Do programmers find it hard to be Christians?

When I was growing up, I loved science - biology, geology, physics, meteorology all fascinated me. But my teachers told me the same thing again and again, "It is impossible to be a scientist and a Christian. So, if you choose to become a scientist, be ready to throw away your faith forever." As a middle schooler, that scared me and made me reconsider my future career. But as I grew in knowledge of science and of my faith, I quickly learned the battle between science and religion was largely a myth. Most scientists have a faith, and most of the faithful respect and study science.

So, I was unhappy to see this same old idea recast in a new light, which claims programmers and Christians are incompatible. Most of you know I work in the Information Technology field, and have been a programmer at various points in my life/career. I have never found my faith to conflict with my job/hobby... and neither have almost any of the programmers I work with. And my particular company hires from all over, so I know programmers who are Catholic, Protestant, Coptic, Muslim, Jain, Hindu, Buddhist, and Orthodox.

This persistent idea that Christianity and logic are somehow in fundamental disagreement needs to be taken down. Some of the greatest thinkers of history (Thomas Aquinas, C.S. Lewis, Isaac Newton, etc.) were Christians, and none could be said to be enemies of logic or science, and none would be enemies of programming if they lived today.

For the LAST TIME. The world will NOT end in 2012!

I have been extremely annoyed by the number of people on the web and twitter who are allowing themselves to become paranoid about the "2012 meme". The idea is that the Mayan calendar ended in 2012, indicating the end of the world, and it has been popularized by a new movie. Mayan experts have been out in force trying to remind the public that the Mayan religion was cyclical not apocalyptic (unlike Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and posited a world without an end.

Now, NASA is taking on the myth head-on as well. Good for them! Y2K was a real threat. H1N1/Swine flu is a real threat. The "Great Recession" is a real threat. Even Climate Change is worth talking about. But 2012 hysteria is groundless, and just undermines good sense.

First-Aid Mythbusting

Urban legends are generally harmless, if annoying. But there are some bits of "common wisdom" that can be extremely dangerous. Take all of the anecdotal "cures" that you see on television? It is important to know the facts so that a minor injury doesn't become something worse.

A child pulls a pot of boiling water off the stove or sticks their hand on a hot burner

Do you put butter or mayonnaise on the burn? Hurriedly remove the child’s clothing because it is stuck to the burn? Get out the ice?

Those are the common reactions in the case of a burn, but all of them are myths.

Butter, mayo or other types of grease may cause even more damage to tender skin and pulling clothing or other materials stuck to the burn could damage the tissue or pull the skin off completely.

The correct action is to rinse gently with cool water and coat the burn with antibiotic ointment.

I know we have nurses, mothers, and outdoorsmen who read this blog. What other tips do you have for the RIGHT ways to treat injuries that are counter-cultural?

Cinco De Mayo

I was asking around this last week what "Cinco De Mayo" was, and got answers that varied from "Mexican Independence Day" to "Spanish Marti Gras". So, in the end, I decided to give up and check out Wikipedia instead.

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "5th of May") is primarily a regional and not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico. The holiday commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day; Mexico's Independence Day is actually September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish), which is the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

So there you have it. Now at least if you go out partying tonight, you'll know why.

Mythbusting Common Health Worries

Most people I know fall into one of two categories: (1) they panic over every new study which tells you that your favorite food causes cancer, or (2) they are so overwhelmed by the serial health panics that they simply have stopped listening. Well, Health Magazine is mythbusting today.

Myth #5: Feed a cold, starve a fever
The old wives' tale has been a staple since the 1500s when a dictionary master wrote, "Fasting is a great remedie of feuer."

The truth: "Colds and fevers are generally caused by viruses that tend to last 7 to 10 days, no matter what you do," Vreeman says. "And there is no good evidence that diet has any effect on a cold or fever. Even if you don't feel like eating, you still need fluids, so put a priority on those." If you're congested, the fluids will keep mucus thinner and help loosen chest and nasal congestion. A little chicken soup spoons in some nutrients, as well.

Let the relaxation and sanity commence... until the next health panic.

Busting the Myths of the Democratic Nominating Process

Mark Ambinder has up a good piece analyzing the myths and truths regarding the Democratic Party's process of nominating their presidential candidate. It cuts through many of the strange arguments coming from each side.

Myth: The Democratic primary process is supposed to be democratic.

Fact: With its mix of caucuses and primaries, proportional allocation and at-large bonus delegates, its racial and gender quotas, and its layer of superdelegates, the process is anything but democratic.
And that's the point of it, actually.
In cameral terms, the superdelegates are the Senate; the other delegates are the House. The supers exist to preserve the power of the party itself by taming the passions of the pledged delegates
Since the McGovern-Frasier reforms, the Democratic Party has cautiously backed away from the principle of deference to the majority and toward the countervailing principle of protecting the rights of the minority (who were, in many cases, ethnic minorities).
The nomination process is designed to ensure that the majority does not prevail without a fight in the event that the minority of the party objects. The downside risk is obvious: in the event that there is no consensus, there is no objective way to determine who the nominee should be.