Unsolicited Advice and Opinion Since 1971
The song, “We Won’t Be Quiet” off of Remedy, just played during a 2 hour randomize I had running. I’ve heard the song before, but this time the guitar really stood out and I looked into it.
Turns out the Motor City Madman liked the guitar mix on Crowder’s excellent A Collision album and wanted to contribute to a future album. These Texas residents hooked up to make some music together and I like them both all the more for it.
No Comments Scott Pagel on Aug 27th 2010
No wonder I love science, art, and the Free Market… but not the State.
Found this at jonniefivemiles’ Flickr stream.
No Comments Scott Pagel on Aug 6th 2010
I got my Google Wave account on day 1 of its life. It was definitely interesting and evolutionary, but I never thought it was going to take hold. It was just too slow. I used it for a couple projects and it was OK, but far from the best way to collaborate for those particular projects. I’m glad Google works on stuff like Wave and puts it out there for users to try. Some of their stuff is awesome… like Gmail and Reader… and some things won’t be sustainable… like Wave. Wave is dead, but the project was far from a “failure”. The experiences and code produced as a result will live on in other ways.
Wave has not seen the user adoption we would have liked. We don’t plan to continue developing Wave as a standalone product, but we will maintain the site at least through the end of the year and extend the technology for use in other Google projects. The central parts of the code, as well as the protocols that have driven many of Wave’s innovations, like drag-and-drop and character-by-character live typing, are already available as open source, so customers and partners can continue the innovation we began. In addition, we will work on tools so that users can easily “liberate” their content from Wave.
No Comments Scott Pagel on Aug 5th 2010
The quote below is one of my favorite parts of a long (over 8,000 word) transcription of a lecture given by Professor Colin Humphreys delivered on 2nd March 2004 in the Winstanley Lecture Theatre in Trinity College, Cambridge. Professor Humphreys has been a Professor of Materials Science in Cambridge since 1990. The lecture is called “Can Scientists Believe in Miracles?” and I think he talks about his subject in ways that would interest scientists and theologians alike.
Overriding natural laws not only give scientists a problem but also theologians, and the reason for this is that the picture of God given in the Bible is of a consistent God. There are many biblical passages where the consistency of God comes through strongly. So theologically, if God created the Universe and is constantly upholding it, and if God is a consistent God, then would he override the laws he has established? Let me give you a musical analogy which may be helpful. Imagine you are standing behind a pianist who is playing without music and you are watching the pianist’s fingers. Every time the pianist goes to play the note “F” he plays “F sharp”. You can deduce from this the key signature of the music. The key signature is the rule the composer establishes for playing that piece of music. If you keep watching you may observe that, on occasion, when the pianist should play “F sharp” he plays “F”, or he may play black notes when you expect him to play white ones. These are what musicians call “accidentals” which the composer has deliberately put in the music. The composer, of course, is free to put accidentals in the music – he is the composer – and although he’s set up a key signature which signifies the way the music should normally be played, he is free to say that it should be played differently on occasions. If he is a great composer, the accidentals will never be used capriciously, they will always make better music. It is the accidentals which contribute to making the piece of music great. The analogy with how God operates is clear. God created and upholds the universe but, like the great composer, he is free to override his own rules. However, if he is a consistent God, it must make more sense than less for him to override his rules. It is interesting to see how the Bible portrays the Resurrection. Peter speaking on the day of Pentecost, exactly seven weeks after the Resurrection, says, “God raised him [Jesus] from the dead because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:24 ). Peter is saying that if Jesus really was the Son of God, then the Resurrection was inevitable and not incredible. It was more consistent for the Resurrection to occur than for Jesus to remain dead, if Jesus really was the Son of God
If you missed the link before the quote, here it is again: “Can Scientists Believe in Miracles?”.
I also found a page with links to the lecture in PDF and mp3 formats and to a transcript of a discussion group that met after the lecture.
1 Comment Scott Pagel on Jul 30th 2010
I’m just going out on this limb… I’m a fan, but far from an expert. It just makes it more fun to follow when you have something on the line… so I’ll throw out some predictions.
Feel free to leave your predictions in the comments.
Here’s my predictions for the last game of the group stage. There are more goals on the scoreboard than I feel comfortable with, but there are several teams that have to go out on the attack in this final game to have any chance at all so I see a lot of games with open and attacking play.
| Mexico | 0 | 2 | Uruguay |
| France | 2 | 2 | South Africa |
| Nigeria | 1 | 1 | Korea Rep |
| Greece | 0 | 3 | Argentina |
| Slovenia | 1 | 2 | England |
| USA | 2 | 0 | Algeria |
| Ghana | 0 | 2 | Germany |
| Australia | 0 | 1 | Serbia |
| Slovakia | 0 | 2 | Italy |
| Paraguay | 2 | 1 | New Zealand |
| Denmark | 1 | 1 | Japan |
| Cameroon | 1 | 1 | Netherlands |
| Portugal | 1 | 1 | Brazil |
| Korea DPR | 1 | 2 | Cote D’Ivoire |
| Chile | 1 | 2 | Spain |
| Switzerland | 2 | 0 | Honduras |
Here’s my group predictions. Of course it is unrealistic for it to be accurate in the details… but perhaps I’ll be correct in the placings.
R = Rank, W = Wins, L = Losses, D = Draws, Pts = Points, GD = Goal Differential, G = Goals
| R | GROUP A | W | L | D | Pts | GD | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uruguay | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| 2 | Mexico | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | France | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 2 |
| 4 | South Africa | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -3 | 3 |
| R | GROUP B | W | L | D | Pts | GD | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 8 |
| 2 | Korea Rep | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 | Greece | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 2 |
| 4 | Nigeria | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| R | GROUP C | W | L | D | Pts | GD | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| 2 | England | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Algeria | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
| R | GROUP D | W | L | D | Pts | GD | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| 2 | Slovenia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Ghana | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
| 4 | Australia | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 1 |
| R | GROUP E | W | L | D | Pts | GD | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2 | Japan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 3 | Denmark | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Cameroon | 2 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| R | GROUP F | W | L | D | Pts | GD | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paraguay | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | Italy | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Slovakia | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -4 | 1 |
| R | GROUP G | W | L | D | Pts | GD | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Portugal | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 |
| 3 | Cote D’Ivoire | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Korea DPR | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -9 | 2 |
| R | GROUP H | W | L | D | Pts | GD | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Chile | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Honduras | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -5 | 0 |
1 Comment Scott Pagel on Jun 22nd 2010
First, a Philip Yancey story.
Back in about 1998, I was working as the network administrator at Christ In Youth in Joplin, Missouri, USA. Back in the day, CIY held an event called National Youth Leader’s Convention (NYLC). My desk was located in the area of the office that also housed the department responsible for organizing the NYLC. I often overheard the phone calls of my co-workers as they contacted various people related to the upcoming NYLC, including keynote speakers.
At the time I’m referring to… about 1998… Philip Yancey was one of those speakers and my co-worker had been in regular contact with Yancey or his people to work out various arrangements. One day she received a phone call from Philip Yancey. It was brief and she released some expression of joy at the end of the conversation that caught my attention. Turns out that Yancey called her just to let her know that he was praying for her. He realized that she must be feeling a lot of pressure related to planning the NYLC (TRUE!) and thought not only to pray for her, but to follow it up with a phone call to let her know and ask how she was doing.
The reason I share this is to make the case that Philip Yancey is someone we should listen to. Someone who takes the time to do what he did in the story above is a bit of evidence that he probably has other areas of his life and thinking in order, too.
I’ve since met Yancey in person and learned nothing to change my mind that he is someone worth listening to.
Since 1983, Yancey has written “Back Page” columns for Christianity Today. These quotes are from his last column (for a while, at least) published in the November 2009 issue. He is speaking of evangelicalism and has some advice. I’m just posting a few sentences in hopes that they’ll prompt you to click the link at the end and read the whole (short) article.
Although I admire the innovation [in evangelicalism], I would caution that mimicking cultural trends has a downside.
Perhaps we should present an alternative to the prevailing culture rather than simply adopt it. What would a church look like that created space for quietness, that bucked the celebrity trend and unplugged from surrounding media, that actively resisted consumerist culture? What would worship look like if it were directed more toward God than toward our entertainment preferences?
It saddens me to hear the media’s caricature of evangelicals as right-wing zealots. The word means “good news,” and I have seen that message broadcast in creative, practical ways in over 50 countries. But I can see where the media get their stereotypes.
I recently heard from a friend who visited a barrio in São Paulo, Brazil. He grew nervous as he noticed the foot soldiers of drug lords standing guard holding automatic weapons. They were glowering at him, a gringo invading their turf. “Then the chief drug lord of that neighborhood noticed my T-shirt, which had the logo of a local Pentecostal church. He broke out in a big smile: ‘O, evangelicos!’ he called out, giving us hugs. Over the years, that church had cared for the children of the barrio, and now we were joyfully welcomed.”
‘O, Evangelicos!’ | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction
No Comments Scott Pagel on Jun 12th 2010
Growing up next to a major US Air Force base, our community heard the US Military songs regularly. Of course, we most often heard the Air Force song, but we were also treated to performances of select groups such as Tops In Blue and I particularly remember their renditions of these meaningful songs and their invitations for those associated with the branches of service to stand and sing out as they played each in turn. Grandpa was in the Navy so we’d stand up and sing along to “Anchor’s Aweigh” but I loved them all.
The video below includes renditions of these songs in a way you, like me, might not have ever heard them before! But if you, like me, like KISS and our servicemen and servicewomen… I can’t see how you wouldn’t be glad you spent the next 5 minutes watching.
I don’t know when or where this was recorded… but here’s American immigrant Gene Simmons from KISS bringing a big morale boost to some soldiers. The songs are as good as ever… just different!
And yes… he leaves out the US Coast Guard… an unfortunate oversight… although maybe there weren’t any USCG members in attendance?
No Comments Scott Pagel on Jun 11th 2010
Regarding this report that scientists have created the first synthetic cell… Tony Woodlief at Sand in the Gears writes:
there is something dangerous about science unmoored from an acknowledgment of creation’s mystery, and anchored instead to an abiding trust in man’s reason
read the whole thing at Sand in the Gears » Re-creation
a couple great comments there, too.
No Comments Scott Pagel on Jun 10th 2010
I’m deeply interested in the recent talk of Big 10 expansion and especially the involvement of my home state’s biggest university, the University of Nebraska.
Everyone all over the sports internets is weighing in on what might happen. Many of them are more qualified than I to speak on what is going on (or is not going on) behind the scenes. Many seem to just be jabbering like most people do these days.
I’ve read most of the important opinions, but I’ve found 2 that best capture my own thoughts about the situation. I’ll post some quotes and links in a moment…
Let me just take a second to share some of my own thoughts first.
For any American sports fan, the current discussion is at least interesting and entertaining. For the smaller subset of sports fans who are college football fans, this is a huge deal. Upcoming announcements could change college football in significant ways. For the even smaller subset of college football fans who are Nebraska fans… it is almost like there is no other news in the world right now. Oil? What?
Nebraska has many good reasons to leave the Big XII. Nebraska’s 1-8 Big XII record versus Texas isn’t one of them. The media is generally taking the easy way out and most stories seem to take this angle… that Nebraska is mad at Texas. I certainly don’t feel that way and I know that Dr. Tom Osborne is a much better man than I am so I’m sure he doesn’t either. TO could ask for MILLIONS from NU to serve as AD… but I think he gets 250k. Nice money, yes… but check out how much most ADs get paid and you’ll see something different about TO. Does anyone really think that Tom Osborne is going to shake up all of college football because Texas convinced everyone 14 years ago to not allow partial qualifiers? That’s crazy.
As Osborne said in an interview today,
“This decision is not going to be based on animosity, petty jealousy,” Osborne said. “You’re talking about something you can maintain in the next 75-100 years. This is a big deal in terms of the University of Nebraska. It’s a big deal in terms of many other universities. We don’t make decisions based on personal likes, dislikes.”
Did you catch that? He is looking out 75 to 100 years! How Nebraska has been treated by Texas on the field or in the boardroom is not very relevant. What is most relevant is the whole package of the Big XII. It is interesting to watch the former Big 8 teams appeal to Nebraska to be “loyal” to them now after how many 11-1 votes in the Big XII with Nebraska as the lone dissenting vote? Nebraska is the Ron Paul of the Big XII and now that everyone sees they were right all along… we are going to hear about loyalty.
The University of Nebraska needs to look out for itself and for the state of Nebraska. Nebraska is a GREAT catch for any conference athletically and academically. If you are making a decision based on the next 75 to 100 years, how does staying in the Big XII even sound remotely logical?
I do have mixed feelings… and that loyalty thing? Well… it does mean something… even after being jilted. This isn’t an easy decision for NU, but it is a simple one.
Sam McKewon writes at statepaper.com. He’s always worth reading and usually excellent, but I think this recent column is his best ever. It is why I decided to put something on my blog about this issue at all.
Only Nebraskans and maybe other midwesterners can write accurately about how this process feels. We recognize the downsides… but we see where the road leads. There is no jealousy, there is no animosity… but there is a quiet confidence that stems from the wisdom of time and experience… and from doing things the right way for a long time (except for that Pederson-Callahan experiment).
McKewon says it this way…
It is a choice, really, between two of the state’s strongest impulses: pragmatism and populism. Nebraskans are practical. But they won’t lick anybody’s boots. Nebraskans see charity as wisdom, in that kindness often comes back twofold. But they believe in taking their talents and multiplying them, too.
Click here for the article, Big Red Choice | Samuel McKewon at statepaper.com
Here’s another quote from the article:
To quit is to admit Nebraska did all the things with its football program that Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Colorado were not consistently willing to do – and reap the rewards for that hard work. NU was ahead of the curve on weight room advancement, walk-ons, offensive philosophy, academic support and staff continuity. The Huskers have earned a promotion to the Big Ten by acting as a pioneer, staying out of relative trouble and improving its academic standing since Perlman took over.
But if you have time for a second one… read Huskers’ Move to Big Ten Not All About Texas at Big Red Fred’s Husker Football Blog
The cake, for Nebraska, is admission into a far more stable and harmonious conference environment—a conference that will greatly enhance the financial, academic and athletic interests of the Husker program for perhaps the next 100 years or more—a conference that will greatly bolster research funding, create jobs and generally be a tremendous boon, not only to the University, but also to the state as a whole.
Go Big Red, Go Big Ten, and Go Big XII as long as you last…
No Comments Scott Pagel on Jun 9th 2010
I *love* Lifehacker.com but this is maybe the silliest thing I’ve ever seen on there. Either you can go out and buy boatloads of corks… OR… learn to swing a hammer. Although I should disclose that hammering into the concrete in Taiwan is quite the hammering challenge and… yes… I’ve bent nails.
Use a Cork to Prevent Bent Nails During Home Improvement Projects
It can be tough to hammer a nail into a hard surface without bending the nail. Lifehacker reader Simoniz points out that a cork can easily help you avoid bent nails.
To hammer a nail in a hard surface without bending the nail, use a cork. Simply stick the nail in the middle of the cork, and then slowly hammer it down (see the video above). When the nail is in the cork, use a utility knife to cut the cork. Finish the job by gently hammering the nail the rest of the way in.
How to sink a nail in a hard place without bending [WonderHowTo]
No Comments Scott Pagel on Jun 9th 2010
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