Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
I have a Right Vs. Right Thing to Do
I try to not get political in my blog. As many of my friends know I will speak my mind about many political issues, but I decided I didn't want my blog to really be political. I wanted it to be more a place to go to learn about technology or see my views on sports and movies. That said I am taking a little detour today.
This is a post I have been wanting to write about since the 4Th of July but held off on. Now however with two major stories in the news that touch on this subject and a third story I witnessed when walking to my car after a wedding on the 4Th of July I decided it was time.
It has to do with the rights granted to us versus what is the right thing to do. Currently in the news are talks about this crazy church that wants to burn the Islamic holy book of the Quran. Also in the news an Islamic group of people who want to build a temple near the world trade towers site. Both groups have come across protesters against what they want to do. Both groups claim they have every right to do what they want to do. Thus it comes down to I have a right versus what is right.
Before I go further I want to share my story. I was walking back to my car after a wonderful wedding ceremony and reception. It was held at the Discovery World Museum here in Milwaukee, and it so happens that it is right next to the Summerfest grounds. Summerfest is a huge music festival that runs two weeks. Well the 4Th of July happened to be the last night of Summerfest. So I left the reception about the time Summerfest was winding down so obviously as I walked I got mixed into those leaving Summerfest and also heading back their cars. In front of me were these two younger women, I would guess early to mid twenties. As you walk back to the parking areas around the lakefront you sort of get funneled down one path so you will see people their selling water or food as you walk buy. Along this route there was a man standing off to the side holding a sign that read "Jesus Saves". Every so often he could be heard saying "Get home safe", or "Drive Safely". As we were passing this man, one of the two "ladies" in front of me shouted at him, "Keep your religion off me you Jesus freak". I started thinking to myself this being the day our nation celebrates independence why would she say such a rude/crass thing. I know she has a right of freedom to speech as did that man, but was it really the right thing to say or the right way to say it. Just like the pastor has a right to burn the Quran, a holy book to millions, is it really the right way to get your message out? Or, is building an Islamic temple right next to a site where extreme islamists, in the name of Allah, flew two airliners into the towers killing thousands the right way to get your message out about peace and Islam?
These are tough questions and I think that if you try more on doing what is right instead of what you have a right to do, you can make a lasting message that would be more open to debate and conversation. By acting in ways that close off thought or by being rude or inflammatory only causes more hate and more misguided acts.
It is important as a society to have these rights and to fight to protect these rights, but it is just as important for society to use our rights in a responsible way.
I know, I know, I can hear it now who made me the keeper of right and wrong, and my answer is quite simple no one. However I believe that in all three of these cases the use of common sense along with what my Mom and Dad taught me about what is right and what is wrong is a very powerful baseline for judging how all three of these situations could have been and still could be handled better.
For example maybe instead of burning the Quaran you could hold a prayer service for those who currently are fighting so that they may stay safe and for those who lost family members on 9/11 that they may find peace. Perhaps at this service you could also pray for peace in the world. A simple solution for the Islamic temple would be to build it somewhere else in NYC. It could still be used for prayer, and to teach Islam just as well somewhere else. It does not have to be blocks from one of the site of one of the worst attacks on America. Finally in the case of the young lady who disagreed with the man holding the sign, she could have simply said thank you for the well wishes but I don't believe in God or that Jesus saves (her thought not mine).
To wrap up this long winded post as 9/11 comes and goes I want to thank those who fight for us and also those who pray for us. I also want to remember those lost and those who risked it all to try and save those in towers, at the pentagon and on flight 93.
Now that I exercised my right to free speech feel free to exercise yours in the comments section.
This is a post I have been wanting to write about since the 4Th of July but held off on. Now however with two major stories in the news that touch on this subject and a third story I witnessed when walking to my car after a wedding on the 4Th of July I decided it was time.
It has to do with the rights granted to us versus what is the right thing to do. Currently in the news are talks about this crazy church that wants to burn the Islamic holy book of the Quran. Also in the news an Islamic group of people who want to build a temple near the world trade towers site. Both groups have come across protesters against what they want to do. Both groups claim they have every right to do what they want to do. Thus it comes down to I have a right versus what is right.
Before I go further I want to share my story. I was walking back to my car after a wonderful wedding ceremony and reception. It was held at the Discovery World Museum here in Milwaukee, and it so happens that it is right next to the Summerfest grounds. Summerfest is a huge music festival that runs two weeks. Well the 4Th of July happened to be the last night of Summerfest. So I left the reception about the time Summerfest was winding down so obviously as I walked I got mixed into those leaving Summerfest and also heading back their cars. In front of me were these two younger women, I would guess early to mid twenties. As you walk back to the parking areas around the lakefront you sort of get funneled down one path so you will see people their selling water or food as you walk buy. Along this route there was a man standing off to the side holding a sign that read "Jesus Saves". Every so often he could be heard saying "Get home safe", or "Drive Safely". As we were passing this man, one of the two "ladies" in front of me shouted at him, "Keep your religion off me you Jesus freak". I started thinking to myself this being the day our nation celebrates independence why would she say such a rude/crass thing. I know she has a right of freedom to speech as did that man, but was it really the right thing to say or the right way to say it. Just like the pastor has a right to burn the Quran, a holy book to millions, is it really the right way to get your message out? Or, is building an Islamic temple right next to a site where extreme islamists, in the name of Allah, flew two airliners into the towers killing thousands the right way to get your message out about peace and Islam?
These are tough questions and I think that if you try more on doing what is right instead of what you have a right to do, you can make a lasting message that would be more open to debate and conversation. By acting in ways that close off thought or by being rude or inflammatory only causes more hate and more misguided acts.
It is important as a society to have these rights and to fight to protect these rights, but it is just as important for society to use our rights in a responsible way.
I know, I know, I can hear it now who made me the keeper of right and wrong, and my answer is quite simple no one. However I believe that in all three of these cases the use of common sense along with what my Mom and Dad taught me about what is right and what is wrong is a very powerful baseline for judging how all three of these situations could have been and still could be handled better.
For example maybe instead of burning the Quaran you could hold a prayer service for those who currently are fighting so that they may stay safe and for those who lost family members on 9/11 that they may find peace. Perhaps at this service you could also pray for peace in the world. A simple solution for the Islamic temple would be to build it somewhere else in NYC. It could still be used for prayer, and to teach Islam just as well somewhere else. It does not have to be blocks from one of the site of one of the worst attacks on America. Finally in the case of the young lady who disagreed with the man holding the sign, she could have simply said thank you for the well wishes but I don't believe in God or that Jesus saves (her thought not mine).
To wrap up this long winded post as 9/11 comes and goes I want to thank those who fight for us and also those who pray for us. I also want to remember those lost and those who risked it all to try and save those in towers, at the pentagon and on flight 93.
Now that I exercised my right to free speech feel free to exercise yours in the comments section.
Friday, August 13, 2010
This and That
I know I haven't posted anything in a long time. It is not for lack of topics but really the things I wanted to post really didn't have much depth, so this post will have three mini posts in it.
1) lucene.net
2) My new Zune HD
3) Airline travel
So first....
I love lucene.net. In today's world of ever changing technology, it is great when a product like lucene can stand the test of time.
Lucene is a search and indexing framework. In the DotNet world Lucene is a direct port from it's Java brother. I have now used lucene.net on three different projects and it always works like a champ. It is very simple to setup and program against. There is a lot of online documentation to help you through the rough spots. Oh and it has a really cool tool called luke that actually lets you see inside the index and how lucene is parsing your documents and the tokens that come out of the parse. There is another tool I have not used but looks promising called Link To Lucene.
Next....
I recently purchased a Zune HD 64. Why a zune and not an Ipod? well honestly it was because I could not stand fighting the ITunes interface anymore. I also like the idea of the Zune Pass subscription model. I know, I know there are 1000's of more apps and things for an Ipod touch, but lets be honest. I need my mp3 player to play music (both digital and radio stations), video, and sync nicely with my Windows PC. I dont need an app for anything else on my mp3 player.
That is why a Zune HD. Now how do I like it? I love it because right now it just works. I can easily use the Zune software on my pc to find music and create playlists, and everything syncs as it should nicely to the player.
Finally Air travel
I am so tired of airlines cheeping out. I remember when I could fly non-stop get a soda and a meal, sit in comfort, check a bag, and not have to pay additional fees.
I just booked a round trip flight with an airlines I have flown with for over ten years. I am fed up with them. One of the destinations I fly to used to have 3 non stop flight offerings a day. Now it is down to one. Some might think the destination is not that popular, well I am pretty sure Las Vegas is still a popular retreat. I am also tired of having to pay fees for additional services. $20 to check a bag, $10 for a meal, $10 to pick your seat, then add on all the taxes and security fees. Sure your ticket might be advertised for $150, but once it is all said and done you are paying way more. Add to the fact that there is no room to move on a play since you are packed in tight as can be. I was one of the few who was happier paying extra for extra room in the seat and better service. You get what you pay for could not be any truer than in the airline industry.
Well there it is. My rant of the day. Apple fan boys please don't flame me I really dont want to know why ITunes and the IPod are superior to the zune. If you work for an airline please please suggest to your bosses to make things better, and if you worked on Lucene, thank you.
1) lucene.net
2) My new Zune HD
3) Airline travel
So first....
I love lucene.net. In today's world of ever changing technology, it is great when a product like lucene can stand the test of time.
Lucene is a search and indexing framework. In the DotNet world Lucene is a direct port from it's Java brother. I have now used lucene.net on three different projects and it always works like a champ. It is very simple to setup and program against. There is a lot of online documentation to help you through the rough spots. Oh and it has a really cool tool called luke that actually lets you see inside the index and how lucene is parsing your documents and the tokens that come out of the parse. There is another tool I have not used but looks promising called Link To Lucene.
Next....
I recently purchased a Zune HD 64. Why a zune and not an Ipod? well honestly it was because I could not stand fighting the ITunes interface anymore. I also like the idea of the Zune Pass subscription model. I know, I know there are 1000's of more apps and things for an Ipod touch, but lets be honest. I need my mp3 player to play music (both digital and radio stations), video, and sync nicely with my Windows PC. I dont need an app for anything else on my mp3 player.
That is why a Zune HD. Now how do I like it? I love it because right now it just works. I can easily use the Zune software on my pc to find music and create playlists, and everything syncs as it should nicely to the player.
Finally Air travel
I am so tired of airlines cheeping out. I remember when I could fly non-stop get a soda and a meal, sit in comfort, check a bag, and not have to pay additional fees.
I just booked a round trip flight with an airlines I have flown with for over ten years. I am fed up with them. One of the destinations I fly to used to have 3 non stop flight offerings a day. Now it is down to one. Some might think the destination is not that popular, well I am pretty sure Las Vegas is still a popular retreat. I am also tired of having to pay fees for additional services. $20 to check a bag, $10 for a meal, $10 to pick your seat, then add on all the taxes and security fees. Sure your ticket might be advertised for $150, but once it is all said and done you are paying way more. Add to the fact that there is no room to move on a play since you are packed in tight as can be. I was one of the few who was happier paying extra for extra room in the seat and better service. You get what you pay for could not be any truer than in the airline industry.
Well there it is. My rant of the day. Apple fan boys please don't flame me I really dont want to know why ITunes and the IPod are superior to the zune. If you work for an airline please please suggest to your bosses to make things better, and if you worked on Lucene, thank you.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Jim Henson
So the twentieth anniversary of Jim Henson's passing was just recently. I wouldn't have know except I stumbled across another blog post. I started thinking about how Jim Henson and his characters impacted my life.
I remember watching the Muppet show reruns with my Dad, Sister and Grandma Walber. Dad would stop to pick us up from work and we would beg him to let stay longer so we could finish watching the episode. I am not sure if I had a favorite show or character but I did enjoy the songs and how some of the skits made me laugh.
My Sister and I also had a few books and albums. we would read them or dance and sing to the music. I remember dad reading one of the books and he would change his voice to try to match the way the Muppet's sounded. We had the movies on tape, and I must have watched the Muppet Movie a million times. I did not watch the Great Muppet Caper or The Muppets take Manhattan as often, not because they were bad, but because I just thought the first one was the best.
I also watched Sesame Street. I did have a favorite on that show. It was Cookie Monster. I think he was my favorite for three reasons. One blue was my favorite color. Two I like cookies too. Three was because my name also began with the letter C. Although he was my favorite, Oscar was second. He made me laugh at how grouchy he was.
I can remember Merry D. taking me to see Sesame Street on Ice as a kid. Seeing all the characters singing and dancing and performing on ice. I really enjoyed seeing all the characters.
Then there was Fraggle Rock and the Muppet Babies. I did watch both as a kid and even watched the Fraggles on netfilx once or twice. These shows were ok but for some reason did not capture me like the others.
I wish Jim Henson would have lived longer, I can only imagine what he might have done with todays technology. I do know this though... What ever it was it would have been great time spent watching with my family.
I remember watching the Muppet show reruns with my Dad, Sister and Grandma Walber. Dad would stop to pick us up from work and we would beg him to let stay longer so we could finish watching the episode. I am not sure if I had a favorite show or character but I did enjoy the songs and how some of the skits made me laugh.
My Sister and I also had a few books and albums. we would read them or dance and sing to the music. I remember dad reading one of the books and he would change his voice to try to match the way the Muppet's sounded. We had the movies on tape, and I must have watched the Muppet Movie a million times. I did not watch the Great Muppet Caper or The Muppets take Manhattan as often, not because they were bad, but because I just thought the first one was the best.
I also watched Sesame Street. I did have a favorite on that show. It was Cookie Monster. I think he was my favorite for three reasons. One blue was my favorite color. Two I like cookies too. Three was because my name also began with the letter C. Although he was my favorite, Oscar was second. He made me laugh at how grouchy he was.
I can remember Merry D. taking me to see Sesame Street on Ice as a kid. Seeing all the characters singing and dancing and performing on ice. I really enjoyed seeing all the characters.
Then there was Fraggle Rock and the Muppet Babies. I did watch both as a kid and even watched the Fraggles on netfilx once or twice. These shows were ok but for some reason did not capture me like the others.
I wish Jim Henson would have lived longer, I can only imagine what he might have done with todays technology. I do know this though... What ever it was it would have been great time spent watching with my family.
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