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33 comments:
- Kenn said...
Those who begin with the conclusion are not open minded.
- April 3, 2009 at 9:37 PM
- Al Moritz said...
What a silly and false either/or choice. There are also scientifically minded believers.
- April 4, 2009 at 5:10 AM
- Al Moritz said...
...and there are believer scientists (including Nobel Prize winners). Of course, atheists can only cope with that phenomenon by falsely claiming that these "compartmentalize". They have no clue.
- April 4, 2009 at 5:25 AM
- John W. Loftus said...
Hi Al, I've been reading your comments. You are definitely scientifically minded, but have you read through this thread yet?
- April 4, 2009 at 7:39 AM
- J.L. Hinman said...
you are just feeding steriotypes
- April 4, 2009 at 9:48 AM
- Lorena said...
There are also scientifically minded believers.
Sure there are. The problem is that these Christians are scientific minded about everything but the precepts of their religion.
It is as if their brain had a backdoor where Christian dogma was allowed in directly and stored as absolute truth. Dogma has been given an unconditional entry pass to show to brain's doorkeeper.
- April 4, 2009 at 11:05 AM
- Al Moritz said...
Hi Al, I've been reading your comments. You are definitely scientifically minded,
Thank you, John, for acknowledging that.
but have you read through this thread yet?
It is interesting, but it would take a lot of time to not just contribute there, but to defend the contribution. I do have other projects to do as well, such as writing an update of my article on the origin of life for a book to be published by Springer later this year. I now only posted a correction to Steven and will leave it at that.
I just wanted to address some misunderstandings regarding science vs. religion and atheism. I thank you for the opportunity on this blog.
Let me just briefly say, regarding to that Bible thread, that I am all for applying methodological naturalism wherever possible, but that the methods has its limitations. It cannot be applied to one-off events that do not leave any trace to investigate, such as certain miracles.
And yes, methodological naturalism does not equate philosophical naturalism. Intellectual honesty and analytical thinking demands to constantly be aware of the distinction between the two. You can extrapolate from the first to the second, but awareness must exist that the extrapolation was made, and that this is not a scientific extrapolation, but a philosophical one.
- April 4, 2009 at 12:08 PM
- Al Moritz said...
You can extrapolate from the first to the second
should read:
You can extrapolate from the results of the first to the second
- April 4, 2009 at 12:21 PM
- Russ said...
Oftentimes a school highlights their determined opposition to open-minded inquiry by requiring all students, staff and faculty to sign a "Statement of Doctrine" or a "Statement of Faith." Included below are the statements of faith and doctrine for the Denver Seminary. All students, staff, faculty, trustees and administrators are required to affirm and sign one or both of these statements each year.
The believers at Denver Seminary are told what they are required to believe. They are not permitted to change their minds, regardless of any change of heart they might experience or anything they learn. This demand to believe and think a specific thing or in a specific way is the complete opposite of open-mindedness.
Denver Seminary faculty member, Douglas Groothuis, PhD, was a recent guest blogger here on Debunking Christianity(Guest Post by Dr. Douglas Groothuis: "The Straw God: Understanding the New Atheism"), and in the post Douglas Groothuis on "Who Designed the Designer?" Mr. Loftus linked to a Groothuis article in "Think" magazine. Every year Groothuis must dutifully affirm and sign the statements of faith and doctrine, and thus, he assures himself and those around him that his thinking is in a box and that it will not leave that box.
In essence, Dr. Groothuis commits himself to uniformity of thought among his Denver Seminary fellows, while simultaneously asserting to all others that nothing deserves honest consideration if it conflicts with the Denver Seminary's "What We Believe" statements.
This is intellectual dishonesty at its most obvious. Think of how he restrains his own thinking when he signs these things. Number 1 in the Statement of Faith: "We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God." Number 1 in the Denver Seminary Statement of Doctrine: "THE WORD OF GOD - We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God's will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak." Infallible? Really? Inerrant? Really? Supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak? Really? This is not open-mindedness at all. This is farce.
The opening sentence from the Statement of Faith is,
"Denver Seminary is committed to the great truths and abiding fundamentals of the Christian faith."(emphasis added) Anyone who is informed at all knows that there is no such thing as THE Christian faith. There are thousands of Christianities, few of which believe in Biblical inerrancy. Besides that, no sane moral person can possibly live a life guided by Biblical inerrancy. My guess is that nearly all the people associated with Denver Seminary are actually sane moral people, so even agreeing with Biblical infallibility is dishonest.
Here are the statements of faith and doctrine from the Denver Seminary website. (I've added bolding for emphasis)
What We Believe
Statements of Faith
Denver Seminary is committed to the great truths and abiding fundamentals of the Christian faith. Each year trustees, administration and faculty are required to affirm and sign Denver Seminary's doctrinal statement without mental reservation.
Students and Seminary staff are required to affirm and sign the National Association of Evangelicals' Statement of Faith.
National Association of Evangelicals' Statement of Faith
1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
4. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Denver Seminary's Doctrinal Statement
Denver Seminary is committed to the great truths and abiding fundamentals of the Christian faith as evidenced by its confessional platform:
1. THE WORD OF GOD - We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God's will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak.
2. THE TRINITY - We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that they are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct and harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.
3. GOD THE FATHER - We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of men and women, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to him through Jesus Christ.
4. JESUS CHRIST - We believe that Jesus Christ is God's eternal Son, and has precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He is not only true God, but true Man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We believe in his sinless life, his substitutionary atonement, his bodily resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven, his priestly intercession on behalf of his people, and his personal, visible, premillennial return from heaven.
5. HOLY SPIRIT - We believe in the Holy Spirit, his personality and his work in regeneration, sanctification, and preservation. His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and implement Christ's work of redeeming the lost and empowering the believer for godly living and service.
6. HUMANITY - We believe God created humanity, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. We further believe all persons are sinners by nature and choice and are, therefore, spiritually dead. We also believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior.
7. SALVATION - We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God, and was purchased by Christ on the cross, and is received through faith apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. We believe salvation results in righteous living, good works, and proper social concern.
8. THE CHURCH - We believe that the church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head and is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This body expresses itself in local assemblies whose members have been immersed upon a credible confession of faith and have associated themselves for worship, instruction, evangelism, and service. The ordinances of the local church are believers' baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and the mutual submission of Christians to each other in love.
9. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE - We believe that each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority. We also believe all men and women are directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life, and they should be free to worship God according to the dictates of their consciences.
10. CHRISTIAN CONDUCT - We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in life and conduct and be blameless before the world. Each Christian should be a faithful steward of all possessions and seek to realize in every area of life the full stature of maturity in Christ.
11. LAST THINGS - We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal existence of all people in either heaven or hell, in divine judgments, rewards, and punishments.
Thus saith the Denver Seminary.
Of course, none of this is unique to the Denver Seminary or Douglas Groothuis, PhD. These same circumstances abound among believers of all stripes in seminaries everywhere.
Committing to any notion as eternally unchanging is counter to both our human experience and our scientific understanding of our universe. Doctrinal or faith statements like those above bind those who avow them to disregarding, rejecting and actively denying disconfirming or contradicting information. Many reject entire fields of accepted, proven science due only to their obligation to defend their unwarranted notions like "What We Believe."
- April 4, 2009 at 1:16 PM
- Jon said...
Hey, John. I'm Eddie Bratton from a long time ago. I read the summary of your unbelief, and found a whole lot of questions that I had confronted and resolved on a personal level. A couple of observations: You have almost a theistic faith in naturalism, and seem to allow no place for an "I don't know," or "naturalism cannot explain." While there are a lot of things I don't know and questions I cannot answer, my faith in God gives me confidence that He knows.
Secondly, I have been reading a series on the origin of "information" from the Answersingenesis.org web cite. It makes a very strong case that, in addition to energy and matter, information and volition are necessary ingredients for discussion origins. He concludes that information cannot, by its nature, have a merely physical origin - it must have a cognitive source. If that is so, the answer to your 3 questions about origins would necessarily be #1.
- April 4, 2009 at 2:30 PM
- David Golightly said...
I personally don't see any reason to think that Christianity or any other traditional religion has anything to offer in terms of explaining the natural world, but it's a non-sequitur to believe that atheists are without their own beliefs and prejudices. Human belief and myth-making is a universal activity, and the rational mind is but a tip of the iceberg of the whole human mind - see C.G. Jung, Joseph Campbell, Stephen Larsen, Karen Armstrong, and Wade Davis, among others.
I think it's a fallacy to believe that with the rejection of traditional religion one has automatically achieved a state of infallible rationality. No, we humans have too much baggage riding under the surface: emotional attachments to social and political affiliations, aesthetic reactions, and so on.
So let's not present things in terms of "one side is all bad, therefore the other side has no problems". It just confuses things further to see things in such a dualistic fashion.
- April 4, 2009 at 2:41 PM
- J.L. Hinman said...
I personally don't see any reason to think that Christianity or any other traditional religion has anything to offer in terms of explaining the natural world, but it's a non-sequitur to believe that atheists are without their own beliefs and prejudices.
why would it be the job of religion to expalin the natural world?
- April 4, 2009 at 4:44 PM
- J.L. Hinman said...
Denver seminary is Christianity? If you don't like them there's no alternative right?
just go across the street to Ilif.
- April 4, 2009 at 4:47 PM
- David Golightly said...
@J.L. Hinman - I don't think the job of religion is to explain the natural world - that's precisely my point, I believe many atheists go astray when they believe that they can "prove" people out of religion by debunking the "naturalist" claims of religions as so much superstitious hooey. Clearly, people are deeply attached to their religions for many reasons that have nothing to do with a literal reading of their texts.
Atheists do themselves a disservice by equating literalism with religious piety. The roots of religion run much deeper than that, deep into the believer's psychology, and they don't necessarily go away when one superficial belief system is exchanged for another.
- April 4, 2009 at 4:50 PM
- John W. Loftus said...
Hi Eddie, nice to see you online! And nice to hear from you! Here's hoping you and Lois are doing well. I've recently become friends with your kids on facebook.
I remember you to be quite scientifically minded so I'll not try to convince you about that which you've studied for so many years.
There is a huge difference between denying something and affirming something. You and I both deny with equal levels of assurance the religious faiths of Hinduism, Islam and Mormonism. The denial is the easy part and we all do it. In my case I deny your faith with the same level of assurance you deny other faiths.
But when it comes to affirming what I accept when the denials are over I hesitantly affirm atheism. No, I don't know there is no God at all. As far as I know this universe was the last act of a dying God who created the quantum wave fluctuation that resulted in what we see today. I'm an agnostic atheist when it comes to what I affirm. I could be wrong about what I affirm. But I no more think I'm wrong about that which I deny than you are. It's just that I deny your faith using the same standards of evidence that you use to deny all of the religious faiths that you do. Hence, the Outsider Test Faith.
Cheers, my friend.
- April 4, 2009 at 4:52 PM
- Vic said...
Anything other than an agnostic would be close minded, wouldn't they? And how does that help anyone? It is commonly affirmed that being "open minded" is a favorable trait, but at some point a stand needs to be taken on issues. Otherwise we, as a species, would never be able to build more complex concepts. We should be willing to hear contrary views, but unless good evidence is given we do not owe it to anyone to but all of our mental decisions on hold.
- April 4, 2009 at 7:26 PM
- Ebratt said...
Jon, you seem to imply that my faith in Christ is based only on a denial of alternatives. I have tried to be honest with God all my life by challenging my faith when confronted by other belief systems. My faith has only grown stronger as I have found the truth claims of Christianity far superior to others - including that of atheism. So I would say I affirm Christianity because of its claims, not simply a denial of alternatives.
I would like to see you address the origin of information as put forward in the web page mentioned above. If it can be established that information comes only from an intelligent, non-material source, then materialistic naturalism would seem to be falsified. Strange that you should posit the possibility of God creating information, then conveniently dying off to make way for atheism.
I'm glad you have made contact with some of my kids. Aren't they great? All are involved in their faith communities. Lois and I went to hear Alan preach at his church in Atlanta, GA, and Andrew is now ministering at the church in Brownsburg, IN. Thank you for your contribution to the strength of their faith commitment. Perhaps you'll find your way back there some day.
- April 4, 2009 at 11:14 PM
- John W. Loftus said...
Ed said…Jon, you seem to imply that my faith in Christ is based only on a denial of alternatives.
It's John, not Jon, by the way. I was merely responding to your comment that you don't think I have room to say "I don't know." When it comes to what I affirm, as opposed to what I deny, there is a lot I don't know, of course. That makes me an agnostic atheist.
When it comes to the origin of information, I don't know, but what I deny is that this information did came from the triune God we find in the Bible.
Ed said…I'm glad you have made contact with some of my kids. Aren't they great?
Yes they are. Tell Alan I said "hi," since I haven't heard from him.
Ed said…Thank you for your contribution to the strength of their faith commitment. Perhaps you'll find your way back there some day.
Who knows?
Have you seen my book yet? It explains everything, both the personal loss and the reasons why I reject Christianity and now embrace atheism.
- April 5, 2009 at 3:56 AM
- J.L. Hinman said...
@J.L. Hinman - I don't think the job of religion is to explain the natural world - that's precisely my point, I believe many atheists go astray when they believe that they can "prove" people out of religion by debunking the "naturalist" claims of religions as so much superstitious hooey. Clearly, people are deeply attached to their religions for many reasons that have nothing to do with a literal reading of their texts.
Atheists do themselves a disservice by equating literalism with religious piety. The roots of religion run much deeper than that, deep into the believer's psychology, and they don't necessarily go away when one superficial belief system is exchanged for another.
I see what you are saying. Yes, that's good point!
- April 5, 2009 at 4:33 PM
- Ebratt said...
Sorry, John (Our preacher at church spells his name Jon),
Do you agree with the assertion that information can only come from an intelligent, non material source? If so you must at least affirm the existence of some kind of Intelligent Being capable of producing the information in DNA, laws of logic, etc., which takes you out of the realm of atheism. If not it is a faith statement, no more valid than my faith that the God of the Bibe is the source.
I scanned the summary of you reasoning, but I don't think I'll read the book - I am sad enough for you already. God bless.
- April 6, 2009 at 2:22 PM
- John W. Loftus said...
Ed, if you think for a moment that information can only come from an intelligent, non material source, then where did your God get his information? I don't think Christians appreciate the inportance of this question. According to Christian theology God never learned anything, as in Never; Learned; Anything. He never had a new thought. Ever. According to Christian theology he is omniscient having always known everything that can be known.
Does this not trouble you? Do you not see the problems here? Your God cannot think, since thinking involves weighing alternatives where the goal is to come to a conclusion that hasn't been reached before. If God always has known everything then he cannot think.
It's a non-answer to just say that this triune God is, and that he just knows. If you can do that with your God then I can do that without one. Besides, the word "information" is a loaded term, for it presupposes your answer. A non-loaded term would be the word "complexity," and I do think that while there are indeed difficulties with the universe just existing (not insurmountable ones), once something exists then evolutionary forces have been proven to be successful in producing the biological complexity we see in the world.
I know you are much more capable than I with regard to the creation/evolution debate, but would you please tell me how many books you've read by evolutionists versus those written by creationist/ID theorists?
Have you read The Tower of Babel?
Have you read Why Evolution is True?
Have you read Evolution: What the Fossils Say?
Have you read The Making of the Fittest?
Have you read Your Inner Fish?
Have you read The Selfish Gene?
Have you read Darwin's Dangerous Idea?
I'll confess that I haven't read all of these books, but then I don't claim to be an expert on this topic. If you were truly up on the opposition then I would think you have read them (and others) along with the creationist books. Read them side by side if you will, or back to back. Then let's talk about this issue.
I don't mean to overwhelm you with reading material but evolution is an assured fact of biological life and explains so very much.
Cheers my friend.
- April 6, 2009 at 2:57 PM
- MH said...
The information thing is a complete non-starter.
By the experts in the field, a random string has maximal information. This can be seen if you try and compress a random bitstring, it will not compress at all.
Jeffrey Shallit took the best try of the ID crowd, and proved that you can take a string S and create a string S' with more information and CSI in it.
- April 6, 2009 at 3:39 PM
- Ebratt said...
John, The trouble with using the word "complexity" as an alternative for "information" is that there is no reason to expect that a complex collection of data should be coherent - in fact the odds are that any random set of data would contain no usable information whatsoever. It only has value when intelligent beings agree on a meaning, which makes it a sharing of information.
I am not troubled by the thought of an all knowing God. It is too much, though, to say he has no alternatives to weigh and no opportunity for new thoughts. Involved in the mystery of our free will is God's reaction to our free choices, and sharing information and emotions with us as the rational beings He created us to be.
I suspect it was Strauss' influence that helped me conclude that there are two alternatives for our beginnings: either we were created as intelligent beings by an intelligent Creator, with the power to create the world as we know it; or at some point before time, nothing became something on its own, and something came alive on its own, and life increased in complexity on its own, and complexity became self aware on its own. If we start with God, it makes sense to me. If we start with nothing, nothing makes sense.
- April 6, 2009 at 4:47 PM
- David Golightly said...
Mathematicians have long understood the basic mechanisms needed for evolution to occur: 1. a source of quasi-random "noise" or information, and 2. a preservation/reproduction mechanism which filters out the tiny amount of useful information from the noise. Therefore, once you have something that can reproduce itself once in an information-rich environment, you have the potential for all the diversity that you see in the biosphere today.
The interesting question is therefore not "why is genetic information coherent" (a lot of it, so far as we can tell, isn't, or at least isn't anymore) -- genetic information is simply the result of the filtering mechanism of random mutations being selectively preserved in reproducing organisms. Mutations that assist further reproduction are generally favored; mutations that hinder reproduction are generally weeded out. Feedback is the mechanism and computer models are now able to demonstrate this at work; there are numerous examples from other domains (culture, language, etc.) showing that this is how nature works. We exist in a giant math machine.
What this question leaves unanswered, of course, is where the math comes from. It could be that the math itself - going down to the quantum level - is a result of its own natural-selective feedback process, but then, that feedback process too - which seems so axiomatic to us, since we experience it all the time everywhere - needs a source.
The question doesn't get easier when you add God, it just defers it to a further step. I think the question is fundamentally the same - "Where does God come from?" vs. "Where does the math come from?" - but it's not a question that anybody is in a position to answer, though a thorough reading of Plato might be in order if you wish to understand why early Christians - and therefore you - think the way you do.
- April 6, 2009 at 5:00 PM
- John W. Loftus said...
Ed, in such a brief comment you make a good case. It's indeed troubling to me, I'll admit that. However, a fully formed all-knowing God who never developed but always existed is a non-answer to me. But yes, those are our two choices.
When we think about it we must start with something. Victor Stenger starts with the laws of nature and concludes that since nothing is unstable (nothing being defined as an equal amount of positive and negative energy) then bsed on the math there is a 60% chance that something should exist. See his book here. In fact he argues that for there not to be a physical universe it would require a God to keep that from happening!
Now I know that this answer starts with the laws of nature and this definition of nothing, yes. But I prefer the most basic starting point than the kind of God you believe exists.
Even if there was an intelligent creator, there is nothing about that kind of God that leads us to think he still exists, or that he's all powerful (whatever that means), or that there isn't a string of creators stretching back in time, like some family of successive gods, or that the creator was actually a committee of divinites, like polytheism, or that this God intervenes in history, did miracles, became incarnate (100% God and 100% man?), atoned for our sins (no sense can be made of that), or that he resurrected and is coming again. Such a God may be equivalent to a deistic God. In some ways I might even grant such a deistic God too, but trying to get from that kind of God to your God is like trying to fly a plane to the moon. You cannot do it.
Anyway, a deistic God is not much different than no God at all, so even if he might exist I will protest his lack of care and the lack of evidence for his existence by declaring myself an athesit just like theologian John Roth has developed a Protest Theodicy in the face of horrible evils in our world.
Cheers, and thanks for the stimulating discussion.
- April 7, 2009 at 5:54 AM
- Gandolf said...
If there is (a) god he sure leaves us no real good evidence to believe in (him).
We have plenty of so called divine information supposedly given to very many men of very many gods to (try)to choose from.
But without (this god) supplying good present day evidence to help the cause its surely within the law of nature also that many folks will very likely believe in the wrong one or even none.
What kind of all knowing god would likely allow this to happen?
It just doesnt make any sense !
Its then got little to do with any matter of free will and a whole lot to do with a big lack of good evidence.
A god that would likely punish people for not catching on when offered so very little to go by, is about as much sense as the universe coming from nothing
- April 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
- David Golightly said...
...either we were created as intelligent beings by an intelligent Creator, with the power to create the world as we know it; or at some point before time, nothing became something on its own, and something came alive on its own, and life increased in complexity on its own, and complexity became self aware on its own. If we start with God, it makes sense to me. If we start with nothing, nothing makes sense.
O Magnum Mysterium! I think the mystery of evolution - of a dynamic, changing, often violent universe generating delicate, beautiful life - is far more meaningful, poetic, and awe-inspiring than the first chapter of Genesis, read literally.
But that's my subjective view. You're not obligated to agree with me, and I will respect your viewpoint - BUT you must recognize that your viewpoint is subjective, and other people may not see it the same way.
I must detract slightly from some of the atheist commenters here. I think what is needed for greater persuasion is not more "evidence" of evolution, or "evidence" debunking Christianity - but rather more poetry in the science we already have, so that people begin to see how meaningful and powerful these discoveries are on a human scale. Give me Neil deGrasse Tyson over Richard Dawkins any day.
- April 7, 2009 at 3:26 PM
- Jon said...
John & David,
I'm getting in way over my head with you two guys. I'm sure you are more well read and more intellectual than I. But let me give it a shot.
It is interesting, David, that you posit 2 things necessary for evolution to occur: 1. a source; and 2.a preservation/reproduction mechanism. That describes precisely one of the task of Jesus Christ as shown in Hebrews 1:2,3 in the Bible. I must say to both of you I am suspicious of Computer models. They are written by people who cannot possibly know all the variables in complex questions. They are intelligently designed by people with a desired outcome in mind, then attribute the outcome to random chance. If the process is known and can be "simply" understood, why have not real life attempts at genetic mutations (beyond the Biblical "kind") been successful? In all the attempts to create useful changes to millions of fruit flies, they remain fruit flies - and when left alone tend to revert back to their starting form. Since by far most mutations (copying errors) are harmful or neutral, have some math geek run the odds of even getting a beneficial one - let alone enough lined up to make a birds wing. Can you cite even one observable, repeatable favorable mutation?
John, you are not an "atheist/agnostic," but an agnostic/atheist. It sounds to me like it is not that you don't know whether God exists, but whether you are an atheist or not. You have abandoned God for his "lack of care" - I am sorry that you feel so abandoned. God has cared for me and many far more than I deserve. Your complaint of the "lack of evidence for His existence" seems really against overwhelming proof. You know what the Bible says about that. (The only way I know of to know God personally is through His revelation, the Bible.) Those who come to Him must come by faith. They must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him. Romans 1:19-23 declares that we can know at least enough to believe, though many of the questions you have surely remain unanswered.
Gotta get ready for Resurrection Sunday. Have a good one.
- April 8, 2009 at 3:37 PM
- Jeff said...
Another factor to remember in the processing of DNA "information" is the actual physical characteristics of the molecules involved. DNA translation is not just about reading base pairs off of a string (although that's part of it, of course). It's also about the physical shape of the enzymes that work on it - and the shape of the DNA molecule itself. These have very real effects on how the "information" is produced - although I don't claim to be an expert on what these effects are, if you read up about epigenetics, you can see just a taste of it. So we can see that there is "information" stored even within the physical characteristics of atoms, molecules, enzymes, etc. that can have very real effects. And these physical characteristics are a result of the natural laws of the universe - not necessarily from some intelligent source.
And as far as the beginning of the universe is concerned, I think the most important thing to remember about this event is that it was WEIRD. I know that sounds fairly obvious, but it's actually quite easy to argue that there was never any point in time where nothing existed. Why? Because the "beginning" of the universe was also the beginning of time itself. Hence, at t=0, the universe existed. There are no negative values of t to talk about. Therefore, there was no "before" the universe, and it was not composed of "nothing." It's not at all intuitive, and it sounds so absolutely ridiculous, but it's the result of dealing with the very beginning of time itself.
And finally, Jon:
You ask for an example of a "observable, repeatable favourable mutation." That's fairly simple, and there are plenty of them. Acquired bacterial resistance would be one. Over time, bacteria develop resistance to anti-bacterial agents. This is a favourable mutation, and it is hereditary, and it has been observed hundreds if not thousands of times. The catch is that it's only favourable in certain conditions - when the anti-bacterial agent is present. This is not a problem, however. Creationists will say "Well it's not really favourable then, is it!" But they forget that evolution is a combination of living beings interacting with the environment. In one situation, the acquired resistance IS favourable. In another situation, it is NOT favourable. But evolution will select for the appropriate condition within each situation. If we take the resistant bacteria and move them into a place where it is no longer favourable, they will grow less resistant over time as the new "favourable" one is selected. The important thing to remember is that there is no mutation that will become favourable under all circumstances - it's all about environmental interaction.
Alright, I think I'm done my science lesson for the day :)
- April 8, 2009 at 5:24 PM
- Ebratt said...
Interesting, John. But even if there was "stuff" before time began, why should there be "laws of the universe" governing it? Sounds pretty God like to me.
Instead of "favorable mutation" I should have said "information increasing" mutation. Mutations (copying mistakes) do change the genome, but the have not been shown to add information.You cite bacterial resistance as an example, and rightly say that it is favorable only in certain situations - i.e. when the antibiotic is present. But it has lost the characteristic that the antibiotic was made to attack - a loss of information. It is like a porcupine backing through a fence. A porky that was born without quills has the advantage, but not through gaining information.
- April 8, 2009 at 10:35 PM
- Kel said...
Ebratt, if you want to see how information is "added", get onto PubMed and search for the term "gene duplication". Last time I checked, there were about 30,000 papers on this matter.
Take for example your sense of smell. In the genome, there are about 1,000 genes that govern smell, yet all those genes are the duplication of just one single gene. In humans over half those genes have become inactive as we simply do not need them. Yet it all started with just one gene, and I'm willing to bet that gene is a modified copy of a duplication of another more primitive gene.
There is another way to "increase information", and it makes up about 8% of our DNA. That is horizontal gene transfer, where retroviruses insert their DNA into our code and that will also get passed down through the generations. But that's another story entirely.
In any case, point mutations are not the only form of mutations that can happen.
- April 9, 2009 at 2:31 AM
- Jeff said...
Ebratt, if you are convinced that mutations never add information, you really need to go back and do some high school biology. I don't mean that as an insult, but I learned about gene duplication in high school - it's elementary stuff, and anyone who denies that needs to actually read real scientific research on mutations.
- April 9, 2009 at 10:01 AM
- David Golightly said...
Ebratt, Jeff and Kei have already given good answers -- your genetic examples are already well understood by scientists. However, I should also add two things: that the only advances we've ever made in science have come from admitting to ourselves that there are questions to which we don't yet know the answers. This goes for modern science too. People for whom certainty is a virtue will always be able to point to things that scientists openly admit that they don't fully understand, not realizing that these open questions are precisely the areas where modern science is continuing to work. Science, by its very nature, is always subject to revision, and should a better explanation come along that better fits the evidence at hand, the scientific community will always be glad to throw out their old theories and embrace the new. That's how science works. If the ID or creationist community really wanted to be taken seriously by the scientific community, they'd be focusing on doing actual scientific research and getting published in peer-reviewed journals. Should they establish that their explanation is the best given the evidence, they will win out. However, the problem - the reason why ID is not taken seriously - is that the explanation is assumed before the evidence is even considered. All good scientists have to be willing to throw out their assumptions in the face of evidence.
Furthermore, the ontological/metaphysical problems you raise are indeed good ones, ones that continue to concern physicists and philosophers. However, the fundamental mystery of existence - why there is something rather than nothing - remains a giant question mark. Nobody really has "the" answer. I personally subscribe to a form of deism or pantheism; I don't think it's unfair to say "the universe is a vast living intelligent system; the name we have for that is God, and we constitute an organ that the universe has evolved in order to experience itself". This is a purely personal belief, one which I don't expect everyone to subscribe to, but it's at least as adequate as a literal Biblical reading. Nearly every society in every age has developed its own version of answers. Your problem is that I don't see how you get from the fundamental mysteries of existence to the Bible, which was written in a different place and time altogether, borrowing heavily from Sumerian and other Levantine myths, and never meant to be read scientifically.
- April 9, 2009 at 4:22 PM


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Release Notes
Local Navigation
Setup application
- The Push Service SDK setup application runs in graphical mode by default for both the Windows® and Linux® platforms. If the setup application is unable to run in graphical mode, it switches to console mode. A command line switch is avilable to force console mode. Separate setup applications for console mode are no longer available.
- An installation option is available to configure the SDK so that the sample and helper applications use system memory instead of a database. Installing and using the SDK in memory mode is suggested for testing purposes only.
- The setup application creates two separate folders in the SDK installation location, one containing the components that provide low-level APIs and the other containing the components that provide high-level APIs.
- An installation option is available to configure the SDK so that the sample and helper applications can use both the Push Service and the BlackBerry® MDS Connection Service (a component of the BlackBerry® Enterprise Server) simultaneously to deliver content.
- The version of Apache Tomcat™ that the setup application installs in the Distribution+Tomcat option is updated to version 6.0.32 (from version 6.0.20).
- If the setup application detects that the previous version of the Push Service SDK (version 126.96.36.199) is installed on the computer, it prompts to upgrade the database used with the previous version to make it compatible with the new version of the SDK (version 22.214.171.124). During the installation process the migration scripts run in the background to complete the database upgrade. The setup application does not upgrade any other components of the SDK (for example, the server-side library components, configuration files, or third-party components).
Next topic: Configuration files
Previous topic: New features

subset: commoncrawl


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From Fish to Farm: Looking Back on 2013
By Cheryl Brock Carlo Petrini's vision of supporting good, clean, and fair food for all creates the foundation for our actions. Guided by those three principles, we built a series of events and activities for the community this past year. Here are just a few […]Read More →
A Terra Madre Day Frozen Sweet
By Jane Pellicciotto As the saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," which is why on yet another unseasonably cold day in Portland, I headed over to Ruby Jewel to sample a limited-edition ice cream flavor called Quince Crème Brûlée, debuting today in […]Read More →
The Mediterranean In Our Own Backyard
Ever wondered, as you douse your salad greens in oil, how many olives it takes to fill a bottle? Or how many olives come from one tree? Maybe you didn't know Oregon had a fledgling olive oil industry. So you might be asking, "Olives, in […]Read More →


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Orlando Summer League
Eric Griffin of the Miami Heat shoots a jump shot during the 2013... News PhotoAmway Center,Basketball - NBA Pro,Basketball - Sport,Detroit Pistons,Eric Griffin - Basketball Player,Florida - US State,Gulf Coast States,Jump Shot,Jumping,Miami Heat - Basketball Team,Orlando - Florida,Shooting Baskets,Sport,Taking a Shot - Sport,USA,VerticalPhotographer Fernando MedinaCollection: National Basketball Association 2013 NBAEORLANDO, FL - JULY 12: Eric Griffin #66 of the Miami Heat shoots a jump shot during the 2013 Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League between the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat on July 12, 2013 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)


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In 1992, armed with a biology degree from the University of Redlands, Nazca entered the laboratory world of infertility. Daily experience with egg donors provided her with valuable insights into the critical need for a higher standard of egg donor recruitment. Her multi-faceted expertise, combined with her own less-than-ideal firsthand experience as an egg donor, became the unique platform upon which Nazca developed and nurtured ConceiveAbilities.
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Having earned a national reputation over the past decade as a leader in egg donation, one of Nazca's most passionate goals has been to use her own experience as an example to other young professional women that egg donation is a worthwhile endeavor that can be rewarding for both donor and intended parent. The resulting influx of such women has made ConceiveAbilities' donor pool unrivaled. In the little time she spends away from ConceiveAbilities, Nazca enjoys travel and culinary pursuits, and tries to keep up with her two young sons.


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"I'll be home for Christmas." A catchy, albeit melancholy holiday tune. Two hundred and twenty-nine years ago this month, General George Washington sat inside his cold command tent and promised his long-suffering wife Martha that he would indeed be home for Christmas.
If he made it home, it would be the first time in over a decade. Since being commissioned as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army following the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, Washington had served his country constantly, never leaving the field of battle.
As they sat in his tent in Newburgh, New York, Washington reluctantly rose and sent Martha on ahead to Mt. Vernon, reassuring her that he would be home in time to pour the Christmas cordial in her glass.
For his part, the retiring general faced enduring a month-long journey before he would see her again. If Washington was going to keep his promise, he had a few important tasks to accomplish. He was to accept the transfer of control of New York City from the English, say goodbye to his men, and probably most important in Washington's mind, he would officially resign his commission and give his final report to Congress then meeting in Annapolis, Maryland — and he would do it all in less than one month. The first stop on the road home was New York City.
On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was ratified by British negotiators in France, and the wheels of the occupiers' departure from the newly recognized American Republic were set in motion. Although British troops occupied forts in America for another decade, in New York City, the redcoats gladly evacuated their American barracks and outposts, boarding ships bound for their longed-for island home.
While accomplishing his necessary duties in New York, Washington delivered the first of several farewells. This one was to what remained of his cadre of commanders and took place on December 4, 1783, at the popular public house, Fraunces Tavern.
Click here to read the entire article.
Painting: General George Washington Resigning His Commission, by John Trumbull


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Since the early days of the franchise, Twins greats such as Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva and Rod Carew have defined greatness on the field while stressing the importance of giving back to the community. The Twins Alumni Association helps foster greatness long after a player has retired from the ball field. Many former Twins annually participate in TwinsFest and Autograph Party. Others continue to lend their names, time and money to support specific charities.
Today, current Minnesota Twins players and their families follow the same tradition by selecting and supporting community organizations.
Joe Mauer: Friends of St. Paul Baseball, Highland Friendship Club, Gillette Children's Specialty HealthCare, TwinsCare
Brian Duensing: Cheerful Givers, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, TwinsCare
Glen Perkins: Cystic Fibrosis, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Strikeout Cancer, TwinsCare
Brian Dozier: Military and veterans, TwinsCare
Jared Burton: TwinsCare
Phil Hughes: TwinsCare
Manager Ron Gardenhire: ALS Association, Veterans-related charities, People Serving People Homeless ShelterFormer players and their charities/causes:
Bert Blyleven: Parkinson's Disease
Ron Coomer: Miracle League of MN
Jim Eisenreich: Tourette's Syndrome
Kent Hrbek: ALS Association, MN Chapter
Harmon Killebrew: Gillette Children's Specialty HealthCare; Harmon Killebrew Foundation, Twins Community Fund; Miracle League of MN
Tim Laudner: Minnesota Stroke Association
Paul Molitor: Camp Heartland
Tony Oliva: Upper Midwest Youth Baseball/Softball Programs; Batten Disease; Meals-on-Wheels
Brad Radke: The Brad and Heather Radke Family Foundation; Hennepin County Medical Center, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; American Cancer Society
Terry Steinbach: ALS Association, MN Chapter


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Operators at Oyster Creek Generating Station declared an "unusual event" at 10:11 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, after a fire occurred at one of the station's two main transformers.
FORKED RIVER (Feb. 2, 2009) – Operators at Oyster Creek Generating Station declared an "unusual event" at 10:11 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, after a fire occurred at one of the station's two main transformers. The fire was extinguished 16 minutes later and the event formally terminated at 11:37 p.m. Eastern Time.
On-site responders and local fire departments responded, including the Forked River station. The unit automatically shut down safely as designed when the transformer fire began. Oyster Creek has two transformers that transmit electricity from the plant to the electrical grid that serves the region.
There were no injuries to fire department or plant personnel, and there was no threat to the health and safety of the public. Exelon's environmental experts are monitoring the canal for any potential impact to aquatic life from loss of heat from the plant. Plant operators are investigating the cause of the transformer fire.
An unusual event is the lowest emergency level in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's emergency classification system. Exelon Nuclear personnel notified all appropriate federal, state and local government officials of the unusual event. Oyster Creek is about 60 miles east of Philadelphia in Ocean County, New Jersey. The plant produces 636 net megawatts of electricity at full power, enough electricity to supply 600,000 typical homes, the equivalent to all homes in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined.
Exelon Corporation is one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately $19 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania and natural gas to approximately 480,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.


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- Northern New York Newspapers
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When the Ogdensburg Public Library Board of Trustees holds its upcoming annual winter retreat, the conversation will focus on one topic that its members agree is too expansive for their monthly meeting: the financial future of the library.
At the board meeting on Thursday, library Director Wayne L. Miller laid out several proposals from raising revenues to offering another public referendum like the one that as defeated in 2011.
An hour and a half is not enough, said board Vice President Mathew P. Duprey.
The librarys outlook for this year is far from carefree. Its $582,712 budget has a city contribution of $532,712 that is $13,000 less than requested. Also missing is $11,502 in St. Lawrence County funds.
Theres a lot to consider here, said Cathy C. Piche, the boards chairwoman. Theres a lot to think about.
Two years ago, the library proposed a $527,245 Ogdensburg City School District tax levy in a referendum. Viewed as a means of eliminating the dependence on city funds, it was dismissed by a telling 626-356 margin.
Mr. Miller took notice.
It was a very sobering experience, he said. People saw it as another tax.
Referendums, as Mr. Miller explained in his monthly report to the trustees, have a mixed record of results.
There are many instances of this model which led us to go on the school ballot two years ago, he said. In some instances, like Potsdam, it took more than one try. In other instances, like Long Lake, Rome, and Albany, the library decided that the investment in purchasing the services of specialized professional services was critical. Our first foray was disheartening to some, but was also a great learning experience. It helped generate community support both during the campaign and since.
Another idea is to start charging more for services and features and charging for those that are now free.
To a small degree, Ogdensburg Public Library and most libraries are already employing this model, Mr. Miller said in his report. We charge for printing, copying, fax services and are currently adding facility rental. Current pricing is designed to recover the basic cost of the service.
He said some libraries, like the Canton Free Library, charge for DVDs. The fee in that case is $1.
Ogdensburg Public Library currently loans between 10,000 and 15,000 DVDs per year, he said. On one hand, people tend to value things to the degree for which they pay for them. On the other, there is a strong free public library brand built upon collective community funding to provide services and materials that are equally available to all. Would it become even more difficult to justify the appropriation of tax dollars for a service which charges its customers?
Its something to think about, Mr. Miller told the trustees on Thursday.
I can see it as a revenue stream, he said. A buck here and a buck there. It might not be a bad thing.
The librarys $500,000 endowment is also a key player is shaping the librarys financial stability.
Currently, Ogdensburg Public Library derives about five percent of our budget from the general endowment, Mr. Miller said in his report. Increasing that endowment to the $3 million or $4 million range would generate 30 percent of our budget, a substantial portion. This would bring stability to the oscillations in government and other funding.
Ms. Piche said all possibilities should be explored if the library is ever to be self-sustaining.
Financial stability is everything, she said.
Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.
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Make the NGE ideal for use in difficult topographical conditions.
Allows the emitter to self-flush during operation and shut-down to facilitate cleaning. This ensures the emitter is free of debris at start-up and during the emitter operation.
As tested by Toro and independent labs, the NGE is one of the best performing pressure-compensating emitters available.
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Get great yard care tips from how to build, maintain or restore a lawn, choose grasses, and proper water care.
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The efficient use of water is an important issue for us and we proudly do our part in preserving our water resources.
Find the latest user manuals for your Toro irrigation products.
Download a copy of Toro's Res/Com Irrigation Specification Catalog in PDF format.


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|Sep 23
Breast Cancer Awareness Month & New BCWHI Services
October will be an exciting month for our Breast Cancer & Women's Health Institute (BCWHI)! ...
|Aug 24
Tyrone Hospital's Five Star Rating
It is gratifying to receive a five star rating! It doesn't matter if you are a hotel, a restaurant, a resort or a healthcare organization....
|Jul 09
The Pinecroft Medical Center
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On June 22nd Tyrone Regional...
|May 20
We CARE Therapy Services for Special Needs Children
In November of 2014 Tyrone Regional Health Network, working with ProCare Therapy created We
|Apr 29
Orthopedic Center of Excellence
We recently announced the Orthopedic Center of Excellence at Tyrone Regional Health Network (TRHN) to address the needs of orthopedic patients. This new name...
|Apr 29
Chronic Disease Self Management Education Now Offered at Tyrone Hospital
Tyrone Regional Health Network (TRHN) has expanded its outreach and wellness...
|Feb 09
The Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO)
In an attempt to get the rising cost of Medicare under control in our country, lawmakers have developed a program to start to...
|Jan 23
A Look at 2015 and Beyond
"The best way to predict the future is to create it," that is what management guru Peter Drucker said. Tyrone Regional Health Network (TRHN) is a testimonial of that...
|Jan 05
2014: A Remarkable Year for Tyrone Hospital!
Another year has come to a close! We are now in that border of time, when we glance back at one year and look forward to the next....
|Nov 24
Tyrone Regional Health Network: That's What I Want to Talk About!
People have been asking me if I saw the news about UPMC's plans to construct a medical...
Moving Ahead with Exceptional Care
Tyrone Hospital is a critical access hospital that provides general medical and surgical care including a twenty-four hour emergency department, a wide range of outpatient diagnostic services, and a short term inpatient rehabilitation and skilled nursing care program.
Tyrone Hospital is preferred by families and individuals who seek a variety of services in a less institutional and more friendly and personalized healthcare environment. The hospital's diverse medical staff gives people access to primary care physicians as well as a variety of specialists.
The range of services, physicians, and medical technology available at Tyrone Hospital makes it easy for your and your family to access the health care you need, comfortably, and without traveling long distances.


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Graphic Design
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Use text and images to communicate messages for print, electronic, and three-dimensional media.
Typography, images, the very latest in computer hardware and software ... at Ringling College of Art and Design, the tools are all here, along with a problem waiting to be solved. Whether you are working in paint, ink and collage, digital video or animation, it is up to you, as the problem-solver, to organize, interpret, and magnify the images to best communicate your message.
In Ringling College's Graphic Design department, you will learn communication theory and principles, balancing that knowledge with an understanding of society and culture. The result? A graphic designer who can produce a broad range of visual images for print, electronic and three-dimensional media in today's communication-oriented culture.


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Many babies love to be swaddled, but with the ever changing environmental temperatures, it is important that baby doesn't get too hot or too cold while being swaddled. That is why SwaddleDesigns, a baby product company that offers stylish and functional products to help parents care for their new babies, recently announced the newest addition to their product line – the SwaddleDuo.
The SwaddleDuo from SwaddleDesigns includes two premium, yet different, swaddling blankets. The first blanket, the Ultimate Receiving Blanket, is a lightweight premium cotton flannel blanket that is appropriate for moderate to cooler environmental temperatures. The other blanket, the Marquisette Swaddling Blanket, is a very lightweight open-weave cotton blanket appropriate for warmer environmental temperatures. With the SwaddleDuo from SwaddleDesigns, new moms and dads will be prepared for swaddling baby, no matter what the environmental temperature might be – cool, moderate or warm!
Recently, I was sent the pink Classic Peace Love SwaddleDuo from SwaddleDesigns to review. The pink Classic Peace Love SwaddleDuo gift set includes two premium fabric swaddling blankets in a pretty pink polka dot design (cotton flannel blanket) and a fun peace, heart and baby character blanket (the cotton marquisette blanket). Each blanket also features an easy 123 Swaddle instructional label that helps new parents master the art of swaddling.
SwaddleDesigns also recent announced the SwaddleDesigns Safe Sleep Program. This program strives to educate new parents and caregivers using up-to-date research and information with the goal of increasing awareness of safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and help parents create a safer sleep environment for baby to sleep, thrive and grow. Also, SwaddleDesigns has a guide that helps new parents remember the importance of keeping baby comfortably warm. The "SwaddleDesigns Goldilocks Guide" ~ baby should not be too hot or too cold, but just right – comfortably warm.
Be sure to visit SwaddleDesigns "How to Swaddle" page and find out more information regarding sleeping environments and the benefits of swaddling.
Buy It: The SwaddleDuo ($38) is available in 17 styles and can be purchased at www.SwaddleDesigns.com
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Giveaway will end on May 24th at 11:59pm ET. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to US and Canada.
A big thank you to SwaddleDesigns for this review and giveaway opportunity!
This review is based strictly my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above. I was provided the SwaddleDuo free of charge and I provided my honest opinion. No other type compensation was received for this review.


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Virgin Australia accelerate is our corporate air travel solution for small and medium sized companies.
Great Benefits for Businesses on the Move
At Virgin Australia we have always delivered great service and new products, while providing the business market with real benefits. With our Virgin Australia accelerate program, we are taking this one step further.
Virgin Australia accelerate is our air travel program for companies with a total annual domestic and international air travel commitment on Virgin Australia of less than $300,000 per annum and greater than $20,000 per annum.
Virgin Australia accelerate Business Benefits
- Virgin Australia accelerate is free for eligible Australian registered companies
- Book via a secure online booking environment or via your preferred travel agent
- Earn Virgin Australia accelerate rebates when you reach certain expenditure targets
- Discounted annual membership for Virgin Australia lounge – located at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Mackay, Perth and Adelaide domestic airports
- In addition, corporate travellers continue to earn Velocity Points and Status Credits on their flights
- Two Velocity Pilot Gold memberships for companies joining Virgin Australia accelerate. Terms and Conditions apply.
We understand today's dynamic and competitive business environment and we are responding to this by delivering flexible air travel solutions for your business. What is more, we do this while delivering real, quantifiable savings on your travel expenditure.
If you would like further information on how your business can participate in the Virgin Australia accelerate program please complete the accelerate Enquiry Form or email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 1300 246 498 (select Option 1).
If you wish to join Virgin Australia accelerate, please complete the Online Application Form. The Virgin Australia accelerate team will be in contact with you once your application has been received. Please ensure you read and agree to the Virgin Australia accelerate Terms and Conditions before submitting your application.


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Got protest? Music mogul Simmons mad over milk
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Music mogul Russell Simmons wants New York's governor to pull the plug on milk from cows.
RELATED: Paula Deen on Her Diet: 'I Always Practice Moderation'
The hip-hop impresario writes in a letter to Andrew Cuomo that milk should no longer be the state's official beverage.
Simmons, a vegan who has taken on several animal rights causes with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says milk from cows is less healthy than milk from rice, almonds or soy.
RELATED: Celebrity Diets: A Wonderwall Field Guide
He tells The Associated Press he knows dairy is big business in New York but says other industries could spring up in its place.
Simmons and Cuomo go way back. They're both from Queens, and they worked together a decade ago to help soften New York's strict drug laws.
Cuomo's office didn't immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment.
RELATED: Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig Named PETA's Sexiest Vegetarians
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The trend for customising 1970s and 1980s motorcycles continues apace. The blinged-out chopper with raked forks and shiny paint is officially dead: today, customers are demanding sleek, minimal café racers.
The shift was inspired a few years ago by workshops such as Denmark's Wrenchmonkees. Today, builders like Café Racer Dreams (Spain) are buying up and stripping down old Hondas and BMWs. Like the CRD machine we're looking at here. Called "Brownie", it's a 1980 Honda CB750 on a diet.
It's also a textbook example of the mods that custom bike fans are looking for in 2012. The electrics are hidden—even the battery—to throw focus on the mechanical components. The brown, gold and black colour scheme is low-key but luxurious, like a fine piece of leatherwork.
Unlike many builders, Pedro Garcia of CRD is not a one-trick-pony. His latest creation is a 1971 BMW R75/5 (above) converted for dual sport use. When not being ridden around the streets of Paris by its new owner, it's blasting down fire trails and kicking up dust.
And the Wrenchmonkees, who kick started it all? Things are good in the state of Denmark. There's a clothing line in the works and they're collaborating with major brands such as Levi's. They're even getting commissions from switched-on nightcubs, with the "Club Black" series of display bikes (above). - Chris Hunter, editor of Bike EXIF
Is there anything that Marc Newson hasn't designed? We are running right out of superlatives describing one of his fairly recent collaborations, the Aquariva by Marc Newson luxury yacht. We tried looking away, yet here we are, talking about it.
Everything about the ridiculously cool and expensive arrow-of-a-speed-boat is a bit much. Yet it is also deliciously good-looking in its faux mahogany, retro turquoise upholstery and overall 60s vibe.
To create the Aquariva, the Australian-born, London-based mega-designer collaborated with Officina Italiana Design of Bergamo, Italy. It is the studio that for the past two decades has been in charge of designing yachts for Riva shipyards, established in 1842 by Pietro Riva. Riva is one of the brands in the Ferretti Group portfolio.
Aquariva by Marc Newson was introduced last fall but paraded again at the beginning of this year not at a lowly boat show or even a luxury yacht salon, but Arte Fiera, the 36th annual, historical art fair in Bologna.
Only 22 of these beauties were manufactured and they are sold though the New York-based Gagosian Gallery and also by Riva dealers, apparently at $1.5 million. The sales pitch is no doubt rich with superlatives and absent of the word recession. - Tuija Seipell
It would seem a shame to take one of these black retro beauties out into the unforgiving streets of a Detroit winter. It might be best to display the hand-crafted Madison Street bike indoors, perhaps in the living room, nicely leaning against the mantel. It certainly deserves a place next to other pieces of art.
Detroit Bicycle Company founder, Steven Bock, builds each bike to order from the finest parts. For those who appreciate high-quality bike parts, all frames are made with Columbus SL CRO-Mo tubing and Nova lugs. The Madison Street's main attractions are the beautiful copper-plating of the Campagnolo and Cinelli parts, track rims with Vittoria Zaffiro tires and the inimitable Books leather saddle.
Each bike is customised, so prices vary, but we've seen complete bikes priced at $3,200 and up. - Bill Tikos
Our latest car porn introduces Lamborghini's new super sports car Aventador with its 700 HP bull power - powerful and classy just like his namesake, Spanish bull legend Aventador - relentlessly fighting the forces of nature in a 3-minute special effect thunderstorm, shot in the Californian desert Coyote Dry Lakebed and directed by Ole Peters.
The era of chrome-and-billet choppers is drawing to a close. Even Harley-Davidson dealers are swapping the leather tassels for carbon fiber and murder-black paintjobs. In the UK, a south coast dealer called Shaw Speed and Custom is setting the pace, creating show bikes that win at the world's top custom motorcycle shows—and beating the Americans at their own game.
In the build-up to the AMD World Championship held at Sturgis, the latest two bikes from SS&C are creating a stir. The 'Nascafe' is a low-slung, dragster-influenced machine created in association with the American watch manufacturer Bell & Ross. Embedded in the tank is a $4,000 BR 01 Carbon timepiece, a further touch of originality.
The XLST3 is another radical departure from the norm. Dirt-track tires and race plates give the bike a sporty look rarely seen on Harleys, and the stock suspension has been replaced by high-performance items more commonly seen on superbikes.
These are not the sort of motorcycles the Teutel family builds on American Chopper, and they're all the better for it. Harley-Davidson is taking note too, with a new 'Dark Custom' range designed to attract younger, more style-conscious bikers. - Chris Hunter of Bike EXIF
Some design is classic. Some design is innovative. And some of the most interesting design seamlessly blends classic styling with innovation.
Vizualtech's Bo Zolland specializes in technical illustration and custom design - using modern influences to transform the chassis of cars from new to old.
Zolland created a series of renderings of a 1955 Ford Thunderbird for a client. The car will be built from the body and components of a 2009 Ford Mustang, but will be completely remodeled to resemble the classic lines of the T-Bird - proving that the reverse can be true: from the new can come the old. - Andrew J Martin
The motorcycling world loves a 'barn find'—an old, obscure machine wheeled out of the woodwork for the first time. And this is one of the biggest revelations of recent months. It's a 1930 Henderson that was customized before WW2 by a fellow called O. Ray Courtney and fitted with 'streamliner' bodywork.
The art deco influence is obvious; legendary automotive designer Harley Earl could have drawn those curves. It's all the more unusual because the mechanicals are hidden: even at the height of the Art Deco movement, most motorcycles were a triumph of form over function, with exposed cooling fins, brake drums and suspension springs.
The bike is owned by collector Frank Westfall of Syracuse. It caused a stir in June 2010 when it appeared at the Rhinebeck Grand National Meet, a motorcycle show held a couple of hours drive north of NYC. Grail Mortillaro (of the chopper blog Knucklebusterinc) had a camera to hand, so we have him to thank for these images.
Henderson was a Chicago brand and one of the American 'Big Three' (with Harley-Davidson and Indian) until the onset of the Great Depression. It went bust in 1931. But you can see the influence of the 'streamliner' style on another contemporary North American brand—Victory. If there's a spiritual successor to this Henderson custom, it's the Victory Vision Tour, a gargantuan cruiser with completely enclosed bodywork and not a leather tassle or saddlebag in sight.—Chris Hunter of motorcyle design website - Bike EXIF.
This little blue boat may be beyond our budget but some powerboat collectors will take advantage of the opportunity to bid on RAL5105 on July 20, when it will be auctioned off at Hôtel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo by the Parisian Artcurial.
RAL5105 is estimated to fetch 180 000 - 220 000 Euros. The "monochrome nautical sculpture" is the latest masterpiece of Parisian multidisciplinary artist Xavier Veilhan (born in 1963) whose work we've featured before. John Dodelande invited Veilhan to think about creating a boat, and after accepting, Veilhan worked with the 80-year-old Frauscher shipyard of Gmuden, Austria, to make it a reality.
Potential buyers had a chance to view it in Paris at Hôtel Marcel Dassault in Paris till June 14th. From there, it moved on to Saint Tropez (June 15 to July 12) and then to Monte Carlo on July 20th.
As the 6.9 meter, eight-person blue beauty is equipped with a MerCruiser 220 HP motor, the owner will most likely want to actually drive this boat, not just look at it. - Tuija Seipell
There's not much about American muscle cars that scream hot pink, but the 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 manages to elegantly blend the strength of the form of the iconic design with the unexpectedness of the bold fuchsia colour. The limited edition 'Plum Crazy' model comes with a matching seat-stripe insert, and holding true to the Challenger heritage, the hood has a raised center, black stripes and functional dual scoops. Of course purists can choose from more standard colours, but we all know the more vibrant option certainly caught our eye.
The philosophy "race inspired, street legal" underpins all Dodge models with Street and Racing Technology (SRT), and the Challenger is no exception. Muscle car enthusiasts can expect high performance in a car ready to tear up the streets – so anyone behind the wheel can look bad-ass – even in fuchsia. - Andrew J Weiner.
We are wondering why it is that car manufacturers are tripping over each other inventing boring and redundant "super modern" and "high design" cars, when the end result is a sea of lookalikes. One can no longer recognize a "premium" make from a lower-end car, certainly not by distinctive and recognizable design features.
They are unimaginative, uninspiring and suffer from a serious case of follow-itis. As opposed to being leaders and, in particular, design leaders. We see design tweaks and add-on features advertised as if they were a revolution when in fact, there's nothing really significantly new or exciting. No wonder so many are giving up cars altogether. Why spend all that money to get what?
Our hopes are up a bit with a sighting of the carbon fiber-bodied "Bella Figura" Bugnotti. It is Delahaye USA's tribute to Ettore Bugatti's son, Jean, and it was inspired by the 1937 classic Type 57S. This retro beauty will debut at the Retro Auto at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Aug. 13-15 in Monterey, CA.
We are all for going back to the basics, to looking at the best and most beautiful models of the past and resurrecting them. For example, there is nothing to add to the iconic design of a classic Saab. It was designed for minimal drag and that was partly the reason why the Saab was such a hot ticket as a rally car in the 1960s. And they had 3-cylinder engines, too.
Imagine if we could again drive cars this cool? Of course, they'd have the relevant and useful modern technology and electric power as well. Why is that not possible? - Bill Tikos