tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304988552024-02-21T07:00:10.129-08:00Miller's MusingsErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-78029214140510537642013-01-02T13:10:00.002-08:002013-01-02T16:06:49.206-08:00Guns and Crime: U.K. Violent Crime.I tried to access statistics for British crime from the national archive (<a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/">http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/</a>), but did not succeed (see <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060715140236/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/crime-statistics/">Home Office</a>).<br />
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The Daily Mail reports that Britain is the most violent EU country here: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196941/The-violent-country-Europe-Britain-worse-South-Africa-U-S.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196941/The-violent-country-Europe-Britain-worse-South-Africa-U-S.html</a>. However, the numbers seem high compared to this Wikipedia graph (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Violent-crime-rates-UK-1981-to-2007.png">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Violent-crime-rates-UK-1981-to-2007.png</a>, from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violent_crime">Violent Crime</a> article.).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGstWquGu1-HTfexvBDEZaHCn96ni2yWOdJtXocDZ3ifFEC7rdKa8oa8fLc0hfPJfZiyYRbrWwIWQX-BK_iStr3bGpX6-slJlQmrJaKGhyuF_RYj1yQo62d5upxQ1GiiYx5GH/s1600/Violent-crime-rates-UK-1981-to-2007.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGstWquGu1-HTfexvBDEZaHCn96ni2yWOdJtXocDZ3ifFEC7rdKa8oa8fLc0hfPJfZiyYRbrWwIWQX-BK_iStr3bGpX6-slJlQmrJaKGhyuF_RYj1yQo62d5upxQ1GiiYx5GH/s640/Violent-crime-rates-UK-1981-to-2007.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Wikipedia article <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States">Crime in the United States</a> reports U.S. murder rate is well above that in U.K. and other EU countries (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States#Homicide">Homocide</a>). The article <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate">List of countries by intentional homicide rate</a> shown rates for all countries. U.S. is high for developed nations.</div>
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Finally, not U.K either, but the Empires of Steel article <a href="http://www.empiresofsteel.com/devdiary/?p=60">Video Games and Real-World Violence</a> has some interesting graphs for the U.S. I believe they were all taken from the <a href="http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/ucrdata/Search/Crime/State/StatebyState.cfm?NoVariables=Y&CFID=18134403&CFTOKEN=b14454f4709871c2-E2FEC4A1-EDA1-82C3-DD81BA480DC9BFEC">U.S. Dept of Justice</a>.</div>
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This post is mainly intended to collect data w/o much comment. Briefly UK trend seems very similar to US. Method of counting is different. If Daily Mail stats are correct, something very strange has happened recently. Wonder if the data is the same (same categories, same source, same counting methods) and what their source is.</div>
<br />Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-69666523426896387682013-01-01T14:34:00.002-08:002013-01-01T14:44:09.571-08:00Guns and Crime: U.S. Violent Crime StatisticsI posted initial gun and crime thoughts in my last post, <a href="http://rellimcire.blogspot.com/2013/01/guns-and-crime-please-stop-misusing.html">Guns and crime: Please stop misusing numbers</a>. Now I'd like to talk about violent crime statistics.<br />
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Joyce Lee Malcom writes what seems to me a well-reasoned article: Joyce Lee Malcolm: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323777204578195470446855466.html">Two Cautionary Tales of Gun Control</a>. I think her numbers are good, but she perhaps fudges a bit to make her point. Australia and the U.K. are two countries not completely dissimilar to ours but with much tighter gun control. She says the numbers show it doesn't work. I'd like to look at some numbers for comparison.<br />
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First let's look at some raw number from the U.S. Department of Justice. I used the <a href="http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/ucrdata/Search/Crime/State/RunCrimeStatebyState.cfm">table builder</a> to generate violent crime statistics for 1960 to 2010. I downloaded the spreadsheet (csv file) and made the following chart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHiE2oh1qg42n94mDR_CsvEnhZnnLXWwxPp8oKXaisF1qghJfV1bANN1ltBMmx5YoZxfm4oI9KWkLEFCsJU1YI4Fvs3MV0uD7zaz_ujb10rJo-sLIE9ns4L1Nn27Pxleo5DbC/s1600/UsViolentCrime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHiE2oh1qg42n94mDR_CsvEnhZnnLXWwxPp8oKXaisF1qghJfV1bANN1ltBMmx5YoZxfm4oI9KWkLEFCsJU1YI4Fvs3MV0uD7zaz_ujb10rJo-sLIE9ns4L1Nn27Pxleo5DbC/s640/UsViolentCrime.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Murder and rape rates are small compared to aggravated assault. I separated them into their own charts so the trend would be clear.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1-UQVFpvTBsJ9ggdv4A2JYtsanwdkBk6ILZCHnshurDiTXni41m7-0i1491LYpgXiJYm11DGnDVNNJTDrMwphAqHw3DlNX5izew3Epz_j847CwHbNuwGVnMXF8giaMho8znO/s1600/UsMurder.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1-UQVFpvTBsJ9ggdv4A2JYtsanwdkBk6ILZCHnshurDiTXni41m7-0i1491LYpgXiJYm11DGnDVNNJTDrMwphAqHw3DlNX5izew3Epz_j847CwHbNuwGVnMXF8giaMho8znO/s640/UsMurder.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQrmqwx4YvmSpd5QXeW5lY5xIcpOUr9HdTo77KUe7IxCywU78W930JNPVUWaorrUeFCFnrKV2lxlng5iXIjBq71u8lmSdWXjD1jgCZk7mXOkSHYsLt8AKA5cK8OuLbqMSj5xs/s1600/UsRape.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQrmqwx4YvmSpd5QXeW5lY5xIcpOUr9HdTo77KUe7IxCywU78W930JNPVUWaorrUeFCFnrKV2lxlng5iXIjBq71u8lmSdWXjD1jgCZk7mXOkSHYsLt8AKA5cK8OuLbqMSj5xs/s640/UsRape.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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To me two things stand out right away</div>
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<li>Crime rates are dropping since 1990. It's not like violence is out of control and needs a radical solution. It's getting better. We can argue about the best way to keep the trends going or improve them. But certainly we all should not be panicky, depressed and despairing about our country.</li>
<li>Murder rates are insignificant compared to robbery and aggravated assault, and smaller even than rape. Yet murder gets all the focus, except when we focus on rape. Why? Well, probably because both those crimes are perceived as worse than robbery or assault. In 2010 the murder rate was 4.8, rape 27.2, robbery 119.1, and assault 252.3. So I guess we assume murder is over five times worse than rape and over 50 times worse than beating the crap out of someone.</li>
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In #2 above I'm being somewhat facetious. Nonetheless, the question of relative importance is a serious one that must be considered. Joyce Lee Malcolm cites a Brookings Institution conclusion that murders are down 3.2% in Australia since the National Firearms Agreement was passed in 1997. She also cites Australian Institute of Criminology statistics that show assaults up 40% since the 1990's. If that were to happen in the U.S. would it be worth it? The raw numbers for 2010 are 14,748 murders and 778,901 assaults. A 3.2% decrease in murders and 40% increase in assaults would change those numbers to 14,276 murders and 1,090,461 assaults. The differences are 472 less murders and 311,560 more assaults. Are 472 less deaths worth over 300,000 more people getting beaten horribly?<br />
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At this point you might argue that I'm reading too much into the numbers, that there must be other factors. You could be right. If so, I would argue the same about all the numbers presented in this debate. It requires thoughtful reasoned consideration. The problem needs to be properly <i>engineered</i>, not solved by emotional debate using suspect statistics.</div>
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There are many more numbers that I hoped to present but again my post has become too long. I hope this post at least gives convincing evidence that we are not in a crisis and that if we do need a solution it requires calm, reasoned analysis.<br />
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Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-17252858697018200132013-01-01T12:53:00.001-08:002014-01-09T02:48:57.986-08:00Guns and crime: Please Stop Misusing Numbers.I'm not as smart as my friends. Some of them see the obvious that if we ban all guns violent crimes like what happened at Sandy Hook will go away forever. Others clearly see the obvious truth that if we criminalize guns only criminals will have guns. In my ignorance neither of these conclusions are obvious.<br />
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I'm also no lawyer. I do not understand all the intricacies of the second amendment. If the amendment is referring to self-defense against the government, I don't see how having a semi-automatic weapon helps me against a federal government armed with nuclear weapons and fighter aircraft. On the other hand, if it refers to self defense in general I don't understand why more women's groups are not against gun control. A handgun levels the playing field. Without superior weapons smaller and weaker people (of whom women are the lion's share) are relatively defenseless against larger and stronger people (usually men) with baseball bats.<br />
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Neither am I a doctor, psychologist, nor social worker. Certainly better treatment for those with mental health issues is desirable, but I have no idea how to best accomplish this. Hopefully informed debate on this will provide some solutions, however that doesn't seem to be the focus of any significant efforts currently under way.<br />
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What I do understand is numbers. While not a mathematician nor statistician by trade, I did study both as part of the course work for my B.A. in Math from UCLA. Furthermore my 30+ year career in systems and software often has involved mathematical problem analysis.<br />
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Almost everyone twists numbers to meet their needs. This is unfortunate. When it happens in the engineering world bad things happen. For example when a flight director ignores engineers' warnings about launching a space shuttle when the temperature is too low the shuttle might just explode and kill seven astronauts. Similarly, in a gun control or other debate, twisting numbers to meet your needs does not help in finding a solution. Unfortunately this misuse of statistics happens so often I feel many must have no idea what they are doing. I have a friend who is bad with numbers. However, he understands this and takes steps to compensate, including double checking his use of numbers with those of us who know better. If you likewise don't understand why most of the statistics trotted out in the gun debate are garbage, please stop using them or at least get advice from those who know better.<br />
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I started this post intending to bring in statistics I've found that I think speak to the issue. As usual, however, my preamble has stretched to the length of a full post. So I will conclude with the above appeal to be much more careful with the numbers you use and I will post statistics later.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-13200679720768573302012-01-11T12:36:00.000-08:002012-01-11T14:59:03.432-08:00God and Infinity<div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5360715892165899"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">We who believe in God often call him infinite. Even those who do not believe often accept the infiniteness of God as part of the necessary definition of God. I’d like to examine this usage in more detail, and suggest that using “infinite” in referring to God needs to be done carefully.</span></b></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The basic problem is how one defines “infinite”. In common usage it means “immeasurably great” or “unbounded”. There is nothing wrong with these ideas in and of themselves. The supreme being should be “immeasurably great” and “unbounded”. A bounded being certainly is less than whatever binds it and so can no longer be considered supreme. As a believer in the Bible, I also find that God is there often described as having immeasurably great power and unbounded mercy and love.</span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The problem is not with these concepts, but trying to extend beyond these to draw logical conclusions. As a mathematician I’ve learned that ideas about infinity do not follow our normal intuition.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /><span style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; font-family: Cambria; color: rgb(54, 95, 145); text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Mathematical Infinity</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">For many centuries mathematicians were aware of infinity, but never really defined it. Some considered it so vague that it should not be part of proper mathematics. Even during my time at UCLA, long after infinity had been precisely defined, the professor who taught me the most about infinity and its definition personally disliked the idea of infinity and told me he thought we should avoid it. When mathematicians, who excel at precise definitions avoid something, we should take notice.</span></div><div><p><span style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; font-family: Cambria; color: rgb(54, 95, 145); text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Sets and Size</span></p><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Mathematicians have defined infinity by using the notion of a set. A set is a group of things. If a set contains the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 it would be shown like this: {1, 2, 3, 4}. A set can contain anything. For example, I could also have the set {cat, apple, computer, moon}.</span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">To define infinity, we first address the question of how big a set is. More specifically, how do we tell if two sets are the same size? The obvious answer is to count. The set {1, 2, 3, 4} has four elements, as does the set {cat, apple, computer, moon}. </span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">However, there is another way to compare sizes. We can tell if sets are the same size by matching the members. For example, we could make this match: 1 – cat, 2 – apple, 3 – computer, 4 – moon. The match shows the sets are the same size. Mathematicians call this a mapping, specifically a one-to-one mapping. Now say we have another set, {dog, fish, pen}. We could try the same sort of mapping: 1 – dog, 2 – fish, 3 – pen, 4 - ?. However there is a problem. The 4 has nothing left to match. This means the sets are different sizes. There is no one-to-one mapping between them.</span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Determining a set size by matching is useful when counting is hard. For example, if I have a few hundred pennies and want to count them, I might put them in stacks of ten. Rather than count each stack, I make one stack of ten, then just compare each new stack with the first stack to make it the right size. Doing all those comparisons is a lot faster and less prone to error than counting every penny. To get the final count I just count the stacks and multiply by ten.</span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">This brings us to infinite sets and Georg Cantor. Infinite sets are not only hard to count, they are impossible to count. Cantor asked whether all infinite sets are the same size. This seems like a ridiculous question. Of course they’re all the same size – they’re infinite! But what about when you have an infinite set that contains another infinite set. Is the contained set smaller or the same size?</span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Take the set of all the counting number, the positive integers: {1, 2, 3, …}. (The “…” means they just keep going.) Also look at the set of even numbers: {2, 4, 6, …}. Which is bigger? One obvious answer is the counting number are bigger because even numbers are contained in (are a subset of) the counting numbers. However, another obvious answer is that they are the same size, because both are infinite. Which is correct?</span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Consider a mapping between the sets where the counting numbers are multiplied by two. So counting number “1” maps to even number “2”, counting number “2” maps to even number “4”, and so on. Every counting number can be mapped to an even number. In other words, given any counting number, just multiply by two to get its corresponding even number. If you have 324, its corresponding even number is 648. Likewise, given any even number, you can find its associated counting number by dividing by two. If you have the even number 486, its corresponding counting number is 243. The point is every counting number has a matching even number and every even number has a matching counting number. Thus the sets have a one-to-one mapping and they are the same size.</span><br /><h2 dir="ltr" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-size: 17px; font-family: Cambria; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Infinity Defined</span></h2><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">At this point many might be thinking, “It’s a trick. The even numbers must be smaller. They are a subset of the counting numbers.” All I can say to that is that it’s not a trick, but follows directly from the idea of a one-to-one mapping. In fact, it leads to the following definition of an infinite set. </span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">An infinite set is a set which has subsets that are not equal to it but are the same size.</span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">That definition probably does not make anyone happy at first glance. It seems again like a trick. Shouldn’t the definition be more like “An infinite set is one that goes on forever”? Trouble is, words like “forever” contain the idea of infinity, so such a definition is circular. The mathematical definition recognizes an infinite set as the only kind of set which can have elements removed and still remain the same size. As such it supports the notion that infinity remains infinite even tweaked a little. Removing some stuff does not reduce its size. Conversely, adding some stuff does not increase its size.</span><br /><h2 dir="ltr" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-size: 17px; font-family: Cambria; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Different Sized Infinities</span></h2><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Despite what has been shown so far, despite the definition of an infinite set that allows some stuff to be added or subtracted from a set and that set remains the same size, there are different sizes of infinity. I feel I’ve already provided enough confusion. In exchange for not confusing you further, I ask that you accept the possibility that infinite sets can be different sizes. In fact, Cantor showed that not only are there there infinite sets of different sizes, he showed that there are an infinite number of different sizes of infinite sets! For those that wish a better discussion I recommend reading <a href="http://io9.com/5809689/a-brief-introduction-to-infinity" style="font-weight: bold; ">A Brief Introduction to Infinity</a>.<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> </span><br /><h2 dir="ltr" style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-size: 17px; font-family: Cambria; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Are These Infinities Real?</span></h2><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Do mathematical infinities correspond to God or any other reality? Are there physical (or spiritual) infinities of different sizes? I don’t know. I do know that the mathematical definition of infinity is the only rigorous one I know. It also seems to be about as simple as possible. Despite its relative simplicity, it leads to bizarre consequences like subsets that are the same size as their contained set and infinities of different sizes. Can we expect real-life infinities, if they exist, to be any less bizarre?</span><br /><p><span style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; font-family: Cambria; color: rgb(54, 95, 145); text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Infinity in Theology</span></p><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Now that we’ve looked at a rigorous definition of infinity, let’s examine some theological concepts in light of the mathematical definition of infinity.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">First, consider a common argument against the idea of God existing. “If God exists and is all-powerful, can he make a rock that he can’t lift?” If he can’t make the rock, the argument says, then he is limited and not all powerful. If, on the other hand, God makes such a rock, then the existence of the rock is a limitation of God’s power. Again we have a God who is limited. Quite some time ago I came to the conclusion that the problem with this argument is defining “a rock God cannot lift.” It is a nonsensical statement, like saying can God make a true lie? The sentence is correct grammar but a nonsensical combination words, as nonsensical as Jabberwocky.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">However, now that I look at this argument from an infinity point-of-view, how do I know it contains a nonsensical definition? I can only know that if I understand infinity. Perhaps the real problem with this argument is assuming too much knowledge about “all-powerful”. Perhaps my objection to it and the argument itself both assume too much about infinity. Given that a mathematically infinite set can lose something and still be infinite, maybe God can lose part of his power and still be infinitely powerful. So maybe a rock God cannot lift is not a nonsensical concept. But by the same token, if God does create such a rock, maybe he is still all-powerful.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">A related concept has to do with God being all-powerful and people having free will. Maybe an infinitely powerful God can give people some of his power and still remain infinitely powerful. Some say that God cannot allow free will in people because doing so reduces his sovereignty. Maybe these people can now relax because in the world of infinite it is possible to give power away and still retain the same amount of power.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">We’ve talked about God’s infinite power, what about his boundless love and mercy? People often say that God cannot be loving because there is so much evil in the world, or so much evil in their own lives. But given how counter-intuitive even relatively simple mathematically infinity is, how can we expect to understand God’s infinite love? Are questions of God’s love valid? Certainly. Will giving a mathematical proof of his love comfort someone who is hurting? Certainly not. However, in our times of calm reflection and rational thought, perhaps we can at least realize how limited our understanding is of an infinite God.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Finally, let’s consider the Christian doctrine of the trinity, or triune nature of God. How can God be one and three at the same time? Again, I don’t know. But perhaps the mathematically concept of infinity can be illustrative. Earlier we saw how the even numbers are the same size as the counting numbers. Likewise the odd numbers are also the same size. We are able to split the counting numbers into two sets, odds and evens. Those two sets are not half as big, but are each as big as the original. A three-way split could just as easily be accomplished (multiples of three, numbers that divide by three with remainder of one, numbers that divide by three with remainder of two). Could not an infinite God also be divided into three parts, each of which is as big and the original? Does this prove or even fully explain the trinity? Of course not. But at least it is food for thought and opens new avenues of thinking.</span><br /><p><span style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; font-family: Cambria; color: rgb(54, 95, 145); text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Infinite Possibilities</span></p><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">As I said above I make no claims that mathematical infinity matches any reality. In fact, making such a claim can lead to other problems. For example, as we mentioned above mathematical infinities have infinitely many different sizes. If we claim God fits the mathematical definition of infinite, we must immediately ask what size is God’s infinity. Or is God somehow more infinite than all mathematical infinities (which, I think, was roughly Cantor’s view)? Rather than making such a strong claim, what I hope I’ve done is convince you to be careful in your handling of concepts that include infinity and to open you up to new thought possibilities in your search for truth and contemplation of the infinite.</span></span></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-37083282818064793392011-02-21T10:10:00.000-08:002011-02-22T08:03:37.478-08:00Creation Science Destroys the Beauty of GenesisI was in Sunday School last week when our teacher, the brilliant author <a href="http://www.nettelhorst.com/">R. P. Nettelhorst</a> (you really should check out his writing, even though this is a shameless plug by a friend) pointed out that the Genesis creation account parallels the Mesopotamian creation account, Enuma Elish. This lead me to think that so-called "Creation Science" really destroys the literary genius of the Genesis account. Let me explain.<div><br /></div><div>I've already written about the <a href="http://rellimcire.blogspot.com/2008/03/age-of-earth-is-not-article-of-faith.html">true meaning of the Genesis creation account</a>. It wasn't written to combat modern 21st century science. It was written to combat polytheism. There are not innumerable gods as in Egypt. There is one God who did all. So already I think "Creation Science" misses the whole point of the Genesis account. (And so I keep using the quotes, because it's not the correct view of creation and it certainly isn't science.)</div><div><br /></div><div>However, I was missing something that's very cool. I used to cringe when people compared Genesis to Enuma Elish. After all, I believe the Bible is the word of God. How humiliating to see it as just a rip-off of a stupid polytheistic legend. What my friend, R. P., pointed out is that it's not a rip-off, it's a specific counter to the Enuma Elish.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I looked up Enuma Elish and found <a href="http://meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/Mesopotamia/genesis_and_enuma_elish_creation.htm">this page</a>. The Enuma Elish has six stages of creation. Genesis gives six days of creation. In each stage of the Enuma Elish a new god is created. On each day of Genesis, God creates something new. Here is how they align.<br /><table cellspacing="10"><tbody><tr><td><b>Enuma Stage/Genesis Day</b></td><td><b>Enuma god (function)</b></td><td><b>Genesis</b></td><td><b>Notes</b></td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Tiamat (primeval chaos & bearer of sky and earth) and Apsu (water)</td><td>In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep (or watery chaos), while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. (1:1-2)<br /></td><td>In the Biblical Hebrew "chaos" is "Tehowim", similar to Tiamat.</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Lahamu (muddy silt)</td><td>And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." (1:6-7)</td><td>God slicing waters with the dome parallels Marduk slicing open Tiamat to make land and sky</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Kishar (the Earth)</td><td>And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. (1:9-10)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Anu (sky)</td><td>God made the two great lights--the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night-- and the stars. (1:16)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Ea (speaks and makes all things of the Earth)</td><td>So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. (1:21)</td><td>Ea speaks the things of the Earth into existence. God speaks everything into existence.</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Marduk (king of gods and creator of man)</td><td>Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, (1:26) And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. (2:2)</td><td>Marduk makes people his slaves so he can rest. God finishes creation with people in his image, rests on seventh day and gives it as a holy day of rest for people.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br /><div><br />Again we see the same message. There are not many gods. There is one God. God is telling his people that the story they have heard is all wrong. Genesis isn't a rip-off of Enuma Elish, it's a brilliant literary reversal of the common mythology of the time. "Creation Science", in its haste to refute what it sees as modern scientific evil, perverts the beauty and brilliance of the Genesis account by twisting it into a modern scientific treatise. Very sad indeed.</div><div><br /></div><div>One more thing. Notice that Enuma Elish teaches that people are slaves of Marduk. Genesis teaches that people are the image of God and get to rest just like he does. What a complete difference. God walks and talks with people in Genesis. He treats us are equals in many ways. He loves us. Genesis is the complete opposite of Enuma Elish, just as the Bible is the complete opposite of so many beliefs that make the world a place of inhuman gods that want to harm us.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is only one God. His love for us is inconceivable. Why pervert Genesis with any other meaning than that?</div><div><br /></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-29819596540900129252010-11-26T08:20:00.000-08:002010-11-26T08:54:58.373-08:00ThanksgivingMost years I have to think about what I'm thankful for. Not this year. Easy: I just got a new job after a long layoff. No-brainer there. We were looking at some tough times starting in January so this was close to our last chance. Very thankful indeed. <div><br /></div><div>However, I'm not just thankful for finding a job. My year of unemployment -- yes a whole year -- has actually been very good for me. First, my former company gave me a good severance package. We were a lot better off than many unemployed, we kept our house, never wanted for food or anything else. Took it easy on the spending, but basically lived life as normal. God has been very good to us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because I was no longer commuting I became much more plugged into our community. Some of this was just the simple things like driving some streets I didn't usually drive, using the library regularly, shopping, or getting out during the week. But I also volunteered. I already had volunteered with a local high school robot club. With more schedule flexibility I was able to be much more involved. Very enjoyable and rewarding.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also joined a job club, <a href="http://www.avppng.org/">AVPPNG</a>. They helped me tremendously with moral support and navigating unemployment and job searching. I eventually was elected president and got to practice seldom used leadership and people skills. I made several friends as well as networking contacts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our church held a "Biggest Loser" contest. I was motivated to lose 45lbs. In winning, I am now officially the biggest loser at church. The contest motivated me to up my running schedule and start a running group. Over the course of the year I became much more fit and reduced my 5k PR by 4 1/2 minutes (29:55 to 25:17 -- not very fast, but still a great improvement). At one point I could run fast enough and do enough push-ups, sit-ups, mountain climbers and pull-ups to pass the LA County Sheriff's PT 500 physical exam (arthritis problems have since forced me to back down a little). Through our running group I got involved with a soccer team and now play once or twice a week. Our group met a lot at Apollo Park. While running there on my own one day (group dissolved) I met a fellow runner who is the very well-know dog trainer, <a href="http://www.kyra.com/">Kyra Sundance</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lately I realized that what I love doing is developing software. I took initiative to start learning on my own. I realized that such learning and initiative would help me in my job search. It also was fun and re-energized me. It has made me more aware of how much I do not know and need to keep learning. I am much more excited now about my career and about learning many new things. This learning and enthusiasm, the lessons I also learned from job searching and interviewing, led directly to me landing my new job.</div><div><br /></div><div>The real negative about being laid off is the stress of not knowing, of seeing the money dwindling, of having to be ready to network and search and respond to employer requests at a moment's notice. In some ways that stress is self-induced. I too easily forget Matthew 6:33-34: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."</div><div><br /></div><div>Self induced or not, the stress is very real. Waking up at 4am stressed out about not having work is no fun. Also, I don't like being forced into anything, especially not having to reach out (kiss-up?) to people. But job search forces me to do just that. And a funny thing happened. I've become much more comfortable with it. Happy I found a job and don't have to be so uncertain? Ecstatic!! Still, now I know I can survive this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bottom line: the process has been very good for me. There are still many problems in life, but I feel better able to handle them. My new job is temporary -- a three month contract. I could be right back out there looking very soon. I'm not thrilled about this, but am OK with it. When I was first laid off a trainer said on average we'd do this again in 3-5 years. That scared the crap out of me. Now, it's OK. I know more about what to do. More importantly, I have a much better vision of what I want to do and how to get there. I'm much more confident in myself and in God working in my life. It's been a very good year.</div><div><br /></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-32584185611424986512010-09-10T05:52:00.000-07:002010-09-10T06:15:41.387-07:00Please Stop HatingI am Christian and it hurts when people who call themselves Christian do hateful things. I am referring to the threatened <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/10/florida.quran.burning/index.html?hpt=T2">Quran burning</a> by Terry Jones. Christianity is about love, not hate. Enough evil has been done in the name of Christ, a man who said love is the greatest good. Please, Mr. Jones and my fellow Christians, stop violating the message of Jesus.<div><br /></div><div>Jesus called us to love our enemies. How is provocation love? OK, Mr. Jones, I know loving your enemies is hard. How about showing a little consideration for your fellow believers? Burning copies of the Quran in Florida is relatively safe. How about the violent reaction it causes in other parts of the world? Do you really have so little regard for others that you're OK with the persecution, injury and death of Christians around the world that your actions will incite? Do you ever think about or pray for believers in places like Pakistan, Saudia Arabia and Syria? </div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Jones, we Christians send people out to tell of God's love in sending his son. Why do you instead want to advertise hate and nullify everything we stand for? If you won't listen to me, perhaps you can hear the words of Martin Luther King: "Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." Please, Mr. Jones, do not follow through on your plan to burn copies of the Quran.</div><div><br /></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-7528391665060906132010-07-26T17:18:00.000-07:002010-07-26T17:24:20.663-07:00Video ResumeHere is the <a href="http://www.viddler.com/player/b7b8d6f0/">video resume</a> I posted on <a href="http://www.mycareeri.com/">Mycareeri.com</a>. Employers can set up free accounts to search for my resume and many others.<div>______________________________</div><div><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="437" height="370" id="viddler"><param name="movie" value="http://www.viddler.com/player/b7b8d6f0/"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="fake=1"><embed src="http://www.viddler.com/player/b7b8d6f0/" width="437" height="370" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="fake=1" name="viddler"></embed></object></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-65671898553637465952010-01-21T12:04:00.001-08:002010-01-21T22:50:13.083-08:00A Great Day.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4526258/ehow.RunRain-main_Full.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 225px;" src="http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4526258/ehow.RunRain-main_Full.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Yesterday was a great day.<div><br /></div><div>It started in the morning. I got up and got out running. The weather was cool and damp but no rain. I felt good and ran faster than I had been. I got back to my home just as the rain started. Cool! But even better, while running, God changed my attitude about searching for a job. I worry a lot about getting a new job. I worry about the future, get depressed and then mope around and am too discouraged to do much. God affirmed that he will take care of me and my family. Even if we have no money and are on the street, he'll take care of us. I don't expect that -- he's always treated us way better than that. But whatever, the guarantee is that he'll take care of us. I need to let him handle the results and I need to focus on doing what I should every day. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sWVfi3aPmb-LFm8TBKhXs5VKHXelAxXxWAkOcIx5bPV-k-rKhv1VvyzG2lty5SZ_-6F1KOEhhWLYzdUUwu5Ki9t4kp47NvXRDLnE9Oav_qRwEtVcA3HpeDzgUSaW46BebJOojQ/s400/Lilies+of+the+fields.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sWVfi3aPmb-LFm8TBKhXs5VKHXelAxXxWAkOcIx5bPV-k-rKhv1VvyzG2lty5SZ_-6F1KOEhhWLYzdUUwu5Ki9t4kp47NvXRDLnE9Oav_qRwEtVcA3HpeDzgUSaW46BebJOojQ/s400/Lilies+of+the+fields.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Two quotes came to mind. The first is "Pray like it's up to God and work like it's up to me." Easy to say, hard to remember and do. The second is Matthew 6:25-34 where Jesus shows how God takes care of the birds and flowers and says we are a lot more important than them. In particular, Matthew 6:33-34 "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.freefoto.com/images/01/01/01_01_24---Flock-of-Birds_web.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.freefoto.com/images/01/01/01_01_24---Flock-of-Birds_web.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>This all put me in a great mood. And I stayed in a great mood despite a couple of things. First, during my run I felt a twinge on the side of my right leg, just below the knee. When I got home it was mildly sore and I had to be careful to not bend too much. Discouraging, especially since I always talk about avoiding injury. But also ironic. Just Saturday in our beginning running group, Ruth mention she felt something on the side of her calf. I'd never heard of it before. Now I empathize.</div><div><br /></div><div>Second, a little after I started up my computer I saw the Blue Screen of Death. Fortunately I got the computer restarted and was able to back up all my docs. And it has been OK since.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.avppng.org/files/newsflash_logo.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 92px;" src="http://www.avppng.org/files/newsflash_logo.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>So, I got a little frustrated, but my mood alteration held and I left for my Wednesday job club (<a href="http://www.avppng.org/">AVPPNG</a>, a network club for job seekers) in high spirits. Our meeting was good. Part of the meeting was a presentation by an EDD person, Margie, about the WIA program, a program to help people get training they need. Many in our group had already applied and were asking what was going on with their applications. Margie explained many times how there were so many applications and so few workers, so many steps involved and why it took so long. Then she dropped a great quote, "Next week with the government is two or three months." In other words, what we'd normally expect in a week usually takes the government two or three months.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://twincityrestaurantweek.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/people_eating_restaurant.61180830.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 144px; height: 96px;" src="http://twincityrestaurantweek.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/people_eating_restaurant.61180830.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>After the meeting four of us went out to lunch. We had a fun and encouraging time. Plus we had lots of stimulating conversation, including some good spiritually oriented discussions. One of the encouraging things was that the other three had good chances of landing jobs soon. I commented that I was the odd man out but they re-assured me that I was also the newbie (they'd all been at it a lot longer than me) and good things would come my way too.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/images/content/219783main_ED08-0080-28.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 161px;" src="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/images/content/219783main_ED08-0080-28.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></div><div>After all that, I went to the Robolopes robot club at Antelope Valley High. This year's competition is building robots that play a form of soccer. I help with the software. It was a good time as usual, although we are currently at a roadblock.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I got home, I got dinner and checked my email. About two weeks ago I had sent an email asking how my application for a flight test engineer at the Edwards Flight Test Center was doing. This is an application that I put in about four months ago (Margie's quote about government weeks became relevant in a new context). My email question and big concern was whether it had passed the human resources screening. It's not exactly my field and I was concerned (OK, worried!) that the HR people would just reject it outright. Yesterday, I got an answer. It had a lot of government speak that I didn't understand well, but it seemed to be saying I passed and my application was sent to the hiring managers.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the evening we went to our usual Wednesday prayer meeting. Instead of being at church it was in the pastor's home. This made it warmer and cozier than normal on a cold rainy night. Plus lots of people showed up and we had a very good time -- lots of encouragement and uplifting interaction.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/web/081023-F-3571D-394.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 229px;" src="http://www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/web/081023-F-3571D-394.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Of particular interest to me was that Sherman was there. Sherm is my contact at Edwards and the reason I applied for the job at the FTC. He helped me interpret my email (I'd printed it out hoping he'd be there). He confirmed that I'd "made the cert" and that my resume was now referred out to the hiring managers. YEAH! (Plus I'm not such an odd man out anymore!)</div><div><br /></div><div>One slightly discouraging thing is that I'm one of 224 who made the cert. However, Sherm reassured me that usually half are no longer available. Plus that many applicants means there are a lot of jobs available -- even a hundred openings is not that big for a place as huge as Edwards. I sent him the email and he is going to ask his bosses what's happening. Plus Sherm had already introduced me to his big boss many months ago. He is one of the hiring managers and spoke to me about how they needed lots of experienced engineers and how they'd get me talking to lots of different people to see where I fit in. Now that I've made the cert I feel good about presenting all my skills and am excited about being able to talk with people out there. It's still a long way from having a job, but it's a huge, exciting step forward.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, that's my great day. Hallelujah and Praise God!</div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-4164849894289507052009-08-25T09:42:00.000-07:002009-08-25T09:46:42.382-07:00Computer Problems SolvedThis is too good to pass up. And it's true! Now you all know how to solve your computer problems on your own.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://xkcd.com/627/"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 732px; height: 823px;" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/tech_support_cheat_sheet.png" border="0" alt="" /></a>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-46150390408467799882009-08-11T08:48:00.000-07:002009-08-11T08:51:35.821-07:00Interesting ... or Not.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://xkcd.com/621/"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 740px; height: 230px;" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/superlative.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />What's sad is that this fits me to a T.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-24679196964009712912009-07-12T17:52:00.000-07:002009-07-12T17:56:27.895-07:00Why I Use Filthy LanguageI'm a Christian. Why would I use filthy language? Like many other Christian testimonies, that of my brother-in-law tells of how when he became a Christian his language immediately cleaned up. Yet I now use worse language than I used to. What's wrong with me?<br /><br />First off it's my opinion that the Bible really has nothing to say directly about using curse words and similarly colorful adjectives. We are commanded not to use the Lord's name “in vain”, but this refers to breaking oaths in God's name. The Bible even contains sexual puns and frank sexual language, including degrading sexual references. (They show up in the original language and are often sanitized in English translations.)<br /><br />So I can just say whatever I want when I want? Not exactly. Let me tell my story.<br /><br />I became a Christian in junior high. I was already shy and a goodie-two-shoes type of guy. I didn't use bad language. Several times I reported my younger brother's language to my parents and got him in trouble. I tried to be a good Christian.<br /><br />Flash forward to my adult life. I became engaged in some addictive behavior. It caused a lot of problems for me and my family. I went into therapy and attended groups for many years working to manage my addiction. There a funny thing happened.<br /><br />One thing I learned was that I was repressing my emotions. I didn't think much about stuff that happened when I was young. I needed to get that stuff out. I also stored up stuff that happened to me daily. I controlled myself until I couldn't take it any more. Then I blew up, usually at my wife and children. This was bad (DUH!) and it soon became apparent that anger was as big an issue as my addiction. Probably bigger.<br /><br />I also realized that I had another problem. Despite believing in God's grace I often acted like a legalist. I judge myself and other by what I did. I held others up to my standard, compared myself to them and rationalized why I was better. This behavior was ingrained in my personality and was reinforced by my religious life. Over time God impressed on me that this was my biggest problem. It's what Jesus hated about the Pharisees. It's almost (not quite, but ever so close) like God told me and keeps telling me that he could care less how I behave. What he wants is me to be honest with him and others. To love him and others.<br /><br />I took to swearing for a couple of reasons. I needed to express my anger in healthy ways. Swearing is a tremendous way to express anger. I try to not swear at people. I try to be mad, to let my anger out, to let people know how I'm feeling without blasting them. Swearing helps all this.<br /><br />The second reason I swear is to fight legalism. It's still easy for me to play my little Christian game. To pretend to myself and others that I'm good and godly and holy. Throwing in some swear words instantly negates that perception.<br /><br />So it's good that I swear and I should just let rip whenever, right? Wrong. As healthy as it may be for me there are many times it may hurt people around me. Work is one place where it can cause problems. I also try to watch what I say around children. And, despite appearances, I really do try to not offend people needlessly. I may let some words go to purposely rattle people, but I try not to do it too often.<br /><br />All of this sounds like I've got the whole thing totally under control. That would be wrong too. I often swear because I'm mad (damn it!) and just let go. I'm imperfect and often say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I often need to apologize.<br /><br />Finally I have sworn a couple of times during a sermon I was giving. I did it with careful consideration. George Patton was asked why he swore so much. He said it was so people would remember what he said. Often we Christians read and hear the same things over and over. Some are radical ideas that should shake us up but we've become immune. I've twice tried forms of swearing to make a point in a sermon stick. Did it work? People definitely remember that I swore. It's unclear if the point stuck or not.<br /><br />That's where I am on swearing. It's helpful to me, but I try to watch it (I'm actually now trying to cut back a bit, to give my anger to God and let it go more easily.) It's not OK to say anything at any time, but I often violate protocol to remind myself and other Christians to lighten up a bit. Most of all, I'm far from perfect and so is my language, but the closer I can get to honestly and love the better off I am.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-28132836645548616672009-06-22T15:53:00.000-07:002009-06-23T10:46:20.191-07:00Electric Cars and BatteriesThe basic problem with electric cars is that the batteries are too big and take too long to charge. The Tesla Roadster motor is 70 lbs, has one moving part and is the size of a watermellon, yet it gives high-end sports car performance using a one speed transmission! The battery, however, weighs 1000 lbs. To say the least, that's a bit more than a full gas tank on an internal combustion car. The Roadster also takes about three hours to charge. That makes for a long pit stop. The Tesla Model S will improve on the charging time, getting it down to 45 minutes.<div><br /></div><div>Clearly, if we had a battery that could charge in 5 minutes and was near the weight of a full gas tank, electric cars would be awesome. Even several hundred pound batteries with appropriate range and power output would be an improvement.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have reason to hope that batteries will improve significantly in the next several years. I list my reasons below. They are basically taken from Wikipedia's article on lithium ion batteries, but I have read about many of them elsewhere.</div><div><ul><li>The big problem with Li-ion batteries is that they have a high internal resistance, mostly due to electrode (anode and cathode) materials. This causes heat and energy loss. Tesla had to specifically design a cooling system for their Roadster battery pack to keep it safe. There are several proposals to address this problem.</li><li>In April 2006 researchers at MIT announced they could grow micro wires with viruses. This technology would improve Li-ion energy density by a factor of three (e.g the 1000 lb Roadster battery would only weigh 333 lbs). In April 2009 <i>New Scientist</i> reported that the MIT team succeeded in making a battery with their virus technology.</li><li>In June 2006 researchers in France produced nano-structured electrodes with several times the energy capacity of normal electrodes.</li><li>In September 2007 the University of Waterloo, Canada, developed a new cathode chemistry using fluorine. It would increase battery life and allow replacing lithium with cheaper and more stable sodium.</li><li>In November 2007 Subaru unveiled their G4e concept electric car with Li-ion batteries that have double the energy density of normal Li-ion batteries. In the lab the Subaru-type batteries have been shown to have three times the energy density of normal Li-ion batteries.</li><li>In December 2007 researchers at Stanford created a Li-ion battery with nanowires that had ten times the energy density of normal Li-ion batteries. They hope to commercialize their technology in five years. (If they could achieve this, the Roadster battery would only weigh 100 lbs!)</li></ul></div><div>If some or all of these hit in the next few years, even in a decade or so, batteries will improve enough to make electric cars superior to gasoline cars. Plus our electric toys -- cell phones, computers, et al -- will get much better as well. I'm excited!</div><div><br /></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-23762595457912129532009-06-22T15:43:00.000-07:002009-06-22T15:49:00.243-07:00Progress?I found this funny, but it certainly has a black underside.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q3puJa2EfcM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q3puJa2EfcM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />It's my belief that a big reason the iron curtain fell was because people finally were fed up with their dictators enough to rebel. It took a lot of courage, not to mention some pain and suffering (though a lot less that any of us would have guessed). I've prayed something similar would happen in countries like Iran. Despite (or because of) all the violence and pain, perhaps the unrest in Iran is the start of something good.<br /><br />I hope so. And I'll keep praying.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-33506965825010701592009-06-05T09:15:00.001-07:002009-06-05T10:10:08.268-07:00How to Start Running<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.trsrunningclub.com/training/images/beginners_1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 144px;" src="http://www.trsrunningclub.com/training/images/beginners_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I avoided running because I thought it would be too hard on my body. I'd hurt my knees. My feet would get messed up. My arthritic joints would suffer. Chaffing would get to me. It was just too much for someone my age and weight. Since I've started running I've never had most of these problems. The ones I have had have been minor and I've learned to deal with them.<div><div><br /></div><div>What got me past my fears? I learned I could run slowly and easily.</div><div><br /></div><div>In particular, I found the <a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml">Couch to 5k plan</a>. It provides a schedule for getting from sitting on the couch to being able to run 5k, which is about 3 miles. I liked this plan and it worked for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps, though, it looks too complicated for you. Carolina gave me a running book for my birthday, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Master's Running</span> by Hal Higdon. He has a <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/beginrunner/intro.htm">Beginner's Running Guide</a> online. On it he presents his very simple and easy <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/beginrunner/plan.htm">30/30 plan</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both plans start with walking. You jog only as you are ready. You very <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">slowly</span> build up the length of your running. The emphasis is on doing what you are able to do consistently. You are not expected to run exhaustively nor "gut it out" nor kill yourself. In fact, such intense effort is counter productive because it leads to injury and burn-out.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are several principles to remember when you start to run.<br /></div><div><ol><li>Go slow.</li><li>Run easily and do not push yourself.</li><li>Don't go too fast.</li><li>Ease into your running.</li><li>When you feel impatient and want to skip ahead, hold back. You'll get there in time.</li><li>If you have trouble moving to the next step, just repeat until you feel able. Don't be afraid to go back if the current step is too hard.</li><li>Don't compare yourself to others.</li></ol></div><div>While it may not seem like much, you do slowly get better. Many times people are able to work up to a full marathon in less than a year. In my case I went from zero to a half marathon in a year. I was interupted by work, sickness, two children getting married and some other life circumstances. After each interruption I was able to pick back up and keep improving. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you have never run or haven't run in a long time, I encourage you to try it. It's not my intent to disparage other types of exercise. Walking, biking, tennis, basketball, martial arts, yoga, dance and many others things are great. The main thing is to do something. I've done other things and still do, but I've found running to be great for me. Perhaps you'll find it good for you too, even it you didn't think it possible.</div></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-37595308370996589612009-06-04T15:32:00.000-07:002009-06-04T15:58:03.148-07:00Why I Run.I took up running regularly a year ago. I ran my first half marathon Memorial Day. Why do I run?<br /><br />There are lots of standard exercise reasons.<br /><ol><li>Better health.<br /></li><li>Feel better.</li><li>Live longer.</li><li>Feel fit.</li><li>Feel younger.</li><li>Live to see and enjoy grandchildren (no kids, this is not a hint :-)</li><li>Relax and relieve stress.</li><li>Be fit enough to do things I enjoy like racquetball and hiking.</li></ol>Specific reasons I run.<div><ol><li>My son, Dan, and I are working on being in distance races. It's something we can do together even though we live a distance from each other.</li><li>Being able to run is satisfying. I now can just go out and run several miles without it being a big deal. That's cool.</li><li>Running does all the exercise stuff above, and it does most better or more efficiently.</li></ol>I have rheumatoid arthritis. Before it got treated correctly I lost the ability to run. I could barely walk, especially in the morning. I once fell down in my apartment parking lot. There was no one around and nothing to grab onto. I barely made it back to my feet. My arthritis is now under control. But I haven't forgotten how it was. I feel like God's given my life back to me. I actually had to relearn to run. It wasn't that hard, but it was eye opening. I thank God and don't wish to throw his gift away.</div><div><br /></div><div>The major reason I didn't run before last year is I figured I was too old and fat. I thought I'd hurt myself. I got over this because I found out how I could run slowly and build up mileage slowly. My first runs were basically short walks with very short jogs thrown in. I have been surprisingly injury free. I've been sore, but it's a good muscle sore. I twisted my ankle a few weeks ago because I stepped on a rock sideways, but it wasn't bad and healed quickly. I've had no injury related purely to running, which surprised me. In fact, running often makes me feel better. I ran a slow recovery run the day after my half marathon, and that actually made me feel better than just sitting around.</div><div><br /></div><div>As an old fat guy I also worried about chaffing. How can I put this politely? Those of us with excess flab have parts that bounce when we run. Those parts can chaff against our clothes. I seem especially sensitive to it. It has bothered me many times. However, there are good products, like Body Glide which I use, that work miracles. This has not really been the problem I expected it to be thanks to modern technology.</div><div><br /></div><div>Running can make my muscles sore. I already stretched when I exercised and since running I've had to learn to stretch even more regularly. Stretching is good for me anyway. It's almost essential if I want to run (or any kind of exercise). I've learn a little yoga and that has helped tremendously.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are probably other reasons not to run but I find the positives far out-weigh any hassles. I enjoy running and look forward to running for many more years.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-9374284026842047902009-06-04T15:18:00.000-07:002009-06-04T15:27:49.303-07:00Tesla Model SWhipnotic Model S Video.<br /><object width="384" height="294"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.whipnotic.com/evideo/1077"> </param> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/> </param> <embed src="http://www.whipnotic.com/evideo/1077" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="384" height="294"> </embed> </object><br /><br />Model S Unveiled:<br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HvzOdYVw6Pw&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HvzOdYVw6Pw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />Model S Test Drive.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x8YN3MAHmhY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x8YN3MAHmhY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-36023891848900502252009-05-27T09:06:00.000-07:002009-05-27T10:16:03.951-07:00Electric Math<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AG3bMKR5eXk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AG3bMKR5eXk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />The major flaw of electric cars is their lack of range. Top Gear dramatically demonstrates this in the above video. (Some would say they not only over-hyped the problem but actually mis-lead viewers about it.) Even as I've thought about how fun a <a href="http://www.teslamotors.com/">Tesla Roadster</a> would be, I realize it would not be practical for a long trip. An electric Smart car with an 80 mile range would be even worse and don't even think about one of the lesser models (some with a range of only 40 miles).<br /><br />A few days ago I thought about range again and was surprised.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/3467/3200530938_65269977c0.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 140px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/3467/3200530938_65269977c0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>First the good news. Well over 90% of my wife and my driving is in town. Occasionally I make the 70 mile drive to work. Sometimes we make the also 70 mile drive to my sister's house in Apple Valley. We also make an up to 100 mile drive to visit family in LA and Orange County. For all of this an electric car with over a 100 mile range is actually more convenient than a gasoline vehicle. No need to go to a gas station -- just plug it in at night, while I'm working or while we're visiting.<br /><br />Long trips are another problem. Having to stop and charge for several hours ruins the chance of making any significant mileage. One idea is I can just rent a car. I've often rented cars for vacations. Years ago it was because I owned cheap vehicles that were not that much fun to travel in and that I was afraid would break down. More recently I've rented because my car was too small to carry all the luggage or people coming on the trip. For an occasional traveler like me, this makes good sense. Why pay a premium (and the extra fuel costs) for a large car that I'll only need once or twice a year?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/3620/3388564188_4427beac12.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 166px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/3620/3388564188_4427beac12.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The thing I realized a few days ago is that Telsa's promised S Class changes the range problem. The S Class will have a range of 300 miles and can be charged in 45 minutes. It also will have quick-swappable battery (five minutes). And, by the way, it will have plenty of passenger and luggage storage capacity for a long trip.<br /><br />Obviously if battery swap stations are available, there is no problem. A five-minute battery swap is as quick as a gasoline fill-up. But working out the kinks of battery swap stations any time soon (if ever) seems highly unlikely.<br /><br />How will a long trip work with charging? From our house to Arcata, where our daughter Ruth lives, is 660 miles. It's about 12 hours counting our relatively quick stops. We get gas, take bathroom breaks and get our food to go. With a 300 mile range S Class, we would have to stop at one of the scattered places south of Stockton. They're sparse, but exist. We have stopped in the area many times because we have about the same range in our current car, a Scion xB. Instead of a 20 minute food-to-go break, we'd have to stop for about 50 minutes. I assume we could leave the car charging while we get something to eat nearby.<br /><br />Since Arcta is 660 miles we need another stop to refuel. Humans usually need another stop too. Willits is a good place. The way we go it's about 230 miles more. That means we'd have about 70 miles left in the "tank". From Willits to Arcata is another 145 miles, so we'd only need a small charge, say another 80 miles. 80 miles of charge should take less than 15 minutes. (A full, 300mi, charge takes 45 min. 45min * 80/300 = 12min. I rounded up). By leaving the car charging while we pick up snacks and visit the restroom we can probably get away with our normal 20 min stop.<br /><br />That means the only slow-down is our first longer stop, which adds 30 minutes to our travel time. The trip becomes 12 1/2 hours instead of a 12. The extra half-hour is spent sitting down to eat rather than juggling food in the car, not a bad trade, especially for the driver. Is losing a half-hour good? Of course not. But it's not that terrible.<br /><br />But what about longer trips? There's no way you can go across the country, right? Yes, I'll admit that if you want to drive non-stop, pound out 900 or 1000 mile (or more) days the S Class will slow you down. But for me, that's a bit insane. 600 to 700 miles a day is more than enough driving for me. I prefer to rest and start again the next day.<br /><br />Conclusion? Range is still a problem, but for me it becomes a small problem not a large one. I realize I can live with the S Class as my primary car. In fact, most of the time it would make my life easier than a gasoline powered car.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-77207761182273080992009-05-21T10:13:00.000-07:002009-05-21T14:23:20.422-07:00Life happens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.runwashington.com/archive0209/images/news/USAcc08RyanHallVS.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.runwashington.com/archive0209/images/news/USAcc08RyanHallVS.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Am I blessed or cursed?<br /><br />My son, Dan, and I plan to run a half-marathon Monday (Memorial Day). He ran in high school and college. He's run lots of races. He runs fast. I have run only a few races in my life and this is the first I've trained for. I run slow. The race will be the longest I've ever run. To say the least, I'm nervous about it. <br /><br />To get ready for a race we try to build up mileage and speed and then taper off right before the race. Mostly I've been surprised at how well I've done at running. However, I got sick right near the top of my build up a few weeks ago. Oh well, I'll run even slower. Now I'm in the taper off phase.<br /><br />This last weekend we went to Arcata to see our daughter Ruth graduate from Humboldt. It was beautiful up there, the graduation was great and we had an awesome trip. My wife, Carolina, and I went with her sister, Rebecca, our other daughter, Sarah, and Sarah's husband, Austin. We arrived Thursday night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/7056752.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0px 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 167px; height: 250px;" src="http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/7056752.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Rebecca and I got up early Friday and went for a hike. I wanted to run as well. We hiked for a while and found a logging road into the woods. It was cool and beautiful, perfect for a hike or run. I took off running and had probably the most enjoyable run of my life. Quiet, perfect temperature, lush and beautiful. I felt great. Near the end of my run I was just cruising and enjoying the scenery. My left foot hit the side of a rock and twisted. No pain, but I felt blood rush in. I kept running because it didn't seem to hurt it -- the stretched part did not seem affected by my running. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/orthopaedics/images/ankle.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 148px; height: 153px;" src="http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/orthopaedics/images/ankle.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>After the run and hike back, my foot hurt some. I was disappointed and scared. Disappointed because I wanted to run again in the beautiful forest and now it looked like I couldn't. Scared because I thought my ankle might keep me out of the race. I iced it and wrapped it and it got better in a few days, but I did miss out on another run in the beautiful north.<br /><br />We enjoyed the rest of the trip and made it home safely. I was able to run Tuesday with no problem. I avoided racquetball yesterday as a precaution.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphsqQWPtSnyELsEkoBVZrt5QK6LD0JIuAJ3ou3FEiGulUxq-cs5sfdTrKHwv1mTNeACAImsEKOOVvic2gvsiDlBrQhJNW6som12QDg3DPjZSXkADLvOND7j77gRVIgeClynC8/s1600-h/IritisRight.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphsqQWPtSnyELsEkoBVZrt5QK6LD0JIuAJ3ou3FEiGulUxq-cs5sfdTrKHwv1mTNeACAImsEKOOVvic2gvsiDlBrQhJNW6som12QDg3DPjZSXkADLvOND7j77gRVIgeClynC8/s200/IritisRight.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338388637888510578" /></a>Last night I was watching TV when my right eye started hurting. I've had something called Iritis a few times. It's an inflammation of the eye that can really hurt and needs a doctor's treatment. My eye looked and felt like I was getting Iritis again. I got depressed and cursed myself for staying up too late and treating my eye harshly. This also could affect my ability to run -- when it's bad I need to avoid sunlight and it's hard to see.<br /><br />This morning it wasn't much better. I began praying a lot. Carolina had some eye drops she let me use and they seem to help a bit. After sleeping on the bus to work my eye was still sore but better. Thanks God! I was trying to be nice to it and was using only my left eye. After getting off the bus I walked across the street to work. At the far curb I tripped and almost fell. There was some kind of metal ring on the ground, about 18 inches in diameter. I managed to step on it with my right foot and in it and trip with my left foot. I stretched many of the same stuff I had twisted on Friday. Again no real hurt, but also it felt wrong.<br /><br />I went running at lunch as planned. I figured I could stop if it started bothering me. It went well, but I can feel tenderness.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/968916.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 188px; height: 250px;" src="http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/968916.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Am I cursed? I haven't tweaked my ankles for years. Iritis has not bothered me also for years. What are the odds I'd tweak my ankle twice, especially since today required me not seeing well, a ring right where I was walking, me stepping on it with one foot and in it with the other. Does God hate me? Does he want me to not run? With all this plus my arthritis, low thyroid, recent Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and normal aches and pains I feel like I'm falling apart. In many ways I'm in the best shape of my life, yet I can hardly keep up with my degrading body.<br /><br />No, I'm not cursed. God never said it would be easy. If I can't run it's not the end of the world. More probably I'll be able to run, I just need to work through my issues and deal with problems as they arise. <br /><br />In fact, I'm very blessed. Just being able to run is a blessing -- so many people can't. I have a great family, great friends and a great job. God loves me. These little worries are minor. I need to stay focused on what really matters.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-11912675172570500882009-05-20T19:03:00.000-07:002009-05-21T05:28:44.207-07:00Tesla and Daimler<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 185px;" src="http://collegecars.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/tesla_roadster.jpg" border="0" alt="" />I've blogged about the <a href="http://rellimcire.blogspot.com/2008/04/tesla-in-production.html">Tesla's Roadster</a>. I recently Twittered about how my next car could be electric -- I realized Tesla could make an affordable and useable car by 2014. Yesterday the outlook got even better. Tesla and Daimler announced that they are colaborating and Daimler invested in Tesla.<br /><br />Why is this good news? First, even though they don't mention it, it gives Tesla more capital. Daimler now has a 10% share of Tesla, which has got to be a good chunk of change. Probably more than that, having Daimler behind them gives Tesla a tremendous boost in credibility, which can only help when Tesla seeks funding.<br /><br />A second benefit Daimler brings is the renown Mercedes engineering. Daimler's expertise should help Tesla produce high quality vehicles. It should also help them bring cars to market more quickly and efficiently.<br /><br />A third benefit is that we may see quality electric vehicles sooner than expected. Daimler has already produced the innovative and inexpensive Smart Car. They are working on an electric Smart. They plan to use Teslaa's battery technology to bring the electric drive (ED) Smart out at the end of this year. The plan is to use Tesla's battery until their own battery is up-to-speed in a couple of years. (Meanwhile Tesla and Daimler will share battery technology to improve both their products.)<br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.cs.unm.edu/~aaron/images/europeweb/SmartCar-10.jpg" border="0" alt="" />The ED Smart will go 70mph and get about 80 miles on a charge. That's not great but better than most. It also makes it highway capable. For example, it would definitely get me all over the Antelope Valley where I live and it would probably allow me to make the 70 mile one-way commute to Woodland Hills where I work. I would expect to see the ED Smart numbers improve as batteries improve.<br /><br />Current U.S. Smart prices start under $12k. Even with an ED premium that should mean the ED Smart will be under $20k, hopefully under $15k. That would make them very affordable.<br /><br />Cheap, usable electric cars in a year or two. That would be impressive!Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-19711620862499997912009-05-12T16:37:00.000-07:002009-05-12T16:54:09.473-07:00Why Swine Flu Hype is a Good Thing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://boingboing.net/images/pig-kisserwegweg.jpg"><img style="margin:0 0px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 319px;" src="http://boingboing.net/images/pig-kisserwegweg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Swine flu has scared billions and killed, uh, tens. (In Mexico <a href="http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=122&art_id=nw20090512161625487C707203">58</a>, in the U.S. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gzz357patY4-QaJFvo9O95zMM_EQD983IHEG0">five</a>) Meanwhile normal flu kills about <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r030107.htm">36,000 every year</a> in the U.S. alone. So swine flu is well hyped.<br /><br />Why is this good? Carolina and I normally go somewhere on our anniversary. Twice, on our special 20th and 25th we saved enough to go on cruises. This year we were going to go to Vegas for four days. With the swine flu scare we can now go on a five-day cruise for about the same price. Woohoo! Party in Cabo!Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-43495147682890059262009-04-16T13:52:00.000-07:002009-04-16T13:59:39.733-07:00Discussing beliefs at work.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://basicinstructions.net/comics/2009-04-15-breakroom.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 600px;" src="http://basicinstructions.net/comics/2009-04-15-breakroom.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I wish I had something clever to add, but Scott Meyer says it all.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-15660258917242304382009-04-15T09:18:00.000-07:002009-04-15T09:21:22.330-07:00Dazed and confused.Last post I was all excited about how Facebook would pick up my blogs. Now I'm just dazed and confused. I went through the procedure and my last three posts showed up on my wall. Maybe, if I navigate to my wall correctly. My last post (about Facebook) never showed up. I now have no idea what the heck Facebook is doing. Oh well.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-63050969505988797692009-04-09T16:47:00.000-07:002009-04-09T16:58:20.919-07:00Facebook and BlogI found out how to get my blog to post on Facebook. I looked at my wall and it worked.<br /><br />Here's how to do it. Go to your wall. Just below the "What's on you mind?" box is a row that says "Eric+Friends Just Eric Just Friends" (of course your wall will use your name, not mine). On the right of that line is a Setting button. Push the Setting button.<br /><br />It should look something like this.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7bS0AR7zk6UcYX2qTW2O6Apkx7xm7uRSSkNMoP9VFqYbkD9p-hc_PawZFBE4smsPopZMgO1HNVHwAN-kXkT5Xl7mwQVxRNX5-5ImFSASkj1e8cv_AyCzxbbTRjWqbswawhCw/s1600-h/FBBlogSettings.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7bS0AR7zk6UcYX2qTW2O6Apkx7xm7uRSSkNMoP9VFqYbkD9p-hc_PawZFBE4smsPopZMgO1HNVHwAN-kXkT5Xl7mwQVxRNX5-5ImFSASkj1e8cv_AyCzxbbTRjWqbswawhCw/s400/FBBlogSettings.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322844359784123458" /></a><br /><br />Pick "Blog/RSS". It then asks you to enter the address of your blog.<br /><br />Now your wall should shows your blog posts as if they were status from you. Go to my profile to see how it works.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30498855.post-27354535822842338882009-01-22T08:33:00.000-08:002009-01-22T10:03:40.235-08:00Remata is out!My flashcard program, <a href="http://theology.edu/Remata">Remata</a>, is now out and available.<br /><br />On and off for the past few years I've worked on a flashcard program to help with my Greek studies. I found a spreadsheet which I upgraded for my own needs. Problem was that I couldn't carry a computer in my pocket and my PDA could not handle the spreadsheet macros. I thought of writing a windows application, but learning all that stuff is complex. I made a web based program, but my PDA browser could not handle the web code either.<br /><br />Finally, in October, I heard about the new Android operating system for phones. I was looking for a new phone and PDA and bought the T-mobile G1. I also learned that Android was open and that is was relatively easy to write programs for Android. I've been working on my program since then. You can check it out in the Android Market or look at it's <a href="http://theology.edu/Remata">web page</a>.<br /><br />I'm excited -- the first program of my own that's gone commercial. Already people have downloaded it, commented and I've even received a donation!Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00222357272293174173noreply@blogger.com4