Macros and Continuations

I get scheme continuations and macros. Kind of, not quite enough to get the involved examples that abound, but I can probably follow them now. And I got a timbuk2 bag; it's a bit big, but more volume can't be bad. Anyways, still casting about for a name of sorts.

Rawr on homework.

New Projects

Since I haven't had any complaints about my last release yet, I've been thinking about my next project. More than a few of my REU prospects have fallen through, so I'm going to need to make everything count. I can either:

• Mash up that registration system I've been dreaming about.
• Put together that differential equations explorer I've been inspired to make since getting to Diff Eq and realizing no one knew about a decent solution explorer (sort of).
• There were more the last time I checked. Oh well, I'll figure it out eventually...

This is in conjunction with my robotics stuff, as well as my animation stuff. Boy, I better get cracking.

But first, sleep.

Oh, and continuations just blow my mind. And hygenic macros. Whaaaaa?

Set Version 2

So, I've decided to not go with the more traditional major.minor.fix versioning, especially since I don't ever expect to have more than a few versions on this. Hence, version 2, a mostly bugfix release so that it actually works. Once again, here's the source, and a binary. Once again, grab the binary if 'wxpython' fails to be familiar. If you still have a beef with anything, we can take it up outside.

Squishing bugs

So, squished another bug, for my non-existent git followers.

Also, determined that using scheme for my program of insanity is not going to be the easiest thing in the world, not to mention I haven't done any speed tests (now I check the computer language shootout...) and scheme is a bit slow for intensive computation (not that it really matters when you have cores and gigahertz to spare). Plus, getting scheme to play with wxwindows seems like it would be a pain. On the other hand, writing C wouldn't be a whole lot of fun, neither. Ah, conundrums...

I need a name for a differential equation explorer.

tno

Work on set

So I think I squashed a good number of bugs, at least in the git repo version that I had on the server (if you wanna get the git sources, just clone git://jakv.no-ip.org/git/set . And tell me how that goes). So, when I have more time, I'll make up a binary release and test that too.

What does it mean when windows is a port in progress for sbcl? And how's the numerical speed for scheme? I wonder...

Until later

Nathan

Troubleshooting

Well, apparently all the people that have tried out the set program have not been able to actually select sets. I suspect that I may have pushed out an old version of the program, in which case I will need to rectify that later. Now, I must find some time and peace to sleep.

Release Set 1.0

So, it's been a long time in coming, but I've been reminded that I have not yet actually put the binaries or sources for my set clone up for anyone. For the impatient:

If you have python and wxpython installed, you can grab the source file, which is 17kb in size.

If you have no clue what I just said, you probably don't have everything you need to play just yet: you'll want to grab the binaries I cooked up for windows xp (not tested for vista, although in principle it will work), which is around 8mb.

For the binaries, just unzip and execute the bat file. If you want to 'install' it, you'll need to move the folders to where ever you like your programs and link it yourself. I'm a bit too lazy to make it pretty, and it's not that big a deal (the game, that is).

The game itself is straightforward; start choosing sets, and the timer will start. If you don't make a set, nothing will happen. Buttons on the toolbar make a new game, add a card (if you add a card when there's a set on the table, you get penalized a few seconds and no card gets added), and a 'cheat' function that really lays down the penalties, in that order.

There is no documentation. I'm sorry, it's the way life goes.

It works under ubuntu, last time I checked. Right not, it's not working for debian testing for some odd reason.

I probably shouldn't put this last:
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS, TELL ME ABOUT IT. If I am within 5 miles of your location, I may even find out in person what has gone terribly, terribly wrong (if it is sufficently interesting, like an explosion).

EDIT: if the download link is down, tell me ASAP. I'm hosting it on a personal server, and I have not yet perfected the art of keeping that thing up all the time.

EDIT 2: tagged the note appropriately

Best of luck procrastinating,
tno

So all things come to a close

Effectively, my spring break is over. Technically, I have a few days left, but I need to leave tomorrow. For a quick review:

• I worked on my cooking abilities, which will be sorely needed sooner than later.
• I didn't practice as much as I should have.
• I didn't really get any composing done. Shame.
• I didn't get any modeling done, either (I have an excuse here, though. Blender+Laptop is not the best environment).
• Some home and lab work got done. Finished The Autobiography of Malcolm X, an interesting work for my religion class that reinforces the Batman hypothesis (you either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain, where Malcolm dies the hero).
  
• Spent time with family.
• Saw some Shakespeare. Very intimate production by the Seattle Shakespeare Company, very well done: I only wish that I hadn't known the twist in the plot, which would have raised the suspense at least a few notches.
  
• Almost done with final REU statement. Really, editing it now. Amazing how procrastination works.
• Did NOT finish the two books. Got halfway through both Reading Like a Writer and The Rest was Noise, the first of which is enlightening with regards to reading (this one makes me want to become a (better) writer, which is terrible considering just how many things I'm still trying to focus on simultaneously), and the second with regards to modern music history. I will definitely either have to steal them or finish them later.

And so the world turns...

Parts, but not

I ordered parts (finally), but failed to really compose anything. At all. Win some, lose some?

Note that it is friday 'already'. (I have two new programming projects to keep me busy: not only do I have to revamp the server, I need to write some flash-card software)

Goals for afternoon of 19/3/2009

In the next few hours, I'm going to try to get the next few things done:

1. Practice
2. Compose a bit (at least get some themes down or in my head)
3. Shoot out my REU personal statement for proofing
4. Cook a bit (practice so I won't die next year)

If I have time, I can finish up my lab reports for some of my classes.

I think it helps to tell the world what you at least plan to do: once it's out there, you feel the inertia of having made a decision, and it becomes harder to not do something (I've noted that this holds, even when no one you know sees the list: the fact that someone might see the list is sufficent).

Spring Break Half-Life

So, I'm halfway through a somewhat productive spring break. Still chugging...

Haven't ordered parts yet. Boo. Started on final REU personal statement. Yay! Got my teeth cleaned, read a few chapters from The Rest is Noise, a good read on the 20th century music scene. Finished physics homework, retrieved lab notebooks.

Tomorrow is a new day!

Gosh darn it

Still haven't order parts. Anyways, wrote out a very long explanation of what I've come up with so far in my struggle with religious thought. I'll just copy-paste my latest correspondence with my Uncle (with some minor additions).

---

So, the fundamental question is whether God exists, and why do I think so (or not)?

In response to your first question, I have no answer; I cannot count myself as a Christian, because I can't say, in good faith, that Jesus was God; however, I can't say take the atheist position that God simply does not exist (since it requires about the same measure of faith, in a way, to say with certainty that God does not exist). The agnostic position, where people say it is impossible to know whether or not God exists, is also a bit too certain: perhaps you could say I'm a meta-agnostic, where I don't know if it is possible to know whether God exists (you could also call me human).

For the second part of the question, for easy reference, I'm splitting up arguments into two parts, excluding only those that are espcially terrible. Also, I'm including a relevant counter-argument for each argument (although it might not be the best counter I have).

PRO-GOD

Lewis, from Shared Cultural Morality
In at least one book of his (perhaps the problem of pain?), Lewis cites the similarities in morality that undergrids any culture, which in turn points to a certain inherent morality present in all humans: this points to a 'moral law', which strongly suggests, if not the Christian God, then some god. Counters can be made from sociology, where the human race as a whole originated from a spot, and society retains the morality to keep it upright (instead of being inherent in individuals, 'written on their hearts').

Lewis, from Miracles
From his book Miracles, Lewis argues from causality that if our ultimate origins are not rational, then there is no reason to believe that we ourselves are rational, and therefore it is meaningless to say anything, including 'Our origins are in the big bang, and nothing else'. The only way to retain a basis for our own reason is by accepting that we originate from something rational, or a god. Counters can be made that one can be a naturalist (rejecting the supernatural) and also reject determinism as something inherent in the universe, one crux that Lewis depends on. Also, it is hard to say whether or not particles can be rational (a question on the nature of rationality).

Archaeological
The Gospels, as a whole, showed up around 200 years after the events in Jesus' lifetime (fragments did start appearing around a 100 years after the event). This is an extremely short time in archaeology; other copies are accepted as near originals, despite being made almost a thousand years from about the time the original was written. Also, the dead sea scrolls verify the authenticity of the Old Testament, and remains of Biblical cities have been found. An obvious counter can be made: whereas no one bases a life and death decisions on the writings of Homer, one stakes an infinite amount of joy or torment on the writings of a book (fully) recovered 200 years after the fact.

ID (Intelligent Design)
Basic watch-maker argument. This one doesn't matter quite as much to me, at least when I was in the church: if evolution was true, then it was a God controlled evolution, and God's will be done. In the end, I spent a great deal of time with this, and I just don't care what the ID side says anymore.

POST-GOD

Occam's Razor
Originally used to boost faith in God, Occam (a priest or monk) said that 'one should not multiply entities unnecessarily' (something like that) or, essentially, take the simplest route possible (once you allowed one subjunctive, you would invite the whole family). Since nothing in the world necessitates God (obviously, tangible miracles were not a big part of Occam's day-to-day), we can consider God as unnecessary baggage (then, it requires *more* faith to believe in Him). Since it's more of a principle, I'll leave this one alone.

Scientific Worldview
Nietzche - God is Dead, meaning that the world didn't need God anymore; he isn't necessary for our day to day function. It's fairly straightforward. Counter depends on whether or not ID turns out to be true or not, although you could make an argument from decadence (we need religion to keep us socially in line, although this is a terrible line of reasoning, a subversion of religion into a means to a less-glorious end).

Problem of Evil
Evil is in the world: since God is omnipresent, all-powerful, and all-good, he cannot allow suffering in his world to happen. Countering immediately can take an appeal to the difference in nature between God and his humans, where our own petty morality/reasoning does not comprehend His (Counter-countering can come from accepting Lewis' argument from Miracles: if God is the basis for our reason, shouldn't we at least be able to begin to understand him? Counter-counter-counter in short: not really). Also, the best-of-all-possible-worlds can be invoked, where what we think would be the happiest world for us (no suffering) would not really be the best-of-all-possible-worlds, and instead there must be at least a modicum of suffering (or a huge dollop, as we see it in our world) to season life (to use a terrible culinary metaphor).

Hypocrisy (kind of)
Molesting priests are a case in point: also, the pastors that were dropping from scandals recently, and the insignificant difference between how non-Christians and Christians (at least in America) act. If someone is seeking change, something real, then Christianity seems to be lacking. One could immediately (and cold heartedly) counter that a whole lot of people are going to hell. Another line is through human nature: everyone fails, it's just the grace of God that seperates Christians from the non (sola gratia, if one is into that. Or confession, if one is into that).

Supposed contradictions of the Bible
A big contradiction is the switch between personalities in the cranky Old Testament God, versus the compassionate New Testament God. Counter: God *does* have many faces/emotions, and he may have been trying to make a point in the Old Testament that would not have been taken as seriously otherwise (that we're screwed up, and he's a rightgeous God). I can't find any other contradictions that can't be explained (albeit, it would help to be 'inside' Christianity, but they can be at least tenuously explained).

LEMMAS (various points that I would like to comment on)

Absolute Truth
'Truth is relative' is self-defeating. However, it's very self-defeating nature can work for it, since it is essentially the same thing as claiming 'most truth is relative'. Defining truth, then, becomes the main task.

Congruence of Religions (obvious, but for clarity and completeness)
All religions cannot be the same: a simple comparison between two religions (the right ones, anyways) shows that the fundamentals of each are not compatible with the other. Ex. Christianity - Way to God is through Jesus; Islam - Way to God is through the 5 Pillars (among other things (for both)).

Prophecies of Jesus
When one doesn't take the veracity of the New Testament for granted, nothing about 'Jesus fulfilling this or that prophecy' carries weight. Same line of reasoning goes for the resurrection as proof for the veracity of Christianity.

Matyrdom
Well, people die for God. Counter: people die for many things.

Faith is required for merely living
You can't be certain that the exterior world exists, so you need to have faith (unless you accept Descarte's second postulate (his first being I think, therefore I am), which I don't). Therefore, faith is not nearly so much the boogeyman as athiests make it out to be. Counter: faith in, say, a plank of wood to not plunge you 30 stories to your death, is quite different from faith that you won't get sent to some other God's hell (This also ties into Pascal's Wager, below).

Pascal's Wager
The if you are a believer, you have an infinite gain if your religion turns out to be true, and a small 'loss' if false. If you are a non-believer, you have an infinite loss if religion turns out to be true, and only a small gain if false. Counter: introducing other religions just screws everything up. Plus, this is a terrible reason to believe in a religion.

So, that's all I have to say for now. There is somewhat of a slant to the opposition to God, but that might be expected. If you have arguments that carry water, please put them in the comments, and thanks for reading.

Switching Blogs

So I've finally decided, for the good of my health and sanity, that I will now use blogger as my main blogging thing-a-ma-jig. While it's been fun keeping myself busy with keeping the site up, it's really become too much of a hassle trying to keep the uptime downtime ratio large, while random crashes and power outages make things difficult to handle (I have a sneaking suspicion that the only piece of propietary software I have on my server is somehow causing the crashing). However, this brings up a new crop of questions: now that I've officially decided to switch, where do I keep my files? On the doomed and somewhat unreliable server? Do I decide to wait patiently until next year, when I'll have my own connection to screw around with? Should I switch over my project pages, too, and use the fantastic tagging system? Oh my, oh my.

Wish me luck.
tno