Erwa: Haha. That's really interesting. I'm against the death penalty because I don't think the government should have the power to take away anybody's right to life. But should they have the power to interfere with one's right to death?

I think suicide is looked upon negatively because it's not really a solution. It's like a cop-out. You're not facing your problems directly.

In the case of euthanasia, we're putting someone to death to end their physical misery. Is this different from the mental misery - stress, depression - which causes many people to commit suicide? If it is okay to put someone to death because he is suffering from intractable physical pain, is it okay for someone to commit suicide because he is depressed?

Andy: Random interjection for comedic/amusement effect:
I finished my programming assignment due this morning at 11:00 am at 10:30 am. There are probably a ton of memory leaks because I didn't have time to figure out how to properly call delete on all the pointers I new'ed. At least the program worked and produced the proper output. I had to post to stackoverflow and people helped me debug an issue I had in defining my classes. What grief!

On a brighter note I got a vuvuzela for the lols and have been blowing it all weekend.

Erwa: Lol. Stackoverflow is so awesome. Can you link me to your question?

That is so random, and way past when vuvuzelas were in style. You should practice your cello concerto instead :).

Also, I'd like to hear people's opinions on assisted suicide and suicide in general!

Andy: I don't think suicide is good. I don't care if you are in pain or depressed. You let too many people down by doing that. Pick yourself up off the floor and be strong! That is the only way to live.

Erwa: I agree. But do you think we should punish people for failed suicide attempts? Also, do you think someone should have the right to choose to be put to death if he and his family all agree to it?

Andy: No, people shouldn't be punished for failed suicide attempts. We should be trying to help them figure out why they contemplated suicide in the first place. I feel like the second question is somewhat redundant. People should not commit suicide, assisted or not. Life is a precious gift from God, it should treasured, not so easily thrown away, regardless of circumstance.

Erwa: What about cases where the patient has had a traumatic injury and is unable to respond (perhaps in a vegetative state)? Should we always just try to keep the semi-conscious patient alive as long as possible, via a feeding tube or what-have-you? Is the family justified for choosing to pull the plug in such cases?

Andy: No! The family must not give up hope that the patient has a chance for recovery. Life is precious.

Erwa: Really? Even in the case where a patient is brain dead and is only being kept alive on live support, you think it's worth the misery of the family and the cost of resources to just keep the patient alive indefinitely?

Andy: Yes. I believe in miracles, don't you?

Erwa: I do, to an extent. But sometimes I think you need to be realistic and pragmatic. Suppose someone was in a terrible car accident, lost a couple limbs, was paralyzed from the neck down, and was brain dead, and was only being kept alive by life support. I'd think most family members would choose to pull the plug in such a case. But I guess I can see where you're coming me. There's always the possibility that someone who regain consciousness, and I guess if you're conscious, you have the ability to experience and enjoy life, even if you are paralyzed and missing several limbs.

Erwa: Something I always pondered was - has anything substantial ever happened to anyone who created a LinkedIn profile? I get invitations to connect with a friend from time to time, but I wonder if one's LinkedIn profile has ever helped anyone get a job or something.

Erwa: Resolved: Sometimes you should reinvent the wheel.

Discuss.

Andy: You must understand your tools before you can generate new inventions with them.

Erwa: I agree. It's not the wheel that's useful but the process of making a wheel that's useful - that's where you learn to use your tools and get ideas to improve on existing inventions and innovate new ones.

Erwa: What's your favorite word?

Erwa: I was thinking about this question myself, and I'm not too sure if I have one favorite word. It's a tough question because you're not sure whether to choose a word you like because it looks or sounds interesting or because it has interesting connotations or associations or because it describes you or someone you admire or because it reminds you of a funny story. Anyhows, I couldn't decide on just one, but two words I really like are "attitude" and "passionate". Having a positive attitude and being passionate about something are two things I wish for myself and for everybody. The outcome of a situation often depends on your attitude. Attitude affects the way you think and act, and having a positive one usually leads to better results. Being passionate is important because passion will energize you. Being passionate about something will drive you and give you momentum to excel and succeed at what you do.

Erwa: I guess if I had to choose one of the two words, it'd be "passionate". You can have the best, most positive attitude, but if you aren't passionate about anything, you'll lack energy and focus. I also think when you are passionate about something, you tend to have a good attitude anyways.

Andy: Try feet cubing with socks on.

Erwa: I don't think that would help - you need full access to and control of your big toes for maximum speed. You also have more friction while barefoot. Nobody does feet cubing with socks on.