Thursday, April 28, 2016

"These nuisances and pests . . ." -- a Trinidadian Talk show host on Power 102 FM goes way too far in cutting off a Jamaican caller

Just now I ran across an Antigua Observer article (taken from Jamaica's Gleaner) [Gleaner link here has security issues] on how a Talk show host on Power 102 FM in Trinidad cut off a Jamaican caller, then said:
 “I expect the immigration officers at PIARCO (Piarco International Airport), and elsewhere, to be even more stringent wid how much of these nuisances and pests, and threateners and criminal elements, they allow to come on our shore”.

He further said: “They have a strong influence on the crime in the community, the police know it, so callers who might … you in the university lecturing, that caller when he leave, he might go home to his house in Westmoorings or wherever, that other Jamaican caller is calling his criminal friends in Jamaica to monitor me and attempting to intimidate me, he may be safe based on what he does.”
This goes way too far, it is patent bigotry and prejudice against Jamaicans as a class.

It needs to be walked back with a very serious and sincere apology, and some serious rethinking needs to happen about how people are being viewed and treated across the Caribbean. END

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Sci-tech watch, 28: Back to analogue cores for the digital processor future?

Doug Burger discusses with Microsoft technical people how Moore's Law may be running out of steam (as Dennard scaling has already been broken) so it is worth looking at whether analogue units will be embedded in processors to gain room for faster processing:



Food for thought as we look to the next generation length long wave of economic transformation. END

Thursday, April 14, 2016

1 Chron 12:32 report, 124: Lance Wallnau on the power of message unity and clarity

Yes, the seven mountains vision guy. 

Here he is on the clarity of reformation message to the nations challenge in the face of yet another pivotal US election cycle in which the increasingly dominant radical de-christianisation of our civilisation agenda is poised to make another quantum leap ahead . . . in our ongoing march of folly over the cliff:


Over the cliff:




Or, more analytically:

Well worth pondering.

For instance, here is a flip-chart sketch in which he lays out a key analysis:



In this we first see a confused church leadership/voices pulling in all sorts of directions on various issues and concerns because of want of unified strategic vision and focus. 

The second stage shows what a unified vision and focus would do, create a massive socio-cultural movement of reformation. And yes, in case you missed it, Eph 4:9 - 24 makes it quite plain the gospel message calls for transformation of culture through the gospel as the fulness of Christ in loving grace pervades "all things." Likewise, when the Great Commission of Matt 28:18 - 20 calls us to disciple the nations, baptising them and teaching them to live based on Jesus' commands as Lord and Saviour, it is a call to repentance, renewal, revival and reformation. That is the foundation of discipleship.

Infographic (integrating the seven mountains message as a simple way to capture the "filling all things" challenge and tie it to discipleship foundations):



Seven Mountains?



The third panel shows the challenge of democracy, on the principle that elections are won or lost in the muddled middle. Where, there is an ongoing worldviews culture struggle in our civilisation as radical dechristianisers and even islamists are pulling us this way and that, too often ruthlessly manipulating the confused. 

In such a context, clarity and unity of strategic focus becomes a critical challenge for the church.

Which is precisely what has long been missing.

Here in the Caribbean, the pattern is similar, as the two tidal waves challenge confronts us:



Ironically, we the Christians of the Caribbean have a major strategic opportunity under our missionary mandate, to be the third tidal wave:



Are we open to rethink, regroup and make the most of our opportunities in the face of an evil day? 

Or, will the Lord of the Harvest find us wanting?

So, it is back to the Mordecai challenge.

Why not NOW, why not HERE, why not US?  END

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Sci-tech watch, 27: With the RCA Cambio 10.1 inch two-in-one for~ US$ 129, Windows 10 machines move into the educational tablet zone

A few days back, I ran across a new tablet in a local shop, an RCA brand*, RCA Viking Pro 10 2-in-one 10.1 inch Android tablet with magnetic-locking keyboard that looked like an interesting tablet development relative to our education focus. 
__________
 * NB: RCA since about 1985, has been in effect a licensed brand name rather than a separate operating entity. (A fate similar to that of many other formerly great Electronics corporations.)

It is, and I did a web search. 

Very interesting, and as I saw it is going at Amazon (and Walmart too) for ~ US$ 80 [ --> at Walmart], that looks like a very interesting deal.

But the surprise was its sister that, as headlined above moves windows into the edu tablet zone that is of interest to us here at KF blog:  the  RCA Cambio 10.1 inch two-in-one for~  US$ 129. 

Windows 10 machines are now clearly in the educational tablet zone, especially if we go for say Libre Office as the productivity suite:

Let me clip from a short discussion by Marshal Rosenthal:
By possessing a real keyboard (not software oriented) and a real OS, it bridges the gap between tablet and PC effectively and efficiently as a hybrid that provides the best of both technologies . . . .
[T]he 2 lb. Cambio has a display that's about 10 inches (diagonal) in reality and so provides a bit more space than the more conventionally found 10 inch tablet. The resolution is high enough (1280 X 800) for fine detail to be seen -- be that text or otherwise. There's a microSD card slot for increasing the storage capacity (32GB comes built-in, as does 2GB for memory) and there's also the following outputs which make it suitable for use with accessories that plug in (as there's also Bluetooth, such things as auxiliary keyboards, mice and even speakers can be used): there's a standard USB port (for use with external devices like a hard drive, etc.) and a micro-USB port (for charging) and an HDMI out so you can send the video to an external display or a TV. Sound is conveyed through a built in speaker that provides decent results, in fact the sound is a bit louder than most tablets of this size. Think of the speaker as a casual use, a convenience and just plug in headphones when more quality listening (stereo or otherwise) is desired.

There's also a connection for use with the included keyboard: as noted above, this keyboard has a full set of keys, including those usable with Windows, and there is also a small integral trackpad. The Keyboard doesn’t require being charged by itself and makes a hard connection for a firm fit using magnets as part of the means and then swings over to cover the tablet when not in use or traveling. The keyboard also functions as a kickstand . . .
A video review may be worth watching too:



All in all, a sign of things to come, and obviously something that -- with reasonable care -- is useful right now for home or education or light work purposes. 

For sure, I am taking a closer look. END

Friday, April 08, 2016

How to brainwash a nation (1985)

A four stage process, vid:


A summary of stages:
  1. Demoralize a nation (15-20 years): Expose your ideology to your nation’s “soft heads”.  At the higher stage, the citizens of that country start brainwashing their own countrymen.
  2. Destabilization (2-5 years):  does not care about your patterns.  Essentials are attacked – Defense, Economy and Polity.
  3. Crisis (6 weeks): bring a country to crisis in such a way that violent change happens, which is followed by the next stage.
  4. Normalization (infinite period): This is “tongue-in-cheek” and cynical.  Because Normalization means adherence of the enemy country to your own ideology.  The people who were instrumental in bringing the enemy country to this stage are “lined up against the wall and shot dead”.
This was 1985. END

Saturday, April 02, 2016

The collect, Non Nobis Domine (post Gunpowder plot) . . . .

ALMIGHTY God, who hast in all ages shewed thy power and mercy in the miraculous and gracious deliverance of thy Church, and in the protection of righteous and religious Kings and States, professing thy holy and eternal truth, from the wicked conspiracies and malicious practices of all the enemies thereof; We yield thee our unfeigned thanks and praise for the wonderful and mighty deliverance of our gracious Sovereign King James, the Queen, the Prince, and all the Royal Branches, with the Nobility, Clergy, and Commons of England, then assembled in Parliament, by Popish treachery appointed as sheep to the slaughter, in a most barbarous, and savage manner, beyond the examples of former ages. From this unnatural conspiracy, not our merit, but thy mercy; not our foresight, but thy providence, delivered us: And therefore, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us; but unto thy Name be ascribed all honour and glory in all Churches of the saints, from generation to generation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Video, from King Henry the 5th:




The chronicler, per Hall:

When the kyng had passed through the felde & saw neither resistence nor apparaunce of any Frenchmen sauyng the dead corsses, he caused the retrayte to be blowen and brought al his armie together about, iiij. of the clocke at after noone. And fyrst to geue thankes to almightie God geuer & tributor of this glorious victory, he caused his prelates & chapelaines fyrst to sing this psalme In exitu Israel de Egipto. commaundyng euery man to knele doune on the ground at this verse. Non nobis domine, non nobis, sed nomine tuo da gloriam, whiche is to say in Englishe, Not to vs lord, not to vs, but to thy name let the glory be geuen: whiche done he caused Te deum with certeine anthemes to be song geuyng laudes and praisyngcs to God, and not boastyng nor braggyng of him selfe nor his humane power.

END