Ministry and Meteorology?

Climategate: Not a conspiracy, but…

jeff — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:06:49 +0000

Unlike some conspiracy theorists, I never bought into global warming as some conspiracy. I have been following this since Dr. James Hansen of NASA testified in congress about his alarmism. I was senior at Penn State when we had an extremely warm summer, and Congress called for hearings. Well, I have been on the skeptic side of the fence, but not far from the fence. Despite what some would think about my religious leanings, have never abandoned science and am always questioning the results until the observations become overwhelming. Since I am an atmospheric scientist by trade and study, the results that some have had have put on the skeptic side.

Well, the BBC sat down with Dr. Phil Jones from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. What he says in the interview is telling about more of an ends justifies the means sort of thought within the global warming group.

The emails revealed a form of “noble cause corruption” resulting in a loss of trust in climate science and climate scientists. Early proponents of global warming and environmental activists set the stage for the crisis with early opponents and corporate interests. The scientists, led by the example of Michael Mann, adopted a “bunker mentality.” Jones confirms this reading of the situation: that bunker mentality led directly to an erosion of scientific values and scientific practices, now under investigation by Parliament and a stumbling team hastily thrown together by UEA.

For those of you not familiar with Pajamas Media, they are a center right/libertarian news/opinion site, since I can find little analysis on the Climategate situation in the mainstream. When I have, it is poo-pooed or ad hominem attacks ensue. Read the whole article.

Pajamas Media » Climategate: Not Fraud, But ‘Noble Cause Corruption’.

Tired of the Hot Air again

jeff — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:35:43 +0000

I’m getting tired of the distractions and feel that I need to vent, because the gate keepers of the media, both left and right insist on talking about things of no consequence. What am I talking about? I try to remain balanced in the things that I read so that I can see issues from both sides. I don’t care whether it is left or right that has proposed it. I care if it would work and be beneficial. As I wrote in an earlier post, I have drifted to become libertarian in thinking.

The problem that I have with the politics currently in play is the ad hominen attacks not just from the right, but the left. I think that it was a little funny that there were teleprompters in a classroom for the President, but do we have to constantly hear about it? And now the left, as if to get even, says did you see Sarah Palin with her crib notes in her hand? Oooo, burn. I have stopped watching news tv, because they are all running on entertainment. Looking for the ratings. I don’t want reporters editorializing as they report. I want them to ask hard questions. I unsubscribed from Blogging for Michigan because they continued to play blame the other side politics and use sexual terms for people they disagree with.

I don’t need celebrities telling me what to think, or worse, telling me that I’m unintelligent. There is dangerous divide of us versus them happening in our society. It doesn’t matter who started it, but it must end. Compromising in Congress shouldn’t be about who can take money back to their district, but truly finding the middle ground and work out the best deal to both sides.

I know some people that have attended some of the tea party protests. They aren’t, “intellectually malnourished,” and don’t necessarily subscribe to the right wing fringe that gets quoted in the papers and on MSNBC by Mr. Olbermann. I found the Tea Party Convention unimportant and slightly offensive so I didn’t watch it. The tea party movement looks more like a movement of folks at the local level. I’ll be watching what my local reps do so that I can see if I want them out or in.

Besides as a Christian (a Christ follower), I want to walk in love and help those that need help and healing, like Jesus did. From that, we might actually solve problems.

Random Theological thoughts…

jeff — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:02:05 +0000

With all of the things going on in my life, it is easy for me to be blinded to the things that God is trying to show me through my day to day routine. With the arrival of Remmy Rozaland McNamara, I feel the need to slow down and look at the things around me.

Remmy started things off with the pondering, did she take her first breath? or did she say the name of God?

Next, I threw a polemic out on Facebook chastising all of us, for feel good (lead by Hollywood) giving to Haiti. I had to explain to a young friend of mine that I wasn’t saying we shouldn’t be giving to help Haiti, but we do a terrible job at helping the poor of this country, and other countries. We can afford it. As I recently was reminded that 8% of the world owns a car. That the amount of ice cream sales in America for a year, we could drill wells and provide clean drinking water to everyone on the planet.

Don’t ask God to feed the hungry when you have plenty of food. We are saved to do good works, not do good works to be saved.

My thoughts then drifted to the vehicle situation, when at times I feel like the psalmist laments in Psalms 13:1-2 and realize that God owns it all. He will prevail, and I will remain open to how He is working in the world.

Things are stirring in my life, I’m not sure how this pans out, but it does seem that good things will happen.

Here’s to you remaining open to how God is working in this world, and that you keep saying His name, even if you don’t believe in Him.

Pro-Whale Writer Calls Sea Shepherd Stupid

jeff — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:20:19 +0000

Ouch: “Let me be clear. I’m pro-whale. I think the Japanese should immediately disband the Institute of Cetacean Research and stop hunting whales in the Southern Ocean. I think the Australian Government should continue to put diplomatic pressure on Japan, and I think Sea Shepherd and other environmental organisations should continue to protest and raise awareness. I think we should refuse to fuel and supply the factory ships, and we should refuse to provide them with private air surveillance support. But this is not “war”. Splashing $1.5 million on a (not very well) armoured stealth boat that looks like something out of a James Bond movie, then sending it to the bottom of the earth to play chicken with a much larger ship is just stupid. “

Why I am more libertarian…

jeff — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:38:10 +0000

I think that this is one of the reasons. Not that you shouldn’t regulate some things, but when you want to switch grapes and the government won’t let you…

My thoughts on Climategate

jeff — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:18:21 +0000

I was going to write something longer, but the video from Canadian Broadcasting Company sums up my ideas. My position has always been that the science, based on model predictions is not complete and that the physics incorporated in the models while always getting better will not emulate the world perfectly. There has been some evidence of some warming, but I have always had my doubts about the man-made parts. Not that we don’t contribute, but I don’t think to the extent that they have been alarming. I also think that don’t practice good stewardship, and when God said to subdue the land, He didn’t mean rape it, which we have, but that’s another post.

Teens waiting for Black Friday

jeff — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:05:10 +0000

What are we teaching our kids?

Black Friday fever in Florida |West Palm Beach News, South Florida Breaking News, Forecast, Video from WPTV.

A New Blog to Read!

jeff — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:26:26 +0000

I stumbled upon this blog, after I friended this person on Facebook. I was puzzled at first, thinking don’t I know this person? The writing style seems oddly familiar. Oh yeah, it’s my dad. He actually started a couple of new blogs recently. This one is his recollection of stories that start when he was a junior in high school. This post was really cool, as he tells how he and Mom met.

The summer of 1961 and how “we” met. « The secret thoughts of a country kid.

Fair Use What Does It Entail?

jeff — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:15:02 +0000

Earlier tonight, my wife began posting some videos of our daughter in a school play. In fact, I wanted to create a post of the play list to show here as well. However, someone from the school saw them and asked her if she would take them down so the school doesn’t get into trouble with the Rogers and Hammerstein Organization who licenses the performances. My wife had gone to bed, and since they were on her Facebook account, I couldn’t take them down. However, I thought this would fall under fair use for what we had done? Don’t get me wrong, the school is afraid of being sued and I don’t want to impinge on somebody’s copyright, but can’t I take the excerpts of my daughter and put them somewhere so that my parents can see them (In fact, all I shot were the scenes that she was in, and pretty much only her.)?

I did some digging and Center for Social Media has put together a Code of Best Practices for fair use. The one I think that fits this situation is this:

4.Reproducing, reposting or quoting in order to memorialize, preserve, or rescue an experience, an event, or a cultural phenomenon

Isn’t that what any parent would be doing if their child were in a play and you are just trying to get their scenes? Is this appropriate for fair use? I need some help with this. Anyone have an answer?

Overcoming the Youth Ministry Gap

jeff — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:32:26 +0000

Adam McLane over at Youth Specialities posed a question about a “youth ministry gap.” That is a gap between the youth ministry that is run by a paid staffer vs. the volunteer, and the differences between the two. He asks a good question about how do we bridge the gap. I left my two cents in the comments, but it boils down to linking the two leaders so that they help each other, so that they body of Christ comes together for the good of the upcoming generation.

The Youth Ministry Gap#comment-7084.