The Compassion Forum and God

On April 13, CNN Hosted a Compassion Forum with Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton (John McCain was absent for some reason). CNN had the guests and the hosts ask the candidates questions related to religion. The co-host Jon Meachem asked this question:

Senator [Clinton], we've heard about HIV/AIDS. Many people here are concerned about Darfur and a number of other humanitarian issues. Why do you think it is that a loving God allows innocent people to suffer?

This is the Problem of Evil question paraphrased which is: God is good. God is omnipotent. Evil exists. Well, I believe, evil exists because evil is part of man. Man is both good and bad. We choose which path to take. And since governments are composed by men they can do evil too--even worse since they have power. That is why America's founding fathers created the Bill of Rights--to protect the citizens from a possible corrupt totalarist government. James Madison said it best in the Federalist Papers:

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.

The reader might ask why does not God stop evil in its tracks? Because that's is what freewill is for. God expects and wants people to be good. If individual people cannot stop evil on their own then benevolent freedom-loving gov'ts have to. Just like the Allied Forces did in World War II. Isn't that what the United Nations was for? To stop another World War? They have dropped the ball badly.

The Problem of Evil question is really too deep to be asking at a forum like this. There is not enough time to answer it. I probably did not do it justice. Then a question was asked which candidate would God endorse. A really dumb question. That is like asking which NBA team does God like. God does not play favorites.

Walking Through Virtual Environments

From ScienceDaily (2008-04-12) --

Imagine being able to take a step back in time and walk through the streets of ancient Pompeii hours before the eruption of Vesuvius. In April 2008, European researchers will demonstrate that walking through virtual environments is set to be a reality. In the virtual environment you have flight simulators, car simulators, but the most natural way of locomotion for humans is walking and this was practically impossible, according to the researchers. [read more..]

GPS Technology for Felons

I think dangerous felons should have a GPS device on their body. That way if they escape prison the police will be able to track their movements. Also, any felon dangerous or not who escapes prison and is captured will have to wear one of these GPS devices because he has shown himself as being an escape risk.

The GPS unit could be put on a fire-proof water-proof saw-proof metal band either around the ankle, wrist or neck. The only way to take it off--if for instance the prisoner was found innocent later on and released--is by unlocking it by using two keys that the guards would have. I originally thought that if the band was tampered with for instance if the prisoner tried to saw it off that it would explode. But then that would end up possibly hurting innocent bystanders.

Haunted Lawsuit

This is one of the strangest lawsuits I've heard of. It goes to show you just about sue over anything. From Telegraph.co.uk Mar. 31, 2008: In Rome, Italy a couple is suing previous owners of a house because they say it is haunted and the previous owners did not let them know. From the article here is phenomena happening there:

"The ghosts started their haunting on the first night," said Mr Bastianelli, a former long-distance lorry driver. "I woke suddenly at around one or two in the morning. There was water seeping from under the bathroom door.

"The hot water tap was pouring out boiling water and the room was full of steam. My wife was stunned, because she had turned off everything before going to bed."

He claimed that by next morning, malevolent spirits had left "luminous green mould all over the walls".

After that things got worse. He said the sound of chains rattling had alarmed his 10-year-old daughter, and claimed that the lawnmower and his wife's car had spontaneously combusted.

According to the article the house is built close to a disused cemetery and there was even an exorcism there at the house. Like I said the previous owners are now being sued because they did not let the current owners know the house is haunted. There is even an Italian law that says you have to notify the current owners if there is anything wrong with the house. Well, maybe, the previous owners did not see any paranormal activity to report. I've watched enough of Ghost Hunters to know that paranormal activity is sporadic. I would think the current owners would have to prove that there was paranormal activity when the previous owners lived there and that they knew about it and deliberately did not tell the current owners about it. Then there is the issue about the activity being paranormal. You would have to have different "Ghost Hunter" teams investigate the house. Maybe, that Ghost Hunter International team that is on the SciFi channel could come out.

Hillary Clinton, Obama and McCain

I distrust any politician who denies that he or she does not have a political belief system either way. Obama said he doesn't. Yea, right! He's as liberal (oh, I am sorry I mean regres-oops! I mean progressive--that's the term now days) as Hillary. Then Huckabee said he's a vertical politician on The Tonight Show. He wasn't to the left or right but vertical. Again, more double-speak.

McCain is okay. He's a decent guy. I don't like his stance on torturing terrorists. I think we should do more of it. We only did it just three times. I think when McCain was tortured it influenced his view on the issue. He thinks if we don't water-board terrorists the international community will like America more. Maybe, maybe not. Countries run by dictators like Iran will never like us. Maybe the citizens do but they only read what the gov't-controlled press tells them what the "facts" are. Any good America does will not be reported or downplayed and anything bad we do will always be reported there. Sort of like drive-by-media here depending on who is power. After all one-party rule countries cannot blame themselves for any mistakes. It is some other country's fault--in this case America. If a country is a true friend of America they will stick by us. Then McCain reached across the isle to the Dems too much. He never crossed the isle to his fellow Republicans that much. He is more moderate than I like.

I vote for who is going to look out for the best interests of this country. Not for the best interests of the UN or the international community. Not because he happens to talk about change all the time (change can go either way) or because she thinks she is the anointed one.

One final political thought: All three candidates are senators. That means they use consensus as a means of making decisions. Margaret Thatcher once said: "To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects." So, either way the country is screwed! (Just joking!?) Just something to think about. Or not.

Compulsive Gambler Sues Seven Casinos

From The Philadelphia Inquirer March 9, 2008: A woman gambling in Atlantic City is suing the casinos because she said they should have recognized her gambling addiction and prevented her from losing close to $1 million by cutting her off. She said the casinos should have noticed her "abnormal" behavior. According to the article, she "would go days at the tables without food or sleep, cleaning her teeth with disposable wipes so she didn't have to leave the table and sometimes passing out."

Well, unless she is wearing a sign or t-shirt that says, "Help me! I am a compulsive gambler! Please cut me off!" or tells them specifically to cut her off at a certain amount, it is hard to tell that she needed help. How is a casino supposed to diagnose a medical condition? How are they supposed to know that she has not been eating or sleeping? That's tricky. Maybe she is just an insomniac trying to pass the time away. Who knows. And if they did cut her off they might be sued for discrimination. Casinos are only looking for people cheating them or people disturbing other people.

This situation would be similar to a shopaholic suing a discount store for not stopping her stopping or a foodaholic suing a fast-food place for not stopping his eating. This lady with this so-called gambling addiction could just have as well sued the other patrons of the casinos for not stopping her. I mean she wasn't alone in these casinos was she? The patrons were around her more (especially the regulars) than the staff was probably. Then again she would make more money suing the casinos. Being a lawyer should would know that.

Where were her family and friends at to help her if she has no self-control? Instead of spending court costs to sue the casinos she would be better off taking that money and going to Gamblers Anonymous for help. States that have lotteries better hope she loses the lawsuit otherwise they could be sued for selling lottery tickets to someone with a gambling addiction.

A Parody of Obama's Pastor Sermon

Here is my impression of Obama's pastor (Reverend Wright) giving a sermon: [My comments in brackets.]

• The post office lied when they said they could deliver a package on Tuesday then it came on Thursday.
• Bob lied when he said he would pay me back the $100 he owes me and never did.
• The boneless chicken package lied when it said it was boneless.
• Al Gore lied when he said he invented the internet.
• Liberals lie when they say they care for the working man.
• Bill Clinton lied when he said he did not fornicate with that woman.
• Hillary Clinton lied in her book when she said she did not know about her husband's affairs.
• The scientists lied when they said global warming was man-made.
• Gerald lied when he said he lost weight just by eating Subways.
• OJ Simpson lied when he said he did not commit murder.
• The gov't lied when they said they put a man on the moon. [Why not this conspiracy theory?]
• The government lied when they said Oswald killed JFK by himself. [Gotta include this one.]
• FDR lied when he said Social Security was going to be optional.

I should say I think Obama's pastor is a fruit cake. Some of the parody is just wishful thinking on my part.