An extremely positive step has been taken in our second American revolution. A professional sports league started in the USA, sponsored by companies in the USA has put it’s foot down and required that all players must pass an English test in order to play on the Women’s professional golf tour - LPGA.

The tour has a extremely large contingent of Asian players who do not speak much English.  The sponsors who pay for this tour would reasonably like to hear winners and participants speak to consumers of their products on TV after events.  The LPGA has seen a decline in sponsorship and would like to take steps to build up their sport.

And here’s the great part:

The Asian players support the decision!

Se Ri Pak (one of the strongest Asian players on tour) says: “We agree we should speak some English. We play so good overall. When you win, you should give your speech in English. . . . Mostly what comes out is nerves. Totally different language in front of camera. You’re excited and not thinking in English.”

And more:

Lee Seon-hwa, a 2 time winner this year and a Korean player, said “The economy is bad, and we are losing sponsors. Everybody understands.”

So an American company stands up fot it’s right to enforce english speaking participants, and the affected participants support and agree with the stance. Amazing.

Long live the LPGA.

9.whatever trillion in national debt.  We give 2 billion to Egypt who hates us.  School teachers are underpaid.  Shame on you - politicians.  Yes you all are to blame.  If you aren’t working every second to fix it with consistent results, then you are a part of the problem.  Do you know how your own representatives vote?  I don’t.  Our elected officials make me sick.  What’s the answer?  I honestly don’t know.  Protesting is unrealistic, and rarely fixes anything.  I don’t have millions of dollars to run for office to try and change things.  I don’t even know that calling this number is going to fix anything. 

He hit on a point I think is ignored by 99% of the public.  The “news” organizations on TV herd peoples opinions around like sheep.  Truthful or not, they spew whatever they think will make people watch the most.  This isn’t some conspiracy theory- it’s just how they work.  They have a bottom line- it’s to make money.  The more viewers they have, the more they can charge for advertising, the more money they can make.  Can you tell me where in this equation is the overriding need to report factual news?  It’s certainly in the equation, but it’s not the first variable at all.  The same with newspapers and magazines.  They want you to watch/buy.  How can you use TV as a reputable source of facts?  Ignore TV network biases, find out for YOURSELF where the candidates stand on which issues, and then make up your mind. 

I challenge you, as Americans to start acting like Americans.

Aristotle “Tolerance is the last virtue of a dying society”

 

 

revolution is being forced upon you

According to Spaceref.com the second stage did not seperate correctly.  They have obtained an internal email from Elon Musk, head of SpaceX.

From: Elon Musk
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 9:45 PM
To: Space Exploration Technologies
Subject: Plan Going Forward

It was obviously a big disappointment not to reach orbit on this flight. On the plus side, the flight of our first stage, with the new Merlin 1C engine that will be used in Falcon 9, was picture perfect. Unfortunately, a problem occurred with stage separation, causing the stages to be held together. This is under investigation and I will send out a note as soon as we understand exactly what happened.

The most important message I’d like to send right now is that SpaceX will not skip a beat in execution going forward. We have flight four of Falcon 1 almost ready for flight and flight five right behind that. I have also given the go ahead to begin fabrication of flight six. Falcon 9 development will also continue unabated, taking into account the lessons learned with Falcon 1. We have made great progress this past week with the successful nine engine firing.

As a precautionary measure to guard against the possibility of flight 3 not reaching orbit, SpaceX recently accepted a significant investment. Combined with our existing cash reserves, that ensures we will have more than sufficient funding on hand to continue launching Falcon 1 and develop Falcon 9 and Dragon. There should be absolutely zero question that SpaceX will prevail in reaching orbit and demonstrating reliable space transport. For my part, I will never give up and I mean never.

Thanks for your hard work and now on to flight four.

Elon

So stage separation kinda bites them again.  Great news on the heavy lifting first stage though - another perfect show by those Merlin engines.  Go get em with Falcon flight 4 guys!

I am not a rocket scientist.  I love space history, and cutting edge spaceflight.  This is why I stayed up to watch the first ever private space corporation attempt to launch a satellite into orbit.  Falcon 3 was to be launched tonight at around 11pm to deploy a military satellite for the government.

The countdown went extremely smoothly, everything looked good to go.  At the T-minus .5 second mark an abort call was made from a result of an engine parameter being off a few percentiles from nominal.  The engine actually ignited for a very brief moment before the rocket was brought back into a “safe” mode.  This actually happened in a similar fashion on a previous flight.  They “recycled” the rocket and flew it, successfully.

After a +-30 minute wait, the 10-minute countdown was again initiated.  The problems apparently fixed, the countdown rolled to 0, and the rocket was successfully launched.  There was a rocket-mounted camera that the live feed was shown through that was giving great video throughout the launch.  Around 1-2 minutes into the flight I noticed something happening that I wasn’t sure was a problem or not.  The plume of fire from the rocket started to darken, instead of bright orange; it began looking orange and brown- then orange and black.  The diameter of the plume itself began to expand, albeit slowly.

Then, all of the sudden, the orange of the plume, was completely gone.  It was just brown and black exhaust.  At first I thought a few things.  Maybe this is the first stage cutoff point, and I expected to see the second stage ignition.  Maybe they had bad guidance and shut it down.  I really wasn’t sure what was happening, but I was fairly certain the rocket was no longer under progressive thrust. 

For the first minute of the flight, the flight controller was giving regular speed/downrange telemetry of the rocket, and was oddly silent after that.

Then at 2 minutes 20 seconds the video feed ceased to exist and the two spokespeople for SpaceX came on to announce there was an anomaly with the rocket and they would get back to us when they had more information.  The main technical spokesperson looked shell-shocked, and the other spokeswomen was clearly being told to just smile, and she could be seen taking deep breaths.  I know - that is extremely circumstantial information on the state of the two spokespeople, but there was no more information given (we are still waiting on any information about the flight).  I have a few complete guesses.

1 - Second stage ignition did not complete
I remember the first flight, the first stage separation dinged the bell of the second stage nozzle and they had some problems with that transition.

2 - Second stage ignition exploded
I know the video was being buffered, and this would explain a sudden cutoff of video.

3 - Guidance failed
I don’t imagine putting a spacecraft in orbit is “easy”. 

4 - About 4 million other things
NASA blew up far more rockets in their development program than SpaceX has so far.  There is a reason no other private organization has ever been to space, it’s extremely hard and complicated.

I am really rooting for SpaceX.  I think what they are doing is wonderful.  I hope this does not delay their progress in becoming an extremely low cost, re-useable platform to get to space.  I applaud them for their efforts so far, for inviting the public to join them as they literally try all of this out for the first time.  It’s brave, and up front.  Good luck SpaceX, I’m rooting for you guys.

So with a few recent posts about blogging being dead, I would just like to go ahead and make the proclamation:

BLOGGING IS DEAD.  More specifically - PEOPLE PAYING (links, referrals, etc.) YOU MONIES FOR UNIMPORTANT OR VALUE ADDED POSTING IS DEAD.

That’s an important distinction.  People hoping to make money with blogs vs. people just doing a vanity blog.  That’s what I am going to call blogs that just post about themselves and how awesome they are.  There are other blogs that don’t care how awesome they are, but post about things that are relevant.  I will call those “good blogs”.

I don’t know what this one is, I cannot be bothered with actually applying this theory.  I’m a blogger, therefor contractually released from things like: fact, research, and hard work. 

Do you want evidence?  Fine.  HERE YOU GO.  Complete and utter mindless content-less, posts.  The only reason for this post is to drive page hits.  There is absolutely zero content in this post.  If you own an iphone and don’t know these things, then you should send your iphone to me right now.

I’ve been a big fan of Microsoft.  For all you argue how evil they are, they’ve made things mainstream and no one else could do that.  However, that is the last time you’ll ever hear a complement from me.

E3 is a conference for video game developers and publishers to showcase new games and features.  The big 3 (Microsoft (Xbox), Sony (Playstation), and Nintendo) all have massive conferences and spend about a half hour demoing the best they have to offer in the coming year or so.  This year, bar none- the news was that Bungie was going to announce a new game during the Microsoft conference.  This did not happen.

Let me back up a bit and give you some history.  Bungie Studios made the game Halo.  Before making the game, they were an independent studio.  The success of Halo brought a buy-out with Microsoft.  Now Bungie is a first party developer owned by Microsoft.  Halo 2 comes out, and it’s not really that great.  Halo 3 comes out and it’s a bit better.  After Halo 3- Bungie gets out of it’s contract with Microsoft and becomes independent again.

So here we are, with Microsoft and Xbox 360.  Halo basically saved the Xbox.  No other game sold more consoles or copies - or has been the most played game on Xbox live in the history of the Xbox.  They go back to Independant status and Microsoft betrays them the first chance they get.  See this note which was posted on www.bungie.net front page:

So some freaking evil genius at Microsoft thought it would be a great idea to leave Bungie’s HIGHLY ANTICIPATED announcement of a new Halo game out of their conference AT THE LAST MINUTE.  Un freakingbelievable.  I hope Bungie drops all relationships with Microsoft and starts developing for SONY or the PC.  What a stupid, bush league, petty thing to do.  Apparently this is who they are. 

I’m not going to buy any Microsoft Game studios games anymore.  If I can get away with it, I’m not going to use Microsoft products either.  BUNGIE IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO MICROSOFT.  EVER!  THAT IS A FACT- CHECK THE SALES REPORTS.  And they just threw them under the bus- the first chance they had.

Screw you Microsoft.

I also hate my doubt.  Doubt about creation, about Jesus, I’m the worst Christian.  I feel sorry for Thomas.  Everyone always “hates” on him.  People are all “He was WITH Jesus and saw the miracles - how could he doubt?  LOL @ Thomas!”  Poor Thomas.  He’s human, like us.  I don’t think that Jesus had doubt, because…well…he was God, but I’m pretty sure he had experience with people who doubt. 

So the bible is actually full of humans having doubt about God, and Jesus.  John the Baptist was this crazy guy who lived in the country and ate locusts and honey and stuff.  He was blessed by God and very important to Christians and Jews.  He was actually related to Jesus.  At one point near the end of his shortened life, he gets put in prison.  John and the Jews expected a savior, and John knew that Jesus was the savior.  He prophesied about him, heck he even baptised him and was present when the holy spirit came to him.

Yet, after all that- when he is in this dark, scary prison, he starts doubting.  He has his posse go ask Jesus “Are you really the one?”  See the real stuff:

Luke 7:20
“Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied to them: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor”

 Dude was RELATED to the savior of the world.  He BAPTISED HIM.  He still doubted.  

Peter was one of Jesus’ original 12 apostles.  He had kind of a lot of crazy things happen with Jesus- (don’t we all?) he cut some dudes ear off trying to arrest Jesus.  One of the other crazy things happened when they were in a boat travelling.  There were huge storms going on.  I clearly picture this as “The Deadliest Catch” with Mike Rowe narrating.  So they are pretty convinced they are going to crash and drown.  Jesus comes walking out on the water and they all see him, but are freaked out because, um…someone is walking on water.  See here:

matthew 14:25
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.  27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”   28“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  29“Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”   31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

So Peter was asked by Jesus to walk on water.  He got out of the boat and actually did it!  Then he saw the big waves, scary ocean and he started to doubt.  Sometimes when I’m faced with big scary things, I doubt.  Big scary professors using big scary evolution words and junk science to prove things.  Scholarly atheists giving proofs on how there is no God.  They all seem logical, and it’s all designed to cause you to doubt God. 

Jesus was crucified on the Cross.  FYI - that means Roman soldiers nailed his hands and feet to a cross and set it in the ground.  There were lots of other things they did to him before and after, but for this post just know that they drove nails through his hands and feet.  After he died, a follower purchased a nice tomb for him and his body was prepared and set inside.  They rolled a huge boulder over the entrance and Roman soldiers were posted to mark and guard the grave so no one would steal the body and claim his resurrection.

No one stole his body, but he raised from the dead 3 days after he died.  There isn’t a lot in the bible about what he did on Earth after he came back, but he appeared to the 11 (minus Judas now) who were kinda just hiding and hoping they wouldn’t be found and killed.  So these guys hung out with Jesus for around 3 years.  They travelled with him, ate with him, lived with him.  They all knew each other very well.  Most of them saw Jesus die.   

john 20:24
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”  But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”  26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

 28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

So there is Jesus, showing himself to them after all they’ve been through, after all Jesus told them.  They doubted even in that moment.  Thomas even asked Jesus if he could touch his wounds in his hands and feet! 

If these guys had doubt, I’m probably going to as well.  If the men Jesus chose to build his church had doubts even against the overwhelming amounts of EYE-WITNESSED evidence- I’ve got no shot to be doubt free.  But doubt sucks.  We don’t want it, and it seems to creep up every once in awhile.  What do we do to get over this?

Keep walking.  Jesus could have flipped out when Thomas asked to feel his hands.  I probably would have.  After everything they had been through and these guys still don’t get it.  I would have said “SRSLY?”  Jesus just points it out and moves on.

matthew 28:16
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So he sees their doubt, and tells them to go.  Go work, go tell people about me, and just do what I told you to do.  I’ll be with you.  Very simple, very quick - but this little passage is called “The Great Commission”.  This is Jesus’ cure for doubt.  Go and make disciples of all nations.

kkbrb.

Why do I continue to sin?  I hate sin.  I don’t want to sin.  I hate it.  I still keep sinning, my willpower is fleeting.  I feel weak and powerless.

Whew.  I dropped a lot of stuff on you there.  I think people might be able to relate to that, especially Christians.  Even more specifically, Christians who are really trying to live the right way.  I know- that seems weird, you’d think if you’re trying to be a good Christian you won’t sin all the time.  That’s a bunch of crap.  Your tendency towards sin doesn’t change at all, you ability to recognize it increases.

This is actually the reason a lot of new Christians fail.  They set the bar at perfection, and when they quickly fail and repeatedly realize they’re imperfect sinners no matter what the relationship with God - they get depressed and just kinda drift off.  Being a Christian is hard, I personally think (being male, I have some experience here) being a Christian guy is the toughest thing to do.

Think about it for a bit.  Watch TV for 5 minutes, and recognize the temptations and standards being set (or dropped).  Look at a magazine with the same eyes, or just look at how females dress in the summer.  Day after Day after Day.  Preventing sin, and staying away from temptation is so TIRING.  It’s a 24 hour a day- mentally active excersize filled with prayer, recognition and choices.  I digress…

So this guy Paul back in Jesus times was this kind of travelling preacher guy that was helping to get the little christian churches going.  He wrote a letter to one of the churches in Rome.  The letter is basically the gospel (salvation plan) for Jews and non-Jews both.  There is a lot of stuff I can relate too in here.  Paul seems like a pretty “real” dude.  He lays his life open, and I suspect we can all see ourselves in what he talks about.

Romans chapter seven
verse15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

and again in verse nineteen:

verse19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

I feel the same way.  I know I don’t want to sin; it always causes trouble, it’s not how I want to live, etc.  My plan is to not sin, but I always screw things up and cave to temptation.  It drives me crazy because I know that God knows my heart - he knows I don’t want to sin, but I do it anyway.  That’s the problem, willpower alone always fails.  ALWAYS.

verse18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

Paul kinda ends this rant with the feeling I experience a lot.  I suck.  I have no hope.  I can’t do this.

verse24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

If you stop there, that’s kinda depressing.  It seems weird because chapter seven ends pretty abruptly.  You assume he’s going to bring out some useful preachin’ and build you back up.  The chapter ends though, and you really need to get to chapter 8 to find the key here.

Romans chapter eight
verse1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

So Jesus died for my sins, and set me free from this endless cycle of sinning I’m in.  It doesn’t mean that I won’t screw up, and sin again.  It just means that when you accept the free gift of Jesus Christ, and you tell God you’re sorry and ask him to be in your life to help you - your slate is washed clean.  Actually- there’s even more than that, you get to chill up in heaven with God for eternity.  So obviously there is a reason to have hope - hope in Christ that he will walk with you and help teach you to get closer to God.

This is a brutally simple and probably borderline heretic/casual summary of the later part of chapter seven and parts of chapter 8 in the book of Romans.  Feel free to contact me or leave comments if you have any questions or want to tell me how biblically dumb I am, either way - it’s cool.

I just dropped some WoW terminology on you.  It just means start over with a brand new character in the game.  You start back at level 1, brand new.  You can take whatever path you want, be whatever kind of player you want.  You can even choose a new name.

Would that be cool?  If I was 29 (yes you punks, I’m still in my 20s for another 10 hours) with no wife or kids, I think it would be cool.  Rad even.  I love my wife and kids.  I wouldn’t trade anything for them, so lets just say you could start your career over.  Since it’s Friday and you aren’t doing any work anyway, lets just think about this:

If you could start your “career” over, and could be ANYTHING- what would you be?  Who would you be when you “grew up”?

ME?

If I had the funds and could do it right, I would love to build a LAN Gaming Center.  You know, 16 Xbox 360s, Nintendo Wii’s everywhere, Awesome Gaming PCs all over, flat-screens everywhere, boomin’ stereo going, lasers, smoke, Andy Hunter beats, Projector screens.  Yeah.  I’d do that.

See, then I’d come home and not want anything to do with computers or video games.  What a perfect system.