Can I ask a slightly off-topic question while there are some Maxwell users around?

I'm looking to evaluate Maxwell, but I'm on a Win XP PRO 64 bit system. In checking the system requirements on the Maxwell site, it appears my OS is not listed. Should I take then with some authority that Maxwell isn't suitable for my system?

Cheers and thanks.

As a longtime user of POVray, I'm finally looking for another rendering option to use with SU. I've been using Didian Bur's POvray plugin, but it's engineered to give good basic POVray functionality. I have to do a lot of tweaking to the exported files to get the final results. These days, I'd rather render more, and tweak less ...

I'll be looking forward to the results of your poll Jason.

Cheers

Hi Rich ... page 42, the large graphic and the smaller Twitter on the bottom have the problem

Cheers

I want to post an apology to Solo for some disparaging remarks I made towards him recently in another thread.
After some reflection upon the matter, I don't feel that my remarks were proper, nor were they in keeping with my personal standards for behavior towards others.

With that I will apologize and leave the matter to rest.

Cheers.

Nice work, and interesting reading (as always) ...

One question, did you intend to leave interactive form fields turned on in this edition? When I mouse over one and click, I get a windows popup:

The document is trying to connect to the site; 
$$$/Dialog/Behaviors/GoToView/DefaultURL 
If you trust the site click "Yes", otherwise click "No".

Clicking yes of course doesn't take you anywhere as "$$$" is not a valid URL.
I'm using Firefox 9.0.1 with the FoxIt reader plugin 3.1.4.1125 under WinXP 64 if you need the information.

Cheers!

@unknownuser said:

It's a hard trick to master since that angry little monkey is always lurking in the cupboard waiting to jump out when you least expect it........and he's damned hard to ignore.

And then there are those who are "angry little monkeys" all the time ...
I'm sure Darwin would appreciate the analogy.

Cheers.

Fair enough and a lesson for me to just steer clear of the Corner Bar evidently ...

Cheers.

@unknownuser said:

More intolerance from your ilk?

No, just me personally. As for my "ilk", well, if it includes people that believe a person shouldn't abuse their position to further their own agenda, then that's fine.

@unknownuser said:

If my religious beliefs is a factor in hiring me then don't, I care less. I'd rather be hired for my skills and abilities to sell your product with images and animations rather than if I belong to your clan or not.

Well then, good luck. There's more to doing business than just "skills and abilities", "clans" not withstanding.

Cheers.

@unknownuser said:

Although there may be exceptions - but I guess you are not planning to post racist jokes here, are you?
Not planning on it ...

"The good news is that Jesus is coming back. The bad news is that he's really pissed off." ~ Bob Hope

@unknownuser said:

Probably a good thing just to quit religious topics as it seems that religious folk cannot debate their faith and end up whining to administration in pm's when they get offended.

I'm usually pretty easy going about things, but in this case, I've had enough and time to say my peace. I could care less if this post gets me banned. If this is the kind of respect that exists around here, FROM A MODERATOR, no less, then I'll be leaving anyway.

Actually, you, personally, do offend me Solo. You're constant need to vilify and belittle believers is boorish and unnecessary. If there is anyone in this forum who has a hard time with religion or faith as a topic, it's you. Your rhetoric is tiresome, and I consider you just another petty whiner who thinks that their point of view is the only one that counts. Your "statement" about Darwinism in your avatar is immature, offensive and uncalled for. It is only there evidently to continue to offend others who don't share your point of view ...

BTW, the problem with offending people in a forum is that you never know who might be looking to hire you.

It's an incredible image ... Hard to believe something so beautiful has so much BS going on ...

A piece of trivia and an interesting feature: If you locate the Great Salt Lake, you'll notice a line that transits the lake a bit north of midpoint. The water color on both sides is vastly different. That line is a railroad causeway what was build in the late 30's or early '40's IIRC. The causeway hinders the distribution of dissolved minerals in the lake and hence the water on the north side is much more saline. There are several mineral companies that "mine" the upper part of the lake due to it's higher mineral content.

Cheers.

@unknownuser said:

To my mind, that's a negation of faith's very core: the irrational act of actively embracing a concept one, by definition, cannot proof to be true or even completely understand.

An excerpt from an article I've read here: http://www.zeitun-eg.org/thomas.htm

@unknownuser said:

"What's less easy to understand is the thought-out, rational pursuit of God against one's better judgement. Loving God and seeking to serve God against one's interests, plus the sheer difficulty of the attempt to love one's neighbor, is, it seems to me, the best proof of religion."

or just plain faith, IMO.

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

Pretty well sums it up for me.

Cheers.

He has an interesting way of making his point. So does this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me2H7Ja93Wg

Cheers.

@escapeartist said:

I don't think Gaieus was being serious.

"Humor, it is a difficult concept." ~ Lt. Saavik

Looks like the blackout effort was somewhat effective: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/20/us-usa-congress-internet-idUSTRE80J10X20120120

BTW, Gaieus, I don't understand your use of the word "turncoats". Wasn't the effort supposed to create and increase Congressional support for stopping PIPA and SOPA? If members of Congress switched from supporting to opposing, then the effort was successful. The word "turncoat" is usually used with a derogatory connotation ...

What scares me more are people like Anonymous, who act unilaterally, outside the law because they don't agree with actions like that against Megaupload.com. Whether the action was right or wrong, it's up to the courts to determine and not some anarchist hacker group.

Cheers.

@michaliszissiou said:

@jolran
Just use blender.

Or Meshlab. http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ I use this a lot to post process exported .obj files and it works very well. Works on cleaning up manifolds and inner faces as well. Very powerful application. Free too ...

Cheers

I agree with Marian, this thread is about worn out. A Tolkien discussion would be cool ...

Cheers.

@unknownuser said:

Maybe you're adding an extra element in here that wasn't expressed well originally. Are you trying to say the two (hypothetical) options are a) eternal separation from God or b) temporary but painful separation from God? I don't quite see how a physical sort of hell with fire necessarily implies the possibility for repentance or escape. That's kind of the problem most people have with it as far as I can tell.

I believe the "hell" that most people conceive of is the "first death". This place is temporary. It isn't until Rev 20:14, "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death." that Satan, his followers and those of whom Matthew speaks of in verses 12:31-32 "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. "And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the {age} to come." shall be sent for eternity.

Now, some consider the first "hell" as a place where people can still repent and find God's grace and redemption. It's their last chance. If they don't repent, then they remain in "hell" and are cast into the lake of fire along with Satan and his defeated followers for the "second death". Is the first hell "fire and brimstone", it seems unlikely.

Here's where some differ about the "second death". That it's not a "fire and brimstone" kind of place, but instead, it is the "outer darkness", where they are cut off for all eternity from God. The prospect of "physical pain and suffering" is not the punishment, but knowing there is no hope of salvation, ever, is the real punishment. One that they brought on themselves and now have to live with it for eternity.

The arguments for hell NOT to be a "fire and brimstone" kind of place, was due in part, to this rationale: If the "presence" of a person after death is spiritual, then how does the prospect of being in eternal "pain" work? Pain is a physical sensation as far as we know, and it seems unlikely that a spiritual being would be effected.

Either way, whether one considers a complete separation from God, or a complete separation from God with eternal torment added in, I wouldn't care to find myself there in either case.

Cheers.

@unknownuser said:

Really, or are you just saying that? Aren't they exactly the same thing but in one you also happen to be burning and being poked with pitch forks?

I believe they are not the same. Being in a "fire and brimstone hell" implies physical torment, that would imply having a physical body to feel pain. But the body is dead, inert. So, why would God recreate one's body, stuff their soul back in it and then send it somewhere to be horribly abused? Why would constant pain and anguish bring someone to God? But even in Sheol, Hades, Hell, whatever, one can still find hope in God's grace if he or she repents. There would always be that glimmer inside for salvation, the courage and hope to endure torment and pain.

To borrow a paragraph from the site I linked previously:

@unknownuser said:

Remember, the words obscurity, extreme anguish and utter despair are associated with the phrase Outer Darkness. To be there is to be cut off from the presence of the Lord and everyone else, existing in total obscurity. The dictionary defines anguish as excruciating or acute distress, suffering, or pain, and despair as a state of utter hopelessness.

Mark 3:29 - "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." This would lead to being cast into "outer darkness" where there is no hope of attaining God's grace. No God, no hope, no love, no grace. A truly empty and pointless existence, with the "weeping and gnashing of teeth", that comes from knowing God is forever out of reach.

To me, that would be "hell" indeed.

Cheers.