I want to take a moment and step back from all of the intellectual studies and wrestling to stop and say:
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
At the end of the day, what really matters is loving your family and friends and enjoying their company, whether they are in your house or ten thousand miles away, the internet makes the world a smaller and sometimes more friendly place.
Have a very merry Christmas and enjoy the time with friends and family.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Music and life
Music is a somewhat fundamental part of life. A long time ago (about 10 years.. yea, long time for me), I had zero interest in music; and, in fact, I even considered it to be non-productive and a waste of time and resources.
Since then, I have altered my view on it some, and continue to change as I consider it.
Since then, I have altered my view on it some, and continue to change as I consider it.
The sky is falling! Interactions between DXY and the stock market
In my studies of the stock market behavior and other various macro-economic trends, I found a fascinating correlation between the US dollar index, DXY and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
The US dollar index is a measure of the US dollar in comparison with a basket of currencies as defined by the group that dismantled the Bretton Woods Standard in 1971. It effectively measures the value of the US dollar relative to other large free market economies in the world. It is often construed as a measure of the relative confidence in the US in the world as a whole, because when people change their money to hold US dollars, then this index will increase in value, and visa versa.
The US dollar index is a measure of the US dollar in comparison with a basket of currencies as defined by the group that dismantled the Bretton Woods Standard in 1971. It effectively measures the value of the US dollar relative to other large free market economies in the world. It is often construed as a measure of the relative confidence in the US in the world as a whole, because when people change their money to hold US dollars, then this index will increase in value, and visa versa.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Pressure run-ups
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101129/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear
One Iranian nuclear scientists was assassinated today, in a show of overt consequences for the Iranian nuclear program.
Based on the fact that the US has banned itself from conducting in assassinations, I would expect the Israelis to be behind such an attack. They stand to bear the brunt of a nuclear Iran and are not going to stand idly by while Iran develops nuclear weapons. The Israelis want to avoid nuclear war as much as any other nation, and I imagine, like many others in the world, are severely distrustful of Iranian restraint in utilizing the weapons that would have horrific consequences for everyone in the world. I hope that the Israelis continue to ramp up pressure on the Iranian scientists and do whatever is necessary to hamper their efforts.
I would expect the Arab nations to publicly condemn Isreal and the US for this act, but I imagine that behind the scenes they are cheering. A nuclear Iran would destabilize not only the Persian-Arab region of the world, but every corner of the globe.
We cannot allow Iran to achieve their goal of nuclear armament. This would result in global chaos on an unparalleled scale.
One Iranian nuclear scientists was assassinated today, in a show of overt consequences for the Iranian nuclear program.
Based on the fact that the US has banned itself from conducting in assassinations, I would expect the Israelis to be behind such an attack. They stand to bear the brunt of a nuclear Iran and are not going to stand idly by while Iran develops nuclear weapons. The Israelis want to avoid nuclear war as much as any other nation, and I imagine, like many others in the world, are severely distrustful of Iranian restraint in utilizing the weapons that would have horrific consequences for everyone in the world. I hope that the Israelis continue to ramp up pressure on the Iranian scientists and do whatever is necessary to hamper their efforts.
I would expect the Arab nations to publicly condemn Isreal and the US for this act, but I imagine that behind the scenes they are cheering. A nuclear Iran would destabilize not only the Persian-Arab region of the world, but every corner of the globe.
We cannot allow Iran to achieve their goal of nuclear armament. This would result in global chaos on an unparalleled scale.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Environmentalism and Me
People come to me occasionally and say, "You're a conservative, Republican capitalist, you must want all living things on this planet to die."
I kind of have to laugh at that, because the answer is "obviously not". If I were really possessed of that kind of demon, I would be running around with a flame-thrower lambasting every green (or olive, since we don't have many truly green things here in New Mexico) thing I could find.
I kind of have to laugh at that, because the answer is "obviously not". If I were really possessed of that kind of demon, I would be running around with a flame-thrower lambasting every green (or olive, since we don't have many truly green things here in New Mexico) thing I could find.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
A War of Graffiti
This is an interesting look at the war in Afghanistan.
The top set are American graffiti, and the bottom are Taliban graffiti. The very first image reads: "THE FEW THE PROUD".
The top set are American graffiti, and the bottom are Taliban graffiti. The very first image reads: "THE FEW THE PROUD".
Diplomacy, Technology and Warfare
I found this curious article and another similar article while reading the news today.
Everyone is worried about the economy, and justifiably so, but even if our economy dissolves, it will be the military and our advanced technology that maintain peace for our nation in a time of future crisis. As long as we possess nuclear weapons and the potential to throw them anywhere in the world, people will respect our borders. Obviously, nuking people is not the best strategy when it comes to war; but when all other options expire, we need to possess the ability to annihilate our opponents.
But there are other technologies that other countries desire, and therefore, are willing to barter for. These technologies offer us some leverage in negotiating with friends and allies, as well as the power to subdue overt enemies. This type of negotiating is exceedingly powerful and effective, because other countries see how we utilize the weapons at our disposal to prosecute those who seek to do harm to our country. However, we need to exercise restraint in how we use this method though. The stipulation is that we must be cognizant of is who our friends in the world are and who our enemies are.
Everyone is worried about the economy, and justifiably so, but even if our economy dissolves, it will be the military and our advanced technology that maintain peace for our nation in a time of future crisis. As long as we possess nuclear weapons and the potential to throw them anywhere in the world, people will respect our borders. Obviously, nuking people is not the best strategy when it comes to war; but when all other options expire, we need to possess the ability to annihilate our opponents.
But there are other technologies that other countries desire, and therefore, are willing to barter for. These technologies offer us some leverage in negotiating with friends and allies, as well as the power to subdue overt enemies. This type of negotiating is exceedingly powerful and effective, because other countries see how we utilize the weapons at our disposal to prosecute those who seek to do harm to our country. However, we need to exercise restraint in how we use this method though. The stipulation is that we must be cognizant of is who our friends in the world are and who our enemies are.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
A380 Engine Blowout
A few days ago, one of Airbus' A380 superjumbo jets had yet another technical issue with their monstrous aircraft. This time the engine failed, spewing debris across the wing and damaging the aircraft to the extent that it was forced to make an emergency landing.
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| Airbus A380 wing ripped apart by engine pieces |
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Gaming Violence and Sex
There is an interesting case in the Supreme Court this week, that I would like to comment on.
The case is regarding violent and sexual content in video games. Games like Grand Theft Auto, God of War, and Resident Evil portray a level of violence that is heretofore unseen in the history of games.
The question at hand though is this: should these games be regulated?
The case is regarding violent and sexual content in video games. Games like Grand Theft Auto, God of War, and Resident Evil portray a level of violence that is heretofore unseen in the history of games.
The question at hand though is this: should these games be regulated?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
What is love? Oh, baby, don't hurt me.
Love.
This essence has been written about, sung about, talked about, or experienced by every human being who has existed. Such universality of usage should clearly preclude much consideration of it, yet it seems that most people simply avoid love, or alternately focus on one piece of it.
I intend to address it as fully as I can. First, to ensure that my understanding of it is as complete as it can be; and second, to seek further insights from people with a different perspective than I.
Love, as I understand it, consists of three different definitions.... three aspects, perhaps. The qualities that define each aspect from the other are experiential in nature primarily, but also could be considered in the manner of expression. Oddly enough, the triune nature of love seems to reflect the triune nature of God as well.
I will describe the three facets of love as I had them described to me once, many years ago, using some of the Greek words for love. The three types of love are, agápē (ah-gah-peh), philía (fil-eh-ah), and érōs (err-oce). For anyone familiar with Ancient Greek, you will probably know where I am about to go.
This essence has been written about, sung about, talked about, or experienced by every human being who has existed. Such universality of usage should clearly preclude much consideration of it, yet it seems that most people simply avoid love, or alternately focus on one piece of it.
I intend to address it as fully as I can. First, to ensure that my understanding of it is as complete as it can be; and second, to seek further insights from people with a different perspective than I.
Love, as I understand it, consists of three different definitions.... three aspects, perhaps. The qualities that define each aspect from the other are experiential in nature primarily, but also could be considered in the manner of expression. Oddly enough, the triune nature of love seems to reflect the triune nature of God as well.
I will describe the three facets of love as I had them described to me once, many years ago, using some of the Greek words for love. The three types of love are, agápē (ah-gah-peh), philía (fil-eh-ah), and érōs (err-oce). For anyone familiar with Ancient Greek, you will probably know where I am about to go.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
How much is too much?
Big government versus small government and social Liberalism versus social Conservativism
This ought to be a rather controversial post, I imagine. As such, I am going to write it over the course of a few days to ensure that I have all of my ideas laid out as clearly as I can.
I tied these two ideas together into one post, since I believe that they are somewhat inextricably tied together. One cannot consider the ideas of liberalism versus conservativism without considering the arguments for and against big government.
In my experience, it seems to be that liberalism is often tied to idealism and conservativism is oft tied into realism. Each of those two go hand-in-hand.
The liberal movement wants to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, and that no one goes hungry or dies of illness or is cheated, stolen from, or lied to.
Oddly enough, the conservative movement has basically the same goal.
This ought to be a rather controversial post, I imagine. As such, I am going to write it over the course of a few days to ensure that I have all of my ideas laid out as clearly as I can.
I tied these two ideas together into one post, since I believe that they are somewhat inextricably tied together. One cannot consider the ideas of liberalism versus conservativism without considering the arguments for and against big government.
In my experience, it seems to be that liberalism is often tied to idealism and conservativism is oft tied into realism. Each of those two go hand-in-hand.
The liberal movement wants to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, and that no one goes hungry or dies of illness or is cheated, stolen from, or lied to.
Oddly enough, the conservative movement has basically the same goal.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Financial meltdown
Everyone and their brother is discussing the topic of financial meltdown, so I figure I will throw my perspective in there too.
Before one can even talk about a meltdown of any kind, we need to have a standard set of definitions. These are the definitions according to my current understanding of them.
Before one can even talk about a meltdown of any kind, we need to have a standard set of definitions. These are the definitions according to my current understanding of them.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
A Story of Hope
I watched last night as the Chilean authorities began extracting miners from the San Jose mine in Copiapo, Chile. They very gingerly lowered the seemingly delicate capsule from the surface down a 28-inch diameter shaft down through over 2,000 feet of dirt and solid rock.
I can only begin to imagine what must be going through the minds of the miners and their families as they ride up in the coffin-like conditions on the way up the rescue shaft. Fortunately, the Chilean rescue team has taken every precaution against varying issues that they foresaw the miners facing from extreme light damage to their eyes to all of the varying psychological and physiological problems associated with extracting a human being from 2,000 feet below the earth.
I, for one, would have gone crazy and killed myself and/or everyone in that mining chamber deep underground before even the 17 days to find them was up. Perhaps this is why I am not a miner...
Regardless though, it is really heartening to see people from various countries, including the US, come together and work as one group to effect the rescue of these unfortunate individuals. It is a testament to the willingness to work together in spite of cultural and economic differences and a hope for future peace, and perhaps even prosperity.
More than once, I heard and saw people both on the news broadcasts and in the images shown seeking God for blessing on the rescue efforts. I think this is the most interesting element of all of this; that when life is in jeopardy and all control seems to disintegrate, people inherently turn to the only source of control that offers lasting peace.
We can all take a lesson from this. When life hangs in the balance, the truly important things in life become self-evident: acknowledgment and reverence for God; love for family, country and self; and the will to live.
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| Capsule being lowered into the shaft |
I, for one, would have gone crazy and killed myself and/or everyone in that mining chamber deep underground before even the 17 days to find them was up. Perhaps this is why I am not a miner...
Regardless though, it is really heartening to see people from various countries, including the US, come together and work as one group to effect the rescue of these unfortunate individuals. It is a testament to the willingness to work together in spite of cultural and economic differences and a hope for future peace, and perhaps even prosperity.
More than once, I heard and saw people both on the news broadcasts and in the images shown seeking God for blessing on the rescue efforts. I think this is the most interesting element of all of this; that when life is in jeopardy and all control seems to disintegrate, people inherently turn to the only source of control that offers lasting peace.
We can all take a lesson from this. When life hangs in the balance, the truly important things in life become self-evident: acknowledgment and reverence for God; love for family, country and self; and the will to live.
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| Second Chilean miner celebrates his freedom |
"Your life feels different on you, once you greet death and understand your heart's position. You wear your life like a garment from the mission bundle sale ever after -- lightly because you realize you paid nothing for it, cherishing because you know you won't ever come by such a bargain again."
- Louise Erdrich
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Idealism versus Realism
There are two ways to live life. The scale of idealism possesses two mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed endpoints that very strongly influence the way that you think about everything in life. Everyone falls somewhere on this scale, and it seems advantageous to me to know where you fall and where everyone that you know falls.
There are some advantages and disadvantages to both end points, but I believe that realism is the superior position to hold, assuming you can hold purely to realistic thought.
Wikipedia describes idealism as "the philosophical theory which maintains that the ultimate nature of reality is based on the mind or ideas." A more practical definition of idealism is that it is a philosophy that the world exists as I want it to be. Idealism is a currently prevailing philosophical underline in almost every single person that I know today. You can generally tell the idealist by how they view the world and treat other people.
Likewise, realism is defined in the Wikipedia as, "the belief that our reality is completely ontologically independent of our conceptual schemes, linguistic practices, beliefs, etc." Realism stands in opposition to idealism and is the philosophy that the world exists, and I must perceive it as it is.
There are some advantages and disadvantages to both end points, but I believe that realism is the superior position to hold, assuming you can hold purely to realistic thought.
Wikipedia describes idealism as "the philosophical theory which maintains that the ultimate nature of reality is based on the mind or ideas." A more practical definition of idealism is that it is a philosophy that the world exists as I want it to be. Idealism is a currently prevailing philosophical underline in almost every single person that I know today. You can generally tell the idealist by how they view the world and treat other people.
Likewise, realism is defined in the Wikipedia as, "the belief that our reality is completely ontologically independent of our conceptual schemes, linguistic practices, beliefs, etc." Realism stands in opposition to idealism and is the philosophy that the world exists, and I must perceive it as it is.
Friday, October 8, 2010
A Grievous Evil
In my reading of the news today, I came across something so absurd and unfathomable as to not match any wickedness that I have found upon this earth to date.
And to see that it comes from a group claiming to profess to the very same name of Jesus that I do is at best abhorrent and at worst a sin of unspeakable evil. They slander the very love that offers eternal salvation and forgiveness from sins.
And to see that it comes from a group claiming to profess to the very same name of Jesus that I do is at best abhorrent and at worst a sin of unspeakable evil. They slander the very love that offers eternal salvation and forgiveness from sins.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Picard Perfume
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| One cannot go wrong where one has never gone before. |
"Oh, I don't do investing."
One of the people that I worked with at the Air Force said this to me after I was trying to strike up a conversation about economics with him. I was talking about inflation and how the current actions of the Fed were likely to devalue the dollar (which has already happened since this conversation took place), and he replied to me, "Oh, I don't do investing." Initially, I thought, "Okay, whatever;" but on further thought, this struck me as odd.
Changed: Commenting permissions
Anyone is now allowed to comment on my blog without registering for Google.
However, any disrespectful, rude, ignoramus comments will be severely scolded and deleted. Don't do it.
Any rational (and even some irrational) comments will be replied to in as thorough and thoughtful a manner as I can muster. I may disagree with you, but I will do so as respectfully as I can. I expect the same from you.
However, any disrespectful, rude, ignoramus comments will be severely scolded and deleted. Don't do it.
Any rational (and even some irrational) comments will be replied to in as thorough and thoughtful a manner as I can muster. I may disagree with you, but I will do so as respectfully as I can. I expect the same from you.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Death of the American Democracy
The rule of law and governing has been around for nearly as long as the human race has existed. It began with forms of pagan shamanism and religious dictatorships and evolved into monarchies, the rule of the nobles and land holders and Imperial thrones passed from one strong man to the next. These traditions of the rule of one or few continued until the ancient Greeks began to conceptualize something different. Something new and more balanced than before: a rule by the governed.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Modern monetary theory and the value of money, Oh my!
I have been reading a lot lately, lately being over the past few weeks, from various authors and commenters on the financial news and opinion website, Seeking Alpha, and a great many people are terribly concerned about the economy (myself included) and are terrified that the leadership of our country has no clue.
Obama most certainly has no clue about our economy, that much is certain from some of the things that he does. Granted, one does not have to be an economic genius to run for president, but I have to question the people that he has chosen to advise him on economic matters, the so-called experts in the field. If effects be something to judge by (and I cannot fathom anything better to judge by), then these "experts" are failing spectacularly.
Obama most certainly has no clue about our economy, that much is certain from some of the things that he does. Granted, one does not have to be an economic genius to run for president, but I have to question the people that he has chosen to advise him on economic matters, the so-called experts in the field. If effects be something to judge by (and I cannot fathom anything better to judge by), then these "experts" are failing spectacularly.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
New Earth-like planet discovered
Being an aerospace engineer, I still believe that space travel is the final destiny, the final frontier, of our humble race. The first nation to begin dragging in resources from the asteroids, gold, cobalt, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, osmium, palladium, platinum, rhenium, rhodium and ruthenium, will be the solar superpower of the next age. There are enough resources in the asteroids to fuel a whole new generation of growth, but if we were to discover a new planet, that would yield a new horizon for humanity offering a fresh start with the knowledge that we have learned over the past several hundred years.
Scientists from the University of Southern California and Carnegie Institution of Washington discovered a new planet said to be in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star about 20 light years from our solar system.
This is a truly monumental discovery that, I hope will energize our efforts to open space travel up to humanity. It is the new manifest destiny to find and colonize new worlds and to learn more about the universe in which we reside.
Tally ho!
Scientists from the University of Southern California and Carnegie Institution of Washington discovered a new planet said to be in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star about 20 light years from our solar system.
This is a truly monumental discovery that, I hope will energize our efforts to open space travel up to humanity. It is the new manifest destiny to find and colonize new worlds and to learn more about the universe in which we reside.
Tally ho!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Game Development
Game Development theory is a subject of interest to me because it fuses a story with competition, understanding a tier-layered system, and a person's desire to kill things.
Holy moly, I have a blog.
As a severe opponent of the "flippant" online media push (namely Twitter and unfettered Facebook), it is a bit peculiar that I would publish a web log, but it seems that this is a suitable method for cataloging, categorizing, and organizing my thoughts on specific issues together into some coherent form.
So, cheers to inaugurating my first and hopefully only public blog.
So, cheers to inaugurating my first and hopefully only public blog.
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