Posts by fulltimestudent

21

Today's groundless speculation thread - so why would a German copilot deliberately fly an airplane into a mountain?

by sir82 in

jw
friends

just can't wrap my head around this.

the guy (a) evidently did all of this on purpose, and (b) evidently had no reason at all to do so.. there is a huge chunk of the puzzle missing from this one (so far)..

fulltimestudent

It's also difficult to believe that no-one knew about his state of mind. Although, it would seem, from thinking about the many mass-shootings (that occur in the USA), that family and close associates tend to overlook some of the signs of something wrong.

It also awakens suspicions about the fate of MH370.

But there are more (even one is too many):

*November 2013, Mozambique Airlines Flight TM470 crashed in Namibia, killing 33 people on board. Investigators initially couldn't figure out why the plane had crashed, since the weather was so nice.
But as the International Business Times reported, the plane's black box recorder offered some disturbing clues. The co-pilot had left the cockpit for the bathroom only to find that the door was locked when he returned. The pilot then altered the autopilot to bring it to below ground level and manually switched it to maximum speed. Someone was pounding on the cockpit door as the plane went down. The pilot never once called for help.

*In 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed near Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing 217 people. Before the crash, the plane's pilot had apparently excused himself to go to the bathroom. The black box recorder then picked up unintelligible commotion and banging on the door. The co-pilot, Gamil El Batouty, could be heard muttering over and over, "I rely on God. I rely on God. I rely on God. I rely on God." The captain eventually forced his back way in and could be heard saying, "What is this? Did you shut the engine[s]?" As the plane crashed, the captain was heard trying to right the plane, saying, "Pull with me. Pull with me."In the EgyptAir case, the NTSB concluded that the crash occurred because of the co-pilot's "manipulation of the airplane controls." But they did not explicitly call it suicide, and Egyptian officials have disputed that it was deliberate.

*In December 1997, Silk Air Flight 185 crashed in Indonesia, killing 104 people on board. Indonesian authorities weren't sure exactly what had happened, though US investigators suggested the captain may have switched off the flight recorders and caused the plane to dive — possibly after his co-pilot had left the cockpit. At the time of the crash, investigators noted, the pilot had been experiencing significant financial difficulties and had work-related problems.

Link: http://www.vox.com/2015/3/26/8294971/pilot-suicide-crash

And, what do we do to protect ourselves ??????

5

Changed my avatar-And how did the Romans Execute You?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

been meaning to do that for a while - and just saw an article in bar (see below) and thought - that's how i feel today (grin) i've had the flu for 2 weeks and feel really pissed off.. sunday before last, my friend visiting from china, calls up and says come to dinner tonite, meet me at darling harbour.

so did that, and even though we could've walked to the restaurant he'd selected in about 15 minutes, he decides (he's rather wealthy) we should take a water taxi to circular quay (for those who know sydney).

i protested, as i knew it was expensive - $70 for a 10 minute ride.we're no sooner in the boat, than it starts to rain like hell, and before the boatmaster could get the curtains down, i was soaked on one side.

fulltimestudent

Been meaning to do that for a while - and just saw an article in BAR (see below) and thought - that's how I feel today (grin) I've had the flu for 2 weeks and feel really pissed off.

Sunday before last, my friend visiting from China, calls up and says come to dinner tonite, meet me at Darling Harbour. So did that, and even though we could've walked to the restaurant he'd selected in about 15 minutes, he decides (he's rather wealthy) we should take a water taxi to Circular Quay (for those who know Sydney). I protested, as I knew it was expensive - $70 for a 10 minute ride.We're no sooner in the boat, than it starts to rain like hell, and before the boatmaster could get the curtains down, I was soaked on one side. Light clothing so was dry in one hour. Naturally, the high class restaurant was aircon, so by next day I knew I was going to have at least a cold.

Hence my feeling for the avatar.

OK! the article. Its not exactly new info, but its hard data on what appears to have been the style of execution of a young man by the Romans. Here's a part of the article from the Biblical Archeology Review:

Roman Crucifixion Methods Reveal the History of Crucifixion
Crucifixion in Antiquity
Biblical Archaeology Society Staff • 07/17/2011
What do we know about the history of crucifixion? In the following article, “New Analysis of the Crucified Man,” Hershel Shanks looks at evidence of Roman crucifixion methods as analyzed from the remains found in Jerusalem of a young man crucified in the first century A.D. The remains included a heel bone pierced by a large nail, giving archaeologists, osteologists and anthropologists evidence of crucifixion in antiquity.

Crucifixion in antiquity was a gruesome execution, not really understood until a skeletal discovery in the 1980s that gave new insight into the history of crucifixion. Photo: Courtesy Israel Exploration Journal, Vol. 35, No. 1 (1985)
What do these bones tell us about the history of crucifixion? The excavator of the crucified man, Vassilios Tzaferis, followed the analysis of Nico Haas of Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem suggesting Roman crucifixion methods: a contorted position: arms nailed to the crossbeam; legs bent, twisted to one side, and held in place by a single nail that passed through a wooden plaque, through both left and right heel bones, and then into the upright of the cross.
However, when Joseph Zias and Eliezer Sekeles reexamined the remains, looking for evidence of Roman crucifixion methods, they found no evidence that nails had penetrated the victim’s arms; moreover, the nail in the foot was not long enough to have penetrated the plaque, both feet, and the cross. And, indeed, what were previously thought to be fragments of two heel bones through which the nail passed were shown to be fragments of only one heel bone and a long bone. On the basis of this evidence, Zias and Sekeles suggest that the man’s legs straddled the cross and that his arms were tied to the crossbeam with ropes, signifying the method of crucifixion in antiquity.
Literary sources giving insight into the history of crucifixion indicate that Roman crucifixion methods had the condemned person carry to the execution site only the crossbar. Wood was scarce and the vertical pole was kept stationary and used repeatedly. Below, in “New Analysis of the Crucified Man,” Hershel Shanks concludes that crucifixion in antiquity involved death by asphyxiation, not death by nail piercing.

There's more, and it can be accessed at: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/crucifixion/roman-crucifixion-methods-reveal-the-history-of-crucifixion/?mqsc=E3792438&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=BHD+Daily%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=E5B326

You'll note that the author considers that the victim only had to carry the crossbar, and that therefore it was a cross-shaped instrument. So Freddy F was wrong on his insistence on a simple pole. The churches are likely wrong on what Jesus could have been carrying.

And finally, who says that the Romans were always consistent in their method of execution? And did it really matter?

7

Filling the parenting role - I need help

by Garrett in

hey guys, .

so, as you may know, i'm 21 and an older brother to an 12 year old boy.

our father was a severe drug addict that tried to kill my family.

fulltimestudent

Is professional assistance available to you in your country? A murder attempt by someone as close as his father is traumatic. I don't think most of us could handle the consequences of that experience.

One thing, even though his behaviour is frustrating - don't quarrel with him, it wont help, and will create barriers. Get the help he needs.

9

The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

i like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?

" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

fulltimestudent

Sorry, I stuffed the introduction in the first post, I meant to say the south coast is beautiful, but that I'd never thought of it as spiritual, unless you mean the scenery etc inspires you.

9

The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

i like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?

" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

fulltimestudent

The Global Times reports on the new temple:

Shaolin's first temple outside of China to be built in Australia
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-3-26 11:22:50Share on sinaweibohare on linkedinMore Sharing Service
After more than 1,500 years in existence, Dengfeng's revered Shaolin Temple is to soon start building its first international outpost in Australia.
The renowned Buddhist retreat and kung fu school have completed eight years of complex negotiations with local governments in New South Wales to establish a site for the new temple.
The 380 million Australian dollar ($296 million) resort will be constructed in pristine wilderness at Comberton Grange in Jervis Bay, 200 kilometers south of Sydney.
It will be centered on more than 2,000 hectares of purchased forest land which China's Shaolin Temple, currently led by abbot Shi Yongxin, paid 5 million Australian dollars ($3.9 million) for.
It will truly be a wilderness retreat with a glorious marine national park a few kilometers away.
The temple site resides in the Shoalhaven Shire, named after a majestic river which flows through the lush rural area.
The temple is fully supported by mayor Joanna Gash, who spoke to Xinhua at her office.
"Eight years ago the abbot came to the Shoalhaven," she said. " He was very taken with the spirituality of the land, the people here, the location and he had good visions as to what he could build here. It has taken eight years to today to come to fruition.
"His plan is certainly for a temple, a Shaolin temple, the first Shaolin temple to be built in Australia outside of China. It will have a kung fu academy, it will have a health and wellness center and it will also have a hotel as well. So there are many things to be built there, many things to attract people to come to the area. But basically we're very happy and delighted that we have been chosen to be the first temple outside of China in Australia."
It will be a center for cultural sharing as well as kung fu and well-being.
"Certainly the feature of the kung fu academy will be very much to the fore, but also the educational and wellness areas," mayor Gash said.
"The medicine, the wellness, you go can go to the temple, you can have a meal there, you can visit. Those are the sort of things people will be able to do. The cultural exchange for this area will be very beneficial. The Chinese people want to know about Australia and the Australian people want to know about the Chinese. And that's one of the things that we'll be very heavily promoting. "
"I think it will be a worldwide market. It's not just for our city here, it's a regional basis, it's an Australian basis and I'm quite sure it will be an international, worldwide basis as well."
In a region of high unemployment, the economic benefits will be a major positive. It is expected around 1,000 jobs will be available for the construction of the project alone.
"Certainly over and above the initial 380 million dollar development costs the estimates are around 65 million dollars per annum into the local economy, which is huge," said Steve Lawson, the local tourism chief.
Tourism is the second biggest money earner in the Shoalhaven Shire and employs 6,500 people. It is an area where lush mountains meet the sea across fields filled with dairy cows, and many people live there for its beauty, even if work is hard to find.
The temple resort will offer employment opportunities which fit into the lifestyle of the local community which is already geared to welcome tourists.
"The hotel itself is estimated to post some 90,000 people a year and that in itself is just part of the 300,000 people that it is estimated to visit the temple each year, and we'd like to extend an invitation to all of those people to come and experience Shoalhaven outside of the temple while they're here," Lawson said.
Besides extensive bushwalking tracks, Jervis Bay has much more to offer. It is renowned for its majestic marine beauty, crystal clear waters and beauty. It is a scuba diving haven as well.
"It is one of Australia's most pristine natural icons," said another tourism representative Catherine Shields.
"It is a world-famous heritage marine park. It has some the whitest sands in the world, some of the cleanest water and some of the most beautiful scenery. There's also wonderful pods of dolphins. People who visit the temple can go on whale watching cruises and they can see all the beautiful marine life on various cruise boat operators."
There have been local objections to the temple, as usual when something big and new is planned for small communities which resist change. The concerns were more about the development process than the actual project, but mayor Gash said the end result has been sound.
"There have been many millions of dollars going into the planning exercise for this project before we could even put a shovel into the ground. They have certainly done their homework, and it has taken years of planning."
That first shovel will soon begin digging to see a new era created in the 1,500 year old history of China's Shaolin Temple. And it will spread and share culture between two countries who have become firm friends.

Link: http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/914083.shtml

9

The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

i like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?

" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

fulltimestudent

And now (drum roll) something surprising, one of the most famous temples in China, will for the first time, build a temple outside China.

Where? The south coast of NSW, of course.

This is a section of the home Temple

You've probably guessed which temple now, yes, its the famous Shaolin Temple, which will be built just outside Nowra on the South coast of NSW.

9

The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

i like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?

" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

fulltimestudent

Not long after the building of the Nantian temple, Thai Buddhists began the construction of

Sunnataram Forest Monastery, Bundanoon NSW

https://www.facebook.com/SantiForestMonastery

9

The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

i like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?

" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

fulltimestudent

Its tolerant also. My Gay XJW friend went there with his new (male) partner about a year after the Jws kicked him out.

A Buddhist nun approached them and had a chat, asked about their relationship, and finding they were partners, gave them a blessing.

Not the only story like that. My friend, once introduced me to one of his friends who had lived a long time in Thailand. Beginning a relationship with a Thai man, they went to the guys home village. The local Buddhist Abbot spoke to them in the street and learning they were in a relationship, made arrangements for them to have a wedding ceremony in the temple.

9

The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

i like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?

" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.

fulltimestudent

I like the south coast of NSW, I was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?" I never ever thought of the south coast as beau

I've never ever thought of the south coast as beau

But, Buddhists somehow associate the area with "spirituality."

In Wollongong, not far south of Sydney, Taiwanese Buddhists built their Nantian (Southern heaven) Temple.

Its very popular, not only with the now large Asian Buddhist population that live in Sydney, but also with the locals who visit to see (I guess) something different to a humdrum church,

29

I'm bemused - Vladimir Putin as a Christian Warrior - Do Russians see him as a fighter for Jesus?

by fulltimestudent in

i accidentally came across this youtube video, "why the west fears putin.

" curious, i watched it.

you may find it interesting also.

fulltimestudent

DJS: But the 'little green men' firing high tech guided missiles and operating the other military equipment in E. Ukraine are not Ukrainians - they are a Russian trained and equipped assault force.

Not Ukrainians? May I ask who/what is a Ukrainian? You seem to be dismissive of the idea that a large proportion of the population may (most likely are) ethnic Russian.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BTW, I note some thoughts emanating from the American elite, regarding the effectiveness of the sanctions on Russia. George Friedman, is reputed to be close to American intelligence sources (though, I can't be sure that there is ONLY one American intelligence source-grin).

So, here's the link: https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/viewing-russia-inside

In this entry (dated December 2014) Friedman gives his impressions of a visit to Russia.

On the effect of sanctions, Friedman comments:

Russians' strength is that they can endure things that would break other nations. It was also pointed out that they tend to support the government regardless of competence when Russia feels threatened. Therefore, the Russians argued, no one should expect that sanctions, no matter how harsh, would cause Moscow to capitulate. Instead the Russians would respond with their own sanctions, which were not specified but which I assume would mean seizing the assets of Western companies in Russia and curtailing agricultural imports from Europe. There was no talk of cutting off natural gas supplies to Europe.
If this is so, then the Americans and Europeans are deluding themselves on the effects of sanctions. In general, I personally have little confidence in the use of sanctions. That being said, the Russians gave me another prism to look through. Sanctions reflect European and American thresholds of pain. They are designed to cause pain that the West could not withstand. Applied to others, the effects may vary.

On Ukraine he comments:

The Ukrainian Issue
There was much more toughness on Ukraine. There is acceptance that events in Ukraine were a reversal for Russia and resentment that the Obama administration mounted what Russians regard as a propaganda campaign to try to make it appear that Russia was the aggressor. Two points were regularly made. The first was that Crimea was historically part of Russia and that it was already dominated by the Russian military under treaty. There was no invasion but merely the assertion of reality. Second, there was heated insistence that eastern Ukraine is populated by Russians and that as in other countries, those Russians must be given a high degree of autonomy. One scholar pointed to the Canadian model and Quebec to show that the West normally has no problem with regional autonomy for ethnically different regions but is shocked that the Russians might want to practice a form of regionalism commonplace in the West.

Do the "Russians" understand the USA, Friedman seems to think they do, at least in some ways:

The discussion was over lunch, but my time was spent explaining and arguing, not eating. I found that I could hold my own geopolitically but that they had mastered the intricacies of the Obama administration in ways I never will.

Summing up:

I came away with two senses. One was that Putin was more secure than I thought. In the scheme of things, that does not mean much. Presidents come and go. But it is a reminder that things that would bring down a Western leader may leave a Russian leader untouched.
Second, the Russians do not plan a campaign of aggression. Here I am more troubled — not because they want to invade anyone, but because nations frequently are not aware of what is about to happen, and they might react in ways that will surprise them. That is the most dangerous thing about the situation. It is not what is intended, which seems genuinely benign. What is dangerous is the action that is unanticipated, both by others and by Russia.
At the same time, my general analysis remains intact. Whatever Russia might do elsewhere, Ukraine is of fundamental strategic importance to Russia. Even if the east received a degree of autonomy, Russia would remain deeply concerned about the relationship of the rest of Ukraine to the West. As difficult as this is for Westerners to fathom, Russian history is a tale of buffers. Buffer states save Russia from Western invaders. Russia wants an arrangement that leaves Ukraine at least neutral.

Kaik, may be correct in many of the things that he says, but what he says is often affected by emotion, an emotion which we may understand, but neglects similar emotions on the others.

fulltimestudent

Posts by fulltimestudent

Do the "Russians" understand the USA, Friedman seems to think they do, at least in some ways:

Summing up:

Kaik, may be correct in many of the things that he says, but what he says is often affected by emotion, an emotion which we may understand, but neglects similar emotions on the others.

The question for most of us is, do we just accept or do we try to understand. I wasted my life because I was too accepting.