I believe that there is no God

This is from Penn Jillette on the NPR series "This I Believe"

I believe that there is no God. I'm beyond atheism. Atheism is not believing in God. Not believing in God is easy — you can't prove a negative, so there's no work to do. You can't prove that there isn't an elephant inside the trunk of my car. You sure? How about now? Maybe he was just hiding before. Check again. Did I mention that my personal heartfelt definition of the word "elephant" includes mystery, order, goodness, love and a spare tire?

So, anyone with a love for truth outside of herself has to start with no belief in God and then look for evidence of God. She needs to search for some objective evidence of a supernatural power. All the people I write e-mails to often are still stuck at this searching stage. The atheism part is easy.

But, this "This I Believe" thing seems to demand something more personal, some leap of faith that helps one see life's big picture, some rules to live by. So, I'm saying, "This I believe: I believe there is no God."

Having taken that step, it informs every moment of my life. I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. It has to be enough, but it's everything in the world and everything in the world is plenty for me. It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. Just the love of my family that raised me and the family I'm raising now is enough that I don't need heaven. I won the huge genetic lottery and I get joy every day.

Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.

Believing there's no God stops me from being solipsistic. I can read ideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we can agree on reality, and I can keep learning where I'm wrong. We can all keep adjusting, so we can really communicate. I don't travel in circles where people say, "I have faith, I believe this in my heart and nothing you can say or do can shake my faith." That's just a long-winded religious way to say, "shut up," or another two words that the FCC likes less. But all obscenity is less insulting than, "How I was brought up and my imaginary friend means more to me than anything you can ever say or do." So, believing there is no God lets me be proven wrong and that's always fun. It means I'm learning something.

Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.

Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-O and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have.

Cheating at Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook

My new bot is complete and is scoring greater than 800k.

Check it out at http://cheatatbejeweledblitz.com/

Stink BUGS!

Our house is infested with these Stink Bugs!!!  We can't get rid of them!  Any suggestions is appreciated.

Slingbox down?

Slingbox networks have been down for almost 3 days at this point.  I'm away from home and use Slingbox to watch TV remote.  I have a Sling Catcher and have not been able to connect all weekend.

The SlingBox forums are buzzing with posting the issues they are having.  The company has not posted any information for 3 days about what is going on.  They are acting like it's some sort of mystical issue that eludes them.  COME ON.... a portion of your data center is down!!!!!

Let the public that owns your product know that the problem is? PLEASE!

What is autism?

What is autism?

Autism is a problem people grow up with, affecting how they

interact with the world around them and other people. An

American doctor, Leo Kanner, first identified autism in 1943.

Today, we refer to these disabilities as ‘autistic spectrum disorders’

(ASDs), because some people are more severely disabled than

others.

ASDs cause difficulties with the ability to communicate and to

interact socially with other people, and also restrict the way people

lead their lives. Unlike some disabilities, you can’t tell that a person

has an ASD just by looking at them. Some people feel that

because an ASD is ‘invisible,’ it’s harder for others to understand

or empathise with them. Although it’s not thought of as a learning

disability itself, a large number of people who have ASDs have

some level of learning disability as well. Most people with ASDs

receive services and support from learning disability organisations.

What is Asperger syndrome?

Someone with Asperger syndrome may have autistic symptoms

but be of average or above average intelligence. In many ways,

this condition can be harder to cope with because it is much more

subtle and more difficult to diagnose. People with Asperger

syndrome may not receive appropriate help and support, because

the problem is not officially defined as a learning disability and

they tend to fall between services. Other people may also be less

forgiving of their difficulties; people with Asperger syndrome

often become the target of bullying.

Someone with Asperger syndrome is also more likely to be aware

of the restrictions and loneliness they face, and there’s a high

rate of mental health problems among them (see p. 6, below).

But many people with Asperger syndrome go on to achieve highly

in terms of employment, develop satisfying relationships and lead

fulfilling lives.

How are ASDs diagnosed?

ASDs affect people in three different ways, to varying degrees.

Clinicians refer to these three characteristics as ‘the triad of

impairment’ and need evidence of each to make this diagnosis.

They are only able to do so once children reach a certain level

of development, at around two or three years old.

How are ASDs diagnosed?

ASDs affect people in three different ways, to varying degrees.

Clinicians refer to these three characteristics as ‘the triad of

impairment’ and need evidence of each to make this diagnosis.

They are only able to do so once children reach a certain level

of development, at around two or three years old.

Communication

People with ASDs have difficulty with words and other ways of

expressing themselves, and some never develop any speech. It also

affects their ability to understand what others are saying to them.

This can lead to great confusion, anxiety and frustration.

People with ASDs have difficulty with words and other ways of

expressing themselves, and some never develop any speech. It also

affects their ability to understand what others are saying to them.

This can lead to great confusion, anxiety and frustration.

Body language, facial expression and other non-verbal ways of

communicating, can be just as puzzling to them, and may lead

them to behave inappropriately.

People who have Asperger syndrome may have very good

language skills, but the way that they speak – their tone of

voice or choice of words – may seem unnatural or very formal.

Social interaction

It’s not surprising that communication difficulties bring problems

with social situations. Someone with a severe ASD may seem

completely withdrawn and uninterested in other people. In milder

cases, a person may not understand the unspoken ‘rules’ of

certain social situations. Conversations can feel odd or one-sided,

and subtleties such as humour or teasing may be completely lost.

Group situations can be very anxiety provoking, and someone with

an ASD may withdraw, or express this anxiety in their behaviour,

by rocking back and forth, for example. It can be devastating

for a parent to feel that their child is not interested in loving or

cuddling, but is in a world of their own.

Restricted activities and imagination

Imaginative or creative thinking is limited. Children don’t play

‘let’s pretend’ or develop imaginative play. It’s very difficult for

them to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, or to grasp

symbolic or metaphorical speech. Everyday phrases like ‘I laughed

my head off,’ can be very disturbing for them, and they don’t

usually grasp abstract concepts, such as time passing. All this

increases their social difficulties.

In compensation, people with ASDs place great value on

structure and routine. They will often follow a limited range of

pursuits, rigidly and repetitively. In milder cases, this may be an

interest or hobby, which is obsessive or taken to extremes.

Most people with ASDs prefer very predictable patterns and

routines, and can become extremely upset when anything

unexpected happens.

Learning to feel the music.. can it be done?

Alex has been taking piano lessons for about 2 months now and is doing quite well. We had an interesting experience at his lesson the other night. He was playing a piece that he had been working on for the last week and was playing it O.K. when his teacher asked him to move over so he could show Alex how to play it.

His teacher proceeded to play the piece with a style that represented his interpretation of the song. He played the legato parts slightly slower and added more force to the staccato notes. After his teacher finished, Alex criticized his performance (as he has done before) saying that he didn't play it right. At this point his teacher played the piece again but played it like a robot. He played every note exactly as marked. He asked him which way he liked it better. Alex replied, "The second way because it's right"

So he tried another experiment with Alex. He flipped to the back of the book to a piece that Alex has not heard or played and asked him to close his eye. His teacher played the piece as written. Then he said to listen and he was going to play it again. This time he flipped all the legato runs and staccato notes essentially playing it incorrect. Then he asked Alex which he liked better. He said, "I don't know". Why Alex? "Because I don't know which one is right."

The teacher and I agreed that we will continue to let Alex move forward just learning the technical aspects of playing piano as he has not shown any understanding of feel or interpretation of the music.

I was once in a band with a bass player that could not "feel" the music. I was astounded when I found this out. Perhaps he had Autism as well?

I wonder what percentage of people can "feel" or be moved to emotion simply by listening to music?

Call from 559-272-6487

Someone called me this morning on this number to sell me an extended warranty.  They claimed to be a representative of subdivision of BWM.  I asked if they were an affiliate or a direct subdivision and he said subdivision.  I continued the conversation and it turned out he had the VIN on my car but the model was wrong.  When I questioned how they could have the wrong model number, he said some kid must have been messing with the computer.  Um, yeah… wrong answer.  I started to ask another question and he cut me off with "GO TO HELL" and hung up.

A quick google search shows that this is a telemarketing company and my experience is typical.

I've reported this story to BMW customer service.

Autism Awareness Month

My Alex says "autism makes me feel bad and mad ...and all I need is a hug and a kiss and people who understand me!"

Playing .MKV files using TVersity on an XBox 360

The .MKV files are very popular on these days for encoding HD content. I finally got TVersity to stream them for my Xbox 360 using the following.

http://haali.cs.msu.ru/mkv/

Just install and go. Yeah!

Face it, the $700 billion is gone!

 

When Paulson and crew make statements like they have "difficulties associated with monitoring the use of specific funds" provided to individual financial institutions, you know it's over!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/31/now-whered-i-put-that-700_n_154550.html

Obama Frightens Schoolchildren

The boys at Hershey Park

Our third visit this season. Jonathan is no longer afraid of any thrill rides.

 

Things that make you go, hmm....

Additionally, see this and this.

Great Job Dick!

 

Listen to O'Bama on how to be a typical Democrat

I just read this article this morning in the San Francisco Chronicle.  It really made me think about how the majority of Democrats and Republic differ on how we approach discussing our conservative and liberal views.  O'Bama was quoted as saying..

"I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors. I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face,"

Really?  Is this the best advice? Get in people's faces and argue with them?  I prefer discussions and respectful disagreements.

I would agree that sometimes discussions turn into polite arguments but when you get in someone's face you are taking it one step closer to a physical confrontation.

Perhaps O'Bama and the democrats should review "How to Win Friends and Influence People"

Real Star Wars X-Wing Launch

Map of the Market

Here's an interesting use of Tree Maps for visualizing the stock and money markets.

http://www.smartmoney.com/map-of-the-market/

I noticed on Friday that PetSmart is economy proof.  I guess dogs have to eat!

Cute Wall-e Vid

Hawaii Vacation 2008 - Day 13

Our plan today was to drive to some beaches in South Maui. We got on the road around 10am. We were looking for Maluaka/Makena Beach. Our "Maui Revealed" book said it was called by many different names it was a real gem of South Maui. As we approached the area we turned down several small streets to a dead end with a drop off. I dropped off the family and droved about 100 years back up the road to a parking area.

The beach was fairly secluded and the water was nice and calm. It was partial cove that was blocked on the right by some lava rocks. Also on the right was a lot of rocks with coral. The was trees backing the beach that provided nice shade. I could be in the shade while Anne was only a few feet away in the sun. Ah, the best of both worlds!

We found the snorkeling to be very good and saw more fish and interesting things there than any of the previous locations we snorkeled. We stayed until about 3pm. In the afternoon the winds picked up and the tide came into the shore. It got rougher but was still safe for the kids.

Around 3:30pm we left and headed back into Kihei where we stopped at Fred's Mexican Cafe. It was Tuesday taco night so all tacos were $2 and $3. We sat drank and Margaritas and ate Mexican food. It felt like best moment of the vacation just then.

We headed back to home base and got stuck in a lot of traffic. There was a girl with a full drum kit setup on a rock by the ocean that was causing traffic to slow to a crawl. It looked like some sort of photo shoot. We got back and just hung out by the pool.

A great day!

Hawaii Vacation 2008 - Day 12

Today is Monday and our plan was to hang out by the pool most of the morning and then head down to Lahaina for our planned Luau. That's exactly what we did.

I did take a run down the beach about 1.5 miles. Half of it was running on the sand and the rest on some boardwalk areas in front of some of the other hotels. It was very tough running in the sand as it was very soft.

After hanging out by the pool for a while I decided to walk back over the Star market to get a few things, I picked up a bottle of Bacardi Gold rum to mix with our cherry coke zero that we bought the day before, Those certainly were a tasty combination to drink by the pool.

Around 2pm we got cleaned up and headed down to the Lahaina mall. The kids spent most of the time in Game Stop playing with the new game releases, Jonathan and I played Guitar Hero on Tour on the Nintendo DS. Anne did some shopping and got us all Maui shirts.

We got the the Old Lahaina Luau early and had to wait outside. Anne looked over and noticed a kid's flowered Hawaiian shirt that looked like one of mine. Then she looked closer and said "That's Conner from Highland's School". Sure enough it was one of Jonathan's old classmates. What are the chances of that! Jonathan spent time sitting at their table talking before the Luau started. The Luau was lots of fun and both kids really enjoyed it. The sunset was beautiful. What a great location. The drinks were weak but very fruity and tasty. My observation was that the traditional Hawaiian hula was a mix of Yoga and African dance. Very interesting to watch but after seeing it performed for the last week and half it was starting to all look the same. There are only so many moves.

Another very enjoyable day,