I was glad to hear today that the Senate rejected petty politics in favor of doing something to help the country. The call for a fillibuster of Judge Alito (made by Senator while he was in Switzerland) thankfully went unheeded by most Senators.
All that remains for the confirmation of Mr. Alito is a vote by the Senate, which will result in his confirmation to the Supreme Court. This confirmation should result in a court that will not be so left leaning. Not that America's deepest problems can be solved by legislative or judicial means.
Americas' true problem can only be solved by God, whom we have slowly removed from our culture and our society. America will only become what so many long for it to be when turn our hearts to Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that such a thing will happen. Otherwise, I fear that we will suffer the same fate as so many of the other declined world powers of previous eras.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Rambling: Gray, Rainy Day
It's a gray, rainy day, and it feels more like October than January. A day like this almost belongs in a movie out of the film noir genre, like maybe Casablanca. It's just sort of a mellow day.
How strange the weather has been! This has to have been one of the warmest months of January in the history of Topeka. I was outside the other day in short sleeves. That's not even close to how it should be. It's almost like the world paused while the past three months happened. If I walk outside right now and ignore the calendar, it could easily be the end of October instead of the end of January. I don't get it. One more in the ever-increasing population of things in my life that I just don't understand.
Anyway, if you'll excuse you me, I'm going to go find a movie camera to look into while I'm delivering a long monologue. :-)
How strange the weather has been! This has to have been one of the warmest months of January in the history of Topeka. I was outside the other day in short sleeves. That's not even close to how it should be. It's almost like the world paused while the past three months happened. If I walk outside right now and ignore the calendar, it could easily be the end of October instead of the end of January. I don't get it. One more in the ever-increasing population of things in my life that I just don't understand.
Anyway, if you'll excuse you me, I'm going to go find a movie camera to look into while I'm delivering a long monologue. :-)
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Commentary: Petty Politics
[Double Sigh]. A few of the most liberal members of the US Senate have threatened to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Why they would do so reminds me of just how petty politics has become.
Senators Kerry and Kennedy, in particular, seem determined to block the nominee, calling him an idealogue who will put his bring his own personal political agenda to his job. Why do they think that? I can't judge motives with accuracy, but perhaps it is because they are doing that very thing: putting their own agendas ahead of their jobs as senators to support a well-qualified nominee for the Court. Compare that to Republicans, who put aside their own political agendas to support liberal justices such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or even Democrats of a previous era, who supported some Reagan's conservative nominees, and you'll see just how juvenille politics has become.
American politics has degenerated into personal-agenda seeking. Such an approach to politics harkens back to the collapse of the Roman Republic, and unless we wish to suffer that same fate, action needs to be taken to reign in our political leaders. Terms limits sounds like a great idea to me.
Senators Kerry and Kennedy, in particular, seem determined to block the nominee, calling him an idealogue who will put his bring his own personal political agenda to his job. Why do they think that? I can't judge motives with accuracy, but perhaps it is because they are doing that very thing: putting their own agendas ahead of their jobs as senators to support a well-qualified nominee for the Court. Compare that to Republicans, who put aside their own political agendas to support liberal justices such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or even Democrats of a previous era, who supported some Reagan's conservative nominees, and you'll see just how juvenille politics has become.
American politics has degenerated into personal-agenda seeking. Such an approach to politics harkens back to the collapse of the Roman Republic, and unless we wish to suffer that same fate, action needs to be taken to reign in our political leaders. Terms limits sounds like a great idea to me.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Rant: Basketball Announcers
<rant>I've been watching some college basketball lately, I've noticed something about the basketball announcers that always bugs me.
It's early in the second half and a player picks up his fourth foul. In college, a player gets five fouls before he fouls out and can no longer participate in the game. Yet what do the announcers say? "That's four fouls on so-and-so, and he'll have to sit for a while."
Have to sit? Have to sit? No! A player with four fouls does not have to sit! He can play for the rest of the game as long as he doesn't pick up his fifth foul. There's no rule requiring a player to stop playing for a while once he picks up a fourth personal foul.
Now, of course, it's usually good coaching to pull a player with four fouls out (unless the player is a very saavy player, like Iowa State's Curtis Stinson). What the announcers mean, of course, is that "That's four fouls on so-and-so, and the coach is wisely taking him out to keep him from getting his fifth."
Of course, if that's what they mean, why don't they say it? Does it somehow sound cooler to say, "He'll have to sit"? Is it just verbal laziness? I mean, is it really that much harder to say, "That's four fouls on him, and the coach will take him out for a while"? Shouldn't accuracy in description be a goal for any television commentator?
I don't know, and I've spent enough time pondering this, although it does say something about the state of modern society. I'll leave it up to you to deduce what it says.</rant>
It's early in the second half and a player picks up his fourth foul. In college, a player gets five fouls before he fouls out and can no longer participate in the game. Yet what do the announcers say? "That's four fouls on so-and-so, and he'll have to sit for a while."
Have to sit? Have to sit? No! A player with four fouls does not have to sit! He can play for the rest of the game as long as he doesn't pick up his fifth foul. There's no rule requiring a player to stop playing for a while once he picks up a fourth personal foul.
Now, of course, it's usually good coaching to pull a player with four fouls out (unless the player is a very saavy player, like Iowa State's Curtis Stinson). What the announcers mean, of course, is that "That's four fouls on so-and-so, and the coach is wisely taking him out to keep him from getting his fifth."
Of course, if that's what they mean, why don't they say it? Does it somehow sound cooler to say, "He'll have to sit"? Is it just verbal laziness? I mean, is it really that much harder to say, "That's four fouls on him, and the coach will take him out for a while"? Shouldn't accuracy in description be a goal for any television commentator?
I don't know, and I've spent enough time pondering this, although it does say something about the state of modern society. I'll leave it up to you to deduce what it says.</rant>
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Commentary: A Lot of Hot Air
Sigh. Just when I thought that maybe logic and reason were making headway in the media's treatment of the whole "global warming" issue, this article comes to light. According to the AP article, 6 former heads of the EPA all blamed Bush for not doing more to help combat global warming. Not surprisingly, of course, this was trumpted as the lead headline. All these former administrators (who are not necessarily scientists) also agreed that it was primarily a man-made phenomenon.
Of course, these administrators only know what the scientists who worked for them said. Sadly, the atmospheric science community has bought into global warming wholeheartedly. Global warming is treated as a fact in most atmospheric science journals. The problem is that the connection between global warming and human activity is shaky at best. I should know. I'm trained as an atmospheric scientist.
Without a doubt, there seems to be a slight upward trend in the average temperature of the lower part of the earth's atmosphere in the past 30 or so years. However, the problem is figuring out what is causing it. Is it because of increased carbon dioxide emissions? Or could it be because of "station bias". By station bias, I mean the following: most recording stations were situated at airports that used to be far outside the city limits. As cities have grown, however, more and more reporting stations are surrounded by urban infrastructure. Cities tend to be a few degrees warmer during the day than the surrounding country due to the thermal properties of asphalt, concrete, and metal used in roads, sidewalks, and buildings. So, the apparent warm-up could really be an artifact of not measuring atmospheric temperature in the same environment as 30 years ago.
Could global warming be caused by human action? Sure, it could. However, the evidence that I have seen is not concrete enough to establish a causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and average atmospheric temperature. Until better research from unbiased scientists comes out, let's not make a lot of foolish decisions. Just because most scientists agree doesn't automatically make the idea that they agree to the correct idea.
Of course, these administrators only know what the scientists who worked for them said. Sadly, the atmospheric science community has bought into global warming wholeheartedly. Global warming is treated as a fact in most atmospheric science journals. The problem is that the connection between global warming and human activity is shaky at best. I should know. I'm trained as an atmospheric scientist.
Without a doubt, there seems to be a slight upward trend in the average temperature of the lower part of the earth's atmosphere in the past 30 or so years. However, the problem is figuring out what is causing it. Is it because of increased carbon dioxide emissions? Or could it be because of "station bias". By station bias, I mean the following: most recording stations were situated at airports that used to be far outside the city limits. As cities have grown, however, more and more reporting stations are surrounded by urban infrastructure. Cities tend to be a few degrees warmer during the day than the surrounding country due to the thermal properties of asphalt, concrete, and metal used in roads, sidewalks, and buildings. So, the apparent warm-up could really be an artifact of not measuring atmospheric temperature in the same environment as 30 years ago.
Could global warming be caused by human action? Sure, it could. However, the evidence that I have seen is not concrete enough to establish a causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and average atmospheric temperature. Until better research from unbiased scientists comes out, let's not make a lot of foolish decisions. Just because most scientists agree doesn't automatically make the idea that they agree to the correct idea.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Rambling: Feels Like Soccer Season!
Another warm day in January. I can't believe it. This could well be on its way to being the warmest January in recent history. I certainly is the warmest since I moved back to Kansas 4 1/2 years ago.
This unusually warm weather has gotten me in the mood for one thing: soccer! Too bad there's nowhere to play right now. I have the need to take a few shots and make a few good, solid tackles. Oh, well. March will be here soon enough.
In closing, a short poem.
Fish swim in water
Ducks move in the sky
Chickens scratch the ground
And this poem doesn't rhyme
This unusually warm weather has gotten me in the mood for one thing: soccer! Too bad there's nowhere to play right now. I have the need to take a few shots and make a few good, solid tackles. Oh, well. March will be here soon enough.
In closing, a short poem.
Fish swim in water
Ducks move in the sky
Chickens scratch the ground
And this poem doesn't rhyme
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Rambling: Random Number
With nothing better to write about, here is a random number to consider: Thirty-two.
Called treinta y tres in Spanish, 32 is an even number, a power of 2 (32 = 2^5), and the freezing point of water on the Farenheit scale.
Germanium has an atomic number of 32. Germanium, an element, should not be confused with geranium, a flower, nor with the country of Germany, after which it is named. Germanium (Ge) was discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler. The atomic mass of Germanium is 72.61.
Most modern computers are based upon a 32-bit bus (transferring 32 bits oof data at a time), although 64-bit processors already exist and operating systems that take advantage of the extra power are due to come out eventually.
The 32nd President of the United States was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He served 4 terms, the only President ever to do so. An amendment has been added to the Constitution that now limits the President to two terms.
Called treinta y tres in Spanish, 32 is an even number, a power of 2 (32 = 2^5), and the freezing point of water on the Farenheit scale.
Germanium has an atomic number of 32. Germanium, an element, should not be confused with geranium, a flower, nor with the country of Germany, after which it is named. Germanium (Ge) was discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler. The atomic mass of Germanium is 72.61.
Most modern computers are based upon a 32-bit bus (transferring 32 bits oof data at a time), although 64-bit processors already exist and operating systems that take advantage of the extra power are due to come out eventually.
The 32nd President of the United States was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He served 4 terms, the only President ever to do so. An amendment has been added to the Constitution that now limits the President to two terms.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Rambling: Binary Numbers
There's an old joke in mathematics that goes like this:
There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
To understand this joke (so you can amaze your friends with how smart you are), here is the basis for the binary number system.
Counting in binary starts at 0, and the only other number is 1. Thus, the first five numbers in binary are 0, 1, 10, 11, and 100. These correspond to 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
Binary numbers are the basis for modern computing, since computers are basically giant electronic switches that can be in only two states: on and off (or 1 and 0). Scientists are starting to develop something called a quantum computer that utilizes the properties of an electron to perform calculations. Although still in the experimental stages, these computers have three states on each switch: 0, 1, and 0/1 (0 and 1 at the same time). This has the potential to speed computation because two calculations could be done at once, one requiring 0 and one requiring 1.
For now, though, we'll just have to settle for the old fashioned binary world. So, happy January 100, 11111010110!
There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
To understand this joke (so you can amaze your friends with how smart you are), here is the basis for the binary number system.
Counting in binary starts at 0, and the only other number is 1. Thus, the first five numbers in binary are 0, 1, 10, 11, and 100. These correspond to 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
Binary numbers are the basis for modern computing, since computers are basically giant electronic switches that can be in only two states: on and off (or 1 and 0). Scientists are starting to develop something called a quantum computer that utilizes the properties of an electron to perform calculations. Although still in the experimental stages, these computers have three states on each switch: 0, 1, and 0/1 (0 and 1 at the same time). This has the potential to speed computation because two calculations could be done at once, one requiring 0 and one requiring 1.
For now, though, we'll just have to settle for the old fashioned binary world. So, happy January 100, 11111010110!
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Rambling: El Problema de Olvidar Espanol
Quiero escribir algo en espanol, pero he olvidado demasiadas palabras espanolas. Que lastima. Hasta luego.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Rambling: Random Thoughts
I thought I'd just lay a few random thoughts out there.
--Zucchini is a funny word
--Modesty is disappearing from modern American culture
--If a tree falls in a forest, and no philosophers are around to create foolish paradoxes about it, does it still fall?
--A tree that falls in forest does make a sound, regardless of if there is anyone there to hear it or not. Sound, after all, is simply the result of the vibration of air molecules by an object.
--Truth does not depend on whether you believe it or not. Texas would not cease to exist if I suddenly decided not to believe in it. Likewise, Jesus Christ is real, regardless of whether people believe in Him or not.
--How quickly a society can forget all that God has done for it!
--How many Bush-haters does it take to change a light bulb? Three, one from each of the major networks.
--How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb? None, they'll fix it in software.
--How many people in Washington, DC, does it take to change a lightbulb? Three. A Republican to propose the idea, a Democrat to filibuster the idea, and a janitor to do the job while all the politicking is going on.
--Politicking is a funny word.
--The hardest part about trusting God is overcoming your own sinful desire to control your own life.
--The End
--Zucchini is a funny word
--Modesty is disappearing from modern American culture
--If a tree falls in a forest, and no philosophers are around to create foolish paradoxes about it, does it still fall?
--A tree that falls in forest does make a sound, regardless of if there is anyone there to hear it or not. Sound, after all, is simply the result of the vibration of air molecules by an object.
--Truth does not depend on whether you believe it or not. Texas would not cease to exist if I suddenly decided not to believe in it. Likewise, Jesus Christ is real, regardless of whether people believe in Him or not.
--How quickly a society can forget all that God has done for it!
--How many Bush-haters does it take to change a light bulb? Three, one from each of the major networks.
--How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb? None, they'll fix it in software.
--How many people in Washington, DC, does it take to change a lightbulb? Three. A Republican to propose the idea, a Democrat to filibuster the idea, and a janitor to do the job while all the politicking is going on.
--Politicking is a funny word.
--The hardest part about trusting God is overcoming your own sinful desire to control your own life.
--The End
Sunday, January 01, 2006
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