Non-Prophet

Worlds Brightest LED Poi

It might have been my access to the latest tech, my own geek nature, or perhaps sheer boredom that led me to do this, but in any case I have made the worlds brightest LED poi. As far as I know, nothing out there even comes close. With a fresh set of batteries they're hard to look at in daylight. Each poi has 2 pcs. of 5 watt HarvaLED LED's for a total of 20 watts of eye burning goodness. Fun!

Now if I could only spin worth a damn...

(check out a bunch more pictures here)

Housing Prices Graph

So what is the eventual effect of this going to be? What are the implications?

"The Man" Burns Early

Somehow this doesn't really strike me as some kind of a disaster... I donno. Those folks should be able to roll with the punches. I mean, spontaneity and surprises are supposed to be some of the hallmarks of the festival, and the act of one guy shouldn't be able to ruin the good time.

The strangest thing about all of this to me -- by far -- is that the dude who allegedly did it still has face paint on in his mug shot. What's up with that?

11Alive.com

Burning Man became Burnt Man four days early on Tuesday, and a San Francisco performance artist was arrested on suspicion of igniting the signature figure of the counterculture festival in the remote Nevada desert.

The early morning fire scorched about 85 percent of the structure, Burning Man spokeswoman Andie Grace said. Event engineers decided it would be best to dismantle it and rebuild a less elaborate version, accomplishing in two days what normally takes weeks so the figure would be finished in time for Saturday night's scheduled burning, she said.

The approximately 40-foot-tall wood and neon structure was supposed to go up in flames in the ceremonial climax of the weeklong annual event. Burning Man, an art, music and performance festival that draws thousands of people, began in San Francisco in 1986 and moved to Nevada's Black Rock Desert in 1990.

The Library of Alexandria

I've always been fascinated by seemingly miraculous accomplishments of ancient cultures. In its day the Library of Alexandria was a repository of knowledge that is only perhaps now seeing its inflation adjusted match.

From our modern day functional equivalent:

The Royal Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was once the largest library in the world.

It is generally thought to have been founded at the beginning of the 3rd century BC, during the reign of Ptolemy II of Egypt.

....

According to the earliest source of information, the pseudepigraphic Letter of Aristeas, the Library was initially organized by Demetrius of Phaleron. Demetrius was a student of Aristotle.

Initially the Library was closely linked to a "museum," or research center, that seems to have focused primarily on editing texts. Libraries were important for textual research in the ancient world, since the same text often existed in several different versions of varying quality and veracity. The editors at the Library of Alexandria are especially well known for their work on Homeric texts.

....

A story concerns how its collection grew so large: by decree of Ptolemy III of Egypt, all visitors to the city were required to surrender all books and scrolls in their possession; these writings were then swiftly copied by official scribes. Sometimes the copies were so precise that the originals were put into the Library, and the copies were delivered to the unsuspecting previous owners. This process also helped to create a reservoir of books in the relatively new city. The Ptolemies also purchased additional materials from throughout the Mediterranean area, including from Rhodes and Athens.

The Library's collection was already famous in the ancient world, and became even more storied in later years. It is impossible, however, to determine how large the collection was in any era. The collection was made of papyrus scrolls. Later, parchment codices (predominant as a writing material after 300) may have been substituted for papyrus. A single piece of writing might occupy several scrolls, and this division into self-contained "books" was a major aspect of editorial work. King Ptolemy II Philadelphus (309–246 BC) is said to have set 500,000 scrolls as an objective.

The Logos

It is interesting how the meaning and definition of the Logos hovers somewhere between God, thought, reason, logic and the animating power of the universe. It is as if it is the intersection of physical and spiritual, yet somehow it comes across as an almost nonsensical and overtly abstract concept. In seeking a more clear understanding of the term I found myself leaving with more questions than I had when I arrived.

wikipedia:

Its semantic field extends beyond "word" to notions such as "thought, speech, account, meaning, reason, proportion, principle, standard", or "logic". In English, the word is the root of "log" (as in record), of "logic," and of the "-ology" suffix (e.g., geology).

Heraclitus established the term in Western philosophy as meaning the fundamental order of the cosmos. The sophists used the term to mean discourse, and Aristotle applied the term to argument from reason. After Judaism came under Hellenistic influence, Philo adopted the term into Jewish philosophy. The Gospel of John identifies Jesus as the incarnation of the Logos, through which all things are made. The gospel further identifies the Logos as God (theos), providing scriptural support for the trinity. It is this sense, the Logos as Jesus Christ and God, that is most common in popular culture.

Psychologist Carl Jung used the term for the masculine principle of rationality.

.....

Heraclitus also used Logos to mean the undifferentiated material substrate from which all things came: "Listening not to me but to the Logos it is wise to agree that all [things] are one." In this sense, Logos is the arche, the first principle of the cosmos in Pre-Socratic philosophy. Logos therefore designates both the material substrate itself and the universal, mechanical, "just" way in which this substrate manifests itself in and as individual things; that is, it subsumes within itself the later Platonic distinction (in Timaeus) between "form" and "matter".

By the 300s BC, the time of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, logos described the faculty of human reason and the knowledge men had of the world and of each other. Plato allowed his characters to engage in the conceit of describing logos as a living being in some of his dialogues. The development of the Academy with hypomnemata brought logos closer to the literal text. Aristotle, who studied under Plato, first developed the concept of logic as depicting the rules of human rationality.

The Stoics understood Logos as the animating power of the universe.

....

In Christianity, the prologue of the Gospel of John calls Jesus "the Logos" (usually translated as "the Word" in English Bibles such as the KJV).

....

On April 1, 2005, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (who would become Pope Benedict XVI just over two weeks later) referred to the Christian religion as the religion of the Logos:

Christianity must always remember that it is the religion of the "Logos." It is faith in the "Creator Spiritus," in the Creator Spirit, from which proceeds everything that exists.

Brady Boyd Replaces Ted Haggard at New Life Church

In what should be one giant sigh of closure for the congregation at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Brady Boyd has been confirmed as Senior Pastor of the church by receiving over 95% of the votes. Word on the street is that he's non-political and fiscally responsible.

From an email to the congregation:

Dear New Life Church family and friends,

It is my privilege to announce that New Life Church's membership voted to approve Brady Boyd as our senior pastor. Members of the board of trustees tabulated the results and Pastor Brady received more than ninety-five percent approval.

Today our church begins a new chapter. Along with all of you, I am grateful that the Lord has given us a gifted pastor and a strong leader. Your faithfulness and God's favor have kept our church family strong and healthy--thank you.

I am humbled to serve God and our community alongside you all.

Brad Fallentine
Secretary/Treasurer

[Barring something interesting and new happening at New Life, I can't imagine any reason why I'd write another post about them.]

Gonzales is History

Why now? I thought he was about to earn some variety of the "Teflon-xxx" moniker.

foxnews.com:

"Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove. This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House." _ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

___

"It has been a long and difficult struggle but at last, the attorney general has done the right thing and stepped down." _Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

___

The Justice Department under Gonzales "suffered a severe crisis of leadership that allowed our justice system to be corrupted by political influence." Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

___

"It is a sad day when the attorney general of the United States resigns amid a cloud of suspicion that the system of justice has been manipulated for political purposes. More than accountability, we need answers. ....If the power of the prosecutor has been misused in the name of partisanship, we deserve a full airing of the facts." _ Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., House Judiciary chairman.

___

"He has exhibited a lack of candor with Congress and the American people and a disdain for the rule of law and our constitutional system. I strongly urge President Bush to nominate a new attorney general who will respect our laws and restore the integrity of the office." _ Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

___

"Long overdue. The president must nominate an attorney general who is a lawyer for the American people, not a political arm of the White House." _ New Mexico governor and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson.

___

"Better late than never." _ Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

___

"It's about time ... Gonzales now joins a long list of Republican officials resigning under a cloud of scandal, but these resignations cannot purge the Bush administration of its problems. The true problem rests with the Bush White House itself, which continues to put what's best for the Republican Party ahead of what's best for America." _ Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.

Ted Haggard: Still Spooky After All These Years

As much as I really try not to post about this guy anymore I just couldn't help from bursting out when I read this. Ted Haggard has the balls to ask people for money to help pay for he and his wife's college education. This is spooky and weird if only because it shows that he is STILL COMPLETELY OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY. A repentant and humbled man, who happens to currently be incredibly wealthy, should in no way think that anyone should be giving him money, for any reason.

And if his salary of $138,000 isn't enough, I wonder if all of the additional perks that he once received, such as a car and housing allowance are still being paid out. Ted, that humble servant of man, once made closer to $200,000. Keep in mind, the New Life Church leaders agreed to pay his salary through 2007, even while they laid off 50 people (without severance) who did not transgress against the congregation.

I think it's time for Jesus to intervene.

queerty.com:

Ted Haggard thinks he can pull the wool over his former flock’s eyes.

After being pushed from the pulpit for his gay, drug-fueled affair with reformed hooker, Mike Jones, the Evangelical and his poor family plan to set up shop in Phoenix.

From the way Haggard tells it, the move’s putting a bit of strain on his wallet. And he needs a little help from his friends.

In a letter to Colorado ABC affiliate KRDO’s consumer reporter, Tak Lanrock, Haggard writes:

It looks as though it will take two years for us to have adequate earning power again, so we are looking for people who will help us monthly for two years. During that time we will continue as full time students, and then, when I graduate, we won’t need outside support any longer.

But for the next two years, we will need support. Between now and the end of the year, we have to find the people who want to help us transition into our future. So I am starting today to let friends like you know that we are raising money for support as we move into the Phoenix Dream Center.

How queer, because, as Colorado Confidential points out, he’s got plenty of access to plenty of money:

In addition to agreeing to move away from Colorado Springs as part of his severance package, Haggard reportedly agreed not to talk about his scandal publicly. New Life Church leaders agreed to pay his salary through 2007; when he was fired he was making about $138,000 annually. The Haggards are not listed in Arizona telephone directories, and could not be reached for comment.

But according to the El Paso County Assessor’s office, the Haggards bought their 2-story house, at 1865 Old Ranch Road in northeastern Colorado Springs, for $522,000 in 2001. Its current market value is $715,051

Maybe he’s saving it for hookers and meth?

Growing Storm in Pakistan

Here's the story: For better or worse, back in 1999 the Pakistani the top general Pervez Musharraf took out the elected President Nawaz Sharif in a coup. Musharraf has been saying uncle to us ever since and he's been increasingly facing opposition from Islamic extremists and those who remain supporters of Sharif. In a new move the courts have allowed Sharif to return and compete politically with Musharraf. Presidential elections are supposed to happen in October and Parliamentary elections happen before years end. My guess is that Sharif has no love for the US at this point, and a Pakistani revolution hinges on how tightly Musharraf currently controls his own military.

So at what point do we decide to actually support the will of the people once they have spoken via democratic process? Can we be successful while being hypocritical opportunists? Will that approach eventually be our undoing?

nytimes.com:

Pakistan’s increasingly assertive Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a political rival to Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, can return from exile, throwing Pakistan’s politics into turmoil and threatening American strategy of support for the president.

The court’s decision dealt a blow to General Musharraf by allowing the rival, Nawaz Sharif, whom he ousted as prime minister in a 1999 military coup, to run for election here this fall. It may also encourage another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, who has also been living in exile, to try to return.

The prospect of Mr. Sharif’s return presents the most direct challenge yet to General Musharraf, who flirted with imposing emergency rule this month.

For the Bush administration, which has backed General Musharraf as a crucial ally in a terrorism hot spot, Mr. Sharif’s re-entry into politics would overturn its plan to prod the general to share power with Ms. Bhutto as a way of keeping him in power, foreign policy analysts said.

Scientists Induce Out-of-Body Sensation

This doesn't surprise me at all. The very sense of oneself existing within ones own body at best seems to be a mechanism to help with our own identity. That we can be tricked into feeling as if we've settled elsewhere seems to make perfect sense. The idea that our consciousness is a local phenomenon only holds up while we aren't asking ourselves to decide where it specifically resides. It is very helpful to carry around a vague feeling that it is somewhere within our bodies. Once we put forth any effort to identify its actual locale it becomes fairly clear that it is a nebulous and non-local phenomenon.

While most people can agree that consciousness exists, can anyone cite another example of something that appears to exist but is non-local?

nytimes.com:

Using virtual reality goggles, a camera and a stick, scientists have induced out-of-body experiences — the sensation of drifting outside of one’s own body — - in healthy people, according to experiments being published in the journal Science.

When people gaze at an illusory image of themselves through the goggles and are prodded in just the right way with the stick, they feel as if they have left their bodies.

The research reveals that “the sense of having a body, of being in a bodily self,” is actually constructed from multiple sensory streams, said Matthew Botvinick, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Princeton University, an expert on body and mind who was not involved in the experiments.

Usually these sensory streams, which include including vision, touch, balance and the sense of where one’s body is positioned in space, work together seamlessly, Prof. Botvinick said. But when the information coming from the sensory sources does not match up, when they are thrown out of synchrony, the sense of being embodied as a whole comes apart.

[Thanks N8]