Category: Uncategorized

Interesting decision by a federal judge on the issue of Intelligent Design (ID) in Dover, PA. From what I have been able to read, I really believe that this is not being approached properly. See the BBC Report for some background.

What is Intelligent Design? It is claimed, by many, to be a theory of origins that requires an intelligent being to have put the universe and all that is in it together because the what is here is way to complex to have happened (bang!).

Before I go too much further let us look at the “alternative” theory, Evolution. This too is a theory. What is a theory? To sum it up in a brief statement: “An assumption based on limited information or knowledge usually supported by fact”. Interesting. What is evolution? It is the “theory” that the universe had a beginning and things evolved from nothing to what we have today, stars, planets, water, land, creatures, INTELLIGENT humans… The list goes on. It just happened. Most believe it came from a “Big Bang” (theory).

Here is a little test to prove Evolution and it is really easy in light of how complex life is. Note: Scientifically, theories need tests that demonstrate that the theory is possible so here goes. This is a simpler version of one of my favorites, The Clock Test. I will call this one The Paper Test:

Take a piece of paper and for simplicity sake rip it into ten peices and put it in a paper bag. Now shake it for say an hour. When you open the bag, you should have at least some of the peices of paper starting to bond together. In fact, with the conditions, paper is already paper, already a part of a larger peice of paper, etc. It should have formed into a sheet of paper by that time if evolution can make complex living structures from nothing within a couple billion years. Here we had something that already “knew” what is should be and the bonding process is very simple.

Other thoughts:

• Explain to me the human and dinosaur tracks in the Upper Taylor Platform (UTP) in the bed of the Paluxy River, near Glen Rose, Texas in light of evolution (I hear another theory coming, no proven fact from the evolutionists.)?
• Explain the almost perfect human tracks found in the mountains of New Mexico in the Permian (supposedly before the dinosaurs).
• Explain why it takes typical sedimentary rock to form at 1 cm/1000 years in evolution (Officer, Charles; The Great Dinosaur Extinction Mystery, 1996, p.56) when there are trees that extend from one coal seam to another through several layers of rock in Cookville, TN in the Kettles coal mines (Very fast evolution).
• Explain why, in 1997, samples from eleven year old rock at Mt. St. Helens was dated as being 1/2 to 3 million years old?
• etc

This whole evolution thing sounds like a belief system or religion (“cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion”) to me.

Coming soon: Intelligent Design Controversy – Intelligent Design
Interesting Discussion Starting Here: A blow against science

Very sobering article.

….the average number of passwords collected in an overnight hotel stay was 118

Check to make sure of what you are broadcasting to the rest of the world.

Full article Here

It is time for a revolution in the way digital media is handled! From what I have observed, the music and motion picture industry is ticked that the consumer can copy media without any loss unlike magnetic tape and phonograph.

These items are copyrighted and it is illegal to copy them outside the fair use stipulations in copyright law. Media industry is infringing on these fair use rights by pushing laws making aspects of the process of copying illegal or having user agreement with the media that further binds the user. Having a copy of a song may not be illegal under the fair use in copyright, but how you made that copy may be illegal because of other laws and breaking the “user agreement”.

In reality, I think that it will “hurt” this industry since I will be even more careful what music I buy. I will definitely try to avoid Sony since my PC is my media player these days (see Sony Sued)

“…under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), no one may create or distribute hardware or software that circumvents a copy-protection scheme. Thus besides suing someone for copyright infringement, encryptors of copy-protected content can sue someone for merely decrypting it.” – IEEE Spectrum, “Getting Copyright Right”, Feb 2002, Page 49

Under the original copyright laws as they were intended, there is no problem that I copied the above quote and because of the fair use of copyright. However, if the above was in a PDF using an encryption algorithm, I could get sued, not because I copied the two sentence but because I was able to get around the encryption and do the copying, illegal under DMCA. Because it is digital media.

I want to see good artists that are in to entertainment because they are artist and not because they want to be multimillionaires (thought this is a great side benefit) , leave the formal industry group and market and sell on their own or separate from these media “unions” such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Create a consortium of like-minded artists to oversee a new marketing, production and distribution method. Imagine what an artist could make on a $15 CD that goes platinum when production and distribution only cost less than $2 per CD? Could mainstream popular artist CDs sell for $5 each? Wow.

As for copyright enforcement, I believe laws like the DMCA infringes on the rights of the consumer given by “fair use” in copyright. It also inhibits further creativity of the artist to develop new material to support themselves and their cause. Hey, if it is impossible for one to copy your stuff without first handing out $1+ per copy or thousands in a law suit why be creative anymore, the dough should continue to roll in forever. This also goes for the extraordinarily long time works can be copyrighted – another thing that was not intended by original copyright laws. Have you noticed how few artists anymore are really good for an extended amount of time?

There is a ton more on this topic that I can ramble about but I will stop with this: It is not worth my effort to buy media any more. Just listen to the radio or better yet, webcasts for free.

P.S. If you are interested in developing an alternative to media distribution without the likes of the big companies like Sony and associated “associations” like the RIAA, I would be interested in hearing about it.

Ok, another soap box and I am expressing this because of all the problems changing status causes.

Recently the Indiana governor pushed though legislation to move the state of Indiana from EST only (no changing clocks all year) to include daylight savings time. My first thought on this is why he spent so much energy to do this which was quite a bit? While state budgets needed to fixed (now we are spending more money dealing with the time change) , educational system has major problems, state is one of the lowest in amount of technology companies (corn grows well but other businesses are lacking), etc.

Now, two counties that are adjacent and each contain large communities are being asked to be on two different time zones. More time and money spend debating this one.

Why change time zone?

• So that kids do not have to stand in the dark while waiting for the school bus? – from my figuring this is a bad reason because if Indiana goes to CT to accommodate this the lights at the stadium for the baseball games will have to be turned on early.
• So they do not have to turn on the lights so early at the baseball games to save electricity? – from my figuring this is a bad reason because if Indiana goes to ET to accommodate this, kids are going to still stand in the dark to catch the bus.
• Business operation? – who is preventing businesses from operating from 7-4 or 9-6 depending on what time zone they want to operate? Why not keep the office open from 7-6 then those in CT and those in ET do not have to figure out which time zone the business is in and if it it is time for daylight saving or not. And they can do business with international businesses that do not change time zones. Too easy.

Ok, so you now know where I stand on this. I do not think this change will accomplish the excuses used to do it and it is causing a lot of time and money by the local, state, and federal governments to be diverted from dealing with more important issues.

What do you think?

Allan

What crazy news we have in these days. The most recent being the earthquake in Pakistan.

Listening to the news this weekend, it was interesting to hear of the focus on the apartment complex in Islamabad, Pakistan. This is very sad that this happened. I have walked by those apartments and seen these people. It is amazing, however, that this is the only apartment building that was destroyed. With the poor construction ethics used in most buildings in Pakistan, this is a miricle to be the only one since there were two others just adjacent to this building and many others throughout the city.

However, this is minor compared to the devistation nearer to the quack. I am sure a lot can be said about poor contruction but the lost of life is huge.

This makes me think. Could this happen to me and my family? What about the pain if I were the only survivor? What would I do, holding my wife or one of my dear children in my arms as they died? How could I have changed things? Oh, to see them again! If it were my family I would see them again!

Only by the grace on almighty God, I would see them again. I know for sure that when I die I will see my Savior in Heaven and that my family will/would be there too.

What would happen if you were in a disaster like this?

I do not want to scare you but it is scary when you think about the future. Please consider taking a look at Answers.

Please pray for these people that they too will hear the Answers as many that know this truth are working to help them.

Finally, here is a page with a few pictures of the Islamabad apartment building taken during the night without a flash!

I thought I would put a mugshot up of me and maybe add some more about me later.