Hello world.
To use a phrase from a favored professor at Weber State. I am taking a thermal physics/statistical mechanics class for fun, along with an electronics class too. One of the problems I just finished was to use the Stefan-Boltzmann law (Power is proportional to area times temperature raised to the fourth power) to find the power output of a person. But to do this I need an area formula for said person. Never fear according to Mosteller (1987) he provides the following commonly accepted formula for the surface area of an average human. (height[cm]*weight[kg]/3600)^1/2. (Or you can use the physicist's assumption of a spherical human which in the limit of Wisconsin is approximately true.) Anyway, plugging in the canonical astronomer multiplying by the number of seconds in a sidereal day and timesing by the population of the planet leaves us with about fifty five gadjillion Joules/day (5.54*10^17 J/day) in unspent energy! Its no freaking wonder the zombies want our brains and the machines want our ATP pumps!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Resurrection/ Reincarnation
Do I believe in resurrection?
Yes.
Do I believe in reincarnation?
Yes. But neither of the above answers are as simple as they may seem.
I live and I die, and when all is said and done my cosmic makings will return to the cosmos from whence they came. I am part soil, part plant. I am part earthworm and sea jelly. I am a part of all things. I am even a part of you, as you are of me. My atoms will never die they can only cycle. My atoms are or will be in all things and a part of all things. My atoms came from the supernovae of stars and if given time enough will recompose planets, other suns, galaxies, and even the Universe itself. This is reincarnation, not even the most strident atheist can deny. As spectacular and profound as this is? Is this all? Amid all of these pieces is there nothing that is me? Am I merely the sum of my hundred trillion parts, or is there something more? There is evidence of a chemical memory, but is all that I have seen and done nothing more than the bond energies between electrons? How very depressing to think that all that I am is nothing more than atoms arranged and glued together purely by chance by the designs of the Universe.
Even if it is only hubris and self preserving pride. I would like to think that I am something. I would like to think that what I do matters. Previously, preforming the pre-frontal logic of Pascal I posited the presence of a God. Given then that there is a God even though I am but an unimaginable speck in the great scheme of things and surely a speck as small as I am can't matter right? Though taking out pieces of any size from any well working machine never did seem like a good idea. And plus if what my religion tells me is true, then all of us just happen to be specks personally favored by the creator of the universe him self hand crafted to resemble the Divine somehow.
So admitting the bias that it is in my own interest to be a firm believer (FYI probably a note about the mathematics of believing and believing coming soon.) in an immortal soul, I do believe I have a soul. I do not believe that anyone can take my soul. I believe myself and my soul can learn else why are we here on Earth? In some respects it can change in others it is soully my own. Albeit I like the idea of my soul being tangent to a great many other souls touching and shaping who they are and who they will become. Ideas like that give me purpose in life. Ah but was my soul ever a slug. I do not think so. The soul is my own. The slug had its chance. I don't think my soul will diverge backward either. I believe that I am me and as I have said my soul is my own. I also believe that it always will be. If not who then really is me. I claim there is a me. But who I am doesn't matter what I look like or what happens to me. I suspect that a person's soul plays a large part of who they are. Case in point, ask a mother of identical newborn twins if they have different personalities. Chances are the new mother will say that even at birth they are two different people. How can this be? Twins from the same mother have had the same environment, if the twins are identical they have the same genetics and yet there are differences. This must mean that there is something other than nature or nurture determining who and what they are and will be. To me this is the soul.
So is my soul reborn? I doubt it. If souls are recycled how does this work if the population is growing. Sure the total number of people through out history is a thousand times greater than it is now, but at any given time we have a larger population than before. It seems to me that souls are brought into this planet anew and not reused. So does this mean I believe in the Hindu/Buddhist idea of Samsara? It does. But wait, I thought you said you didn't believe one's soul could be recycled. If you don't believe in recycling, how can you believe in Samsara?
I think Samsara is the day to day battle of us against our addictions. Our goal is not so much to get out of mortal life, but to get ourselves out of the addictions and holds of mortality but also to get not out of but as much out of mortality as we can. This is I think the purpose of Samsara--to perfect ourselves--a purpose coincident with religions the world over. Samsara is Jihad. These are the struggles and wars we wage, not with others but with ourselves. As the Buddhist says this is the path to enlightenment, the path to perfection. Hold on! How can Samsara be Jihad? Samsara involves continual life, death and rebirth? The close of each day marks the death of all days that have gone before. Once gone a day cannot return it cannot come back again. It is dead. But on the morrow the day begins afresh (stay tuned posts about the arbitrarity of days also coming soon). Each morning a day is reborn and we are given another chance to apply what we have learned to fight hard, to struggle, and to make progress on our path or to lose the way and backtrack as we and our conscience see fit. Each day the old days die, the new days are reborn, and the battle us against our self begins again. Reincarnation.
But what of resurrection? I am only a very weak scholar of the Quaran but as I understand it there is an exceedingly beautiful passage about Allah reviving the dry Earth after a rain storm and if He (salutations be upon him) can do this than raising of the flesh of the dead is mere trifle. I do believe there will be a raising of the dead a true 9th level cleric casting the great resurrection. The Way of nature is a way of cycles, a Way of recycling. I believe in the resurrection, because I have a hard time believing the operating principles inherent in Nature could allow so much of what is gained in life to go to waste. And now for the thrilling conclusion. Imagine how profound it would be if it wasn't just our bodies that were reanimated and given life again, but what if every atom that ever was, ever has, or ever will make up You could be restored unto You!? What if it wasn't just restored, but what if you could understand the journeys of every atom that made you?
If you really could comprehend the paths of the atoms and voyages of the finery that made you then inherent in you is the understanding of a God. The Resurrection.
Yes.
Do I believe in reincarnation?
Yes. But neither of the above answers are as simple as they may seem.
I live and I die, and when all is said and done my cosmic makings will return to the cosmos from whence they came. I am part soil, part plant. I am part earthworm and sea jelly. I am a part of all things. I am even a part of you, as you are of me. My atoms will never die they can only cycle. My atoms are or will be in all things and a part of all things. My atoms came from the supernovae of stars and if given time enough will recompose planets, other suns, galaxies, and even the Universe itself. This is reincarnation, not even the most strident atheist can deny. As spectacular and profound as this is? Is this all? Amid all of these pieces is there nothing that is me? Am I merely the sum of my hundred trillion parts, or is there something more? There is evidence of a chemical memory, but is all that I have seen and done nothing more than the bond energies between electrons? How very depressing to think that all that I am is nothing more than atoms arranged and glued together purely by chance by the designs of the Universe.
Even if it is only hubris and self preserving pride. I would like to think that I am something. I would like to think that what I do matters. Previously, preforming the pre-frontal logic of Pascal I posited the presence of a God. Given then that there is a God even though I am but an unimaginable speck in the great scheme of things and surely a speck as small as I am can't matter right? Though taking out pieces of any size from any well working machine never did seem like a good idea. And plus if what my religion tells me is true, then all of us just happen to be specks personally favored by the creator of the universe him self hand crafted to resemble the Divine somehow.
So admitting the bias that it is in my own interest to be a firm believer (FYI probably a note about the mathematics of believing and believing coming soon.) in an immortal soul, I do believe I have a soul. I do not believe that anyone can take my soul. I believe myself and my soul can learn else why are we here on Earth? In some respects it can change in others it is soully my own. Albeit I like the idea of my soul being tangent to a great many other souls touching and shaping who they are and who they will become. Ideas like that give me purpose in life. Ah but was my soul ever a slug. I do not think so. The soul is my own. The slug had its chance. I don't think my soul will diverge backward either. I believe that I am me and as I have said my soul is my own. I also believe that it always will be. If not who then really is me. I claim there is a me. But who I am doesn't matter what I look like or what happens to me. I suspect that a person's soul plays a large part of who they are. Case in point, ask a mother of identical newborn twins if they have different personalities. Chances are the new mother will say that even at birth they are two different people. How can this be? Twins from the same mother have had the same environment, if the twins are identical they have the same genetics and yet there are differences. This must mean that there is something other than nature or nurture determining who and what they are and will be. To me this is the soul.
So is my soul reborn? I doubt it. If souls are recycled how does this work if the population is growing. Sure the total number of people through out history is a thousand times greater than it is now, but at any given time we have a larger population than before. It seems to me that souls are brought into this planet anew and not reused. So does this mean I believe in the Hindu/Buddhist idea of Samsara? It does. But wait, I thought you said you didn't believe one's soul could be recycled. If you don't believe in recycling, how can you believe in Samsara?
I think Samsara is the day to day battle of us against our addictions. Our goal is not so much to get out of mortal life, but to get ourselves out of the addictions and holds of mortality but also to get not out of but as much out of mortality as we can. This is I think the purpose of Samsara--to perfect ourselves--a purpose coincident with religions the world over. Samsara is Jihad. These are the struggles and wars we wage, not with others but with ourselves. As the Buddhist says this is the path to enlightenment, the path to perfection. Hold on! How can Samsara be Jihad? Samsara involves continual life, death and rebirth? The close of each day marks the death of all days that have gone before. Once gone a day cannot return it cannot come back again. It is dead. But on the morrow the day begins afresh (stay tuned posts about the arbitrarity of days also coming soon). Each morning a day is reborn and we are given another chance to apply what we have learned to fight hard, to struggle, and to make progress on our path or to lose the way and backtrack as we and our conscience see fit. Each day the old days die, the new days are reborn, and the battle us against our self begins again. Reincarnation.
But what of resurrection? I am only a very weak scholar of the Quaran but as I understand it there is an exceedingly beautiful passage about Allah reviving the dry Earth after a rain storm and if He (salutations be upon him) can do this than raising of the flesh of the dead is mere trifle. I do believe there will be a raising of the dead a true 9th level cleric casting the great resurrection. The Way of nature is a way of cycles, a Way of recycling. I believe in the resurrection, because I have a hard time believing the operating principles inherent in Nature could allow so much of what is gained in life to go to waste. And now for the thrilling conclusion. Imagine how profound it would be if it wasn't just our bodies that were reanimated and given life again, but what if every atom that ever was, ever has, or ever will make up You could be restored unto You!? What if it wasn't just restored, but what if you could understand the journeys of every atom that made you?
If you really could comprehend the paths of the atoms and voyages of the finery that made you then inherent in you is the understanding of a God. The Resurrection.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Twinky Quality Control Manager
So I love my job. But just to be safe I have been applying for backup jobs just in case. Here's one of the jobs I found:
http://jobview.monster.com/Quality-Assurance-Manager-Job-OGDEN-UT-89866004.aspx
Yes that's right quality control for the people who make twinkies! Gain 100 lbs in a day. Dream job woot! I think I'll keep the one I already have.
http://jobview.monster.com/Quality-Assurance-Manager-Job-OGDEN-UT-89866004.aspx
Yes that's right quality control for the people who make twinkies! Gain 100 lbs in a day. Dream job woot! I think I'll keep the one I already have.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Close Encounters
Almost Overheard:
...
Parapsychologist: Fine! How do you define a close encounter?
Mathematician: When object UFO comes within dr of the parameter space of the orthonormal projection of object YOU that is a close encounter.
Parapsychologist: ...
...
Parapsychologist: Fine! How do you define a close encounter?
Mathematician: When object UFO comes within dr of the parameter space of the orthonormal projection of object YOU that is a close encounter.
Parapsychologist: ...
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Economic Argument
Hello all. I have just finished Aldo Leopold's "A Sand County Almanac." Its great I would recommend it to all. It is this work that leads me to post today. My thoughts have been brewing for some time. I think they are about ripe. I will however start with a brief excursion due to potential lack of time.
Wildlife bridges
Above major roadways we have human bridges. This prevents human roadkill. No kids found squashed in the middle of the road. Bridges are good. They connect us to the places we need to be. But consider this, if instead of wearing a backpack you wear an all organic fur coat, instead of getting a bridge, you will get a sign that says your name followed by crossing. This does nothing to actually help you get across the road it merely paints a target on you and lets the motorized hunters know what is in season. We need bridges. Both the human kind and a lot more of the animal kind. Animals need to get from their homes to their stores, from work, to food, to water, and to rest. Why are their no bridges for them? Oh yeah, the economic argument.
As I said, that just was the diversion (tee hee tee hee, yes I meant that kind of diversion too.). The real "overarching" goal of this post was to compare ideas of ecology to those of economics. Alas my stop draws near my thoughts shall have to wait.
Wildlife bridges
Above major roadways we have human bridges. This prevents human roadkill. No kids found squashed in the middle of the road. Bridges are good. They connect us to the places we need to be. But consider this, if instead of wearing a backpack you wear an all organic fur coat, instead of getting a bridge, you will get a sign that says your name followed by crossing. This does nothing to actually help you get across the road it merely paints a target on you and lets the motorized hunters know what is in season. We need bridges. Both the human kind and a lot more of the animal kind. Animals need to get from their homes to their stores, from work, to food, to water, and to rest. Why are their no bridges for them? Oh yeah, the economic argument.
As I said, that just was the diversion (tee hee tee hee, yes I meant that kind of diversion too.). The real "overarching" goal of this post was to compare ideas of ecology to those of economics. Alas my stop draws near my thoughts shall have to wait.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Post sortings and the value of math
So I haven't posted in a while. No kidding Sherloxx I hadn't noticed, is probably what you are thinking. I would just like to gloat about some of the spam I rejected today--some of it is pretty funny. I got an invitation to premier in Bollywood, India and also to premier as a Jewish comic in a New York Comedian brokerage. Other fun comments that got the boom official stamp of rejection of course the regular male enhancers, and "Thank you. You speak as well words you helped me on my college assignment." Then of course the investment blowhard who was trying to smoothly tie in his website with phrases like let me just follow-up on that with a brief discourse about high yield portfolios yeah like that's the stuff I talk about on my blog. My favorite was the random spam about gooey ducks (a variant of this spelling is a type of clam known as the phallus worm--And with a word like phallus in my posts I'll be curious to see what type of search bots I attract now--not.) Other random spam bots include a 2012 world's going to end so bury your hummers now and join the Hare Krishnas nut. Someone wanted me to sell 210 pounds of shoes. My 101 Cheese jokes got a blue cheese wholesaler. And I received an ad for an electronic environmentally friendly cigarette. Oh then there's the Scandinavian boat auction or how about physics replica rolex professors and archimedes sh"replica Rolexes!" Nor can I forget the black hat illegal online marketing either or the professional do it yourself psychiatric help bookseller. I don't get any of it. But none of this was actually the reason I actually posted tonight. The real reason is I wanted to brag about my latest mathematical escapades.
I got paid $65 to do an integral--9 of them actually. The aquarium was conducting a summer camp and wanted to know the bite pressure of a macaw and therefore needed to know rather precisely the surface area of a collection of nuts. It got awkward rather awkward when people asked what I was doing measuring my nuts--sorry. Take math it pays and apologies again about the last line. Enjoy.
I got paid $65 to do an integral--9 of them actually. The aquarium was conducting a summer camp and wanted to know the bite pressure of a macaw and therefore needed to know rather precisely the surface area of a collection of nuts. It got awkward rather awkward when people asked what I was doing measuring my nuts--sorry. Take math it pays and apologies again about the last line. Enjoy.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
God Bless America and the Rest of the World Too!
Today my post is on the blog of my wonderful wife: charlathegreat.blogspot.com
Monday, June 14, 2010
Pet Incumbos
I have decided that the world needs a word for the opposite of a pet peeve. I submit that even the greatest of us have their pet peeves. Alright, maybe not the greatest of us, "Man you should see the look in Christ's eye in when you lick his shoe lachet the wrong way!" Yeah that seems a little absurb. But for the rest of us everyday there could be hundreds of little things that just rub us the wrong way. But dwelling upon these, that just makes for a negative experience. We need to as that ol' song says "Eliminate the negative we got to accentuate the positive sides of life."
I propose a pet incumbo. Incumbo is the Latin word for favor and so a pet incumbo is a little thing that makes your day go well. Examples include turning right on a busy street when a bus goes straight--yeah I know I am safe if any cars come through they smash into a bus and not me woot! An other example is finding enough cash in the couch to buy lunch, or even better finding that 20 you stashed in your coat pocket a few years ago and totally forgot about. Or your work has a 20 digit door code that some just walked out of so you don't have to enter a thing! Though my favorite pet incumbo is the speeding ticket insta-karma. The jerk with the babies on board bumper sticker that cuts you off whizzes at break-neck speed endangering everyone on the road who gets pulled over at the ext hill. Pet incumbos. Speaking of pets I have one. I also apparently also have my own personal angel. I'll tell you this story in just a bit, but first let me set the stage with the background material.
My church has lots of meetings. Their not my favorite pet incumbos but usually they are pretty good. I went to one such meeting last night. The speaker waxed maudlin about his trip to the sacred grove and about how wonderful it was. Generic platitudes about abstract blessings followed and a really funny bit about how he took a leaf from 200 year old beech tree. This leaf was there it saw the first vision it holds the light that fell from the father and the son! Meanwhile I am thinking that leaf is less than a year old and the SUN holds the light from then too and you can see that anywhere. I mock but he had a very personal deeply moving experience and other than some small details it was a good talk. The main thrust of it was that we need to slow down, stop and experience/enjoy the universe amen. Immediately following this everyone gets in their cars and whizzes off one kid even got on a motorbike and drove off 100mph. I decided to follow the advice and pause to meditate a bit. This is where it gets good.
I was rather in my own reverie pondering the universe when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I look up and see a lady dressed in white back-lit by the sun. I am thinking "wow is this an angel?" My next thought is alright ask for her hand and depending what the outcome will tell me the nature of this person. As I am thinking this she offers her hand of course its solid we introduce and she walks back across the street to her abode.
A Pet Incumbo
I propose a pet incumbo. Incumbo is the Latin word for favor and so a pet incumbo is a little thing that makes your day go well. Examples include turning right on a busy street when a bus goes straight--yeah I know I am safe if any cars come through they smash into a bus and not me woot! An other example is finding enough cash in the couch to buy lunch, or even better finding that 20 you stashed in your coat pocket a few years ago and totally forgot about. Or your work has a 20 digit door code that some just walked out of so you don't have to enter a thing! Though my favorite pet incumbo is the speeding ticket insta-karma. The jerk with the babies on board bumper sticker that cuts you off whizzes at break-neck speed endangering everyone on the road who gets pulled over at the ext hill. Pet incumbos. Speaking of pets I have one. I also apparently also have my own personal angel. I'll tell you this story in just a bit, but first let me set the stage with the background material.
My church has lots of meetings. Their not my favorite pet incumbos but usually they are pretty good. I went to one such meeting last night. The speaker waxed maudlin about his trip to the sacred grove and about how wonderful it was. Generic platitudes about abstract blessings followed and a really funny bit about how he took a leaf from 200 year old beech tree. This leaf was there it saw the first vision it holds the light that fell from the father and the son! Meanwhile I am thinking that leaf is less than a year old and the SUN holds the light from then too and you can see that anywhere. I mock but he had a very personal deeply moving experience and other than some small details it was a good talk. The main thrust of it was that we need to slow down, stop and experience/enjoy the universe amen. Immediately following this everyone gets in their cars and whizzes off one kid even got on a motorbike and drove off 100mph. I decided to follow the advice and pause to meditate a bit. This is where it gets good.
I was rather in my own reverie pondering the universe when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I look up and see a lady dressed in white back-lit by the sun. I am thinking "wow is this an angel?" My next thought is alright ask for her hand and depending what the outcome will tell me the nature of this person. As I am thinking this she offers her hand of course its solid we introduce and she walks back across the street to her abode.
A Pet Incumbo
Thursday, June 10, 2010
I'm Not Dead Yet!
So today's latest rant. 1. You should all now that I am doing marine biology in a landlocked state. Neiner neiner. And 2. that really had nothing to do with today's post. 3. My Charla love is at Kitt Peak AZ doing world class astronomy which is pretty cool. And now for the long awaited post.
(yeah like that's a good thing), water, This bottle looked at real 100% juice, grape juice, orange juice, weird unregulated nonFDA approved herbal supplements, contains retina rotting alcohol, preservatives, pickling agents, dyes, liver and kidney disinfectants and trace quantities of antifreeze. Sadly though no mango or melon, not even natural flavors or extracts and the saddest part I am not even joking today all of that was in my sobe. The even sadder part is that after a year without posting my first post is about the horrors of the soda bottling industry.
(yeah like that's a good thing), water, This bottle looked at real 100% juice, grape juice, orange juice, weird unregulated nonFDA approved herbal supplements, contains retina rotting alcohol, preservatives, pickling agents, dyes, liver and kidney disinfectants and trace quantities of antifreeze. Sadly though no mango or melon, not even natural flavors or extracts and the saddest part I am not even joking today all of that was in my sobe. The even sadder part is that after a year without posting my first post is about the horrors of the soda bottling industry.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Random musings
So I was thinking about baptism from the LDS perspective. It starts usually with a wait on dry ground staring into the water. From our initial perspective, because of the index of refraction of water it is difficult for us to see its depths. However, our time to take the plunge comes. We enter into the water and again because of the index of refraction we are unable to see the surface, though we are able to quite effectively see the details of the watery world we are currently in. After all is said and done we re-emerge back were we started in the light of day on dry land. When we are first on land we are in what my religion has termed the "pre-mortal" life. We are unable to see mortality because of the reflection and refraction of Snell's law--the veil. Our time in the water is short as is our time in mortality. Every moment underwater is a struggle for breath, a struggle for air. Mortality is a struggle to keep our selves righteous. And yet the veil functions both ways. In the water it is difficult to see the surface the veil precludes it. On land once again we know have the memories of our life in the water. Land is again familiar. And breathing easy is taken for granted and not appreachiated as it was when we were under. Our bodies are only appreciated because of their eventual loss. More thoughts to come on the nature of spiritual refraction indices, but for now I leave this to raticionate upon.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Why you should not commit a crime!
While doing research for my molecular genetics class, I came across the following paper:
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0074-02762006000900021&script=sci_arttext
Or in more scientific terms
Do Vale Gomes, A., F.L. Melo, R.P. Werkhauser, and F.G.C. Abath. 2006. Development of a real time polymerase chain reaction for quantitation of Schistosoma mansoni DNA. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Crus (101).
Anyway, the point of the paper was that they were able to isolate a sample of 10fg! Yes, that's 10 femto-grams, 10^-15 g, or 0.0000000000000010 g of DNA, or about 2% of the DNA from a single cell! Yeah so it was from a parasite--Humans have way more DNA than a parasite and if they can sequence a worm they can certainly sequence a crook.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0074-02762006000900021&script=sci_arttext
Or in more scientific terms
Do Vale Gomes, A., F.L. Melo, R.P. Werkhauser, and F.G.C. Abath. 2006. Development of a real time polymerase chain reaction for quantitation of Schistosoma mansoni DNA. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Crus (101).
Anyway, the point of the paper was that they were able to isolate a sample of 10fg! Yes, that's 10 femto-grams, 10^-15 g, or 0.0000000000000010 g of DNA, or about 2% of the DNA from a single cell! Yeah so it was from a parasite--Humans have way more DNA than a parasite and if they can sequence a worm they can certainly sequence a crook.
Excellent genetics review site
http://science.kennesaw.edu/~tmcelro/DNA%20Forensics/Genetics%20review/Review%20of%20Genetics.htm
This site contains an excellent selection of genetics figures and a brief overview of the procedures involved.
This site contains an excellent selection of genetics figures and a brief overview of the procedures involved.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
This guy is a quack, but his stuff is interesting!
So the guy is most probably a quack, but the sheer volume of "evidence" is a bit surprizing.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Simultaneous-Discoveries&id=573362
http://ezinearticles.com/?Simultaneous-Discoveries&id=573362
Friday, April 17, 2009
Quantum Mechanics and Free Will
A common postulate of quantum mechanics is that by confining a particle its energy is quantized. It is the confining of waves to a space that allows resonances to set up and standing waves to form. We see this with stings of fixed lengths. One may vibrate with a single node, or a node and an anti-node, or it may vibrate with integers of n multiples of nodes and anti-nodes. In 1924 Louis De Broglie proposed matter behaves in an analogous fashion. This astounding proposition has been since been experimentally verified by blasting crystals with electrons and a wave pattern results. The point of all of this is the assertion that objects when contained can exist in only a finite number of states and for a given ammount of energy there are only a few possibilities. When there are only a few possibilities a prediction can be made. If I flip a coin I know it must land on either heads or tails, it cannot come up apples, or aliens but only heads or tails can be the result. Consider this, we are born. We also die. Thus in at least a mortal sense we have a begining and an end. Thus we too must also be quantized, there is only a finite number of things we can do. Therefore our actions have at least some degree of predictability. We may be able to choose our energy state, but there is only a finite number of states we can exist in. If our actions are predictable then there is a devine will, but because we get to choose we also have free will, but the amazing corrallary of this entire train of logic is that if as many religions believe there is no begining and no end, or if we allow the supposition that we do exist after we die and before we are born (pre-mortal and post mortal lives) then we are no longer a confined particle ergo our energy states are no longer confined and we are allowed to do ANYTHING! I'll leave it to you to fill in the further implications of these assertions.
For Quantum References see Taylor, Zafiratos and Dubson. Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers 2004
For Quantum References see Taylor, Zafiratos and Dubson. Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers 2004
Friday, February 20, 2009
I love you Charla!
I gotta say, I my experience in college has been really great! I met the love of my life--Ochem. J/K just kidneying. Seriously though, ochem is weird. There is almost a social status with how many times you fail that class. Hey man, it took me THREE times to pass ochem. Woah! Ah, that's nothing--5. 12. What up, who's the man now huh? Me--I feel like a freakin idiot I only got a C the FIRST time I took it--and that was in the summer & I got married! Personally, I would recomend that to EVERYONE!! Even you. Not the married part--the ochem, especially in the summer (kidding, I Love you Charla!). Personally, I think they should teach ochem in high school. I mean seriously--The ONLY way to pass that class is if you are young, single, out of a job, no TV, no chance of a date and don't have many friends--high school. The last person I know who passed ochem, won a Nobel prize that same year. And the worst part, no ever, ever, EVER gets an A in that class. Not even the guy who sits second row, not the first because he wants to maintain constant eye-contact with the professor the whole time. You know the one--Oxidative carboxylation YES! YES! OH YES! Anerobic deamination O! YES!! Yeah, he got a B. Even the professor, the one who teaches ochem even he didn't gett an A in the class--in fact even he hates it. The only reason he's teaching it is he is one of three people on staff who actually passed let alone took ochem. Yeah C- at best--he's teaching because it pays the bills and he failed out of med-school. But me, I'm different--I love ochem--HA HA HA HA! Sorry that was hard to say with a straight face. Actually I love ______ (insert name here) HA HA HA HA! Sorry that was hard to say with a straight face.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Time has Mass!
Precept 1. Things diffuse from a small volume into a larger one.
Precept the second. Time is diffusing. The big-bang says that time has a begining. From the begining until now is a fixed amount of of time, and also of space. From now until the end of time is a much larger volume i.e. neigh unto infinite.
1st Hypothesis. We observe time going only one direction because it is diffusing from a finite box into an infinite box. Time doesn't go backwards for the same reason gas doesn't diffuse back into the box. The probability is gas-ly small, infact if the outer box is really infinite the probability of diffusing back in is zero.
If you will allow the assumption that time is diffusing, then we can model the average path of time with the root mean square velocity, or the average speed with which a molecule of time will travel. V=(3kT/m)^(1/2) where V is the velocity, which in our case is C, the speed of light. Einstein and others have suggested that if you travel faster than the speed of light you will have traveled in time. Therefore, time travels at the speed of light or about 299792458 m/s. The symbol k is the Boltzman's constant which is equal to 1.3806504 x 10^-23 J/K and T is the temperature, or in our case the average temperature of the universe which is between 2.7280 and 2.7282 K plugging in and rearranging we see that m, the mass of time = 3kT/C^2 or 1.25726*10^-39 kg but surprizingly this unit of time does not have a "time" associated with it, so is time quantized? Is it discrete? Or is this the "rest mass of time" I don't know. However, time having a mass could account for the mysterious dark matter in the universe, if time has a mass according to DeBroglie it could have a wavelength and it might be that time itself is vibrating rather than say light or matter, perhaps it is time that gives things their duality? Oh and on a more religious note, if something is beyond time is it no longer a dichotomy? Is this what gives God his constancy? Ponder away, and I wish you luck.
Precept the second. Time is diffusing. The big-bang says that time has a begining. From the begining until now is a fixed amount of of time, and also of space. From now until the end of time is a much larger volume i.e. neigh unto infinite.
1st Hypothesis. We observe time going only one direction because it is diffusing from a finite box into an infinite box. Time doesn't go backwards for the same reason gas doesn't diffuse back into the box. The probability is gas-ly small, infact if the outer box is really infinite the probability of diffusing back in is zero.
If you will allow the assumption that time is diffusing, then we can model the average path of time with the root mean square velocity, or the average speed with which a molecule of time will travel. V=(3kT/m)^(1/2) where V is the velocity, which in our case is C, the speed of light. Einstein and others have suggested that if you travel faster than the speed of light you will have traveled in time. Therefore, time travels at the speed of light or about 299792458 m/s. The symbol k is the Boltzman's constant which is equal to 1.3806504 x 10^-23 J/K and T is the temperature, or in our case the average temperature of the universe which is between 2.7280 and 2.7282 K plugging in and rearranging we see that m, the mass of time = 3kT/C^2 or 1.25726*10^-39 kg but surprizingly this unit of time does not have a "time" associated with it, so is time quantized? Is it discrete? Or is this the "rest mass of time" I don't know. However, time having a mass could account for the mysterious dark matter in the universe, if time has a mass according to DeBroglie it could have a wavelength and it might be that time itself is vibrating rather than say light or matter, perhaps it is time that gives things their duality? Oh and on a more religious note, if something is beyond time is it no longer a dichotomy? Is this what gives God his constancy? Ponder away, and I wish you luck.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Really Cool Cell Images
Behold various parts of a mouse brain stained with various fluorescent molecules that release light after being excited. The technical information as to what exactly is going on can be found by clicking here.
Step 1: Change the World
Here be Obama's amazing transcript of his speech today (Jan 20, 2009)
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the
trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our
ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as
well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this
transition.
Inauguration Day
Local stories
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words
have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still
waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst
gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has
carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high
office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals
of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation
is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our
economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility
on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard
choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost;
jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our
schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the
ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.
Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across
our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and
that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are
serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short
span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of
purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and
false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far
too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has
come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our
enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that
precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to
generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free,
and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that
greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never
been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path
for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or
seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the
risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but
more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us
up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled
across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the
lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg;
Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked
till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They
saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions;
greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous,
powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than
when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods
and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or
last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of
standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off
unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today,
we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the
work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the
economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only
to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will
build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that
feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to
its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health
care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the
winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we
will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the
demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who
suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their
memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has
already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is
joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted
beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed
us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not
whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -
whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can
afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we
intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.
And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to
account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in
the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust
between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good
or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched,
but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the
market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long
when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has
always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product,
but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend
opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because
it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our
safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can
scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the
rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those
ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for
expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who
are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village
where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each
nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and
dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not
just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring
convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us,
nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that
our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from
the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering
qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once
more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -
even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will
begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned
peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work
tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of
a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will
we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims
by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that
our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us,
and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.
We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and
non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn
from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter
swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter
stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old
hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon
dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall
reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a
new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual
interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who
seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know
that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you
destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit
and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of
history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench
your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make
your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved
bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that
enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to
suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's
resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we
must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with
humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol
far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us
today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through
the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our
liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness
to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at
this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely
this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the
faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation
relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees
break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours
than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest
hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled
with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that
finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them
may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard
work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity,
loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true.
They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.
What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required
of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part
of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and
the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize
gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to
the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a
difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on
us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women
and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration
across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than
sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can
now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we
have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of
months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the
shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was
advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the
outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation
ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter,
when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the
country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our
hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue,
let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may
come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were
tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back
nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace
upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it
safely to future generations.
Great speech in my humble opinion. Oh and for the record Apple-Shift-4 is the copy function on a mac.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the
trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our
ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as
well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this
transition.
Inauguration Day
Local stories
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words
have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still
waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst
gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has
carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high
office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals
of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation
is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our
economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility
on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard
choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost;
jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our
schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the
ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.
Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across
our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and
that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are
serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short
span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of
purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and
false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far
too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has
come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our
enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that
precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to
generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free,
and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that
greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never
been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path
for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or
seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the
risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but
more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us
up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled
across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the
lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg;
Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked
till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They
saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions;
greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous,
powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than
when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods
and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or
last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of
standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off
unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today,
we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the
work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the
economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only
to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will
build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that
feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to
its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health
care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the
winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we
will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the
demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who
suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their
memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has
already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is
joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted
beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed
us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not
whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -
whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can
afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we
intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.
And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to
account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in
the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust
between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good
or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched,
but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the
market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long
when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has
always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product,
but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend
opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because
it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our
safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can
scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the
rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those
ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for
expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who
are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village
where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each
nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and
dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not
just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring
convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us,
nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that
our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from
the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering
qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once
more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -
even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will
begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned
peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work
tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of
a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will
we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims
by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that
our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us,
and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.
We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and
non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn
from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter
swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter
stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old
hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon
dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall
reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a
new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual
interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who
seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know
that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you
destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit
and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of
history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench
your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make
your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved
bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that
enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to
suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's
resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we
must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with
humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol
far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us
today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through
the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our
liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness
to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at
this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely
this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the
faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation
relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees
break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours
than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest
hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled
with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that
finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them
may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard
work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity,
loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true.
They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.
What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required
of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part
of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and
the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize
gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to
the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a
difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on
us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women
and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration
across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than
sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can
now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we
have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of
months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the
shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was
advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the
outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation
ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter,
when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the
country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our
hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue,
let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may
come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were
tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back
nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace
upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it
safely to future generations.
Great speech in my humble opinion. Oh and for the record Apple-Shift-4 is the copy function on a mac.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Skydiving & Religion
In case you missed it, once upon a summer I went skydiving (If you click here it links to my skydiving video). I mention it now because last night I watched the movie "The Bucket List" its a good movie, I'd recommend it, but it has a sequence where the two protagonists leap from a plane. This got me to reminiscing about the time I too purposefully leap from a perfectly good plane. And since it was a Sunday while watching said movie, I was also thinking a bit about religion. It turns out that skydiving is a very apt metaphor for Christianity, but also religion in general.
The adventure starts with a choice. Choose to go skydiving, choose to be a righteous person. The next step is to learn as much as possible about said event. Talk with people who have been, read the literature get the training on exactly what is skydiving and what you will be doing. Read the Bible, read the Book of Mormon, read what ever great book you are pursuing. Participate in the missionary discussions. Next comes the dreaded waiver of doom (seriously the thing is two whole pages outlining in detail ALL of the ways you can die). This is your contract, this is what you agree to. This is your covenants. Do you agree to live well, to read daily, to become an active member and to not sue if anything happens. Taking an enormous gulp realizing your life will never again be the same after you make this commitment, you tell yourself its not really that much you are promising, ok it really is, but its not that bad and you are willing to accept the liabilities and responsibilities. Oh yeah there are those few parts you still don't agree with, "wait what I have to pay for the plane if it breaks?!" Wait what I have to be a good person?! Ok I have faith I can handle that clause, I can get over this, I can do this. In fact, I am going to do this! Step one complete, you have decided to make the journey.
You board the plane. The plane climbs. Whether you stay aboard or jump the choice is yours, but you are responsible for your choice. The time comes near. Altitude is reached. Your ears are swimming, you are clad in your special robes. Your mentor is there. It is time to take the plunge. With a "gentle" laying on of hands and a confirmation you are imersed. A former ground-based life safe and secure just died. A new life having tasted of flight is born. You have faith that if you listen to the little voice in your ear and do what it says you will land well and have a great flight. You have faith that if you pull your cord your chute will open and that you will be uplifted and saved when your time draws near. As you fall, you are witnessing a miracle. You a land based terra-firm organism are flying. You are gazing eye-level with the heavens and their majestic vistas are opened before you. All creation is laid bare before you. You can see the sky, the clouds, the Earth all ov it floats before you. The miracle happens but before it can you must have faith. You must make the leap before God reveals his hand. Time stops. But eventually it must resume. There is a plan for when you will pull the chute, but ultimately it is up to you when the chord is pulled. A parayer is said, "Please, O please, O please let this work!" And Lo! God does not disappoint. Gossamer wings unfurl above you, you are rise from your falling state. No longer fallin, you rise above your previous estate. Finally the time has come, Earth returns anew, and it is a promised land. A beautiful loving land, but there are yet trials to come. That voice that has guided you safely thus far whispers again in your ear, "pull up your feet." Obey, and follow what you have been taught and you will be saved. But that ground is calling. It looks so soft. How you long to just stretch out your feet. You know you shouldn't but it is just so tempting to touch down your feet and to embrace callings of the world. Reader beware! If you do reach out to the world below you, it will destroy you. The entire weight of the world smashes into you faster than you can react, you will suffer much if you let the world break you. You may eventually be able to walk, to regain use of your legs repentance is always possible, but if you follow the prompting of the unseen guide behind you all the way and let the world slide beneth you. You will come out safely. The choice is yours. May all of your days be lofty. May your ambitions be high. And always follow the voice of the one who leads you through your jump. May you one day help others too to jump. May god be with.
The adventure starts with a choice. Choose to go skydiving, choose to be a righteous person. The next step is to learn as much as possible about said event. Talk with people who have been, read the literature get the training on exactly what is skydiving and what you will be doing. Read the Bible, read the Book of Mormon, read what ever great book you are pursuing. Participate in the missionary discussions. Next comes the dreaded waiver of doom (seriously the thing is two whole pages outlining in detail ALL of the ways you can die). This is your contract, this is what you agree to. This is your covenants. Do you agree to live well, to read daily, to become an active member and to not sue if anything happens. Taking an enormous gulp realizing your life will never again be the same after you make this commitment, you tell yourself its not really that much you are promising, ok it really is, but its not that bad and you are willing to accept the liabilities and responsibilities. Oh yeah there are those few parts you still don't agree with, "wait what I have to pay for the plane if it breaks?!" Wait what I have to be a good person?! Ok I have faith I can handle that clause, I can get over this, I can do this. In fact, I am going to do this! Step one complete, you have decided to make the journey.
You board the plane. The plane climbs. Whether you stay aboard or jump the choice is yours, but you are responsible for your choice. The time comes near. Altitude is reached. Your ears are swimming, you are clad in your special robes. Your mentor is there. It is time to take the plunge. With a "gentle" laying on of hands and a confirmation you are imersed. A former ground-based life safe and secure just died. A new life having tasted of flight is born. You have faith that if you listen to the little voice in your ear and do what it says you will land well and have a great flight. You have faith that if you pull your cord your chute will open and that you will be uplifted and saved when your time draws near. As you fall, you are witnessing a miracle. You a land based terra-firm organism are flying. You are gazing eye-level with the heavens and their majestic vistas are opened before you. All creation is laid bare before you. You can see the sky, the clouds, the Earth all ov it floats before you. The miracle happens but before it can you must have faith. You must make the leap before God reveals his hand. Time stops. But eventually it must resume. There is a plan for when you will pull the chute, but ultimately it is up to you when the chord is pulled. A parayer is said, "Please, O please, O please let this work!" And Lo! God does not disappoint. Gossamer wings unfurl above you, you are rise from your falling state. No longer fallin, you rise above your previous estate. Finally the time has come, Earth returns anew, and it is a promised land. A beautiful loving land, but there are yet trials to come. That voice that has guided you safely thus far whispers again in your ear, "pull up your feet." Obey, and follow what you have been taught and you will be saved. But that ground is calling. It looks so soft. How you long to just stretch out your feet. You know you shouldn't but it is just so tempting to touch down your feet and to embrace callings of the world. Reader beware! If you do reach out to the world below you, it will destroy you. The entire weight of the world smashes into you faster than you can react, you will suffer much if you let the world break you. You may eventually be able to walk, to regain use of your legs repentance is always possible, but if you follow the prompting of the unseen guide behind you all the way and let the world slide beneth you. You will come out safely. The choice is yours. May all of your days be lofty. May your ambitions be high. And always follow the voice of the one who leads you through your jump. May you one day help others too to jump. May god be with.
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