Fascinating

While I certainly don't grasp the technology behind this, I admit to being completely fascinated by this accomplishment from scientists at IBM. The image below purports to be a genuine snapsnot of a single pentacene molecule.


The article does not dive into the details of the science, but it is remarkable just how similar our textbook representation of carbon-based molecular structures resemble what may be the actual physical structure of the molecule.

As my father likes to say from time to time, Way cool!

Drowning in Data

Sometimes, the best laid plans go awry. Whereas my goal is to exercise my writing muscle at least every few days, this week found me drowning in the depths of a meaningless data analysis required by my current task. I struggle with tasks that require delivery for the sake of meeting a contract, when I know that the underlying data is essentially useless in terms of quality. You can put a bow on it, and spray some air freshener, but in the end dung will always retain its intrinsic qualities.

In the realm of scientific analysis, test and evaluation, the appetite for collecting data is insatiable. So often, we fail to identify what data we need, and in the absence of a focused plan, we collect all that we can. The result is predictable: mountains of data that likely mean little to our purpose, but require perpetual storage just in case its importance is someday discovered. And so we must take great care in the choices we make for storing that data.

This related article in the Wall Street Journal talks about this challenge. Scientific technologies have advanced our data collection capabilities far beyond what have ever been possible before. Digital data collection holds the promise of archiving vast sums of human knowledge, but the Achilles heel remains the storage mechanism. Indeed, a simple forgotten password, or the fact that common digital storage mediums only have a shelf life of 5-20 years can mean that vast sums of research and effort could be lost and made useless forever. A simple example: in my house, we have an external drive connected to our satellite receiver so that we can save off programs for future viewing. For reasons unknown, however, that drive is no longer recognized by the receiver, meaning that an entire season of ABC's Lost is inaccessible (it's okay, I'll wait for the DVD set). But I also have had numerous important floppy disks that have decayed, and are thus useless. So while the digital revolution has made information more accessible than ever before, it has also made that same information much more vulnerable to decay, corruption and irretrievable loss.

In the long run, no scientific data can outlast the storage media that contains it, unless it can be accurately recopied and reliably re-authenticated. Many computer CDs, DVDs and flash drives last only a decade or so. The oldest known star atlas, inscribed on a scroll discovered in Dunhuang, China, has survived for more than 1,000 years. It might have been traced from an even older star map.

I'll take a real book over a Kindle any day. A book will always hold the promise of treasure; CDs, DVDs and flash drives - debatable. To the point:

"Digital information lasts forever -- or five years," says RAND Corp. computer analyst Jeff Rothenberg, "whichever comes first."

Additional reading: RAND's "Digitial Preservation: The uncertain future of saving the past."

I love the subtitle.

Civic Awakening?

I have watched with interested skepticism the response of concerned citizens to their congressional representatives this past month at these so-called "town halls." Setting aside the faux "shock-and-awe" that the media tends to concoct or deride whenever something unexpected happens, I endeavored to observe whether the apparent push-back against rampant government intervention was a sustainable awakening or simply another brief moment of indignation destined to slip back into grousing acquiescence. It has been said of Ronald Reagan that he had confidence in the common sense and wisdom of the American people. As a cynic, I confess to generally holding the opposite view. It has been my experience that the only freedom most people care about is their own. I suspect that most people have at least a moderate distrust of government despite its necessity, but that it is less an institutional distrust as opposed to a class distinction. By this I mean that while we recognize that the government exists to ensure an orderly society, we generally have little faith in the political or bureaucratic classes to manage the effort. The best managers in the workplace are those that bring out the best in their employees, providing guidance and setting goals to help the employee excel in his career while avoiding the instinct to micromanage and control the outcome. Fear and dissatisfaction surface every time someone takes the reins who believes they know better than you how to do your job, what you need to manage your life, and has the authoritative power to exercise that control - thus limiting your freedom to grow, make mistakes and learn from them, and essentially make your own decisions.

For the past few weeks, various pundits and commentators have been trying to explain the phenomena of these "angry" town halls. Troy Senik, a former speechwriter, makes the assertion that the awakening is real (emphasis mine):

"If a revolution takes root throughout the country and no one in Washington hears it, does the revolution exist? In our representative system, the answer is yes - and members of both parties ought to start paying attention if they hope to survive the 2010 midterm elections intact. ...

There's a lesson here for both parties. Healthcare isn't failing because of Obama's weaknesses or his opponent's strength. It is failing because the proposal misapprehends the American character. On a moral level, there are sacrifices of both liberty and responsibility that the American people aren't willing to make. And on a practical level, citizens who enjoy a world of instant convenience in everything from their music downloads to their airplane tickets aren't willing to entertain a debate about whether it's better to ration health care on a Soviet model or a Canadian model.

A revolt is afoot in the nation. The media and the political class might not understand the appeal of the Ron Pauls and Glenn Becks of the world. But even many of those who disagree with Paul and Beck on the specifics understand the draw. Something is resurfacing. Americans are increasingly unafraid to say the word "liberty". Politicians who don't share that trait may want to start updating their résumés."

Color me skeptical. I thought America was on the verge of an awakening during the aftermath of 9/11. How quickly that unity felt apart! America is in the throes of a serious bout of attention deficit disorder. While every now and then the focus is there to collectively push back against those who infringe upon our freedoms, it is simply a matter of time before we slip back into cynical complacency and allow the government classes to do whatever they wish. People only get riled up when their personal freedom is endangered, and even that has limits. I truly wish I could believe otherwise. I'm not an activist, and I'm not a rabble-rouser. I don't think we need another "revolution." What we need is civility and clarity to create the conditions in which people may choose to excel (or not excel) in whatever directions they wish to go in life. Should there be boundaries? Of course - society requires boundaries in order to sustain the resources which enable an environment that creates conditions for that society to flourish. Is that even possible? The history of civilization is one of waves, highs and lows, but in our limited perspective, always one of steady incline and eventual progress to new heights. But the laws of decay are generally inevitable. The question of the sustainability of a free society against the micromanaging tendencies of government creates a continuing tension whose outcome has yet to be determined.

Reagan, in his 1986 State of the Union Address, said this:

"Government growing beyond our consent had become a lumbering giant, slamming shut the gates of opportunity, threatening to crush the very roots of our freedom. What brought America back? The American people brought us back -- with quiet courage and common sense; with undying faith that in this nation under God the future will be ours, for the future belongs to the free."

Can the American people bring us back this time? Do they have "quiet courage and common sense" and faith that "the future belongs to the free"? Would that it were so, but I'm not holding my breath.

Spirit Lives On

For all the people who criticize NASA and its recent struggles to maintain and achieve a vision without going drastically over budget, you simply have to applaud those folks at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who conceived and managed the Mars Rover program. The Spirit rover passed an incredible milestone yesterday, completing its 2000th day working on the surface of Mars. Spirit, and its companion rover Opportunity, continue to study the surface and composition of the Mars planet years longer than they were ever envisioned to survive. Granted, they have their challenges (Spirit's stuck in a sand trap), but that does nothing to diminish the incredible record of achievement that continues to this day, 5.5 years after their arrival on the Red Planet. Enthusiasts can keep track of progress here; they even have a Twitter-feed (I don't do Twitter, but I'm likely in the minority).

In other news, the President's Augustine Panel is coming to conclusion. This update from Rand Simberg highlights some of the possible conclusions that may find their way into the final report.

The good news is that for the first time a major panel of this sort has explicitly stated that the goal of having a human spaceflight program has to be for the ultimate settlement of space, and if we aren’t aiming toward that, there’s not much point. Also, for fans of sending humans to Mars, all of the options are designed with that end in mind, though probably not fast enough for them. The other good news is that the panel seems to strongly support commercial space and believes that the new policy should be much more supportive of it than NASA’s current plans. But for advocates of anything resembling the current four-year-old plan to do "Apollo on Steroids," with new launch and crew delivery systems dubbed “Constellation,” none of the options will be pretty.

Apparently the panel is supportive of the partial commercialization of launch services, which I believe holds the greatest promise of moving history beyond the confines of near-earth orbit. Unfortunately, NASA employment issues will continue to cloud the future of the space program, at least politically. But again, a rightly constructed partnership between NASA and space entrepreneurs may just be the ticket to realizing those dreams that brought people to NASA in the first place.

For now, Spirit and Opportunity live on. May that be true in more ways than one.

Snitch Box Goes Offline

Updating an earlier post, I find this to be good news (Politico):

Following a furor over how the data would be used, the White House has shut down an electronic tip box — flag@whitehouse.gov — that was set up to receive information on “fishy” claims about President Barack Obama’s health plan.

E-mails to that address now bounce back with the message: “The email address you just sent a message to is no longer in service. We are now accepting your feedback about health insurance reform via: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck.”

Clearly, this little venture backfired publicly, and the administration rightly took a good deal of flak from the issue. I know several people who "self-reported" their dissent to the proposed pathway towards nationalization of health care. While I chose not to (seemed a bit juvenile to me), I certainly sympathize with the sentiment.

So, while I applaud the administration from taking a step back on its citizen agitation scheme, I nevertheless remain bothered that the effort was made in the first place. Just because they pulled the snitch box doesn't "make it all better."

Painting with PETRA

After another intense week at the office, I found myself struggling to get moving this morning. As I have aged, I have found it difficult to sleep in for any good length of time. I'm usually awake by 7, and try in vain to rest in bed until 8, when I finally give up and head out to the kitchen to make some coffee. With all of the unfinished projects and weekly maintenance demands placed upon me by this house, summer weekends are rarely restful. But that's not all bad, because it keeps me active and not locked into my computer so much.

The past several months, I have been steadily working to complete the bonus room over the garage. Last weekend, I completed the remaining drywall repair and primed the closet. This morning, I began priming the room itself. I worked for about 5 hours, and intend to try to finish the task late tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Instead of working in silence, as is my wont to do, today I pulled out Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out. Released 20 years ago, it was one of my favorite albums during my early years in the faith. Within minutes, the music accomplished what the coffee couldn't - shake the cobwebs out of my head. Or maybe it was the paint fumes. Either way, I found myself singing along to songs I know I haven't even thought about in 10 years, and I remembered every word.

Like many of the acts back in those days, Petra was primarily a ministry. In the late 90's and during much of this decade the Christian music genre took off as an industry, and frankly, after while I stopped paying attention. Too many groups with similar sounds, and a bit too much focus on glamour and celebrity for my tastes, though I'm sure God blesses people through them. I had the fortune of seeing Petra in concert a couple of times, and came away knowing each time that the music was simply the means to share the Truth.

Twenty years ago, ministry was new to me. It was a fresh, new horizon with a plethora of possibilities. Yet my understanding was limited to a naive mix of "what I can do for God" and "study the Bible" trapped within the context of institutional church. But more on this another time. For now, less thinking, and more Petra Praise:

The "M" Word - Prologue

Back in February of this year, I went back to my college alma mater, Auburn University, to attend a Wesley Foundation alumni retreat. I almost always enjoy my visits to Auburn, and reconnecting with friends can be a reviving experience. The theme of this retreat was somewhat unusual, however, in that participants broke up into small groups to discuss a series of questions posed by the facilitator - who collected the notes from our discussions but never presented them back to the participants at large. Basically, as I recall, the pastor leading the retreat was working on a personal quest and used us as a data source. I left the retreat somewhat disappointed, because of the lack of "conclusion." It was like reading Part I of a play, and never getting to Part II.

Since February, I have been going over and over the questions in my mind. In the nearly 16 years since I left college, 20 if you count my time spent at Wesley, I have experienced some amazing highs and devastating lows in ministry. These questions hit at an interesting time - a time in which I had to step back from active leadership in my church. The reasons are many. The questions are these:

1. What is your ministry?
2. Where are you right now?
3. Is it where you expected to be?
4. Is it better/worse/different than before?

Of course, there was a little more to it than that. The questions were asked in the context of the campus ministry experience and how it may differ from the local church experience. But the topic takes on an additional meaning for me, especially as I quickly approach the age of 40. Processing the experiences of the last 20 years of ministry and Christian service and leadership is something that is essential for me to do in order to move forward in a healthy manner. And while it is not my intent to psychoanalyze everything on the pages of this blog, I do think it worthwhile to use this forum to explore these questions. And while my answers and anecdotes will indeed be personal, I trust that the Lord will use it as He sees fit.

More to come.

15 Over

Sometimes, you just have to get away. Whether it be frustrations at the office or the craziness of our culture, you simply have to put some distance between yourself and whatever drains you spiritually and emotionally.

I took that opportunity today. Leaving work early, I headed out to a local driving range that features a short, 9-hole 29 par course. Taking advantage of a tip my brother-in-law gave me a few weeks ago, I used an adjusted grip that interlocks my hands more than I had previously. The result was probably the best day I've ever had swinging the irons. Granted, three 3-putts certainly didn't help my day, but I left the course feeling good about my performance.

Honestly, I felt good period. Having walked the 9 holes in the Alabama heat, I got a fair amount of exercise, fresh air and an unexpected respite from the burdens which usually weigh me down.

I'll never be a good golfer, but today, 15 over feels pretty good. As for all that other stuff, well, tomorrow will take care of itself.

Temperature Rising

This weekend, I tried to refrain from thinking about the realm of politics and the direction of our Nation by pouring my energies into prepping and priming the walls of my upstairs bonus room. I may not be a master craftsman (not even close), but there is a certain amount of pride in paying attention to detail and doing a job well, not to mention the masculine rush that comes with home repair and improvement. I ask for help (and hire experts) when I need to, but I'd much prefer to do it myself. You learn by doing, so to speak.

But alas, even as I immersed myself in finishing some drywall repair and priming the closet yesterday, in the back of my mind I continued to ponder recent events surrounding this healthcare debate and the deteriorating level of political discourse. Whereas there are unhinged, screaming partisans on each side of the aisle who speak not out of reason or logic but out of unpersuadable anger, it is a frightening prospect to witness this same behavior out of elected officials. Perhaps it is true that the political class is merely a reflection of the public at large. Debate is not about politely arguing the merits of a thing, it is now about defeating and humiliating your opponent. And when you have power, the less debate the better. Look no further at the townhall meetings that members of Congress are having with their constituents this summer. Consider the video linked in this piece in the Washington Times. Or consider this video about the happenings in St. Louis.

Glenn Reynolds has a column in today's Washington Examiner that reflects on the state of dialog and the shifting acceptance of what constitutes patriotic dissent (emphasis mine):

"Civility is fine, but those who demand it should show it. The Obama administration -- and its corps of willing supporters in the press and the punditry -- has set the tone, and they are now in a poor position to complain.

Whether they like it or not -- and the evidence increasingly tends toward "not" -- President Obama and his handlers need to accept that this is a free country, one where expressions of popular discontent take place outside the electoral process, and always have. (Remember Martin Luther King?)

What historians like Gordon Wood and Pauline Maier call "out-of-doors political activity" is an old American tradition, and in the past things have been far more "boisterous" than they are today.

Rather than demonizing today's protesters, perhaps they might want to reflect on how flimflams and thuggishness have managed to squander Obama's political capital in a few short months, and ponder what they might do to regain the trust of the millions of Americans who are no longer inclined to give the Obama administration the benefit of the doubt."

I am not an activist, but I do have strong opinions. Sometimes I voice them, but I try to so respectfully. But the temperature is rising. I see it in the office; I've seen it in the church. Righteous anger and action over legitimate injustice may sometimes result in peace and a just solution. But the anger we have witnessed over the last decade does not strike me as righteous, but rather a pernicious rage that threatens to consume otherwise reasonable people. De-escalation is unlikely, because our citizenry seems to have accepted adversarial posturing as the norm. Today, it is countercultural to be calm, dignified and courteous. It is also hard - intelligent conversation with an angry individual is difficult, if not impossible. I would like to believe that things will calm down eventually. I would like to have hope and faith that this Nation of ours can rise above this. I would like to be able to trust in the Office of the President, and those who occupy that position. But what am I to think when my President speaks like this about those who disagree with him?



And this from the lead editorial in the Examiner:

"We are witnessing something terribly ugly in America this summer. Obama is leading a campaign to shift our peaceful democratic process away from civil discussions of programs and candidates to using the power of the state to bully those who oppose the majority party's policy proposals. The threat may be as subtle as the fear of being reported by a neighborhood informant to the White House, or as overt as stick-wielding union toughs who might not approve of the way you ask your congressman a question."

A cooling off period would benefit everyone. Both sides of the political aisle have been warring for at least the past two decades. It's not uncommon in our history. But in the information age of instant media and full participation across the economic spectrum, any sign of truce will immediately be seen as weakness and will prompt the aggressor to exploit the moment. Tactics employed by the current administration makes them valid for use by the next administration. What foundation for trust remains?

I don't have to like a party's agenda. Elections have consequences. But true political discourse should have some ground rules. We do not elect our representatives to lord over us. We elect them to represent us, and the best interests of our Nation.

On this Sunday afternoon, I find myself wrestling with my thoughts and fears of the longevity of our Republic. And the conflict within rests on two mutually exclusive requests that somehow seem bound together in this moment:

On the one hand: Dona nobis pacem.

On the other: "Don't Tread on Me."

Disturbed and Uneasy

I said in a previous post that while I follow national politics, I really don't want to blog too often about it. Nevertheless, I am deeply disturbed and uneasy about tactics under display by the current administration. In particular, the overt suggestion in this White House blog post inviting people to report "fishy" behavior, opinions and activities that oppose the White House position on health care reform.

For reasons expressed well by both Senator John Cornyn and the Washington Examiner's Byron York, the idea that the White House is directly inviting people to "report" on people expressing their First Amendment rights in opposition to the latest majority party initiative strikes me as McCarthy-esque. As with the House Committee on Un-American Activities, even the idea of the White House collecting information on individuals simply because they are exercising their right to political dissent represents a serious breach of decorum and a slap in the face to the founding principles of the American venture. The same can be said of the "enemies list" developed by President Richard Nixon, with the help of one Charles Colson.

The problem with such lists, especially by a government body, is that it creates the possibility that a government can target its own citizens for politically motivated reasons. Indeed, this was also the same kind of concern I had about the Patriot Act, and one of the reasons it was such a hot topic of debate in the aftermath of 9/11.

If what York says is true, that such a "list" or "database" is not expressly illegal, and further, is permanent because of the requirement that email logs are considered Presidential Records that can never be legally destroyed, then all it takes is for someone who disagrees with you politically to decide to email the White House, and you will forever be on a political hit list (regardless if anything actually happens to you).

This administration has openly invited Americans to report on their neighbors over matters of political dissent. Unlike the Patriot Act or reporting on suspicious behavior, political dissent is not criminal behavior. At least, not yet. Such activity is more in character with totalitarian states.

That's not the America I know.

Touching the Right Notes

Ted Dekker has become one of my favorite authors. A fitting complement to Frank Peretti, Dekker made his mark in suspense thrillers with deep Christian context, sometimes allegorical and sometimes overt. And while that label may prompt some to spurn his works, I personally think that would be a mistake. I am convinced that even the unbeliever would enjoy his novels, for Dekker's storytelling is superb. I am very much looking forward to the release of Green.

Reading his blog the other day, I caught this little nugget of insight:

"It has been said that words are one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind. In that they allow us to scratch the surface of an idea and to share that experience with a limited group of others… yes, words are invaluable. But without the incarnation of idea, words are hardly more than mathematical symbols. They are, in fact, rather blunt instruments that often get in the way of true magic."

Indeed, I resonate with this. While storytelling such as that created by the likes of bestselling authors is far beyond my reach, the essence of using words to convey Truth in ways that touch the heart and spirit of another is clearly what I aspire to do. I marvel at those who do it well. When my 9-year old son plays the piano, he does so with a touch that I can never hope to master. Writers who are gifted with the ability to convey the experience of an idea in a manner that fully engages the reader do so by using words and phrases to touch all the right notes.

Using words to express the facts of Truth isn't all that difficult. But using words to convey the power and spirit of Truth, getting past all the defenses and arguments that seek to distort, that takes something more: it takes a gift from above.