Hysterical

Stumbled accross this when searching for ... well, I don't even remember now precisely what I was searching for.  Something with Linux...

At any rate, check it out.  Made me chuckle.

Rejoicing in our suffering

Romans 5:3-4

3Not only so, but we^[a] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope.

I've heard much over the years that challenged me to rejoice in my suffering. Time has taught me a couple of things that I think I should share in this regard:

1 - One of the greatest gifts that God has given us is gratitude. If we can find the strength within ourselves to praise the God who gives and takes away no matter what out situation, it's a tremendous lift to our spirits.
2 - Sometimes you can't find it in yourself to act on #1, and that's OK. Don't let that fact add guilt to your already onerous situation. Even Jesus, when he suffered at the cross, did not rejoice. "take this cup from me", "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" These are laments, not the sound of rejoicing.

If Jesus can do that, I'm sure that God will understand when we do.

ruminations on programming

Welcome to VMware-land!

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.

sad, but true

Welcome to VMware-land!

"The most amazing achievement of the computer software industry is its continuing cancellation of the steady and staggering gains made by the computer hardware industry..." -- Henry Petroski

Why publish this software?

Threat to computers for industrial systems now serious | InfoWorld | News | 2008-09-10 | By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service

Finisterre released his attack code as a software module for Metasploit, a widely used hacking tool. By integrating it with Metasploit, Finisterre has made his code much easier to use, security experts said. "Integrating the exploit with Metasploit gives a broad spectrum of people access to the attack," said Seth Bromberger, manager of information security at PG&E. "Now all it takes is downloading Metasploit and you can launch the attack."

I have to admit, I will never understand the open source and hacker crowd. Particularly the hackers.

I can understand researching to identify risks.
I can understand developing exploits to further understand and define those risks.
I can even understand publishing an academic style paper on said risks and my research, which was very clever indeed.
I CANNOT understand giving away the frellin' crack for somthing like this. I mean, honestly, isn't this a bit like handing out lock-picking kits at a grade-school?

There's nothing more disturbing than someone who thinks they know God's will for the world

Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God' - Yahoo! News

Heavenly Father, please deliver us from the very good intentioned and earnest, even Godly people who would do crazy things in Your name.

I just don't even know how to fight that sort of earnestness and misguided certainty.

They select their path, please direct their footsteps.

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Selecting Palin might have been brilliant. McCain just increased his stock with evangelical Christians (who are STILL, apparently, in a state of complete cognitive surrender to the Republican party, and still hell-bent on legislating their personal moral beliefs based on some bizarre perspective that this nation was founded to be "Christian".). He might also get some of the Hillary vote in terms of people who see their first allegiance to Womankind rather than to a party or ideal or issue.

He's a sly old fox, that one. And it won't likely backfire. I don't think that the same evangelicals who think that homosexuality is an abomination will see a man with a man and a woman out of wedlock as two sides of the same sin of sexual desire in 2008. The homosexuals are "them", and the pregnant republican girl is "us", and that's WAY more important that a consistent, loving world-view derived from the teachings of Christ.

I'm still pullin' for ya', Obama. But I gotta say, I really think that this nation and the Christian Church may be just messed up enough to NOT elect you. Good luck, man.

The Transitive Property of the Bible

BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50 languages.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”- Isaiah 26:3

A steadfast mind is a difficult thing. Do I want a steadfast mind? What about constantly questioning, taking new data, and integrating that data as best I can into my overall world-view?

I don't think it's saying that we shouldn't do those things. For me, this says that at the bottom of all the churning and doubt to be faced by someone who is really willing to examine something in the cold hard light of day, there lies a steadfast belief that our God works all things to the good of those who love Him.

That's probably not what the writer meant, but filtered through my values and experience, it's what I come out with.

The mental exercise above is something like the transitive property of multiplication gone biblical. PERHAPS there was a certain amount of humanity combined with inspiration in the writing, as there is in the reading, and God's great trick the creates a one-size-fits-all solution in a world where there is no such thing is that these things balance each other out on each side of write=read equation?

No, that doesn't sound right at all. The fact that this doesn't work would be why different people can read the same scripture and draw such remarkably different conclusions. Their humanity add weight to certain inspiration. OR, is that that their inspiration gives rise to certain features of their humanity which inform their view of scripture and how to implement it in their lives?

Well, that's all just quick muttering before a meeting. I'm sure I'll never take the time to develop it further. ;-)>