N418TX (We Think)

Per Julia's request, these are pictures of the airplane I am building with two friends. Our latest idea for the "tail number" is the title of this post: N = US aircraft, 4 = D for Deane, 18 = R for Russell, T for Tom, X for Experimental (no more than two digits other than initial N can be letters, and they have to be at the end).

You are seeing the fuselage and wings, which come with the "Quick Build" kit. We recently finished the "tail feathers" ie the stabilizers and control surfaces at the aft end. Now we are working on finishing details of the wings, such as fuel, electical, air data, etc. There is a lot of little stuff to do on the fuselage before we start assembling things together. Then, we will have to hang an engine on the front. An optimistic goal is to be flying in summer 2008, but it may take longer.

This is a Van's RV-7A, one of the most popular airplane kits in the world. One or more kits are being shipped every day now. It has two seats, tops out at about 200 mph, and can do aerobatics. The total cost is about 1/3 of a similar manufactured airplane (still too much for me to afford if we weren't splitting it 3 ways).

The Yin/Yang of Teaching Abstinence

Since Tom touched on this subject in one of his previous posts, I thought I would throw in a little current events to stoke the fire of this particular debate.
President Bush has been pushing abstinence education through his faith-based programs where much of the federal education dollars are spent these days.
Now, it appears that states are taking the matters in their own hands, and there appears to be a Red State/Blue State divide on this (I know the whole Red/Blue state thing is so '04 but I'm just using it to illustrate a point).
In Rhode Island yesterday, the state's Department of Education ruled that all of their schools should stop participating in the federally-funded abstinence programs run by a group called Heritage Rhode Island. Board members say the program gave out false information about sexually transmitted diseases and conveyed negative stereotypes of women and homosexuals to students.
On the other end of the spectrum, Wisconsin's governor signed a bill on Monday that will require all sexual education classes in the state to put an extra-special emphasis on abstinence.
WWJD?

Why the World Loves Soccer

Check out this month's National Geographic cover story on soccer. It features essays from different writers on their native countries' obsession with the world's most popular sport. The articles are esoteric in nature, and most of them only touch on the game itself. Instead, they look at soccer as a cultural and political force.
There is also a pretty cool pullout that serves as a guide to the upcoming World Cup.
Plus, as always, there are a lot of beautiful soccer-related photos like the one above.

An Interesting Review

My wife and I only rarely take the kids to the movies. Doing so is expensive and logistically difficult. This past weekend, however, we went to see "Over the Hedge", featuring, among other voices, the voice of William Shatner, and there was even an interesting reference to "The Wrath of Khan" during the credits at the end. Because I worked for a time writing software to produce three-dimensional graphics, I am usually interested in seeing the latest computer-animated movie, if for no other reason than to look for evidence of some difficult-to-render effect or for evidence of physics-based modeling. Anyway, I knew that the kids would enjoy the show.

Another motivation for this weekend's adventure to the movie theater, however, was related to the opening of "The Da Vinci Code". I was motivated to vote against it on opening weekend not simply by refusing to attend but by buying tickets for something else. A feeble gesture, to be sure, and, in the end, to some degree an excuse to do what I usually don't do because of the need for discipline in spending, but a gesture just the same. I suppose that I might eventually read the book by checking out from the library or otherwise borrowing the book. I suppose that I might eventually see the movie if I happen across it on television. But I have no desire to contribute any money to support DVC.

Below is an excerpt from a particularly interesting review of DVC. You may see the complete text of the review by clicking on the image at the top of this post.

From the page:

Astonishingly, after a 2½‑hour seminar on the evils of monotheism, Christianity, and the Catholic Church, The Da Vinci Code tries to have its cake and eat it too, as Langdon suggests to Sophie that "What really matters is what you believe," even questioning whether exploding the "greatest cover-up in history" would really be such a good thing after all: Does Sophie want to "destroy faith or renew it?"

It almost sounds as if Langdon is saying, "So Christianity is a lie -- let the Christians have their lie, if that's what makes them happy." Whatever happened to "For 2000 years the Church has rained oppression and suffering on mankind"?

Is it possible to put all this aside and just enjoy the story as a thriller, an enjoyable yarn? I honestly have no idea how people can take that approach.

Catholic writer Mark Shea tells an anecdote about a college bull session among students at Central Washington University over The Da Vinci Code. "Even if it's just fiction," a student opined, "it's still interesting to think about."

To which another student replied: "Your mother's a whore." And then, to the first student's stunned incredulity, he added, "And even if that's just fiction, it's still interesting to think about."

Comments and News from Colorado

I've not looked at this blog since March, but now I've added it to the list of bookmarks that I've been using lately.

Doug's two most recent posts (and especially the commentary generated by the older of them) are very interesting.

Because of my previous posts here, no one should be surprised by the stark difference between my present view of morality and that of my youth. So, no one should be surprised by the difference between my view and the view apparently held by everyone else here, except perhaps by Michelle, from whom I have not seen much lately.

I should, of course, advocate

• that Doug and his girlfriend, before they are married and while in preparation for marriage, agree to welcome the possibility of having children and


• that they have sex and live together only after they are married.

For human beings, the sexual act should be recognized as sacred. Moreover, both the body language of the sexual act and the performance of the act with foreknowledge of the potential consequences speak powerfully of permanent dedication of the man to the woman, and vice-versa. Therefore, abstinence before marriage---which should be viewed as permanent---is right. We should be unconvinced by the sick, wimpy world that abstinence is too inconvenient, that it is too difficult, or that we are insufficiently strong or courageous to live rightly.

Well, I did not come here with the intent of being controversial this evening, but there it is.

I feel a certain poignance, however, because I did come here primarily to deliver news of my seventh child, who is expected in January. :^)

As usual, I invite everyone to check out my StumbleUpon blog.

Lark Joins the Blogocracy

As many of you know, Lark and I will be attending the World Cup in Germany in about 3 weeks. While I will be taking a break from my media activities and taking a real vacation, Lark will actually become a member of the media by blogging about his World Cup experiences for the Houston Chronicle.
He's already made a few posts to preview his trip and give the uneducated a little inside information on this year's national team and the odds of them winning the Cup. Check out his blog at http://chron.com/sports/soccer/, and check in during the World Cup for his entries from Germany. Should be fun.