It's been a very long time since posting here at Floating Dolphin. I've been posting over at Gray's Void over at Livejournal and Thirdsphere over at Wordpress. Much of the commentary I used to write here has since been written at those two blogs. So I'm now deciding what to do with this blog: delete it or change what I write about here. It's difficult to decide.
Labels: blogger
Well the RCC has now chosen it's new Pope. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was selected as has chosen the name of Benedict XVI for his reign.
I don't know if Ratzinger is a good choice given he's a conservative hardliner when it comes to church doctrine, but then it doesn't really affect me since I'm Methodist. I suspect that Ratzinger will further the divide between American Catholics and the RCC if he tries to push for greater conservatism in through out the RCC given comments a number of American Catholics I know have said already regarding the new Pope.
This is especially so after his comments about what Ratzinger views as a threat to faith, things like liberalism, atheism, agnosticism, sects, and idealogies. How any od these can be a threat to any one of the RCC and truly believes is beyond me. After all there are many paths to God. Why else have so many religions?
Now it's time to sit back and watch which way the RCC goes.
Well, it's about three weeks until Spring semester 2005 at Embry-Riddle Prescott comes to a close. It's been somewhat of a relaxed semester overall. Not surprising since I only took 14 credits this semester. I'm doing well in most my classes: expecting a couple of As, a B, and a C assuming I don't blow any finals. Still not up to when I was getting straight As, but still much better than the previous semester.
I think I'm doing better this semester because I'm now actually putting what we've learned in to use in my experimental space system group project as well as joining the Embry-Riddle part of the MIMIC (Magnetic Field Investigation of Mars by Interacting Consortia) project to help out with STK. (Google for more info on MIMIC and STK.)
Summer session should be reasonably easy since I'm only taking Materials in session A and Global Intelligence I in session B. It's the Fall session that's going to be difficult after talking to so many who are taking Prelim Space and Attitude. The other three I'm not so worried about. Only bad thing is four of the classes are straight in a row but like with all thing good comes with the bad. First good thing, I know all the professors and two of which combined teach four of the classes I'm taking. The second good thing, I have no classes on tuesday and thursday so I should have plenty of time to work on assignments, projects, reports, and what not on those days.
Two things I'm definitely investing in before next Fall's session: a laptop and a digital camera. Why? It's becoming obvious I need both in my group's railgun project and the laptop to do some programming that would speed up some assignments. I'm looking into a summer job to help out in this regard though I think once my brother moves out of the apartment I should be fine. (I love him, but he eats like a horse!)
I was watching the news today and couldn't help but get a little ticked about a comment someone made in California regarding voters. In effect this person said the public was too stupid to be able to understand more than one issue at a time.
While I'm not from California, this person's comment is all too indicative of the attitude politicians have towards the American people: They're too stupid to know what's good for them, so we will do it for them. I hate to break it to these type of politicians that people are a great deal smarter than they are given credit, especially in the area they are most concerned about: their jobs, their families, and their community. Rational people also tend to educate themselves quickly about an issue they may have little or no experience dealing with when they become aware of it.
The real problem are the manipulative and deceitful numbers of politicians, special interest groups, and mass media outlets that present people with disingenuous statements and distort events to their satisfaction.
For example, President Bush called the Minutemen here in Arizona a bunch of vigilantes implying that they are the problem, not the issue of illegal immigrants that the Bush Administration has ignored or given only lip-service to since day one. Added to this are the extreme left wing outlets that decry the Minutemen as anti-American and racist. While there is a small element of racists assisting the Minutemen, the vast majority are ordinary Americans tired of the U.S. government ignoring the many decades old requests by the Southwestern States and California for more funds to fend off illegal immigration, the burden illegals bring to local communities, and to improve border security. Requests that have been routinely ignored with increasing arrogance by the Federal Government. Was there mention of this in most media outlets?
No. There was not.
What about Arizona Governor J. Napolitano's sending a bill to the Federal Government to cover costs incurred due to federal laws passed without provisions to support the operation of such laws? (A bill the Federal government claims it cannot afford to pay, yet allows waste of millions of taxpayers money of for the selfish interests of congressman and women and their staffers.)
This too never made the news in the major news outlets.
No the problem isn't the people. It's the inherent corruption brought about by the very people who claim to know what's best for Americans.
Okay. 'Nuff venting on my part.
I was saddened to hear the news of Pope John Paul II's not unexpected death a short time ago this day April 2, 2005.
I was raised a Methodist and while I disagreed often with a number of the Pope's positions on several issues regarding women, non-Christians, and quality of life issues I never doubted Pope John Paul II's sincerity or devotion to his faith and the causes he championed. I am sorry for the loss of the Holy Father but remember and celebrate his efforts to bring peace and harmony where ever he went in the world.
As with all things his time has come and gone. Let us remember his good deeds and forgive his failings as we should with all people. May he now reside in the peace, harmony, and love found in the house of the Lord.
Lacrimosa dies illa
Qua resurget ex favilla
Qua resurget ex favilla
Lacrimosa dies illa
Judicandus homo reus.
Requiem aeternam, Amen
I'm glad to see that the elections in Iraq went off relatively well. There were obviously a few problems but at least there wasn't the threatened bloodbath and 400 suicide bombers Zarqawi and his fellow nutbags threatened.
I'm just happy for the Iraqi people. Happy and in admiration of their bravery. Unlike so many of us here in the west who treat our democracy in a blase fashion, these people truly appreciate democracy at work even while under imminent threat of danger and death. It's a good thing to see and brings me hope that other nations will follow suit and begin democratic institutions and reforms across the globe.
The only thing that annoys me about the Iraqi election coverage are those reporters (many from supposedly more enlightened western European nations) who are still predicting doom and gloom even now that the polling stations are closed in Iraq. Many still keep implying that Arabs and Muslims are incapable of creating, running, and maintaining a democracy without Western "guidance" but at the same decry very said same "guidance" as imperialism. That to me is a contradiction in terms. That aside I find the notion that Arabs can't create or run democracies ridiculous. Democracy isn't just for one culture or religion or race, it's for all humanity. Sure there is still going to be violence in Iraq by the die hard Baathists and Islamic terrorists who fear democracy, but it's obvious those people are in the extreme minority.
Anyway, my best wishes and hopes to Iraq's future democracy and with it a speedy (and safe) return home to our troops.
Well we had some pretty decent snow fall here in Prescott, AZ last night. Not really all that thick, mind you, but enough so that the neighbor's kids decided to have a snowball fight. When the snowball fight degenerated into them throwing snowballs at peoples vehicles and apartments, I went outside and told them to knock it off. Suprisingly, they listened and went inside.
So there's a nice blanket of snow on everything, adding a kind of peacefulness, one might say serenity, to anotherwise mundane scene in a Southwestern state's town. It hasn't stopped the downstairs neighbor from continuing her move out or the hound across the street from baying at strangers that pass by his owner's property.
I should enjoy it though. Soon it will be spring here and with warmer weather. I'm a desert rat at heart having grown up with 100-110 degree summers with the odd 120 here and there. I love the heat, but I've come to appreciate the snow. Like the hot Arizona summers it too has a soul soothing quality about it.
University has been going fairly well so fat this semester. Lots of interesting projects to work on, plus some interesting classes.
My first Aerodynamics II quiz I got a 70 percent on, but at least I know how specific the professor wants his answers to be now. Besides he drops the three lowest quiz's. Other than that Aero II has been pretty much a cinch. I've even already finished the second assignment which isn't due for another two weeks and the material hasn't even been covered in class yet.
Experimental Space Systems Engineering and Space Systems Engineering seem to be going well so far. In ESSE my group is starting work on our rail gun and the "Marriot drive", while in SSE we're getting into numerical integration, something somewhat easy to do in all honesty.
Structures II is about what I expect it to be. Got a C on the first homework, but that's what I get for waiting until the last minute to actually work on it. Also finally got a study group set up for this class, so we can all compare answers and what not for the class.
Space Mechanics is almost exactly as last semester. Got an A on the first assignment, and expect to get at least a B in the class, if not an A. To pass my time and prevent boredom, I'm in the process of transcribing last semester's hand written notes to electronic format.
Been about two days since I blogged anything here I noticed. Guess I was busier than I thought at university. Anyway, here we go...
University
Not surprisingly I've been a little busy with classes, now that they've actually started to get into the subject matter. Still loving Experimental Space System Engineering (ESS) and Space Systems Engineering (SSE). (Note: I'm in agreement with some of the profs who say these two classes should simply be merged into a single 5 credit class instead of a single 3 credit class and a single 2 credit class with lab.) Aerodynamics II is about what I expected it to be. Not overly exciting, though I am interested in the subject, but with enough to keep me on my toes. Structures II is looking to be easier than I expected, but maybe that's because the way the prof teaches it works better with my style of learning.
Humorous side note: Maybe you had to have been there or maybe you had to be a science fiction geel for this one but here it is: While teaching our SSE class the prof made mention of Cheyenne Mountain and a perturbation program named something like SGU4 (or something like that), said comments earned some snickering and mutterings about Stargate SG-1.
Okay, so I guess you had to be there. It was funny at the time.
On that note...
Sci Fi Channel
Stargate SG-1
Gemini turned out to be much better than I expected, though I did correctly assume that Replicator Carter was only interested in setting herself up as the new uber-replicator on the scene. Still it was very well done and for me settled some of the nagging doubt I had over the rather lackluster character interactions in the season so far. The familiar interaction is back, so my doubts are now put to rest.
The best part was that Carter now has a real nemesis all to herself to deal with. Sure there have been other personal enemies for Carter to fight but most of that time those turned into SG-1 vs. the EvilDoingWannabeGod/Alien. Now she has a true nemesis, not unlike the O'Neill character with Ba'al. Should be fun to see where they take this.
Stargate: Atlantis
Finally! Took them long enough but the show really seems to be pulling itself together. While The Storm started showing some inkling of the characters finally gelling and the interactions starting to not seem so stilted, The Eye finally solidifed the characters in my view. The episode was excellent visually, but the story itself was also fairly strong giving viewers some better insight not into one or two characters, but essentially the core characters of the series.
I admit I'm still skeptical about Atlantis because of it's weak stories after the premiere but if the remainder of the season is going to be like The Storm and The Eye then I will happily accept becoming a full time fan to the show.
Battlestar Galactica
I admit I was skeptical of this show before the miniseries aired last year, but the miniseries won me over and I'm pleased to say that the new series continues to do so. The first three episodes have been well done, well written, and well acted. My slight peeve is the occasional scene that is drawn out too long and the sometimes overuse of the "documentary" style shooting which actually take away from scenes that would otherwise be riveting.
Karolyn Gray's stream of consciousness on the web...ok maybe not.
