The Christmas Blog

The Christmas story is kind of interesting, as it has a number of anomalies in it.. the first one being that the Christ was born before herod died, and herod died in 1-2 BC, so Christ was born before Christ was born.

We can thank Dionysius for that. Dennis the smaller (thats what his name means) came up with some random calculation while working out his easter calendar. He also chose December 25 as the birthday, but without any real evidence. Oh well.

The second one is that Mary and Joseph werent married. Why register for a census together if you arent married? And why go all that way with a woman who's about to drop a bundle? Perhaps because tongues were wagging in the hometown and this is a chance to get away from the nastiness.

Quote from Ben Witherington III's blog:

But there is a further factor in the story seldom noticed. Joseph and Mary are registering for a census in Bethlehem, but if we ask what the function of such a census was, it was to count heads so that they could be taxed. Every able-bodied male and female between 13 and 62 had to be registered so they could be taxed. It was a head tax, and they were expected to pay a silver denarius each—yes ‘the render unto Caesar coin” which Jesus was later to say Jews should ‘return to sender’. These coins had the image of Augustus Caesar on them in those days, a ruler soon to be dubbed a deity. But the real deity was Jesus himself the spitting image of his heavenly Father, unlike the poor likeness of the Emperor on those tribute money coins.

The blog I got this from

Interestingly, Ben tells us that the Greek here says “she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a corn crib, as there was no room in the guest room”. In those days the guest room was at the front of the house, and there was a cave out back where the prized beast was kept so it couldnt be stolen. So, when Joe and Mary turned up at the relatives place, they were too late for the guest room, so they got the stable.

Thanks to Ben Witherington for posting this information on his blog. Be sure to go and have a read.

thoughts for the day

1. why am I so useless?

2. why cant I code worth a damn?

3. why cant I get into full time ministry?

4. why do people persist on spiritual/emotional blackmail in churches?

5. why cant I live in a country where I can earn enough money to support my wife and child with out them having to work?

6. WHY!!!! do governments feel that they need to control people to such a degree that they try and legislate themselves back into power (like the NZ Labour Gov)? Why dont they listen to the people who are going to vote for them?

7. I'm going to vote national. Not because national are any good. They are crap. But because i'd rather choose a bad man than the very devil himself.

8. If anyone has any good resources regarding "let your yes be yes, and your no mean no" please flick me the links.

Evolution and creation

I've been reading this blog, http://evanevodialogue.blogspot.com.

Its quite interesting, especially the point that God didnt finish creation with the genesis event. My 7 month old daughter was "woven together in the womb by the hand of God" (so to speak).

Fascinating really, and has implications for creationists and theistic evolutionists.

btw, heroes s02 e09 - rock.

10 reasons to choose ubuntu over windows

from: http://www.itwire.com/content/view/14937/53/

Microsoft have listed 100 reasons(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/100reasons.mspx?wt_svl=10288VHa1&mg_id=10288VHb1) why people really ought to upgrade from Windows XP. They appeal to usability, mobility, security and entertainment. Yet, looking through the list, we reckon they’re actually talking about Ubuntu Linux, not that dog Windows Vista.

Let’s count down the top 10 reasons from Microsoft why you should upgrade to Ubuntu.

#10 Surf more safely

Online security is a big issue – there are matters of privacy, and matters of persistent, incessant malware. Fortunately, Ubuntu provides the Firefox web browser. It is a separate program, not an integrated component of the operating system. This means that even if viruses and malicious attackers can compromise the web browser, they don’t gain any extra access to the system. What’s more, Firefox will never allow spyware or adware to automatically install just by visiting a web page.

One supporting factor is that Firefox does not offer built-in support for VBScript or ActiveX, two Microsoft technologies which are well-renown for being exploited. This lack of support saves a multitude of problems, but loses very few positives: even Microsoft themselves have largely abandoned VBScript for web-based scripting: all the ASP.NET client-side form validation routines, for instance, are implemented in JavaScript.

What’s more, Firefox gives complete control over cookies to keep privacy under wraps.

#9 Unchain your mobile PC

Wireless networking has become widespread; the Intel Centrino platform mandated built-in WiFi as have other hardware standards. WiFi is available on your computer, your Nintendo Wii, your hand-held PDA, and even your cockamamie rabbit.

Ubuntu’s latest release, 7.10, or “Gutsy Gibbon”, now offers far more WiFi adapter support than before. A quick Google yields many happy punters. Wired magazine report Ubuntu immediately recognised their Toshiba laptop’s WiFi card, and automatically joined a local network, and sensed and enabled WPA encryption. Bloggers report that wireless now works with the Dell Inspiron 1501 with just four clicks of the mouse.

Ubuntu ships with a fantastic GUI network tool called network-admin. This is readily available under the System/Administration/Networking menu. When launched, it lists the network adapters available on your computer, including the wireless connection. All your networking configurations can be managed here, and additional tools are provided to automate switching WiFi networks, letting you roam freely with your laptop.

#8 Your PC can take care of itself

Your days of defragmenting are over. Ubuntu uses a different file system to Windows. It does not really ever require defragging. Don’t just take our word for it; check out geekblog.

No version of Windows can boast such built-in self maintenance. Not even Windows Vista. Perhaps its intended radical new database-oriented file system may have fared better, but it was pulled so the OS would finally ship – so we’ll still have to wait to find out.

And when it comes to keeping apps up to date, or finding new software, Ubuntu’s package management far surpasses Windows. There’s no need to search the web for new software; just open Install/Remove Applications and you’ll find all available software listed right there. What’s more, Ubuntu will let you know whenever there’s an update for any program, not just the OS itself. This is functionality you simply do not get in Windows.

What’s more, Ubuntu systems run and run. Badly-written programs are unable to interfere with other running applications, or crash the operating system. It’s not uncommon for Ubuntu machines to boast uptimes of many months, whereas Windows has a long-standing practice of “routine reboots” to clear out guff.

Ubuntu’s raft of built-in “it just works” tools make sure you can spend less time dealing with problems, and enjoy a more reliable experience.

#7 Because you can freeze time

Ok, this point has a wacky heading, but the gist is you can organise your photos and home movies with ease. And that’s true; Ubuntu’s Tracker yields a synergy of technologies that provide a seamless experience.

Shoot photos on your digital camera, and have them appear in F-Spot without having to be imported. Apply tags with Tracker, giving great organisation and searching without an endless hierarchy of folders.

With Tracker you can search for files by properties like photo width, or the type of camera used. All your media is right at your fingertips and you can find them when you want them.

#6 Because you’re always on the run

We get it, you’re busy. You don’t want to be just mucking around with your computer when you’ve got to go out and do stuff. With Ubuntu, you can sync your organiser and PIM data to PDAs and other handhelds, and back to your computer again. A large range of PalmOS and Windows Mobile devices have been tested and confirmed working.

Handhelds aren’t the end all; Ubuntu will also happily run on tablet PCs with stylus support built-in. Once again, Google abounds with cheery tablet users. One Toshiba TC4200 owner speaks of how simple it was to get The Gimp working. Another says how much he loves his Toshiba M4 Tablet – and how dead simple it was to install Ubuntu while a third waxes lyrical about the ease in which Ubuntu loaded on his Acer tablet PC.

#5 It can find your stuff

The aforementioned Tracker indexes your file system letting you easily find files and folders by name or by content. What’s more, Tracker also has smarts to realise there’s differences in filetypes – music will have an artist, photos will have a resolution, for example – and it indexes these context-specific properties too.

Tracker doesn’t just stand alone; any app can use it to gain access to as fast and efficient shared meta-database, whether for tagging or other purposes.

#4 See your world in a whole new light

Ubuntu brings the latest GNOME desktop to you. This windowing system is clean and functional, but can turn on the eye-candy and visual effects if desired. Sites like gnome-look feature downloadable themes, wallpapers, screensavers and more.

GNOME can be enhanced with 3D desktop managers like Beryl or XGL, which feature regularly contrasted side-by-step with Windows Vista’s Aero interface.

Ubuntu’s 3D windowing and graphics engines run consistently smooth even on low-end hardware. By contrast, Aero refuses to run on any system that has a Windows rating of 1.0 or less for its video hardware. And, Aero doesn’t even come in Windows Vista Home Basic. You buy that and you have no Aero – whereas Ubuntu refuses to compromise.

Ubuntu can be as powerfully simple as you like, but it can also dress up and deliver stunning visual effects if that floats your boat.

#3 It’s the safest version ever

That’s right; Ubuntu is the safest version of an operating system ever. Oh, it’s safer than Windows XP or other prior versions of Windows – and it does it without fading your screen to black and asking you to confirm each operation.

Microsoft have gone over the top with Vista’s user account control, but they have a problem largely of their own making. It’s rare to find a Windows user who logs in under one account, and performs systems administrative tasks under another. Consequently, Windows has a legacy of users running as local administrators who have full control over their machine.

Linux has never been this way; users are always been encouraged to run under a user account with limitations imposed. Because of this, Linux has always made it harder for people to accidently delete operating systems files, or infest their system with virii.

#2 Because all of your music is just a remote control click away

Ubuntu’s media centre simply has to be experienced. It is easily installed via apt or Synaptic no matter your base configuration.

Like Microsoft’s Windows Media Centre, Ubuntu’s media centre will transform your computer into a home entertainment system. A rich set of movie file formats is included without having to locate additional codecs. Another option is MythTV.

Quite unlike Microsoft’s Windows Media Centre, and whichever you choose, Ubuntu’s options are free. In fact, it should be noted Media Centre comes with but two versions of Windows Vista. Those who opt for Vista Home Basic or Vista Business edition will most definitely not be making use of it.

In practical terms, however, Ubuntu comes in just one variant – “the lot”.

#1 It makes using your PC a breeze.

The cliché literally is true: Ubuntu just works. You install it and it runs. In fact, you can test it out. Without harming your computer in any way, you can boot from the Ubuntu CD and give it a complete whirl on your machine. If you don’t like it, nothing’s lost. You just remove the CD and boot back in to your existing operating system.

Ubuntu is the operating system your granny can use. And what a dutiful grandchild you’d be setting her up with it. Imagine not having to explain blue screens of death, or UAC, or program crashes and lockups.

Thanks, Microsoft, for these top 10 reasons why we should upgrade. Let’s take up that advice. Time to load Gutsy Gibbon.

3d effects with ATI and ubuntu

Finally... got ubuntu gutsy gibbon working on my COMpaq NC8430 laptop. Major mission to get the 3d effects working with the ghey ati drivers.

Thanks to this article:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=569654

Thomas is dead

Yep, thomas the cat is dead.
Thomas always fought above his weight, the day we got him another full grown cat came in, and tom turned sideways, pumped himself up and bounced menacingly towards the other cat.
He took on all the cats in the neighbourhood, no problem, even took on our big dog Phitz.

Unfortunately he might have bit off a bit more than he could chew:


Long live Thomas.
We didnt give him as good a life as he deserved, but he was still a great cat.

telling it like it is....

from an email i got:

Minister Tells it like it is……………………………..

It seems prayer still upsets some people. Please read....

When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard;

"Heavenly Father,

We come before you today To ask your forgiveness and To seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good"

But that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium

And reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and Called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness And called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists, And called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline Our children and called it Building self esteem.

We have abused power, And called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's Possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air With profanity and Pornography and called it Freedom of speech and expression.

We have ridiculed the time Honored values of our Forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, And know our hearts today;

Cleanse us from every sin And set us free.

Amen!"

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked Out during the prayer in protest.In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 Of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India , Africa and Korea .

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio Program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our Nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "one nation under God."

"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything."

I found this on snopes.com which seems to suggest the above mail was slightly inaccurate. Their version follows:


Yes, this item is basically true as quoted above. Back in January of 1996, the Rev. Joe Wright, senior pastor of the 2,500-member Central Christian Church in Wichita, was invited to offer the opening prayer at a session of the Kansas House of Representatives (not the Kansas Senate, as claimed in the text), and the prayer he offered was this one (which differs somewhat from the version cited in the text above):

Heavenly Father, we come before you to ask your forgiveness. We seek your direction and your guidance. We know your word says, "Woe to those who call evil good." But that's what we've done.

We've lost our spiritual equilibrium. We have inverted our values. We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.

We've exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We've neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. In the name of choice, we have killed our unborn. In the name of right to life, we have killed abortionists.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it taxes. We have
polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, oh, God, and know our hearts today. Try us. Show us any wickedness within us. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of the State of Kansas, and that they have been ordained by you to govern this great state.

Grant them your wisdom to rule. May their decisions direct us to the center of your will. And, as we continue our prayer and as we come in out of the fog, give us clear minds to accomplish our goals as we begin this Legislature. For we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

The prayer Rev. Wright used wasn't of his own crafting; it was a version of one written in 1995 by Bob Russell who offered it at the Kentucky Governor’s Prayer Breakfast in Frankfort, Kentucky.


Rev. Wright had been invited to serve as the House's guest chaplain by Rep. Anthony Powell, a Wichita Republican who was also a member of Wright's church. Accordingly, Rev. Wright read the prayer at the opening of the legislature on January 23, and departed, unaware of the ruckus he had created until his church secretary called him on his car phone to ask him what he had done.

Reportedly, one Democrat (not "a number of legislators") walked out in protest, three others gave speeches critical of Wright's prayer, and another blasted Wright's "message of intolerance." House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer (also a Democrat) asserted that the prayer "reflects the extreme, radical views that continue to dominate the House Republican agenda since right-wing extremists seized control of the House Republican caucus last year." Rep. Jim Long, a Democrat from Kansas City, said that Wright "made everyone mad." But Rep. Powell, who had invited Wright in the first place, claimed that House Democrats were only trying to make political points with their criticism and affirmed that he supported the theme of the prayer.

Rev. Wright said afterwards: "I certainly did not mean to be offensive to individuals, but I don't apologize for the truth." His staff stopped counting the telephone calls that came from every state and many foreign countries after the first 6,500. Wright appeared on dozens of radio shows and was the subject of numerous TV and print news reports, and his prayer stirred up controversy all over again when it was read by the chaplain coordinator in the Nebraska legislature the following month. Wright later explained, "I thought I might get a call from an angry congressman or two, but I was talking to God, not them. The whole point was to say that we all have sins that we need to repent all of us . . . The problem, I guess, is that you're not supposed to get too specific when you're talking about sin."


What to make of all the fuss? Syndicated religion columnist Terry Mattingly probably explained it best when he wrote: "The easy answer is that he read a prayer about sin. The complicated answer is that Wright jumped into America's tense debate about whether some things are always right and some things are always wrong."

Some people get upset when politics intrude into religion; others are irritated when religion intrudes into politics. As in war, the "intruder" is always the guy on the other side.

My Daughter: Alexandra

Rugby World Cup

Thought i'd post this old try scored against the all blacks..