WHICH WAY IS IT?

Recently I’ve read that using the fluorescent type light bulb uses less electricity than the standard incandescent bulb we are so familiar with. Formerly the fluorescent light was mainly in the shape of a straight tube but now they make bulbs shaped like a corkscrew, which can be screwed into any ordinary light bulb socket. They are available everywhere. One article I read was advocating replacing our incandescent bulbs in the home with fluorescent ones. Since they use much less electricity, less electricity needs to be generated. Hence this would create fewer atmosphere-polluting emissions. The article sated, “If only one bulb was replaced in every house in the United States the reduction of emissions would be the same as taking 6.5 million cars off the highways.”

Impressive indeed.

Then about a week later I read, “If only one bulb was replaced in every house in the United States the reduction of emissions would be the same as taking four hundred thousand cars off the highways.”

Wait a minute! Is it 6.5 million or four hundred thousand cars?

Either way it’s a significant amount but my point is where is the data backing this up? I’m sure there’s a valid point in there but not backing up the statement with valid information weakens it.

I had the same problem with Al Gore’s book, “An Inconvenient Truth”. Many statements made: very little scientific evidence citied.

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
April 25, 2007

GETTING OLDER

There is a small and almost unnoticeable change in the heading of my blog. Those of you who are sharp-eyed regulars will have noticed I no longer say, “You get to see the workings of an 83-year old brain that doesn't seem to view the world as most others do.” As of now it says, “You get to see the workings of an 84-year old brain that doesn't seem to view the world as most others do.”
I made it! Monday, March 26th, was my eighty-fourth birthday and all is going well.

It’s also Jen-Chi’s birthday. Incredibly she and I have the same birthday but she is one year older. For those of you who might be math-impaired, and you know who you are, that means she turned 85.

In my wildest dream I never thought I’d be sleeping with an 85-year old woman but then again, I doubt her fantasies involved an 84-year old man.

Faced with the problem of what one buys for an 85-year old woman who has everything I came up with an idea – flowers.
I bought her some roses.
85 roses.
One for each year.

Here she is trying to hold the bundle together.

Judging by her enthusiasm I’m led to believe the choice of gift was a great one.


The Old Professor

Carmel, CA

March 27, 2007

MY DAD WAS SMART

My father was a cop. I was the son of a cop. I was always reminded of this. We didn’t have father-son conversations very often but a newspaper item the other day reminded me of one of the rare ones we had. I suppose the term “father-son conversation” is not quite accurate. My dad talked and I listened.

One particular time he and I were riding in the car for some reason. He expressed his opinion on what kind of a career his son should have. Here again, that’s not quite accurate. What he said wasn’t exactly an opinion it was something like, “I’ll never let my kid become a cop. You see nothing but the seamy side of life.” He further went on to rule out being a fireman because “They have too many heart attacks due to those bells going off in the middle of the night.”

So, you can imagine my surprise when, some 70 year later, I saw a headline in the newspaper that proclaimed, “Study Shows Firemen Prone To Heart Attacks.” I’ll be damned. My dad knew that 70 years ago.

As I read the article I found his conclusion was correct but, according to this study, the reason was different. The scientists concluded the cause often was lack of proper exercise and poor dietary habits. They rightly observed the fact that firemen are sometimes called upon to do extremely strenuous physical tasks and therefore need to be in excellent physical condition.

It was nice to know that 70 years ago it was possible to reach valid conclusions even without the latest scientific data. I’m guessing that’s how they managed to raise kids without Dr. Spock and all the other child-raising experts. Nice going Dad!

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
March 23, 2007

ANOTHER ONE OF LIFE'S MYSTERIES

I seem to hear things like this a lot. Someone might say, “I was going to the ATM machine but I forgot my PIN number.”

As common as this is it doesn’t make sense. When we use letters to represent words in an acronym such as ATM we really are using a shorthand method of saying “Automatic Teller Machine”. Also the acronym PIN means “Personal Identification Number”.

That means a person who said, “I’m going to the ATM machine but I forgot my PIN number.” really is saying “I’m going to the automatic teller machine machine but I forgot my personal identification number number.”

Why would a person want to say “machine machine” or “number number”? It's another one of life’s mysteries I probably won’t live long enough to figure out. Oh well, I really don’t care care. It doesn’t make any difference to me me.

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
February 22, 2007

SCIENTISTS AGREE -- OR DO THEY?

It’s almost impossible to pick up a newspaper without reading that scientists have agreed on something. Sometimes it’s, “Most scientist agree” or even “More than 90% of the scientists agree” about whatever it is the writer want you to agree with.

It happened again this morning when our morning paper proclaimed, “Scientists generally agree that no research has suggested a direct human danger from drinking milk or eating meat produced by clones and their offspring.” In this case scientists generally agree.

In case you haven’t noticed, it really doesn’t make any difference what scientists believe or think. Remember back in the 15 hundreds? Of course you do. That’s when Galileo was ridiculed for his theories. After all, agreed most scientists, the sun does go around the world. They could see it start its orbit every morning and end it every evening. All scientists agreed. All but one and he was “That Galileo nut.” He was even renounced by the church for his goofy views. But, of course, he was right and every grade-school child now knows the sun does not rotate around the earth.

The big cause going on now concerns global warming. I suggest you prick up your ears when you hear, “Most scientists agree …”. It might be true and again, it might not. Look for your own information and draw your own conclusion. At least look to the back of the book or the bottom of the page to check the source of this kind of statement. For example, when I peeked at a copy of Al Gore’s book, “An Inconvenient Truth” I did that just because I wondered where the figures were coming from. I never found out because there are no citations noting the source of any figures stated in that book. I saw none. Not one.

I’m not saying the global warming premise isn’t valid; I just tire of hearing opinions generalized by some vague quote about “All scientists …” or “All anything else …” for that matter.

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
February 16, 2007

KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED

I had a minor surprise this morning. I visited our local post office and found they were acting as an agent to distribute and collect various forms.I paused a few minutes and filled out the IM1-2 form, which is the formal application to be considered the father of Anna Nicloe Smith’s baby. There was a rather lengthy paragraph explaining that since there are so many applicants it might be some time before I hear anything official. I don’t mind and think my application is just as valid as some, probably most, others.

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
February 15, 2007

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

Someone once observed that the ability to anticipate future happenings based on actions we take now is a sign of maturity. Lately I’ve noticed several Letters to the Editor calling for the resignation or impeachment of President Bush. While I feel these suggestions have a certain amount of merit I can’t help wondering if these people have given any thought as to who would replace George W. Bush. Do they think would Dick Chaney be an improvement?

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
February 1, 2007

JUST KIDDING, SIR

In glancing back to several of my previous blogs I note there are one or two, okay, several, where I more or less poke fun at the White House and/or the occupants thereof. I want it clearly understood by all who may read those gibes (including any Secret service agents) that it was all in fun. George W. Bush is known for having a great sense of humor and though I haven't heard from him I’m sure he just chuckled.

I want this clearly understood at this time after reading
an Associated Press item in the paper today.

Pennsylvania Man's Letter Brings Secret Service

By Associated Press
Posted January 22 2007, 9:15 AM EST

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- An elderly man who wrote in a letter to the editor about Saddam Hussein's execution that "they hanged the wrong man" got a visit from Secret Service agents concerned he was threatening President Bush.

The letter by Dan Tilli, 81, was published in Monday's edition of The Express-Times of Easton, Pa. It ended with the line, "I still believe they hanged the wrong man."

Tilli said the statement was not a threat. "I didn't say who -- I could've meant (Osama) bin Laden," he said Friday.

Two Secret Service agents questioned Tilli at his Bethlehem apartment Thursday, briefly searching the place and taking pictures of him, he said.

The Secret Service confirmed the encounter. Bob Slama, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Philadelphia office, said it was the agency's duty to investigate.

The agents almost immediately decided Tilli was not a threat, Slama said

"We have no further interest in Dan," he said.
Tilli said the agents appeared more relaxed when he dug out a scrapbook containing more than 200 letters that he has written over the years, almost all on political topics.
"He said, 'Keep writing, but just don't make no threats,'" Tilli said of one of the agents.
It wasn't Tilli's first run-in with the federal government over his letter writing. Two FBI agents from Allentown showed up at his home last year about a letter he wrote advocating a civil war to unseat Bush, he said.

You knew I was only kidding Mr. Bush, sir. Didn’t you?

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
January 22, 2007

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Okay George, now that’s it!

The other day I posted a blog about people who “take responsibility” are supposed to pay some price. Our local newspaper even thought the idea was sound enough to publish it. Apparently you either, did not see it or chose to ignore it. Now this morning I pick up the paper and read you were on PBS’s NewsHour with the respected reporter Jim Leher. From what I read you said:

''We should have found troops and moved them,'' Bush said. ''But part of it was that the Iraqis didn't move troops. And I take responsibility for us not moving our own troops into Baghdad.''

Enough with just saying you're “taking responsibility”! This time go to your room and you don’t get to use Air Force One for a week!

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
January 18, 2007

INTELLIGENT DESIGN

As I was getting dressed I thought about this business of “Intelligent Design”. I’m sure you’ve heard the arguments many times but in case you were out shopping or something one definition from Wikipedia, is:

Intelligent design (ID) is the modern concept, presented by the Discovery Institute, that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a version of the ancient argument for God called the teleological argument, reframed with the assertion that it is a scientific theory finding signs of design by an unidentifiable intelligent being.

Mostly this can be simplified, or perhaps oversimplified, by saying there are many people who do not believe in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution but believe God designed everything.

Without becoming too involved with this let me present my thoughts based on many years of being closely involved with the design process.

If some identity did design the human body there were, and still are, many design flaws. For example, as I thought this morning, why are the feet so far away from the hands when the hands need to put socks on the feet? Even a student in Human Body Design 101 would spot that.

And why can’t humans see what’s behind them? Even my little Toyota automobile has a camera so I can see when I’m going backwards. Yet the human body can’t do that.

The examples of poor design are endless though I agree that some parts are well designed. I have theory that really should satisfy both the evolutionists and the ID people. I think there is a source of the design. Most likely it’s a committee but they do as most designers do. They make a prototype to see if it works. Then they make another one to patch the things that should have been done in the first model until they finally end up with what we call a human. This can’t be the end of the design process. They can’t stop now anymore than they could when they designed the giraffe and someone noticed the neck was a little long. It isn’t that we rose from the slime but rather we are just another newer model.

I can’t wait to see what the next model looks like. I mean that literally. I won’t be around because the process takes too long but the new and improved model should be great and putting socks on will be a lot easier too.

The Old Professor
Carmel, CA
January 15, 2007