Helios Five and Twenty

[Scorch]

Ethos, Mores, et Monastica by Shyam Popat
The Basement by Freddie
Thema Devia by Shaun
The Arts by Annaeus
The Athenaeum by The Sundance Kid
Page 3
The TWC Art Competition!
Editorials by the Black Prince and Lord Rahl

Buon giorno, and welcome to the twenty-fifth edition of the Helios. Please forgive my absence last edition, but real life unfortunately caught up with me, as I was adjusting to my new role as a University student. Now that I am almost one hundred pages behind on my readings and have almost no money, I really feel like a true Uni student.

As Douglas Adams said, "I love deadlines. I especially love that wooshing sound they make as they fly past", and that is an accurate characterisation of this Edition, as we appear to be missing some of our Helios regulars.

Anyway, to get the ball rolling, we have an article by Shyam Popat, who is filling in for Annaeus, on the state of things in the Ethos, Mones and Monesterica, TWC's local debating forum for ethics and religion, at the moment.

Ethos, Mores et Monesterica

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Is there a God? Are we just ants on this anthill of an Earth? Why do we do anything? Is it all just sysnapses, neurons and cognitive chains? Inexorably unanswerable topics like these and more will be found in the Ethos, Mores, et Monastica, along with uptight fools, blind children, uptight children, blind fools and the occasional atheist. Now, for the dirt. This isn't news, this is entertainment.

Adam and Eve went up the hill, pissed off God and ruined it for the rest of us.

Or did they? Zenith responds by distinguishing Roman Catholic and Orthodox views (where are the Protestants, these days?):

In the Roman Catholic Church it is said that we inherit the guilt of original sin almost as if it were a sexually-transmitted disease from our mother. However, this is only in the Roman Catholic Church.

The Orthodox Church, following the much older Christian tradition (and not being affected by St Augustine) says that we inherit the effects of original sin - such as the fact that there is death, disease etc. - but that we do not inherit the guilt. We are only responsible for our own actions, and Adam's original sin does not make us any more inclined to sin than we already are by our free will.

Enter Irishman, exeunt those who are insecure about their intellect, including me.

So you inherit the punishment but not the guilt?

It's not punishment. It is a simple chain of effect, and I would be pleased if a non-Orthodox person would listen to this for once.

So sin must exist in heaven, and thus death exists in heaven right? (Assuming you are implying that the freedom to sin is preferable to not having that freedom, meaning that it exists in heaven.)

And so ensues the ever debatable and never ending topic of free will in Heaven. Oh, goodie. Next topic, garcon!


The immovable object actually can be moved by the omnipotent imaginary friend.

As always, the topic wasn't meant to go this way, but this is TWC. What did you expect, sensible, on-topic debate? Pff, off to Stormfront.

Enter Irishman, once again exeunt the rest of us, now to the Mudpit.

You misunderstand the thought experience. The 'immovable' is part of the NATURE of the object, and the power to move anything is the NATURE of God, thus we have a contradiction.

If you claim that God can do anything (even the logically contradictory) then you have proven that God does not exist. There is a reason it is called a contradiction: under no circumstances of reality is it possible that such conditions exist.

Let's see where we all get confused. I can just about understand it until...

You misunderstand the answer, of course. The nature of an object is relative to the nature of the rest of the universe, by changing the latter the former changes as well.

An object has no existence by itself, and therefore, the paradox is a semplification. An undue one.

This is necessarily false. It implies that the existence you know is the only form of existence, and establishes a limit to the power of God, which we did accept as omnipotent.

Now. Now my mind just says, "hey, Shyam, go play the Wii or something". My score on Wii Golf could be better... Good thing I did lose concentration, because in come the equations:

You are right, if one changes the nature of an object from unliftable to liftable, then God can lift it, but he is not lifting the unliftable, he is lifting the liftable, not answering the question. You are avoiding the thought experiment by changin the parameters, which cannot be done.

This is the form logically, I will write it out since I cannot do universal qualifiers on this Comp.

There is some object x which holds that for all (o) -Dox, where D means to lift. (meaning there no being can lift x)

There is some being (o) a that for all objects x, Dox. (meaning o can lift all objects x)

This is an inherent contradiction and such a case cannot come to pass in any existence.

You are claiming that A and -A can exist, its a contradiction.

Irishman pwns you with his brainpower. And finally...

"Your religion is violent!" ... "No, YOUR religion is violent!"

Enter NaptownKnight, with his mighty blog links!

Anyways, here are all of the violent verses from the New Testament. I didn't include the violent verses from the Christian version of the OT.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

749.

Matthew

750. Those who bear bad fruit will be cut down and burned "with unquenchable fire." 3:10, 12

751. Jesus strongly approves of the law and the prophets. He hasn't the slightest objection to the cruelties of the Old Testament. 5:17

752. Jesus recommends that to avoid sin we cut off our hands and pluck out our eyes. This advice is given immediately after he says that anyone who looks with lust at any women commits adultery. 5:29-30

753. Jesus says that most people will go to hell. 7:13-14

754. Those who fail to bear "good fruit" will be "hewn down, and cast into the fire." 7:19

755. "The children of the kingdom [the Jews] shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 8:12

756. Jesus tells a man who had just lost his father: "Let the dead bury the dead." 8:21

757. Jesus sends some devils into a herd of pigs, causing them to run off a cliff and drown in the waters below. 8:32

758. Cities that neither "receive" the disciples nor "hear" their words will be destroyed by God. It will be worse for them than for Sodom and Gomorrah. And you know what God supposedly did to those poor folks (see Gen.19:24). 10:14-15

759. Families will be torn apart because of Jesus (this is one of the few "prophecies" in the Bible that has actually come true). "Brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death." 10:21

760. Jesus says that we should fear God who is willing and "able to destroy both soul and body in hell." 10:28

761. Jesus says that he has come to destroy families by making family members hate each other. He has "come not to send peace, but a sword." 10:34-36

762. Jesus condemns entire cities to dreadful deaths and to the eternal torment of hell because they didn't care for his preaching. 11:20-24

763. Jesus will send his angels to gather up "all that offend" and they "shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 13:41-42, 50

764. Jesus is criticized by the Pharisees for not washing his hands before eating. He defends himself by attacking them for not killing disobedient children according to the commandment: "He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death." (See Ex.21:15, Lev.20:9, Dt.21:18-21) So, does Jesus think that children who curse their parents should be killed? It sure sounds like it. 15:4-7

765. Jesus advises his followers to mutilate themselves by cutting off their hands and plucking out their eyes. He says it's better to be "maimed" than to suffer "everlasting fire." 18:8-9

766. "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors." 18:34

767. In the parable of the marriage feast, the king sends his servants to gather everyone they can find, both bad and good, to come to the wedding feast. One guest didn't have on his wedding garment, so the king tied him up and "cast him into the outer darkness" where "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 22:12-13

768. Jesus had no problem with the idea of drowning everyone on earth in the flood. It'll be just like that when he returns. 24:37

769. God will come when people least expect him and then he'll "cut them asunder." And "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 24:50-51

770. The servant who kept and returned his master's talent was cast into the "outer darkness" where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." 25:30

771. Jesus tells us what he has planned for those that he dislikes. They will be cast into an "everlasting fire." 25:41

772. Jesus says the damned will be tormented forever. 25:46

Mark

773. Jesus explains why he speaks in parables: to confuse people so they will go to hell. 4:11-12

774. Jesus sends devils into 2000 pigs, causing them to jump off a cliff and be drowned in the sea. When the people hear about it, they beg Jesus to leave. 5:12-13

775. Any city that doesn't "receive" the followers of Jesus will be destroyed in a manner even more savage than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. 6:11

776. Jesus criticizes the Jews for not killing their disobedient children as required by Old Testament law. (See Ex.21:15, Lev.20:9, Dt.21:18-21) 7:9-10

777. If you're ashamed of Jesus, he'll be ashamed of you. (And you'll go straight to hell.) 8:38

778. Jesus tells us to cut off our hands and feet, and pluck out our eyes to avoid going to hell. 9:43-49

779. Jesus says that those that believe and are baptized will be saved, while those who don't will be damned. 16:16

Luke

780. God strikes Zacharias dumb for doubting the angel Gabriel's words. 1:20

781. Those who fail to bear "good fruit" will be "hewn down, and cast into the fire." 3:9

782. John the Baptist says that Christ will burn the damned "with fire unquenchable." 3:17

783. Jesus heals a naked man who was possessed by many devils by sending the devils into a herd of pigs, causing them to run off a cliff and drown in the sea. This messy, cruel, and expensive (for the owners of the pigs) treatment did not favorably impress the local residents, and Jesus was asked to leave. 8:27-37

784. Jesus says that entire cities will be violently destroyed and the inhabitants "thrust down to hell" for not "receiving" his disciples. 10:10-15

785. Jesus says that we should fear God since he has the power to kill us and then torture us forever in hell. 12:5

786. Jesus says that God is like a slave-owner who beats his slaves "with many stripes." 12:46-47

787. According to Jesus, only a few will be saved; the vast majority will suffer eternally in hell where "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13:23-30

788. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man goes to hell, because as Abraham explains, he had a good life on earth and so now he will be tormented. Whereas Lazarus, who was miserable on earth, is now in heaven. This seems fair to Jesus. 16:19-31

789. Jesus believed the story of Noah's ark. He thought it really happened and had no problem with the idea of God drowning everything and everybody. 17:26-27

790. Jesus also believes the story about Sodom's destruction. He says, "even thus shall it be in the day the son of man is revealed ... Remember Lot's wife." This tells us about Jesus' knowledge of science and history, and his sense of justice. 17:29-32

791. In the parable of the talents, Jesus says that God takes what is not rightly his, and reaps what he didn't sow. The parable ends with the words: "bring them [those who preferred not to be ruled by him] hither, and slay them before me." 19:22-27

John

792. As an example to parents everywhere and to save the world (from himself), God had his own son tortured and killed. 3:16

793. People are damned or saved depending only on what they believe. 3:18, 36

794. The "wrath of God" is on all unbelievers. 3:36

795. Jesus believes people are crippled by God as a punishment for sin. He tells a crippled man, after healing him, to "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." 5:14

796. Those who do not believe in Jesus will be cast into a fire to be burned. 15:6

797. Jesus says we must eat his flesh and drink his blood if we want to have eternal life. This idea was just too gross for "many of his disciples" and "walked no more with him." 6:53-66

Acts

798. Peter claims that Deuteronomy 18:18-19 refers to Jesus, saying that those who refuse to follow him (all non-Christians) must be killed. 3:23

799. Peter and God scare Ananias and his wife to death for not forking over all of the money that they made when selling their land. 5:1-10

800. Peter has a dream in which God show him "wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls." The voice (God's?) says, "Rise, Peter: kill and eat." 10:10-13

801. Peter describes the vision that he had in the last chapter (10:10-13). All kinds of beasts, creeping things, and fowls drop down from the sky in a big sheet, and a voice (God's, Satan's?) tells him to "Arise, Peter; slay and eat." 11:5-6

802. The "angel of the Lord" killed Herod by having him "eaten of worms" because "he gave not God the glory." 12:23

803. David was "a man after [God's] own heart." 13:22

804. The author of Acts talks about the "sure mercies of David." But David was anything but merciful. For an example of his behavior see 2 Sam.12:31 and 1 Chr.20:3, where he saws, hacks, and burns to death the inhabitants of several cities. 13:34

805. Paul and the Holy Ghost conspire together to make Elymas (the sorcerer) blind. 13:8-11

Romans

806. Homosexuals (those "without natural affection") and their supporters (those "that have pleasure in them") are "worthy of death." 1:31-32

807. The guilty are "justified" and "saved from wrath" by the blood of an innocent victim. 5:9

808. God punishes everyone for someone else's sin; then he saves them by killing an innocent victim. 5:12

1 Corinthians

809. If you defile the temple of God, God will destroy you. 3:17

810. Paul claims that God killed 23,000 in a plague for "committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab 10:8

811. If you tempt Christ (How could you tempt Christ?), you'll will die from snake bites. 10:9

812. If you murmur, you'll be destroyed by the destroyer (God). 10:10

2 Corinthians (None)

Galatians (None)

Ephesians

813. We are predestined by God to go to either heaven or hell. None of our thoughts, words, or actions can affect the final outcome. 1:4-5, 11

814. God had his son murdered to keep himself from hurting others for things they didn't do. 1:7

815. The bloody death of Jesus smelled good to God. 5:2

816. Those who refuse to obey will face the wrath of God. 5:6

Philippians (None)

Colossians

817. God bought us with someone else's blood. 1:14

818. God makes peace through blood. 1:19-20

1 Thessalonians

819. God is planning a messy, mass murder in "the wrath to come" and only Jesus can save you from it. 1:10

2 Thessalonians

820. Jesus will take "vengeance on them that know not God" by burning them forever "in flaming fire." 1:7-9

821. Jesus will "consume" the wicked "with the spirit of his mouth." 2:8

822. God will cause us to believe lies so that he can damn our souls to hell. 2:11-12

1 Timothy (None)

2 Timothy (None)

Titus (None)

Philemon (None)

Hebrews

823. God will not forgive us unless we shed the blood of some innocent creature. 9:13-14, 22

824. Those who disobeyed the Old Testament law were killed without mercy. It will be much worse for those who displease Jesus. 10:28-29

825. The Israelites kept the passover and sprinkled blood on doorposts so that God wouldn't kill their firstborn children (like he did the Egyptians in Exodus 12:29). 11:28

826. God ordered animals to be "stoned, or thrust through with a dart" if they "so much as ... touch the mountain." 12:20

James

827. If you are merciless to others, God will be merciless to you. (Two wrongs make a right.) 2:13

828. James says Abraham was justified by works (for being willing to kill his son for God); Paul (Rom.4:2-3) says he was justified by faith (for believing that God would order him to do such an evil act). 2:21

1 Peter

829. We are all, according to Peter, predestined to be saved or damned. We have no say in the matter. It was all determined by "the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."1:2

830. "The precious blood of Christ ... was foreordained before the foundation of the world."
God planned to kill Jesus from the get-go. 1:19-20

831. God drowned drowned everyone on earth except for Noah and his family. 3:20

2 Peter

832. God drowned everyone else on earth except for Noah and his family. 2:5, 3:6

833. God will set the entire earth on fire so that he can burn non-believers to death. 3:7

834. When Jesus returns, he'll burn up the whole earth and everything on it. 3:10

1 John

835. Jesus' blood washes away human sin. 1:7

2 John (None)

3 John (None)

Jude

836. "The Lord destroyed them that believed not." 5

Revelation

837. Jesus "washed us ... with his own blood." 1:5

838. Everyone on earth will wail because of Jesus. 1:7

839. Jesus has "the keys of hell and death." 1:18

840. Repent -- or else Jesus will fight you with the sword that sticks out of his mouth. (Like the limbless knight in Monty Python's "Holy Grail.") 2:16

841. "I [Jesus] will kill her children with death." 2:23

842. "Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." God created predators, pathogens, and predators for his very own pleasure. One of his favorite species is guinea worms. 4:11

843. "Thou art worthy ... for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." 5:9

844. God gives someone on a white horse a bow and sends him out to conquer people. 6:2

845. God gave power to someone on a red horse "to take from the earth ... that they should kill one another." 6:4

846. God tells Death and Hell to kill one quarter of the earth's population with the sword, starvation, and "with the beasts of the earth." 6:8

847. The martyrs just can't wait until everyone else is slaughtered. God gives them a white robe and tells them to wait until he's done with his killing spree. 6:10-11

848. God tells his murderous angels to "hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of your God on their foreheads." This verse is one that Christians like to use to show God's loving concern for the environment. But the previous verse (7:2) makes it clear that it was their God-given job to "hurt the earth and the sea" just as soon as they finished their forehead marking job. 7:3

849. 144,000 Jews will be going to heaven; everyone else is going to hell. 7:4

850. Those that survive the great tribulation will get to wash their clothes in the blood of the lamb. 7:14

851. God sends his angels to destroy a third part of all the trees, grass, sea creature, mountains, sun, moon, starts, and water. 8:7-13

852. "Many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." 8:11

853. The angels are instructed not to "hurt the grass [how could they? He already had all the grass killed in 8:7] ... but only those men which have not the seal of God on their foreheads." God tells his angels not to kill them, but rather torment them with scorpions for five months. Those tormented will want to die, but God won't let them. 9:4-6

854. God makes some horse-like locusts with human heads, women's hair, lion's teeth, and scorpion's tails. They sting people and hurt them for five months. 9:7-10

855. Four angels, with an army of 200 million, killed a third of the earth's population. 9:15-19

856. Anyone that messes with God's two olive trees and two candlesticks (God's witnesses) will be burned to death by fire that comes out of their mouths. 11:3-5

857. God's witnesses have special powers. They can shut up heaven so that it cannot rain, turn rivers into blood, and smite the earth with plagues "as often as they will." 11:6

858. After God's witnesses "have finished their testimony," they are killed in a war with a beast from a bottomless pit. 11:7

859. Their dead bodies lie unburied for three and a half days. People will "rejoice over them and make merry, and shall send gifts to one another." After another three and half days God brings his witnesses back to life and they ascend into heaven. 11:8-12

860. When the witnesses ascend into heaven, an earthquake kills 7000 men. This was the second woe. "The third woe cometh quickly." 11:13-14

861. "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world"
God planned to kill Jesus before he created the world. 13:8

862. Those who receive the mark of the beast will "drink of the wine of the wrath of God ... and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone ... and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever." 14:10-11

863. "The great winepress of the wrath of God ... was trodden ... and the blood cam out of the winepress, even unto the horses bridles." 14:19-20

864. Seven angels with seven plagues are filled with the wrath of God. 15:1, 15:7

865. The seven vials of wrath: 1) sores, 2) sea turned to blood, 3) rivers turned to blood, 4) people scorched with fire, 5) people gnaw their tongues in pain, 6) Euphrates dries up, 7) thunder, lightning, earthquake, and hail. 16:1-21

866. God gave the saints and prophets blood to drink. 16:6

867. "They shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire." (Are they going to eat her first and then burn her?) 17:16-17

868. To punish her God will send plagues and famine, and "she will be utterly burned with fire." 18:8

869. God will send plagues, death, and famine on Babylon, and the kings "who have committed fornication with her" will be sad to see her burn. 18:8-9

870. Jesus makes war. 19:11

871. With eyes aflame, many crowns on his head, clothes dripping with blood, a sword sticking out of his mouth, and a secret name, Jesus leads the faithful into holy war. 19:12-15

872. "Come ... unto the supper of the great God." An angel calls all the fowls to feast upon the flesh of dead horses and human bodies, "both free and bond, both small and great." 19:17-18

873. The beast and the false prophet are cast alive into a lake of fire. The rest were killed with the sword of Jesus. "And all the fowls were filled with their flesh." 19:20-21

874. God will send fire from heaven to devour people. And the devil will be tormented "day and night for ever and ever." 20:9-10

875. Whoever isn't found listed in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. 20:15

876. All liars, as well as those who are fearful or unbelieving, will be cast into "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone." 21:8

No-one read them all. Lets face it. I'm sure somewhere around the middle there's porn or something, no-ones ever got that far to find it. Anyway, enter Oldgamer. Hypocritical content may offend intellectuals:

Every single one of the verses you quote is taken completely out of their context.

Where've I heard that before? But, lets face it, they are all wrong, and Nap agrees that it is the Old Testament that is violent, not the New, and thus Christians are not the enemies... it is the Jews! Cap'n Arghhh elaborates:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Erubin 21b. Whosoever disobeys the rabbis deserves death and will be punished by being boiled in hot excrement in hell.
Moed Kattan 17a . If a Jew is tempted to do evil he should go to a city where he is not known and do the evil there

Sanhedrin 58b. If a heathen (gentile) hits a Jew, the gentile must be killed

Sanhedrin 57a . A Jew need not pay a gentile ("Cuthean") the wages owed him for work.

Baba Kamma 37b. "If an ox of an Israelite gores an ox of a Canaanite there is no liability; but if an ox of a Canaanite gores an ox of an Israelite...the payment is to be in full."

Baba Mezia 24a . If a Jew finds an object lost by a gentile ("heathen") it does not have to be returned. (Affirmed also in Baba Kamma 113b). Sanhedrin 76a. God will not spare a Jew who "marries his daughter to an old man or takes a wife for his infant son or returns a lost article to a Cuthean..."

Sanhedrin 57a . When a Jew murders a gentile ("Cuthean"), there will be no death penalty. What a Jew steals from a gentile he may keep.
Baba Kamma 37b. The gentiles are outside the protection of the law and God has "exposed their money to Israel."

Baba Kamma 113a. Jews may use lies ("subterfuges") to circumvent a Gentile

Yebamoth 98a. All gentile children are animals.
Abodah Zarah 36b. Gentile girls are in a state of niddah (filth) from birth.
Abodah Zarah 22a-22b . Gentiles prefer sex with cows.

Sanhedrin 106a . Says Jesus' mother was a whore: "She who was the descendant of princes and governors played the harlot with carpenters." Also in footnote #2 to Shabbath 104b of the Soncino edition, it is stated that in the "uncensored" text of the Talmud it is written that Jesus mother, "Miriam the hairdresser," had sex with many men.

A passage from Sanhedrin 106 gloats over the early age at which Jesus died: "Hast thou heard how old Balaam (Jesus) was?--He replied: It is not actually stated but since it is written, Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days it follows that he was thirty-three or thirty-four years old."

Rosh Hashanah 17a. Christians (minnim) and others who reject the Talmud will go to hell and be punished there for all generations.
Sanhedrin 90a. Those who read the New Testament ("uncanonical books") will have no portion in the world to come.
Shabbath 116a. Jews must destroy the books of the Christians, i.e. the New Testament.
Gittin 69a . To heal his flesh a Jew should take dust that lies within the shadow of an outdoor toilet, mix with honey and eat it.
Shabbath 41a. The law regulating the rule for how to urinate in a holy way is given.
Yebamoth 63a. States that Adam had sexual intercourse with all the animals in the Garden of Eden.
Yebamoth 63a. Declares that agriculture is the lowest of occupations.
Sanhedrin 55b. A Jew may marry a three year old girl (specifically, three years "and a day" old).
Sanhedrin 54b. A Jew may have sex with a child as long as the child is less than nine years old.
Kethuboth 11b. "When a grown-up man has intercourse with a little girl it is nothing."
Yebamoth 59b. A woman who had intercourse with a beast is eligible to marry a Jewish priest. A woman who has sex with a demon is also eligible to marry a Jewish priest.
Abodah Zarah 17a. States that there is not a whore in the world that the Talmudic sage Rabbi Eleazar has not had sex with.
Hagigah 27a. States that no rabbi can ever go to hell.
Baba Mezia 59b. A rabbi debates God and defeats Him. God admits the rabbi won the debate.
Gittin 70a. The Rabbis taught: "On coming from a privy (outdoor toilet) a man should not have sexual intercourse till he has waited long enough to walk half a mile, because the demon of the privy is with him for that time; if he does, his children will be epileptic."
Gittin 69b. To heal the disease of pleurisy ("catarrh") a Jew should "take the excrement of a white dog and knead it with balsam, but if he can possibly avoid it he should not eat the dog's excrement as it loosens the limbs."
Pesahim 111a. It is forbidden for dogs, women or palm trees to pass between two men, nor may others walk between dogs, women or palm trees. Special dangers are involved if the women are menstruating or sitting at a crossroads.
Menahoth 43b-44a. A Jewish man is obligated to say the following prayer every day: Thank you God for not making me a gentile, a woman or a slave.

WTF are you on about.

Hard luck, guys, but hey, what's one more drop in the ocean? Simetrical to the defence. We all know his post are too long to quote, even in spoiler tags, so here is a linky.

Hope you enjoyed this totally unbiased piece of writing. Visit the ethos, debate a bit, get stuff off your chest. Or just read these little synopses, may as well. Peace.

Coming up now is the ever-consistent bastion of punctuality (and believe me, that's something an Editor admires), Freddie, with his report on the happenings of the Basement.

The Basement

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In this editions coverage of the basement I’ll be looking recycling, upgrading, helping someone suffering from a bad case of regret and gaming laptops.

Resurrection





Roman Clone is looking to upgrade his old PC. Based on a Dell 4300 from 2001 his options may seem a bit a limited. No SATA, no PCI-ex X16, no Raid, out of date CPU socket and motherboard chipset. However since RC only wants to be able to Rome: TW is PC based a on a P4, that shouldn’t be to much of an ask.

It was suggested that he buy a 6600gt of ebay and perhaps a new PSU to power it. Couple this is a second hand P4 2.0 Ghz CPU and some overclocking, his new PC should more then handle Rome: TW along with any of the wonderful mods our community has developed.


Playstation 3 Frustration





Thanatos has brought himself a brand spanking new PS3 40Gb pal version, after laying out a lot of money for the console he finds him not being able to play his beloved PS2 games because of the lack of compatibility.

So, I ed myself over, and stupidly bought myself a 40gb PS3 instead of a 80gb with backwards compatibility.

Does anyone know of anyway whatsoever to personally modify a PS3 so I can play my PS2 games? Screw warranty. Screw safety. I want my PS3 to be able to play PS2 and One games so that I don't have to lug both my PS3 and my PS2 around.

It’s enough to make you want to swear.

For some reason Sony has taken a dislike to Europeans, firstly they dragged their heals over it’s European release date, secondly they dropped the Emotion chip from the Pal version to save money (but still continued to supply it with Jap and US models) and thirdly that haven’t released the 80gb version to Europe which comes with emulation software that can play some of the PS2 games. With this sort of attitude towards its customers its clear Sony is relying on the Playstation brand to drive the sales, because its PR machine is in tatters as far as Europeans are concerned.

As for Thantos he could import an 80Gb version or there might be some software or a firmware update available which could help him out. Until then he will have to use his PS2 to play his PS2 games.


Gaming Laptops





Laptops are good for a lot things just not gaming. If you’re planning on going to university and want to play your favourite PC games I suggest your buy yourself a shuttle PC. At any university dorm space is going to be at a premium so taking a full desktop PC might not be ideal. The shuttle PC offers portability, space saving and the full features of a desktop hardware.

As for Tankbuster he wants to study computer programming , and wants a laptop to take with him to classes.

I'm going to university next year, and I want to buy a good laptop.
However, I'm completely at a loss on how to start. I've been clicking around on various sites to get information about laptops, but I still don't see how to make a choice out of the enormous choice...

I mean, there are like 15 laptop brands. There's HP, there's Dell, there's Toshiba, Gateway, Compaq, ASUS, Sony,... But what's the difference? It's so hard to find an unbiased source. I read somewhere that a Gateway laptop is twice as fast as a Toshiba one with the same stats.

How do I pick a brand?? Are they important?

From experience I can tell you that weight is for me the overriding factor when buying any laptop. It’s not pleasant having to hurl around what feels like a breeze block strapped to your back for a whole day.


That’s all from me for this edition. Thank you for reading.

Freddie

Now, moving onto Shaun's report on the scintillating discussion area that is the Thema Devia.

Thema Devia

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

How would you like to die?

Simplest of questions.

My answer. Cerebral aneurisma in the middle of the night. Quick and painless.

Probably what most people would want, really. As long as it’s nothing embarrassing, painful, or pointless. I also like Magic Man’s idea:

Saving loved ones, would make my death something other than useless; or selfish.

“What is your hobby?” Asked PowerWizard :

Post your hobbies here. (other than TW of course )

This thread proves that we at TWC really are just normal people, with normal lives, normal desires, and certainly not internet nerds stuck in the house all day!

Oh, and that too!

Now, onto smaller threads also worth a mention:

• Random Facts - did you know that it takes 548 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter?
  
• Earthquake! - thankfully, he lists no serious damage or injuries, but still a nerve racking experience!
  
• I have a question for you guys... - answer him!
  
• First Relationship - your palm doesn't count.
  
• Cats Versus Dogs - for the record, cats pwn.
  
• Cheating - "It's when in a poker game you have a couple of aces hidden in your sleeves. Simple as that."
  
• Things you would like to do but would result in a severe beating - Justinian has a lot

Stepping in, after some original hesitation (hesitation that, might I say, evaporated in the face of MSN-based threats from yours truly), to the role of covering the forum dedicated to the discussion of the Arts is the enlightened, affable and devilishly handsome Roman that we know as Annaeus.

The Arts

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Life is pointless without art to begin with, and this is what I’m going to show you this time. Everything you do, no matter how much potential you have, ends up in vain if your idea is lifeless. And what makes it lively? Well, it’s art, to be concise.

I begin my journey unconventionally from a thread in Athenaeum. It’s about a proposition led by some of the high minds of our society that classical music helps people think better. You can find the thread here. The following are a few nice replies as posted by some members:

The famous 'Mozart Effect' is, apparently, an urban myth based upon misrepresentation of the data. A few psychologists involved in the first studies denounce the theory that Mozart can increase spacial reasoning. Those that agree with the theory also have books and CDs for sale - they may no longer be the most objective opinions.. They have also shifted the study to rats - some claim in an effort to further obfuscate the findings in favour of selling their products.

Still, if it feels that it helps you to concentrate then go for it. Breathing deeper can also help - most people breathe shallowly to the extra hit of oxygen to the brain for a while could be useful.

I can give you my first hand observation on this issue. The answer to your question is, definitely yes AND definitely no. (read on)

While doing research on Alzheimer's disease we determined that if the patient never listened to classical music previously and still in the early dementia phase, they could delay the moderate impairment phase by 3-6 months if they introduced 1-2 hours of classical music a day into their lives. If they previously and regularly listened to classical music there was no benefit at all.

One patient in particular who for the first time took up painting while listening to classical music everyday had a short "revival" in memory and concentration. Sadly, the positive trends lasted less then a year.
All the results were highly subjective but does anyone want to take a guess why this was happening?

Next I move on to the arts forum itself where Octy desires to share the top five albums that changed the way he hears music, and wants you to do the same! Here’s the link to the thread. Similarly he comes up with another thread asking you to select three or more songs randomly from your library and rate them at your own sweet will. Enjoy sharing your choices with the community… like this:

Sufjan Stevens--John Wayne Gacy Jr.
This song is so beautiful. But it's also the creepiest song I've ever heard. Especially when Sufjan sings "quiet hands, quiet kiss..." I get goosebumps just thinking of the killer. It's on youtube, listen to it. It's a remarkable song but very unsettling.

Complicated--Poi Dog Pondering
I'm pretty sure this is a local Chicago band, and I don't know how much success they've had across the states. They've got a great sound and I think XRT helped them out... I think this album is around 15 years old now..maybe a bit less. top music, tons of great musicians in it. It's got a "Chicago feel." Very different to most the music I listen to.

You Get Yours--Bright Eyes
A different-sounding Bright Eyes. It's louder and harder than his other stuff and it's pretty unique, I always appreciate it. From the Home EP, I think.

Misery Business--Paramore
I don't listen to Paramore much, but this song--what? Look up the singer? On google images? Okay...



!!!!

Prom--Mindless Self Indulgence
This song sucks . I don't know why it's on here. I deleted it before I wrote this post. MSI has like two good songs, this

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. I am a naughty fellow indeed.


Next we have davide.cool’s thread who wants you to share your favorite national anthem(s), his favorite being the Italian national anthem, of course.

Brothers of Italy,
Italy has awoken,
with Scipio's helmet
binding her head.
Where is Victory?
Let her bow down,
For God has made her
Rome's slave.

CHORUS:
Let us join in cohort,
We are ready to die!
We are ready to die!
Italy has called!
Let us join in cohort,
We are ready to die!
We are ready to die!
Italy has called YES!

Cool, ain’t it? The thread is here.


If you want to stop Uwe Boll, then this thread is for you. He’s going to quit making movies after one million signatures, so go ahead and put your stamp in here.


In addition there are a few threads that couldn’t manage to gather many opinions, or perhaps not so far:

• Movies that you assumed would suck but walked out thinking maybe it wasn't so bad, and maybe it was, if not enjoyable, at least it was a decent way to spend a few hours
• What are your Top 10 fave Indie films?
• Chidori or Rasengan? (Naruto Shippuden)
• All Quiet on The Western Front

That’s all for this issue. Until next time, au revoir!

So now moving onto The Sundance Kid with the Athenaeum.

The Athenaeum

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

THE ATHENAEUM
by Sundance McKid

Hello there, ladies and gentlefolk. Unfortunately ousted from my regular spot on the Arts due to the obscene incompetence forgivable mistake of our dog-on-a-string editor Mr. Travis Scorch, I have elected to cover the Athenaeum for you fine readers, despite my A-Level Physics course going less than healthily. So, if I dive into this forum at a rate of 5m/s with an acceleration of 2m/s/s, and the earth's gravitational pull is temporarily decreased by a magnitude of 7, what time is it in France?

Dahn to bissness, as the Artful Dodger would say. First off, The Super Pope, in a plea to better understand the wider world, implores the denizens of our forums to dictate to him the effects and science behind Climate Change.

Unfortunately, this article will be short and swift, yet packed with goodies. I did have the thought of just posting a link to the Atheneaum and chuckling jovially to myself as Scorch stared at my article in disbelief, but in the end decided I had absolutely no better use of my free time, being heckled by Magic Man over MSN. The article was a quicker method of torture, I felt.

Now, for chriscase's Yodelling Incomplete Toy, or something. I dunno, read the article. It's my coffee break.

Finally (What a delightfully short article, I'm impressed with myself), we have Dahir's Quran and Science thread. This one is rather Ethos/Athenaeum crossover, but I posted it due to my own interest in the presence of mathematical thinking within religious ideology. Take a butchers.

Now I shall post a picture of a famous scientist, and it is your job to name who he is. GO!



Take care, y'all.

And that is just about all you'll hear from our reporters this edition. Moving swiftly onwards ...

Page 3

One of my favourite parts of being the Editor is that I get to choose my favourite image from our Page 3 Submissions Thread. This Edition's image is one submitted by imb39, our fearless leader. It's quite a stunning photo of the the Eiffel Tower at night.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

So if you wish to submit an image, then just jump on over to the Page 3 thread and post it. Just to let you all know, I accept all bribes and flattery works wonders on me.

Now, a public service announcement from Annaeus ...

The TWC Art Competition

Art is the way we live, the way we cherish life, and above all, the way we picture the world around us. It may encompass music, writing, graphic arts and everything else that requires skill. The art that I’m going to talk about is basically of graphical ilk. When a person describes a vision according to his own way of viewing the objects around him or simply according to one’s nature of perception in normal state, it’s called artistic creativity which can be observed distinctly if he uses his skill to demonstrate the same either on a piece of paper or in some other form. Alright, let me not take you into the depth of what I usually refer to as kernel of artistic milieu. What I do want to take you to is very simply nothing more than the art competition that most probably all of you have already heard about. Nonetheless it’s required of me to illustrate as succinctly as possible as to what it’s all about, you may call it my burning desire or something. Anyway, while writing this short allocution, there’s just one thing that revolves in my mind which is that I’m very near to the offset of the submission period, formally declared in the beginning as 20th April 2008, which is also the day when the voting period begins. My consciousness is sprinting in a circle as speedily as the countdown clock, but the same is not the case with the excitation in the crowd; for the rapid upsurge in its high spirits can be noticed rather clearly. Twenty magnificent pieces of art and 14 days to decide the three best ones out of them; this is most certainly one of the most exciting moments on the site that generally speaks of only war, and you’re the ones who are going to make it a great event by voting for your favorites. So, what are you waiting for? Get to the spot now and vote!

Now, moving onto the section for the enlightened ones among you, here - the editorials.

Editorial

For this edition, we firstly have the Black Prince with his regular segment, Queer Concern ...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Queer Concern

Pro Gay? Vote Conservative!

It’s that time of year again when we all cast out votes to decide who will run our communities for the year ahead. That’s right folks, across Britain local authorities, including County, Borough, District, Metropolitan, Unitary and Parish councils will be electing some, if not all of their members. So why mention this? Is there a gay vote to canvass?

No! And that’s precisely the point, there is no gay vote. Gay voters don’t vote en masse for the party that hands out the biggest gay rights bundle. Gay voters aren’t universally left wing. In fact, polls show quite the opposite, but also pose some contradictory answers.

For example, a poll of around 4000 gay men showed that 23% would vote conservative at the next election, compared to 21% labour, 21% undecided and 12% liberal democrat.

And yet a recent You Gov survey of around 1000 gays and lesbians showed that 90% expected to face discrimination if they were standing in an election for the conservative party.

So, gay people are prepared to vote for the party, but not work for it?

The problem here is perception. It will take some time for the Conservative party to rid itself of its image of being the party of hate. Combating this mistaken viewpoint is one of the principle aims of the Tory lobby group LGBTory co-founded by Anastasia Beaumont-Bott, who is also on the executive for Conservative Future.

This is the kind of conservatism that younger conservatives, modern conservatives are bringing to the part, and modernisation move championed by our beloved David Cameron. The facts of this progress speak for themselves. There may be more openly gay labour MPs, but the conservatives hierarchy of talent has still produced more gays in positions of power, including on the Tory Frontbench. Not to mention that the first openly gay MP to enter into a civil partnership will be Tory MP Alan Duncan.

But if the image remains that the Tories are gay hating why are the majority of gay people prepared to vote for them?

The simple answer is that gay people are the least single issue voting group around. Gay people are more likely to vote in a party that potentially sets back their position as a group in order to address other issues such as crime, security, economy etc.

As a result of this tendency among the gay community, the conservative party has attracted a lot of younger gays, and is doing so at an even greater rate now we have a modernising leader in the form of David Cameron. This in turn drives the pressures to change from within the party forcing it to adopt its policies.

Equally though, there is the political stance of our leaders to consider. David Cameron is a gay friendly party leader with a proven track record of gay rights. When talking about traditional conservative family policies, Cameron includes gay families in this as a matter of course.

Whereas Gordon Brown has the 2nd worse track record of gay rights support in the labour cabinet. 2nd only to Opus Dei member, Ruth Kelly, who tried to block implementation of numerous gay rights initiatives whilst being the Secretary of State responsibility for supporting the gay community!

Lets face it, who would you rather vote for?

But gay conservatives don’t simply exist here in the Sceptred Isle you know. Elections are coming up in that little insignificant place across the sea as well (no, I mean the USA not Belgium…). To a distant Britannic citizen, elections, and indeed politics as a whole have always appeared to be a far more polarised issue than they are here in the land of liberty. Not only that, but British Conservatism even prior to Cameron’s reforms is to centrist, to “liberal” (as if it were a horrible word) for our American cousins. Likewise American republicanism, being so far to the right of modern conservatism has often been likened to Britain’s BNP, a far right ultra nationalist (racist bigoted prejudiced) party.

Yet despite all the above, gay republicanism exists, and surprisingly grows. Even in America, with the republicans jumping up and down so hard on gay rights that gay people are being treated as 2nd class citizens, and with the democrats championing gay rights as they do the cause of all minority groups, there is no cohesive gay vote.

Perhaps that should serve as a message of warning to republicans. Just because you trash gays at every opportunity doesn’t mean we won’t vote for you, and join your party. That’s when you really need to fear us, when you find out the gays in your own caucus have successfully lobbied for a truly progressive republican candidate, an American version of David Cameron.

We can only hope.

But either way, no matter what party gets elected, they have a long way to go, not just in improving gay rights, but in enforcing them, and educating people about them.

Despite the various government agencies having rigid equal opportunities policies, and despite the numerous amount of equality legislation in force, people still have a perception of the government machine as being generally homophobic, either in its actions towards people in general, or in its treatment of gay people when they approach it. Equally, while there is a list of 100 British Employers that have been granted Stonewall’s recognition as a top gay employer, there has been a spate of recent criticism that these organisations gay policies on equality are simply being ignored at the lower levels.

The legislation may be in place nationally, but there is still a lot to be done to secure equality for gay people, and now we really need to take that fight to a local level to ensure that national legislation is given its proper effect by the people responsible for enforcing or implementing it.

So the local elections matter, and even if you’re not gay, its especially important to make use of your vote, to have your say. These elections may not effect national security, they may not effect foreign policy, or criminal justice, but they do effect how your council tax is spent, how clean your city is, and how well maintained your streets are. Little issues, local issues, but ones that directly impact on your every day life.

So mark it in your diary, May 1st, Local Elections.


the Black Prince

Now, moving onto what I hope to god is not another stream of consciousness article from the 'wandering and pondering mind of Lord Rahl' ... I barely recovered from reading the last one.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Wandering and Pondering Mind of Lord Rahl

Since I am young and in a point in my life where I am searching for what myself is, I all too often think about my life and what everything means. Being in college, I come across a wide variety of new and interesting ideas. The exposure to the innumerable ideas has made me question my role in society to better understand exactly how myself is effected by external influences and how I respond to them. In this quest to know myself, I have naturally looked to others to see how they are effected by things external and how they respond to them. Considering all of this, I have decided to now confide to you, the reader, a critique of myself and those around me. Think of this as more of an analysis of myself and my surroundings. When you read this, try to ponder my thoughts in your own mind and think about how my observations and opinions relate to you. Perhaps some reflection of your own will help you find out exactly who you are. The Bible says to not judge others because yourself are guilty, but I do not think that simply explaining what I am tired of in my life currently is judging arrogantly. So now I will being a rant on what tires my mind.

I'm tired of acting like I care for things that I do not, and not expressing my care for the things I do. Too many times I find myself bending to other people's will in some fashion. I don't think that my obedience to others is very significant, but what I do feel is significant is the fact that I am not focusing my energy to the wills of the people I admire and care for. I will admit that I am selfish, and because of that I fail to acknowledge people as much as I should and for the people I should. My lack of appreciation for some of my friends and family is not acceptable considering the support some of them give me. I don't know why, but as I've grown up, I've found it harder or less of a need to thank people. Why I do this is still unanswered and I will have to try to attain the solution to that question at some point.

What is myself? We see ourselves as consumers, so am I what I consume? Or do I identify myself by who I've had sex with? These are two things that I think most people identify themselves with. If you don't have the newest phone, then you're not up-to-date. If you haven't banged x number of chicks, then what kind of a man are you? Regarding consuming, I do not believe that I consume very much. I dislike spending large sums of money and try to keep my expenses to a minimum. I like buying things that bring me long term satisfaction. But this way of thought is from the consumer point of view. I guess consumerism has become so deeply integrated within our society that it is impossible to not identify with it.

Regarding sex, I am not sure that I can give opinions that is fully informed since I have not yet done the deed. But this brings up the question, is having sex directly related to knowing about it? Sex has changed a lot over history and it is very much different today than it was 50 years ago. I grew up in a Christian household and was taught that I should have sex only after I marry. To this point I have accomplished that task, but that does not mean that I do not want sex. Being a college student means that not wanting sex is impossible. But I know that what I truly want is a genuine relationship with someone. My friends will often harass me for not having sex yet, but from my observation some of their sexual escapades ultimately end up meaning very little to them and are not always a positive. So the question comes up, what is sex? Sex used to mean only between a man and a woman and only vaginal, but today it could mean anything. I don't want to make a straight forward opinion on this matter. I simply want for you, the reader, to think about these things. I am a history major and to me history is about learning what and why things happened so that we may better understand what and why is happening now.

So think about who you are. Try to figure out what yourself is and why it is the way it is. What do you think influences what you are and why?

So that's it. If you're looking to help out with the Helios, I have a couple of spaces that need filling, so please feel free to PM me if you're interested. As I mentioned earlier, I take all bribes and flattery does work. Anyway, thanks for reading intently, as I'm sure you all have been doing. Go rep my reporters, and I'll see you in a fortnight!

[Freddie]

Helios 25 a poster child for those who believe in quality over quantity. What happened to VOP? He seemed really keen on working for the Helios.

[Wedgy Benn]

Huh !

No Universitas Ludus Olympus report ?

[Scorch]

Huh !

No Universitas Ludus Olympus report ?

Actually, I don't have anyone available to cover that area at the moment.

[Cyrus the Virus]

No Circus either..

[s.rwitt]

No Mudpit?

[Niles Crane]

Next I move on to the arts forum itself where Octy desires to share the top five albums that changed the way he hears music, and wants you to do the same! Here’s the link to the thread. Similarly he comes up with another thread asking you to select three or more songs randomly from your library and rate them at your own sweet will. Enjoy sharing your choices with the community… like this:

Oh yeah! Two threads.

[Wedgy Benn]

Actually, I don't have anyone available to cover that area at the moment.

I could give it a go , do I have to send you a draft for you to take a butchers at ?

[Commander_Vimes]

Liked Shyam's satirising, very....comical.

[Scorch]

I could give it a go , do I have to send you a draft for you to take a butchers at ?

That would be good.

[Shaun]

Well done guys! Sorry for posting so late, I am busy.

[Thanatos]

Boo! I demand a reprint!

[Scorch]

Boo! I demand a reprint!

Why do you hurt me so?

[s.rwitt]

Where is the mudpit article Scorch?

Or the Circus?

[Pontifex Maximus]

I'll be covering the Circus next time S.rwitt, I promise.

[Scorch]

Where is the mudpit article Scorch?

Or the Circus?

As I said, a couple of reporters (like Ferrets, who ordinarily covers the 'Pit) succumbed to real life issues this time, and for others (like the Circus), we are lacking in coverage. Not for long, though, I have a few new secret weapons to unveil yet.

[s.rwitt]

I'll be covering the Circus next time S.rwitt, I promise.

Cool.

[The Sundance Kid]

Late as usual

I am just the best reporter down at Helios HQ.

[Thanatos]

Why do you hurt me so?

I'm sorry, if I kiss your boo-boo, will it make the mean mean pains go away?