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2007-05-11 22:42:02

The Testimony of Thomas

By Thomas Gail Haws (1966- )

Warmest Greetings

This web site is primarily my testimony, consisting of the following sections:

Spiritual Essays

The Problem of The Real World. Can we always just turn the other cheek and not worry about tomorrow's troubles?

Gospel Hobbies and Extremism. Am I a gospel hobbyist? A list of possibilities.

An Experiment in Secularism in which I tried for a few days to be an atheist.

Joseph Smith and Psammetic I on recreation, an interesting parallel I ran across

That Big Screen in the Sky, how what will happen when we die can happen while we remain here

The Near Death Experience in Mormon Scripture, merely a stub, planned to explore parallels between modern NDEs and LDS tradition and scripture

Spiritual Nuggets

Happy Songs

Technical Essays

Lehis Journey paraphrased with modern geographic ties.

Scratchpad

Connecting to a web-hosted MySQL database with your local OpenOffice.org

SWMM 5 is an amazing storm water management model

[[1]] My AutoLISP tutorial at Peanut Butter Wiki.

http://www.editthis.info/the testimony of thomas/index.php//Praise for OpenOffice editthis.info is kind of slow. This is an experimental use of that site.

Other pages

http://www.hawsedc.com/kato

What to take to Africa

Stocks notes

My Quick Bookmarks

Mesa Arizona Area Civil Engineers for Residential Work

vi

Full list of pages

2004-10-19 23:32:28

Secularism and the Childhood Mind

Television was a central feature of my early childhood. The Sesame Street was brought to me by the letter G and the numbers 3 and 12. The Electric Company brought me the power so that I could read. Mister Rogers believed in me and loved me. Marlin Perkins and Mutual of Omaha brought me the Wild Kingdom.

When I entered Emerson Elementary School in Mesa, my schedule was defined by television. After school each day I watched Sesame Street, Electric Company, Gilligan's Island, and Mister Rogers with my younger siblings. Dad usually got home during Mister Rogers, then we would watch Gomer Pyle and My Three Sons together during dinner, with a quick prayer during a commercial break.

In those days (the 1970s) television programming was limited to three network stations (CBS, NBC/KTAR, and ABC/KTVK), one local station (KPHO), and PBS/KAET (plus the Spanish and the religious stations). Programming was on the whole inoffensive to our family, but Godless. I don't remember that anybody on Gilligan's Island prayed, or that there were any expressions of faith in the Mike Douglas (My Three Sons) home. Mister Rogers ran a deeply spiritual program, but without any reference at all to God or Heaven.

Death: The Final Winner

The implicit secularism in the medium that fed my mind three hours daily during my formative years likely influenced my world view in my adolescent years.

When I was about 13 years old in Mesa, Arizona, Scout Troop 556 sponsored by the LDS Mesa 25th Ward where we were members took a day trip to Oracle Cave south of Oracle Junction, which is south of Mesa. After exploring the cave, we boys explored the ravine around the entrance.

Near the entrance (my memory says east/downstream) we found a diagonal crack in the rock about 1 foot wide that seemed to go back into the mountain a bit. To enter it we lay down diagonal and rolled into the mountain. After several feet of rolling I came to a rest with my face inches from the rock face above and in front of me.

At that moment the thought occurred to me that the mountain might shift a few inches and crush me to death. The terror I felt at that moment can only be felt by the ungodly. At that moment there was no God, no heaven, and no spirit in man. There was only my fragile frame and that mountain above me.

Through the years I allowed that moment to haunt me. In the moment of terror, I had no faith. Then did I have faith at all? These memories and questions helped frame my spiritual quest.


2005-08-01 05:53:20

The Testimony of Thomas

By Thomas Gail Haws (1966- )

My personal web site is http://home.sprintmail.com/~~hawstom.

Returning Home: This Child's Journey to Light

As I approach 40 years in this world, I am increasingly impressed that I ought to try to write down my personal spiritual journey. I have not seen heaven with my physical eyes. And I have never to my knowledge taken leave of my physical body these 40 years. But I have read the personal words of many ancient and contemporary people who have. And something inside of me (since October 27 2003) undeniably recognizes these experiences as the highest truth. My focus in life is forever changed for the better as a result of the icing my recent awareness has been on the sweet cake of my life. I am extremely grateful to those who have received unusual dispensations of the mercy of Heaven for venturing to share their experiences!

Personal thinkpad

Joseph Smith and Psammetic I on recreation

The Near Death Experience in Mormon Scripture A stub

The Night the Children Sang

That Big Screen in the Sky

2005-07-26 22:21:20

This is an experimental Partisanship area dedicated to Reverence affirming in a Partisanship way a reality of Love Transcendence of this world. This area is currently and tentatively titled God Works Wiki in the tentative belief that such a title will speak universally to all believers as to the truth that the transcendent, loving, purposeful Omniscience is revealed continually worldwide in personally surprising and undeniable Experience. The intended message is that the experiential affirmation that Humans have a transcendent purpose and destiny that can only be realized within each individual heart and for humanity through seeking and practicing sacrificial love.

You are invited to contribute experiences of your own and of others subject to copyright law. Because these are personal experiences, I allow liberal locking of narrative pages. But indexes, definitions, guidelines, and policies pages are encouraged to remain open at all times if possible.

Thank you for contributing.

2005-08-09 19:07:19

I am not Partisanship when I speak reverently of a just, loving, great God. I have chosen the least biased term available to me.

God in languages other than English

To demonstrate what I mean by speaking of God in non-partisan terms, I consider the following as fully satisfactory and equivalent translations that need no separate articles or explanation.

  • Allah = God in Arabic, the language of Islam
  • Brahman = God in Hinduism and Buddhism

Nuanced expressions for God

I accept the reverent use of nuanced expressions for God that may deserve articles to explain the nuances they express. These nuances are widely appreciated, though we may not all agree on all of them.

God is the Source of Humanity

  • Father
  • Mother
  • Source

God is the Creator

  • Creator

God is the greatest of all

  • Almighty

God personifies love

  • Love

2005-08-09 19:13:53

We are *reverent* by checking that our own hearts feel awe, or at least that our words express respect, when we speak of the subjects this web site affirms. We are especially careful to observe reverence when using terms that are not personally familiar to us, but are used by others in expressing Holy things.

2004-10-26 17:55:26

We avoid splitting hairs about the meanings of words. We try to find in all words an acceptable nuance of meaning, and assume that nuance is the appropriate one.

What Great teachers have said about words

"Wo unto him that maketh an offender for a word."

2005-11-15 03:14:55

We say that God works to build sacrificial love in humans so that they may transcend all things and become one.

2005-10-13 14:05:06

This web site speaks directly and expressly to and about *humans* without denying the love of God toward and the presence of God in all things. We may not all conceived identically of what this means, but at this web site I am generous about Words and agree that the transcendence of God is great.

I say humans instead of humanity because I desire to emphasize the personal nature of our individual transcendence through our individual sacrificial Love.

2004-10-26 17:59:18

We often quote *great teachers* of God and sacrificial Love. When we list multiple teachings on the same point, we try to do so chronologically so as to avoid being mistaken for partisans.

This page may be used as a list of great teachers

2005-09-12 03:04:14

At the age of 15 my heart was changed as I read the Book of Mormon prayerfully for the first time.

Before then I generally complied submissively to what was expected of me as a son of Latter-day Saints. In fact I was zealous and judgemental. I would have been called a goody-goody by some children. And I was called Righteous-Kenighteous by some of my loved ones.

But in that deep part of me nobody ever saw, I often wished I had been born and raised ignorant of the commandments of God. I remember distinctly in early adolescence wishing earnestly that I might have been born a heathen that I might have partied up good and enjoyed sin for a good long time, and then in my later years have heard the sober news, received baptism and forgiveness, and continued on to my glory in the eternal world.

Those feelings and thoughts were obviously misinformed. Righteousness is its own reward, and sin its own punishment.

The year I was 15, I studied The Book of Mormon in a high school Latter-day Saint youth seminary class. The teacher continually insisted we had to pray for a personal knowledge of the truth of our religion as we read The Book of Mormon. I remember praying earnestly all through my reading of the book. And I remember that the day I closed the last page, in my heart I said, "Amen," in response to the prophetic benediction at the end. But at that point I was not conscious of the change that had taken place or was taking place in my heart. Within a few months I noticed written somewhere the phrase, "Conversion: The Divine Miracle". As I pondered that phrase and whatever I had found written with it, I realized what a miracle it was to take a heart and change it mightily so that, where it previously had desired to commit more sin, it now desired to commit no sin, but to do good continually.

I before long came to the conclusion that I had experienced personally a great miracle, and that the miracle itself was the answer to my prayers. I never again rejoiced in any sin of mine, nor wished I had opportunity to sin more. Instead I praised God for every sin from which I was spared, and yearned within to be more holy.

2005-09-12 03:10:53

I prayed for greatness

I became aware before I got too far into my third decade of life that my spiritual stature was quite dwarfed by such heroic giants as the Old Testament's Daniel and Joseph and The Book of Mormon's Mormon. I began to pray with increasing frequency and intensity that the Father make of me something useful "like Daniel, Joseph, and Mormon, if it is possible." I eventually realized that the kind of growth I contemplated had necessarily to involve great pain and trial.

I prayed for trials

From time to time I heard LDS church brothers say with tongue halfway in cheek, "Never pray for trials." This sounded fearful and lazy to me at the time. I didn't realize that it may actually have been wise. My life seemed to me to have been so incredibly idyllic that I eventually began indeed to pray for trials.

To some people, the idea of praying for trials may seem brash and arrogant, as challenging death. To others it may seem dangerous or frightening. To me at the time, it was simply my way of offering my all to the Father. In retrospect, I think that praying explicitly for trials is unwise. The Father knows what each child needs, and I think it is appropriate to ask to be made a more fitting servant. In the Father's wisdom and timing, trials will come. And if I pray to be made a more fitting servant, my mind will be focused when they come on how they might fulfill the Father's purposes.

The Father had a purpose in it all

The trials came. But the Father was true to the words of How Firm a Foundation: 


  When through fiery trials thy pathway shall go,

  the rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'er flow.

  The flames shall not hurt thee, I only design

  Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.


Thoughts that sustained me in trial

Trials drove me to seek with incredible focus new answers, new ways of thinking. During the years of greatest pain and confusion, certain thoughts recurred to me that I believe helped not only sustain me, but lead me through rejoicing.

Lord, is it I?

Early in my trials, my mind continually recalled the statement of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus when he declared at the Last Supper that one of them would betray him. "Lord, is it I?" they asked. I remembered the innocent awe I felt as a child when I heard that narrative. What manner of men were these, or with what awe did they regard their Master that they should betray such self-doubt in that question? Did they fail to know themselves enough that they must ask if they should be the betrayer?

And as all that childhood awe returned to my heart, I asked that question myself in prayer. "Lord, is it I?" What error lies unnoticed in my understanding?

2004-11-10 19:01:46

My Dad once said

Perhaps forgiveness is like I read in a book on Kuna recently, "giving permission for the offender to have acted the way he/she did".

2004-11-10 19:02:44

The highest expression of love may be giving that gift that is hardest to give for the sake of the receiver, not knowing that thereby the giver is eternally changed for the better! (kdh)

2006-04-29 05:33:44

Note: I apologize that this isn't more well developed yet.

Howard Storm's experience is a great prototype of death experiences as related to LDS belief. It is heavily reminiscent of Alma II's experience and of Lehi's dream. Storm was invited by spirits into a dark and dreary waste where he wandered for many hours (or weeks) until he came to an abyss where he was racked and tormented until his mind caught hold on the thought of a Savior and called out for Jesus to have mercy on him. Then what light did he behold, and he was filled with joy as exquisite as was his pain.

On June 1, 1985, 38 year old Howard Storm, an atheist, found himself in the spirit overlooking his body in a hospital room. Anger and frustration overcame him. "This is crazy! I can’t be standing here looking down at myself. That’s not possible," he told himself.

2006-09-29 23:07:28

On the morning of Sunday 16 January 2005, before I awoke, I dreamed that I was in a family setting teaching a lesson as in a Family Home Evening. While I shared my lesson, the children started singing, and I thought that soon angels joined with them in singing of the love of the Father in Heaven. When I awoke I tried to write down the song they were singing. I translate it something like this:


We love our Father, he loves us forever. No sadness or danger will make us afraid. Alelluia the children were singing With angels around them arrayed.

Or

We have a father who loves us forever. No sadness or danger will make us afraid. Aleluia, the the little children were singing With angels around them arrayed.

A Song

One night I lay asleep; I dreamed a dream most heavenly. Around me my children gathered, glowing with love. And as I taught them, in answer came a melody, And soon they were joined by the angels above.

A-a alleluia. A-a alleluia. The little children were singing with love. A-a alleluia. A-a alleluia. A song to their Father above.

We have a Father who loves us forever. No sadness or danger will make us afraid. For we are his children; we love Him forever, in warm light He holds us; our strong house He made.

Alleluia. The little children were singing. Raising a song to their Father above. Alleluia. Angelic answers were ringing. A witness of heavenly love.


I kindly welcome visitors to this page, and I regret largely undoing recent changes to this page that appeared to be made in good faith. I mean no ingratitude or offense.

2007-01-24 18:10:39

Lehi left (fled) Jerusalem with his family in 600 B.C. (1 Nephi 2:4, 19:8), "came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea", and travelled along the coast of the Red Sea. After travelling three days (240 to 300 km) in the wilderness, he made camp in a valley by a running stream that emptied continually into the beginning of the Red Sea (likely Wadi Tayyib al-Ism, 115 km miles by trail from Aqaba http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&ll=28.562964,34.809494&spn=0.052468,0.045662&om=1 or below).

Is the anomaly on the coast at left indicative of flow at the time of photograph?

http://www.hawsedc.com/wadi.jpg)

While they tarried at their wilderness camp, the sons of the family returned to Jerusalem twice for important things they would need (scripture--Laban's Brass Plates--in chapters 3 through 6 and wives--Ishmael's daughters--in chapter 7), gathered provisions for a long journey (chapter 8), and received further instructions from heaven (chapters 8 through 16).

Finally one night at the camp (one wonders just how many weeks or months they tarried there), the voice of the Lord told Lehi to strike camp the next morning (16:9). The next morning, Lehi discovered "a round ball of curious workmanship", "of fine brass", at the door of his tent, with two spindles inside it, and "the one" (or was it "they" one) "pointed the way" to go in the wilderness. One student has conjectured that the two spindles bore testimony of each other. If they were at odds (or perpendicular), the ball was not functional due to a lack of faith. If they were as one pointing the way (parallel and perfectly overlaid), the ball was functional. (Is there not a type in this thing?)

They packed up all, crossed the river of water, which they had christened the River of Laman, and travelled south-southeast four days to a second camp along the Red Sea coast, which they called Shazer, and where they hunted animals for food.

After the camp at Shazer they continued south-southeast many more days along the Red Sea coast, hunting along the way, and being led to oases by "the directions of the ball", until they made a third Red Sea camp.

At their third camp, where they had stopped to rest and get more food, Nephi broke his steel bow on the first major hunt, and the hunting party returned with no food. (Note that this was likely a fine wooden bow with a steel reinforcing band or spring on its tensile or outer side.) Nephi's brothers were upset at him for breaking his bow, and a general spirit of grumbling overtook the fatigued and hungry company. After trial, tutoring, and repentance, the family got food and resumed their journey south-southeast again for many days.

Ishmael, the father-in-law of Lehi's sons, died (16:34). He was buried at Nahom (likely the Nehem a few dozen miles north of modern Sana'a, the capital of Yemen http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&spn=0.1,0.1&ll=16.27,44.53), and a renewed spirit of grumbling pervaded the group. At this point they wanted to go back to Jerusalem, and discussed killing Lehi and Nephi. But the voice of the Lord spoke to the grumblers and chastened them. They repented (chapter 16) and took their journey inland, nearly eastward (17:1) (likely at the trade route branch in the Jawf valley (Wadi Jawf) just a few miles from Nehem).

For eight years they sojourned in the deserts of modern Yemen, Oman, and perhaps Saudia Arabia. (17:4) The Lord kept them from making much fire, and they lived on raw meat. (17:2,12) The Lord said he would make the raw meat sweet to them and would be their light in the wilderness, and they would know He had led them through.

At last they came to a beautiful land they called Bountiful (likely Wadi Sayq/Khor Kharfot in Oman http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&spn=0.1,0.1&ll=16.67,53.15), where they rejoiced, rested, and prepared to travel across the sea to their promised land.

Camels and distance

"On journeys lasting for several weeks, camels cover a distance of approximately 30 to 40 km per day. On shorter journeys, lasting less than a week, they cover 80 to 100 km per day. In exceptional circumstances, bulls are able to walk more than 120 km in a single day, provided that they have a whole day to rest afterwards." http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/feedback/war/war92/x1700t05.htm

2006-07-25 23:42:38

About Gospel Hobbies

At a May 1, 2005 LDS Church Educational System Fireside for Young Adults, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said the following:

"In a memorable message given at the 1971 October conference, Elder Boyd K. Packer likened the fulness of the gospel to a piano keyboard. He reminded us that a person could be 'attracted by a single key,' such as a doctrine they want to hear 'played over and over again.' He explained:

'Some members of the Church who should know better pick out a hobby key or two and tap them incessantly. . . . They lose track that there is a fulness of the gospel, . . . ~which they reject in preference to a favorite note. This becomes exaggerated and distorted, leading them away into apostasy' (Teach Ye Diligently ~1975, 44).

We could say of such persons, as the Lord said of the members of the Shaker sect, 'that they desire to know the truth in part, but not all' (D&C 49:2). And so, I say, beware of the hobby key. If you tap one key to the exclusion or serious detriment of the full harmony of the gospel keyboard, you are deviating from the recommended tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."


My Gospel Hobbies

I was first startled by the concept of Gospel Hobbies when as a teenager I read the Gospel Hobbies entry in Elder Bruce R. ~McConkie's Mormon Doctrine. Being a naturally energetic and exuberant person, I have since often asked myself if I am a gospel hobbyist. As an answer, I have decided to make a list of the piano keys I love to play. I have chosen to list those areas that I pursue or have pursued with such zeal that any one might be individually identified as my gospel hobby.

Music: I love beautiful music. I sing at the top of my lungs at home, in my car, at church, in choir, and in the wilderness. I have directed choirs. I have written a hymn. I hold choir practice in the summer and on Fast Sunday (an LDS thing) when allowed. I flail my arms like a mad man when I direct. And I encourage my children to be musical.

Scouting: I am (when asked to be) a zealous Scouter. I take "my boys" on long explores and arduous treks. I magnify the spirit of the advancement requirements. I exemplify and expect a full uniform. I believe in the safety and spirit rules; no jumping off cliffs over 6 feet high, no hazing or initiations, and tour permits for every excursion. I long for a fully realized Patrol Method in the LDS church. I fancy that I have the vision of the program.

The Word of Wisdom: I am somewhat a vegetarian or possibly at times a vegan, and caffeinated soft drinks are almost taboo to me. I have studied the Word of Wisdom word by word for clues to dietary recommendations. I believe it states that the Lord asks us to use all domestic mammal and poultry flesh sparingly, and furthermore He is pleased when we abstain entirely during times of abundance in the warm seasons. I believe it states that the Lord has made wild mammals for the use of man only in times of famine or excess of hunger.

Marriage: I abhor divorce. I may go so far as to say I do not believe in divorce. I interpret Malachi as having the Lord say as much himself (2:16). And Jesus clearly taught in the Sermon on the Mount that divorce is a grave mistake. As an allowance, I do believe in separation for a minute, a day, a week, or a decade. Staying true to the spouse of your youth is one of the supreme tests of life.

Genealogy: I have taken a university course from a certified genealogy enthusiast. I have bugged my kin crazy about genealogy. I have posted genealogy web information and maintained a family e-mail genealogy work group since before the web was cool. I have assisted in the development of the Open Source phpGedView software.

Church History: I have read and wrestled with a lot of provocative subjects and learned holy lessons from them. I've read Juanita Brooks's Mountain Meadows Massacre, John D. Lee's Last Testimony, Lavina Fielding Anderson's edition of Lucy's Book (The History of Joseph Smith by Lucy Mack Smith).

Scriptures and the Book of Mormon: I have read the Book of Mormon around two dozen times. Passages and concepts from it slip into my daily communications and thoughts. I have read every word of the Holy Bible at least once, and much of the New Testament repeated times. I compare things I read and hear to scriptural passages and sayings. I believe that scriptural grounding is one form of spiritual insurance.

Book of Mormon Studies: I am enthused about reformed Egyptian, Lehi's wilderness journey, a Mesoamerican geography model, the Three (and other) Witnesses of the Golden Plates, and the visits of Moroni to Joseph Smith and his recovery of the plates. I believe the Book of Mormon is not, nor purports to be, perfect, but is the testimony of a real people concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Life After Death and Modern Revelation: I have read dozens of accounts of modern heavenly experiences from people of all faiths. My Amazon.com wish list is full of books on Near Death Experiences and the spiritual world. I say that my life and outlook are changed forever because of personal insights the Holy Spirit has borne to me while I have partaken of this literature. I believe the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas, and that the spirit of the Lord is being poured out on all flesh, with old men dreaming dreams and young men seeing visions

Polygamy (formerly): I've testified before the Arizona State Senate Judiciary committee in favor of a Child Bigamy Bill to aid enforcement against Colorado City ills. I've (regrettably) acted impetuously to involve friends and relatives questionably in a certain case of runaways from Colorado City. I've been in contact with a group (including Flora Jessop) working behind the scenes to shine the light of public scrutiny on Colorado City ills.

Pacifism: I am a pacifist in the tradition of the Book of Mormon's Abinadi, Alma the First, Alma the Second, and the people of Ammon (Anti Nephi Lehis). In the tradition of LDS Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-46 I believe I am diametrically opposed to the holiness that is in God when I (often) use control, dominion, or compulsion in any degree to (futilly attempt to) enforce any purpose on any brother or sister. I not only believe I am wrong, but I believe I am doomed to failure because such influence cannot be maintained by such methods.

Forgiveness: I believe in extending total, absolute, and endless forgiveness in the similitude of the Heavenly Father. In the words of the Book of Mormon, "To any doth he say depart? No." A forgiving person trusts fully that in the end all things will be made right (fair), and that "all things will work together to them that love God." If I don't let go and forgive, I keep only myself from becoming Godly.

Love: I believe God is Love, which is the greatest of all. I might say I believe "all you need is love." And that is true. But be careful. What is love? I believe that the eternal meaning of the simple word "love" can only be revealed individually to the heart of each free soul by ever-refining, whole-hearted worship. Ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart that ye may be filled with this love, which He hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of His son Jesus Christ. For if ye have not the pure love of Christ, ye are nothing. Nothing.

I will refrain from interpreting the above. But I will observe that I have identified exuberance as a trait of mine that can be turned for good or for bad.

About Moderation

In the fireside address quoted above, Elder Oaks said, "...I need to issue a caution. The principle I have espoused, that we should pursue steady dedication and avoid frenzied excesses, could be understood as implying that we should have 'moderation in all things.' Not so. The Savior has commanded us to serve with all our 'heart, might, mind and strength' (D&C 4:2), to 'seek . . . earnestly the riches of eternity' (D&C 68:31), and to be 'valiant in the testimony of Jesus' (D&C 76:79). He has also told us that if we are lukewarm, He will spue us out of His mouth (see Revelation 3:16)."

2005-09-07 04:45:31

http://newbiedoc.sourceforge.net/text_editing/vim.html

2006-06-15 00:24:19

PROGRAMMING

LAMP

http://newbiedoc.sourceforge.net/text_editing/vim.html Very good for immigrants from Windows. Includes some sample setup files.

http://www.zend.com/zend/tut/tutsweat3.php with JPGraph and GD installation and configuration help.

http://www.phpriot.com/d/articles/remote/graphing-and-image-generation/index.html

http://www.aditus.nu/jpgraph/howto01.php

JAVA

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/computer-lang/java/network-programming/ for connecting to internet with Java

Care For Life

http://209.8.40.244:2082

2005-09-16 21:50:42

Kato's essays

(Help at bottom. At the moment, this wiki is open for editing unless the administrator locks any page. I think this wiki software only allows the single administrator to lock and unlock pages. Another possible method of configuring this wiki is to allow only signed in users to edit all pages. That means no open pages. Anyway, for the moment, I'm not doing anything. But I am thinking I need to change to the Wikipedia software, which is more robust. It will allow both of us to be administrators and protect pages at will. And it has a better future than this software.)

Nutrition

Arizona

More Stuff

  1. Stirling Engines
  2. Parenting
  3. Nurturing companions
  4. Foo
  5. Bar
  6. Nixit

http://www.google.com

http://www.google.com

2006-05-02 17:25:39

Zacks Research Wizard Questions

What is the back-tested performance and number of stocks returned (max, min, average) of the following portfolio screens?

  • 4-week rebalanced Zacks Rank=1
  • 1-week rebalanced Zacks Rank=1
  • 4-week rebalanced ZR=1 and ZR change (in last month) < 0
  • 1-week rebalanced ZR=1 and ZR change (in last month) < 0
  • 4-week rebalanced LP, PEG, U&R, and ROE screens combined with ZR=1 only and also each individually with ZR=1. (5 tests)
  • Screens without Zacks Rank
    • In the name of diversity, can we get similar results without using Zacks Rank by combining any of the Zacks Profit Track criteria?

Zack's Research Wizard interesting ready-made screens

  • Big Money: Generates only 3 stocks. With 4 week rebalancing averaged 153.5% 2001, 02, 03, and 04. Win ratio around 70%. With 1 week rebalancing averaged 183% same years with win ratio around 60%.
  • Breakouts: Generates 4-5 stocks (or zero). 4 wk. 77% avg. 2001, 02, 03, 04. Win ratio 82%. Max flat period 9 mos. Lost up to 20% without regaining it for 9 mos.
  • EPS Growth Past and Present: 60% avg return 2001, 02, 03, 04.

Research Wizard Chalkboard

Screen Description HP(w) Ns %/yr Drawdown Wks flat Turnover %
ZR<=2 PE<15 P/S<0.55 1 24 51.9 12.2 15
ZR<=2 PE<10 P/S<0.55 1 9 67.9 24 22
ZR<=2 PEG<=0.55 ABR<=2.5 P>5 1 24 45 14.6 18
Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 4a 20.5 37.9 12.6 3.5 62.8
Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 4b 20.8 46.3 15.5 3.5 61.1
Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 4c 21.5 33.3 14.4 5.5 63.1
Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 4d 21.3 30.6 16.6 5.0 63.8
Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 1 20.6 40.2 14.6 12 32.3
Winning Ways ++
ROE
Filtered Zacks Rank
U&R
Increasing Cash Flow
Breakouts

2005-10-17 16:59:38

Scenario

How you can connect to a web-hosted MySQL database with your local ~OpenOffice.org or other program and print mailing labels.

Vision

You have a database. Your organization would like to put it securely online for connection and use from far flung places.

Values

You believe in the future of Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS). You not only want to avail yourself of its benefits, but you want to support its success.

Resources

Web hosting is widely available for around $100 per year that is geared toward the FLOSS Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP system. Linux is the operating system, Apache serves web pages, MySQL is a database system, and PHP is a web programming language.

The ODBC standard is a way for you to connect to a remote database from a local program running on your computer. MyODBC is a driver program that tells your computer how to connect to a remote MySQL database.

For your local computers, ~OpenOffice.org is available for the cost of an overnight download or a CD. Some of you also have proprietary software that can connect using the MyODBC driver.

Solution

Put your data into a MySQL database at a Linux web host. Connect to it and manage it from ~OpenOffice.org on your local computer using the MyODBC driver.

Steps

I am going to describe the steps I took to set up my system. Yours may vary, but the words and links I use will give you a head start if you need to adapt to another system. Some names are fictitious.

Get a Web Host

I got a domain account called ~MyOrg.org at a Linux web host called JaguarPC. They have a good, intuitive control panel and a responsive tech support ticket system. They are quite fast, probably among the best of their league, though sometimes when there are connection delays at my web site I wonder if a bit more money could buy me a bit more speed.

Set up an online MySQL Database for remote use

Under the Manage Site area of the JaguarPC control panel, I went to MySQL Databases. There I was able to completely set up a MySQL database.

Create Database

There was a form to let me "Create MySQL Database". I created MyDB.

Create User

There was a form to let me "Create MySQL User". I created ~MyUser with password MyPW.

Grant Permissions

There was a form to let me "Grant permissions on a MySQL database to a MySQL user". In MySQL you create users and give them permission levels for respective databases. So I granted ~MyUser all permissions on the MyDB database.

Grant remote access

There was a form to "Add Access Host". The local Linux "localhost" was already there for web applications. I added % to grant access from anywhere. This of course leaves security in the hands of my user permissions, and lets members of my organization from all over the world connect at internet cafes.

Get the MyODBC driver for My Computer

I downloaded the MyODBC driver setup program from the MySQL site and ran it. Then I followed the instructions on the MySQL web site for "Configuring a MyODBC DSN on Windows". Those instructions showed me how to add the MyODBC driver to the ODBC data sources (under Administrative Tools in Windows 2000 or later) in the Windows Control Panel.

Connect to the online MySQL database as a new data source with the MyODBC driver

When I added a User Data source under the User DSN tab, selecting the newly installed MyODBC driver, the MyODBC configuration form popped up. Into it I entered

  • Data Source Name: MyOrganizationDB
  • Server: ~MyOrg.org
  • User: ~MyUser
  • Password: ~MyPW

As soon as I entered the password, the form accessed ~MyOrg.org and populated the next list. I knew I was succeeding!

  • Database: ~MyDB

I was connected. Heh. I'm grinning big.

Connect to the online MySQL database with ~OpenOffice.org on my computer

I downloaded and ~Openoffice.org version 1.9 (2.0 beta). It was a huge download, and I wish I had a CD.

Create a new ~OpenOffice.org Base document connected to the online MySQL database

I opened a new ~OpenOffice.org Base document, opted to "Connect to an existing database" of "ODBC" type, entered ~MyOrganizationDB as the "Name of the ODBC data source on your system", and omitted a user name since I had provided one in the MyODBC configuration form. The connection was established successfully. Big smiles again. I provided a document location and name, MyDB.odb, and was greeted by a new ~OpenOffice.org Base document.

Use ~OpenOffice.org to manage the online MySQL database with SQL queries

Note: After I upgraded OpenOffice to version 2.0 RC2, the actions in this section didn't work anymore. Only SELECT queries would work. Also, a safety feature was added so that the OpenOffice Base Forms wouldn't work with a table that had no primary key column defined.

I clicked on the "Queries" icon, selected to "Create Query in SQL view" (since I am dabbling in SQL after a two hour tutorial a few weeks ago), entered the following query into the SQL form, and picked Edit, Run Query.


CREATE TABLE customer

(FirstName char(50),

LastName char(50))


It told me there was an error, because my query produced no results, and that is correct. Creating a table doesn't produce results. So I did the following query, which also produced the same error:


INSERT INTO customer VALUES

('Joseph',

'Smith')


And I did the following query:


SELECT * FROM customer


and got the following result:


Joseph | Smith


Success! After adding dozens more entries and a few more columns for addressing to the database, I'm ready for the next step.

Set up the ~OpenOffice.org database as an ~OpenOffice.org datasource

I went into ~OpenOffice.org 2.0 Tools, Options, ~OpenOffice.org Base, Databases, New... and selected MyDB.odb, calling it MyDB. Now it is on the ~OpenOffice.org data sources list as MyDB.

Create labels in a Labels document

I Used File, New, Labels to create a new ~OpenOffice.org Writer Labels document. In the new Labels wizard, I left Address unchecked and selected the Customer table from MyDB. Then I picked the fields I wanted on the labels, and tried to get them in the right format. Then I picked the Avery 8160 label Brand and Type and clicked New Document. After a very long wait of more than several minutes (I went to bed) while ~OpenOffice.org read all 1300 addresses from my very long online table, a document appeared showing data field codes on a label sheet.

I selected File, Print and answered Yes, I want to print a form letter. I then selected the first 20 records from my database, and clicked OK. After several minutes a sheet of 20 mailing addresses printed from my printer. But empty fields produced blank areas in the labels.

Ideas for next step: 1. Put the Hidden Paragraph field on the same line as Address2 with the Condition set to: Not(Address2)

Hidden Paragraph is found at Insert > Fields > Other (or Ctrl+F2) > Function tab. When testing this make sure View > Hidden Paragraphs is not checked.

2. Mail addressing letters or envelopes have a different number of lines in their address. The following method will show you how to add a blank line/field via a mail merge known as a 'Hidden Paragraph', which basically hides an entire line based on the testing of a condition parameter.

1. Place cursor immediately in front of the shaded field you wish to hide if it is blank 2. Select Insert -> Fields -> Other 3. Click the Functions tab 4. Select 'Hidden Paragraph' in the 'Type' section 5. Type "NOT field-name" in the 'Condition' box, where field-name is the name of the mail merge/form letter field 6. Click the 'Insert' button 7. Click the 'Close' button 8. Do the mail merge

This will only work in OpenOffice.org 1.1, which is the current release.

3. How to eliminate the blank address lines?

Let's say that in our template, the field ‘ADDRESS2’ doesn't contain data in every record.

Place the cursor before the field ‘ADDRESS2’ in your mail template. Press the key combination CTRL+F2 to open the fields dialog window.

Switch to the ‘Functions’ tab .

Select the field style ‘Hidden Paragraph’ and insert as Condition ‘not(field name)'. In our example it will be not(ADDRESS_2). Then click on the 'Insert' button to insert your function into the document.


Conclusion

That's all for the moment. I successfully entered addresses and printed mailing labels from MyDB at ~MyOrg.com using ~OpenOffice.org Base and Writer.

2006-08-11 18:40:20

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit." Nelson Henderson

"I will prepare, and some day my chance will come." Abraham Lincoln

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened" Sir Winston Churchill

2006-11-03 01:22:18

Returning Home: A Child's Journey to Light

As I approach 40 years in this world, I am increasingly impressed that I ought to try to write down my personal spiritual journey. I have read the personal words of many ancient and contemporary people who have viewed heaven. And I myself have seen and heard unspeakable things. Something inside of me (since October 27 2003) undeniably recognizes these experiences as the highest truth. My focus in life is forever changed for the better as a result of the icing my recent awareness has been on the sweet cake of my life. I am extremely grateful to those who have received unusual dispensations of the mercy of Heaven for venturing to share their experiences, and pray that I may share according to the Holy Spirit!

2006-04-25 15:13:26

Fasting was practiced anciently and continues currently among the world religions whose adherents comprise most of the world's population.

In Christianity, fasting is practiced as abstinence from certain foods or practices at certain times in Catholicism. It is practiced as a monthly 24-hour period of zero intake in my own heritage, LDS Mormonism. In the mainline Protestant half of Christianity, fasting is not widely taught or practiced.

In Islam, fasting is practiced as zero intake during daylight hours throughout the month of Ramadan.

In Hinduism, I understand fasting is practiced.

My first experiences and awareness of fasting came as a boy younger than eight when my parents asked me to skip breakfast and not eat until after sacrament meeting (around noon) on the monthly LDS Fast Sunday. When I was around 12, I decided to attempt to fast 2 meals (24 hours). At my first attempts I experienced nausea and didn't complete the fast. But before too many months I was fasting 24-hours each month in the LDS style, trying to choose a spiritual purpose and pray over it during the fast. In the LDS style, I would also specifically pray to begin and end the fast.

When I left the home of my parents, I began to follow the LDS custom of giving a fast offering for the poor in conjunction with my monthly fasts. At about this age (around 18 to 25 years old) I began to sometimes feel my fasting was too commonplace, and I wondered if perhaps there ought to be more to it. I considered fasting longer. I may have tried fasting a bit longer a time or two, but I generally decided I needed to simply dedicate myself more to prayer during my fasts.

Fasting brought me many blessings as a young man. I knew by repeated and common experience that the spirit me could withstand and overcome flesh appetite. I at times experienced higher spiritual attunement and vision through 24-hour LDS fasting. And I had the opportunity to remember and consider the poor monthly.

I was aware from my childhood of the 40-day fast of Jesus, and of his teaching to wash and anoint "when you fast" so that you won't "appear to men to fast". I sometimes wondered, in the context of my LDS tradition of fasting as zero intake, what exactly Jesus did for 40 days. I was aware that he was in the desert, and I didn't think the Son of God probably had zero intake for 40 days. Since I didn't have additional information, I surmised that perhaps he either ate once a day or drank water during the fast. As for his teaching about washing and anointing, it didn't really occur to me that I was without any specific understanding of what he meant.

In my late 30's, I experienced significant spiritual awakening amid significant life difficulties. I began to seek and find answers to the questions I had always had about ancient fasting. I began to practice some of the principles I learned. For my own clarity and that of my people, the Latter-day Saints, I began to think of fasting in terms of the Spirit of Fasting, LDS fasting, and Ancient Fasting. Here is a summary of what I learned:

The Spirit of Fasting

1.1. The Spirit of Fasting is simply the spirit of denying flesh appetites. Any denial of any flesh appetite for any period of time observes the Spirit of Fasting and accrues heavenly blessings.

1.2. Like all things, the Spirit of Fasting is subject to the Spirit of Love as expressed by the Golden Rule and the Sermon on the Mount.

1.3. All accountable people old and young, rich and poor, male and female, well and sick may be blessed by observing the Spirit of Fasting.

1.4. Various religions that codify the Spirit of Fasting do so to the blessing of their adherents. Most of the major world religions (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism equal 67% of world ) except for Mainline Christian Protestants codify the Spirit of Fasting in some way.

LDS Fasting

2.1. An LDS fast consists of a monthly 24-hour total abstinence from intake.

2.2. To avoid constipation and extreme thirst in an LDS Fast, it helps to hydrate very well previous to the last pre-fast meal, hydrate very well previous to the fast breaking meal, and go light on both those meals.

2.3. An LDS fast is a good way to observe the Spirit of Fasting in a minimally disruptive, maximally fool-proof, and maximally intense way. If I were the president of an authoritarian world-wide church (responsible and legally liable), I might codify the LDS fast.

2.4. An LDS fast should NOT be extended more than 24 hours.

Ancient Fasting

3.1. An Ancient Fast is my name for a 40-day or less (I believe there are reasons to call 20 days a minimum) abstinence from all intake other than water. After 31 years of wondering, I finally have settled my mind about this and can now see that the scriptures and ancients indicate this in many ways.

3.2. An Ancient Fast brings blessings in addition to an LDS Fast, including additional ponderings, additional appetite denial, additional health, additional vision and awareness of the mortal condition, and additional compassion.

3.3. An Ancient Fast is an art that must be understood and approached properly to be a safe blessing. There are gallons of water to drink, enemas to take, rest to observe, washing and anointing to do, and bodily conditions to expect.

3.4. Hunger and deprivation are not part of an Ancient Fast. The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

My Fasting Plans

As I continue to fast, I am intending to keep in mind the following safety rules so that my fasting glorifies the Father rather than becoming an embarrassment:

4.1. No LDS fasting over 24 hours. Water is essential to life.

4.2. No Ancient fasting over 40 days.

4.3. No sleep deprivation while fasting. Observe regular bedtime and adequate sleep.

4.4. No gluttony in association with fasting. Tapering intake is kind to the body.

4.5. Drink gallons of water with electrolytes. I'm not sure yet what I will do for electrolytes in a long fast, whether lemons, salt, or spring water.

4.5. Clean my large intestine with enemas, psyllium husk or other method. Entering fasting constipated is toxic.

4.6. Keep quiet about fasting and wash (toxic smells) and anoint (dry skin) per Jesus. Glorify the Father instead of alarming or impressing people.

4.6. Do good per Isaiah 58:6-7. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, liberate the captive, be there for my family.

2006-07-29 21:36:01

Science and Faith are complementary important elements of all Religions, secular or spiritual. Seeking minds practice Faith and Science continually to discover ever more true Religion, whether secular or spiritual.

Science

Science is knowledge. Or more usefully, the Scientific Method is the process of gaining knowledge, whether secular or spiritual.

I tell my children that "Science is not what you read in a book; it is what you do in a lab." Again, science is not what you read, it is what you do.

True science is the pure knowledge of a single piece of fact, or the act of performing a personal experiment to arrive at that knowledge. True science is accessible and repeatable, though the price may be higher than the average person is willing or able to pay. If a person considers the price of knowledge, or science, too great for immediate payment, she may reject the associated Religion, whether secular or spiritual, or she may adopt an interim policy of Faith.

Faith

Faith is a working belief in a hypothesis. By means of the Scientific Method, faith is transcended or discarded as a hypothesis (secular or spiritual) is either shown to be a fact or a fallacy (useful or unuseful).

Through faith people are able to take advantage of useful facts (secular or spiritual) about whose truth they have no personal knowledge. There are innumerable facts about which people can become aware, but about which people have no time or resources to become knowledgeable. If the price of a piece of knowledge is beyond the will or ability of a person, the person has no choice but to proceed on faith or reject the information. Because of this vast universe of unknown facts, it would be very difficult to accomplish anything at all in the world without proceeding very often on faith. Rejecting information as a standard operating procedure would be a very poor and ineffective approach to life at the start. Acting on informed faith is the standard and effective approach to living.

Faith by reasoning people is always partially informed to some degree. We use the term Blind Faith to express faith that is particularly uninformed, or that appears irrational. What an observer calls Blind Faith may be irrational or may be in fact rationally, but unusually scantily, informed. People may act rationally on what we call Blind Faith because they have what they believe is good reason to trust some source. If Jesus, my father, or Albert Einstein has a reputation for giving a certain type of good information, I may rationally have faith in his word, and that might be termed Blind Faith, though somewhat well informed.

Science and Faith

When a hypothesis of faith proves true or false, useful or unuseful, it ceases to become a hypothesis and becomes either discarded or becomes a piece of experiential knowledge, fact, or theory. Thus faith is a prelude to science (secular or spiritual). And through an act of science (secular or spiritual), faith in a particular hypothesis is discarded. We may accurately say then that faith and science are complementary, science being the natural validator of faith.

Religion

Religion (secular or spiritual) is an operating system for life that consists of a mishmash of science and faith. All people have a religion. As people mature in a religion, their religion increases in personally and scientifically proven aspects of knowledge as it decreases in the number of aspects relying on faith. Because of the building body of personal knowledge supporting the remaining aspects of faith in mature people, their remaining faith is more rational, less blind, and more effective or powerful. They are at the same time increasingly skilled scientists and increasingly confident in their faith.

Religionists who fail to use science (who stay out of the lab and never test their faith with experiments) never mature in their religion (secular or spiritual). They remain textbook religionists, dogmatically holding to the assertions of their masters. Advanced non-scientific religionists (secular or spiritual) may become expert logicians who are able to perform gymnastic feats with the dogma of religions (secular or spiritual). They may excel at showing how the assertions of their masters are logically consistent and beautiful. But non-scientific religionists never become masters themselves of their religion (secular or spiritual).

Science and Religion

It is common to speak of Science and Religion as opposites. But this line of thinking leads to error. I propose below a more consistent way to conceive and speak

  • Religion = World View. An all-encompassing personal approach to life. Everybody has a world view or religion.
  • Faith = Action based on belief in the unknown aspects of a person's world view or religion. Everybody practices faith in at least some aspects of their religion (secular or spiritual).
  • Science = The Scientific Method. A repeatable, accessible experiment leading to personal knowledge. It is wise to practice science experiments to supercede faith with direct knowledge.

Thus an inexperienced disciple of a physicist or a biologist is every bit as much the religionist as the inexperienced disciple of a holy man. And a holy man is every bit as much a scientist as a renowned physicist or biologist.

2006-04-29 05:25:52

This is an experimental Partisanship area dedicated to Reverence affirming in a Partisanship way a reality of Love Transcendence of this world. This area is currently and tentatively titled God Works Today in the tentative belief that such a title will speak universally to all believers as to the truth that the transcendent, loving, purposeful Omniscience is revealed continually worldwide in personally surprising and undeniable Experience. The intended message is that the experiential affirmation that Humans have a transcendent purpose and destiny that can only be realized within each individual heart and for humanity through seeking and practicing sacrificial love.

You are invited to contribute experiences of your own and of others subject to copyright law. Because these are personal experiences, I allow liberal locking of narrative pages. But indexes, definitions, guidelines, and policies pages are encouraged to remain open at all times if possible.

Thank you for contributing.

2006-04-29 05:26:06

2006-04-29 05:27:05

This is an experimental Partisanship area dedicated to Reverence affirming in a Partisanship way a reality of Love Transcendence of this world. This area is currently and tentatively titled God Works Today in the tentative belief that such a title will speak universally to all believers as to the truth that the transcendent, loving, purposeful Omniscience is revealed continually worldwide in personally surprising and undeniable Experience. The intended message is that the experiential affirmation that Humans have a transcendent purpose and destiny that can only be realized within each individual heart and for humanity through seeking and practicing sacrificial love.

You are invited to contribute experiences of your own and of others subject to copyright law. Because these are personal experiences, I allow liberal locking of narrative pages. But indexes, definitions, guidelines, and policies pages are encouraged to remain open at all times if possible.

Thank you for contributing.

2006-05-04 18:28:06

Reducing animal product consumption prevents, stops, or reverses disease

According to the following experts and controlled studies, surveys, and reviews, reducing animal product consumption--including dairy products--prevents, stops, or reverses heart-related chest pains, arterial clogging, obesity, prostate cancer, osteoporosis, and ovarian cancer--all diseases of affluence. I don't have any study that specifically supports zero animal product consumption versus very low (less than 10% of caloric intake) animal product consumption. And I assume it is self-evident as well as supported by other studies that replacing animal product consumption with refined food (pasta, white bread, sugar, margarine, etc.) consumption is not a good thing.

Animal product consumption and LDS scripture

I often say in haste that animal product avoidance isn't supported by Doctrine and Covenants 89. I've heard others do the same, and LDS culture tends to run on a variation of that sentiment. Those with a keen eye, mind, ear, and heart will have already caught the fact that such speaking is careless. Animal product (at least actual meat) avoidance for months on end is supported very clearly by D&C 89. It just isn't supported for years on end. Right? "It is pleasing to me that they (beasts of the field and fowls of the air) not be used, only in times of winter, or cold, or famine..." I love that word: Pleasing. To Him. And of course the flesh of "all wild animals that run or creep on the earth" is "for use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger." Animals in general when plants are scarce or extra energy (warmth) needed; wild animals only as an austerity measure. Amazingly current instructions!

In addition, reducing animal product consumption can in many cases honor the Spirit of Fasting. And coincidentally, the seasonal character of D&C 89 instructions is in harmony with prudent Ancient (extended) Fasting, which is to be done during warm weather only.

Proponent Experts

  • *Dr. Benjamin Spock*: "'We now know that there are harmful effects of a meaty diet. Children can get plenty of protein and iron from vegetables, beans and other plant foods that avoid the fat and cholesterol that are in animal products. I no longer recommend dairy products after the age of 2 years. Other calcium sources offer many advantages that dairy products do not have."
  • *John ~McDougall, M.D.*: The ~McDougall Diet
  • *Dean Ornish, M.D.*: The Lifestyle Heart Trial study
  • *Neal D. Barnard, M.D.*: PCRM President
  • *T. Colin Campbell* : The China Study

Women's Health Initiative study: little change in cancer and heart problems from low-fat diet

The WHI study showed that simply reducing dietary fat intake has little or not effect on the big diseases of affluence.

~McDougall (http://www.drmcdougall.com) reported that "this study of nearly 50,000 older women, ages 50 to 79 years" concluded "Low-fat diet may not cut some disease risks; little change seen in cancer, heart problems" and "reinforced the well-known fact that 'skinning your chicken' and 'drinking low-fat milk' is inconsequential."

"Proof that the low-fat diet intervention used in this study was ineffective is the report of an average of one pound (0.4 Kg) of weight loss after 8 years of dieting (compared to those not dieting). Furthermore, the women’s blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, and blood pressures hardly changed after all that effort. Their dietary histories revealed that even though the low-fat diet group received “an intensive behavior modification program that consisted of 18 group sessions in the first year and quarterly maintenance sessions thereafter,” they continued to eat nearly the same amount of fiber, protein, red meat, chicken, fish, and grains. The addition of one more serving of fruits and vegetables daily may have accounted for the 9% reduction in breast cancer observed for the low-fat group."

~McDougall said that at the outset of the study, "In the early 1990s, the founders of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study were guests on my syndicated radio show. During these interviews, and on many other occasions, I challenged Ernst Wynder, MD (now deceased) and Rowan Chlebowski, MD to teach the women in their study a meaningful diet—specifically, a very low-fat, plant-food-based, ~McDougall-type diet—so that when the day comes that the results are published the real benefits of healthy eating will be shown. Both insisted that the 'moderate diet' they were using would be adequate. Twelve years and $415 million later, on Wednesday, February 8, 2006, news headlines about their research findings showed them wrong. Please understand that I take no joy in being right; rather I am saddened because now we all must live with the incorrect conclusions that diet cannot prevent cancer or heart disease."

The WHI itself reports ( http://www.whi.org/findings/dm/dm.php ):

  • "...difference between groups in breast cancer risk was not quite statistically significant."
  • "Results from the WHI Dietary Study showed that the low-fat dietary pattern did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer."
  • "The low-fat diet did not specifically focus on reducing saturated fat, had only a small effect on blood cholesterol, and did not reduce the risk of heart disease."
  • "There was also no statistically significant effect on stroke."

Lifestyle Heart Trial

The Lifestyle Heart Trial showed that strict limits on animal product intake and other lifestyle changes reversed heart disease dramatically in 28 subjects vs. 20 controls.

According to http://www.jewishveg.com/schwartz/health-studies.html , "the Lifestyle Heart Trial was conducted by Dean Ornish, M. D. of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Salusito, California, and his medical colleagues. It's aim was to study if changes in diet, exercise, and stress levels can unblock clogged arteries and save lives, without the use of expensive surgical techniques or drugs.

"Ornish's initial study involved 48 patients with severe heart disease. He randomly divided them into two groups: 28 received his experimental regimen, and the other 20 were put into a control group, so that they could serve as a basis of comparison. The experimental group was put on a strict vegetarian diet, eating only egg whites and one cup daily of nonfat milk or yogurt. Their dietary fat content was a very low 10 percent of calories, and their cholesterol intake was only 5 mg per day. To control stress, they did stretching exercises, meditated, and performed other relaxation techniques. In addition, they walked for at least a half hour three times a week, and met as a support group twice weekly.

"The results of the study were extremely significant. After one year, most of the experimental group indicated a complete or nearly complete disappearance of chest pains. Arterial clogging was reversed for 82 percent of the patients. In one case, the change was especially dramatic. Werner Hebenstreit, a 75 year old retired businessman, who reported that before starting the program he could barely cross the street without chest pains, was able to hike for 6 hours in the Grand Tetons at 8,000 feet by the end of the program. Other patients also experienced significant improvements.

"What makes the results even more spectacular is a comparison with the findings for members of the control group. They received standard medical care, following the recommendations of the American Heart Association: up to 30 percent fat in their diets; dietary cholesterol limited to 300 mg per day; no red meat, but chicken without the skin and fish were permitted; they did a moderate amount of exercise, but there were no set stress reduction activities. None of these patients got better, and in almost all cases, their arterial blockages worsened significantly, and they reported an increase in chest pains. Evidently, the standard recommendations of the medical establishment are not sufficient, at least with regard to reversing heart disease.

PCRM Studies

The PCRM studies below show that reducing animal product consumption reduces and halts multiple diseases of affluence including cancer and heart disease.

See http://www.pcrm.org

  • New Scientific Review Shows Vegetarian Diets Cause Major Weight Loss Without Exercise or Calorie Counting: Controlled Research Trials Prove Diet's Efficacy (Apr. 3, 2006)
  • New Survey Shows Cardiologists Aware of Life-Saving Diet, Yet Failing to Recommend It: Wider Use of Vegetarian Diet Would Result in Fewer Surgeries and Deaths from Heart Disease; Studies Show Patients Transition Easily to New Diet (Feb. 16, 2006)
  • New Study Shows High-Carb, Vegan Diet Causes Major Weight Loss: Even with No Calorie-Cutting or Exercise, Diet is More Effective Than a Typical Low-Fat Diet (Sept. 9, 2005)
  • PCRM Nutrition Experts Available to Comment on New Prostate Cancer Study: Low-Fat Vegan Diet and Other Positive Lifestyle Changes May Halt Progression of Prostate Cancer (Aug. 11, 2005)
  • Risk of Prostate Cancer from Dairy Consumption Overshadows Alleged Diabetes Prevention: Doctors Analyze New Study on Dairy and Diabetes (May 11, 2005)
  • New Study in Pediatrics Shatters Milk Myth: For Strong Bones, Kids Need Exercise, Sunshine, and a Dairy-Free Diet (Mar. 7, 2005)
  • Two New Studies on Dairy Products Deserve a Closer Look: One Study Supports Long-Suspected Link with Ovarian Cancer; Second Study Disproves Industry’s Recent Claims that Dairy Helps with Weight Loss (Dec. 2, 2004)
  • New Study Finds Vegetables, Sunshine Help Prevent Prostate Cancer Animal Products Cited as Risk Factors Men: An Onion a Day May Be Better for You Than an Apple a Day (Feb. 18, 2004)

End at 2004. For study reports, see PCRM web site.

China, Cornell, Oxford Study

The China study linked variation of animal product consumption in areas of China to varied incidence of diseases of affluence including cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

2006-05-10 13:10:38

Interesting ready-made screens

  • EPS Growth Past and Present: 60% avg return 2001, 02, 03, 04.

Club screens

2005-05-07

(i192=1 And

(

(i5<=15 And i19<=2 And i11>=10 And i11<=20 And i507>=90)Or -- #25 --

(AllUnRankA100(i120)<5 -- #77 --

)Or

(i614=100 And

(

(i5>=5 And i532<=1 And i93>=10)Or -- #21 --

(i532<0.8 And i76<=15)Or -- #32 --

(i551<=0.85) -- #47 --

)

)

)Or

(i192<=2 And

(

(i633>3200 And i551 <=0.85)Or -- #58 --

(i192-1-i92<=1 And AllUnRankA100(i120)<4)Or -- #76 --

(AllUnRankA100(i120)<4) -- #75 --

)

)

)


Backtest notes

ID Screen Description TP HPw Ns YR DD MWD TO
1 4-week rebalanced Zacks Rank=1 04/02/04-04/21/06 4 202.3 31.1 10.1 17 55.2
2 1-week rebalanced Zacks Rank=1 04/02/04-04/21/06 1 202.3 39.5 11.3 15 24.3
3 4-week rebalanced ZR=1 and ZR change (in last week) < 0 04/02/04-04/21/06 4 46 40 9 10 95
4 1-week rebalanced ZR=1 and ZR change (in last week) < 0 04/02/04-04/21/06 4 47.7 54.1 9.1 15 100
5 ZR<=2 PE<15 P/S<0.55 3/26/04-4/14/06 1 24 51.9 12.2 15
6 ZR<=2 PE<10 P/S<0.55 3/26/04-4/14/06 1 9 67.9 24 22
7 ZR<=2 PEG<=0.55 ABR<=2.5 P>5 3/26/04-4/14/06 1 24 45 14.6 18
8 Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 3/26/04-4/14/06 4 20.5 37.9 12.6 14 62.8
9 Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 4/02/04-4/14/06 4 20.8 46.3 15.5 14 61.1
10 Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 4/09/04-4/14/06 4 21.5 33.3 14.4 22 63.1
11 Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 4/16/04-4/14/06 4 21.3 30.6 16.6 20 63.8
12 Haws Club 2006-04 (LP, PEG, U&R, ROE, ZR=1) 4/23/04-4/14/06 1 20.6 40.2 14.6 12 32.3
13 LP, PEG, ROE, ZR=1 4/02/04-4/14/06 4 13.2 39.5 10.4 16 57.5
14 LP, PEG, ROE, ZR=1 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 13.4 61.5 13.4 14 28.6
15 LP, PEG, ROE, ZR=2 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 33.2 41.3 12.2 14.5 23.0
16 Winning Ways 4/02/04-4/14/06 4 5.0 37.3 10.0 16 84.6
17 Winning Ways 4/09/04-4/14/06 4 5.0 54.3 9.0 8 78.4
18 Winning Ways 4/16/04-4/14/06 4 5.0 69.0 4.6 6 78.4
19 Winning Ways 4/23/04-4/14/06 4 5.0 40.5 7.2 5 86.4
20 Winning Ways 4/09/04-4/14/06 1 5.0 53.7 11.4 13 50.5
21 SoW ROE ZR=1,P>=5,P/S<=1,%SB=100,ROE12>=10 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 3.8 116.5 16.8 14 25.6
22 Sow ROE 4/02/04-4/14/06 4 60-80
23 Filtered Zacks Rank 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 9.6 77.9 11.7 12 (Starting Sep 05 v. Feb 05 for the other screens.) 92.7
ID Screen Description TP HPw Ns YR DD MWD TO
25 ZR=1,P<=5,B60m<=2,CP4>=10,CP4<=20,P/Ph52>=90 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2 105.1 21.7 16 (Starting Aug 05 v. Feb 05 for the other screens.) 67.9
26 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 16.2 70.2 16.2 17 26.3
27 ZR=1, P/S<0.8, PE-12<=15 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 16.2 70.2 16.2 17 26.3
28 ZR=1, P/S<0.8, PE-12<=10 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 6.6 92.9 31.1 40 28.3
29 ZR=1, P/S<0.8, PE-12<=15, ROE12>=10 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 14.6 65.1 16.1 16 26.5
30 ZR=1, P/S<1, PE-12<=20, ROE12>=12 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 23.9 52.7 13.5 12 25.9
31 ZR=1,ROE12>=10,%SB=100,P/C<=10 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.8 93.8 20.8 16 23.5
32 ZR=1,P/S<0.8,PE-12<=15,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 1.5 113.5 13.3 9 (plus flat 0 stocks 2005) 29.7
33 ZR=1,P/S<0.8,PE-12<=15,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 1.5 113.5 13.3 9 (plus flat 0 stocks 2005) 29.7
34 ZR=1,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 17.1 57.2 13.5 14 25.2
35 ZR=1,P/C<=7,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.4 72.2 22.7
36 ZR=1,P/C,=7.5,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.8 73.3 20.0
37 ZR=1,P/C>=7.5,%SB=100 Flipped criteria 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 11.5 52.6 11.5
38 ZR=1,P/C<=10,P/S<=1,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.4 103.7 21.0 12 25.4
39 ZR=1,P/B<=1,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 0.4 (7.5)
40 ZR=1,P/B<=2,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 5.4 50.8 16.8
41 ZR=1,P/B<=2.25,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 6.8 61.1 16.1
42 ZR=1,P/B<=2.5,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 8.2 59.9 15.0
43 ZR=1,P/B<=3,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 10.3 49.4 15.1
44 ZR=1,PEG<=0.55,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 1.5 66.9 37
45 ZR=1,PEG<=0.75,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.4 99.8 29.4
46 ZR=1,PEG<=0.8,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.8 117.7 24.2 20 29.1
47 ZR=1,PEG<=0.85,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 3.4 137.7 19.6 15 27.8
48 ZR=1,PEG<=0.85 No SB check 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 34.9 50.9 15.3 15 26.0
49 ZR=1,PEG<=0.9,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 3.9 104.5 19.6 19 27.2
50 ZR=1,PEG<=1,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 4.3 80.1 22.2
ID Screen Description TP HPw Ns YR DD MWD TO
51 ZR=1,S/#A>3200,%SB=100 Neglect ratio 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.6 60.4 13.9
52 ZR=1,S/#A>2500,%SB=100 Neglect ratio 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 3.1 54.3 26.8
53 ZR=1,MV/#A>1000,%SB=100 Neglect ratio 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 4.7 36.2 25.5
54 ZR=1,MV/#A>2500,%SB=100 Neglect ratio 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 3.1 47.8 13.3
55 S/#A>3200,PEG<=0.85 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 28.2 49.5 10.6
56 S/#A>3200,PEG<=0.85 Recent performer 10/21/05-4/21/06 1 25.9 150.9 3.2 3 8.7
57 ZR<=2,S/#A>3200,PEG<=0.85 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 9.2 55.9 15.0
ID Screen Description TP HPw Ns YR DD MWD TO
58 ZR<=2,S/#A>3200,PEG<=0.85 Recent performer 10/07/05-4/14/06 1 8.8 179.0 5.1
59 ZR=1,PEG<=0.85,P/C<=25,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.4 147.8 25 20
60 ZR=1,PEG<=0.85,P/C<=30,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.6 155.8 19.1 16 29.7
61 ZR=1,PEG<=0.85,P/C<=30,P/B<=5,%SB=100 P/B no help 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.5 151.7 19.1 16 29.3
62 ZR=1,PEG<=0.85,P/C<=35,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.7 153.5 19.1 15 29.9
63 ZR=1,PEG<=0.85,P/C<=35,ROE12>=5,%SB=100 4/02/04-4/14/06 1 2.7 156.7 19.1 14 27.2
64 ZR<=2,P/S<0.5,ABR<2,V>=50k,%CP24=T20,%CP12=T10,%CP4=T8 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 3.7 85.6 17.5 14 40.1
65 P/S<0.5,ABR<2,V>=50k,%CP24=T20,%CP12=T10,%CP4=T3 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 3.0 91.5 23.0 25 49.8
66 P/S<0.5,ABR<2,%CP24=T20,%CP12=T10,%CP4=T3 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 3.0 130.4 27.0 20 50.5
67 P/S<0.5,%CP24=T20,%CP12=T10,%CP4=T3 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 3.0 (11)
68 ZR=1,%CP1=B2% 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 3.6 97.5 22.1 18 97.3
69 ZR=1,%CP1=B2% 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 1.6 200.6 48.2 40 99.1
70 ZR=1,ZRC1<=1,%CP1=B10% 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 1.6 120.0 17.7 20 100
71 ZR=1,ZRC1<=1,%CP1=B12% 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 4.8 119.9 14.3 17 100
72 ZR<=2,ZRC1<=1,%CP1=B12% 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 18.8 52.4 19.0 14 99.9
73 ZR<=2,ZRC1<=1,%CP1=B6% 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 9.5 53.6 25.8 30 100.0
74 ZR<=2,ZRC1<=1,%CP1=B2% 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 3.3 152.8 36.5 25 100.0
75 ZR<=2,AllUnRankA100(i120)<4(%CP1=B2%) 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 4.0 223.5 25.7 25 98.7
76 ZR<=2,ZRC1<=1,AllUnRankA100(i120)<=3(%CP1=B3%) 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 3.5 303.8 25.7 24 98.9
77 ZR=1,AllUnRankA100(i120)<4 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 1.0 150.1 34 30 101.8
78 25, 69, 21, 32, 47, 75, or 76 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 4.3 121.4 18 15 46.7
79 21, 32, 60, or 76 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 4.5 131.4 17.7 24 44.9
80 21, 32, 60, or 75 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 4.6 133.4 17.7 24 (but see chart) 45.0
81 ZR<=2,ZRC1>=-1(Anything but a major improvement),AllUnRankA100(i120)<=2(%CP1=B2%) 4/02/04-4/21/06 1 1.8 358.8 35.7 38 99.3
82 ZR<=2,ZRC1>=-1,AllUnRankA100(i120)<=2(%CP1=B2%) Dogged (Bot2%) ZR stalwarts (2wk) 4/09/04-4/28/06 1 1.8 398.1 35.7 38 99.3
83 ZR<=2,AllUnRankA100(i120)<=2 Dogged ZR winners 4/09/04-4/28/06 1 1.8 393.4 36.1 38 99.3

2006-05-10 13:17:14

DATES POSITIONS OPENED

  • 2006-05-08
    • B 25 ANDE
    • B 94 CLE
    • B 27 CMI
    • B 44 EXP
    • B 250 IMOS
    • B 53 MTW
    • B 186 OPMR
    • B 33 VMC
  • 2006-05-10
    • B 45 LTR
    • B 47 SPSX
    • B 29 UIC

2006-08-08 16:01:13

1. Little children don't seem to care what I know; they only care about how they feel around me. (2006-05-25)

2. Grant that I may speak in ever softer words, with the tongue of angels, to minister comfort to the weary and troubled around me and glorify thee in power. (2006-05-25)

3. Who has ever coveted a cloud, a rainbow, or a blue sky? (2006-05-26)

4. You are never truly free until you let go. You can tell yourself lies about freedom. You can say, "I will be free when I am rich," "I will be free when I leave my parents or wife," or "I will be free when I die." But the world and the eternites are full of wealthy, single, and disembodied captives. In this world and in eternity, you will only be free the moment you let go of the thing that holds you captive. (2006-06-02)

5. Bruce R. ~McConkie said the Second Coming of the Lord is within the lifetime of every faithful Saint. And perhaps, say I, it is just beyond the lifetime of every living soul. I pray it is not that last day that forces me to reliquish claim on all things worldly. I pray I attain the Kingdom of God by my own free will while the day lasts. (2006-08-07)

2006-06-08 05:10:10

2006-05-31 Open

Screen:

2006-06-08 Open

Screen: BW, SPSX, USG, STRL, TRN

2006-06-08 12:47:32

2006-05-31 Open

Screen: ANDE SPSX UEPS LBY

2006-06-08 Open

Positions before: TM 2ANDE 15LBY 5SPSX 7UEPS. TR 5ANDE 5SPSX 19UEPS. TI 9ANDE 80LBY 3SPSX 35UEPS Screen: BW SPSX USG STRL TRN Target total and allocation ratios: $3,000 30BW 21SPSX 9USG 24STRL 12TRN. TM1 TR1 TI1 Order: TM -2ANDE -15LBY 2SPSX -7UEPS. TR -5ANDE 2SPSX -19UEPS. TI -9ANDE -80LBY 4SPSX -35UEPS. 1/1/1 ALLOCATION RATIO +30BW +9USG +24STRL +12TRN. Positions after:

2006-06-08 12:47:47

2006-05-31 Open

Screen: ANDE SPSX UEPS LBY

2006-06-08 Open

Positions before: TM 2ANDE 15LBY 5SPSX 7UEPS. TR 5ANDE 5SPSX 19UEPS. TI 9ANDE 80LBY 3SPSX 35UEPS

Screen: BW SPSX USG STRL TRN

Target total and allocation ratios: $3,000 30BW 21SPSX 9USG 24STRL 12TRN. TM1 TR1 TI1

Order: TM -2ANDE -15LBY 2SPSX -7UEPS. TR -5ANDE 2SPSX -19UEPS. TI -9ANDE -80LBY 4SPSX -35UEPS. 1/1/1 ALLOCATION RATIO +30BW +9USG +24STRL +12TRN.

Positions after:

2006-06-08 12:48:30

2006-05-31 Open

Screen: ANDE SPSX UEPS LBY

2006-06-08 Open

  • Positions before: TM 2ANDE 15LBY 5SPSX 7UEPS. TR 5ANDE 5SPSX 19UEPS. TI 9ANDE 80LBY 3SPSX 35UEPS
  • Screen: BW SPSX USG STRL TRN
  • Target total and allocation ratios: $3,000 30BW 21SPSX 9USG 24STRL 12TRN. TM1 TR1 TI1
  • Order: TM -2ANDE -15LBY 2SPSX -7UEPS. TR -5ANDE 2SPSX -19UEPS. TI -9ANDE -80LBY 4SPSX -35UEPS. 1/1/1 ALLOCATION RATIO +30BW +9USG +24STRL +12TRN.
  • Positions after:

2006-06-08 12:50:54

2006-05-31 Open

Screen: ANDE SPSX UEPS LBY

2006-06-08 Open

  • Positions before: TM 2ANDE 15LBY 5SPSX 7UEPS. TR 5ANDE 5SPSX 19UEPS. TI 9ANDE 80LBY 3SPSX 35UEPS
  • Screen: BW SPSX USG STRL TRN
  • Target total and allocation ratios: $3,000 TM1 TR1 TI1. 30BW 21SPSX 9USG 24STRL 12TRN.
  • Order: TM -2ANDE -15LBY 2SPSX -7UEPS. TR -5ANDE 2SPSX -19UEPS. TI -9ANDE -80LBY 4SPSX -35UEPS. 1/1/1 ALLOCATION RATIO +30BW +9USG +24STRL +12TRN.
  • Positions after:

2006-06-14 19:44:28

http://hawsedc.constructionnotesmanager.com/cfl/fppview/

FPP database and reports punch list

This paper outlines the organization of the Care For Life Family Preservation Program Custom Graphing Application.

Executive Summary

The Care For Life Family Preservation Program needs a custom graphing application that makes it easy and inviting to focus on areas of need, areas of success, and areas of improvement across a wide variety of combinations of dimensions and variables. The application needs to show trends and relationships in an intuitive way.

Prototype

Stock charting applications are well-developed examples of what the CFL FPP Custom Graphing Application might become. The ~MarketWatch ~BigCharts Interactive Charts application at http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/intchart/frames/frames.asp is the leading prototype candidate.

The ~BigCharts Interactive Charting application is layed out in two frames including a right-side menu frame and a left side (main) charting frame. The right-side menu frame has a few categories of options that are collapsed into a small list, but can expand into a lengthy array of drop-down menus. There is at the top a single "Draw Chart" button. There are "Store Chart Settings" and "Clear Chart Settings" buttons at the bottom.

FPP Graphing Concepts

The FPP Custom Graphing Application might cobble together presentations on the fly, juggling dexterously order and hierarchy needs on a page, by using the logical building block concepts of *dimension* and *quantity*.

Then once the basic outline of a page is established, there are for each logical piece of a page (each object on a page) attributes or properties that must be set once the type of the piece (the object) is known. The basic properties of each building block (object) are given below with the object.

Dimension

Dimensions are the logical groupings we use to give hierarchy and meaning to graphs. There are two major types of dimensions we are interesting in: *program dimension* and *presentation dimension*.

We begin with some dimensions to limit the scope of a page, add others to further limit the scope of a graph or graphs on the page, others to even further limit the scope of a graph item or items, and finally others to give exact meaning to a data point. For example, we may say a *page* is about Orphan Prevalence, include a comparative *graph* each for 2 zones of a community (*population*), on each graph include bars or lines (*series*) with the *x axis* representing a progression of Care For Life investment (*intervention time*), on which we plot the *y axis* value of orphan prevalence (*demographic measurement*) trend along with the *y axis* value of the trend for some intervention strategy (*intervention measurement*).

From the example just given we can extract basic program and presentation dimensions that must be handled independently by the FPP Custom Graphing Application.

Program dimensions

  • population (community, zone, family, person or combination)
  • intervention time (initial, progress, final, or series)
  • demographic measurement (interview record, appraisal record)
  • intervention measurement (goal setting record, goal follow-up record, attendance record, expense record)

Other dimensions that might be of lesser or no interest include:

  • world time (year, month, day, etc.)

Presentation dimensions

  • page (sizes, colors, fonts, titles, background image)
  • graph (sizes, colors, fonts, titles, background image)
  • x axis (scale, colors fonts, titles, legends)
  • y axis (scale, colors fonts, titles, legends)
  • series (type, sizes, colors, fonts, labels)

Quantity

Any dimension may be used any number of times on a page. So we add the concept of quantity to dimension to compete our framework for the logical layout of a page.

2007-03-23 21:34:25

Data problems

CSV inventory

Assessment Month Number of CSVs extant
Mbatwe-2005-10 186
Mbatwe-2006-06 235
Mbatwe-2006-11


Mbatwe 2005-10-00

  • sicknessDurationMonths seems to have some really bad data (very large numbers)
  • family:waterDistanceMeters has some really large numbers incl. 50,000
  • Answer code 2 needs an answer in sicknessType, or maybe 2 is a bad entry.
  • family:interviewer needs to have spellings standardized so each interviewer appears only once
  • family:interviewed should have been entered with a member number, it seems
  • Mbatwe-F-4-2005-10 family has room type '2'
  • Family D15 was exported from the wrong page of the spreadsheet. May need to enter again.

Mbatwe 2006-06-00

  • Answer meanings have changed= Must reconcile.=
  • A-1 Duplicate not back to back. Kato can fix and rerun.
  • A-12 Sickness symptom problem. Tom has to comment.
  • A-17 It appears that a "\\" in the data confused either the buildinserts program or mysql. Tom needs to be aware of this. Kato can fix and rerun.
  • A-2 Sickness symptom problem. Tom has to comment.
  • A-28 Sickness symptom problem. Tom has to comment.
  • D-28 Sickness symptom problem. Tom has to comment.
  • E-1 Duplicate family. Tom has to comment.
  • J-1 Duplicate family. Tom has to comment.
  • J-2 Duplicate family. Tom has to comment.
  • All data that should have gone into person:isEmployed went into person:whereEmployed
  • person:occupation is showing all numbers. Need to add answer codes to database.
  • There is a family:latrineType, family:bathHouseType, family:doortype 17. We must not have building type answer codes 17-19+. Also need better translations on the building materials. Here's the change:
    • 2005-10-00
    • 8,"Barrel foil","Chapas de tambor",
    • 9,"Cement","Cimento",
    • 10,"Fabricated wood","Contaplacado",
    • 11,"Corrugated asbestos-cement sheeting","Lusalite",
    • 12,"Wood","Madeira",
    • 13,"Mud","Matope",
    • 14,"Cardboard","Papelão",
    • 15,"Plastic lined","Plástico",
    • 16,"Sack","Saco",
    • 17,"Corrugated galvanized steel","Zinco",
    • 18,"","Pedras",
    • 2006-06-00
    • 8,"Cement","Cimento",
    • 9,"Fabricated wood","Contaplacado",
    • 10,"Corrugated asbestos-cement sheeting","Lusalite",
    • 11,"Wood","Madeira",
    • 12,"Mud","Matope",
    • 13,"Cardboard","Papelão",
    • 14,"Plastic lined","Plástico",
    • 15,"Sack","Saco",
    • 16,"Corrugated galvanized steel","Zinco",
  • Mbatwe-J-19 family has `homeOccupancy` = '6'
  • Three different families have lightingType '9'
  • Mbatwe-I-1 has hasPestProblems = '13'
  • Portuguese doesn't show up as a language, and there is a rare 19 and 21. These are totally changed. Need to talk to Moises.
    • 2005-10-00
    • 4,"Portuguese","Português"
    • 5,"Sena","Sena"
    • 6,"Ndau","Ndau"
    • 7,"Changana","Changana"
    • 8,"Matswa","Matswa"
    • 9,"Shona","Shona"
    • 10,"Macua","Macua"
    • 11,"Chitswa","Chitswa"
    • 12,"Chuabo","Chuabo"
    • 13,"English","Inglês"
    • 14,"Chichewa","Chichewa"
    • 15,"Lomwé","Lomwé"
    • 16,"Maconde","Maconde"
    • 17,"Chobe","Chobe"
    • 18,"Bitonga","Bitonga"
    • 19,"Núngue","Núngue"
    • 2006-06-00
    • 4,"Bitonga","Bitonga"
    • 5,"Changana","Changana"
    • 6,"Chichewa","Chichewa"
    • 7,"Chitswa","Chitswa"
    • 8,"Chobe","Chobe"
    • 9,"Chuabo","Chuabo"
    • 10,"Inglês","Inglês"
    • 11,"Lomwé","Lomwé"
    • 12,"Maconde","Maconde"
    • 13,"Macua","Macua"
    • 14,"Matswa","Matswa"
    • 15,"Ndau","Ndau"
    • 16,"Portuguese","Portuguese"
    • 17,"Sena","Sena"
    • 18,"Shona","Shona"
  • Add a zero to the 1 digit familyId's so they will sort right.

I reviewed pretty carefully down to family:lightingType

I started at family:lightingType and went thru the rest of the indicators

The graph doesn't load for 2006, but does for 2005

  • family:hasLatrineSink doesn't show up on 2006
  • family:hasStanding water doesn't show up on 2006
  • family:isAnyMemberEmployed
  • family:hasAnyMemberProfessionalSkill
  • family:hasTruantChild
  • family:hasAnyMemberProfessionalCourse
  • person:isEmployed
  • person:hasProfessionalSkills
  • family:isWaterTreated
  • family:babyFood
  • family:farmFieldDistanceMeters
  • family:hasFamilyConflict
  • family:hasAnyMemberMentalProblems
  • person:hasMentalProblems
  • family:isAnyMemberSick
  • family:hasAnyMemberSicknessTreatment
  • family:mostCommonDisease
  • family:lastSicknessDate
  • family:hasMemberWithCOnstantDiahrrea
  • family:hasMemberWithConstantHeadache, skinsores, coughing, coughing blood
  • family:hasEnoughMosquitoNets
  • person:isHealthy
  • person:sicknessType
  • person:sicknessDurationMonths
  • person:sicknessTreatmentType
  • person:sicknessTreatmentDurationMonths
  • family:isAnyMemberCommunityLeader
  • person:isCommunityLeader
  • person:hasIdCard
  • person:isTruantChild
  • person:hasProfessionalCourse
  • person:professionalCourse


  • family:businessPastWhyStopped has a 9 and a 10 column
  • person:occupation the numbers didn't connect with the occupation names
  • I think the whereEmployed graph and the isEmployed graph got switched up.
  • person:professionalSkill has a 2 column
  • family:dailyMeals the e in tres is wierd. Should be três
  • diet:food the English translation of mariscos (I think) is seafood. Does that cover eggs and meat as well?
  • I think all the tres have a weird e. family:babyDailyMeals
  • farmFieldProduct has a 9 column
  • farmFieldProductUse should the Portuguese read "Qual é o destino dessa produção?" ??? I think it's missing the é
  • family:farmCommuteMeans it should be A pé instead of R pé
  • homeGardenProduct has a 16 and a 17
  • animalRaised has a 15, also should the Portuguese read "Qual é o destino dessa criação" ???
  • family:hasSmoker should the question say fuma instead of fume??? I'll check on this
  • person:isVaccinationCurrent has a 4
  • language has 19 and 21





Web site problems

  • Need to use actual question text in drop-down menu.
  • Need to use question text from appropriate year's assessment.
  • When there is no such question for the given year, need to show some kind of an "empty" graph message.

2006-08-09 21:53:57

2006-08-08

I had a dream last night of which I remember many segments. It took place in Texas. One of the segments strengthened my faith. I share that segment below:

There was a movie or a play we attended. It had obscenities, and the entire audience walked out en masse, which heartened me to see. Then the thought occured to me we might ask for a refund. I was pricked in my heart and ashamed, because I knew our Lord had commanded not to seek riches. But I waved my wallet and went to the box office window. I must have received the refund, though that was not in the dream, because the next thing I knew I was flying over all the people.

But in the next scene I had a hard time flying. It seems I was weighed down by something. I didn't realize it at the time, but later in the dream I found out what it was (and in the telling to you I am seeing the connection).

In the next scene I was off to the west of the crowd, and I had one of my boots filled with gold coins. I was not able to fly at all. Some young ruffians approached, presumably to steal the coins. I lay down on the ground and cried aloud, "O, Lord God, bless these boys that they may .... " and I don't remember the rest of the prayer. It was either a plea that they remember their mothers or have mercy on an old man, or remember their Holy Father. In any case, the boys stopped molesting me. It later occurred to me I should have either let them dig in my boot for "whatever you need" or offer them from my boot.

A lady saw what had happened and apparently saw something miraculous in it. She started to call to the people to jubilate about the miracle, when I begged her to consider praying first before spreading the word abroad.

She commenced (to my amazement) to have a Texas Baptist style prayer service with the people right there (and I considered how when the fervor of worship comes over the people they miss the mark so lovingly and sweetly), complete with gospel singing in which I joined.

2005-01-16

The Night the Children Sang, a special dream I had and the song I heard

2006-11-03 01:23:35

This story is a confession, a catharsis, a resolution, and perhaps a parable.

The Boy Scouts of America has a National Honor Society called the Order of the Arrow. Scouts are elected to the Order by their fellow unit members, following approval by the adult leader.

"The induction ceremony, called the Ordeal, is the first step toward full membership. During the experience, candidates maintain silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and are required to sleep alone, apart from other campers. The entire experience is designed to teach significant values." (OA Basics from OA web site)

I was elected to the Order of the Arrow. I must admit that in my immaturity this gratified my pride. I experienced the Ordeal after a fashion (my adult leader at the Ordeal said that our camp improvement project required us to talk, so we didn't maintain silence so much). I slept alone, suffering through a chilly night outdoors after wetting my sleeping bag and attempting to wash up in the closest water I could find in the dark. I suffered at the scant food. After a year or more of activity in my local Order of the Arrow chapter, I accepted the assignment to act as an Elangomat for another Ordeal.

Elangomat means "Friend". Elangomat "shares in the hardships of the candidates, and their silence." I arrived at Camp Geronimo, received a Elangomat information leaflet, and was sent to suffer with a group of initiates. I recall being silent like them perhaps; I'm not sure. But I also recall excusing myself at mealtimes, running through the woods to the mess hall, and loading up on food. Somewhere in the mix of my own immaturity, my never having seen an example of an Elangomat, my having received no personal training, and my incomplete understanding or reading of my little instruction leaflet, my Elangomat service became a sham. I was not a repeat initiate, willingly condescending to suffering with new candidates. Rather I was cardboard figure, having a form of Friendship, but denying the power thereof. I was pretending to suffer and serve while claiming the privilege of status and station.

Perhaps now that I am forty I am old enough to be a true Elangomat.

2007-04-05 21:11:00

  • 1966-09-19 Vital: Born Mesa General Hospital, Mesa, Arizona
  • 1981-00-00 Reading: Book of Mormon (Change of heart from evil disposition to good)
  • 1991-08-14 Vital: Married Elizabeth Moore in LDS Las Vegas Temple
  • 1992-03-12 Child: Jeremiah stillborn at Maricopa Medical Center. Buried in Peoria, Arizona
  • 1993-05-30 Child: Sarabeth Elaine born Desert Samaritan Hospital, Mesa, Arizona (2nd pregnancy for Elizabeth)
  • 1997-07-21 Child: Michael Andrew born 2 months early Desert Samaritan Hospital, Mesa, Arizona
  • 1999-03-11 Child: Matthew James born 2 months early Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona (9th pregnancy for Elizabeth)
  • 1999-10-10 CivEng: Moved from AGRA to Hubbard Engineering
  • 2002-01-10 Vacation at Lafayette
  • 2002-11-04 Arizona Gubernatorial Election. Democrat Napolitano defeats Republican Salmon and Independent Mahoney. Mahoney made Colorado City polygamy an issue in the election, and may have cost Mormon Salmon the election. Amid it all I became involved with Flora Jessop, Jim Ashurst, Jay Beswick, and other Colorado City focused polygamy fighters.
  • 2003-10-27 Reading: Near death experiences from www.near.death.com including Howard Storm, George Ritchie, Ranelle Wallace, (God is Love, God is merciful, Man is free, Love is all)
  • 2005-11-18 Voted in jury to convict Daniel ???? of first degree murder
  • 2005-11-23 CP
  • 2006-00-00 Reading: The Kingdom of God is Within You, Leo Tolstoy (Pacifism)
  • 2006-00-00 Reading: Approaching Zion, Hugh Nibley (Gospel and Riches)
  • 2006-00-00 Reading: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John (Life and Teachings of Jesus, forsaking all, seeking God)

2006-11-09 21:01:59

EXPERIMENT IN SECULARISM

Day 1

Today I began an experiment in secularism. My hope is that the experiment may allow me to give a truthful response to some questions I was asked about my views and beliefs. The experiment may have other benefits I don't yet see.

The experiment began deliberately today by dwelling on the following thought:

"Suppose that there really is no eternal world. Suppose that time and space are all that exist. Does everything make more sense? Do I feel more free?"

Today as I spent my first hours under the proposed supposition, I asked myself many questions:

WHY NOT CHANGE MY LIFE? WHY NOT TAKE IT?

Why am I living as I now live? Why don't I leave my family and go live as a hermit in the woods? Would I be lonely and depressed in the woods? If I would be lonely and depressed in the woods, why is that so? It must be a trick of my genes to propagate themselves.

Yes, a trick of my genes. They want me to think I feel connectedness and love, and they counterfeit noble emotions in me to keep me in the action where I can nurture my wife and children and help the poor in Africa. But I refuse to be the stooge of my genes.

My genes have made me too intelligent. By enabling me to ponder them they have left themselves vulnerable, because they are at my mercy. Why should I play this part? Why not end my life? I would rather end my life than live in the service of irrational urges that serve nothing but some strands of acid.

It occurred to me that if I left my family, I would cause them to suffer, and that pains me. My children would miss me and my wife would be forced to labor. But why should I care? My love for them is only a trick of my genes foisted upon me to preserve their irrational continuation.

I am angry at my genes. But I am my genes. Then so be it; I am angry at myself. But no! I am not my genes. I have transcended them. But I speak as a fool. My genes are all there is, and if by a freak coincidence I and my brother human apes have transcended them, what meaning could that possibly add to the whole mess? And what does transcend mean anyway?

Transcendence, love, genes, humbug! What do I care? It is all a trick, and the universe cares not whether I or anybody else lives or dies. I must search for meaning somewhere, if it is to be found. But no! It is a trap! There is no meaning. There is only coincidence.

WHAT MUST I DO WITH SUPPOSED ANOMALIES?

My memory holds models that are inconsistent with the secular reality:

  • There is a transcendent eternal world that thousands of people ancient and modern have seen.
  • There is a God in heaven who hears and answers my prayers.
  • Humans accomplish supernatural feats by connecting with the eternal world.

Within those models are numerous facts:

  • 5% of the U.S. population has had near death experiences.
  • Howard Storm's NDE has elements similar to Lehi's and Alma's visions in the Book of Mormon.
  • I feel God's love.
  • Joseph Smith wrote about Lehi's journey in a way that is uncannily faithful to Arabian geography, place names, and trade routes.
  • Joseph Smith's word of wisdom revelation is dietetically sound and could save the church and the world from many diseases if followed.
  • Near death experiencers say their experiences are more real than life. And most of them see life radically different after their experiences.
  • Some near death experiencers were clinically dead for a long time or saw physical things while their bodies were in coma.

I have two choices regarding my anomalous models. I can either ignore them or I can explain them in a way that makes sense to me.

To tell the truth, after several hours of secularism, I am starting to see things differently, and I really am not all that interested in those anomalies. In other words, I am not really inclined to go to the trouble of explaining them, as they are beginning to look rather weak to me in the first place. Why do I really care about such fantasies anyway?

So do I just ignore them? I will have to think about it. And when I am fresh I will write some more. It might be fun to explain them after all. And maybe some more experienced secular thinkers can help me. Hmm. Good thinking.

Regardless of my disposition, I must deconstruct in satisfactory detail at least one of the models. If I fail to do so and end this experiment with the weak, faulty models in place, I will be doing myself a dishonesty. I must find satisfying alternate perspectives if I can.

I fear I am discovering a weakness in this experiment. Under the suppositions of the experiment, I am not able to properly formulate strong evidence in support of anomalous models. I can conceive of the possibility, once the experiment has ended, of being agile enough to flip perspectives at will. And that makes me wonder if the only value of the experiment is to show myself fearless. And what use is that?

If the only value of this experiment is to show myself fearless, have I failed? Have I been dishonest and self-serving? There must be other value that I am forgetting. Hmm. If the only value is to show myself TO MYSELF as fearless, the experiment is not in vain. But no! I must not conclude the experiment while I am yet starting it. The value is unknown and must remain unknown. All I must know is that I am supposing there is only space and time. I must not consider motives. I must only consider the supposition, and go from there.

If I am unable to "properly formulate strong evidence in support of anomalous models", I may need to resort to talking to a believer to get such perspectives. In such a case I would be playing an extended, sincere, and disclosed version of the Devil's Advocate. But never mind. I am under no obligation other than to live with the supposition until I pronounce the experiment finished.

Why do I call clouds in a blue sky beautiful? Why do tears come to my eyes when I gaze on them?

Perhaps they remind me of something. Perhaps they stir my deepest value. What do they remind me of? Freedom? Beauty? No, not beauty. Beauty can't be real. There is only pacification.

Ah, yes. Clouds stir me to tears because my genes would have me pacified in the face of adversity in order that I fight the good fight for the gene pool. Then it is only a deception. The genes would have those things that are most common and certainly available to every human appear the most rejuvenating to the drives.

OK. So my genes want me pacified and therefore they simulate beauty. Fine. But I want freedom. I don't want to be a slave to the genes.

Oh, what foolish talk! I am the genes; there is nothing else. And if there is nothing else, why should I strive and suffer? Why should I toil and labor? Why should I care? I prefer to die. I prefer to die.

There is simply nothing worth living for. And I will not, I repeat, will not go on serving as the stooge of an irrational nothingness. Words fail me, such is my passion. I refuse to live a day beyond the day these words become more than an experiment! Perish all pleas to the contrary from my brethren. Let them all continue stooges, and let the gene pool wish my spiteful presence good riddance. Humbug. It is all humbuggery, and I will gladly extinguish it all, or at least my role in it.

Perhaps I am abnormally serious, but I see no reason at all to continue alive in light of this supposition. Poetry, beauty, love, and all mean nothing, and I sat pondering the taking of my life.

I envisioned myself gently lulled into my death sleep by appropriately cowardly methods deep in some woods. And then nothing. And I grinned: It just isn't so. I will expect nothing, but there I will be. And I began to chuckle. It just isn't so. And I chuckled and chuckled. It just isn't so. There is no blackness but despair. And there is no death but hate.

But I digress and I cheat. Suppose there is only space and time and ... nothing. Suppose it is really so.

Day 2

This morning I was of the opinion that I had the following choices:

1. Obliterate the human race (But why should I really care whether the genes have their fun? Why should I be so angry?) 2. Die. 3. Play along with the genes and live as though I believed (repulsive!) 4. Believe in something more.

But then it occurred to me that I was assuming a contradiction. I was assuming that somehow I have transcended the genes. And if time and space is everything, then there is no way, is there, that I can transcend the genes?

If I kill myself I am showing that I believe I am more than my genes, and I am fighting against myself. But if I go on living I am accepting fully that I am nothing special. I am no different than any other ape, grubbing away for the duration of a life without existential angst.

My existential angst is a manifestation of my failure to truly accept that there is nothing more (including my own being) than time and space. So I come up with another set of choices:

1. I accept I am an ape and play my mindless part with no further delusional angst. 2. I believe I am a freak, more than an ape, the other side of a biological singularity, and refusing to play the game I die. 3. I accept that I am more than an ape, and I spend my life in service of that something.

What makes the most sense?

I talked to another fellow, and the following possibility arose:

4. I accept that the human race is the transcendent product of a biological singularity, and I serve the progress of that transcendence. Once the human race was nothing but genes, but at some point the genes succeeded in creating something that transcended them. I am that something.

2:30 p.m.

OK, so I'm out of my existential funk. At least, I am pacified enough to start caring about all the deluded believers in the world and possibly enough to try to sort through their stuff.

The problem is, I am not a very good secularist. I have not much but faith in my secularism. I have very little knowledge or research behind me. All my research and knowledge for all these years has been focused on building and refining my model of reality as a believer.

I can't bring much evidence to bear in favor of my secularism, and I am willing to confess that it is largely due to my inexperience. If a preponderance of the evidence is going to be the deciding standard in this matter, I may not have patience in this experiment to give the secularist presumption a fair shake, and I may quit the experiment early with the secularist presumption buried under an avalanche of little evidences.

But suppose there really is nothing but space and time. Let me think of near death experiences:

Pam Reynolds must have researched bone saws in preparation for her flat-line, low-temperature, blood-drained brain surgery. She must have in the moments before flat-lining imagined popping out of her body and sitting as it were on the doctor's shoulder and surveying the room and the scene with heightened awareness, including the bone saw. And she must have imagined being drawn through a darkness toward a light. And she must have imagined being stopped by relatives lest she become unreturnable. And she must have imagined her uncle escorted her back to her repulsive body and told her to "just jump in like a swimming pool" and then when she hesitated too long pushed her back. And she must have imagined the pain and chill of entering back in.

Howard Storm and George Rodonaia, both atheists turned ministers of God must have been mistaken it thinking their NDE's were the real thing compared to the rest of life.

Pam Reynolds, Howard Storm, George Rodonaia, dozens of others I have read, hundreds of others written I have not read, and thousands of others, the lion's share of the 1/5 of the U.S. population that has had NDE's must be interpreting wrong that their NDE was reality and the rest of their life only so in reference to it.

Skeptic Susan Blackmore does a good job of starting to explain some possibilities for NDE mechanisms. And I applaud her work. But I find some of her explanations lacking.

TUNNEL AND LIGHT

Blackmore proposes that the tunnel and light experience is a function of the biology of the cortex of the brain. This could explain tunnel imagery, though I don't understand how. What it doesn't explain is the complete phenomenon that many of the experiencers seem to be trying to express using tunnel imagery.

The perception phenomenon represented by the words tunnel and light is much more complex than those two mere words, tunnel and light. I will attempt to express a less condensed version of the tunnel and light perception. But in order to do so, I will need to construct an NDE reference frame. This is similar to what researcher Kenneth Ring has done, but I will use my own system.

MY NDE PHENOMENOLOGY MAP

The following list of elements of the NDE is constructed hastily from dominant and obvious themes in NDE accounts. The order of the elements is also based on dominant and obvious themes. But for any given person's NDE account it is likely that some elements will be missing, and it is possible that the order of some elements may be mixed.

1. Trigger

The overwhelmingly dominant NDE trigger is trauma, though there are numerous other less-common triggers.

2. Separation from body

"I popped out", perhaps with a sound

3. Immediate Contemporary and Local Physical World Observations

Perception of dwelling as a non-corporeal being in the world perceiving physical people and events concurrent with the time of the experience.

4. Wandering through the physical world

5. Darkness or Void

6. Light

7. Familiar people and themes in another world

8. Tour of another world and/or this world

9. Life review

10. Oneness

11. Time to return

12. Re-entrance into body

13. Jubilant declaration and rejection

14. Loneliness in the world

15. Changed life

BACK TO TUNNEL AND LIGHT

On my map above, tunnel and light are numbers 4 and 5. For those who are familiar only with the canonical NDE lore and themes, it might seem 5 and 6 could be combined. But they cannot. It is true that many memorable accounts tell of perceiving a light through the void and feeling drawn toward it promptly and rapidly as if through a tunnel. But this is not universally the case.

VOID DISTINCT FROM LIGHT

George Rodonaia perceived as the first element of his NDE an utter void. He assumed his personal extinction until he recalled Descartes' "I think, therefore I am," after which he experienced element 6, Light, followed by element 4, a wandering about this world. Others perceive themselves in a dark void. One lady perceived she was in a place of darkness filled with individuals who were huddled so desperate they didn't even notice or respond to her presence or her thoughts. Howard Storm perceived that malicious people tricked him, taunted him, then abused him for sport for hours, weeks, or months.

In a different category than those who perceive spending time in the void are those who perceive it as they go to the light. Some speak of pausing in their progress to the light or at paying attention to other souls through the void around them, some traveling, some static. Others pass through the void rapidly but not so rapidly as to fail to notice other individuals at their periphery.

But returning to the memorable tunnel and light accounts, it appears that these experiencers may be either forgetting the unpleasantness of the void or possibly were so focused on going toward the light in their perception that they did not perceive any details about the void beyond its being dark and framing the periphery of their perceived destination.

LIGHT DISTINCT FROM VOID

On arrival, the light is described as either a person or a place. But the important distinction of the light is that once the light is obtained, the void is left behind. For their arrival at the light from the void, experiencers use words like came, plopped, emerged, and landed, or they simply express element 10, oneness as the void fades away.

BLACKMORE, NDE, AND BELIEF

Blackmore's explanation fits well the canonical NDE themes, but it fails to explain fully the range of perceptions of the void and the light. Blackmore has done a good job, but this NDE element is a demonstration of the amount of work remaining to be done to arrive at satisfying explanations for the full range of NDE phenomenology. For those of us who accept as a given that there is no reality beyond time and space, this should not be disheartening. Reality is what it is, and our inability to explain it reflects poorly on us, not on reality.

Day 3

It's been a couple of days. I've been thinking about NDE's and reality. And I've been struggling with the idea of continuing the experiment. And occasionally the existential question still pops up.

EXISTENCE

I still have no perfectly rational reason to go on with life. I have essentially agreed to play a meaningful part in a meaningless game. I assume that there was some biological singularity that made humanity as a whole transcend genetics. But the bottom line is that the whole thing still serves the genes and has no existence apart from them. In the event of a technological singularity, where artificial life becomes intelligent, the genes may turn out to have put themselves out of a job. But for the time being it is still all rooted in genetics.

My explanation and conjecture are mere pacifiers to allow me to keep living (no real proof), and I am only able to do so by denying the reasoning power that is within me. Full focus of my reasoning powers on the issue would, I feel, drive me to death.

NDE's AND REALITY

If out of the millions of people who have had NDE's, millions of them have reframed for the rest of their lives the meaning of reality, what am I to make of my own physical reality? Is it better than theirs?

If there is really no afterlife, I suppose the NDE is an authentic end-of-life experience. The height and depth of ecstasy, rapture, misery, and torment described by experiencers are framed as magnitudes more real than anything in this life. Therefore I must suppose that it behooves me to live in such a manner as to optimize that experience.

MY EXPERIMENT

My experiment is beginning to feel oppressive and painful again. And I feel I am making up ideas, any idea, to avoid changing my base supposition, that there is only time and space. I'm not sure I am expressing myself properly or very well, but I feel I am accepting a lot on faith, or rejecting a lot on faith, or making big rational leaps, or stretching myself thin trying to maintain my "suspension of disbelief" in my hypothesis, or just plain not making much sense, or not being very reasonable. In any case, it is wearing on me. Perhaps I am simply unprepared with the history of a believer to properly rationalize a secular life. Perhaps it takes time. But I don't know if I can or want to maintain focus for as long as it may take.

I ended the experiment around noon today.

First, why did I end it? As I said above, it was wearing on me, and I could tell that the main remaining issues would take me a long, long time to resolve. I also felt I had learned at least one important lesson and could end the experiment successfully, even though I wasn't sure I had accomplished my original goal.

Second, what was my original goal? This part is a little embarrassing, but the main goal was to empathize with secularists and develop the interest required to research skeptical interpretations of NDEs with an open mind. What I am ashamed of is my presumption that I could empathize simply by focusing on my thought experiment. I am a unique individual, as is each other person. My background and make-up are different, and I can only be myself. The body of experience I have amassed over decades of life is unique to me. My hoping that I might with my decades of experience assume the eyes of a person with different experience was a bit foolish.

Third, what did I learn?

a) I was able to do what I set out to do. I was able to suppose that there really was nothing more than space and time. Later in the experiment I supposed more specifically that there was no afterlife. But this didn't make me a carbon copy of a secularist. I hope I learned to be more accepting of secularists.

b) I could never rationally reconcile the idea that my life is subservient to propagating genes with the idea that I seek meaningful purpose for my life. I could divert my mind from the problem, but I couldn't make it go away. I am the kind of person who couldn't serve in the military (glad I wasn't drafted before I became a conscientious objector) because I couldn't see the higher purpose in the things they did. The first time I was expected to salute a superior, I looked for the nearest exit (glad it was not too late!). In the military I might have lost my mind. And as a secularist I might lose my mind or die. Those who saw me in the first day of the experiment might have already recognized that. I make no pretense that my experience has any meaning for all of humanity. But it seemed and seems to me that I for one might never be thoroughly satisfied as a secularist. This lesson was totally unexpected and hit me very hard on the first day of my experiment at the moment I looked at a blue sky in tears of reverence and then realized that the beauty I saw was a mere trick of my genes to ensure propagation. The innate and incessant drive I have to find purpose in everything was frustrated and angry. Given my personal history, I had little hope I could ever be fully satisfied playing a meaningful part in a meaningless game. I literally would rather die. Secularism for me didn't make sense.

c) NDE's are very important to me. I don't think I had acknowledged this as fully before. I believe they are important to the world, and I now know they are important to me.

2007-02-21 05:06:59

Number of persons recorded in each assessment

select count(*), f.community, p.assessmentMonth from person p, family f where f.familyId = p.familyId and f.assessmentMonth = p.assessmentMonth group by p.assessmentMonth, f.community

Total person records in database

select count(*) from person p

List of numeric answer by family for multiple assessments in a community

select f.community, f.assessmentMonth, f.familyId, f.waterDistanceMeters from family f where f.community = 'Mbatwe' order by f.familyId, f.assessmentMonth

List of text answers by family for multiple assessments in a community

select f.community, f.assessmentMonth, f.familyId, a.enAnswer as whereGoPotty from family f, answerText a where a.questionName='whereGoPotty' and a.answerCode=f.whereGoPotty and f.community = 'Mbatwe' order by f.familyId, f.assessmentMonth

List of number of families in a community reporting a given answer by assessment

select count(*) as latrineOrToilet, f.community, f.assessmentMonth, f.familyId from family f, answerText a where a.questionName='whereGoPotty' and a.answerCode=f.whereGoPotty and f.community = 'Mbatwe' and ( a.enAnswer = 'Latrine' or a.enAnswer = 'Toilet' ) group by f.assessmentMonth

FAMILIES MISSING FROM 2006-06 BUT IN 2005-10

SELECT familyId,assessmentMonth,assessmentDate FROM `family` WHERE assessmentMonth = '2005/10/00' and familyId not in ( SELECT familyId FROM `family` WHERE assessmentMonth = '2006/06/00' )

List of families increasing by more than X members from first to second assessment

SELECT f.familyId,f.assessmentMonth,assessmentDate FROM `family` f WHERE f.assessmentMonth = '2006/06/00' and familyId in ( SELECT familyId FROM `family` WHERE assessmentMonth = '2005/10/00' ) and (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM person p WHERE p.familyId = f.familyId and p.assessmentMonth = '2006/06/00' ) > ((SELECT COUNT(*) FROM person p WHERE p.familyId = f.familyId and p.assessmentMonth = '2005/10/00' ) + 9 )

List of all families by assessmentMonth with number of members

select f.familyId,f.assessmentMonth,f.assessmentDate,count(p.name) from family f, person p where p.familyId = f.familyId and p.assessmentMonth = f.assessmentMonth group by f.familyId,f.assessmentMonth order by f.familyId,f.assessmentMonth

FAMILIES THAT WERE INTERVIEWED MORE THAN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE OFFICIAL ASSESSMENT MONTH

SELECT familyId,assessmentMonth,assessmentDate FROM `family` WHERE abs(DATE_SUB(assessmentDate, INTERVAL 3 MONTH)) > assessmentMonth

Familes with no members

SELECT f.familyId,f.assessmentMonth,assessmentDate FROM `family` f WHERE (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM person p WHERE p.familyId = f.familyId and p.assessmentMonth = '2006/06/00' ) = 0

2007-04-19 17:42:11

Civil Engineers for Residential Grading and Drainage Plans in the Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler Area

Gene Sprout

Clifford Engineers

Tom Haws

Jonathan Grant

first name dot last name at cox period net

Tom Johnson (in Goodyear)

2007-04-27 16:46:52

I can learn vi. I can learn vi. I can learn vi. I can learn vi.

If this page has any future, my vision for it is as the shortest vi guide ever.

Quitting

q! Quit without save (quit!)
wq Exit with save (write quit)

Typing

i Hello world! Types Hello world! and finishes the typing mode or command.

But why can't I go to the end of a line and type *after* the last character?

How am I supposed to delete things I type?

hjkl means <- ^ v -> (left, up, down, right)

$ End (of line)

0 Home (of line)

ctrl-f Page down

ctrl-b Page up

567G Go to line 567

% Go to matching brace

Copying and moving text

ma Mark point a

y'a Copy (yank) from here to a into the clipboard buffer

p Paste from clipboard buffer

Searching

set ic Set ignore case
set noic Set no ignore case

/ Search

n Next occurrence

N Previous occurrence

%s/search/replace/g Replace global in file (%) and all on every line (g)
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