quijote's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=quijote2002-12-21T08:42:36ZWouldn't it suck to be God's mom and not even get laid in the deal? (idea)http://everything2.com/user/quijote/writeups/Wouldn%2527t+it+suck+to+be+God%2527s+mom+and+not+even+get+laid+in+the+deal%253Fquijotehttp://everything2.com/user/quijote2002-12-21T08:42:36Z2002-12-21T08:42:36ZI'd like to add to <a href="/title/dead">dead</a>'s writeup in a non-agressive way, avoiding the tone of the <a href="/title/flame">flame</a>s he has apparently gotten in response. I'd specifically like to respond to the question and statement:
<blockquote><i> Did the <a href="/title/Virgin+Mary">Virgin Mary</a> seem to have hopes, wants, or dreams of her own, or was she just a convenient place to store God's kid? I realize that maybe this is symbolic of the ideal Christian relationship with God (<a href="/title/humility">humility</a>, <a href="/title/selflessness">selflessness</a>, <a href="/title/surrender">surrender</a>), but from the <a href="/title/humanist">humanist</a>'s perspective, it's absurd and insulting.</i></blockquote>
Here are some reflections on <a href="/title/Mary">Mary</a>'s <a href="/title/individuality">individuality</a>:
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<li><b>God <a href="/title/chose">chose</a> Mary for His Mother</b>: God could have appeared as Man from <a href="/title/thin+air">thin air</a> if he had chosen. He could have been born from man as <a href="/title/Athena">Athena</a> is born from the head of <a href="/title/Zeus">Zeus</a>. He could sprung up from the <a href="/title/earth">earth</a>. Any number of "storage places" were available, yet God chose a particular woman to be his home for <a href="/title/nine+months">nine months</a>. He chose this woman to raise him. He chose this woman to present<!-- close unclosed tag --></li><!-- close unclosed tag --></ul>…Greek vs Biblical views of creation (idea)http://everything2.com/user/quijote/writeups/Greek+vs+Biblical+views+of+creationquijotehttp://everything2.com/user/quijote2002-12-13T04:13:14Z2002-12-13T04:13:14ZThe <a href="/title/traditio">traditio</a>nal <a href="/title/Greek">Greek</a> account of <a href="/title/creation">creation</a> given in <a href="/title/Hesiod">Hesiod</a>’s <i><a href="/title/Theogony">Theogony</a></i> and <i><a href="/title/Works+and+Days">Works and Days</a></i> bears remarkable similarities to the account of creation given in <i><a href="/title/Genesis">Genesis</a></i>. One form of <a href="/title/Mesopotamia">Mesopotamia</a>n myth about the world’s beginnings, transformed by <a href="/title/Israel">Israel</a>ite <a href="/title/monotheism">monotheism</a>, appears in Genesis; another form, reshaped by Greek storytellers, appears in Hesiod. Given their common origin the similarities are not surprising; however even more interesting are the distinct views of the origins of the universe that each approach puts forth.
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In the <i>Theogony</i>, creation begins with <a href="/title/Chaos">Chaos</a> and according to <i>Genesis</i>, “the earth was a formless void.” However even though both stories begin the universe in an ambiguous formlessness, there are striking differences. Hesiod’s Chaos is a spontaneously created entity—in Athanassakis’ translation, her beginnings are in the passive voice, “Chaos was born first” (line 116). Chaos, like <a href="/title/Gaia">Gaia</a> who came into being after her, gives…felix culpa (idea)http://everything2.com/user/quijote/writeups/felix+culpaquijotehttp://everything2.com/user/quijote2002-10-25T14:54:44Z2002-10-25T14:54:44ZA beautiful <a href="/title/Latin">Latin</a> phrase meaning "<a href="/title/happy+fault">happy fault</a>." It refers to the original sin of <a href="/title/Adam">Adam</a>, which, while a fault, paved the way for greater blessings through <a href="/title/Christ">Christ</a>'s victory over <a href="/title/sin">sin</a>.
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"Where sin increased, <a href="/title/grace">grace</a> abounded all the more" (<a href="/title/Romans">Romans</a> 5:20).
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"There is nothing to prevent human nature's being rasied up to something greater, even after sin; <a href="/title/God">God</a> permits <a href="/title/evil">evil</a> in order to draw forth some greater good. Thus <a href="/title/St.+Paul">St. Paul</a> says, 'Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more'; and the <a href="/title/Exultet">Exultet</a> sings, 'O happy fault, . . . which gained for us so great <a href="/title/Redeemer">Redeemer</a>" (<a href="/title/St.+Thomas+Aquinas">St. Thomas Aquinas</a>, <i>Summa Theologiae</i> III, 1, 3, ad 3, cf. <a href="/title/Catechism+of+the+Catholic+Church">Catechism of the Catholic Church</a> par. 412).
</blockquote>Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary (idea)http://everything2.com/user/quijote/writeups/Mysteries+of+the+Most+Holy+Rosaryquijotehttp://everything2.com/user/quijote2002-10-22T11:07:25Z2002-10-22T11:07:25ZWhen praying the Holy <a href="/title/Rosary">Rosary</a>, Catholics meditate upon one of the mysteries of <a href="/title/Christianity">Christianity</a> for each of the five decades. There are in total twenty mysteries (fifteen of these have been prayed for many years; recently Pope <a href="/title/John+Paul+II">John Paul II</a> added five "<a href="/title/Luminous+Mysteries">Luminous Mysteries</a>," discussed in his document <i><a href="/title/Rosarium+Virginis+Mariae">Rosarium Virginis Mariae</a></i>. Each set of mysteries stresses a unique aspect of Christianity (whether it be the coming of the Messiah, the revelation of God, the Passion and Death, or the glorious way in which God conquered death). Each set of mysteries also mirrors a season in the liturgical calendar, which is based upon the life of Christ.<br><br>
<blockquote><i><a href="/title/Hail+Holy+Queen">Hail Holy Queen</a>, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, poor banished children of <a href="/title/Eve">Eve</a>, to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, O most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb,<!-- close unclosed tag --></i><!-- close unclosed tag --></blockquote>…R (idea)http://everything2.com/user/quijote/writeups/Rquijotehttp://everything2.com/user/quijote2002-09-06T00:48:36Z2002-09-06T00:48:36Z<b>R</b> is used to designate the <a href="/title/universal+gas+constant">universal gas constant</a>. E.g. in the <a href="/title/ideal+gas+law">ideal gas law</a>: PV = nRT. P is <a href="/title/pressure">pressure</a>, V is <a href="/title/volume">volume</a>, n is number of <a href="/title/mole">mole</a>s of gas, T is <a href="/title/temperature">temperature</a>, and R is 8.3145 J/mol-K = 0.0831454 L-bar/mol-K = 0.082058 L-atm/mol-k. The value of R is experimentally determined in the "<a href="/title/ideal-gas+range">ideal-gas range</a>" (low pressure, high volume).
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As a side note, R is always given per mole. If divided by <a href="/title/Avogradro%2527s+Number">Avogradro's Number</a> to make it per molecule, it becomes the <a href="/title/Boltzmann+constant">Boltzmann constant</a> = 1.38066e-23 J/K.Two Envelope Paradox (idea)http://everything2.com/user/quijote/writeups/Two+Envelope+Paradoxquijotehttp://everything2.com/user/quijote2002-07-24T04:30:12Z2002-07-24T04:30:12ZThis "<a href="/title/paradox">paradox</a>" can be solved can be solved with some easy <a href="/title/probability">probability</a> <a href="/title/calculation">calculation</a>s. Taking the case of an <a href="/title/envelope">envelope</a> with $100, and a second envelope with either $50 or $200:<br><br>
You start with $100. If you switch, you have probability 0.5 of going to 50, and 0.5 of going to $200, so a net "gain" of $25. Simple. But can you win by switching again? No! :-). You know for <b>certain</b> that whether you went to $50 or $200, the first envelope contains $100. So you <a href="/title/oscillate">oscillate</a>, by switching over and over again, between a certain $100 and a 50/50 chance of $50 or $200. It is only worthwhile switching once; switching a second time (or any even number of times) is not a smart move.<br><br>
<a href="/title/Now+consider+the+case">Now consider the case</a> of two envelopes, one with $N and the other with $2N. You don't know which one you get at first, so it it worth switching? Call what you have in the first envelope $M (which is either $N or $2N). There is probability 0.5 that $M is $N, and probability 0.5 that $M is $2N. So $M =…