THOUGHT OF THE DAY: September 11th vs. December 7th
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Which event got Americans madder; December 7th or September 11th?

For someone who has only lived through one of these dates, it's hard to say. In the case of December 7th, America declared all out War on Japan and fought for 4 years to defeat Imperial Japan, ultimately dropping two nuclear weapons on Japan to win. America also declared War on Nazi Germany at the same time (mostly because of Peal Harbor), sending the US to war in Europe as well. It was a strong reaction to a vile action.

In the case of September 11th, there was no formal Declaration of War against any country, but against a terrorist group. America has gone openly into at least two countries to combat terrorism, ousting a repressive regime in the first and the despotic ruler of the second. Two years into the war on Terror, we are still wondering to what lengths with the current US Administration go to finish the fight?

One could easily argue that comparing the two events is not a valid exercise, but is that not necessarily true. One was a country attacking the US military. The other was a terrorist group attacking a civilian target. One caused the USA to enter the Second World War while the other cased the USA to enter the War on Terrorism.

From the standpoint of the effect on America, I would argue that these atrocities are little different. Once again we are at war. Once again we were attacked on our home soil. Once again it was out of the blue. And once again we are taking the fight to the attackers.

The differences really are just something that shows the signs of the times. Now we are fighting a faceless foe that is international in scope, informal in membership, shifting in location and fully networked. Before we were fighting a fascist imperial regime based in one country, with formal fighting institutions which had a definite personality.

One would hazard to say that the Peal Harbor Attack and the Destruction of the World Trade Center had a effect of the same magnitude for world events. But the effect of these events on America and the World easily places them in the same arena. What differentiates them is the elements of each event's period in history, what makes them the same is their viciousness.

The Morning Commute
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During my 50 mile commute south this morning, I had an interesting thought. Above the freeway due south, I could see faint, long and thin cirrostratus clouds masking the rising sun. And just below it, a big splash of red and blue and green was there as the sun's rays shone thorugh the cloud's ice crystals. It was that kind of intense, iridescent colour you don't see often in nature.

The only place I ever remember seeing it was when I was out in the middle of the South Pacific and we had caught a 45 pound tuna. If you looked at the fish's scales shining in the sun, you could see the exact same intense, iridescent colour.

The sad part was the fish had to die for us to see this. And once the tuna was dead 5 minutes later, the color was gone. Without the life force of the fish, the scales had no special colour.

I got to thinking that maybe there was something up there, in the clouds, that was alive. Maybe there was some being floating around, looking down on me. As I traveled down 280, which weaved its way along the peninsula's hills, there it was right above me, then gone as the road curved east, then back again as 280 curved south. It kept changing and glowing and growing.

The engineer in me said that it was simply the clouds scattering the sun's rays, leaving only the blue and reds and some greens. The poet in me disagreed and argued for something alive being up there, like that fish.

I'd much rather listen to the poet.

Name Change?
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Well folks, I hate to disappoint you, but it looks like I'm no longer "Crazy, Drunk and Unemployed". I've started working at a small software company down in Campbell, CA called Movaris. Now I'm only "Crazy and Drunk".

So it looks like my days in the sun are over for the time being. But to be honest, it's a real relief since those sunny summer days have come to an end. Then again, I sure would not have minded having some extra time to hit the slopes during ski season (where I'd get the cash for the lift tickets, I'd have to figure out).

Anyway, if the commute doesn't drive me mad, i should very much enjoy the new job. It's a small company with only 30 people or so. I'll be coding Crystal Reports for them (my bread and butter these last 7 years) and then maybe doing some Java coding after the reports are taken care of.

The people all seem nice and smart. It's a rather young office that likes to go for beers on Fridays so I think I'll fit right in. A couple of the guys are really into unicycles and I'm afraid it will only be a matter of time before I'm on one of those things.

So perhaps you can help me come up with a good name for my new status. "Crazy, Drunk and Employed" just does not have the same ring to it. If you have any ideas, give me an e-mail at tpaddack@yahoo.com.

EZT

God and Technology
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In this day of mind blowing technology, many people worry that we are straying from the word of God. I would argue that technology brings us closer to god not further away.

This works on many different levels. The simplest being that with more affluence we have more leisure time on our hands, we have more time to think about god. As scientific discoveries help to raise the general level of the standard of living, it makes us more able to use our powers for god's work. We now have more time to devote any way we se fit.

As we use the methods of science to better understand the universe, we dispel misconceptions, superstitions and misplaced beliefs about how the universe works. We begin to see a truer version of the universe God created. As the level of abstraction in our understanding of the world increases, systems that once seemed to be chaotic or random no longer seem so.

Technology also allows us to collaborate more effectively and over greater distances, bringing people of disparate religions together. It makes the world smaller and dispels misconceptions about people of other religions and culture.

As well, with the diffusion of information and education, people's consciousness has been raised to a point where they can make a much informed decision about their faith. Instead of having to listen to only a few channels of information, like the village preacher or town elders, people now have multiple sources of information based on modern media (TV, radio, newspapers and the Internet).

So does technology really bring us farther from the good Lord? Or does it really help us to see God's universe, and the other people in it, as he truly made it? We no longer have any excuse for not being aware of what is truly going on around us. The forbidden fruit of knowledge is getting stronger and tastier all the time...

RELIGION: Seeing God's magnificence through NHL Ice Hockey
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There are plenty of ways to see God in this world. Some see it nature, like the Yosemite Valley. Some see it the kind acts of strangers or in victories of good over evil. But I think one of the best places to see it in motion is in the NHL's highlight reels.

Now this is true of any sport. Seeing professional athletes in motion, making great plays is a true way to see the Glory. When an athlete of any sort goes beyond what we think is possible, makes a brilliant play or uses their body to amaze us, this is truly human beings operating at a higher level.

Seeing things like a beautiful double play in baseball, a stealthy interception or a good run in football or a skier making a stellar downhill run are all great moments in our world. But nothing is more graceful in pro sports than the speed and skill of hockey players.

All right, fighting clutching and grabbing aside, when you watch the beautifully crafted offensive plays and the center rushed the puck up the center with the wingers swooping in for the first pass, the drop pass and then the tick-tac-toe plays, you are truly seeing the designs of the good lord in motion.

Watch the Colorado Avalanche, the Detroit Red Wings or (my favorite) the Vancouver Canucks. Watch Olympic hokey with stellar teams like the Russians, Czechs, Swedes and, of course, the Canadians. You will see what a hockey team can do when they are stacked with talent and committed to dazzling offense.

No other sport has the combination of speed, skill and grace that hokey does. An old friend of mine used to say that ice hokey has the skill of baseball, the brutality of football, the team work of basketball and the strategy of soccer. Not to mention they do it on a slippery surface alien to most athletes.

So next time you are looking for something to watch, turn on the good old hockey game and see the penultimate sport in action. It's as close to God as pro sports can get.