Jeremy McNeal

How to win at Tic Tac Toe

2012-01-07T10:14:00.001-08:00

I couldn't sleep the other nite. As a result, I ended up thinking about the strategy of Tic Tac Toe. There really isn't a whole lot to think about, but in my head I went through all of the possible game states. Not a difficult feat since the game is both vertically and horizontally symmetrical. In the end, I was able to distill it down to a few basic principles. The center is the most valuable resource in the game. Always go for that. It is part of 4 possible ways to win. Next are the corners. Each of them are part of 3 possible ways to win. The middle outside spots are the worst. They are only able to help you win in 2 ways.

3 | 2 | 3
2 | 4 | 2
3 | 2 | 3

In practice then, if you are the X then you should start the game by taking the middle. If you don't you are likely to lose. The "O" player should then take a corner. If the "O" player takes a middle outside square, then the "X" player should take the corner square next to the spot taken by the "O" player. The "O" will be forced to block the potential cross victory position. The "X" player can now take a middle spot that connects his other two "X" spots, which will create a dual possibility for the win. He can also take any remaining corner spot for a dual win option on the next play.

If the "O" player is wise and takes a corner spot, the game is probably a draw. Almost any move from here creates a domino effect of blocking moves. It should be a draw. However, if the "X" player takes the opposite corner spot, then the "O" player has plenty of choices where the outcome isn't obvious. If they take an adjacent middle outside spot on the next move, then the "X" player may have to block an "O" victory, however the blocking will create the dual win situation for the "X" player. If they take any other middle outside spot, then the "X" player can setup the dual victory as well by taking the most open corner location.

The game does have a few non-obvious traps. If you are the "X" player you CAN win even against a more seasoned player by thinking about the game in terms of spot values.

Seriously

2011-05-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

It's been over a year since my last post.

What have I been spending my time on the last year?

Mainly a biweekly drive to St. Louis to see my girlfriend, Caroline. We met at the wedding of Toli and Tonya last May, and have been driving back and forth ever since. That's been the most exciting thing for me over the last 360 days.

I'm still at K-Land in Branson. I still do web development. I still do ASP.net. However, I'm getting to shift some of my work to Django which is a web framework written in my still favorite language: Python. I'm still here. I'm still alive.

Technologies that I think are cool: Linux, Python, Android, HTC Sense, Git, Django, Mootools, Django-cms, Amazon S3, Zinnia, and StarCraft II.

Speaking of Zinnia, I've decided I'm soon going to move my blog over to Zinnia.

I really want to post at least once a month, that's always been my goal for this blog.

Alberto Callaspo vs Wilson Betemit

2010-06-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

From May through July 22nd, 2010; Alberto Callaspo was the starting Royals third baseman, and had been one of the most productive bats in 2009 for Kansas City. He was traded to the Angels to help them upgrade at third base and provide some depth. Although in the offseason most fans thought that Callaspo's bat needed to be in the lineup, very few were upset over the trade that sent him packing.

And for the remainder of the season, we get to watch Wilson Betemit handle the duties at Third Base. Wilson Betemit, who is too old to be a real prospect (he is 28 years old), but who started the season at Triple A Omaha. Presumably because no other Major League team wanted him. The reason for this was simple. He wasn't very good. This year, in limited duty, he's been getting the job done. In fact, he's been better than Alberto Callaspo. It's logical to assume that this is because of small sample size. But, looking closely at the data, it appears that he may have figured something out. He's improved in two key areas of plate discipline. He is swinging at fewer pitches outside the strike zone, and he has been good at making contact on pitches inside the strike zone. The result? 30 hits in 96 plate appearances and 12 walks. He's certainly gotten lucky on some of those batted balls, but he's also a good bet to make solid contact. In the only two seasons where he saw any kind of regular duty at the Major League level he slugged 32 homers in 696 At Bats; and that happened when he was just 24 and 25 years old. He has a history of power.

Using my own baseball sim, which is heavily dependent on Plate Discipline, his batting average should be around .260 - .320 (usually around .290) with solid OBP numbers between .320-.360. He should post a slg in the 475 - 525 range, which is pretty solid. His numbers are very comparable to Alberto Callaspo, but with a touch more power. Wilson Betemit is a good guy to have around. He'll be a solid regular and a fantastic backup who should get to see playing time almost every day. And if you want to give him 600 ABs, he might reward you with 30 homeruns, and is a pretty good bet for 15 homers. He's not a defensive sub though, so he should probably stay in the American League. Hello Betemit, you're our new Callaspo. Let's hope his new found plate discipline isn't a mirage.

Here's the quote I lean on for belief that he actually HAS changed his approach:
"I just wanted to go up there and have quality at-bats," Betemit said. "I didn't want to just go up there and swing. I want to go up there, get a good a good pitch to hit and have a good at-bat." [kcroyals.com Betemit primed...]

My sim's line for Wilson Betemit: .300/.343/.543 (that's avg, obp, and slg) with an OPS of .886 and an iso of .212 in 580 Plate Appearances. that includes 35 walks and 18 homeruns.

My sim is much less friendly to Alberto Callaspo. .284/.308/.515 with an OPS of .823 and an iso of .214 in 516 Plate Appearances. Good for 16 homeruns and 17 walks.

2015, Google Eats World

2010-02-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

The Web has taken over. It eats into the lives of just about every American. People pay bills, taxes, search for services, and friends on the Internet. In 2005, it started it's near domination of the media market. New technologies were pushing the envelope and people onto the Web. In 2010, portable Web has become a force, and social media has become a part of our lives. In 2015, we will all be robots, plugged into the matrix and providing battery power to CSS3, HTML 5, Javascript, and the Google Mothership.

The Web has come a long way from where it was in 2005. In 2005, Internet explorer dominated the browser world. Macromedia Flash was the big ticket item in advanced Web sites. Only a few Web sites used Javascript, and only sparingly, because it was so difficult to maintain. Few people cared if their Web site worked outside of Internet Explorer 6. Java Applets were still in use, but were fading. The reigning Web server technology was Classic ASP and Sun's Java on the Tomcat Server. I was just out of College and couldn't grow a beard.

In 2010, the Web has matured as a mixed content medium, challenging traditional media in every aspect. Competition in the browser market is heavy, forcing massive change and improvement to the Web. Adobe Flash has become more on the fringe, primarily used for serving video content. Javascript using advanced frameworks has become the norm in all Web sites, and AJAX has become the big thing. The server side tech has been changed, but not yet matured. ASP.Net is now at version 3 and is largely the same framework in 2005. PHP has been updated and has progressed, but not that much. Web frameworks have become much more popular, either built on PHP or the typical LAMP stack. And I remember 2005 fondly, when I walked up the hill both ways in the lava, and the Sun was bigger than the Beates, and people still had moral character.

The Web in 2015 will see lots of gradual change to it's traditional browser market, but lots of change as new products utilize Web access. Items such as the iPhone and Google's Droid will really push the the future of the Web to new dimensions. Screens will get larger, while mobile devices will create a different platform entirely. The big winner will be the Web frameworks that will handle the browser and device and providing the proper template and appearance for the given medium while maintaining a single place for all Web content. HTML 5, CSS 3, and JavaScript will largely kill 3rd party browser plug-ins such as Adobe Flash. Web frameworks will finally mature and truly enable the fast and seamless production of most Web sites, while providing simple mechanisms for large corporations to be able to offer Off the Shelf Web site plug-ins for the most typical of needs (such as credit card processing). Social Media will play a big role in what Web Application framework eventually takes over. Facebook will have at least one major and serious competitor, and that will be a Google + OpenSocial duo-thing driven largely be the Android and iPhone devices of tomorrow. Our phones will have input devices that map to the back of our heads so we can plug-in to the matrix at any time and any place, ready for Google to search our very brains, nay, our souls even. I will fondly remember the good ole days of self thought and self determination, a place where people still believe in love and cherished those who actually are close to them, instead of half a world away.

The Web will change, but slower than we might think. Many traditional Web sites will still be around, but there will be a whole new wave of products that might take over. Mobile browsing will be the norm, and new cutting edge products will propel the mobile, non-traditional Web. It's not unlikely that giant global catastrophes will have largely halted progress on the Web, but barring such contingency, the future is still a place of increased Web usage.

Puerto Rico: the Album

2009-04-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

I will be adding more as I go along, so check back tomorrow.

Puerto Rico: Day 1

2009-04-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today was spent at the Beach, swimming and snorkeling. We also visited a secluded and stunning waterfall that Morgan's uncle Kelly knew. I'll post some pictures later. The Beach we visited was Crash Boat Beach. Take a look: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1585423. We had BBQ chicken on a stick called Pinchos for Lunch. And dinner was home-made Morgan Wyatt Spaghetti.

Everyone here speaks Spanish, and some speak English. I was a bit surprised, it's pretty bi-lingual, but not as much as expected. We didn't have any problems.

We are staying at a little 3 bedroom house, probably around 1000 square feet at most. The bedrooms are air conditioned, but the rest isn't. Free WIFI though. It's roughly 80 degrees here, I think. I'm pretty happy with that :)

10 Years of Coding

2009-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

I just realized that I have been writing code for roughly 10 years now. Well in 1999, I wrote my first "Hello World" program in Fundamentals of Computer Science.

Coding is fun. But it's not as easy as I thought it was going to be. Development time is measurable in months, not days. Pouring 100 hours into a project is just starting the project. Architecting the app is fun. But you never feel done.

I write most of my code in JavaScript and VB. 7 years ago I would have thought myself a drop-out of "real" programming. To be honest, in business, you rarely venture into the unknown because the expense is also unknown; and that is bad. But, both JavaScript and VB are not what they were 7 years ago. VB is as *real* as Python, although not as nearly as awesome; and JavaScript is fun because the results are almost always something interactive and tangible feeling.

10 years ago, I thought one programmer could write "Windows" in a decade, and do it better. Turns out coding is harder than I thought.

In 2000, I said that Linux would replace Windows by 2005. I was wrong. But Linux surpassed Windows in overall quality in 2007 (obviously my opinion).

I always thought I'd be coding really cool things in my spare time. Since I code all day. At night, I don't want too. I thought I would be able to code both at work and for fun at night. That appears not to be the case.

HTML is still here. Cross Browser testing is worse than ever before. Web site development is more difficult. The internet is more useful with Google, Pandora, Stumbleupon, Hulu, Facebook, Friend's Blogs, de-centralized news, etc.

Before you were a programmer what was your biggest misconception?

Old Code is Bad Code?

2009-01-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

For the last six months or so, I've entertained myself far too much with Stumbleupon. I ran across this post (Never Fall in Love with Your Code, Because it's Crap). The basic premise is that what you once thought was great code, you have come to realize wasn't so great. I find this to be mostly false.

Sometimes I look back at code I wrote, and think. This is disgusting. Sometimes, I look back and think, that was brilliant. Actually, I rarely ever think my code is brilliant. I just try to make things work in a clear manner. That clear manner part sometimes gets me in trouble. I do things the hard way sometimes because I want to maintain that clean manner. And sometimes I don't. The times I don't are the times I will not look upon favorable in the future. Even if I do small, smart things within the large stupid framework I've made.

In some respects, I think I've grown dimmer. But I do have more experience and can solve *most* problems better. I think this is age. Older and slower, but more sure and reliable.

What about the other coders who read my blog? Do you think of all your old code as terrible, and the new code as great?

More Pics, Why am I showing you these...

2008-12-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

I've created an album titled "Some Foods" on Picasa. So far, there's a shadow on a glass of chocolate milk I was making that reads "Coca-Cola." And what I had for lunch today (the date of this post). Lunch was fantastic. You can see in the picture 4 scrambled eggs, 4 pieces of toast, and hot chocolate. So good. So good.

STL LAN 2008

2008-11-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

Post of some pictures from a terrific weekend. Thanks Andrew!

What determined your vote?

2008-11-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

Here is what I try to do when voting... I try to prioritize the most important issues facing the country, and then I try to determine which candidate will most effectively solve those issues.

The single most important issue to me remains, as it has, since I began voting 9 years ago: abortion. The second is the defense of our nation. And the third is taxes.

With those three things in mind, I believe John McCain provided the best chance to solve those issues. I do think Barack Obama is an outstanding leader, but I want someone who will protect the unborn. Barack won't http://www.barackobama.com/2007/07/17/obama_on_judges_supreme_court.php

The defense of America? Barack Obama is oppossed to war, and would, in my opinion, provide a world where a Hitler could prosper. And this is a world that is finally small enough for a one world goverment to take power. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreign_policy/index.php#onrussia

What about taxes? This is a deep and divided question. Ultimately, lower taxes and smaller government is my hope. And you can argue the point either way here. McCain likes to say he's a small government man. But I want proof. Obama claims he'll cut taxes on the middle and lower class... While at the same time increasing government beauracracy at home. The national government shouldn't be trying to solve the problems of failed local governments and cities in policing themselves. That should be left to the cities and states.

Ultimately, the abortion issue for me is so great that I would be willing to fight and die to defend the lives of the unborn. And here's some biblical thought on that matter:

“…if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.” Ezek 33:6

I find this ironic because I would also have been less willing (but still willing) to fight in the American Civil War, or the American Revolution. And just in case there's a question about it: for America and the North. Here's why:

During the revolution, it would have been freedom for individual rights. Freedom from oppression is a cause worth dying for. The North because ending slavery in my country would have been worth dying for; and protecting states rights would have taken a back seat to that goal. Amongst the Northerners who died in the Civil War, there are only 2 reasons they would cite: 1) To end slavery; 2) maintain the union. I would not have been willing to die to maintain the union. (It's a different topic, but should a Christian take another's life for the sake of these things is different than sacrificing one's life for something. I certainly do not advocate murder; lest we be like Cain.)

And this is ironic because I would see ending slavery as the great moral issue from the beginning of the revolution to the emancipation proclamation. And abortion as the great moral issue from Roe vs Wade to beyond tomorrow. Barack Obama is the first African American president and he would not be willing to take a stand for those who cannot stand for themselves, and who have no voice.

Here's a controversial question for everyone. If Barack Obama is not willing to protect the LIFE of those who cannot themselves protect it. Would he have been willing to lay down his life to protect something less consequential... the liberty of his fellow man?

At this point in time, it may seem that it doesn't matter. Perhaps Barack Obama will come to know a personal Lord and savior in Jesus Christ the Son of God. Will he humbly submit to God, and then take up his cross and follow righteousness and truth to whatever place that leads? I can only hope, but so did Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar was king. And I believe some day I shall meet Nebuchadnezzar in Heaven. Perhaps it won't be a Hebrew slave that Barack Obama gets to see God through, but perhaps a slave to righteousness. (note: you may believe that Barack Obama has already placed his faith in Jesus Christ. I highly doubt this, but I do not know Barack Obama personally.)

For the record I have no doubt that Barack Obama is passionate about his views, he is capable of leading, and he is intelligent. I just doubt his wisdom. How I wish Alan Keyes would have defeated him in Illinois. Perhaps today could have been about President-Elect Alan Keyes. He was both intelligent and wise, it's an easy trade to give up charisma for wisdom.

Feed Reader!

2008-10-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm just curious as to what people are using to stay updated with all of their friends blogs, and all that RSS data?

I use Google Reader. And I think it's pretty slick. What's your Feed Reader?

I do wish I could publish a list of what I'm keeping track of. Here's some things I track:

Christian Science Monitor
Slashdot
Google Webmaster's Blog
My Friend's Blogs
Slick Deals
KHouse
Joel Rosenburg
The Royals Authority
Andy Braner's The Journey
CNET
Wired

I don't actually read that much of most of these. I just glance at the headlines.

Freedom to Think... Coming Soon

2008-10-24T16:41:00.001-07:00

Can we make FREEDOM an engineered fact in the 21st Century? Eben Moglen seems to think so. Listen carefully and you'll learn how copyright, patents, open source, and technology are part of today's freedom. And by freedom, I mean freedom from tyranny.

Subversion

2008-09-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Does anyone use Subversion for their Version Control? I've been having some issues with it, such as the recursive feature not working. That makes it sucky when I edit my site for a day and then have to go pick through the files to see what I've updated and then commit them.

And then getting lastest files is the same problem. I have to hunt through what's changed.

I use RapidSVN 0.9.6 for my GUI to Subversion. I'm not much on doing things on the command line. I'm really happy with it other than that.

Tim Oliphant: American Gladiator

2008-07-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Tim Oliphant is competing in the upcoming July 7th episode of American Gladiator. Tim works in the Marketing Department with me at Kanakuk Kamps, and is our media director. He's very talented, and the many videos you find of Kanakuk Kamps on Kanakuk.com is a product of his handy work. In the future look of Kanakuk.com, even more of Tim's work will be on display.

But this upcoming week we are all excited to be watching Tim Oliphant prove that he's the man and that he can take anything Wolf, Titan, Justice, or any of the gladiators can dish out.

Here's the episode Preview:

Tim is a great guy, very friendly and outspoken. I'm pretty sure he'll do well, because he's a very athletic guy, and in great shape.

Monday night 7:00 PM, you should be watching this show!

The Stuff Most Christians Don't Agree On

2008-06-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of things which divide fellow believers from agreeing on what God's plans are for the world, what they have been, and what he is doing now. But before I delve into anything further, I should define what all Christians agree on.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ was God the Son, and that he died on the cross for the sins of the World. They have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as atonement for their sin, and have placed their faith in God, the creator of the Heavens and the Earth. [ed: added ..the Son... per Caleb's comment]

After that, they have a hard time agreeing on things. And these are things that will affect the way you live, and your outlook on the world. Here's a short list: the importance of Israel, are the children of believers automatically saved, Creation/Evolution, end times prophecy, and more. All of these issues boil down to one item. Hermeneutics, a fancy way of saying biblical interpretation.

There are a great many people in the world, a great many Christians who think there are hidden messages in the Bible, that there are things hidden in between the lines, that there is a deeper knowledge contained within the Bible. Be very careful about reading between the lines Be very careful about taking speculation too far. Be very careful about which passages you take at face value and those which you don't. You might just end up supplanting God's message with your own message.

What should be taken at face value you ask... Almost everything. Only when you arrive at a clearly allegorical piece of scripture should you do otherwise. Look at passages in their context, both grammatically and within history, if you want to discover the full meaning of the Bible.

Now, you ask, how does this affect all of those things I talked about earlier? It starts right at Genesis 1. God said he created everything in 7 days. Literal days. At this point you have some options: Believe God, call God a liar, or allegorize Genesis 1. I believe God, and those who go with allegory are basing that decision on the current views of science and it's (poor) ability to recreate history.

What about Israel. Paul in Romans talks about Israel in Chapter 11. He is very clearly stating that God still has a plan for Israel that he will yet deliver them. I happen to think this is one of the most amazing things you can witness on the Global front about what God is doing in the world. In the last 60 years God has restored the nation of Israel, he has gathered them after 2,000 years of exile. And not just exile, but fragmentation. It's amazing that the Jews haven't simply been forgotten after 2000 years, that the still exist. You would have thought they would have simply been assimilated and forgotten. Ever heard the Philistines mentioned in the news today? What about the Hittites. Historians had almost written these people off as fictional nations within the Bible, until Archaeologists dug them up. God is working in the world today, on the global scene.

What about the End Times Prophecy? Much of that is in regards to the book of Revelation and what parts of that people claim are allegories. But there are other passages in Daniel, Ezekiel, Luke and Matthew. Clearly not allegories.

Many people like to "read between the lines" in the gospel. Saying such nonsenses as taxes are evil and wrong, government is against God, and so forth. Why do people say these things, which are just not biblical, but yet they attempt to defend on some half-baked biblical argument? It all comes back to their interpretation of scripture. Ultimately, it's a pride thing, a search for more knowledge than what the rest of us possess. That through long study of the Bible you can have access to truth which is almost visible, but isn't really noticeable. There is more than enough knowledge and depth and meaning in the bible without adding verses in between the lines. Without taking more meaning than is acceptable from the scripture itself. Because doing so is making yourself a God, and putting your brain between you and what God has told us. And don't listen to people who have replaced the Bible with their own interpretation, which has become something wholly else. Not only is it wrong, but it's dangerous.

I want to end with, it's ok to speculate about things that are around the edges of what God tells us. Just be sure you let everyone know you're speculating about things...

Also, make sure your hope is firmly planted in Jesus Christ. If you think any person or thing besides God is going to make life better for you, you're wrong.

Disproving Creation

2008-05-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

One of the largest reasons why atheists and evolutionists deny the scientifically valid proposition of creation is that it cannot be disproved. If one accepts a literal translation of Genesis, then you can disprove Creation. If you can prove that any organism is greater than 6,000 (roughly) years old; then a literal interpretation of Genesis can be proven false. You are probably saying that I'm asking for something ridiculous. Nope. We can date trees back. In fact, the oldest living organism (according to Google) known to man is 5,100 years old.

This is at least as good as evolution; which can be disproven if you happen to find a rabbit buried with a dinosaur. Which is perhaps impossible, irregardless. While they existed at the same time, they may just never have been buried together. Besides, we already know that Evolutionists would merely shift their theory to allow rabbits in their delusional world before time. Evolution once denied mammals and dinosaurs at the same time, now dinosaurs exist with "basic" mammals. Convergent evolution is another example of the shifting theory of Evolution, and no mountain of evidence could disprove it.

Let's imagine they dig up a dinosaur with human bones in it's stomach. Evolutionists would no doubt insist it was buried later. Or they might claim that humans evolved in their "land before time". Perhaps even a race of man just like our own, but yet, unrelated to us.

Time Began

2008-05-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

I spent several hours after reading about time paradoxes (http://suprbay.org/showthread.php?t=21273) studying the fourth dimension; and more specifically, how it relates to the Cosmological Argument. Since time is an element of the universe, we know that God must be eternal. If God is eternal he then must be infinite. Summed up, here we go:
1) All events require a cause
2) The universe began
3) The universe required a cause
4) Time is a dimension of the universe
5) The cause of the universe must be eternal
6) Causing the universe requires a decision
7) Decisions require intelligence and will
8) An intelligent, eternal being created the universe

Conclusion: We all rationally know God exists.

Some Flash

2008-05-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

Just click in the black box and orbs will appear. Click again to make them disappear. They are all generated via code.

Notables:

50 orbs are created.
The orb's size is random.
If an orb stops in the middle, it'll explode.
Depths are determined based on the size of the orb.
The orbs chose a random location to go to once they've reached their current destination.
Lots of what I did was taken from gotoandlearn.com; I modified a tutorial to work in ActionScript 3.0
ActionScript is getting better. Flash is better in CS3. Flash version 10 (in beta) looks fantastic.

Ajax

2008-04-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting for some time to use jeremymcneal.com as a way to view my blog, but I've never really taken the time to do it. Google has some sweet APIs that really allow you to do whatever it is you want with your blog data if you're willing to take the time. What have I done? Well, you can now view the latest blog entry from jeremymcneal.com. It also makes Blogger to me the very best in blog services. Not that you couldn't do the same thing with wordpress, but you don't get the Google Web APIs to work with. I also added a sweet fade-in effect, that really makes the site cool(er). And a Loading gif so people know to wait if the connection is slow.

Expelled: The Movie

2008-04-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

I watched Expelled today. I do not want to divulge what Ben Stein put forth in it's entirety, but I believe that all those who oppose Darwinian Evolution would enjoy the movie. If you agree with Darwinian Evolution, chances are, you'll be offended. It's always hard for people to swallow the pill that they are wrong, especially those particularly proud of their intelligence.

It's always such a shame to me that Evolutionists would abandon logic, and ignore the truth, for the purpose of hiding from God. God is big, bold and in our face every time we open our eyes, listen with our ears, and think with our minds.

2 Peter 2:17
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and the earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Interesting Things to Note:
- I don't think anything until Darwinian Evolution would support the deliberately forgetting part. Until 1859, something miraculous had to make life. Now, it can be deliberately forgotten.
- Everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. Darwinists often rest on processes, such as the speed of light being universal across time.
- Darwinists oppose the concept of a flood, which creationists view as something that radically changed planet Earth.

10 Pounds in 4 Weeks

2008-04-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

That's the goal. I highly doubt I will achieve it, but I'm going to try. At 150 lbs last Thursday, I have gone up to 152 lbs since then, and I'm not using any creatine. That makes this the first time I've gained weight without the assistance of the substance.

Weight: 152
Goal : 160

Today's Routine:
Barbell Incline 3x6-8
Dumbbell Bench Press 4x6-8
Weighted Dip 4x6-8
Close-grip Bench Press 3x6
Lying Triceps Extensions 3x8

One Week With an FZ6

2008-03-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have now had one week with my new Yamaha FZ6. It's fun, fast, and really fun. I haven't taken a passenger on it yet... It's such a huge change from the Yamaha Exciter. I can actually go on the highway now and not feel like I'm going to blow away in the wind. It's quite exhilarating going from 5 to 50 with just a flick of the wrist.

Workout

2008-03-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

I'm still working out. I just finished the Muscle and Fitness Chest Routine in their March issue. I didn't measure before or after, but I believe it has been effective. Overall, I think there was a decline because of my overly singular emphasis on Chest. I also need to order more Creatine. I will be starting the Gain 10 lbs. in 4 weeks plan from the April issue in the next month. I'm excited about this, but I don't think I can keep up with the crazy meal plan.

Weight: 150
Goal: 160
Bench Press: 175

Rose got screwed by Viore. And companies should pay for this in the information age. And so they will. Read Rose's story here.

New Job

2008-03-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

I am back at Kanakuk. I'm now in their Marketing Department and am charged with revamping the site. Look for cool things ahead.

Macho Man Defeated

2008-01-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

I have finally beaten Macho Man from Punchout. I had to pull a Kaleb Captain trick and kick him where it would hurt the most while the referee, Mario, wasn't watching.

I have fought (and lost) to him so many times that I was trying to knock him down as quickly as possible in the first round. My best time was 1:15, and I think that's pretty good. I'm usually around 1:20

Tonight I play basketball at the recplex. The team is 2-1, and I had a season high 8 points last week with 2 three pointers. I also had 4 fouls and was benched with about 3 minutes to play so I wouldn't foul out. Only one of the fouls was legit.

Punchout

2008-01-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

Punchout is a classic NES game, brought back on the Wii
Rating 5/5

One of the coolest games of all time. But now it's on a projector, Macho Man is at least 3 feet tall. And his pecks are just ridiculous.

This game is so hard, that I used to have nightmares about Soda Pop's laugh. Now that I've replayed it, I've beated Soda Pop several times without getting punched. And now I'm stuck on Macho Man. He's Super Spin Punch is totally awesome. I think he works harder on his tan than he does on me.

It's still the classic, it's still great. Play it today.

Fire Emblem, by the way, is hard. I played through on easy the first time, now I'm on normal. It's tough. It's actually gotten somewhat easier now that I've leveled my characters. But I think I might not be able to win on normal. We'll see.

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Review

2008-01-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, is a tactical war role playing game.
Rating 4/5

While it certainly creates some very interesting characters, it also seems to leave certain characters undeveloped in both their use and story line. Of course, with a hundred characters, it would be hard not to. The actual combat is great fun, although keeping your characters alive will require lots of patience. More than half of your characters will be dead in one shot if the enemy touches them. Sometimes if you attacked and missed, the enemy would counter and destroy your full health character. In the end, you rely on your super characters to take out their super characters. If it wasn't for the relative wimpiness of some of your characters the game would be fairly easy, but it's still fun.

The storyline is good, but not great. I really dislike the way it moves you between different armies all the time. It makes it less about developing your army, and more about just winning the battles. The cut scenes are fantastic.

The bottom line, it's good, but it's not OgreBattle 64. If you are a person who loves tactical strategy games, pick this one up, it's good enough, just not great.

HINT: Keep health potions (vulneraries) on all your units, or at least most of them... You can trade items on a turn and then use them on the same turn.

Here's some other reviews of the game:
GameSpot
IGN

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T11:40:00.001-08:00

I got an Ebony Coin Mirror. It's pretty cool, but I have no idea where I'm going to put it. I gave my family each a certificate (I wrote on some paper) to help them buy their next cell phones. They all need new ones, and their plans expire in January. I also got my parents some new speakers for their computer. Their old ones died a couple months ago. I got my 2 year old nephew Nolan a pirate ship and a guitar from Target. I'm pretty sure they'll be among his favorite presents. I'll try to get the pictures from my sister and post them online. I think there may even be some live action footage.

God bless ye merry gentlemen.

Creatine

2007-12-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

I worked out lower body last night, and it was intense. I'm not sure if it was extra motivation from the Creatine, or the fact that I had a bottle with me, so I didn't take any water breaks. I'm pretty sure it was the Creatine. I felt like I had a ton of energy, and for me, that never happens. I weighted myself as well, and am now at 148 lbs. So I picked up a pound in day 1. Let's hope I continue to gain weight. Yesterday, I got only 72 grams of protein. I left my bottle at home, so I didn't get my second meal of chocolate flavoured protein water. And I didn't get any lunch. The only good news is that I still gained a pound.

Target Goal: 160
Current: 148
Start: 147

Popeye

2007-12-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

I watched about 4 Popeye cartoons last night before I went to bed. Nothing like a little Spinach to get you going. Just like Popeye, I've decided to start buying my own Spinach. But it's called creatine instead. In the last 6 months I've increased my bench from around 140 to 185 lbs. For two weeks I took creatine twice a day and during that stretch my bench increased from 160 to 185. Which is where it has stayed since I dropped the frequency and amount of the creatine. If you've ever used creatine you know that it causes some nausea, which is less than pleasant. The new creatine formula I purchased is suppossed to be easy on the stomach. I tried it last night, and although it tasted like chalk, it hasn't been hard on me. I'm pretty excited about it, it had very detailed directions on how to take it. Plus it had a great Web site. I'll keep everyone posted on how well it works.

I've increased my weight from 143 to 147 over the six months, but I had reached 151 for several weeks during the high intensity creatine days, I slowly dropped down to 147 since stopping the creatine. My bench recessed a little, but not much. I'm a believer in creatine now, anyways.

Google Maps

2007-11-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

I just added a Google Map to a website last night, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out

http://www.bransonhomesandhouses.com/listings.html

It runs off of a xml file that is extremely simple. This is the second time I've worked with the Google Maps API, and it is pretty fantastic so long as you don't get stuck with key issues. I did, and it cost be like a day before I got it working.

The site was photoshopped by Jason Wyatt.

Softball

2007-10-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

I played my last game of softball for the year. It wasn't too pretty. We never won a game playing in the Monday Night Men's Competetive Double Header League. I went 1-4 tonight (in two games) I got on once on an E-4, and I hit a triple to right center field. The last hit may have been one of the best I've had all season. Hopefully my softball teams will have a change of luck next year, just like the Royals are going to have with small ball playing manager Hillman.

Epicenter

2007-10-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished Joel Rosenberg's Epicenter. It's an excellent book, I recommend it to all. I say the world ends around 2020, but nobody knows the day or the hour, save God the Father.

There are several widely known verses covering the End Times, not to mention Revelations. Here are some keypoints for Ezekial. I wanted to do more books, but that would take too much time.

1) Ezekial 37

The Jewish people will be restored (37:1-11)
Israel will be restored, they will return from being scattered among the nations (37:20)
David will be their King forever, they will live in the land forever, and God will live among them.
The whole world will know that God is the God of Israel.

2) Ezekial 38

A coalition will be brought forth to war including Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, and Gomer
They will go to War against Israel, who had recovered from a previous war or wars and is living in peace.
Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish will ask if they are going to plunder Israel
When the battle is close to being joined, or happening, there will be a great earthquake, affecting the whole world
God will call forth destruction on Magog and the nations standing with them

3) Ezekial 39

God will send Fire on Magog and the people who live in the safety of the coastlands
The weapons brought forth against Israel will be used as fuel for 7 years
Gog and allies will be buried in the valley which will be called Hamon Gog.
It will be 7 months before men will begin to clear the bones of the dead.
The whole world will know God is the God of Israel, and that they were scattered among the nations before because of their wickedness.

The Blog

2007-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

The reason for this new blow is most eloquently provided by Nathan Thomack:

"Time to try out something new, having tried to roll my own blog I am now joining the masses in using blogger to post updates and info. The hope is that I will update it with greater frequency to appease the screaming masses. Just don't forget to post comments!"

Bill Cosby

2007-10-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Bill Cosby's still funny. I saw him at Mansion America tonight, and I laughed. I laughed alot. And then, I laughed some more. If anyone has ever seen any stand-up comedy of Bill Cosby, then you know he's one of the funniest comedians out there. Now, if I could only see Frank from franktv live, then my life might be complete.

GrandCrowneTravel.com

2007-10-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

I've created a new Web site, actually a few weeks ago... It's GrandCrowneTravel.com. I created the design from a magazine ad Jason created, and I like the look overall. It's a straightforward site, but more content will be coming.

The Royals

2007-09-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Royals have had a better year than last year. Better than I even expected. I thought they'd be really bad, and they've actually only been bad. Plus, I can actually believe that next year will be better, whereas, last year I thought maybe in two years they could improve. Which, ironically, may turn out true. The 11 million the Royals are paying Mike Sweeney will be gone, and they actually have good pitching in both the rotation and the bullpen. Hitting is a different subject though. They'll probably have to get a big power bat in the winter, so they won't get one. Anyways next year I project this lineup:

* Joey Gathright LF
* Mark Grudz 2B
* Alex Rodriguez SS
* Jorge Posada C
* Billy Butler DH
* Mark Teahen RF
* Alex Gordon 3B
* Unnamed Rookie 1B (there are plenty of candidates)
* David Dejesus CF

Here's to wishful thinking! And Frank White will be the Royals new manager.

New Job

2007-07-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

I am now working for Grand Crowne Resorts as their Web developer. I work for the marketing department, which is a big change. I suggest everyone do it ;) Marketing departments are just funner.

My goals are essentially to maintain and update the current sites, as well as develop new sites to promote the various aspects of the business. I'm looking forward to really developing some great sites, something I know can be accomplished here. In part, because I'm working with Jason Wyatt again. One of the area's top graphic designers; and Jason Conway, a seasoned veteran of web marketing.

Linux on the Desktop

2007-02-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

After reading Sander's response to my post, I came up with a plausible reason for the adoption of Linux on the home computer.

If a Linux support company and a PC vendor (such as Dell) were to team up to sell Linux boxes, Linux could succeed on the desktop. The primary problem is that I don't see how Dell (insert favorite PC vendor here) would make money on such a move. Undoubtedly the expense for them would be in hiring support to handle the Linux PCs. I suggest that they could either sell that support off to Ubuntu, Novell, or Redhat. As long as they don't spend more than $6 per box, then they should come out winning. I say this, because I've read that they pay $6 per license to Microsoft for Windows. The only benefit I can see for Dell in this venture is that they would reduce the considerable burden of support for their PCs, one of the most difficult things for large companies to do right.

So that gets Linux to a place where a majority of people could use it. Dell would also have to create a joint advertising venture with the Linux Support Company (ubuntu) in order to sell that product. Ultimately, it could generate enough home user interest to actually capture worthwhile market share.

It's a risky venture for any PC maker to do, and it would no doubt cause Microsoft to reconsider their pricing structure with the vendor, so we may never see this happen. If I were Dell I would try to brand this line against the Apple OS X for two reasons. You'll be generating that same "this is better" mentality that Apple has been using against Windows for so long. Might even get Microsoft off the back of the PC vendor (Dell).

Why you should NOT buy an Apple Computer

2007-02-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start by saying that I LIKE Apple products. I have some gripes, but mostly I do think they are still innovating. Apples spends more time on the user experience than Microsoft (despite the name xp, short for experience). Apple develops for the user. That being said, there's one great big reason to avoid the apple. Apple really *is* evil (Evil Apple, has a nice ring). I know the Apple Fan boys (and girls) don't like hearing that, but someone has to say it. Allowing apple to gain market share hurts us all. Plenty of people are saying, "but Apple's so much better than Microsoft."

Microsoft is evil. Microsoft has an enormous amount of control over the IT industry, and Microsoft has abused that power. They routinely re-invent the wheel, and they actively work to force their products down your throat despite your best efforts to spit it out. For example, video games force me to use Microsoft. And if I have to use it in one place, then it's easier to use it everywhere. What would be Microsoft's incentive to help make video game companies use alternate OSes. They're glad they only work in Windows.

Apple tries the same evil tactic. Apple would likely be worse. After all, a PC doesn't restrict you to Microsoft only hardware. Apple does. You cannot buy the Apple OS and then go out and buy ASUS's latest and greatest motherboard and use it. You just can't do that. ASUS is just one example, there are literally dozens of big companies that are threatened by Apple, and those companies (many are great companies) keep the price we pay for a computer down by providing competing products. Why did Apple switch to Intel chips? Market pressure, IBM couldn't keep up with AMD and Intel with their chips. That would never have happened if those companies didn't exist. Apple wouldn't be pushing the inexpensive Mac mini. They are because they want to gain market share. Real example of this? Look at my Rig in the top right. That was a top of the line machine when I bought it (5/26/2005). And it still runs the latest games. Total Cost: $764.47. High End Apple $2,499.00, and you're still only getting 1MB RAM, you get Dual Core processors, but only 2.66 Ghz.

Don't buy Apple. At least, not yet. Not until they free their Operating System. Not until they allow DELL, HP, etc to sell their Desktops with an Apple OS. For all the great thinking Steve Jobs has done to "turn Apple around," he's still missing something, something very important. No savvy IT person is going to say that you should buy Apple. Save the world, buy a PC. If you really want to be a Hero, try a real operating system like Linux or Unix. Install Ubuntu, you'll find it to be easier than installing Windows, easier than installing Apple products. You'll have to learn the interface, but when you're done, you'll be a good IT citizen. And you be more tech savvy than all your neighbors.

My message to Steve Jobs: We don't want a vertical monopoly in place. Microsoft was able to monopolize the Market because they didn't try to get a vertical monopoly. The world is yours if would just follow the path to success.

I can't leave Bill Gates out. If I was Bill (which I'm not), I would keep with the Windows strategy until it died (which is inevitable). In preparation for that day I would be following the Mac/Sun strategy. Enhance an existing open source OS like Unix or Linux. Be ready for it, sooner or later the hardware vendors (ASUS, DELL, HP) will realize they win if Open Source wins. So you'd better be prepared for that day.

The year of our Lord, 2007.

2007-01-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

Anytime I hear "the year of our Lord," I always associate that with something distinctly Medieval Europe. Anyways, happy new year.

Quick Update: Visual Basic (.Net) is still paying the bills. :) I'm still in Branson. And still living in my Condo. So, not much has changed. I did buy a new bicycle, which I hope I will actually use. It's a fairly cheap Target bike.

I did finish the Primary campaign in NWN2, and was somewhat disappointed after it was all said and done. It is a good RPG, and it does an excellent job of crafting a story where you feel your decisions have a radical impact on future experiences in the game as far as opening up differently dialog, quests, and even the "feel" of the game. There were some supremely well scripted parts that were both fun and technically impressive. And the dialog was typically well written and different for each character, although there are parts that almost seemed forgotten or never were re-read, and that's odd. When you're reading a book it's either poorly written or well written. Same with most games. This one was either typically above average with specks of total lameness thrown in (Voice acting was exactly the same). Mostly, it made me want to buy a newer video card, the graphics were good.

I found a really interesting podcast today, The Economics of Religion. Most interesting was the demographics of Atheism which was towards the end, but I don't want to take anything away from the rest of the podcast. It just so happens that I, mostly, fit the profile of an atheist: single, young, male. Although beyond that I don't. It helped shed some light to me on individuals such as Richard Dawkins, and why they are out to get anybody who's religious. It's been interesting to watch his PR campaign unfold on both digg and youtube that attacks Christianity primarily and religion in general. He seems to have had some success, judging by the comments on Digg.

A quote from wikipedia: "...a theory is a systematic and formalized expression of all previous observations that is predictive, logical and testable." In this precise definition, it is difficult to put forth the argument that Intelligent Design is valid Scientific Theory, or for that matter Evolution. Neither is testable. The fact that mutation has never produced testable, predictable empirically knowable evidence suggests that both are theoretical discussions of origins, rather than valid Scientific Theory.

The baffling item to me is that no one has proposed a theory surrounding what is predictable, logical, testable, and even observable is the amazing de-evolution, for lack of a better term, of human and animal life on planet earth. The entire time of recorded human history, as well as fossil discovery, we factually know that what has happened has been genetic information loss, the shrinking of the gene pool. For example, a community of animals, cut off from the rest of the group, will have genetic information loss that will render them genetically abnormal from the other "original" population, and instead of being a new species or type, will in fact have become a genetically reduced smaller gene pool group, a sub group with less variation. In terms of global impact we have seen in the last 5 years scientists and businesses who are trying to keep different variations of plants stored due to the growing concern of genetic loss that would make entire crop fields susceptible to certain bacteria because they are so sparse in their variation. This problem is largely due to genetically engineered crops and farmer selection to replant only the most successful crops. The result has been to create a higher overall crop yield, but hasn't produced greater variation within the plants to actually provide a higher yield individually, per plant. Although, you often hear about the second law of thermodynamics in regards to this phenomena, it is often brushed aside by Evolutionists as being incorrectly applied to the planet Earth, despite factual evidence to the contrary. Much ado has been made about whether or not global warming is valid, but while the theory may accuse the wrong thing, it's predictive nature is very accurate and very real, and that is where theories should either sink or swim.

My New Condo

2006-12-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

I bought a condo! Actually I bought it in January, and am just now moving in, cuz it just got finished being built. Maybe I'll upload pics later. I've changed the look of the Web site a little as well! Ok, I'm going to go play NWN 2 now. It's all sort of awesome. Maybe I'll post my own review later.

Freedom Under Attack? It's Not The Just the Radicals.

2006-10-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've edited my last post, read that if you thought it sounded wierd before.

I kept a close eye on the comments made by the Pope last week (Cumberland-news), and what I find to be the most frightening is that it isn't just the Islamic radicals. A perfect example can be found on Time.com's Web site: "Did a critic of Islam Go Too Far?". It explains the current problems facing a 52 year old author who recently published a piece about the militant history of the founder of Islam. The poor guy has been forced into police protection, and is being moved around constantly. Apparently, you're taking your life into your own hands if you critize Islam. Sure it might be the "militant radicals" who are actually trying to practice what Islam preaches (ie: murder), but the "peaceful majority" is just as much against freedom as the radicals, read this: (note: Boubakeur is rector of the Mosque of Paris and president of the French Council of the Muslim Religion)

Boubakeur deplores what amounts to the further coarsening of relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe. "This helps the radicals on both sides," he says. "The Islamist radicals say, 'See, they're still insulting Islam,' while the anti-Muslim extremists see Islam's propensity for violence confirmed." Boubakeur wants to see more active prosecution of what he calls "acts that provoke religious hatred." The French authorities, meanwhile, are more interested in finding the people who have threatened to kill Redeker.

2 huge things to note here: 1) He wants to make it illegal to critize someone's beliefs if doing so provokes them to attack you, and 2) If you speak against them, you are an "anti-Muslim extremist." Gee I wonder just how many religions have a violent tendency when being criticized. If you criticize a fundamentalist Christian, he'd still be willing to hug you and tell you God loves you. So, does that make me a "anti-Muslim extremist?"; watch out, you might just get a hug. And remember God loves you.

"Aren't all religions pretty much the same?" -- Clearly not. Sure Islam preaches some "good things", but can you pick apart what you like and don't like about a religion and still claim you believe it? The answer is no. And Christianity is something unique. Christianity is based on true love. A love so enduring that God became man so that he might be a perfect sacrifice for our sins providing a way for us to stand before God and not be condemned.

A powerful lie is almost true -- Their is a fine line between truth and fiction. And a believable story is based on truth, but that little bit of lie invalidates the whole story. So be careful what you say and what you believe lest you be led astray from truth as was Eve and Adam in the garden of Eden. Eve says in Gensis 3:3

"but God said, ' you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.' " But the Serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

And so Eve believed the lie told her, and her eyes were indeed opened when she ate the fruit, for her and Adam realized they were naked, and they were ashamed for they had done evil. And, as God told them, they eventually died, and so has every man and woman (save Enosh and Isaiah) since that day.

Today, God has laid out his plan for mankind that includes our redemption through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ, the man who was God.

Holy Cow Another Post

2006-10-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday night, 6:00 PM and Eric (Network Admin) is taking the servers down. I'm headed to church in about 10 minutes, so what better to do than post a blog.

Today, I'm going to lay down why I think Net Neutrality is a good thing. Here's why: forcing large companies who can afford to pay the big bucks to allow customers speedier access will create a hurdle for under-funded start-ups. It's easy to imagine a world in which the large corporations pay a premium to have their content provided faster than poor start-ups. Microsoft would have undoubtedly been a much bigger player in an enviroment providing such an advantage to high paying content providers.

Let's say some computer nerds come up with a great idea for a site that would topple eBay overnight. They go about coding it, and manage to pull it off brilliantly. Then, however, they cannot get any customers to stick with them because downloading their homepage along takes twice as long as ebay's. The end result: the new company dies and innovation is stifled.

It's being able to have that small barrier to entry for new companies that has allowed the technology/internet industry to grow so quickly, and be so innovative. It's brought the American inventitve genius out of the swamp and provided a huge economic boom to the our country and the world. Perhaps every industry is guaranteed to stagnant once the "big players" have emerged, but I think we should fight that so called "maturity" and provide as much incentive to the American innovater as possible in every industry possible.