Patricius Maximus

pagenotfound: It is a turbine. Although that loop ramp on the right is unnecessary. I am sure that traffic flow will be efficient.

What I can't abide are people who have such a narrow-minded view of life as to discount all other views. Yes, there is an absolute truth in the world. Yes, there is one correct answer. But I've got news for you - nobody knows it. And we all try to find it out in our own way, but none of us are ever going to get there. And it's improper for one person to try to force their ideas on another, unless they have a really good reason. And so far, I haven't seen either side of the religious debate give a good reason for causing this whole mess.quote> I agree with that. I don't attempt to force other people to accept my ideologies. I respect people's right to have their own beliefs. What we can do is present our beliefs and reasons for them, and evaluate other people's beliefs and ideas. What needs to happen is we all just have to sit back, and chill out. And we really have to stop hating each other, because that's getting old.quote> I'm an atheist. But I don't hate religious people just because they follow a religion. What I do hate is religious people trying to force you to adopt their ideas, and vice versa. Now, I don't care how much you revere scientists, they are, before their lab coats, beakers, and equations, human beings. Human beings are greedy, jealous, and stubborn. Nobody wants to admit they are wrong, and when you base your entire career on being right - like scientists- that is even more true.quote> That is why there is more than one scientist. One scientists discovers something, and may have complete faith in it. However, others don't, and as such evaluate the validity of different hypotheses. That is how it works. Also, since we cannot consult anything superior to Humans for knowledge, we have to do the best we can ourselves to discover the secrets of the Universe. Faith is a religious conceptquote> Actually it is not. The vice versa is true. Faith is complete belief in something with or without evidence. Religion is faith in the supernatural without evidence. Lets just cool down and let this tread die, before ST rips apart, over Religion, Creationism vs. Evolution, and other topics...quote> That is why the Current Events forum was originally an experiment. An experiment to see if people can discuss political and religious issues civilly and without breaking ST apart. And the experiment succeeded. Members can be civil, and for the most part they have been. - Patricius Maximus

THE DEVELOPER LEAVES AND A NEW AREA IN HANGING CLIFF REPLIES: bluemoose: Thanks. They sure do. un1: Thank you. Schulmanator: Thanks again! Theirishnintendonerd: Thank you. Glad you like it. deathtopumpkins: Thanks. I'm sure Sedimenjerry will enjoy it, once the owner gives him the keys. psander5: I'm glad you're looking forward to it. I have a few things planned. Rictiovarus: It does seem so. Franklin Metro is really taking off. sedimenjerry: 1) I'm sure DTP will come to a pool party if he's not too busy in Virgin Shores . 2) I didn't even notice it! Furthur issues will have the correct date on them. 3) They're not chilly to me. But then Canada has a colder climate than the American South . crazyarchitect: I thought so. And I see that you have LIH in your sig. It's nice to have a few private enterprises here . Apparently this morning there was a minor site outage. If there was not, then this update would have been up 6 hours earlier and the newspaper in the afternoon. However, the newspaper will be in tomorrow's update and will contain the speech at ZaZa. Also, there is a newspaper in Virgin Shores -- Virgin Shores Daily News. It has a section for Franklin County news, and I find it most interesting . The keys have been handed over at ZaZa Inn today, and the real estate developer has made his farewell speech. Historians will not fail to recognize his contributions he made to the growth of Franklin County. Meanwhile, in the eastern part of Hanging Cliff, a new area has been prepared for development with a new interchange and retaining walls. Here is the interchange: It is a classic diamond with unusual sloping. Lastly, here is a view of the entire area. Retaining walls have been placed to seperate the area from the river created by the previous earthquake: That's all for now. Feel free to post any comments, suggestions, or questions.

That is good. I am looking forward to seeing the new plan executed in the next update. Patricius Maximus, Head of the Department of Transportation

This thread is for debate about the 2006 IAU definition of "planet", the status of Pluto, and other related topics. Here is the actual defintion as adopted by the IAU: (1) A planet [1] is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and © has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. (2) A "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape [2], © has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite. (3) All other objects [3], except satellites, orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar System Bodies.quote> For reference, here is the original draft definition. I find this one more logical and personally use it: A planet is a celestial body that (a) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither a star nor a satellite of a planet.quote> As per the Current Events Rules, keep it civil and do not personally attack other members. - Patricius Maximus

I was unaware of it's existence. If a moderator/administrator wishes to lock this thread please do so.

sedimenjerry: Read the Current Events Rules. Also, I have started a new thread for the Pluto/IAU debate. Please move any discussion about that issue over there. This thread is Creationism vs. Evolution, not IAU supporters vs. Pluto Rebels. - Patricius Maximus

If the Mayor is unwilling to use Eminent Domain, then the Department of Transportation has no problem with conventional intersections. We are simply trying to make traffic flow more efficient, and we thought roundabouts would be the best solution. Ah, there are no more intersections. Then just terminate it at the end of the commercial development. I was referring to the article text, not the headings of the newspaper. And I have no problem with stealing; *ahem* borrowing ideas from my CJ. Just give me credit for it. You can use your own judgement on the roundabouts. Also, I think you need to update the topic summary. It still says Update 11! I'll be looking for the next update and more newspapers . Patricius Maximus, Head of the Department of Transportation

The Department of Transportation has a plan on how to deal with the congested areas. For the congested residential areas near CrazyArchitect Corner, it is this: The purple lines are to be upgraded to a Full Road. The eastward extension is to proceed along this route: The upgrade is to be terminated at the next intersection. For the congestion near the industrial area, this is the DOT's plan: The avenue roundabouts are to be done like this one from Franklin County: The update looks good. I like the port extension. If new oil is discovered in Franklin or Uniden, the pier will be able to accomodate it. I like the Virgin Shores daily news. It looks like a good paper. I see that the font is Times New Roman for the paper here. Franklin Chronicles uses Trebuchet MS, but both look good. I like the Franklin column. It's interesting to see your CJ in such a perspective. I'm looking forward to the next update. Patricius Maximus, Head of the Department of Transportation.

So, how many planets do we have then?quote> Currently about 57 total. One of the arguments for the IAU definition is "we can't teach our children the names of hundreds of planets". Well, there could be a threshhold for the curriculum, such as only teaching the ones larger than Pluto first. But the definition of planet is supposed to be a scientific one, not an educational one. How many planets do you think we have?

First of all, you may have a lot of faith in science, but don't be too secure. Everything we thought was true about science - science gained through empiricism and the like - has been overturned on more than one occasion. So never accept it as pure fact, because that is one of the major reasons that Galileo had his little issue. After all, anti-heliocentrism isn't Judeo-Christianism; it's Aristotelean philosophy. However, the accepted scientific order only believed one thing (it's actually more coincidental that the church was involved, it's simply because they were the major scientific body at the time). Scientists have never wanted to know that everything they thought was true is wrong (remember the ulcer scandel?) I'm not saying science is sheker, but try not to be too, well, religious about your science.quote> I do not accept theories as fact until they have been proven beyond a doubt. We know for a fact that the Earth orbits the Sun. It has been proven on countless occasions. 90% of mainstream Science is theory. I have a problem myself with people, even scientists, acting on a theory as if it was a fact. A theory is a hypothesis that is backed up by facts. A theory can be correct, depending on how many facts support it. And remember what Science actually is: Science is the persuit of greater knowledge by verifiable experiments. The question is: Pluto is a planet or a Kuiper Belt Object? In composition, size and orbit it's exactly like a KBO, and if we have to class all the KBO bigger than Pluto as planets, we'll never end.quote> Pluto is a planet. I don't care what the IAU states. Any Kuiper Belt Object or Asteroid Belt Object that is in hydrostatic equilibrium is a planet under my definition. Pluto is a Kuiper Belt Object. It is spherical as well. Therefore it is a planet. Just like Eris, Sedna, Orcus, Makemake, and others. Also, having no end to new planets is better than having an exclusive body giving a dogmatic and illogical definition. After all, "clearing the neighbourhood" is a subjective description. Who decides what that means? The IAU does. So, it is not an objective and scientific definiton. Why should Earth be part of a dogmatic and special club? We should have a definition of planet that can be used objectively and that proves scientifically whether or not an object is a planet without appealing to a subjective body. The IAU, in that instance, would be no different than the Medieval Church and as such would hinder Science -- the persuit of greater knowledge via verifiable experiments. - Patricius Maximus

A TOUR OF SR-40 AND SR-25 REPLIES: dfvna: 1) I thought so myself. 2) Patian County has their exit tabs on the left for right or left exits. The logic behind that is if they are placed on the left, then they can read the signs faster, as people read left to right. 3) I'm planning more tours when more freeways and expressways are built. sedimenjerry: 1) Well, that is the classifications. Something that might help is looking up the terms on Wikipedia. 2) Looks almost exactly like mine. The transit planners must think a roundabout is a good way to end a freeway, as I do. deathtopumpkins: 1) Ah. I see it now. 2) Well, you said that I inspired your freeways. 3) Correct. The region does not distinguish between ramps on the same interchange. 4) Not to my knowledge. I thought of it independently, as I explained above. 5) Actually, I used the Delaware heralds, but the Virginia ones look the same. 6) It is the region's standard to not have exit plaques at the terminating side of a freeway. RushHourFreak: Thank you. Most of the planning was long-term. If you lay down freeways (especially RHW ones) before the area develops, it usually works. Another factor is experience. Once you know about your region's traffic patterns, you can build capacity accordingly. Schulmanator: Thanks. Perhaps you should have gone on 409 North instead of South . I am going to give another tour of roads in the Adamsburg area. It has developed a lot since the last update, and this region view is only 2 days old, but it has developed a lot since then. The new development will be shown in the next update. I was expecting a positive response, but not like this one. I'm glad you all like the tours. Today we'll tour one freeway and one expressway. The freeway is SR-40 and the expressway is SR-25, which was recently constructed. The direction we are travelling will be at the top of the picture. We'll start with SR-25, the Adamsburg Expressway. As it is an expressway, and not a freeway, it has multiple at-grade intersections, but is designed for higher capacity and speed than a regular road. The northern terminus is here, and this is where SR-25 begins: Furthur down, we come to an intersection with City Route 10, and the first sign assembly: There is a right turn ramp off of City Route 10, and here is a picture showcasing it. It is designed to carry inter-city traffic from Lutland to the Lebanon area: Back on 25 South, the expressway curves, and becomes SR-25 West: Before an overpass of SR-51, we go through another intersection, this one with Central Avenue: On the approach to the bridge, a sign warns us that no vehicles over 10 tons are allowed on it: After the bridge, there is another intersection with a minor road. This one is not signed: The SR-25 expressway ends here, becoming City Route 25 to West Adamsburg: We'll now begin our tour of SR-40. The freeway begins in North Clearview, and meanders through Lebanon and then here in West Adamsburg. It is here where the express lanes terminate and the collectors become the freeway: The collectors converge to become the freeway in a smooth curve. There is even a lake inside it. And it is here that the express lanes end at a roundabout. Note that the signs are for the freeway, which is on the right of the image. Furthur along, SR-40 intersects South Avenue via a roundabout interchange. From here on, SR-40 goes to Addisboro, and SR-65: And here is the southern terminus of SR-40 in Addisboro. It is a Semi-Directional T interchange: That's all for this update. Click on the images for FULL resolution and clarity. There are no exit plaques on the signs on this tour because the number of junctions has not been finalized. Please post comments and/or suggestions.

The Department of Transportation reccomends no new mass transit systems at this time. When Virgin Shores grows inland, and starts to build suburbs, the DOT will reccomend a rail line for the commuters to reduce traffic congestion in the future. DTP: As long as the Franklinites have their own area in the building, we'll be happy to share with the Uniden people. Perhaps I'll build a Virgin Shores embassy in Franklin County also. It'll be featured in one of the next few updates. The DOT is looking forward to the new update. Patricius Maximus, Head of the Department of Transportation

No arguing with the Good Book, please! Really, you shouldn't read that much.quote> Just like a large work of fiction, there's going to be continuity errors. And the "word of God" isn't supposed to have any, is it? More evidence against creationism. Indeed. I've heard countless times the phrase "tongues of fire" in the bible, but do you think that meant fireballs shaped like those pink things with taste buds in our mouths or was it more of a metaphor?quote> If a flamethrower was used c. 30 AD, the ancients would think it looked like "a tounge of fire". It can also be interpreted as a large meteor hitting the atmosphere. Or you can claim that the entire Bible is a work of fiction. I do not believe in the Bible and it's supposed "divine origins", but I do think that it has some history in it, mostly the history of the Jews. A lot of this history has been proven to be real by archaeologists. No sorry i dont find it unconcievable that somewhere out beyond our galaxy/universe is a superior force that one on earth may describe as God.quote> Firstly, there is no evidence to suggest any superior supernatural entities are lurking outside our Universe. Secondly, if a "God" is outside our Universe, would it matter if it existed or not? And how can one predict a 12th planet when there are only 8? They're skipping quite a few there.quote> As a consequence of the 2006 IAU fiasco, the number of planets is in turmoil because everyone has their own planets that they count up. If one counted Pluto as a planet, Charon as a planet, and Eris as a planet, then that would yield a 12th planet as Planet X. I call any body that is in hydrostatic equilibrium and orbits a star or stellar remnant a planet. If a body does not orbit a star or stellar remnant, and is not a star or stellar remnant, then I call it a rogue planet. I cannot understand the IAU's attitude of planets belonging to some kind of exclusive club. This is anti-Copernican as it places an exclusivity on planets, and is also heliocentric in it's wording. The Universe does not revolve around the Sun.

Haha maybe its in my Celtic pagan blood , you dont even know the stories dewd . Satan is the Other Son Of God you could say the black sheep of the family ,many believe in Satan and worship of Satan it is quiet rampant world wide . All religous texts refer to Satan even the Babalonian Epic of creation . Scare them lmao , to scare them all they needed to do was translate truthfully what the ancient texts suggest .They actualy watered it down .The modern American Church of Satanism was deeply hostile toward religion . Many believe its the next step after Darwinism ;-).quote> Still sounds like a polytheistic myth in disguise. You do know Darwin got most of his theories from a pond .From Darwins book Origin Of Species "There is a grandeur in this view of life with its several powers having been originally breathed by the creator into a few forms, or into one. And that whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity from so simple a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved." Doesnt seem like a statement of an athiest , more like thiest , all thats missing at the end is an amen . Darwin himself knows full well that evolution is no explanation of creation. Evolution is only an explanation of how things might have developed once it was created.quote> He actually got most of them in the Galapagos Islands, which is a place swarming with strange creatures. And, as I said earlier, Evolution is not a theory of the creation of life. It is a theory of how the variety of life-forms came about. Creation of life is another theory altogether. For evolution supporters, you can support Abiogenesis, which I defined earlier, or you can think that a God started the process. Yes, Darwin was a theist. Contrary to some Intelligent Design proponent's ideas, Darwin was not an atheist. The Lord God had set Gregori (A Gregori is a type of arch angel, specifically The watchers, in Latin), at the Gates of Heaven, to safe guard it from the taint of Satan’s evil. Sometimes, Gregori were sent down to Earth, to protect man and guide them into the future. Unforeseen in this future, were rogue angels, whom taught forbidden Technology to man. Some Gregori even broke one of the Cardinal sins (2,000 of them) to be exact, and married themselves to Mortal women, and impregnated them with their seed. They did this, despite the rule of God, and for Love of his creations he could not kill the Gregori, but instead banished them from Heaven, by cutting off their wings and never granting them passage to heaven.quote> More myths...

I love the new update. I like the new RHW network, and I'll also be looking forward to that new interchange .

Democratically elected governments have absolutely nothing to do with society's level of civilized behavior. And protection for the rights of all humans? Humanity can't even agree on what they are, so how can we protect them? Some of us want the right to run our lives with as little government intervention as possible. Some of us want the right to be able to turn to the government and expect them to help us for whatever our needs are? Some people in this world would be happy just for the right to speak their mind and not get shot or jailed.quote> "Society" is not a homogenous group. You adopt the collectivist idea that the rights of all humans can only be guaranteed if everyone in the world is in a homogenous "society". Humbug. Most states guarantee human rights, but not the same ones. It depends on what the people want. But there are a few that are basically intrinsic to all Humans -- such as the Right to exist and protect your own life, freedom of thought, freedom of religion, and freedom of expression in some form. Also, the right to turn on the government keeps the government in check and ensures that their will is carried out. The function of the state is to enact the will of the governed. If a revolution can ensure this, then the people have a right to a revolution. Behavior is an end-product of a personality. Therefore, civilized behavior cannot come from the uncivilized. People act civilized because they have some understanding of the idea of right and wrong and usually refrain from doing what they think is wrong. The thing is that life is like a game and society dictates the rules it wants to play the game by. So long as people remain fundamentally uncivilized (which will be forever) there will always be cases of people being uncivilized. Most people have a basic understanding of right and wrong (it's wrong to kill someone who wasn't bothering you - it's wrong to rob the little old lady on the corner just wanting to get on the bus - etc)quote> Exactly. A person will not do what he thinks is wrong. Different people have varying ideas of what is right and wrong. This is fine as long as he is not infringing someone else's rights. In my view, it is not some kind of superior, all-encompassing society that determines a criminal or a non-criminal act. I believe it does. One of the things that's been talked about is how this is a basicly stereotyping and the like entire groups of people are going to be treated as if they were suspects in a crime just because of something they had no control over. That's not civilized behavior.quote> It is not uncivilized behavior. That is relative. What it is is infringing on numerous rights that they have and discriminating on an entire group of people just because a few of them committed crimes. The Roma do hot hold collective responsibility unless every one of them committed the crime, which they did not. They should be tried on an individual basis, since not all of them committed a crime. - Patricius Maximus

That "rambling humbug" is also known as 'Paradise Lost' , a not entirely unimportant piece of English literature. quote> Yes, it is. I do not deny that religion has played a major part in literature. However, importance in literature does not make rambling humbug a fact, just as Frankenstein's monster is not a fact. It should not be accepted as a fact, since it has not been directly proven. Also, people should know that the Theory of Evolution is not a fact, it is a theory that has facts supporting it. It is the most correct theory of life that has been proposed to date. However, since it has not been directly proven, it should not be accepted as fact. Just a theory. However, since the Theory of Evolution has more evidence supporting it than creationism, I support evolution. When a hypothesis is proposed, it must be tested somehow to prove it's validity. This was done with Evolution. We must do the same with Creationism. Evolution has several major defects, the major of them being the Big Bang. GOD started the big bang, and his six days were perhaps many eons for usquote> You need to get the facts straight. Evolution is not an all-encompassing theory that scientists dogmatically accept. Evolution is a theory of life that proposeds that life evolved from simple forms to more complex ones through a slow process of adaptation and natural selection. It does not propose that the Universe began with a bang, nor does it propose that life appeared randomly. Abiogenesis is a theory that proposes that biological material (life) was created out of non-biological material. This theory has been supported by experiments. Such as the Urey Experiment, which proved that some materials when activated by lightning can produce amino acids, the building blocks of life. The Big Bang Theory is a theory that proposes that our Universe started from an extremely dense mass that suddenly expanded to create our Universe. Specifics have been worked out since then, but you can read them yourself if you wish to do so. The Big Bang Theory is supported by the observed expansion of space, the Cosmic Microwave Background, and the Cosmic Neutrino Background. To those who believe that a bunch of molecules could not create an amino acid out of random chance, you are missing one crucial piece of information. You people are thinking about only a few molecules. The chance is small for one of those groups. But consider how many molecules of prebiotic material that was on Earth's surface. If just a few of them combined, they would create the first RNA and DNA, and thus the first lifeform. A lot of evidence is in favor of Big Bang and Evolution. Virtually no evidence is in favor of creationist myths. A rational person would know which one to support. - Patricius Maximus

For having a monochromatic avatar.

Gridlock: That is a lot of rambling humbug. That elaborate history was partly invented to scare medieval Europeans into accepting the pope's dictatorial grip on them. The Church invented a whole mythology of the "evil deity" Satan and his corrupt demons that are infecting the Earth. In fact, Christians are violating their own commandment: "Do not have any other gods before me." Satan, the "rebel angels", and the domain of Hell constitute a polytheistic mythology, instead of a monotheistic one. Also, what evidence exists for this supposed history? Show me one piece of verifiable evidence that Satan and his demons are rampant on the Earth, or even exist. This is the biggest humbug I have ever heard of. If people accept these myths as facts with no proof, no progress can be made in the search for greater knowledge and understanding of the Universe through verifiable findings. This is what is called Science. - Patricius Maximus

I don't think that I want a bank. All the commercial mania looks great! I can't wait to see how the rapid growth will affect Chain Island.

TODAY'S NEWSPAPER REPLIES: un1: Thank you. jacqulina: Thanks for your compliments. nousername: They need to make a profit . sedimenjerry: 1) Look below for your answer. 2) Thanks. crazyarchitect: Thanks. I'm glad you named it. It'll be in the newspaper . deathtopumpkins: 1) Thanks. It does seem to be urbanizing. 2) I think I will leave it. Goldfish4209: Not at this time. Don't vote too hastilly . I have tried out the Highway Re-Styling Mod. I do like the looks of it. It looks just like the RHW-6C . However, I can't use it in all my regions because custom interchanges are not textured. I have decided to use it when the highway upgrade comes to Central Franklin. Here's today's issue of the Franklin Chronicles: You can see the news for yourself . As always, feel free to post your comments, suggestions, and questions.

They have not revealed much about the transportation system, which will be crucial for my rating on the game. However, from what I've seen, the buildings look pretty good, and the landscape, the trees, and especially the water. If the transit networks have the same variety as the landscape, I'd give it a 9/10. However, my current rating based on what I have seen is 7/10. This will change as more data comes in.

The state has no right to regulate or purge social trends such as these. It is an assault on individual freedom and the right to an identity. For example, the Hippie movement died out on it's own without a state-sponsored purge. A purge by the state can backfire, inflating the movement instead of letting it die out on it's own. Also, how will not letting emos and goths enter government buildings suppress the movement? It makes no sense. I cannot comprehend why people are condoning this measure. Has your sense of individual rights been diluted by social stigma? Emos and Goths have the same rights as everyone else. Has the concept of being equal under the law slipped your mind?