I doubt it was anyway intentional, the repercussions for Sony over the hacking are enormous, and it seems there's lots more to come. Not for the first time has Sony's cyber security found itself woefully lacking either.
At this moment in time nobody seems to know who is behind the hacking, North Korea deny any involvement, although on June 20th North Korean officials call The Interview a symbol of the “desperation” of US society, but an unofficial spokesperson for Kim Jong-un says he’ll probably watch it anyway...
I guess the more worrying aspect of all this is the ease in which such confidential material could be made readily available to anyone who would wish to read it.
On 5th December Journalists began sifting the leaked emails and documents, finding 47,000 social security numbers, credit card and passport details of Sony employees. Quite embarrassing for Sony, not least because the figures reveal striking pay discrepancies between Sony employees of different genders and ethnicities.
Some are suggesting that 'Guardians of Peace' rather than being a terrorist group capable of causing mayhem should the film be released, could more likely be a disgruntled ex Sony employee. Either way, has the security of personal, and corporate information, ever been built on such weak and unstable foundations?
I guess the producers and Sony thought they were on safe ground to take a pot shot at the little melancholy figure of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il when they made their spoof comedy about an assassination attempt on his life. But Sony has had to rethink and decide to retreat after an unknown cyber hacking group called 'Guardians of Peace' (could be a terrorist group, or one kid in his bedroom) has released thousands of confidential email documents which horribly embarrassed Hollywood bigwigs with details of rows, executive pay and inappropriate remarks about African-American casting and President Obama.
Then the Guardians of Peace, losing their apparent moral high ground of non violence declared war on the United States, saying, if the film was shown anywhere in the US there will be trouble, adding, remember 9/11.
So the hacker(s) wins, the film costing Sony $28m will never be shown according to Sony who are presently licking their wounds over the leaked documents. Is this a sensible response, or a major blow to freedom of speech and creative license? Maybe even the tip of a cyber panic iceberg.
You are right, these kind of discussions are more suited to the religion and philosophy forum, which I must admit interest me more than most. It has more to do with learning, something we never stop doing...well most of us...
You might want to do a little research on that. There is even suggestion (and debate) that consciousness was here before us rather than the other way round, we just hooked into it. Much like a radio picks up radio waves, it might be our brains connect to consciousness, but the energy of consciousness is there whether we are or not.
Shifting the burden of proof like this represents a logical fallacy. We could say anything exists until it is proven otherwise, a very unsatisfactory situation as reality would be almost impossible to define. After all, a rational person doesn't believe leprechauns exist because we have not disproved their existence.
Burden of Proof
"Apologists have the burden of proof for the existence of god since they are making a knowledge claim and their view is unfalsifiable. Philosopher Bertrand Russell compared the attempt to disprove god to attempting to disprove the existence of a celestial teapot. Since it is impractical to expect a disproof of either and are therefore unfalsifiable, the burden of proof cannot lay with the skeptic."
If you believe in Buddhist teachings, hell is a metaphor for a lower re-birth. Beyond our physical bodies is energy, or vibration, some call this the soul, or the mind. As you probably know, energy cannot be destroyed or created. So, where does this energy go at the point of death? Is it pure consciousness, part of the Matrix? Look to quantum physics to discover untold possibilities. New research is gathering momentum, and many leading figures in this field accept the link between Buddhism (and many other Eastern teachings) and quantum physics.
To help you make a decision with a difficult question like this, try locking both of them in the boot (trunk) of your car for a couple of hours. Then when you let them out...see which one still loves you.
George Best was a footballing genius. But unfortunately many of his greatest performances were not captured on camera, in those days only a couple of matches were televised each weekend. I lost count of the number of times I left Old Trafford, or many away grounds having witnessed his unbelievable skills, but ruing the fact that the TV cameras were not present once again to record the very best of Best.
But here are some of his magic moments that the cameras did record.
But it does make me feel quite ancient to think I was there to witness most of these...
They could try their best to help us. Realizing our only aim is to be happy, they may have us all locked in cells being dripped fed heroin...I guess with all the best intentions in the world, even robots can get it wrong..
Yes I agree Jac, SSRI's do help some people, maybe without them their illness could have deepened and become more prolonged. The problem is, for some people these drugs are counter productive at best, and downright dangerous at worst. Monitoring people on SSRI's is a must, but most GP's are just not sufficiently qualified in this field and the resources are just not there to meet the demand. So what is the answer? Maybe more emphasis could be placed on alternative methods such as mindfulness counselling which is having amazing results for people suffering depression. GP's are just too quick in handing out prescriptions, especially for anti depressants, in fact the last GP I spoke to had never heard of mindfulness counselling and had no idea of what it was, which I found astonishing.
An interesting video on a lecture given about mindfulness.
Your source is considerably dated, but even given that fact, to state there is no increase in suicidal tendencies, is just wrong and any amount of research will confirm that. I found, with little effort lots of evidence to the contrary.
Antidepressant medication, used under the guidance of a mental health professional, may relieve some of your depression symptoms. But antidepressants also come with significant side effects and dangers. What’s more, recent studies have raised questions about their effectiveness. At the very least, it’s clear that medication alone isn’t enough—you also need to make changes in your lifestyle. Learning the facts about antidepressants and weighing the benefits against the risks can help you make an informed and personal decision about what’s right for you.
Anyone who takes antidepressants can experience unpleasant or dangerous side effects, but certain individuals are at a higher risk:
Teens and young adults. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires all depression medications to include a warning label about the increased risk of suicide in children and young adults.
Antidepressant medication and suicide risk
For some people, antidepressant treatment causes an increase, rather than a decrease, in depression—and with it, an increased risk of suicide. While this is particularly true of children and young adults on antidepressant medication, anyone taking antidepressants should be closely watched for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The suicide risk is greatest during the first one to two months of antidepressant treatment.
Monitoring is especially important if this is the person’s first time on depression medication or if the dose has recently been changed. Signs that medication is making things worse include anxiety, insomnia, hostility, and extreme agitation—particularly if the symptoms appear suddenly or rapidly deteriorate. If you spot the warning signs in yourself or a loved one, contact a doctor or therapist immediately.
bodleing2 Forum Posts (6,132)
The Interview....Sony and the US running scared?
Seems like the FBI knows whodunnit according to latest reports....now there's a first...They said it was that Kim Jong fella...