What to tell your kids?
Ok, so my 5 year old has been asking about death lately. Asking if our dog, 15 years old, is going to die soon. Wanted to know if I was going to die. Wanted to know what happens after you die and why.
/sigh.
I'd honestly rather give him 'the talk', than talk about death with him.
I'm wiccan, so my beleif of the afterlife differs than that of my ex, hell, it differs than that of my whole family. I don't want to totally ignore my beleifs, nor do I want to ignore my families beleifs. So, I gave him all the different theories on it. Let him know some people think you'll go to heaven, some think you'll get reincarnated (try explaining reincarnation to a 5 year old), some think you'll become a spirit that stays on earth, and so on.
When he asked if our dog or myself would die, I told him everyone does. /sigh. Was that wrong of me to say? The way I worded it was, "Everyone dies, it's a part of life, just like being born and growing up is. Don't think of the dying part, that might make ya too sad, instead think of the now part."
He asked if we can see people once they're dead. I told him, in our dreams we can.
ugh.
I don't want to scar the poor boy. I hardly thought my 5 year old would be asking about death, and he totally caught me off gaurd.
So, I come to you now, what would you tell your child(ren)?
ssoulz
21 years ago
all the proper expressions and well worded sentences isn't going to change it.
Guest
21 years ago
Hebrew 11:1
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.
You see what the wind does no? You may not see the wind, but you see what it stirs.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.
You see what the wind does no? You may not see the wind, but you see what it stirs.
Anulien
21 years ago
The scientific or philosophical defintions of artifical intelligence has not been created. All we have created are semi advanced linked lists of responses to events as well as association and learned behaviour through repetition. Unfortuntely for you AI is an area of science I spend what little extra time I have and is the sole purpose I learned Objective C++ for its late binding properties and the ability to rebuild itself through extended objects since recreating and revaluating ones self is a requirement for AI.
I guess arguing areas of science you don't participate in can be considered seeking truths. I just call it being wrong however.
It's sad really.
ssoulz
Your comment on artificial intelligence made me laugh a little, saying we have invented something we have not tells me we you have no understanding of the examples you are trying to use for creation.
artificial intelligence has been created but that is ofcourse another discussion. even if neither of us could prove whether artificial intelligence is real or not... i could just use your argument of faith and say that it has because i believe it.
faith isn't anything but you accepting you don't know the answer and it prohibits you from further seeking truths.
it's sad really.
The scientific or philosophical defintions of artifical intelligence has not been created. All we have created are semi advanced linked lists of responses to events as well as association and learned behaviour through repetition. Unfortuntely for you AI is an area of science I spend what little extra time I have and is the sole purpose I learned Objective C++ for its late binding properties and the ability to rebuild itself through extended objects since recreating and revaluating ones self is a requirement for AI.
I guess arguing areas of science you don't participate in can be considered seeking truths. I just call it being wrong however.
It's sad really.
ssoulz
21 years ago
all the hooplah means nothing dude. we both know c++ is a pretty shitty language to do anything in because the compiling tools blow. aside from that... do you really expect me to take some wanna be hacker as the foremost expert on AI?
come on dude, you gotta do better than that.
come on dude, you gotta do better than that.
Gilae
21 years ago
Uh oh...Anu layed down the "I'm a genius" card.
And Ssoulz layed down the "hooplah" card!
And Ssoulz layed down the "hooplah" card!
Anulien
21 years ago
Tossing out the computing blanket statements again? The only reason C++ would be 'shitty' is object interactions which specifically is what it was written for. Pre C++ we used objects in C by creating linked lists to functions. Public and private variables and functions were left to the programmer to manage. C++ extended the object functionality providing strict methods for object interaction. But since 'we both know C++' we both know i was talking about Objective C++ and not C++ in my above post which completely changes object interaction and creates methods to allow for late binding types at pre process.
The compiling tools blow? I haven't had any issues with compiling tools since Stallman released GNU only a few years after I was born. Not to mention most of the applications used today are written either C or C++ and that includes the operating system you are using at this very moment. If that reflects a language that is shitty to do anything in I can't wait till a good language is released!
Foremost expert in AI? No. Again the words in the mouth ssoulz, gotta watch that. It is an area of science I actively participate in, no I Robot invloved.
ssoulz
all the hooplah means nothing dude. we both know c++ is a pretty shitty language to do anything in because the compiling tools blow. aside from that... do you really expect me to take some wanna be hacker as the foremost expert on AI?
come on dude, you gotta do better than that.
Tossing out the computing blanket statements again? The only reason C++ would be 'shitty' is object interactions which specifically is what it was written for. Pre C++ we used objects in C by creating linked lists to functions. Public and private variables and functions were left to the programmer to manage. C++ extended the object functionality providing strict methods for object interaction. But since 'we both know C++' we both know i was talking about Objective C++ and not C++ in my above post which completely changes object interaction and creates methods to allow for late binding types at pre process.
The compiling tools blow? I haven't had any issues with compiling tools since Stallman released GNU only a few years after I was born. Not to mention most of the applications used today are written either C or C++ and that includes the operating system you are using at this very moment. If that reflects a language that is shitty to do anything in I can't wait till a good language is released!
Foremost expert in AI? No. Again the words in the mouth ssoulz, gotta watch that. It is an area of science I actively participate in, no I Robot invloved.
ssoulz
21 years ago
still all the hooplah. this is a stupid discussion kinda like which is better emacs or vi. it could go on forever and i could pull out all kinda of discussions on c, c++, and all it's evolved dialects so to speak yet this wouldn't futher the discussion one bit.
you wanted to befuddle and try to intimidate by using your leet programming buzzwords and such but it's all irrelevant. if you knew anything more than the common programmer about AI, i seriously doubt you would have any free time let alone time to play EQ and furthermore help lead a guild.
you can't intimdate me with the hooplah dude.
back on topic since i seemed help derail it pretty well.
what is it that YOU told your child or any youngster you had influence over about religion or any other tough subjects.
Tossing out the computing blanket statements again? The only reason C++ would be 'shitty' is object interactions which specifically is what it was written for. Pre C++ we used objects in C by creating linked lists to functions. Public and private variables and functions were left to the programmer to manage. C++ extended the object functionality providing strict methods for object interaction. But since 'we both know C++' we both know i was talking about Objective C++ and not C++ in my above post which completely changes object interaction and creates methods to allow for late binding types at pre process.
The compiling tools blow? I haven't had any issues with compiling tools since Stallman released GNU only a few years after I was born. Not to mention most of the applications used today are written either C or C++ and that includes the operating system you are using at this very moment. If that reflects a language that is shitty to do anything in I can't wait till a good language is released!
still all the hooplah. this is a stupid discussion kinda like which is better emacs or vi. it could go on forever and i could pull out all kinda of discussions on c, c++, and all it's evolved dialects so to speak yet this wouldn't futher the discussion one bit.
you wanted to befuddle and try to intimidate by using your leet programming buzzwords and such but it's all irrelevant. if you knew anything more than the common programmer about AI, i seriously doubt you would have any free time let alone time to play EQ and furthermore help lead a guild.
you can't intimdate me with the hooplah dude.
back on topic since i seemed help derail it pretty well.
what is it that YOU told your child or any youngster you had influence over about religion or any other tough subjects.
Anulien
21 years ago
Correct, it would be pointless to have this discussion with me as you do not have the knowledge or experience to argue anything programming related. Your analogy with C/C++ to Vi/Emacs shows that, as C programmers know there is a time and place for each of the derivatives where as Vi/Emacs editors is purely preference. AI is the time and place for Objective C.
There is no need to befuddle anyone about my leet programming buzzwords (standard vocabulary in programming). Programming is not something most understand and/or do and that would include you. I luckily get paid to do programming and R&D, the time off work is the time I help lead a guild.
Does everything come down to imitadation with you? dude? I am only poking fun with you since you tried to argue into programming which is something I take great pride in doing and have extremely vast knowledge of.
ssoulz
still all the hooplah. this is a stupid discussion kinda like which is better emacs or vi. it could go on forever and i could pull out all kinda of discussions on c, c++, and all it's evolved dialects so to speak yet this wouldn't futher the discussion one bit.
Correct, it would be pointless to have this discussion with me as you do not have the knowledge or experience to argue anything programming related. Your analogy with C/C++ to Vi/Emacs shows that, as C programmers know there is a time and place for each of the derivatives where as Vi/Emacs editors is purely preference. AI is the time and place for Objective C.
ssoulz
you wanted to befuddle and try to intimidate by using your leet programming buzzwords and such but it's all irrelevant. if you knew anything more than the common programmer about AI, i seriously doubt you would have any free time let alone time to play EQ and furthermore help lead a guild.
There is no need to befuddle anyone about my leet programming buzzwords (standard vocabulary in programming). Programming is not something most understand and/or do and that would include you. I luckily get paid to do programming and R&D, the time off work is the time I help lead a guild.
ssoulz
you can't intimdate me with the hooplah dude.
Does everything come down to imitadation with you? dude? I am only poking fun with you since you tried to argue into programming which is something I take great pride in doing and have extremely vast knowledge of.
ssoulz
21 years ago
more hooplah. you just proved my vi / emacs analogy by calling yourself a C programmer instead of a programmer. thanks... but i guess you are going to play semantics and say how i put words in your mouth.
admittedly i know a small percentage of what you know about programming but i'm not completely ignorant on the topic. i also know that just because you dabble in the AI concept and don't have the knowledge or experience with the tools that would be needed to create AI, and because you believe yourself to be supremely intelligent so you must obviously know if it has been created, doesn't mean you do or would.
i do however know enough about the military and military projects and security that unless your classification rating is high enough, you could be in the same building as the project and never know that such a project has been completed. not saying it has or hasn't and not being mysterious because i no longer have any security clearance. however you simply saying it hasn't been created to counter my statement that it has then trying to back it up with your hardly expert technical experience is as laughable as any attempt i would try to take to prove AI is a reality.
but you entirely missed the point in all your technical hooplah. go back to the beginning of our discussion and try to figure it out so you can feel brilliant because if i told you the point in my leading this discussion down this path, you would probably start worshipping me for having the wit to use your supreme intellect to further my point.
Correct, it would be pointless to have this discussion with me as you do not have the knowledge or experience to argue anything programming related. Your analogy with C/C++ to Vi/Emacs shows that, as C programmers know there is a time and place for each of the derivatives where as Vi/Emacs editors is purely preference. AI is the time and place for Objective C.
more hooplah. you just proved my vi / emacs analogy by calling yourself a C programmer instead of a programmer. thanks... but i guess you are going to play semantics and say how i put words in your mouth.
admittedly i know a small percentage of what you know about programming but i'm not completely ignorant on the topic. i also know that just because you dabble in the AI concept and don't have the knowledge or experience with the tools that would be needed to create AI, and because you believe yourself to be supremely intelligent so you must obviously know if it has been created, doesn't mean you do or would.
i do however know enough about the military and military projects and security that unless your classification rating is high enough, you could be in the same building as the project and never know that such a project has been completed. not saying it has or hasn't and not being mysterious because i no longer have any security clearance. however you simply saying it hasn't been created to counter my statement that it has then trying to back it up with your hardly expert technical experience is as laughable as any attempt i would try to take to prove AI is a reality.
but you entirely missed the point in all your technical hooplah. go back to the beginning of our discussion and try to figure it out so you can feel brilliant because if i told you the point in my leading this discussion down this path, you would probably start worshipping me for having the wit to use your supreme intellect to further my point.
Rikr
21 years ago
:roll:
ssoulz
you just proved my vi / emacs analogy by calling yourself a C programmer instead of a programmer.
:roll:
Gilae
21 years ago
...if he isn't, he's a damn good faker.
As a side note, even though you're both being pretty good imo, just another reminder to be careful this doesn't degenerate into flaming. :)
I think we should give this thread the Angry Crayon Derail of the Month award!
Ssoulz
and because you believe yourself to be supremely intelligent
...if he isn't, he's a damn good faker.
As a side note, even though you're both being pretty good imo, just another reminder to be careful this doesn't degenerate into flaming. :)
I think we should give this thread the Angry Crayon Derail of the Month award!
Anulien
21 years ago
Again comparing the preference of a text editor to using a C language based on requirements of an application is not a proper analogy. Once again your poor understanding of technology leading you to incorrect assumptions.
It is obvious in your typing you know little to nothing about computing and programming. You are even a self admitted pretend admin hardly qualified for the job. Supermely intelligent? However you're attempting to compare my mass amount of knowledge on specific subjects to your general understanding. That would defintely make me supremely intelligent by comparisson.
Your poor attempt at comparing God's creation of man to man's creation of AI is extremely laughable. It was a poor path for you to "lead" this discussion towards as it just shows you are willing to argue things you know nothing about just to argue. IE programming.
It's sad really.
ssoulz
more hooplah. you just proved my vi / emacs analogy by calling yourself a C programmer instead of a programmer. thanks... but i guess you are going to play semantics and say how i put words in your mouth.
Again comparing the preference of a text editor to using a C language based on requirements of an application is not a proper analogy. Once again your poor understanding of technology leading you to incorrect assumptions.
ssoulz
admittedly i know a small percentage of what you know about programming but i'm not completely ignorant on the topic. i also know that just because you dabble in the AI concept and don't have the knowledge or experience with the tools that would be needed to create AI, and because you believe yourself to be supremely intelligent so you must obviously know if it has been created, doesn't mean you do or would.
It is obvious in your typing you know little to nothing about computing and programming. You are even a self admitted pretend admin hardly qualified for the job. Supermely intelligent? However you're attempting to compare my mass amount of knowledge on specific subjects to your general understanding. That would defintely make me supremely intelligent by comparisson.
ssoulz
but you entirely missed the point in all your technical hooplah. go back to the beginning of our discussion and try to figure it out so you can feel brilliant because if i told you the point in my leading this discussion down this path, you would probably start worshipping me for having the wit to use your supreme intellect to further my point.
Your poor attempt at comparing God's creation of man to man's creation of AI is extremely laughable. It was a poor path for you to "lead" this discussion towards as it just shows you are willing to argue things you know nothing about just to argue. IE programming.
It's sad really.
Anulien
21 years ago
It's not really a derail, he is trying to use AI as an example of something man has created. He is also trying to use military top secret 'hooplah' conspiracy theory to discredit knowing if man has created AI or not as comparisson to knowing if God has created man. Ssoulz likes relying on doubts and uncertainty since he cannot accept faith in anything. However living by science is nothing short of sad considering science is based on disproving everything till you find truth and then disproving truth to find flaws.
Gilae
I think we should give this thread the Angry Crayon Derail of the Month award!
It's not really a derail, he is trying to use AI as an example of something man has created. He is also trying to use military top secret 'hooplah' conspiracy theory to discredit knowing if man has created AI or not as comparisson to knowing if God has created man. Ssoulz likes relying on doubts and uncertainty since he cannot accept faith in anything. However living by science is nothing short of sad considering science is based on disproving everything till you find truth and then disproving truth to find flaws.
Anulien
21 years ago
It's sad really.
I just can't use that enough now. Thanks ssoulz.
I just can't use that enough now. Thanks ssoulz.
Gilae
21 years ago
Um...then would you buy Angry Crayon's Multi-faceted Discussion Award?
There have been many seemingly unrelated, yet somehow related topics of conversation in this thread. I've enjoyed it however...enough to discuss it with my husband who had of course his own viewpoints on it all. So there I was, talking about a forum discussion irl.
It's sad really.
There have been many seemingly unrelated, yet somehow related topics of conversation in this thread. I've enjoyed it however...enough to discuss it with my husband who had of course his own viewpoints on it all. So there I was, talking about a forum discussion irl.
It's sad really.
Verileah
21 years ago
What's amazing to me is that this discussion has gone on 5 pages without anyone calling anyone else either Hitler or a Nazi.
ssoulz
21 years ago
again your supreme intelligence has failed you. you do realize there are other languages than C?
/gasp
even inside a platform developed completely in C or a derivative there are other languages that can and should be used that better take advantage of available resources which better accomplish the desired goals.
how is that for a poor understanding of technology?
i stopped reading that paragraph right there. if you can't see that my type style is this way for a purpose not due to any lack of typing and grammar ability... you definately aren't as bright as i thought.
nah you still didn't get it. your getting there but your conclusions are all off.
try again, oh so bright one.
Again comparing the preference of a text editor to using a C language based on requirements of an application is not a proper analogy. Once again your poor understanding of technology leading you to incorrect assumptions.
again your supreme intelligence has failed you. you do realize there are other languages than C?
/gasp
even inside a platform developed completely in C or a derivative there are other languages that can and should be used that better take advantage of available resources which better accomplish the desired goals.
how is that for a poor understanding of technology?
It is obvious in your typing you know little to nothing about computing and programming.
i stopped reading that paragraph right there. if you can't see that my type style is this way for a purpose not due to any lack of typing and grammar ability... you definately aren't as bright as i thought.
Your poor attempt at comparing God's creation of man to man's creation of AI is extremely laughable. It was a poor path for you to "lead" this discussion towards as it just shows you are willing to argue things you know nothing about just to argue. IE programming.
nah you still didn't get it. your getting there but your conclusions are all off.
try again, oh so bright one.
ssoulz
21 years ago
your=you're
i probably made more spelling errors but i figure i better proof read before anulien pulls out the spelling and grammar card again
maybe i should concentrate on puncuation, sentence fragments, and capitalization also.
i probably made more spelling errors but i figure i better proof read before anulien pulls out the spelling and grammar card again
maybe i should concentrate on puncuation, sentence fragments, and capitalization also.
ssoulz
21 years ago
/gasp i meant punctuation.
ROzbeans
21 years ago
Veri jinxed it. :-o Actually Catherine asked me the other day to explain what God was. She always asks me these questions in the car. I really didnt know what to say without having to go into the whole speech about christianty and parting the red sea. We did discuss that God lived up in the sky with the spirits. One of her favorite movies is 'Brother Bear' and it's about the natural progression of life and death and how everything living in the world goes up into the sky to live with the spirits. Man, bear, fish...all of it. So she understands that things are born and they die and to her death means going up into the stars with the spirits.
So a couple weeks ago we saw the northern lights for the first time. She jumped up into the window and she squealed, 'Its the spirits, mommy!'. I love disney. I mean besides the fact that they're cute movies, they've taken a step into teaching real things to kids so they can understand it on their level. Plus they help parents like me who honestly doesn't know where to start. Am I raising my child on disney? No.
Personally I dont believe in strict religion like catholicism or uber 'christianty'. I think there's something out there and no, God did not create the world in 7 days. I'm agnostic, I guess with christian beliefs but I dont go to church and dont read the gospel. My brother does and is very religious. That's great, it helps him with his path in life. People use religion and faith to give them structure. I believe in Darwinism. Which is to say:
Evolution as such. This is the theory that the world is not constant or recently created nor perpetually cycling, but rather is steadily changing, and that organisms are transformed in time.
Common descent. This is the theory that every group of organisms descended from a common ancestor, and that all groups of organisms, including animals, plants, and microorganisms, ultimately go back to a single origin of life on earth.
Multiplication of species. This theory explains the origin of the enormous organic diversity. It postulates that species multiply, either by splitting into daughter species or by "budding", that is, by the establishment of geographically isloated founder populations that evolve into new species.
Gradualism. According to this theory, evolutionary change takes place through the gradual change of populations and not by the sudden (saltational) production of new individuals that represent a new type.
Natural selection. According to this theory, evolutionary change comes about throught the abundant production of genetic variation in every generation. The relatively few individuals who survive, owing to a particularly well-adapted combination of inheritable characters, give rise to the next generation.
That was taken from a site talking about Darwinism. Particularly "...the world is not constant or recently created nor perpetually cycling, but rather is steadily changing..." strikes a cord with me. And yes, I believe in aliens. =)
Verileah
What's amazing to me is that this discussion has gone on 5 pages without anyone calling anyone else either Hitler or a Nazi.
Veri jinxed it. :-o Actually Catherine asked me the other day to explain what God was. She always asks me these questions in the car. I really didnt know what to say without having to go into the whole speech about christianty and parting the red sea. We did discuss that God lived up in the sky with the spirits. One of her favorite movies is 'Brother Bear' and it's about the natural progression of life and death and how everything living in the world goes up into the sky to live with the spirits. Man, bear, fish...all of it. So she understands that things are born and they die and to her death means going up into the stars with the spirits.
So a couple weeks ago we saw the northern lights for the first time. She jumped up into the window and she squealed, 'Its the spirits, mommy!'. I love disney. I mean besides the fact that they're cute movies, they've taken a step into teaching real things to kids so they can understand it on their level. Plus they help parents like me who honestly doesn't know where to start. Am I raising my child on disney? No.
Personally I dont believe in strict religion like catholicism or uber 'christianty'. I think there's something out there and no, God did not create the world in 7 days. I'm agnostic, I guess with christian beliefs but I dont go to church and dont read the gospel. My brother does and is very religious. That's great, it helps him with his path in life. People use religion and faith to give them structure. I believe in Darwinism. Which is to say:
Evolution as such. This is the theory that the world is not constant or recently created nor perpetually cycling, but rather is steadily changing, and that organisms are transformed in time.
Common descent. This is the theory that every group of organisms descended from a common ancestor, and that all groups of organisms, including animals, plants, and microorganisms, ultimately go back to a single origin of life on earth.
Multiplication of species. This theory explains the origin of the enormous organic diversity. It postulates that species multiply, either by splitting into daughter species or by "budding", that is, by the establishment of geographically isloated founder populations that evolve into new species.
Gradualism. According to this theory, evolutionary change takes place through the gradual change of populations and not by the sudden (saltational) production of new individuals that represent a new type.
Natural selection. According to this theory, evolutionary change comes about throught the abundant production of genetic variation in every generation. The relatively few individuals who survive, owing to a particularly well-adapted combination of inheritable characters, give rise to the next generation.
That was taken from a site talking about Darwinism. Particularly "...the world is not constant or recently created nor perpetually cycling, but rather is steadily changing..." strikes a cord with me. And yes, I believe in aliens. =)