While reading on Big Think I ran across an article describing Graham's Number which I thought was interesting. This is the (at the time) largest number used in an actual calculation and is "stupid big" according to mathematicians. Here's the video:
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Thoughtful Response to Sandy Hook
The shooting at Sandy Hook has horrific; thank God for people like Penn Jillette who went on Wendy Williams' talk show to keep them straight and Ben Swann who provided a counterpoint for Piers Morgan's non-facts-based rant. Hopefully politicians will try to fix the root of the problem and not restrict the Second Amendment to the US Constitution. Just listen to how ignorant people are…what makes them think they should talk against guns? They use emotions rather than logic to make their cases...
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Christmas 1914
British soldiers were spending Christmas Eve 1914 on a French battlefield during World War I. After four months of fighting, over a million men had perished in the bloody conflict. The bodies of dead soldiers were scattered between the trenches of the opposing armies.
It was in the middle of a freezing battlefield in France, that a miracle occurred! British troops watched in amazement as candle-lit trees appeared above the German trenches.
“From the German parapet, a rich baritone voice had begun to sing a song I remember my German nurse singing to me ... the grave and tender voice rose out of the frozen mist. It was all so strange ... like being in another world,” a young British soldier wrote in his diary.
“Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm. All is bright.”
When the German soldiers finished singing, the British decided to retaliate. Rather than retaliate with the roar of a cannon, the army chaps from England sang,
“The first noel, the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay ...”
When the boys from jolly old England finished, “Born is the King of Israel!”, the enemy began clapping and struck up a rousing rendition of “Oh Tannebaum!”
When the British troops began singing, “Oh Come All Ye Faithful!”, it was at that moment that the Germans immediately joined in. They were singing with the enemy.
This was a most extraordinary event taking place in the middle of a blood-drenched battlefield! Two opposing nations were singing the same Christmas Carol in the middle of a fierce war. It is recorded that enemy soldiers greeted each other in the no man’s land that just minutes before had been a killing zone. Soldiers wished one another a Merry Christmas and agreed not to fire their rifles on Christmas Day.
Thousands of soldiers celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace among the bodies of their dead.
A solitary voice began to sing “Silent Night” in French ... he was joined by another voice singing in German ... and finally the words were in English.
Who do you need to make peace with this season? Have you been engaged in a fierce battle that has extracted the very life from your soul? Christmas is a moment in history when peace is abundantly possible because of the Baby who came to bring peace for all of the ages.
It was in the middle of a freezing battlefield in France, that a miracle occurred! British troops watched in amazement as candle-lit trees appeared above the German trenches.
“From the German parapet, a rich baritone voice had begun to sing a song I remember my German nurse singing to me ... the grave and tender voice rose out of the frozen mist. It was all so strange ... like being in another world,” a young British soldier wrote in his diary.
“Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm. All is bright.”
When the German soldiers finished singing, the British decided to retaliate. Rather than retaliate with the roar of a cannon, the army chaps from England sang,
“The first noel, the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay ...”
When the boys from jolly old England finished, “Born is the King of Israel!”, the enemy began clapping and struck up a rousing rendition of “Oh Tannebaum!”
When the British troops began singing, “Oh Come All Ye Faithful!”, it was at that moment that the Germans immediately joined in. They were singing with the enemy.
This was a most extraordinary event taking place in the middle of a blood-drenched battlefield! Two opposing nations were singing the same Christmas Carol in the middle of a fierce war. It is recorded that enemy soldiers greeted each other in the no man’s land that just minutes before had been a killing zone. Soldiers wished one another a Merry Christmas and agreed not to fire their rifles on Christmas Day.
Thousands of soldiers celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace among the bodies of their dead.
A solitary voice began to sing “Silent Night” in French ... he was joined by another voice singing in German ... and finally the words were in English.
Who do you need to make peace with this season? Have you been engaged in a fierce battle that has extracted the very life from your soul? Christmas is a moment in history when peace is abundantly possible because of the Baby who came to bring peace for all of the ages.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Squirrel!
That squirrel feeder I made a few months ago has attracted a lot of squirrels who've eaten a lot of peanuts. Recently we filled it with some raw peanuts and the squirrels kept taking them and eating them. But they weren't eating them all...Min-Ah and I found a sprout growing out of a peanut in the front yard. Since then we knew what a peanut plant looked like, we found about six or seven more little peanuts growing all over the yard. In the front, the back, the side, everywhere. It seems those squirrels were squirreling away (ironic, eh) all those peanuts. Last week the first peanut plant had a huge hole dug next to it and the adjacent flowerbed was all dug up too. Probably the squirrel looking for his peanut...but it wasn't a peanut, it was a plant, so the squirrel was baffled.
We've been plucking the plants out of the yard and planting them in the garden but they die shortly after we stick 'em in the dirt. We still have two growing strong: one in the flowerbed in the front and the other in the mulch around our persimmon tree on the far side of the yard. We're keeping our fingers crossed we get a peanut plant which would be pretty cool. Who knew squirrels are farmers.
We've been plucking the plants out of the yard and planting them in the garden but they die shortly after we stick 'em in the dirt. We still have two growing strong: one in the flowerbed in the front and the other in the mulch around our persimmon tree on the far side of the yard. We're keeping our fingers crossed we get a peanut plant which would be pretty cool. Who knew squirrels are farmers.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Merry Christmas
With the non-stop anti Christian barrage we've been enduring the last few years, let's go out of our way to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah" to each other. Our beliefs are what makes America strong and if they take that from us what's next? Show everyone this time of year isn't about gifts but about being kind and appreciating whatever we have. Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Nutcracker
This year we're finally going to go see The Nutcracker. We got a deal where I get in for free and Min-Ah gets 20% off so we couldn't resist. Plus it's only a few minutes from home. Should be a good time...
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Snake!
The other day I finally got around to cutting down a 20ft tall hedge-like tree on the corner of our house. I checked it out for bird nests (the other tree had robin eggs in it so I waited to cut that one down) and saw none so I started sawing it down with an electric chain saw. After I got a few vertical limbs cut down, my dog got Tira got really excited and was looking my way. I went to her and looked around thinking she saw a bird, butterfly, or squirrel but didn't see anything so I went back to the tree to get back to work. The next limb I cut down was a big one and when it hit the ground I saw a 5ft shiny black snake slithering away as fast as it could go. Tira had seen the snake in the tree over my head. I hated to think what would have happened if it had fallen on me when I was cutting the tree down...
I identified the snake as a black rat snake and let it be...not scared of it but I don't like snakes (that's the one thing I have in common with Indiana Jones). The snake picture below isn't the actual snake in our yard...just a snake photo I found that's of the same type as the one we have.
I identified the snake as a black rat snake and let it be...not scared of it but I don't like snakes (that's the one thing I have in common with Indiana Jones). The snake picture below isn't the actual snake in our yard...just a snake photo I found that's of the same type as the one we have.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Shoes in Church
I showered and shaved and adjusted my tie I got there and sat in a pew just in time. Bowing my head in prayer as I closed my eyes. I saw the shoe of the man next to me touching mine. With plenty of room on either side I thought why must our soles touch?" It bothered me, his shoe touching mine but it didn't bother him much.
A prayer began: "Our Father" I thought, this man with the shoes has no pride. They're dusty, worn, and scratched even worse there are holes on the side. Thank You for blessings, the prayer went on and the shoe man said a quiet Amen I tried to focus on the prayer but my thoughts were on his shoes again. Aren't we supposed to look our best when walking through that door?
Well, this certainly isn't it, I thought glancing toward the floor. Then the prayer was ended and the songs of praise began the shoe man was certainly loud sounding proud as he sang. His voice lifted the rafters his hands were raised high the Lord could surely hear the shoe man's voice from the sky. It was time for the offering and what I threw in was steep I watched as the shoe man reached into his pockets so deep.
I saw what was pulled out, what the shoe man put in then I heard a soft "clink" as when silver hits tin. The sermon really bored me to tears, and that's no lie it was the same for the shoe man for tears fell from his eyes. At the end of the service as is the custom here we must greet new visitors and show them all good cheer. But I felt moved somehow and wanted to meet the shoe man so after the closing prayer I reached over and shook his hand.
He was old and his skin was dark and his hair was truly a mess but I thanked him for coming, for being our guest. He said, "My names' Charlie I'm glad to meet you my friend." There were tears in his eyes but he had a large, wide grin. "Let me explain," he said wiping tears from his eyes "I’ve been coming here for months and you're the first to say hi."
"I know that my appearance is not like all the rest but I really do try to always look my best. I always clean and polish my shoes before my very long walk but by the time I get here they're dirty and dusty, like chalk. My heart filled with pain and I swallowed to hide my tears as he continued to apologize for daring to sit so near. He said, "When I get here I know I must look a sight but I thought if I could touch you then maybe our souls might unite."
I was silent for a moment knowing that whatever was said would pale in comparison, I spoke from my heart not my head. "Oh, you've touched me," I said "and taught me in part, that the best of any man is what is found in his heart." The rest, I thought, this shoe man will never know like just how thankful I really am that his dirty old shoe touched my soul. Be blessed.
A prayer began: "Our Father" I thought, this man with the shoes has no pride. They're dusty, worn, and scratched even worse there are holes on the side. Thank You for blessings, the prayer went on and the shoe man said a quiet Amen I tried to focus on the prayer but my thoughts were on his shoes again. Aren't we supposed to look our best when walking through that door?
Well, this certainly isn't it, I thought glancing toward the floor. Then the prayer was ended and the songs of praise began the shoe man was certainly loud sounding proud as he sang. His voice lifted the rafters his hands were raised high the Lord could surely hear the shoe man's voice from the sky. It was time for the offering and what I threw in was steep I watched as the shoe man reached into his pockets so deep.
I saw what was pulled out, what the shoe man put in then I heard a soft "clink" as when silver hits tin. The sermon really bored me to tears, and that's no lie it was the same for the shoe man for tears fell from his eyes. At the end of the service as is the custom here we must greet new visitors and show them all good cheer. But I felt moved somehow and wanted to meet the shoe man so after the closing prayer I reached over and shook his hand.
He was old and his skin was dark and his hair was truly a mess but I thanked him for coming, for being our guest. He said, "My names' Charlie I'm glad to meet you my friend." There were tears in his eyes but he had a large, wide grin. "Let me explain," he said wiping tears from his eyes "I’ve been coming here for months and you're the first to say hi."
"I know that my appearance is not like all the rest but I really do try to always look my best. I always clean and polish my shoes before my very long walk but by the time I get here they're dirty and dusty, like chalk. My heart filled with pain and I swallowed to hide my tears as he continued to apologize for daring to sit so near. He said, "When I get here I know I must look a sight but I thought if I could touch you then maybe our souls might unite."
I was silent for a moment knowing that whatever was said would pale in comparison, I spoke from my heart not my head. "Oh, you've touched me," I said "and taught me in part, that the best of any man is what is found in his heart." The rest, I thought, this shoe man will never know like just how thankful I really am that his dirty old shoe touched my soul. Be blessed.
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