How about this, we set a time in the future, and if nothing has happened by then, we’ll all kindly agree that all the doomsday prophesies are bunk. How about 2100. I think that by then any year 2000 prophesy will be safely behind us.
I won’t deny that self destruction of humanity at our own hands is possible. We often play with things that are beyond our ability to control: nuclear fission, chemicals, biological agents and genetics. Any one of which could do us in at any time.
At the same time, being agnostic means that I admit that I don’t understand the true nature of the world. Some angry god or another could, however unlikely, end the merry-go-round. The end times, the second coming, judgment day. Every religion worth it’s salt has a dooms day event scheduled.
But I’m getting a bit tired of people using the “imminent Apocalypse” as a reason to act irresponsibly in the present. “Why worry about global warming? Jesus is coming and then it won’t matter.”
When will people stop being convinced that the end of the world by divine prophesy is going to happen in their lifetime? What a selfish idea. Why are you so fucking special? People have been thinking “it’ll happen in my lifetime” for more than 2000 years.
So can we kindly agree? 2100? No divine end by then and we stop talking about it? Do we have a deal everyone? 2100? They we call it quits and focus on what really matters?
There seems to be a lot of frustration out there from connecting a Wii to an Apple Apple Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS) 802.11g. The issue is most likely your password.
I live in a crowed area and need to keep my Airport encrypted. I set it to WEP 40 bit. There killer issue that will stop you in your tracks is that you can’t use you Airport password. The password that your laptop needs and uses is made to connect to the AEBS. But the password that your Wii needs is the “Equivalent Network Password.” DO NOT USE YOUR REGULAR PASSWORD. IT WILL NOT WORK!
Instead
Open AirPort Utility, in Mac OS X from Applications/Utilities or in Windows from the Start Menu > All Programs > AirPort.
Select your base station from the list.
Select “Equivalent Network Password” from the Base Station menu.
It will give you some garbbled 10 or more digit password. THAT is the password you need to use.
I feel guilty for ignoring friend requests on Facebook.
It seems like the entire generation x has just found facebook and that they are making up for lost time by friending everyone that they ever met. It seems a mad race to send and receive these requests.
I feel quite a bit of guilt at my lack of interest in these people. This lack of interest started, in many cases, in 5th grade. You would think that all these years would soften me – make me more interested in superficial friendships that I don’t invest in.
The truth is, the old addage that quantity is not quality is as true on Facebook as it is anywhere. I’d rather see a news feed of items about people that I really know. I’d rather see pictures of people I really care about. See videos from people that I share something in common with.
I know by ignoring requests I close down new opportunities. I know it’s snobbish. I feel guilty for it. But I think it’s a guilt I can live with.
I know it’s a time honored tradition to justify and validate different political and social agendas using the Bible: prejudice, the divine right of kings, invasion, genocide, torture – you name it. This is what has been happening for centuries and Christians seem OK with it.
Now there are two new Bibles to choose from!
The “Illuminated Bible” is a version for people that don’t want to be reminded that the Bible is a relic of the ancient world. It illustrates the story with modern photographs and has all the passage numbering removed so it reads more like a normal book.
The “Green Bible” is a book for tree hugging Christians. This version highlights passages that can be used to validate the environmental agenda. Now I am an environmentalist, so this may sound strange, but I think the Green Bible is the more dangerous of the two, or at least the more revealing of the two.
Image if every modern group that has an agenda made themselves a Bible. We could have the “Born Agains Bible.” We could have the “Pro Prop 8″ Bible. We could have a “Free Market” Bible. We could have the Mormon Bible. (oh wait… we do)
Christianity has always changed and morphed in an attempt to stay relevant. The rituals change. The interpretations change. In fact the very words change from version to version and language to language. Religion has evolved just like every other long-running institution. But it’s important that we see this process for what it is because the evolution of the Bible moves at a pace that may not be recognizable in your lifetime.
The Bible was written by men, to control and align other men for a common cause. It is one of those flexible documents that can be bent and interpreted to justify just about anything you want. So go ahead, pick up a new Bible today!
OK. So the iPhone is, like, god’s phone, so where is my universal translator, damn it? Let your iPhone translate any speech (through the microphone) into your native language (through the ear bud).
Me and my Dad have a deal. We each create a list of 10 movies. We then trade lists and watch every movie on the list. In this way we each share ideas and a joy of film.
But this year, I am going to include some documentaries on my list, the most obvious being “An Inconvienet Truth”.
What are the most important, best, and mind blowing movies of the past 10 years?
Yes, the big three auto makers are in a bad way. But money alone can’t solve their problems.
First, let’s be very clear, this is a product of our own making. If this was just a matter of tight credit and unmotivated buyers then all the auto makers would be hurting. Not the case.
There are several problems. First is that Detroit stopped leading the automotive world to pursue the easy dollar making large, inefficient vehicles. They lagged behind the other auto makers in their R&D of alternative fuels and technology. Instead of striving for efficiency, they happily sold America cars that stroked our cowboy, tough-guy, off-road, macho, bullshit ego
But they also are dealing with an auto workers union that is killing them. Retirement, benefits, and high wages make doing business hard. So they renegotiated, but the new deal doesn’t take effect until 2010.
So they want low interest loans so they don’t go bankrupt. Their case is if they file for chapter 11, then no one will want to buy their cars, which will propel them toward chapter 7 – shut down.
My gut reaction is to tell them to piss off. Beyond them reaping what they’ve sown, giving them money to continue to do the same thing that they have always done is not going to help.
How about this, we give $1000 tax rebates to people who buy efficient American cars. That way the big three have to compete for that money, and it spurs competition for greener vehicles. The US government could write 25 MILLION $1000 checks to help average people buy cars.
Even a straight loan would be alright IF the money comes with strings. Strong strings that will force them to drive their companies into the 21st century.
The big 3 going out of business is not an option that I enjoy. It would be a shock to our already hurting economy. 1.6 million workers would likley loose their jobs (our entire workforce is 140 million).
Of course Detroit will wine and bitch about not being able to retool to make more efficient cars. But who’s fault is that? Who had the poor vision to keep making cars like it was 1950? As Toyota and Honda were learning how to make electric motors, and fuel efficient cars, Ford released the Explorer, then the Expedition, then the ginormus Excursion. Chevy retooled their work truck, the Suburban, to become a 14MPG luxury SUV.
The way I see it, it time for Detroit to change or die.
Nobel Peace Prize winning Al Gore should become the next Secretary of Energy for Obama. Who would be better to lead the US to energy independence and to a carbon free future? What clearer message to our fellow citizens and the world could Obama make to show that we are serious about global warming?
Imagine if we went back to leading the world instead of fighting against it, and setting an example for the rest to follow.
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