Don't use rhetoric to obscure meaning!

My posting earlier this week about Rob Bell's book Love Wins generated a lot of discussion on Facebook. Among the replies was a link to this article from one of Bell's defenders, written by a friend of a friend. I read the thing at the time and moved on, but one phrase from the article has been bothering me constantly since that time.

Speaking to his Mars Hill congregation this past Sunday, Bell also pointed out that the word "radical" comes from the same word as "radish," meaning "root." In the 17th century, "radical" came to mean, "returning to the origin" or "essential." A radical, therefore, is someone who is returning to the roots, the original, and the essence.

It is exactly this kind of beside-the-point thinking that really bothers me about many of Pastor Bell's supporters. (Again, I have not read the book, not have I met him, so I am withholding judgement on the author himself.) This point is presented as a major bit of wisdom, attempting to legitimize a position by showing etymology proves a "radical" is more true to original intent than a "conservative" or "orthodox" thinker.

But language changes over time, and meanings do not always stay true to original intent. For instance, consider the case of hobo, as investigated by THE STRAIGHT DOPE. The two strongest sources for the word are "Hoe Boy" - i.e. migrant worker - and "Hey, beaux" - i.e. A french dandy. Yet no one would claim that a modern hobo is either inherently a migrant farmer nor a Frenchman.

It is fine to argue for a theological point of view from logic and scripture. But it is deceptive to use rhetorical flourishes like this which obscure truth with facts that sound interesting, but are irrelevant. These kinds of references from Pastor Bell's supporters only serve to further discredit him in the eyes of his critics. And to leave a bad taste in the mouth of those - like me - trying to keep an open mind.

Does the Death Star make economic sense?

I am a Star Wars geek. I know far more trivia about the Original Series, Prequel Series, and Expanded Universe than is healthy for me. And Wardo, CRChair, and Sean can attest that we've had more than our share of conversations about the minutiae of George Lucas's universe. But I am not sure we have ever had a discussion quite on the level of this analysis of the economics of the Death Star (WARNING! There's some salty language in spots) which uses various economic and political theories to analyze whether or not the Emperor's pet project - THE DEATH STAR - really makes sense on a macro-economic scale.

The more you spend on bureaucracy, the less control you have directly over your Empire. The less you spend on bureaucracy, the more you have to tighten your grip, and the more star systems slip through your fingers.

So, the Emperor and Tarkin focus on making one really huge, high-impact investment: The Death Star. They throw in Alderaan as part of that investment. This doomsday weapon will supposedly free up their resources to spend less on administration, personnel and infrastructure, and continue to function without a Senate. It seems like a big investment until you realize how much they save by not actually having a functioning government.

This is an attractive option even today, as politicians look to pay for tax cuts and handouts to core constituencies by laying off or cutting salaries and benefits for bureaucrats and government workers, as well as by skimping on infrastructure.

The problem, of course, is that it doesn’t work. The underpaid, undermotivated, poorly managed stormtroopers can’t even track down the Empire’s most wanted fugitive androids in an extremely sparsely populated area where they have undisputed control. If Tatooine still had meaningful senatorial representation and local government, Luke never would have gotten off the planet.

If you love Star Wars, I must say this article is a must-read piece.

If you use the PlayStation Network, it's time to change your passwords everywhere

After days of outage, Sony is finally coming clean regarding exactly what the "external intruder" gained access to during their hack attack on the gaming giant. And the news is not good. Sony has essentially given up all information about their customers except their credit card numbers... they think.

As Seybold lays it out, the hacker — or “unauthorized person” to be specific — managed to obtain pretty much every bit of information you might’ve given the company, which I’m listing below:

- Name
- Address (city, state, zip)
- Country
- Email address
- Birthdate
- PSN / Qriocity password and login
- PSN online ID / handle
- Purchase history
- Billing address
- Password security answers

The biggest issue here is that most people use the same information to log into their game networks as they use to log into their banks and other financial companies. Thus, by simply reusing the usernames, personal info, and "personal security answers" here, the hacker may be able to steal money from many PSN users without having to touch Sony's network again.

If you're a PSN user, please change your username, password, and security answers at any financial services website that used the same info as Sony's system. Don't wait for the hackers to sell this info to criminals.

President Obama releases his birth certificate

If you were a doubter, here you go. Although, I doubt very much this will silence those who align themselves with the "birther" movement. But here's hoping this forestalls months and months of pointless debate during the actual 2012 presidential campaign among the serious candidates.

If any of our Mod-Blog readers were among the doubters, what is your reaction to this development. And do you agree with Donald Trump that it is all due to him?

Hell & It's Critics

I am not sure how many Mod-Bloggers have been paying attention, but a recent book has renewed an old debate about the existence of Hell and it's place in Christian doctrine. It is easy to forget just how controversial the idea of a place of eternal punishment can be to a non-Christian or humanistic mind. In the mainstream press, people are airing defense of the doctrine of Hell and strong criticisms of it.

The central question of the book - and most of the critiques of it - is "Is Gandhi in Hell"? i.e. Is a man universally recognized as a moral champion who is NOT Christian bound for eternal torment. I imagine similar questions could be asked of other great moral leaders.

To be clear, I believe the general answer of orthodox Christians to this question is "Salvation is found ONLY in Jesus Christ, and as far as we know those who die without saving knowledge of Him are in Hell. However, God is sovereign and if He chooses to make exceptions, He can do so. But if He makes exceptions, it is not indicated in scripture."

Interested to see what Mod-Bloggers think about this controversy. I've already discussed with a few of you. (And yes, I know we need to differentiate between the controversy raised in the book and the controversy triggered by the book.)

Netflix bigger than any cable company

If you're wondering why various cable companies have been trying to force Netflix to pay them for bandwidth, wonder no longer. The DVD rental and streaming video service is now larger than any individual cable company in the USA, with 7% of all American households subscribing.

Did I mention I have some free trial codes for anyone who wants them? ;-)

Origin of the Species - Peeps

Back in the days when I ate sugar, I always preferred Cadbury Creme Eggs to Peeps as my Easter indulgence. But those little yellow chicks have meanwhile taken over the world. I always wondered where they got started.

HE IS RISEN!

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20

It's a Dog's World

Happy Birthday Ward

Happy birthday to the founder of Mod-Blog. We affectionately call him, "The Wardling".

Educated or Scarred for Life? Yes!

I love videos like the one embedded below, as I have been fascinated by dinosaurs all of my life. In some ways, I wish things like this had existed when I was a child. (Although, since I was terrified of the Philly Phanatic, this might have caused me to blow a gasket.) But one site asks the question are such animatronic and puppeteering scare-fests really educational? Or are we just fooling ourselves that fun and learning can co-exist in such environments?

Your iPhone/iPad is watching you!

In scary Big Brother style, it turns out your iOS cellular enabled iPhone or iPad is tracking your every movement. The database found keeps data from the moment iOS 4 is installed, and appears to track even times when GPS location is not turned on (likely using cell tower triangulation).

Skeptical? I used this sample app to pull the data from my own iPhone. The image below. Note it's careful documentation of my trips to Bath and Houghton, NY, Lancaster, PA, Cherry Hill and Wildwood, NJ, and Delaware. Of course, my own privacy is not breeched because I had already posted photos from each of those trips here to Mod-Blog or to my twitter feed.

Please note, getting this info requires access to your device OR to any computer (Mac or PC) which your iOS device has synced with.

Christ in the Passover

With the audience that normal browses Mod-Blog - and the fact that we are now in Passover week - it seemed like a good time and place to post this video from Chosen People Ministries on how Christ is prefigured in the Passover Seder meal.



I always find it fascinating to see how the Old and New Testaments intersect. Feel free to post any other such cases - or your objections - in the comments.

Tradeoffs in Government

I was thinking today about the compromises that are made in government. In a representative democracy often you have to give something of value up in order to get the other side to do the same. Republicans over the past 30 years have given up on budget cuts in order to acquire cuts in taxes. Democrats have given up on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in order to get funding for entitlement programs.
My question today is “Is there something that Republicans could give up in order to acquire the end of legal abortions?” What if Republicans agreed to grant full marital status to homosexual couples? Or what if Republicans agreed to “the right to Universal Health Care”? Would either of these issues be enough to sway Democrats? Also, would the rank and file Republican support such an idea? A trade of this type would probably have to be done in the form of a Constitutional Amendment because otherwise one side of the compromise may be found unconstitutional while the other side remains law.
What item of value might you be willing to give up in order to accomplish something of greater value to you in government?

Watch for ATM Skimmers!

ATM Card Skimmers are devices attached to ATM and Point-of-Sale kiosks that either electronically read your card as you insert it, or use a video camera to gather information like card numbers and PIN. Tax time is prime-time for ATM card thieves, as people are hitting the bank more than usual to move money around or pull statement information. Be sure you know how to spot a skimmer and take measures to protect yourself from thieves. Using modern wireless technology, the thief may not even be within sight of the ATM when this happens.

And at the very least ALWAYS cover our PIN entry.

SOB! Today *IS* Tax Day

Well, we all got a reprieve, but today is Tax Day. Tax forms must be eFiled or mailed today in order to avoid penalties (or you must apply for an automatic extension). But the good news is plenty of experts have tips to help you get the most back from the tax man. And even if you are filing last-minute, there are always online options to avoid the lines at the post office.

Dee Leicht E.A. preparer at H & R Block at 4530 Lemay Ferry Road suggests:

- If you are preparing your own taxes, make sure that you file Schedule M, Making Work Pay, to receive up to a $400 credit.
- Check your deductions for education. They are very good this year and include books and supplies.
- Make sure you take exemptions for any persons (earning less than $3600) that you supported in 2010.

And remember, even if you do file for the automatic extension, you still have to pay what you EXPECT to owe to avoid paying interest and penalties.

Is the future of Magazines a Netflix-like service?

This is a very interesting idea, and one that had not occurred to me. Interested to see what a newspaper/magazine industry veteran like Sean thinks of this.

Imagine if you could pay $10-$15 per month to have access to the daily editions of hundreds of newspapers, or the latest issue of any magazine that crosses your mind. Yes, publishers would need to get used to running with lower profit margins than they'd like. But those margins are going to get thinner every year unless the industry finds some way to meet the digital age head on.

The Thinking Behind the Narnia Movies

I don't bring it up much here, but I am a major C.S. Lewis fan. His work was a major formative influence on my philosophy and theology. And I have really enjoyed the "Chronicles of Narnia"movies, despite their faults. So, I was glad to see a new interview on Christianity Today discussing Dawn Treader, and where the franchise is going next.

So what kind of reaction are you getting from those people about Dawn Treader?
There's agreement that we are getting things right thematically. In terms of Reepicheep with that Aslan-size hole in his heart, getting that right. In terms of Eustace talking about no matter how hard I tried I couldn't do it myself, the idea that redemption is something that has to be given; it can't be earned. For the most part people have agreed that we've done a good job with those themes.

Surprise! Today is NOT Tax Day

Somehow I missed this until yesterday, but taxes are NOT due April 15 this year. They are due Monday, April 18. So, if you've not already filed or eFiled or requested an extension, you have a few more days before panic has to REALLY set in.

And if you want to start NOW, don't forget many options to fill out your taxes online!

Are we ready for another 1 Party Government?

Back in the days of George H. W. Bush and Clinton, I can remember thinking "If only Congress and the President were from the same political party. So much more would get done!" Unfortunately, I was right. Both under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, we have seen the presidency and the Congressional majority from the same party. And the results were the same - massive overreaching, no attempt at compromise, and ultimately a painful correction afterwards. Not to mention a clear incentive towards corruption, without any watchdogs around. My opinion has shifted and I believe a divided government - president from one party, congress from another (or split between parties) is the way to provide the best product from a republic like our own.

But some are already speculating that 2012 may see a Republican sweep with a super-majority in the Senate. Count me among those who would see that as a bad thing. Conservatives AND Liberals, Democrats AND Republicans need the loyal opposition to keep them honest and level-headed.

How would YOU respond to a Fukushima-type disaster

As we look at Japan with pity as they try to deal with the Fukushima Diachi nuclear disaster, it raises a very important question: HOW WOULD I REACT TO SUCH A DISASTER? Living in the New York Metropolitan area, there are a number of nuclear reactors within a few hours drive. And most of them could throw fallout my way in the case of a major accident. So what do I do? Luckily, some websites have posted maps showing the likely evacuation areas around NYC, Chicago, and LA for various nuclear plants.

This is useful info to have. If nothing else, it tells me that my best bet is to head NORTH in case of a disaster, as heading South might simply take me deeper into another reactor's radioactive shadow.

Fukushima now on par with Chernobyl

On the "International Nuclear Event Scale", Japan's Fukushima Daichi plant is now officially on par with Chernobyl. International agencies had been arguing for this classification for weeks, but the Japanese government had been stubbornly classifying the event on par with Three Mile Island instead. Now that radiation is leaking into the Pacific Ocean, it appears Japan's reservoir of denial has run out.

Secular "Bible"?

Atheists often like to claim that their path is superior to that of the religious, because their ethics are based on philosophy or pure logic rather than an external standard. But the fact is no man is an island, and all morality is learned from wiser men and women. So, a prominent humanist has finally put together a "Secular Bible. Containing wisdom from a number of non-religious sources, it claims to try and provide a purely "human" approach to morality and ethics.

Apparently, it is #41 on Amazon's UK bestseller list. But somehow, I don't think we'll see it displacing the Holy Bible at the top of the list.

Not again! Another earthquake in Japan.

It's the disaster that will not end. Another 7.1 magnitude earthquake has hit Japan 100 miles north of Tokyo. An even more spooky detail, is the quake hit exactly as the people of Japan were taking a moment of silence to remember the 28,000 people dead and missing from the original earthquake and tsunami.

The latest aftershock caused buildings to sway in the capital Tokyo, shortly after the nation had observed a minute's silence to remember the 13,000 people killed in the March 11 disaster and the 15,000 who officially remain missing.

The US Geological Survey said the 7.1 onshore quake hit at 5:16 pm (0816 GMT) at a depth of just 13 kilometres (eight miles). Its epicentre was 81 kilometres south of Fukushima city, near the troubled nuclear plant.

Japan's meteorological agency warned that a one-metre (three foot) wave could hit Ibaraki prefecture, one of the areas pummelled by last month's massive tsunami, before cancelling the alert less than an hour later...

Workers battling to contain the crisis at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant were evacuated after the latest quake Monday, which briefly knocked out power to crippled reactors before electricity was restored.

Look up, my friends!

Made me laugh

Some days, we don't need profundity. Just a giggle. (From here.

Government Shutdown Averted by Last-Second Deal

It is no surprise to me, but a great relief to military families, to see that a government shut-down has been averted by a late-night deal between Congressional Republicans, Congressional Democrats, and President Barack Obama. The deal contains $38 billion in cuts - less than the Republicans wanted, but far more than the Democrats had been hoping for - and sets the stage for an even-more-bitter battle leading up to the 2012 elections.

Although, you have to admit one thing. This has made it clear where each party stands - and even more where the President stands. It leaves a clear choice for voters next year.

The administration largely succeeded in blocking the most controversial policy riders impacting the environment and abortion-rights. But the spending cut is one of the single largest in history, and a preview of what lies ahead when Republicans move their 2012 budget plan next week and fight with Obama over raising the debt ceiling in May and June.

Yeah, that's pretty much how I see it

Eric Allie political cartoon from Townhall.Com.

Japan's nuclear crisis may be even worse than we think

In the weeks since the tsunami, Japan has continued to battle adverse conditions at the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant. But as the American attention span wanes, most news agencies are ready to move on. But it appears that the danger at the plant is not decreasing, and may actually be on the rise. A new NRC report paints a dire picture of plant perhaps only a few steps away from another major leak or meltdown risk.

The document also suggests that fragments or particles of nuclear fuel from spent fuel pools above the reactors were blown “up to one mile from the units,” and that pieces of highly radioactive material fell between two units and had to be “bulldozed over,” presumably to protect workers at the site. The ejection of nuclear material, which may have occurred during one of the earlier hydrogen explosions, may indicate more extensive damage to the extremely radioactive pools than previously disclosed...

The assessment provides graphic new detail on the conditions of the damaged cores in reactors 1, 2 and 3. Because slumping fuel and salt from seawater that had been used as a coolant is probably blocking circulation pathways, the water flow in No. 1 “is severely restricted and likely blocked.” Inside the core itself, “there is likely no water level,” the assessment says, adding that as a result, “it is difficult to determine how much cooling is getting to the fuel.” Similar problems exist in No. 2 and No. 3, although the blockage is probably less severe, the assessment says.

Lent Reading: Quote of the Day 26

From Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Meditations on the Cross, the chapter entitled "Resurrection instead of Immortality" based on 1 Corinthians 15:17

Easter does not celebrate a struggle between darkness and light that in any case must finally be won by light, since darkness is, in actual fact, nothing at all, and death is, after all, already life. It does not celebrate a struggle between winter and spring, between ice and sunshine. Rather, it remembers the struggle of guilty mankind against divine love, or better: of divine love against guilty humankind; a struggle in which God seems to succumb on Good Friday and in which precisely by succumbing he is actually victorious on Easter.

Do I recognize both the inevitability of Christ's victory, and its paradox?

Congrats, UCONN Huskies! NCAA Champions!

New Green Lantern Trailer

Looks far better than the first one.

When will we get serious?

All too timely with this story in the news. Cartoon from here.

This has really been feeding my soul of late...

FDA cracks down on drugmakers, drugmakers crank up the prices

In an age of skyrocketing medical costs, it is in the Federal government's best interest to ensure our medicines are as safe and precisely targeted as possible. Enter the FDA, charged with regulating and monitoring drug safety. Unfortunately, their recent efforts to lock down drugs has resulted in 50x increases in drug prices for patients who can ill afford the cost, by creating pseudo-monopolies. Thus, increasing medical costs for everyone, including the Federal government.

Beware the well-intentioned bureaucrat!

Until January, colchicine was sold by many companies and cost as little as 10 cents a pill. Now it's available only under the trade name Colcrys, sold by a Philadelphia company called URL Pharma—for five dollars per pill.* The colchicine story, and a few others like it, have provoked ire among some patients and doctors about an otherwise praiseworthy effort by the FDA to get rid of old, untested, potentially harmful drugs.

Take the case of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17OHP), a synthetic hormone designed to prevent preterm births in pregnant women...The drug's retail price jumped from $15 to $1,440 per treatment, a shock to obstetricians and their patients, as well as to those who write checks at insurance companies and Medicaid. The tens of thousands of women who receive the treatment each year typically require 20 injections during the course of their pregnancies.

To be fair, though, it appears that the FDA is not entirely deaf to these complaints, and is taking some action.

Closed for April Fools Day

Today is April Fool's Day. The day when the internet stops being a useful resource for 24 hours, and becomes a liar's/prankster's paradise. Rather than add to the noise, I will not be posting to the blog today at all. Hope it is a good day for you and yours. See you again soon.