSA thread.

[Abaddon]

How is my question unproductive?:confused:

[The Spawn]

Its ****ing retarted.


Would you just get serious for one second?

[Abaddon]

It appears I've found the button.





Congratulations.

[The Spawn]

Do you have a paranormal question?

[Abaddon]

Not at the moment,kitty.

[The Spawn]

Mental Exercises to Help Perform at Your Personal Best
Create success or give yourself the best chance for success daily! People who have lots of success feel good about themeselves as people.

Act to help others every day because you feel good about yourself when you help others; This can take the form of sportsmanship, but being very supportive of your teammates each day, for two hours a day, is a start toward building your own self-worth.

Regularly work as hard as you can, physically and mentally, as you feel good about yourself when you honestly work hard. Once you get familiar with hard work (and the benefits it brings to both your play and your self-esteem), you will begin to center on how long you will be able to consistently give your maximum effort.

Create a positive environment for you and others because people perform and learn better in a positive environment. Yelling causes anxiety associated with failure, permeates the thought pattern, gives way to feelings of inadequacy, and ultimately leads to poor performance. Supportive behavior leads to a willingness to try and fail at new things and to try again.

Practice focusing in class and on the field of play by recognizing when you have wandering thoughts, then dragging your mind back to the object of your focus - use breathing meditation to assist you in practicing. For practice, focus on one thing (breathing) and recognize when distracting thoughts enter your head and re-focus on your breath. See Focus Meditation below (scroll down).

Write down goals for every practice and game to remember them; Have your goals increase self-worth daily by having them challenging, realistic, specific, performance-related and short term.

Practice being task-orientated. People have a better chance of success when they think about the tasks they need to perform (task-oriented) instead of the outcome they want to reach (outcome-orientation).

Attaining personal excellence (not perfection) is your goal rather than comparative excellence (being better than someone else), because you can't control anyone but yourself. Do the best you can.

Achieve by measuring your progress regularly, but not in terms of the success you have in reaching the outcome you want. Progress on the small tasks will improve your chance of reaching the outcome.

Feel good about yourself by doing things of which you are proud.

Practice meditative techniques for focus, confidence, non-reactive behavior, and anxiety to improve your chance of success.
Focus meditation - practice focusing on breathing to train the mind to focus on one thing only. Then substitute the coach's voice and message for breathing. Steps: Use correct posture to ensure staying awake, focus on breathing, recognize wandering mind and thoughts that enter, drag back the mind to focusing on breathing. Then do the same thing when the coach speaks. The coach is your breath, notice distracting thoughts, then get your mind back on coach. This is a skill that needs much practice as it is normal to have distracting thoughts.

Awareness meditation - practice being aware of all things and recognize each thought without reaction or deeper inquiry about the thought to practice non-reactive behavior for quick recovery from mistakes or trash-talking. Practice making no judgments

Positive self-talk - remember a time you felt good about yourself and re-live feelings (both mental and physical) of the moment over and over, develop a cue word to bring you to that state when you like. Practice saying the cue word and re-living positive thoughts of accomplishment, satisfaction, knowlege of your goodness (made much easier if we regularly go out of our way to help and support others). When negative thoughts enter you mind about yourself (which they will), say the cue word and go to that place that knows you are a good person who actively tries to help others.

Anxiety meditation - remember a time you did not feel anxious, but relaxed, without worry, see words describing the feeling, re-live feelings (both mental and physical) over and over, develop a cue word to use to bring you to that state whenever you would like. Practice saying th cue word and go to that calm place. When you notice that your thoughts (hopefully the first one) are anxiety-laden, you can say the cue word and go to that calm place that you have practiced feeling relaxed.

Intensity meditation - get to know in your mind what it feels like to be very physically and mentally intense - see what your intensity looks like visually, what it feels like in your muscles, what it feels like emotionally. Get to know it by practicing as hard as you can under game-like conditions each day, all the time, every drill. Gradually, with practice, you will attain your top intensity level at the start of each contest. Then you will graduate to the next goal - consistency of maximum effort.

Visualization meditation - practice seeing the skill you wish to improve over and over again in your mind. Your mind doesn't know what's real and what's not. Practice your move to perfection. When the real situation arises, your mind will do the right thing, the right way, because your brain is used to seeing and reacting the way you practiced it. Just a few minutes a night of visualization, working on a particular problem you have, will assist in making you a beter player.

These are by no means all of the activities one could do everyday to build self-worth and be a better performer. Add your own ideas as well! The concept is that progress is success. We can only improve and when we concentrate on that, and not on the winning or comparing ourselves to others or how much playing time we received, etc. As failure is an intregal part of sports, we must teach kids that it's not all about wins and losses. They already know the joy of winning, but they know very little about the joy of playing.

http://www.getpsychedsports.org/program/mentalactivities.php

[Holly Goodhead]

what size shoe are you?

[The Spawn]

Twelve.

[Assassin32]

Is there a special kind of Physicist that only works with electromagnetism?

[The Spawn]

Only? I'd say thats a physicist who puts alot of his efforts into electromagnetism due to favoritism.

[Assassin32]

Well, is there any kind of scientist at all that works only with electromagnetism or something pretty damn close?

[lovesteppenwolf]

SHAPESHIFTING LIZARDS hmmmmmm...........

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2003/11/06.html

[The Spawn]

I doubt it.

[Assassin32]

Would a Physicist ever be assigned to an electromagnetism project to work on for an extended period of time?

[The Spawn]

It depends on the employer.

[Assassin32]

Does UC Berkeley employ Physicists?

[U.S War Machine]

I think I'm in the wrong class. Can I have a hall pass of not returning to this school.

[The Spawn]

I believe they do employ physicists.

[Assassin32]

How old are Physicists, usually? Like by the time they get all the schooling done and land a job somewhere, how old would they be realistically?

[The Spawn]

As time goes on, they get older and older...I'd say later 40's right now.

[Assassin32]

Damn it. So, working Physicists in their 20's is unheard of?

And, around April this year, tons of butterflies were all flying in the same direction? What was that?

[Human Torch05]

I hope this topic has not been covered. Could you explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, the abnormalities etc & theories??

[The Spawn]

The tsunami was in April.

[The Spawn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_triangle

[Assassin32]

So, they don't always do that?

[C. Lee]

And, around April this year, tons of butterflies were all flying in the same direction? What was that?
The million butterfly march.

[The Spawn]

Animals sense natural disasters?

[Assassin32]

Why were the butterflies doing that?

[The Spawn]

Animals sense natural disasters?

[Assassin32]

According to some bad disaster movies, yes.

Why were the butterflies doing that?

[Maximum Carnage]

No idea, at all.

[The Spawn]

Next question.

[Assassin32]

Do the families of Navy SEALs have to relocate to different cities a lot?

[The Spawn]

No, no that I know of.

[Assassin32]

If you want to be a newspaper reporter like Lois Lane, what kind of schooling do you need?

[Slow and Low]

When the end of the world is coming, how will i know?

Will there be specific signs etc etc?

[The Spawn]

Journalism.


The world ends next year.

[Assassin32]

What are the physical side effects of steriod use? Besides being buff as hell.

[The Spawn]

Your testicles aren't so buff as hell.

[Assassin32]

What about big-ass veins in your forehead, and developing a heavy brow? Are those true?

[The Spawn]

The results vary for everyone in my honest opinion.

[Assassin32]

What are some common ones?

[The Spawn]

http://www.steroids.org/side_effects.htm

[Assassin32]

Who was the youngest person to ever win an Olympic Track-and-Field gold medal?

[The Spawn]

Men or womans?


And were you the one interested in the Olympics earlier?

[Assassin32]

Person. So, I guess if you could find both that'd be great.

Yes, I was.

[The Spawn]

Not even Google can answer that question*.

[Assassin32]

When's The Spawn coming back?

[The Spawn]

Nevah.

[Man-Thing]

Was Adolf Hitler a werewolf?

[The Spawn]

Partially.

[Assassin32]

How do you join the Corpus Christi Sheriff's Department?

[The Spawn]

Why that one?

[Outsiderzedge]

Does the devil exist? If he does, can one befriend him?

[The Spawn]

Yes he does, and yes you can....but he won't befriend you back.

[Outsiderzedge]

How can I get him to? I want to scare all my catholic friends with him.

[The Spawn]

Witchcraft.

[Assassin32]

Because that's the one I need to know about.

[The Spawn]

It should be the same as any other.

[Assassin32]

Well, I don't know how you join any other. Which brings us back to my original question. . .

[The Spawn]

That you could have asked in a generic manner...

[Assassin32]

. . .And that you could have answered a hell of a long time ago.

How do you join the Corpus Christi Sheriff's Department?

[The Spawn]

http://www.co.nueces.tx.us/sheriff/aboutNCSD.asp#Employment

[Assassin32]

If there were crazy people shooting up a hotel or restauant or something like that, how many police officers would show up at the scene? What kinds?(SWAT, patrol officers, etc.)

[The Spawn]

Patrol officers have to show up...since they're on patrol.

Since they're crazy, a little tear gas is all that's needed.

[Assassin32]

They're crazy, but they're professionals. How many would show up? SWAT would eventually be there, right?

[The Spawn]

I personally wouldn't even call in SWAT.

3 snipers and you're good.

But if I were to call in SWAT, I'd send in 8 assuming they'd kill hostages, and they're crazy.

Them being crazy is the key thing here.

[Assassin32]

I don't think you understand me when I say "crazy." They're crazy like Batman is crazy.

[The Spawn]

Batman isn't crazy...he's eccentric.

[Assassin32]

What is the ethnic origin of the surname "Ironside."

[The Spawn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironside_%28cavalry%29

[Assassin32]

So, is Michael Ironside's name fake?

And, where do rich English kids go to college?

[The Spawn]

Prep schools....

Define fake...like Tony Hawk?

[Assassin32]

What about Oxford University?

Like it's just a stage name, not the one his mother gave him.

[The Spawn]

Its real.

That's giving Oxford a bad name...I went to Oxford.

[Assassin32]

So, is Michael Ironside's family originally from England?

[Assassin32]

Which one of these DARPA program offices would be responsible for Robert A. Heinlein-style armored suits for American soldiers:


A.) The Advanced Technology Office (ATO) which researches, demonstrates, and develops high payoff projects in maritime, communications, special operations, command and control, and information assurance and survivability mission areas?

Or:

B.) The Special Projects Office (SPO) which researches, develops, demonstrates, and transitions technologies focused on addressing present and emerging national challenges. SPO investments range from the development of enabling technologies to the demonstration of large prototype systems. SPO is developing technologies to counter the emerging threat of underground facilities used for purposes ranging from command-and-control, to weapons storage and staging, to the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction. SPO is also developing significantly more cost-effective ways to counter proliferated, inexpensive cruise missiles, UAVs, and other platforms used for weapon delivery, jamming, and surveillance. SPO is investing in novel space technologies across the spectrum of space control applications including rapid access, space situational awareness, counterspace, and persistent tactical grade sensing approaches including extremely large space apertures and structures?

[The Spawn]

Yes they are

ATO

[Assassin32]

What would be the best college in all of England?

And do the Yakuza currently have an operation set up in Las Vegas?

[The Spawn]

Oxford.

Yes.

[Assassin32]

What do they do primarily? Pimping, gun running, drug dealing? Have they set up legitimate fronts with hotels and casinos?

[The Spawn]

I can't answer that second question...

PRIMARILY?

Drugs is where its at in America.

[Assassin32]

Would USC be a good place to get a degree in electrical or mechanical engineering?

[The Spawn]

Don't see why not.

[Assassin32]

Is it conceiveable to get a electrical engineering degree and a mechanical engineering degree at the same time? And, if you started right after high school, about how old would you be by the time you got both of them?

[The Spawn]

23 I think.

[Wilhelm-Scream]

what is this thread about? :confused:

[The Spawn]

Read the first post.

[Wilhelm-Scream]

Read the first post.Weird, I could've sworn long ago I read the first post and it just said the part about how the old thread was in the Bermuda triangle. and then I looked on in the thread and it was just a bunch of people chatting about what time they'd be on AIM and how lame parents are. Strange.

[maxwell's demon]

that's what its about:up:

[The Spawn]

Thank you Demon.

[Assassin32]

So, you can get a electrical engineering degree and a mechanical engineering degree at the same time, and still be out of there at 23? And can you do that at USC?

[The Spawn]

Yes....you can do anything with money.

Now, please don't ask me how many years it would take without money because I will not answer that question for obvious reasons.

[Wilhelm-Scream]

stop killing my mind!

[The Spawn]

Fear is the mind killer...I've yet to bring fear to the table!

[Assassin32]

Goddammit, you know I have to ask.

And, if that is done and you have the degrees, are you now in a good position to be hired as an engineer for DARPA?

[The Spawn]

http://www.darpa.mil/hrd/

[Assassin32]

"As a matter of policy, DARPA retains its technical/program management staff for a nominal service of four years."

So, they hire you for four years and then kick your ass out?

[The Spawn]

People get stale...

[Assassin32]

What do those people end up doing for the rest of their lives?

[Assassin32]

How do street-level drug dealers get ahold of cocaine?

[psychocheeseman]

same ppl you get your heroin from. cept don't mix the two up....can be bad....snorting heroing can be dangerous.

[The Spawn]

If you can't handle it.

[Assassin32]

Does it all come from Columbia?

And, Spawn, I'm thinking of using your old sig for my Senior Quote.:up:

[Abaddon]

Have you ever had an out-of-body experience?What are some of the explanations for such a thing?