Monday, September 17, 2012

Around the World with Ken Ham

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:04 AM PDT
Last week, I posted a challenge to Bill Nye on my blog to debate AiG staff member Dr. Georgia Purdom. Bill Nye responded to Dr. Purdom’s comments regarding his recent video titled “Bill Nye: Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children.” Of course, over the years I’ve found that many evolutionists refuse to debate creationists. In the Duane Gish era, they used to debate, but I think because they couldn’t win, they then resorted to refusing to debate and instead they just personally attack creationists and make all sorts of false claims about creation and evolution.
A few years back, one of the editions of the Reports of the National Center for Science Education(NCSE is an anti-creation organization headed up by atheist Dr. Eugenie Scott) was dedicated to convincing evolutionists why they should notdebate creationists. One of the authors disparaged creationism and accused creation scientists of telling lies during debates:
This is another reason not to debate creationists: in the scientific community, theories do not rise or fall based on debate and rhetoric, but on the strength of evidence. …
Since there is no evidence to support a young earth, a sudden creation, or a global flood, one must be prepared for the main rhetorical devices of the creationist: out-of-context quotations and straw-man arguments. Creationists … have raised this tactic to an art form. This works because the audience cannot believe that a “Christian” is going to lie, and nothing the opponent says will convince them otherwise. It is a tremendous waste of time for the scientist to wade through half-truths and urban legends before even touching upon the science. (Debates, National Center for Science Education)
So what do they mean by “lie”? They mean they can’t answer the arguments, so they call them a lie—and then refuse to debate! This secularist author’s reasoning is really just the typical sort of attack they launch on creation and creationists! Just call names and make accusations—no substance at all!
We also need to understand that we’re all looking at the same “evidence”—our worldview is what affects our interpretation of this evidence in relation to the past. Claiming there is “no evidence” for biblical creation and that creationists operate on “half-truths and urban legends” is not sound, respectful reasoning. It’s merely an unfounded excuse to escape having to debate a scientist with a view that happens to contradict their evolutionary view, which they hold as fact! In reality, evolution and millions of years are their way of explaining life without God—their religion.
Professor Nick Gotelli at the University of Vermont wrote a letter a couple of years ago where he explained his refusal to debate an intelligent design advocate. While we at AiG do not promote the intelligent design movement because they typically argue only for a creator, not for the Creator God of the Bible (for more, see Commentary on the Intelligent Design Movement), Professor Gotelli’s response also offers nothing more than unfounded attacks on creationists:
Academic debate on controversial topics is fine, but those topics need to have a basis in reality. I would not invite a creationist to a debate on campus for the same reason that I would not invite an alchemist, a flat-earther, an astrologer, a psychic, or a Holocaust revisionist. These ideas have no scientific support, and that is why they have all been discarded by credible scholars. Creationism is in the same category. (http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/02/18/how-to-respond-to-requests-to/)
In a recent interview, Richard Dawkins, who is known for often refusing to debate Christians, dismissed creationists, saying, “There aren’t two theories. There’s only one theory around; there’s only one game in town as far as serious science is concerned. Of course, you’ll get negative reactions from creationists. But who cares about creationists? They don’t know anything” (Dawkins: Creationists Know Nothing, CNN). By the way, Dawkins will sometimes debate a Christian who he knows believes in evolution. He actually calls people who compromise like this “deluded” (he stated this in an interview on video we have on file).
In another article, Dawkins explained his reasons for refusing to debate Bible-believing Christians who are creationists:
Well, in their shoes, perhaps I would be clamouring for debates as well. If your case depends on pulpit-style oratory, manipulating the emotions of your audience and playing with words, debates will probably work for you very well. They do not, however, work well for explaining science. (Why I Won’t Take Part in Debate with Fundamentalists, Richard Dawkins Foundation)
So what are the common “reasons” these evolutionists claim they refuse to engage creationists in debate? Well, they include the following: alleged lack of evidence for creation; comparisons of creationism to ideas easily disproved by observational science, such as a flat earth; evolution is true, so there is no debate; and so on. They all turn out to be poorly-reasoned attacks. And I would submit that these attacks are just a deflection to avoid losing more debates against creationists.
If they are so confident evolution is true, and so confident creationists have no facts on their side, and so confident the Bible’s account of creation is wrong, and so confident that evolution is foundation of all science (as they falsely claim), then why on earth would they be worried about debating a biblical creationist? Shouldn’t the evolutionists be able to show them up to the world once and for all?
So what nasty things are evolutionists saying about our challenge to Bill Nye? Here are a couple of recent quotes from some well-known blogs:
These debates don’t settle the truth of evolution — the evidence does. Obviously, the Creation Museum has none of that, so they feed off of publicity. . . . There’s no need for a debate, because there’s no credible challenge to evolution. Rest assured that all the “controversies” in the scientific world have nothing to do with Creationism. (Ken Ham Challenges Bill Nye to a Debate, Friendly Atheist, blog)
Writing letters and making speeches are fine things to do, but we have misgivings about live debates with creationists. It’s bad strategy, because the mere appearance of a respected scientist on the same platform gives creationism credibility and creates the illusion that there’s some kind of scientific controversy that’s worth debating — and that creationists are qualified to debate with knowledgeable scientists. It also generates press attention. Creationists are not deserving of this. (Would You Debate Ken Ham? Sensuous Curmudgeon, blog)
Well, these are the same old arguments. Rather than debate us, they claim there is no evidence, that the debate is settled, and even question the credentials of our staff members (even though our researchers and  most of our speakers have doctorates in their fields!). The claim that biblical creation has no basis in reality is similar to some atheists who resort to calling creationism “child abuse” and “pseudoscience.” If there is no evidence for biblical creation and the debate really is settled on evolution, why not debate creationists? The evolutionists should be able to win easily, right?
It’s really the same reason the secular media will promote someone like Bill Nye and his video but not promote the video of AiG scientists.
It’s the same reason the secular media will often allow a compromising Christian to air his views publicly, but they rarely give any publicity to a bible-believing Creation scientist from a place like AiG.
It’s really the same reason the Creation Museum Christmas program hardly gets a mention in our local secular media, and yet it is one of the most-attended Christmas programs in the area, attracting over 26,000 people last year.
It’s really the anti-Christian bias that is growing in our culture.

Thanks for a Mother

One of AiG’s founders, Mark Looy sent this email to us today about the passing of his mother in California. Please pray for Mark and his family.
A wonderful, selfless woman, devoted wife of 60 years, and my beloved mother—who loved God—passed away peacefully at 12:15 a.m. in Vacaville, California. Please pray for my father, Adrian, age 90.
Even a few weeks ago in dealing with a different health issue, my mother indicated to us that she was ready to leave this earth and was prepared to meet God. She was at peace with Him and with everyone she knew.
My mother had a very full life: raising two sons; seeing five grandchildren grow up; living in five countries (she loved America as much as her homeland of Estonia); fleeing a terrifying Soviet invasion of her country; serving as a Cub Scout leader; putting Tom and me in a good church and a Christian school where we became spiritually grounded; etc.
I’m so glad I could be with her this weekend and say my goodbyes. I don’t know if she recognized my voice, but her eyes opened at one point on Saturday when I spoke to her and told her I just flew in.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints” (Psalms 116:15).
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken
- No comments:

Madison, WS. Liberal Bubble Surrounded by Reality (thoughts of my cousin)

Your note of wonder about the “bubble” of Madison has provoked this response.  It is more lengthy than either of us wish but it will offer a point of view which you might appreciate and perhaps share.  Thank you for your interest.  We are like many other places, I’m sure, but at the same time kind of unique.

There is a supplement to our Thursday paper called “77 Square” which is the area around the Capital city which seems to embody the eccentricity of this domain.  Others have said, “77 square miles surrounded by reality”.

Let me begin with attention to the Circuit Court Judge about whom you remarked.  Judge Juan Colas is the person in question who has ruled the Governor’s challenge to collective bargaining to be unconstitutional.  Judges is Dane County are generally appointed, not elected.  They are supposed to be elected officials but they arrange to retire congenial to the term of a sitting Governor who is of their political ilk so he can appoint another of their kind.  We have had two elections in the past 35 years. 

There are 19 branches of the Circuit Court of Dane County.  Only one judge is moderate (she was appointed about 60 days ago upon the retirement of the only other moderate, by the current Governor).  One must remember all actions against the State or the Governor must begin in the Circuit Court of the county of the Capital----Dane.  That means any action will be heard by a liberal judge.  I have a close friend who went on the court in ’87 and stayed there until two years ago when he retired (and was replace by a liberal by a Dem Governor).  My friend is a moderate (his wife bathes in Obama’s sweat).   The only moderate judge of recent days left the bench at 60 to join a law firm here.  He accepted a mediation case with the University and Addis’s being the clients and he made more in 3 months with that case (it was published) that he did in two years being a judge and he only worked 2 ½ days a week mediating.  He was replaced by a Walker appointee and his term was up three months after he resigned.  Walker appointed a judge and a woman campaigned against him as “being a Walker appointee” (the curse of death in this county) and won.  She of course accepted Walker’s appointment of her to begin 4 months before her elected term began.  Every whore has a price, just set the price.  She too came from a state agency………no firm would ever consider her. Look up the word “mouthy” in the dictionary and her picture is there. Her brain is 100xs smaller than her mouth.

About ½ of the judiciary of this county are women and being a judge is a second income to their family.  This law firm starts associates right out of law school at $125-135k a year.  Judges are paid $145…all judges,---- in this state,  without regard to case load, size of county, seniority.  No attorney in private practice in this city makes less than $180.  In this firm there are 7 who are over a million and about 20 who are paid around $700-$800.  Not one judge in this county has ever spent one day in private practice.  They’d simply not make it.  Most judges come from state agencies…..such is the case of Judge Colas.  He was appointed because of his Hispanic heritage…not because of his ability.  One of our associates here at the firm was his assistant in a state agency and she loves to tell the stories of how limited he is intellectually. 

So our Governor is appealing the ruling.  It will go to the Court of Appeals of this area.  Four judges –none of whom ever practiced in a firm……all who came from state agencies will hear it or bounce it (which they often do) to the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court is a horse of a different color.  They are elected state-wide.  Three leftists….really lefties and four conservatives.  In state-wide elections bringing in some of the “reality” conservatives often have a voice.  Both houses of the legislature here are heavily Republican and the Governor is conservative.  The Attorney General is Republican and of course, his staff is there to assist him and his agenda. 

Now let me talk about the Madison City Council.  There is not one moderate and has not been for over 40 years.  There has not been a moderate Mayor for over 30 years and not one has understood business.  The current Mayor is in his 4th term (intersected by times away when he “wasn’t sure he wanted to serve again”—took a break and then ran again.  In the last run (he has a law degree and has never practiced) he was asked, “what are you?” and his response was “I am a Mayor”.  That flip side of that (and this has been verified) no one would hire him and when he has been employed elsewhere…………………it didn’t work out.

The County Board is about like the City Council……although once in a while a moderate will get elected from one of the more rural parts.  They don’t last….usually serve a term or two and they have had it.  The County Executive is a Madison native and he left the legislature to take this job as it paid 100% plus more than he made as an Assemblyman.

The Madison Metropolitan School District is a mess.  All Board members are liberal………very liberal.  The last election a wild card was elected.  She’s single, rich (family owns Trek Bicycle) and paid for her own campaign and is beholden to no one.  Has been a hard animal to cage.  Says moderate things but seldom makes waves…….we’ll see.  The school board has been liberal for over 30 years.  There most recent decree is that the school district should provide dinner for the kids of two schools as they come from homes where they may not have a warm meal.  The system already provides breakfasts and lunches…….and now dinner.  The Board said they were going to ask for Federal funds to provide this………not just the food and preparation but extra help to serve and clean up as teachers cannot be tasked beyond their contract.  So “government must provide” and take all personal responsibility out of the equation.  I have a client whose spouse is a school nurse and he told me that his wife indicates that the school must provide feminine hygiene products for the students like they would toilet paper…..and the girls grow up from menarche on thinking the government must/will provide such things…..always have.    Parents again have no awareness that it is their job to provide such as the “schools have always done it”.  What does this say to my granddaughters whose families will provide such?

The “Town-Gown” gap which generally exists with Universities and cites doesn’t exist much here as the community is so small.  The intellectuals are “kept” people as they are on grants as the State budget couldn’t afford them.  They interact a lot with the townies.  Health Care needs the community hospitals as there is not enough material to teach with without the community institutions.  UW Hospital ran an ad this last week-end saying they have been trying to “work with Meriter more” but there isn’t much co-operation and they just might have to “take it over”.

We have a retiring Senator, (Kohl).  The Congresswoman from Madison (has THE most liberal voting record of anyone in Congress today)  is running against former 4 term Governor and Bush’s Secy of Health and Human Services.  She is getting mucho money from out of state to take him out.  He’s a relentless campaigner. Time will tell…….should be his to lose but she is 24-7 with some nasty TV spots.  He’ll do well in the rest of the state, certainly.  These 77 square miles…………we’ll you see where we are.
- No comments:

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Pledge to Stop Alzheimer's

Pledge to Stop Alzheimer's
- No comments:
- No comments:

One Citizen Speaking...

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 02:48 AM PDT
It was politically expedient to “give in” once again to the teacher’s unions who refuse to “share the pain” felt by the private sector. So with guaranteed and substantially higher personnel cost, and little or no reform in teacher performance or student scores, how do you balance the economic and social budget?

Chicago teachers fear wave of school closings after strike

Striking Chicago teachers fear that once they approve a new contract with the school district and end their strike, Mayor Rahm Emanuel will go ahead with dozens of school closings because of falling enrollment and poor academic performance.
The closing of schools and what happens to the teachers working in them has been a major issue in the bitter dispute, even though the disagreement over evaluating teachers based on standardized test results of their students has received more attention.
"If they fire us, we're done," said Rhonda McLeod, a special education teacher at Gresham Elementary and one of the union delegates expected to vote on Sunday whether to end the strike. "We're terrified. We don't need to be dumped to the wayside. We're not trash, we're teachers."
Enrollment in Chicago Public Schools has fallen nearly 20 percent in the last decade, according to the Pew study, mainly because of population declines in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
According to the union, 86 public schools in Chicago have closed in the past decade. Many have been replaced by charter or "contract" schools run by philanthropists, and charter schools now account for 12 percent of students, district figures show.
The Chicago Tribune reported this week that school district officials are considering closing up to 120 schools next year, which would be 17 percent of all schools in the district. Asked about this on Wednesday, Emanuel said it was too early to say.
Charter schools are publicly funded but non-union, and the teachers union has complained that they undermine public education and force more community schools to close. Their academic performance record compared with community schools is mixed, according to national studies.
But a powerful U.S. education movement is pushing charter schools. Reformers such as Emanuel and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, a former Chicago schools chief, argue that schools performing poorly in academics should either be closed permanently, reopened with new principals and teachers, or converted to charter schools run by non-union personnel. <Chicago teachers fear wave of school closings after strike | Reuters>
So what is the problem?
Teachers should be evaluated on their ability to teach, their subject matter knowledge and the performance of the students under their tutelage. If a teacher or school is under-performing or lacks a viable student base, it should be eliminated. Tenure should be a thing of the past. Teachers should be compensated per their job, not their educational credentials. It makes little or no sense – other than a special education classroom – to have a teacher with a Masters of Doctorate degree teaching second grade.
Competition is the answer to better education. Competition where schools are pushed to compete for high scores on standardized tests, with a portion of students being interviewed by qualified examiners to insure that they really do know what their test scores reflect. Any teacher or administrator found cheating should be fined no less that $50,000, lose their pension and benefit rights, lose their teaching credential in the state and possibly serve up to six months in jail.
Wonder why the unions are fighting so hard to prevent vouchers? One need only look at the angry parents who want their children to be able to compete in a global economy, to earn a decent living and to advance to the next socio-economic rung of the ladder. And some are willing to make great sacrifices to push their children towards greatness. The teachers unions believe they own the students and control the schools – something they have been permitted to think by corrupt politicians who have sold their vote in return for campaign funding and voter support. Make public schools compete for students, proving that they can provide an above average educational experience.
Bottom line …
Wherever you see a public employee union, you see a privileged class of worker – dependent on political corruption to insure their existence in this uncertain world. Protections that do not exist in the private sector and should not exist in the public sector.
-- steve
Posted: 15 Sep 2012 11:55 PM PDT
One, the Obama administration government apparently tried to cover up their malfeasance by claiming that a “riot over an anti-Muslim film” was the proximate cause of the rioting in Libya that cost Ambassador Chris Stevens and others their lives.
Two, the White House is silent on the Obama and Biden celebration over the death of Osama bin Laden, the reputed mastermind of 9/11.
Three, then it emerges that the State Department did not have adequate security plans for the anniversary of 9/11 in a Muslim country such as Libya.
Four, then there is the question of the State Department’s “low profile plan” and the classified “Rules of Engagement for Libya” said to be signed by Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State. Some suggest that what the State Department is claiming as a “robust defense” is two former Navy Seal contractors and a hired Libyan security force who may have been armed, but without bullets. There is also a suggestion that the details of the consular security plan may have been leaked by an inside person.
Colonel: Hillary Made Decision Not to Post Marines at Benghazi

In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Fox News military analyst Colonel David Hunt laid the blame for the murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans at the Benghazi, Libya American mission on Hillary Clinton and the State Department:

The State Department just allowed our guys to get killed. If you approve no bullets in guns for the mission security guards and an outhouse for a mission, you’re inviting it.
Earlier, on Howie Carr's radio show Thursday, Colonel Hunt said that the American mission at Benghazi "was like a cardboard building, there wasn't even bullet proof glass." In addition, Hunt said the security guards inside the mission didn't have bullets:
Howie Carr: They weren't allowed to have bullets, is that correct?
Colonel Hunt: That's true. They were private security. The rules of engagement were ridiculous.
Hunt told Breitbart News that the new State Department Rules of Engagement for Libya, approved and signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton since the 2011 fall of Khadafi's regime, severely compromised the safety and security of murdered Ambassador Stevens and all American diplomatic staff in Libya.
He also stated that the decision not to staff Benghazi with Marines was made by Secretary of State Clinton when she attached her signature to the State Department Rules of Engagement for Libya document. Breitbart News has subsequently learned that under those rules of engagement, Secretary Clinton prohibited Marines from providing security at any American diplomatic installation in Libya.
Hunt told Breitbart News that "the rules of engagement have been changing drastically over the last 10 years. . . The reason the surge in Iraq worked was we had another 40,000 soldiers and the rules of engagement were changed to allow our guys to shoot. What’s happened in Libya is the final straw of political correctness. We allowed a contractor to hire local nationals as security guards, but said they can't have bullets. This was all part of the point of not having a high profile in Libya."
According to Hunt, the debacle at the American mission in Benghazi is directly the result of Obama's new policies. "The policy of the Obama administration led to this," he said.
"It was the policy of the Obama administration to have a low profile in Libya. That's why the rules of engagement were approved by the Secretary of State to have no Marines at Benghazi, and to have an American contractor hire Libyan nationals to provide security there. The rules were they couldn't have ammunition."
Stevens was based at the American embassy in Tripoli. According to a spokesperson at the State Department, he would visit the mission at Benghazi sporadically. No one at the State Department has yet answered this key question:
Why on the anniversary of 9-11 was he at the low security mission in Benghazi when it would obviously have been more prudent for him to have been at the presumably more secure embassy in Tripoli?
At her daily press briefing on Thursday, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland offered a description of the defenses at the Benghazi mission that appeared to be in conflict with other press reports. In contrast to some reports that said security within the perimeter of the mission was provided by Libyan nationals, Nuland stated that they provided security on the perimeter and that"there was a robust American security presence inside the compound." [emphasis added]:
QUESTION: Can you talk a little bit more about the security that was at the Embassy? It seems that for an area such as Benghazi, where there was a lot of instability, there were very few guards there. And can you talk about whether the U.S. asked Libya, the Libyan Government, earlier in the week for extra security precaution and whether that – extra security precautions or security personnel and whether that request was fulfilled. . .It does seem though that there were very few security personnel at this location.
MS. NULAND: I’m going to reject that, Elise. Let me tell you what I can about the security at our mission in Benghazi. It did include a local Libyan guard force around the outer perimeter. This is the way we work in all of our missions all around the world, that the outer perimeter is the responsibility of the host government. There was obviously a physical perimeter barrier, a wall. And then there was a robust American security presence inside the compound. This is absolutely consistent with what we have done at a number of missions similar to Benghazi around the world. . .
Five, now comes the suggestion that Ambassador was an openly gay man that was posted to Libya – and who appeared to have been raped before and after his death as a show of Muslim contempt.

BREAKING NEWS: Two sources in Chicago diplomatic circles identify Ambassador Chris Stevens as gay (meaning State Department sent gay man to be ambassador to Libya)

A journalist friend of mine asked me to nose around and see if I could uncover anything about slainAmbassador Chris Stevens, who was rumored to be gay.  A former “roommate” of Stevens by the name of Austin Tichenor lives and works in Chicago and while making calls to friends of mine in the theater world who know him I also thought to check some sources with the city who deal with the State Department and foreign dignitaries when they are in town.
Of course, they’ve all been talking about Ambassador Stevens’ murder by Muslims in Libya:  and all of them are incredulous that the State Department sent a gay man to be ambassador to a Muslim country.  News reports continue to indicate that the Muslims who murdered Stevens also raped him repeatedly, before and after his death.
The Serbian consulate employee identified himself to me as “Dino” and wouldn’t give me any more of a name than that, but told me it was no secret that Chris Stevens was gay and that “it was stupid to send him to Libya as the ambassador when he was a known homosexual”.
Dino explained in great detail that the brutal sodomizing of Stevens’ corpse was something that Muslims do to show the “utmost disrespect to the body” and that this is “a great insult in Islam” reserved for homosexuals.  ”It is like making him a woman in death and he will be a woman now after life” the Serbian explained to me.  There’s a good chance this guy was Muslim too, and gay, which makes my head spin more than a little since he seemed to have no anger at all in his voice that Muslims in Libya assassinated the American ambassador and then sodomized his corpse.
“He should not have gone there” was the general consensus from this man.
You won’t hear any of this in the media, no doubt, but in Chicago’s diplomatic circles at least there is no doubt that Chris Stevens was gay and that pretty much anyone in the diplomatic world knew that.  That includes the Libyans who were hired as security at the consulate in Benghazi who betrayed Ambassador Stevens and assisted in his murder.
Meanwhile, the White House is ignoring the fact that a gay ambassador to a Muslim country was murdered and they are in fact still pretending that all of this is about some obscure movie about Muhammad and has nothing at all to do with Barack Obama repeatedly and vociferously spiking the football over killing Osama bin Laden(which took place all throughout the Democrats’ convention last week). <Source: State Department Sent Gay Man to be ambassador to Muslim country -- Chris Stevens was gay>
Bottom line …
Something stinks in Washington when the effete Ivy League State Department is afraid to show force to defend American assets and protect the lives of American citizens. And something stinks in the Obama Administration who is openly celebrating their role in the capture and death of Osama bin Laden – and refuses to reinforce physical security abroad in the days approaching the anniversary of 9/11.
Obama and his fellow anti-America travelers in the House and the Senate need to be voted out in the upcoming 2012 election. The State Department must be purged of its effete Ivy League theorists and replaced with diplomats who understand that there are some cultures and nations who only respect force and the will to use it effective in the pursuit of their self-interests.
It is time that political correctness give way to commonsense.
-- steve
effete --  1. (of a person) Affected, over-refined, and ineffectual  2. No longer capable of effective action. 3. lacking in wholesome vigor; degenerate; decadent
Posted: 15 Sep 2012 09:20 PM PDT
Microsoft Whacking Off in Redmond …
Not only is the concept of hitting a device not new and novel over prior art, the absurdity of this patent can be demonstrated by those who hit alarm clocks to invoke a snooze function or use an iPhone app requiring a shake to enter “snooze” mode.
This is what’s wrong with the United States Patent Office today. They appear to have become extremely tolerant of nonsensical submissions – especially knowing that a court challenge to invalidate a patent takes significant time and money.

Microsoft applies for patent for whacking your phone

Microsoft applies for patent for whacking your phone
CONTROLLING AUDIO OF A DEVICE
Abstract  "Techniques and tools are described for controlling an audio signal of a mobile device. For example, information indicative of acceleration of the mobile device can be received and correlation between the information indicative of acceleration and exemplar whack event data can be determined. An audio signal of the mobile device can be controlled based on the correlation."
Claim 17  “A mobile device comprising: at least one accelerometer; at least one speaker; at least one processor; and memory, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor causes the mobile device to perform a method, the method comprising: collecting acceleration data from the at least one accelerometer; determining a correlation coefficient using at least a portion of the acceleration data and exemplar whack event data; and controlling an audio signal based at least on the correlation coefficient.”
Bottom Line …
If this patent were granted, anyone implementing a “tap to turn off or silence” interface using the embedded accelerometer to sense the “event” would owe Microsoft royalties.
In this era of political correctness an indifference, there must be someone at the U.S. Patent Office to stand up and call “bullshit” when overly broad patents, couched in dense language and containing subject matter which appears to lack novelty over prior art, are submitted. Make the inventor(s) fight to prove that the conceived invention is new and novel over prior art. 
-- steve
Reference Links …
Microsoft Patent Application |U.S. Patent Office
- No comments:
THE DAM BEAVER
TOO DAM FUNNY
This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania . This guy's response is Hilarious, but read The State's letter before you get to the response letter, you won't stop once you start.. WOW Love this man..
 
[][]
This is an actual letter: State of Pennsylvania's letter to Mr. DeVries:
SUBJECT: DEQ ... File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr. DeVries:
It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:
Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.
A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity.. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.
The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2010.
Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action..
We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
David L. Price
District Representative and Water Management Division.
Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:
Re: DEQ File
No.. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr..Price,
Your certified letter dated 11/17/09 has been handed to me. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run, Pennsylvania .
A couple of beavers are in the process of constructing and maintaining two wood 'debris' dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials 'debris.'
I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.
[][]
These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.
My first dam question to you is:
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or
(2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?
If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)
I have several dam concerns. My first dam concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.
The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.
If you want the damed stream 'restored' to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.
In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).
So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2012? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.
In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area.  It is the bears!  Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step! The bears are not careful where they dump!
Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.
THANK YOU,
RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS 
 
- No comments:

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Budgetary projection
 
full screen and scroll down





 If your own budget was in this condition, what would you do?  Our own budgets are part of and rely heavily on the national budget don’t they?


Subject: Budgetary projection
This is not political or funny. It will take 2 minutes to watch, bursting Bubble or Grand Ponzi scheme?
I think you will find it well worth while. It should be the basis for a lesson in every public school and Congressman. Simple math.

- No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Featured Post

RT @anti_commie32: Keep up the great work!!! https://t.co/FIAnl1hxwG

RT @anti_commie32: Keep up the great work!!! https://t.co/FIAnl1hxwG — Joseph Moran (@JMM7156) May 2, 2023 from Twitter https://twitter....