KairosFocus

Capacity Focus, 33: Tesla -- let us breeze our heads out on the tragic side of genius, by thinking about Nikola Tesla, electrical genius

2012-01-27T12:49:00.002-04:00

Nikola Tesla is probably most commonly mentioned in our day by the unit of magnetic induction named for him; though there is a bit of a lunatic fringe fascinated by his work with high frequency electricity and wireless power. But, regardless of how he came to die in poverty and is at best dimly remembered, he is a genius of Electricity who opened doors for global electrification: (A second

Capacity Focus, 32: Akiane -- let us breeze our heads out by listening to Akiane Kramarik, an inspired artistic genius

2012-01-27T11:26:00.002-04:00

Here is a third astonishing case, Akiane Kramarik: (Interview here.) Wikipedia's stub article is almost as impressive for what it cannot gainsay, as for what it says:Akiane Kramarik was born in Mount Morris, Illinois to a Lithuanian mother and an American father. She is homeschooled.[1] She is primarily a self-taught painter. However, she states that God has given her the visions and abilities

Capacity Focus, 32: Bluejay -- let us breeze our heads out on what genius can do, by watching a once- in- 200- years musical prodigy in action

2012-01-20T08:13:00.001-04:00

"Bluejay" (Jay Greenberg, now about 20 years old) at the time of this video was a twelve year old musical prodigy in New York: Let us reflect on genuine God-given giftedness and blessing, and on how we must open our hearts and minds to it, so we can build on it. If, we want breakthrough progress. END HT: BA 77, over at UD.

Capacity Focus, 31: " Insanely great . . . " -- to breeze out our minds on how things can get done, let us watch the Macintosh story

2012-01-19T12:39:00.001-04:00

Just to help us think out of the box all over again . . . and to help us remember what Steve Jobs was: So, now, can we re-invent the Caribbean? Education? business? Government & politics? Policymaking? Planning? Business? The way we do new things as a people? As a church? So, again, let us ask: why not now, why not here, why not us? END PS: Steve Jobs tells the story of the first 100 days of

Wikipedia's protest

2012-01-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

Today, Wikipedia in English is blacked out, to protest proposed legislation against "piracy," etc.: I am of course on the whole in agreement with UD News on Wikipedia, generally and on this subject:Regular readers will know that we do not recommend Wikipedia as a resource for any ID-related topic, and news staff scrupulously avoid it wherever possible on any other topic. [NB: I will use it

1 Chron 12:32 report (New Series) 101: The Parable of the Prodigal Son -- a message to atheists and others who would willfully turn away from God; and to those who must help them find their way back,and welcome them home

2012-01-16T07:48:00.006-04:00

Our civilisation today is haunted by an aggressive "new atheism" that sees its adherents as the "brights," and typically views those who would take the triune Creator-redeemer God of the Bible, the gospel and the scriptures seriously as "ignorant, stupid, insane or wicked." Some advocates go so far as to outright declare that to try to raise children under God in home and church is "child abuse

Matt 24 watch, 150: Visually exposing the Anti-Christ spirit of Nazism (and correcting the New Atheist "Hitler was a Christian" smear often used in retort to exposing* the Social Darwinist history of ideas roots of Hitler's thought)

2012-01-09T18:47:00.018-04:00

(NB: Response to Dr L Moran et al is at F/N 2, below) One of the things that astonishes me, is the increasingly commonly encountered New Atheist Internet talking point that "Hitler was a Christian"; an attempt to taint the Christian Faith with the horrors of Nazism. In initial reply, we may immediately observe that Hitler was the main advocate of the Big Lie propaganda technique of telling huge

Matt 24 watch, 149: A revealing moment -- at a Tea Party rally as a Marine sings "O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand . . . "

2012-01-09T11:09:00.001-04:00

A longstanding friend, reader of this blog and colleague shared an email with me overnight, in which at a Tea Party -- yes, this is the Tea Party -- rally in the USA, a former Marine, answered as to how he would educate the upcoming generation on the godly heritage of the USA. He did so, by singing the FOURTH stanza of the US National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, which begins "O! thus be it

Matt 24 watch, 148b: But, the Trinity doctrine does not make sense, any more than 1 + 1 + 1 = 1, and was an imposition by Constantine, etc . . .

2012-01-09T07:24:00.006-04:00

Last time, we looked at a warning from an ex muslim, which raised the issue of the reasonableness of the Triune Christian view of God. Let us address this further, based on some work in the in-progress NCSTS course, first pausing to examine the key texts that provide the Scriptural imperative, here on, in context. Clips: Clip 1a, on the gap between what is indeed logically coherent and what is

Matt 24 watch, 148: Under duties of care to caution -- a warning from an ex-Muslim

2012-01-08T08:41:00.006-04:00

As readers of this blog will realise, I am much more inclined to explore things like polywell fusion reactors and possibilities for energy and development -- or even solar system exploration, than to delve on matters that are bound to be controversial and painful. But, I fear I must draw our attention to some significant cautions, as a duty of care. In this case, let us begin with the report

Capacity Focus, 30: The Polywell -- polyhedral potential well -- fusion reactor initiative

2012-01-07T12:54:00.006-04:00

The Wb-6 Polywell lab scale reactor Over the past twenty or so years, Robert Bussard and his successors have championed a polyhedral electrostatic potential well fusion reactor, that if successful would be orders of magnitude more compact and less expensive than the Tokamak toroidal design that has been dominant in fusion research in recent years. The basic concept of the polywell reactor is

1 Chron 12:32 report (New Series) 100: The Visual Bible initiative -- the Gospel of John

2012-01-04T09:21:00.000-04:00

We live in a visual, multimedia age, where even the brightest youngsters are at best in two minds about acres of print in thick books. That means we have to rethink how we reach out to this generation with the gospel. For, thick, fine print books with few illustrations and little or no colour simply will not get attention. And, long monotone speeches from a pulpit without any visual

Matt 24 watch, 147: Responding to a question on the Talpiot claimed tomb of Jesus and family

2011-12-27T11:07:00.001-04:00

In a discussion of the nativity account over the Christmas break, the question of the Talpiot claimed tomb of Jesus and family, in Jerusalem -- not Galilee or Bethlehem -- was raised. [U/D, Jan 4:] Expedition Bible responds: Philip Cunningham (who had the original video embed) goes on to provide some relevant notes and a link to Craig's corrective paper on the mathematics in the recent

A short vid: History and the Nativity

2011-12-25T12:02:00.004-04:00

John Ankerberg has a brief video on the historicity of the Nativity, worth watching here: A good short overview that emphasises the significance of the criterion of embarrassment. Noted NT Scholar Gary Habermas gives a summary here: This gives a more detailed overview, emphasising reasons to accept that we are dealing with record of credible, eyewitness testimony: (This vid addresses

Capacity Focus, 29: Robots, controls and mechatronics in compuer studies, and in information & technology education

2011-12-23T07:42:00.005-04:00

The OWI Robot Arm Edge "toy" As we continue to think about using robots and other mechatronic devices --wiki: "Mechatronics is the combination of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, control engineering, and systems design engineering in order to design, and manufacture useful products" -- . . . in technology education, we first have to

Capacity Focus, 28: Using the Arduino (or a comparable unit: the Raspberry Pi etc . . . ) microcontroller board to teach the basic art of electronics and digital control, for all

2011-12-16T08:07:00.003-04:00

A generation ago, Horowitz and Hill's famous book, The Art of Electronics, opened up a whole new way to think about learning and doing electronics, for those not particularly inclined to become full bore electronics engineers but who would find some ability to work with electronics helpful for their own work. An Arduino open source single board microcontroller, showing key chips and ports on

Capacity Focus, 27: A gap -- a need for an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for writing Java software ON the cradled Android Tablet

2011-12-14T06:37:00.001-04:00

A cradled Android Tablet: how can this be used as a valid program-writing platform, for programming for all? While there are various options for writing and compiling software for the Android (on PC's etc), there seems to currently be a gap when it comes to having a local -- not cloud -- IDE for writing software USING the Android Tablet. The various IDE's on the cloud are helpful, for what

Capacity Focus, 26: What about Bible Study apps for the Android mobile operating system?

2011-12-13T08:06:00.002-04:00

The envisioned educational computing platform, a cradled Android Tablet, with keyboard and wireless web access, will need to have local Bible Study software. "Apps" as such application programs are called in this context. The Word and eSword do not seem to have been ported to Android as yet, though these remain the recommended freeware applications for PCs. (Macs are almost irrelevant in the

Capacity Focus, 25: Libre (Open) Office, the Android mobile operating system, and office productivity on tablet PCs

2011-12-12T08:22:00.000-04:00

The Libre Office Logo Libre Office is a fork of the well-respected Sun [Now, Oracle] Open Source -- i.e. free for download -- office productivity software, Open Office. I have come to use this as my main office productivity package, retaining an old MS Office suite as a means of compatibility. We should note, that the open document format used by OO is an ISO standard, and is solid. OO family

Matt 24 watch, 146b: Responding to the (implicitly anti-Semitic) Bible difficulties rhetorical game used to drag disucssions of unwelcome issues into a polarising side-track

2011-12-11T01:01:00.014-04:00

In response to the just previous post here at KF blog, which I linked at UD, the immediate reply by one of the ilk of the hate mailer I exposed, was an attempt to drag the UD thread off into a side track on whether or not Deuteronomy 22 is [im]morally equivalent to the recent case in Iran where a young woman, having been raped, was sentenced to gaol for 12 years for fornication; and could only

Matt 24 watch, 146: Responding to a bit of hate-mail and using the opportunity to ground ethics of good citizenship and government, thus also reform; also showing warrant for Christian faith

2011-12-10T08:17:00.001-04:00

As regular readers of this blog will know, there are hate sites that spend a fair amount of time spewing vitriol over anything I and others who profess faith in Christ have to say of significance on the Internet. This is of course part of the Matt 24 pattern of the end of days. Bibi Aisha, a victim of human trafficking, enslavement (to pay for a relative's murder of a member of a different

Matt 24 Watch, 145: Rape victim in Afghanistan forced to marry her rapist, to get out of gaol

2011-12-06T20:18:00.002-04:00

This video is for the unbelievable department, courtesy Atlas Shrugs: Geller comments:Under Islamic law, the emphasis is not so much on the crime of rape but on the shame that the woman has brought upon her family by her sexual immorality, even if it was forced. So that shame can be washed away by her marrying the rapist. Islam's emphasis is wholly and completely upon women as

Capacity Focus, 24: A useful carrying folder and keyboard for educational tablets

2011-12-04T07:22:00.000-04:00

A tablet in a case; no commercial endorsement implied. (HT: Amazon) A useful way to set up a 7" or so educational tablet, is to slip it into a cradle that is in a leatherette folder with a USB keyboard and a prop behind the flip-up tablet holder. Such a folder will also have as well a stylus holder. Such cases seem to be already on offer commercially, for less than US$ 20, though of

Matt 24 Watch, 144: Simon Wiesenthal Center storm warning on Egypt

2011-12-02T08:06:00.002-04:00

From a current SWC newsletter and briefing, it seems -- unfortunately -- that, in Egypt, we are now rapidly moving from the hailed "Arab Spring" to a militant IslamIST Winter. (This, is as was predicted by those who know the general history of radical revolutions; which strongly tend to extremism . . . ) The context for the report is the current parliamentary election; as the SWC Dec 1, 2011

Capacity Focus, 23: Some helpful digital library resources

2011-12-01T08:55:00.001-04:00

In exploring digital library resources, I have encountered the Greenstone open source digital library management system software. In looking at this, I have come across a key development related resource in New Zealand-based University of Waikato's Digital Library. I therefore wish to share some interesting pages here: 1: Humanity Development Library 2.0, "a large collection of practical

Capacity Focus, 22: How could a Cybercollege and programmes such as the AA CCS pay their way?

2011-11-27T08:15:00.007-04:00

Solomon famously said that "money is the answer to all things" [Eccles 10:19b] and while money is not the only key resource in developing something like the proposed AA CCS, regional digital library and associated cyber college linked to microcampus centres in a network, it is a legitimate issue and key constraint. Let us think in steps, in a generic, in-principle way (we will not do a full

Capacity Focus, 21: Re-presenting the proposed AA CCS associate degree programme

2011-11-25T09:01:00.001-04:00

Having gone through several component parts and new ideas for a few months now, I think it is time to reflect, again, on the proposed AA CCS -- Associate Degree in Arts, Concentration in Caribbean Christian Service [including "Tentmaking" skills] -- cybercampus and microcampus centre based programme. Programme design, in overview: The proposed, Caribbean region AA CCS Programme, based on the "

Capacity Focus, 20: A digital multimedia lab for all -- the Skokie Illinois public library case study

2011-11-24T06:32:00.000-04:00

The Digital Media Lab, Skokie Illinois Public Library The ability to create rich multimedia content -- integrating video, sound, images, slides, animations, simulations etc -- is a key cluster of productivity and effective comunication skills for the emerging digital age. It is so important, that we need to find a way to implement "multimedia for all," again using the Pareto 20/80 principle:

Capacity Focus, 19: Raspberry Pi, a US$ 25 Linux single board, fully functional PC the size of a credit card

2011-11-22T16:20:00.001-04:00

Raspberry Pi Logo A credible US$ 25 PC is a potential game-changer. And so, it is red-hot news, that for education, and for hobbyist experimentation, next month, DV, we will see the launch of a US$ 25, credit or business card sized Linux, fully functional PC based on a 770 MHz ARM processor. Backed, among others, by Cambridge University. The Raspberry Pi. (Cf. Wikipedia article here.) Of

Capacity Focus, 18: Could we create a regional eBook library to support general and theological education?

2011-11-22T14:39:00.005-04:00

A conversation with a local pastor today, on the Java course idea under development led to his making reference to how profs in his Seminary were able to access electronic copies of books at academic libraries overseas as a part of their advanced studies. A light bulb went off. Why don't we create a regional digital, eBook-based library connected with the Caribbean Evangelical Theological

Capacity Focus, 17: Cambridge Exams Syndicate withdraws -- an opportunity?

2011-11-21T06:55:00.002-04:00

Several days ago, the local news had an announcement from the Ministry of Education. Cambridge Exams Syndicate, owing to declining registration in this part of the Caribbean, was withdrawing services, and to protect the integrity of papers, students would have to sit exams in synch with another region [it seems, West Africa?], requiring sitting papers at 4 am and 8 am, instead of the accustomed

Professor Richard Weikart's lecture on the historical lines from Darwin to Hitler

2011-11-18T05:15:00.008-04:00

For record, we need to note this lecture by professor Richard Weikart of the University of California, at UCSB: Unpleasant but important listening. It would also repay the time to read the essay here, and to note the remarks in this blog here. (I note there are turnabout attempts at the usual hate sites. Simply pay attention to the documented record -- which Weikart competently summarises;

Matt 24 Watch, 143: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, a sad case and sadder portent in Iran

2011-11-11T10:09:00.001-04:00

The case of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani of Iran has been in and out of headlines for a while. An indication of what is going on can be had from the lead to the Wikipedia article on him: Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani Youcef Nadarkhani (born 1977) (first name also spelled Yousef, Youssef, or Yousof; last name also spelled Nadar-Khani or Nadar Khani) is an Iranian Christian pastor who has been sentenced

Armistice Day

2011-11-11T09:14:00.001-04:00

Today is the anniversary of the end of fighting during the First World War, proverbially at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month; so let us remember that the price for folly and arrogance in the state may be rivers of blood, paid out too often by the best and brightest. END

Capacity Focus, 16: Java Hello World -- first steps towards Computer Programming for all

2011-11-10T11:14:00.018-04:00

One of my deep-set education-and-development concerns is that here in the Caribbean, we are by and large participating in the digital world as consumers [think, music players, cell and smart phone and lap tops etc.], rather than as economically viable producers. This is worrying in light of the accelerating pace of digitalisation of the global economy. For instance, consider how in 1997, when Mr

Matt 24 Watch, 142c: Professor Craig interviewed after Oxford by Dr Frank Turek -- let's roll the tape

2011-11-10T06:53:00.001-04:00

Professor Craig, having returned from the Oxford non-debate, is interviewed by Dr Frank Turek: Well worth the 30 minutes to watch. END

Matt 24 Watch, 142b: The "is God a Delusion?" no-show empty chair lecture and panel at Oxford Oct25, 2011 -- let's roll the tape

2011-11-08T17:50:00.002-04:00

The No-show lecture and panel response at Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre: As the blurb records:http://reasonablefaith.org - Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford (October 25, 2011) Richard Dawkins was invited by the Oxford student Christian Union to defend his book The God Delusion in public debate with William Lane Craig. The invitation remained open until the last minute. However, Dawkins refused the

Matt 24 Watch, 142a: Professor Dawkins' manipulation of moral sensibilites -- let's roll the tape

2011-11-03T07:04:00.006-04:00

For record (and in reply to ever so much turnabout rhetoric), let's roll the tape on the cynical manipulation by professor Richard Dawkins, as was discussed here at KF a few days ago: If you take time to watch [11m:55s], you will see that professor Dawkins is evidently on record that he cannot find a cogent moral objection to infanticide, and that he similarly cannot find a cogent moral

Matt 24 Watch, 142: Neighbourhood bullies . . . and the dangers of ill-informed (or outright cynical) gotcha rhetoric manipulating the public in democratic polities

2011-10-30T07:58:00.010-04:00

CY, in an exchange at the UD blog, draws our attention to Bob Dylan's 1983 song, Neighbourhood Bully: This biting commentary on ill-informed and/or cynically manipulated public opinion in our day, is sobering backdrop for addressing a wider cluster of issues. It is worth pausing to note that not only has there been a report that Iran is within six months of nuke weapon production capacity if it

Capacity Focus, 15: Ubislate/Aakash, the Indian, "$35" tablet /Slate PC is here!

2011-10-05T17:15:00.002-04:00

The Ubislate/Aakash, ~ US$70 This blog has been tracking the rise of the sub- US$100, Tablet PC as a new platform for student computing. With textbook costs heading for US$ 100 each, and with the rise of the ebook, wireless computing, and of the Android open source mobile device operating system, an Educational Tablet PC revolution is predictable, based on a modification of mobile phone

Capacity Focus, 14: Print on Demand, Risograph and other related short-run print technologies for education and training

2011-10-03T15:34:00.002-04:00

One of the challenges for a regional education effort is the need to cover short-run printing needs cost effectively. And, nowadays, that includes not just course readers, manuals, exam papers etc, but also reproduction of CDs or DVDs and their labels. Risograph CZ-180 Tabletop, c. US$ 1500 - 2000 A first step to that is the Risograph style digital duplicator, in the range of 300 - 600 dots

Matt 24 Watch, 141: How soon we forget the holocaust, and how easily we refuse to see what is going on in our own day

2011-10-02T07:57:00.000-04:00

Today, we need to look at something -- Ray Comfort's "180" video -- that will take up a bit over half an hour, and will not be comfortable viewing. Indeed, it has a warning on gruesomely graphic content, taken from the Holocaust. (And, yes, these things happened within living memory; and I have personally seen such materials and the like in the official records of the trials of the major war

Capacity Focus, 13: "O Level" Computer Studies in the Caribbean and foundational educational capacity for a high tech world

2011-10-01T09:27:00.008-04:00

Just over a week ago, Sept 24, the KF blog looked at O Level Physics as a gateway, foundational education issue for our region's survival in a high tech age. Just before that, Sept 11, we looked at a way to upgrade our educators ("training the trainers") through an in-Service Dip Ed leading to a Master's Degree in Education. Machakos Girls School, Kenya, Africa: some ideas for what is possible

BREAKING: Major longitudinal (across-time) study showing spiritually motivated changes in sexual orientation

2011-09-30T05:29:00.002-04:00

A September 26, 2011 press release, below, documents breakthrough long-term results on changes in sexual orientation; as published in the Journal, Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, Volume 37, pages 404-427. [More detailed report on the study, here.] (HT: PT of ADF.) Of course on such a politically incorrect result in such a contentious field, there are many objections etc. You may wish to look

Pause for beauty -- the butterfly and what it tells us about our world

2011-09-29T19:11:00.002-04:00

We have had a pretty intense couple of weeks here at the KF blog. (BTW, take a look at some new features in the RH column. For instance, do you like the key commodities price tracker?) Let's pause for beauty and look at the following visually lush and provocative Ilustra Media trailer for their new DVD, Metamorphosis: Well worth the five minutes to see it! Thought-provoking, too, and it would

Matt 24 Watch, 140: As the new Montserrat Constitution Order (2010) comes into effect, yet another UK case of homosexualisation of law, law enforcement, and anti-Christian bigotry surfaces

2011-09-27T06:41:00.002-04:00

In recent months this blog has noted on the Bull and Johns cases of homosexualisation of law and courts in the UK, whereby a bed and breakfast was fined and a successful foster parenting couple were barred from further foster parenting through the legal impact of radical homosexualist activism. Watchword DVD -- banned in Lancashire, UK! Sadly, as a UK case just this past weekend -- coming days

DEVELOPING: Prime Minister Netanyahu on Meet The Press (vs. Mr Abbas as clipped by Palestine Media Watch)

2011-09-26T11:49:00.003-04:00

Is a two-state solution viable in the ME? Video with Mr Netanyahu: Clips of Mr Abbas on Palestine Media Watch: We can clearly see the gulf -- addressed yesterday -- that would have to be bridged if a real peace is to become possible. END

Matt 24 Watch, 139: Iran may be six months away from a nuclear weapon

2011-09-26T06:50:00.005-04:00

The IslamIST attitude and agenda, per Islamic Thinkers Society 2006 street protest, NY (under the doctrines of fair use and free comment) Over the past week or so, I have been following up on the unilateral statehood bid by Mr Abbas et al, in the UN. Yesterday, I laid out my case -- updated overnight [note the onward links] -- on why I am very pessimistic about the implications of what is

Matt 24 Watch, 138: Some poisonous roots of Middle East bitterness

2011-09-25T15:14:00.012-04:00

As those who followed my remarks over the last week or so -- cf. here: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in light of a short Flash presentation here, timeline here, a synopsis here [cf. here for a view by a Messianic Jewish onlooker and here for audio of Hal Lindsey's astonishing Sept 23, 2011 report], and references here, here, here, here and here (also here) with here, here, here, here and here (cf. here,

Capacity Focus, 12: "O Level" Physics in the Caribbean and foundational educational capacity for a high tech world

2011-09-24T06:05:00.006-04:00

The subtle Tower of Pisa experiment (Cf. discussion here, lab exercise here) Physics is the foundational physical science, and (including astronomy) it was at the heart of the scientific revolution from 1543 - 1700 that has so transformed our world. Physics and allied sciences and fields such as Chemistry, Computer Science [not just Information Technology!], Biology, Engineering/Technology and

DEVELOPING, 2: PM Netanyahu of Israel replies to Mr Abbas, at the UN

2011-09-23T16:11:00.007-04:00

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has now responded at the UN. (Text here.) CSPAN has a video here. UPDATE: First video, on Youtube: There is a Jamaican saying that is all too apt: Fire deh pon mus mus tail, but 'im tink seh cool breeze de deh! [The mouse's tail is on fire but it thinks it is a cooling breeze, not a fire.]Key points, via Ynet News: The potential threat to Israel The

DEVELOPING: Abbas asks UN to grant statehood, calls Israel an apartheid state bent on ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem

2011-09-23T13:41:00.001-04:00

Following up from the ticking time-bomb, Amb. Bolton's warning and ground zero at Turtle bay posts here at KF, Telegraph is live blogging the developments with the ongoing Palestinian Arab statehood bid at the 66th General Assembly of the UN, here. As at the time of posting the timelined live-blogging remarks are: 18:06 (13:06) During his speech Abbas said he was calling for a return to the

BREAKING: Possible Neutrinos moving at superluminal speeds at CERN!

2011-09-22T18:37:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid and was bored in Chem classes I would occasionally daydream of a messenger arriving at the classroom door to tell the late, great, Fr Farrell of a scientific breakthrough. Of course, in later years, I always assumed that it would be years before a breakthrough would filter down to High School Chem. But, today, may be a possible day like that. According to a BBC report from CERN

Capacity Focus, 11: How John Boyd's OODA Loop can help us understand and respond well to our times, their opportunities and challenges

2011-09-22T10:49:00.004-04:00

The OODA Loop A few days ago, I came across a reference to the late USAF Col. John Boyd's OODA model for strategic decision-making. This model helps pull together a lot of my recent thinking on strategic decision-making, and so it has triggered a fair amount of reflection. I think this is highly relevant to the question of building effective strategic decision-making capacity for the Caribbean

Matt 24 Watch, 137: Mr Obama's diplomatic time-bomb ticks away . . .

2011-09-22T06:47:00.005-04:00

Potential threats to Israel from a hostile Palestinian Arab state One of the key questions we need to ask about the sudden push to unilaterally declare a Palestinian Arab -- and, revealingly, Judenrein: "Jew-free" -- State [cf. here and here] is, why now? [UPDATE: It seems there may be some postponements in the wave of diplomatic moves, due to the US and French initiatives in the UN over the

Matt 24 Watch, 136: Former US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, on the upcoming Palestinian diplomatic gambit at the UN to declare it unilaterally a state, thus destroying the Oslo peace process

2011-09-20T16:51:00.009-04:00

As noted in a previous post, it seems that on Friday next, there will be a showdown at the UN, by which the Palestinian Arab delegation will ask for a UN Security Council Vote to accept Palestine (apparently with borders set by the pre-1967 armistice lines) as a state in the UN. If this fails -- and the United States has indicated that it will veto the proposal, it is likely that the Palestinian

Matt 24 Watch, 135: Col Austin Bay warns about the Egyptian IslamIST militants and their attack on the Israeli embassy

2011-09-19T02:37:00.002-04:00

Col Austin Bay of Strategy Page has posted an opinion piece on the recent militant attack on the Israeli Embassy in Egypt that should give us sobering pause: Mob attack, Israel Embassy, Cairo Initial reports of the mob attack on Israel's Cairo embassy suffer from the usual faults of reporting in chaotic conditions: incomplete information mixed with rumor and allegation. We do know Egyptian

Matt 24 Watch, 133c: Col. Rick Rescorla, the UK-born Vietnam Vet and Morgan-Stanley Dean-Witter security chief who predicted BOTH WTC attacks, and sacrificed his life saving 2,700+ others . . .

2011-09-19T02:02:00.004-04:00

US Army Col., Rick Rescorla If anyone is a true hero of the 9/11 attacks, the late US Army Col. (res.) Rick Rescorla is. He is the man who saw both the 1993 and 2001 WTC terrorist attacks coming, and who tried to warn and prepare for them. Had he been truly listened to and heeded in good time, many thousands of lives lost might have been saved. But, alas, too often we do not heed the most

Matt 24 Watch, 133b: The story of Trinidadian Genelle Guzman-McMillan, last WTC 9/11 survivor to be pulled from the rubble

2011-09-18T19:00:00.006-04:00

Genelle Guzman-McMillan, of Trinidad Genelle Guzman-McMillan, of Trinidad, was a Port Authority worker, working on the 64th floor of one of the WTC towers, on September 11, 2001 when she felt the building shake and heard the noise of the first impact. A look out the window showed papers floating in the sky, but it was not clear what had happened until she saw news reports on a TV in a

Matt 24 Watch, 134: New York (including Turtle Bay) continues to be Ground Zero in World War IV*

2011-09-17T08:27:00.007-04:00

On Sunday just past, Sept 11 2011, we saw the 10th anniversary of Ground Zero at the WTC, NY. (A Spiritually based response of intercessory prayers and more is called for here.) The UN Secretariat, Turtle Bay, New York Sadly, NY continues to be ground zero; as, for one instance this week coming, we will see the "lawfare" push for a unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinian

Matt 24 Watch, 133a: The story of the 9/11 firemen (a documentary from inside the WTC towers) -- let us never forget their courage and sacrifice . . .

2011-09-14T03:00:00.006-04:00

9/11 Attacks, WTC, NY [HT: Wiki] 9/11 was a Tuesday morning in September 2001 that began as an ordinary day, but turned into a global horror story that has defined our times. We must not forget it, and we must never allow our memories and understanding to be shaped by the spinmeisters. For that, Atlas Shrugs -- rough edges, occasional shrillness and all -- is an unequalled source that I have

Capacity Focus, 10: A suggestion for further equipping our educators through a Dip. Ed.

2011-09-11T12:01:00.005-04:00

Here in Montserrat, we have a new Director of Education, and he has changed how CXC/O Level results are reported. As a result, we learned that 25% of the cohort of 5th formers -- as opposed to the percent of students offered to sit the specific exams who passed them (usually considerably higher!) -- were able to obtain at least five CXC's or Ordinary Level "passes," including Math and English.

Matt 24 Watch, 133: Sunday, September 11, 2011 is the tenth Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

2011-09-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

Sunday, September 11, 2011 is the tenth Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Most of us still can remember what we were doing that morning when the news of an aircraft crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers reached us. In my case, my wife called while I was at my desk, and I guessed -- since, in World War II, a bomber had accidentally crashed into the Empire State Building -- it was an

Alvin Plantinga speaks on some common atheist puzzles

2011-08-27T15:33:00.001-04:00

Alvin Plantinga is one of the greatest living philosophers, and is the person who developed the free will defense that has blunted the logical form of the problem of evil and provided a platform for addressing other forms of this well known objection to the reality of God. In this YouTube video, he addresses a range of common atheist's puzzles about God: Well worth the ten or eleven minute pause

Capacity Focus, 9: A wave of low-cost education oriented Tablet PC's over the next year or so . . . ?

2011-08-07T08:13:00.008-04:00

Those who have been following this blog will know that I have been keeping an eye on the emergence of technologies that enable computers and ebook libraries for all, for students. That's because I think that affordable educational computing can and will have a transformative impact on how education, especially education beyond High School, is delivered. A wave is coming that can turn any church

Matt 24 Watch, 129b: A footnote on out of context misreadings of earlier remarks on the Breivik case, from Anti-Evo

2011-08-02T07:36:00.001-04:00

In following up on usage statistics, I came across a sadly revealing comment on the post here at KF blog on Breivik and the media spin game that has played out over his abuse of Christian terminology, symbols and cultural influence. It is worth clipping and commenting, as this reveals the mindset we now have to deal with and -- where possible -- correct. Let us therefore observe Anti Evo

Matt 24 Watch, 132: Responding to the rising tide of strident atheistical advocacy online, on campuses, and on the street

2011-08-01T12:53:00.001-04:00

Today is August Monday [and it is a Monday!], anniversary of the 1834 - 8 ending of slavery in the Caribbean; in material part through the efforts of evangelical, dissenter Christians such as Wilberforce, Buxton and others, who stood up in the teeth of fierce opposition and viciously unfair attack, and in the end counted. In that context, it is appropriate to pause to address the challenge of a

Matt 24 Watch, 131: On not throwing out the baby with the bath-water, or, refusing to be inimidated from resolute objection to IslamISM's agenda

2011-07-28T08:15:00.002-04:00

One of the motivating issues for Mr Breivik is objection to IslamIST supremacy and Jihadism. Unfortunately, this has led to major media attacks on those who, in objecting to the same ideologies, are seen as contributing to this mad- bad- man's murderous rampage. Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch, and Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs, seem to be bearing the brunt of these assaults. So, while I find Ms

Matt 24 Watch, 130: Commentary on the moral equivalency smear tactic against Bible believing Christians

2011-07-27T05:20:00.000-04:00

Fox News Channel commentator Bill O'Reilly has made a significant comment on the way the Breivik mass murder has been -- and in some quarters apparently still is being -- reported on in major media: Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com (This is of course not a general endorsement of the commentator or his station.) Michael Brown, writing in a similar

Matt 24 Watch, 129: Media feeding frenzy and distortions over the Norway mass murder

2011-07-25T07:39:00.001-04:00

======= H/N: I guess we need a header note, for those who have so sadly revealingly missed the point of the below, at Anti Evo. I suggest you cf. here, and here. (And here, here and here (as well, here and here) will also help.) ======== It is now almost sadly predictable that the major international and regional media will misunderstand, fail to do due diligence and will use incidents in the

Matt 24 Watch, 128: 250 Billion BBL Oil shale deposit in Israel . . . ?

2011-07-09T15:45:00.002-04:00

For some years now, natural gas has been found, especially offshore of Israel's Mediterranean coast. Now, it seems that Israel Energy Initiatives has found shale oil, not too far from the same Adullam's Cave where David fled from Saul. According to Judith Levy, who reports on: . . . a chunk of oil shale that had been dug up moments before from 400 meters below ground (1,300 feet, or a bit

Presenting -- Dr Tommyrot on the Dawkins Delusion

2011-07-08T18:41:00.001-04:00

Some years ago, someone prepared a spoof on some of the key arguments in Dr Richasrd Dawkins' The God Delusion and other works. It is well worth a pause to watch/listen to: [HT: UD] The spoof is of course humorous, but makes a few serious points about the need for reasonable and consistent standards of warrant in assessing evidence of design in our world. It will also serve as a useful

Going Nuclear: Cyberstalking design advocates and their families – re: “Say hi to XXXXXXXXXX and the kids for me, you demented child abuser”

2011-07-01T12:29:00.000-04:00

This attempt as headlined to implicitly “out” and threaten my wife and our children – not to mention (per the outrageous rhetoric of Mr Dawkins and fellow New Atheists) to try to falsely smear me as a child abuser for trying to raise my children in a Christian home – moves matters at and around UD beyond the context of debate to something far more poisonously menacing and destructive. So,

Capacity Focus, 8: Israel's Better Place initiative moves towards global deployment of electric vehicle systems towards sustainable global transportation

2011-06-11T07:37:00.003-04:00

Something like half of the oil consumed in the world goes for transportation services. Better Place is an electric vehicle initiative (led by Shai Aggassi, a Technion graduate) that seeks to provide a more sustainable alternative for transportation. Video: In the Caribbean, we need to think about a cluster of alternatives for transportation, including electric vehicles, biofuels [I especially

Capacity Focus, 7: Israel's Technion shows some robotics capabilities

2011-06-08T11:00:00.001-04:00

Israel's Institute of Technology, Technion, has a Youtube video showcasing some robots developed by students and staff: If our region is to have the capacity to be competitive in C21 industrial automation, we will need to master robotics and mechatronics, the integration of electronics, intelligent control, and mechanisms, of which robotics is a key iconic exemplar. As can be seen from: So,

Mt 24 watch, 127: Some Internet Porn Statistics -- brace for the shock, shame and rage

2011-06-08T10:20:00.006-04:00

Pink Cross Foundation is a ministry run by former porn "stars" -- what a distortion of a word! -- that is the best expose of and antidote to porn (especially web porn) that I know of. So, I intend to promote them, on the grounds that when the Americans sneeze, we get pneumonia. I see where for instance in 2003, the divorce lawyers in the US said porn was a factor in 58% of divorces. 54% of

Mt 24 watch, 126: The Muslim brotherhood rises to prominence in Egypt

2011-05-31T13:01:00.000-04:00

Jihad Watch informs us, from Al-Masry Al-Youm, English -- The Egyptian Today: Muslim Brotherhood Sheikh Hazem Abu Ismail announced his intention to run in Egypt’s upcoming presidential elections. He said that if elected he would implement Islamic sharia law and cancel the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. Ismail was the Brotherhood’s candidate in 2005 parliamentary elections for Dokki in

Matt 24 watch, 125c: The Camping case, 3 -- setting a new date while scrubbing the FR site

2011-05-24T08:59:00.003-04:00

(NB: this post follows up from earlier ones (a) mainly on theology issues and (b) mainly on governance breakdown and media tactics, Saturday and Sunday morning.) In a saddening further development, it seems that Mr Camping has now scrubbed the index2 page of his site that formerly had the predictions and brochures on May 21, and has set a new date. According to a May 23rd WND article: All

Matt 24 watch, 125b: The Camping case, 2 -- Mr Camping's grave error, and the Media's graver yet error

2011-05-22T08:10:00.006-04:00

It is Sunday morning, and as expected, yet another last days date-setting exercise has failed. (Image modified from WND, under fair use) We have some lessons to learn on the parallel needs:(a) to fix governance in ever so many churches and parachurch ministries, and (b) just as urgent, to fix our radically secularised, anti-Christian and dangerously hostile global media culture. (And yes, the

Matt 24 watch, 125: The Camping case -- is a strawman being set up?

2011-05-21T06:13:00.002-04:00

I am astonished to see the amount of global media attention being paid to the ongoing Camping story of predicting the end of the world later today. Yesterday, as well, I ran into an emissary of Mr Camping by the rum shop in front of the local hospital, and tried to have a conversation with him. He seemed to be a man running with a message; according to his report, having toured several Caribbean

1 Chron 12:32 report, 71: A powerful video lecture on the da Vinci Code: fact or fiction?

2011-05-17T07:05:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago, I suffered a data loss event (I thought I was adding, and did not realise I was also inadvertently subtracting . . . thanks to those who have helped out with recovery and off site storage so this does not happen again . . . ), and among other things, I had to try to recover the well researched George Oviatt video on Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. While searching, I came across

Matt 24 watch, 124: On the Laminin Cross and the Hubble Cross -- signs to our times?

2011-05-14T14:26:00.003-04:00

A correspondent recently brought the Laminin story to my attention, through this Evangelist Louie Giglio video which he linked in an email: Laminins "are major proteins in the basal lamina (formerly improperly called "basement membrane"), a protein network foundation for most cells and organs. The laminins are an important and biologically active part of the basal lamina, influencing cell

The raid that took Osama out

2011-05-04T08:18:00.001-04:00

Wiki has a compiled summary on the raid, worth excerpting: _______________________ >> After President Obama authorized the mission to kill or capture Osama bin Laden, CIA Director Leon Panetta gave the go-ahead at midday on May 1.[67] The raid was carried out by 20 to 25 helicopter-borne United States Navy SEALs from the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) of the

Heads up: Osama Bin Laden reportedly killed in a raid in Abbottabad, 32 mi from Islamabad, Pakistan

2011-05-02T08:46:00.010-04:00

Overnight, the US President has reported that Osama Bin Laden was killed in a raid on a hill-top compound with 12 - 18 ft barb wire topped walls in Abbottabad, 32 mi N of Islamabad, Pakistan. Map: US DoD sketch of Bin Laden Compound (slideshow): Google Earth picture, HT: WUWT: Summary report here. Clipping: Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is dead and the U.S. has his body, according to

It has come to this . . . "who will stand on either hand, And keep the bridge with me?"

2011-04-05T06:14:00.001-04:00

This, from Macaulay's Horatius: . . . the Consul's brow was sad, And the Consul's speech was low, And darkly looked he at the wall, And darkly at the foe. "Their van will be upon us Before the bridge goes down; And if they once may win the bridge, What hope to save the town?" XXVII Then out spake brave Horatius

Matt 24 watch, 123: The Eunice and Owen Johns "Bible-believing Christians are not fit to be foster parents" case in the UK High Courts

2011-04-04T21:54:00.005-04:00

Christian Concern of the UK has a short video on the highly disturbing Eunice and Owen Johns "Bible-believing Christians are disqualified from foster parenting" case that we all need to watch, and reflect on very, very carefully indeed: Plainly, if one is not fit to be a foster parent because one is a Bible believing Christian, one will not be fit to be an adoptive parent, and even a natural

Matt 24 watch, 122: The Craig-Krauss debate on "Is there evidence for God?"

2011-04-03T18:03:00.001-04:00

Last month, Dr William Lane Craig debated physicist Professor Lawrence Krauss (who recently wrote on the physics of Star Trek) on the topic, is there evidence for God: Worth watching, to see where the balance of evidence and reasoned argument now is on the merits; in the context of the aggressive rhetoric of the so-called New Atheists. Hint: why is it that Dr Krauss reportedly felt compelled to

Matt 24 watch, 121: A grim warning on ideologised social re-engineering of marriage

2011-03-25T17:32:00.003-04:00

Dr Jennifer Roback Morse of the Ruth Institute warns about the grim consequences of the agenda to re-engineer marriage in the image of homosexuality; alluding in passing to the significance of the Bull Guest House case and that of the Johns foster parenting case in the UK: (HT: ADF.) Are we listening? Do we understand what is at stake? Do we care? If so, what then shall we do? END

Capacity Focus, 6: Blender's video sequence editor and video production for all

2011-03-18T16:56:00.005-04:00

A key part of the capacity focus series in this blog is about building capacity to use digital and related multimedia technologies to help transform our capabilities as a region. Audio and video are two key technologies for multimedia -- wiki: "a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video, and interactivity content forms . . . -- which is a key to C21 education and capacity

Capacity Focus, 5: Japan -- from earthquakes and tsunamis to nuclear emergencies; significance for us

2011-03-15T12:08:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago, after months of meaning to discuss the matter, I raised the issue in this blog of passive-safe nuclear energy technologies as an option for the Caribbean (based on pebble bed and molten salt Thorium reactors). I did not anticipate how timely that first post in this series would be. But the unfolding tragedy in Japan (cf earlier remarks here) has now put nuclear energy

Matt 24 watch, 120:Implications of "special animosity" to Christians in UK courts, in light of the Johns foster parenting case and other similar rulings

2011-03-14T07:13:00.005-04:00

In recent days, this blog has been following the recent Bull Guest House and Johns Foster parenting cases in the UK, drawing out implications and underscoring concerns for law, liberty and freedom of conscience in the Caribbean as radical secularisation and homosexualisation of the state spread ever more widely and deeply in the UK; and more broadly in our civilisation. Now, the Christian Legal

1 Chron 12:32 report, 70: A qualified endorsement of the new Glo Bible for use and presentations in church services, Sunday Schools, Bible Studies, Family Devotions, etc

2011-03-12T08:48:00.001-04:00

A couple of years back or so, the 2010 Bible of the Year award-winning Glo Bible was released with a splash announcement, as a multimedia Bible for the digital generation. That is immediately quite important, as interactive multimedia is where people now are, and we must begin there if they are to be open to learn and grow to where we need to be. That is, we must work with the eye- ear- and hand-

Saddening news from Japan . . .

2011-03-11T20:08:00.005-04:00

Headlines have been dominated by the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and Tsunami -- up to 33 ft high, telephone pole height -- off the NE coast of Japan; with tidal waves racing across the Pacific to impact elsewhere. In California, at least one harbour was hard hit by 8 ft waves. Map: Sky News has some terrifying footage: Daily Mail has a useful tsunami wave height/ energy projection plot: {NB:

Capacity Focus, 3: Going Video and Multimedia "on the cheap" -- how and why

2011-03-10T16:23:00.005-04:00

This morning, I had occasion to look up some current low-cost SD Card using camcorders, in the ballpark US$ 130 - 200. I was shocked at the performance that so low a sum can bring. For instance, one camcorder at the low end of the scale was touted as follows:Full HD 1080, 60i Video (1920 x 1080) 10 Megapixel Digital Photos 10x Dual Range Zoom Video Embedded Software for Sharing Videos/Photos 5x

1 Chron 12:32 report, 69: Escape and recovery from life dominating sins in New Sodom

2011-03-09T06:24:00.007-04:00

[HEADS UP UPDATE, Sept 30: I believe this and related posts are under hostile scrutiny, given posts I put up over the past few days here and here; in the contexts of: (i) a recent outrageous attempt to threaten a Christian Coffee house in the UK for displaying on a TV a video deemed "offensive" to homosexuals under the Public Order Act, namely, a Bible reading video, (ii) the imposition of the

1 Chron 12:32 report, 68: Standing up for unwelcome "big truths" in New Sodom

2011-03-08T09:21:00.010-04:00

A few days ago, I put up a post in this capacity-building focus series, on using the SWOT strategising technique, in the face of the trends of our C21 Romans 1 world, which I now call New Sodom. Almost immediately, I was pounced on by a frequent adverse commenter at Cornelius Hunter's blog, Darwin's God; backed up by an anonymous commenter. It seems that by touching on unwelcome big truths about

1 Chron 12:32 report, 67: SWOT-ting our way forward in the face of the rise of New Sodom

2011-03-06T08:52:00.012-04:00

In recent days, this blog has been reflecting on seemingly unconnected themes: porn-driven benumbing of our consciences, the implications of the Bull Guest House and Johns Foster parenting homosexualisation cases in the UK, and the possibilities for moving our region to the productive side of ICTs. But in fact, these issues all hinge on building strategic capacity for the church in the region,

Capacity Focus, 2: Alice 3, Java, computer programming for all and open source software as catalysts for regional economic productivity and development

2011-03-04T09:06:00.008-04:00

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are a critical enabling piece in our productivity toolkit for our people, businesses, churches, and region. But, the key element on the software side, programming, has a stiff entry barrier: learning how to do it. For decades, many approaches have been tried to lower this barrier, indeed, even BASIC and PASCAL were developed as instructional

Matt 24 watch, 119: The UK's trend to delegitimise and penalise Christians under false colours of Anti-Discrimination Law

2011-03-02T11:33:00.007-04:00

Hardly has this blog taken a moment to address the Bull Guest House case when a fresh ruling by High Court Judges in the UK further underscores the key problem that Mike Judge complained of previously:Discrimination law is meant to act as a shield to protect people from unfair treatment, not to be used as a sword to attack those whose beliefs you disagree with. That is immediately deeply

Matt 24 watch, 118: the Porn Agenda, 3 -- Shelley Lubben of the Pink Cross Foundation tells her story

2011-03-01T21:00:00.001-04:00

The following 28+ minute video is not for children or the faint of heart. But, this is the truth about the porn industry, from an ex participant, Shelley Lubben, who now runs an outreach and victims advocacy group, The Pink Cross Foundation: Let us watch, and let us understand the porn deception and how we must break its power. END_______________ F/N: This video memorial