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Articles 2
Almost everyone who has studied human history, particularly its philosophical and social aspects, will agree that the nineteenth century was an important period, for it was during those years that the first steps were taken toward the future spiritual collapse. Its most important characteristic was the growth of atheism (i.e., rejecting God's Existence) as opposed to theistic beliefs and religion, which had been generally dominant in the world until then.
Although atheism has existed from ancient times, the rise of this idea actually began in eighteenth-century Europe, with the spread and political effect of the philosophy of some anti-religious thinkers. Materialists such as Denis Diderot (1713-84) and Baron d'Holbach (1723-89) proposed that the universe was a conglomeration of matter that had existed forever and that only matter existed. In the nineteenth century, atheism spread even further afield. Such thinkers as Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-72), Karl Marx (1818-83), Friedrich Engels (1820-95), Friedrich Nietzsche (1884-1900), Emile Durkheim (1859-1917), and Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) applied atheist thinking to different fields of science and philosophy.
The greatest support for atheism came from Charles Darwin (1809-82), who rejected the idea of creation and proposed the theory of evolution, which gave a supposedly scientific answer to the question that had baffled atheists for centuries: How did human beings and living things come to be?
This theory convinced a great many people that there was a mechanism in nature that animated lifeless matter and produced millions of different living species from it.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century, atheists formulated a worldview that "explained" everything: The universe had not been created, for it had no beginning and had existed forever. They claimed that it had no purpose, that its order and balance were the result of chance, and that Darwin's theory of evolution explained how human beings and other living things came into being. They believed that Marx and Durkheim had explained history and sociology, and that Freud had explained psychology on the basis of atheist assumptions. However, twentieth-century scientific, political, and social developments disproved these views, for ongoing discoveries in astronomy, biology, psychology, and social sciences nullified the bases of atheist suppositions.
In his book God: The Evidence, The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason in a Postsecular World, American scholar Patrick Glynn of the George Washington University writes:
The past two decades of research have overturned nearly all the important assumptions and predictions of an earlier generation of modern secular and atheist thinkers relating to the issue of God. Modern thinkers assumed that science would reveal the universe to be ever more random and mechanical; instead it has discovered unexpected new layers of intricate order that bespeak an almost unimaginably vast master design.1
The past two decades of research have overturned nearly all the important assumptions and predictions of an earlier generation of modern secular and atheist thinkers relating to the issue of God. Modern thinkers assumed that science would reveal the universe to be ever more random and mechanical; instead it has discovered unexpected new layers of intricate order that bespeak an almost unimaginably vast master design.1
In short, atheism suffered a sudden collapse in the last quarter of the twentieth century at the hands of the very scientific and sociological concepts from which its adherents had hoped to receive the most support. In this article, we will look at its collapse in the areas of cosmology, biology, psychology, medicine, and sociology.
The first blow to atheism from twentieth-century science was in the field of cosmology. The idea that the universe had existed forever was discounted, for scientists discovered that it had a beginning. In other words, they proved scientifically that the universe had been created from nothing.
This idea of an eternal universe came to the Western world, along with materialist philosophy, from classical Greek civilization. It stated that only matter exists, and that the universe comes from eternity and goes to eternity. In the Middle Ages, when the Catholic church dominated Western thought, materialism was forgotten. However, in the modern period Western scientists and philosophers became consumed with curiosity about these classical Greek origins and revived an interest in materialism.
With the coming of the nineteenth century, it became widely accepted that the universe had no beginning and that there had been no moment of creation. Adopted passionately by such dialectical materialists as Marx and Engels, this idea found its way into the twentieth century.
This idea has always been compatible with atheism, for accepting that the universe had a beginning would mean that God had created it. Thus the only way to counter this idea was to claim that the universe was eternal, even though science did not support such a claim. Georges Politzer (1903-42), a dogged proponent of this claim, became widely known as a supporter of materialism and Marxism in the first half of the twentieth century through his book Principes Fondamentaux de Philosophie (The Fundamental Principles of Philosophy).
By supporting the idea of an eternal universe, Politzer thought that science was on his side. However, very soon thereafter, the fact that he had alluded to by saying "if it is so, we must accept the existence of a Creator," that is, that the universe had a beginning, was proven. This proof came as a result of the "Big Bang" theory, perhaps the most important concept of twentieth-century astronomy.
The Big Bang theory was formulated after a series of discoveries. In 1929, the American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) noticed that the galaxies were continually moving away from each other and that the universe was expanding. If the flow of time in an expanding universe were reversed, the whole universe must have come from a single point. While assessing the validity of Hubble's discovery, astronomers were faced with the fact that this single point was a "metaphysical" state of reality in which there was an infinite gravitational attraction with no mass. Matter and time came into being through the explosion of this mass-less point. In other words, the universe was created from nothing.
In their observations made in the 1960s, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson detected radioactive remains of the explosion (cosmic background radiation). These observations were verified in the 1990s by the COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) satellite.
Confronted with all of these facts, atheists have been squeezed into a corner.
An example of the atheists' reaction to the Big Bang theory is seen in a 1989 article by John Maddox, editor of Nature, one of the best-known materialist-scientific journals. In his article, entitled "Down with the Big Bang," Maddox wrote that the Big Bang is "philosophically unacceptable," because "creationists and those of similar persuasions … have ample justification in the doctrine of the Big Bang." He also predicted that it "is unlikely to survive the decade ahead."2
However, despite Maddox' hopes, the Big Bang theory continues to gain credence, and new discoveries continue to prove that the universe was created.
Thus, modern astronomy proves and states that time and matter were brought into being by an eternally powerful Creator, Who is independent of both of them. The eternal power that created the universe in which we live is God, the possessor of infinite might, knowledge, and wisdom.
A second atheist dogma rendered invalid by twentieth-century discoveries in astronomy is the idea of a random universe. The view that all matter in the universe, the heavenly bodies, and the laws that determine the relationships among them is no more than the purposeless result of chance has been undermined dramatically.
For the first time since the 1970s, scientists have begun to recognize that the universe's physical balance is adjusted delicately in favor of human life. Advances in research have enabled scientists to discover that the universe's physical, chemical, and biological laws, as well as such basic forces as gravity and electro-magnetism and even the very structures of atoms and elements, are all ordered exactly as they have to be for human life. Western scientists have called this extraordinary design the "anthropic principle": Every aspect of the universe is designed with a view to human life.
We may summarize its basic characteristics as follows:
• The speed of the universe's first expansion (the force of the Big Bang explosion) was exactly the velocity that it had to be. According to scientists' calculations, if the expansion rate had differed from its actual value by more than one part in a billion billion, the universe either would have recollapsed before reaching its present size or splattered in every direction in a manner that it could never be reunited. In other words, even at the first moment of its existence there was a fine calculation of the accuracy of a billion billionth.
• The universe's four physical forces (i.e., gravitational force, weak nuclear force, strong nuclear force, and electromagnetic force) are all at the necessary levels for an ordered universe to emerge and for life to exist. Even the tiniest variations in these forces (e.g., one in 1039 or one in 1028; that is—crudely calculated—one in a billion billion billion billion), the universe either would be composed only of radiation or of hydrogen.
• Many other delicate adjustments make Earth ideal for human life: the size of the Sun, its distance from Earth, water's unique physical and chemical properties, the wavelength of the sun's rays, the way that Earth's atmosphere contains the gases necessary for respiration, and Earth's magnetic field being ideally suited to human life. (For more information on this topic, see Harun Yahya's The Creation of the Universe, Al-Attique Publishers, 2001)
This delicate balance is among the most striking discoveries of modern astrophysics. Paul Davies, the well-known astronomer, writes in the last paragraph of his The Cosmic Blueprint:
The impression of Design is overwhelming.3
The impression of Design is overwhelming.3
In short, the idea of a random universe, perhaps atheism's most basic pillar, has been proved invalid. Scientists now openly speak of materialism's collapse.4 God reveals the falsity of this idea in the Qur'an: "We did not create heaven and Earth and everything between them to no purpose. That is the opinion of those who disbelieve…" (Qur'an, 38: 27), and science confirmed that truth in the 1970s.
One area of science that shatters the materialist myth and gives positive evidence for theism is quantum physics.
Quantum physics deals with matter's tiniest particles, also called the "sub-atomic realm." In school, everyone learns that matter is composed of atoms. Atoms are made up of a nucleus and several electrons spinning around it. One strange fact is that all of these particles take up only some 0.0001 percent of the atoms. In other words, an atom is something that is 99.9999 percent "empty."
Even more interestingly, further examination shows that the nuclei and electrons are made up of much smaller particles called "quarks," which are not even particles in the physical sense; rather, they are simply energy. This discovery broke the classical distinction between matter and energy. It now appears that only energy exists in the material universe, and that matter is just "frozen energy."
There is a still more intriguing fact: Quarks, those packets of energy, act in such a way that they may be described as "conscious." Physicist Freeman Dyson, when accepting the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion (2000), stated that:
Atoms are weird stuff, behaving like active agents rather than inert substances. They make unpredictable choices between alternative possibilities according to the laws of quantum mechanics. It appears that mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent inherent in every atom.5
Atoms are weird stuff, behaving like active agents rather than inert substances. They make unpredictable choices between alternative possibilities according to the laws of quantum mechanics. It appears that mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent inherent in every atom.5
In other words, there is information behind matter, information that precedes the material realm.
John Archibald Wheeler, professor of physics at Princeton University and recipient of the Einstein Award (2003), explained the same fact when he said that the "bit" (the binary digit) of information gives rise to the "it," the substance of matter.6 According to Schroeder, this has a "profound meaning":
The matter/energy relationships, the quantum wave functions, have profound meaning. Science may be approaching the realization that the entire universe is an expression of information, wisdom, an idea, just as atoms are tangible expressions of something as ethereal as energy.7
The matter/energy relationships, the quantum wave functions, have profound meaning. Science may be approaching the realization that the entire universe is an expression of information, wisdom, an idea, just as atoms are tangible expressions of something as ethereal as energy.7
A single consciousness, a universal wisdom, pervades the universe. The discoveries of science, those that search the quantum nature of subatomic matter, have moved us to the brink of a startling realization: all existence is the expression of this wisdom. In the laboratories we experience it as information that first physically articulated as energy and then condensed into the form of matter. Every particle, every being, from atom to human, appears to represent a level of information, of wisdom.8
This means that the material universe is not a purposeless and chaotic heap of atoms, as the atheist/materialist dogma assumes, but instead is a manifestation of a wisdom that existed before the universe and that has absolute sovereignty over everything that exists. In Schroeder's words, it is "as if a metaphysical substrate was impressed upon the physical."9
This discovery shatters the whole materialist myth and reveals that the visible material universe is just a shadow of a transcendent Absolute Being.
Your god is God alone, there is no god but Him. He encompasses all things in His knowledge. (Qur'an, 20:98)
As stated earlier, one of the main supports for atheism's rise to its zenith in the nineteenth century was Darwin's theory of evolution. By asserting that the origin of human beings and all other living things lay in unconscious natural mechanisms, Darwinism gave atheists the scientific guise they had been seeking for centuries. That time's most passionate atheists adopted his theory, and such atheist thinkers as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels made its elucidation the basis of their philosophy. The relationship between Darwinism and atheism born at that point in time has continued until our own time.
But, at the same time, this core belief of atheism is the very one that has received the greatest blow from twentieth-century science. Discoveries in paleontology, biochemistry, anatomy, genetics, and other scientific fields have shattered the theory of evolution (See Harun Yahya's Darwinism Refuted). We have dealt with this fact in far more detail elsewhere. However, in short, we can say the following:
• Paleontology: Darwin's theory rests on the assumptions that all species come from a single common ancestor and that they diverged from one another over a long period of time by means of small gradual changes. Supposedly, the required proofs would be discovered in the fossil record or the petrified remains of living things. But fossil research conducted during the twentieth century presents a totally different picture, for no fossil of a single undoubted intermediate species, one that would substantiate this theory of gradual evolution among species, has been found. Moreover, every taxon (an animal or plant group having natural relations) appears suddenly in the fossil record, and no trace has ever been found of any previous ancestors. The phenomenon known as the Cambrian Explosion, which scientists classify as a period of time that occurred 540 to 490 million years ago, is especially interesting. In that early geological period, nearly all of the animal kingdom's phyla (major groups with significantly different body structures) appeared suddenly. The sudden emergence of many different categories of living things with totally different body structures and extremely complex organs and systems (e.g., mollusks, arthropods, echinoderms, and, as recently discovered, even vertebrates) rendered the theory of evolution invalid and proved creation, for as evolutionists also agree, a taxon's sudden emergence implies purposeful design, and this means creation.
The most important branch of science for shedding light on the origin of life on earth is paleontology, the study of fossils. Fossil beds, studied with great intensity for the last two hundred years, reveal a picture totally at odds with Darwin's theory. Species did not emerge through small cumulative changes, they appeared quite suddenly, and fully-formed.
• Biological Observations: Darwin elaborated on his theory by relying upon examples of how animal breeders produced different dog or horse varieties. He extrapolated the limited changes he observed to the whole natural world, and proposed that every living thing could have come from a common ancestor. But Darwin made this claim in the nineteenth century, when the level of scientific sophistication was low. In the twentieth century, things changed greatly. Decades of observation and experimentation on various animal species have shown that variation in living things has never gone beyond a certain genetic boundary. Darwin's assertions, like: "I can see no difficulty in a race of bears being rendered, by natural selection, more and more aquatic in their habits, with larger and larger mouths, till a creature was produced as monstrous as a whale"10 actually demonstrates his great ignorance. On the other hand, observations and experiments show that mutations defined by Neo-Darwinism as an evolutionary mechanism add no new genetic information to living creatures.
• The Origin of Life: Darwin spoke about a common ancestor, but never mentioned how this person came to be. His only conjecture was that the first cell could have formed as a result of random chemical reactions "in some small warm little pond."11 But those evolutionary biochemists who sought to close this hole in Darwinism were frustrated by the fact that all of their observations and experiments showed that no living cell could arise within inanimate matter by means of random chemical reactions. Even the English atheist astronomer Fred Hoyle expressed that such a scenario "is comparable with the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junk-yard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein."12
• Intelligent Design: Scientists who study cells and their molecules, along with the cells' remarkable organization within the body, and the bodily organs' delicate order and plan are faced with proof that evolutionists strongly wish to reject: The world of living things is permeated by designs too complex to be found in any technological equipment. Intricate examples of design, including our eyes that are far superior to any camera, the wings of birds that have inspired flight technology, the complexly integrated system of the cells of living things, and the remarkable information stored in DNA have vitiated the theory of evolution, which regards living things as the product of blind chance.
By the end of the twentieth century, all of these facts had squeezed Darwinism into a corner. Today, in the United States and other Western countries, the theory of intelligent design is gaining ever-increasing acceptance among scientists. Those who defend it say that Darwinism has been a great error in the history of science, and that it came to be so by imposing materialist philosophy on the scientific paradigm. Scientific discoveries show that there is a design in living things, which proves creation. In short, science proves once more that God created all living things.
Sigmund Freud
The representative of nineteenth-century atheism in psychology was the Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). Freud's greatest assault was against religion. In his The Future of an Illusion, originally published in 1927, Freud proposed that religious faith was a kind of mental illness (neurosis) that would disappear completely as humanity progressed. Due to the primitive scientific conditions of the time, his theory was proposed without either the requisite research and investigation or any scholarly literature or possibility of comparison. Therefore, its claims were extremely deficient.
After Freud, psychology developed on an atheist foundation. Moreover, the founders of other schools of psychology were passionate atheists. A 1972 poll among the members of the American Psychological Association revealed that only 1.1 percent of psychologists in the country had any religious beliefs.13
But most psychologists who fell into this great deception were undone by their own psychological investigations. The basic suppositions of Freudianism were shown to have almost no scientific support. Moreover, religion was shown not to be a mental illness, as Freud and some other psychological theorists declared, but rather a basic element of mental health.
As Glynn says, "modern psychology at the close of the twentieth century seems to be reacquainting itself with religion,"14 and "a purely secular view of human mental life has been shown to fail not just at the theoretical, but also at the practical, level."15
In other words, psychology also has routed atheism.
Another branch of science affected by the collapse of atheist suppositions was medicine.
In comprehensive research on the relationship between religious belief and physical health, Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard Medical School came up with some interesting results. Although he has no religious faith, Benson concluded that faith in God and worship had a far more positive effect on human health than could be observed in anything else. Benson concludes that he has "found that faith quiets the mind like no other form of belief."16
Why is there such a special relation among faith, the human spirit, and the body? Benson, a secular researcher, stated that the human mind and body are "wired for God."17
This fact, which the medical world is slowly beginning to notice, is a secret revealed in the Qur'an:
Only in the remembrance of God can the heart find peace. (Qur'an, 13:28)
The reason why those who believe in God, pray to Him and trust in Him are physically and mentally healthier than others is that they behave in harmony with their nature. Philosophical systems opposed to human nature always bring pain, sorrow, anxiety, and depression in their wake.
The basic source of religious people's peace is that they act in order to gain God's approval. In other words, this peace is the natural result of listening to the voice of one's conscience. People who live the morality of religion simply "to be more at peace" or "to be healthier" cannot live according to the morality of religion; those who act with this intention cannot find peace in its true sense. God well knows what people store in their hearts and what they reveal. Peace of mind comes only by being sincere and attempting to gain God's approval. God commands:
So set your face firmly toward the [true] religion, as a pure natural believer, God's natural pattern on which He made mankind. There is no changing God's creation. That is the true religion—but most people do not know it. (Qur'an, 30:30)
In light of these discoveries, modern medicine is starting to become aware of this truth. As Patrick Glynn says, "contemporary medicine is clearly moving in the direction of acknowledging dimensions of healing beyond the purely material."18
The collapse of atheism did not occur only in astrophysics, biology, psychology, and medicine; it also happened in politics and social morality.
The collapse of communism may be considered one of the most important examples of this. Communism may be considered the most important political result of nineteenth-century atheism. The founders of this ideology, Marx, Engels, Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924), Leon Trotsky (1879-1940), or Mao Zedong (1893-1976), all adopted atheism as a basic principle. A primary goal of all communist regimes was to produce atheistic societies and destroy religious belief. Stalin's Soviet Union, Mao's Communist China, Kampuchea (Cambodia), Albania, and some Eastern bloc countries applied immense pressure on Muslims and other religious people, sometimes to the point of committing mass murder.
Yet, amazingly, at the end of the 1980s, this bloody atheist system collapsed. When we examine the reasons for this dramatic fall, we see that what collapsed was actually atheism. Patrick Glynn writes:
To be sure, secular historians would say that the greatest mistake of Communism was to attempt to defy the laws of economics. But other laws, too, came into play … Moreover, as historians penetrate the circumstances of the Communist collapse, it is becoming clearer that the Soviet elite was itself in the throes of an atheistic "crisis of faith." Having lived under an atheistic ideology—one that consisted of lies and that was based on a "Big Lie"— the Soviet system suffered a radical demoralization, in every sense of that term. People, including the ruling elite, lost all sense of morality and all sense of hope.19
To be sure, secular historians would say that the greatest mistake of Communism was to attempt to defy the laws of economics. But other laws, too, came into play … Moreover, as historians penetrate the circumstances of the Communist collapse, it is becoming clearer that the Soviet elite was itself in the throes of an atheistic "crisis of faith." Having lived under an atheistic ideology—one that consisted of lies and that was based on a "Big Lie"— the Soviet system suffered a radical demoralization, in every sense of that term. People, including the ruling elite, lost all sense of morality and all sense of hope.19
The twentieth century documented not only the fall of communism, but also that of fascism, another fruit of nineteenth-century anti-religious philosophy. Fascism is the outcome of a philosophy that may be called a mixture of atheism and paganism, and is intensely hostile to theist religions. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), who may be called the father of fascism, extolled the morality of barbarous idolatrous societies, attacked Christianity and other monotheistic religions, and even called himself the "Anti-Christ." His disciple, Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), was an avid Nazi supporter, and the ideas of these two atheist thinkers gave impetus to the terrifying savagery of Nazi Germany. The Second World War, which caused the death of 55 million people, is another example of the calamity that such atheist ideologies as fascism and communism have brought upon humanity.
At this point, we must recall Social Darwinism, another atheist ideology that helped cause both world wars. In his Europe Since 1870, Harvard history professor James Joll states that behind each of the two world wars lay the philosophical views of Social Darwinist European leaders who believed in the myth that war was a biological necessity and that nations developed through conflict.20
Another social consequence of atheism appeared in Western democracies. In the present day, there is a tendency to regard the West as the "Christian world." However, since the nineteenth century, a quickly growing atheist culture has held sway with Christian culture, and today there is a conflict between them in what we call Western civilization. And this atheist element was the true cause of Western imperialism, moral degeneration, despotism, and other negative manifestations.
Glynn notes that attempts to turn America into an atheist country also have harmed society. The fact that the sexual revolution, for example, that spread during the 1960s and 1970s caused immense social damage in terms of traditional moral values is accepted even by secular historians.21
The hippie movement was a demonstration of this social damage. A world without religion actually brought them to an unhappy end. The hippy leaders of the 1960s either killed themselves or died from drug-induced comas in the early 1970s. Many other young hippies shared a similar fate.
Members of the same generation who turned to violence found themselves on the receiving end of violence. The 1968 generation, which turned its back on God and religion and imagined they could find salvation in such concepts as revolution or selfish Epicureanism, ruined both themselves and their own societies.
The facts given above clearly show that atheism is undergoing an inevitable collapse. In other words, humanity is—and will be—turning toward God, and not only in the scientific and political communities. From prominent statesmen to movie stars and pop artists, those who influence opinion in the West are far more religious than they used to be. Many people have seen the truth and come to believe in God after having lived for years as atheists.
Interestingly, the developments contributing to this result also began in the second half of the 1970s. The anthropic principle first appeared in the 1970s, and scientific criticism of Darwinism started to be loudly voiced at the same time. The turning point against Freud's atheist dogma was M. Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled. For this reason, Glynn, in the 1997 edition of his book, writes that "over the past twenty years, a significant body of evidence has emerged, shattering the foundations of the long-dominant modern secular worldview."22
Surely, the fact that the atheist worldview has been shaken means that another worldview is rising, which is belief in God. Since the end of the 1970s (or, from the beginning of the fourteenth century according to the Muslim calendar), the world has seen a rise in religious values. Like other social processes, because this develops over a long period of time instead of all at once, a majority of people may not notice it. However, those who evaluate the development a little more carefully see that the world is at a major turning point in the realm of ideas.
We are living at an important time. Atheism, which people have tried for hundreds of years to portray as the "way of reason and science," is proving to be mere irrationality and ignorance. Materialist philosophy, which sought to use science for its own ends, has been defeated by science. A world rescuing itself from atheism will turn to God and religion. But, to what religion will it turn? With God's permission, that religion will be Islam.
The time is fast approaching when many people who are living in ignorance with no knowledge of religious morality will be graced by faith in the impending post-atheist world.
1 Patrick Glynn, God: The Evidence, The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason in a Postsecular World , Prima Publishing, California, 1997, pp.19-20
2 John Maddox, "Down with the Big Bang", Nature, vol. 340, 1989, p. 378
3 Paul Davies, The Cosmic Blueprint, London: Penguin Books, 1987, p. 203
4 Paul Davies and John Gribbin, The Matter Myth, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1992, p. 10
5 As quoted in Gerald Schroeder, The Hidden Face of God, Touchstone, New York, 2001, p. 7
6 Gerald Schroeder, The Hidden Face of God, Touchstone, New York, 2001, p. 8
7 Ibid., p. 28
8 Ibid., p. xi
9 Ibid., p. 48
10 Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species: A Facsimile of the First Edition, Harvard University Press, 1964, p. 184
11 Charles Darwin, Life and Letter of Charles Darwin, vol. II, From Charles Darwin to J. Do Hooker, March 29, 1863
12 "Hoyle on Evolution", Nature, vol. 294, November 12, 1981, p. 105
13 Edwin R. Wallace IV, "Psychiatry and Religion: A Dialogue", in Joseph H. Smith and Susan A. Handelman, eds., Psychoanalysis and Religion, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1990, p. 1005
14 Patrick Glynn, God: The Evidence, The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason in a Postsecular World , Prima Publishing, California, 1997, p.69
15 Ibid., p.78
16 Herbert Benson, Mark Stark, Timeless Healing, Simon & Schuste, New York, 1996, p. 203
17 Ibid., p.193
18 Patrick Glynn, God: The Evidence, The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason in a Postsecular World , Prima Publishing, California, 1997, p.94
19 Ibid., p.161-162
20 James Joll, Europe Since 1870: An International History, Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1990, p.102-103
21 Patrick Glynn, God: The Evidence, The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason in a Postsecular World , Prima Publishing, California, 1997, p.163
22 Ibid., p.2


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The Columbus Jewish Foundation has awarded a $15,000 grant to aid the Jewish community in Ukraine.
The grant, from the foundation's Overseas Needs Endowment, will support fundraising efforts spearheaded by the Jewish Federations of North America in New York. Money raised will provide food and medicine, protect Jewish agencies and synagogues and help people who want to resettle in Israel.
Previous Overseas Needs grants have assisted Jews in Greece, the Republic of Georgia, Argentina and Yemen.
The country is predominately Ukrainian Orthodox. The estimated number of Jews living there ranges from 30,000 to more than 70,000.

subset: commoncrawl


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Another one to four inches of snow is expected to fall in southern Wisconsin Monday, with the heaviest amounts falling north and northwest of Madison.
WISC meteorologist Haddie McLean said the snow will fall rapidly with some patchy freezing drizzle mixing with snow in the afternoon.
A winter weather advisory is in effect until 1 a.m. Tuesday for Vernon, Juneau, Adams, Crawford, Richland and Grant counties.
Highs will reach the middle 30s, but will fall to around 30 by late in the day.
Skies are expected to clear during the day on Tuesday. Temperatures will remain cold and climb into the lower 30s on Friday.
Spring begins Wednesday at 6:02 a.m., but it will be very cold that day with high temperatures 20 to 25 degrees below normal.


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Joseph E. SerraniApril 06,2013Joseph E. Serrani
WEST RUTLAND Funeral services for Joseph E. Serrani, 76, of West Rutland, who died April 3, 2013, will be held Tuesday, April 9, at 2 p.m. at Clifford Funeral Home in Rutland.
A reception will follow at the West Rutland American Legion Post #87 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Visiting hours will be held Tuesday from noon to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Among his survivors is a nephew, Pete Dusablon.
Contributions may be made to West Rutland School, c/o Clifford Funeral Home, 2 Washington St., Rutland, VT 05701.MORE IN ObituariesWilliam A. Spanos Rites
MENDON The prayer service for William A. Full StoryJoseph A. Teer Sr. Full StoryMarguerite Hoose
Marguerite Peg Hoose, 90, of Rutland died Dec. Full Story
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I'm flying here...
I set myself a goal to meet Tony this year and I just found out I get to! I won the bid on an auction for the NASCAR Foundation to ride in the parade lap vehicle with Tony at Michigan International Speedway on 6/17/2012.
I'm so dang excited I can barely stand it. I actually cried while reading the email from the Foundation last night.
I GET MY 5 MINUTES TO MEET MY HERO! Only a true NASCAR fan could understand how exciting this is. So anyway, I'll get to ride with my favorite around my home track. Life is good!


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In Full Bloom1 of 12
New York City style is at its prime when the weather heats up. Whether they're mixing tough city elements with feminine florals or donning the new preppy neons, we've found 12 women in the Big Apple whose style we love. –Laurie Trott
Make a billowy floral dress office-appropriate by adding a cropped, tailored blazer.
Match Dot Com2 of 12
Flirt up a printed matching suit by trying a shorts version, and add '40s-style heels for a playful feminine touch.
The Boxer3 of 12
Square off the proportions of a boxy, top-handle bag with a delicate dress and feminine, strappy heels.
Short Cuts4 of 12
Balance proportions when wearing cropped trousers by tucking in your top, belting at the waist, and wearing a stacked heel.
Go Big5 of 12
To keep your styling youthful when carrying an oversize '80s throwback satchel, layer a bad-girl biker vest over a vibrant floral minidress.
Long and Lean6 of 12
Consider neons a blank canvas—mix the wild shades with metallics in conservative shapes for a quirky, preppy-nouveau look.
The Clash7 of 12
When mixing prints, find a common color to tie the pieces together. Pair a micro-print with a maxi-print, and go for bold shoes and bags.
Prints Charming8 of 12
Dress down bold-printed silk trousers with a worn-in denim jacket and a crossbody bag.
Rock of Ages9 of 12
Top off a vintage T-shirt with a tough, chic biker jacket and slate-gray jeggings.
Minimal Impact10 of 12
Maximize this under-the-radar trend by mixing volumes and neutral hues—pair a full, pleated skirt with a fitted blouse and platform heels.
Photo Op11 of 12
Photo prints are the new florals this summer. Get ahead of the curve for spring, and temper bright colors with simple, neutral-hued shoes and bags.
Air Supply12 of 12
Balance the fluidity of an ethereal chiffon dress with rugged, lace-front booties.


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Residents discontented with proposed solar farmBy Lucia Suarez
STAFF WRITER | July 13,2013PITTSFORD Residents living next to the River Street pump station are voicing their discontent about a proposed solar farm on the town land behind their homes.
At an informal meeting earlier this week with several town officials and the project promoter Green Earth Energy, neighbors of the pump station said they could not fathom why the town would consider putting solar panels on an open field.
Why cant the industrial solar be in the cities? asked George Clifford, who lives across from the proposed site. I think its absolutely ridiculous. I didnt pay thousands of dollars to have industrial crap in my backyard.
He said residents do not want to see the solar panels, which would impede peoples view to the ridgeline. He said the town is rural and the project is not smart.
These sentiments were also echoed by Amy Moriglioni, who said they want to keep the open field as is without any interruption. She said her kids walk through it all summer to go fishing.
Why take that away from us? she asked.
Moriglioni, who said she only heard about the meeting after Clifford mentioned it a couple of hours beforehand, said there are pros and cons to solar farms, especially in how they are made.
We are not fond of them in our house, at least not here, she said.
The project in question was proposed by Green Earth Energy, a Brandon solar energy installer thats part of the McKernon Group. The company approached the town to propose the construction of 25 solar arrays, each with 24 panels on solar trackers, on the unused land around the pump station in Florence. The project scope has since gone down to about 15 solar arrays, but the location is still the same and residents do not like it.
The project would be owned by Green Lantern Capital out of Waterbury and the town would receive a 10 percent savings on its electricity bill equivalent to nearly $2,900 a year. The company would have a 20-year agreement for the project and the town would have an option to purchase after at least seven years.
If the town does not purchase the project, Green Lantern Capital would decommission it and put it back to how it used to be, said Jim Crawford of Green Earth Energy.
The financing company takes all the risk, he said.
Crawford added that the solar panels would not produce a mirror effect and that the only oil needed on-site would be about a gallon of oil for each tracker.
Town Manager John Haverstock said the conversations with the developer are still ongoing and nothing is set in stone. He said more discussions will continue among residents and town officials as early as the next Select Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Its not a greenlighted or redlighted project, Haverstock said. ... Our thought was if its going to save taxpayers some money, we might as well listen to them.
lucia.suarez@ rutlandherald.comMORE IN This Just InMONTPELIER A new report from a commission that studied the cost, availability and quality of... Full StoryVermont fish hatchery changes focus, looks inland
BETHEL, Vt. Full StoryHONOLULU (AP) A group of Hawaii musicians and a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant provided... Full Story
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Broad-tailed Hummingbird on my feeder
Jeff Robinson 1/11/2013 11:18:34 AMOutstanding capture Eivor! #1508380
Colette M. Metcalf 1/11/2013 11:30:44 AMWonderful capture!!! #10510409
Mary Beth Aiello 1/11/2013 1:57:45 PMGorgeous capture, Eivor. #10510649
Thomas E. Hinds 1/12/2013 5:57:43 PMBeautiful detail and color, Eivor! #10512285
A summer memory from 2011, a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird drinking from one of my feeders.
Exif: F Number: 5.6, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/60 seconds, Flash: fired, compulsory flash mode, return light detected, ISO: 500, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 300.00 mm, Model: NIKON D90
Uploaded on 1/11/2013 10:37:51 AM
Camera: Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Eivor Kuchta. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
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Walker says no decision on Medicaid
Gov. Scott Walker says he still hasn't decided whether Wisconsin will seek a voluntary expansion of Medicaid services as provided under the federal health care overhaul.
Walker made the comment in a Monday interview with The Associated Press.
Walker earlier this month said Wisconsin would not move forward with implementing its own state-run health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act. But Walker has not said whether Wisconsin will expand Medicaid services under the law, which he and other critics have called "Obamacare."
The expansion is set to take effect in 2014 unless states opt out.
Walker has been critical of the expansion in the past, raising concerns about how much it would cost the state.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The Rasheed deal is ideal, immediate cap relief this off season while getting a player who can be productive while players like Wilson and Danillo are brought along. I've also heard that Detroit has interest in Zach, but I never got it considering they have Maxiel, maybe they veiw him more as a role player type. So this would be the ideal move for The Knicks and hopefully the descripency in talent is enough to keep them from asking for a pick.
Now with The Cavs
I proposed Zach and Jamal to Clev. atleast 10 times this summer, and I think it could be a good move for both teams (them talent wise, us cap wise). But, I can't see them taking on Jared Jefferies and Q's contracts. That's 35 million more in cap over the next three seasons for two players who struggle offensively to say the least. Now, they could be help on the defensive end, but not enough to nulify their shooting. But again Zach and Jamal to Clev. makes them instant Title contenders, and makes our future very bright
I've been against trading Lee just to move Eddy, but in the event we could get Marcus Camby I'd have to say it would be intriguing. The risk ofcourse is in Marcus' age and injury woes, but, he would certainly fill a major void, and he can run as good as any big man in the league.


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"I started listening to Catholic Answers Live when I was struck down by an illness that basically left me bedridden. This left me questioning my faith and mortality, and my son introduced the Catholic Answers Live podcast to me. Listening to all the guests explain and defend the Catholic Faith has been instrumental. Has Catholic Answers made a difference in my life? It has become part of my life!"
~ Robyn, Australia
"The civil authority has been, ever from the days of Herod, the enemy of Christ. The question, now pending, is whether the Church shall admit to ministry those only who, according to the dictation of the civil power, are fit for the office."
~ Bishop Hogan of Kansas City MO, excerpted from an address to parishoners after his arrest under the provisions of the Missouri Test Oath (which was subsequently struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court by just one vote)


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Home List of Titles Use of radially polarized beams in three-dimensional photonic crystal fabrication with the two-photon polymerization method
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/58351
|Download PDF (Published version) (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 312 KB)
- Title
- Use of radially polarized beams in three-dimensional photonic crystal fabrication with the two-photon polymerization method
- Author(s)
- Jia, Baohua; Kang, Hong; Li, Jiafang; Gu, Min
- Abstract
- Radially polarized ultrafast laser beams are used in the fabrication of three-dimensional photonic crystals with the two-photon polymerization technique in organic-inorganic hybrid materials. It has been found that when a radially polarized beam is employed, the lateral size of the fabricated polymer rods is decreased by 27.5% from 138 to 100 nm under a threshold fabrication condition, leading to a 17.35% reduction in the filling ratio of the photonic crystal. A comparison of the stop gaps between radially polarized and linearly polarized beam illumination shows a higher suppression ratio in transmission and a wider wavelength range in the former case owing to the favorable tuning of the filling ratio of the three-dimensional photonic crystals.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Research centre
- Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences
- Source
- Optics Letters, Vol. 34, no. 13 (2009), pp. 1918-1920
- Publication year
- 2009
- FOR Code(s)
- 020504 Photonics, Optoelectronics and Optical Communications; 100711 Nanophotonics
- Keyword(s)
- Microstructure fabrication; Optical design and fabrication; Photonic crystals; Three-dimensional fabrication
- Publisher
- Optical Society of America
- 0146-9592
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2009 Optical Society of America. Published version of the paper reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. This paper was published in Optics Express and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.34.001918. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law.
- Full text
- Peer reviewed


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The Borde-Vilenkin-Guth Theorem states that any universe, which has, on average, a rate of expansion greater 1 that system had to have a finite beginning. This would apply in any multiverse scenario as well. There are four exceptions to the theorem.*
Time reversal at singularity
Example: Aguirre-Gratton
(Regarding BVG): The Intuitive reason why de Sitter inflation cannot be past eternal is that in the full de Sitter space, exponential expansion is preceded by exponential contraction. Such a contracting phase is not part of standard inflationary models, and does not appear to be consistent with the physics of inflation. If thermalized regions were able to form all the way to past infinity in the contracting spacetime, the whole universe would have been thermalized before inflationary expansion could begin. In our analysis we will exclude the possibility of such a contracting phase by considering spacetimes for which the past region obeys an averaged expansion condition, by which we mean that the average expansion rate in the past is greater than zero: Havg > 0. (Borde, Guth, and Vilenkin 2003, p1)


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Research Programs Staff
Jane Aikin
Jane Aikin, Director of the Division of Research Programs, received a Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Before coming to NEH she held faculty and administrative positions at Indiana University, Bloomington, and at Kent State University and was on the program staff of the Council on Library Resources, Inc., and the Association of Research Libraries. Jane's publications include The Nation's Great Library: Herbert Putnam and the Library of Congress, 1899-1939 (1993) and, with John Y. Cole, The Encyclopedia of the Library of Congress: For Congress, the Nation, and the World (2005).


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Dear members,
Thank you, NarutoBase Staff
i dont think a movie would be a batle
Lol ya. And the people who have died... and the children. It'd be cool to see Naruto as hokage with a kid. Seems like Naruto would make a good dad lol
I thought that team 7 were going to be sannin.
yep the will ................sasuke oro. naruto j-man, sakura stunade
I don't think they'll really become Sannin.
Sannin was just a title given to those 3 by the head of the rain village when they impressed him with their...moves ?
XSasuke UchihaX, did you get my pm?
Last edited by BishamonSama; 05-04-2008 at 02:03 AM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
they gonna become one at the end believ it
yea they will.....yes my 400th post
Sound village will have Sasuke has a leader but I think that won't happen.
I hope it wont end...
me too but I hope they some how make the story endless.
it would be too bad if it would end soon......
maybe 2000 something
i realy dobut now that madara will be final vilian,as the spoiler goes it show that madara wasnt evil,he didnt took eyes from his brother but his brother gave him.Final fight will be
1)naruto vs pain,sasuke and the others will help him.But the fight will be with kyuubi's powers,
2)or naruto will fight sasuke,dont know yet why,but again with kyuubi's powers
dont know what of those 2 but one will defenetly fit in in the end...
or maybe naruto and sasuke will fight some other guys,who we dont know yet.
We forgot about kisame he will be maybe some imba vilian in the end....who knows
but i think that last fight will be NAARUTO VS PAIN.........Rinnengan vs Will OF fire....
and naruto will become hokage,but maybe he will die.....or sasuke will be in dieing and naruto will give his life for sasuke's
naruto will end by the time we're dead!! LOL!!!!!!
yep by the time we're dead lololololololol
hope so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Earl Mayhew
MAYHEW, Earl C. "Pete", 82, of Follansbee, WV, passed away on Thursday, January 17, 2013, at Trinity West Hospital, Steubenville, OH.
Earl was born on December 28, 1930, in Wellsburg, WV, the son of the late Herbert and Florence (Kimble) Mayhew. Earl was retired from the Wheeling Steel Corp. He was a Veteran of the United States Army serving in Germany with the Artillery Division. Earl was a Christian by faith.
In addition to his parents, Earl was preceded in death by three sisters, Mary Cunningham, Lucille Adams, Bernice Damms, and a brother, Paul "Bud" Mayhew, Sr.
Earl is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Sue (Dalesio) Mayhew of Follansbee, WV, a step-son, Thomas Hedmond of Follansbee, WV, a sister, Shirley Mayhew Columbo and her husband, William of Colliers, WV, and many nieces and nephews.
Earl's family has selected a private family viewing with a simple veteran's cremation.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the James Funeral Home, 1245 Main Street, Follansbee, WV (304) 527-1717
Please add or view condolence at www.chambersandjames.com


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Energy Express program in the planning process
Children living in rural and low-income communities often fall behind during the summer months, starting each school year behind where they were the previous spring. Successive summers of limited learning opportunities may cause children to fall below grade level by the end of elementary school – putting them further and further behind more privileged peers.
Energy Express is a six-week summer program promoting the school success of children living in rural and low-income communities across West Virginia. Its goals are to provide summer learning experiences focused on reading with the goal of retention or increasing reading levels, to serve two nutritious family-style meals each day, to engage college students in service through AmeriCorps, and to develop strong partnerships involving parents, schools, communities and state agencies and organizations.
Each day, 40 children who are entering first through sixth grades will arrive to the school where they will work with AmeriCorps members serving as mentors. Using a place-based curriculum that encourages reading, mentors guide the children through enriching experiences that make reading meaningful in their lives – creating books, reading aloud, writing and performing plays, reading silently, journaling, reading one-on-one with others and exploring creative and exciting art activities. Weekly themes of "myself," "family," "homeplace," "community" and "ideal world" guide the development of a "print-rich" environment.
Related activities encourage children to appreciate themselves, their personal experience, and their place in the world. Each week every child receives a free take-home book, related to the theme.
Mentors work with their groups to develop community service projects the children complete. For example, they could create books to donate to libraries, read at nursing homes and hospitals, and write and record public service announcements – learning the value of service while making real contributions to the improvement of their schools and communities.
The WVU Extension Service office and organizations within Randolph County are currently in the planning process to place an Energy Express Site at George Ward Elementary and Elkins Third Ward Elementary schools for the summer of 2013. If you would like to be part of the planning process, please contact Amanda Haller, WVU Extension Randolph County 4-H Agent, at 304-636-2455 or at firstname.lastname@example.com.
In order to make Energy Express a success, we will need help from the community. There will be opportunities for people, organizations and students to help. Each Energy Express site has an average of 58 community, family and teen volunteers. There will also be opportunities for summer employment as a mentor, community coordinator and site supervisor. Mentors and the community coordinator are AmeriCorps positions. The program is currently accepting applications for Energy Express site supervisors, mentors, and community coordinators.
Energy Express site supervisor responsibilities include overall management of a six-week summer learning program for children entering first through sixth grades including supervising AmeriCorps members in meeting program objectives, overseeing use of the facility, connecting with families and the community, adhering to the program model and program policies, and using technology for communication and the submission of data.
Visit energyexpress.ext.wvu.edu/what-we-do/service/site-supervisor for the site supervisor application and complete job description.
Qualifications are no professional contract that overlaps Energy Express program dates of June 7 through July 27 (exceptions made for extension of school year due to snow days); a bachelor's degree awarded prior to June 7, 2012 or a combination of education and experience (high school diploma or GED and four years of full-time directly related experience at a commensurate level or associate degree and two years of full-time directly related experience at a commensurate level); and Energy Express experience as a site supervisor or AmeriCorps member preferred. Preferred has weight in the screening process, but not in the interviewing and final selection process (WVU Human Resources).
AmeriCorps mentor minimum qualifications are: 18 or older by June 13; U.S. citizen; full-time undergraduate, or college-bound graduating high school senior, or May 2013-college graduate, or December 2012 college graduate without full-time employment.
Specific AmeriCorps service responsibilities include enhancing children's interest and skills by developing, implementing and evaluating reading-related activities focused on weekly place-based themes; and promoting children's nutritional wellbeing.
AmeriCorps Community Coordinator minimum qualifications are: 18 or older by June 13, 2013; U.S. citizen; and high school diploma or equivalent.
Visit energyexpress.ext.wvu.edu/what-we-do/service/americorps for specific AmeriCorps application and complete job description.
AmeriCorps Members are required to serve on-site everyday for at least six s hours and to serve some evenings and weekends to meet all service responsibilities and requirements.
Programs and activities offered by the West Virginia University Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, political beliefs, sexual orientation, national origin, and marital or family status. Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, applicants needing reasonable accommodations during the employment process should advise as necessary.


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SCIENCE LABORATORY SAFETY POLICY (Students)
This policy applies to all science laboratory courses offered at Neumann University. Each laboratory course has an additional laboratory safety sheet that is specific for that course. PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE SAFETY POLICY SHEET and sign the statement at the end. A student may not perform laboratory work unless the Laboratory Safety Policy and specific course Laboratory Safety Rules Sheet have been signed and submitted to the laboratory instructor.
Students must be aware of these overall safety requirements for laboratory courses and be prepared to be in compliance with these requirements.
Students must
· Know and appropriately implement safety regulations for specific science laboratory courses.
· Know the location of all safety features in a laboratory area, including, but not limited to, fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, fire blankets and spill control agents.
· Never bring food, beverages or tobacco into the laboratory areas at any time, whether or not a laboratory course is in session.
· Wear personal protective clothing and/or equipment, which is appropriate for the nature of the specific laboratory course, at all times during a laboratory session.
· Take precautions to prevent exposure of self and others to hazardous materials, including proper disposal.
· Initiate appropriate emergency response measures when required.
· Never begin laboratory work until instructions are completed at each laboratory session.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS and/or DISABILITIES
Any student who has a medical condition/disability (such as, but not limited to, severe allergy, asthma, pregnancy, etc.) that may interfere with his/her ability to perform in the laboratory course must notify each laboratory instructor. The following information must be submitted 1) a statement of intent to continue the laboratory course during the semester, and 2) a letter that states the student has discussed enrollment in each laboratory course with his/her attending physician/medical practitioner
In order to earn course credits, the student must meet the course objectives. If, at any time, the physician/medical practitioner and the student decide that the activities of the student must be limited, written documentation from the physician/medical practitioner must be given to the laboratory course instructor. The science faculty will determine whether the limitation can be accommodated in a manner that would permit the student to successfully achieve the course objectives and satisfy the requirements of the course. Medical conditions which prevent achievement of course objectives will necessitate a medical withdrawal of the student from the course.
A student who has identified a medical condition/disability that may interfere with the ability to perform in the laboratory must submit the required documentation prior to participating in any laboratory work. A student who becomes aware of a medical condition/disability during the course of the semester must inform the instructor as soon as possible and provide all necessary written information. Any student with a medical condition/disability performing laboratory work without informing the course instructor or his/her own physician/medical practitioner must take full responsibility for any consequences.
I have read and understand the policies stated above for laboratory courses.
Signed ________________________________________________________ Date _________________
Print Name: ____________________________________________________
Course Number & Section: _______________________________________
Revised June 2006


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We went down to Alexandria Bay yesterday and had to see the river! It's not even frozen yet But oh so beautiful!
Boldt Casle in January
By: kimbaSubscribe Channel: Weather Location: Alexandria Bay
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says ... on Tuesday, Jan 25 at 3:30 PM
nice that someone else is slowing down to appreciate the north country.59474419
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So sad, R.I.P. Pilot..
Best Buy has let their Insignia dap line dwindle to a single Kix player. It looked hopeful for a while when the touch screen Pilot showed up but then it quickly disappeared. I choose to blame Best Buy for no other reason than I have never liked the Best Buy experience. I have three Pilots which should keep me going for a while or until something with as much functionality and reliability materializes. I've always seen the Pilot as what would have been designed by the creators of the Karma and Carbon had Rio not gone out of business. The Rio crew probavbly would have made it a little more polished in terms of hardware but the functionality of the Pilot can't be beat. RIP Pilot. May the engineers that created you be blessed by the dap gods and keep you employed and prosperous.
I wouldn't say Insignia DAPs are dead quite yet. Although, I must say it doesn't look good. Clearly, something isn't going as planned for Insignia...
The Insignia DAP team is incredibly talented. I've never seen a dev team go so far out of their way to add the features we asked for. It's a shame their DAPs were marketed as store brand budget players, this turned a big chunk of the market away from them. They definitly weren't Rio, but with the firmware updates they were kicking out for a while there, they got damn close.
I wish I had known they were discontinuing this model and Insignia mp3 players, I would have bought a backup one also. Now I have to pay big money for a new battery.
Management let a great product go, and now the options for a good mp3 player like this one is more costly and has less features.
Goto amazon.com and buy from there: amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B001AO4MWM/ref=dp_olp_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1231132229&sr=8-5
buyer's warehouse has a few since I bought 3 of them from that place and have NO problems with them. All I got lucky and payed 54.55 for each of them.
You know what was really sad about the insignia pilot dying off. The lack of support. I don't mean necessarily from a firmware perspective, but from the company who made it. It was a Best Buy store brand, but it wasn't pushed as it should have. Employee's who sold it were often so mis-informed as to what its capabilities of it was. Partly due to lack of training material passed down to the blue shirts. Everything was always centered around the every popular mp3 player that every one just has to have, the ipod. Glad I got my pilot when I could. I've not heard anything about a new version of the pilot coming, I was hopeful that something would be coming soon since Napster is owned by Best Buy now, but who knows.
As I was saying, both Pilots developed an audio bug that became worse and annoying over time. The audio would start a little crackling noise every so often. Then, days later, it would get so much worse that listening to the Pilot was unbearable.
The Insignia Pilot has a great spec sheet of features. Too bad the components used to build it aren't worth a damn. It IS Insignia after all; it's a budget player alternative from a company with a so-so rep.
no problems here..
Going on two years with the same Pilot. I bought two others from eBay as backups but they're still waiting patiently for my first to die. At this rate, they'll probably die from neglect and despair before my first goes. I've had zero problems with my Pilot except for four (I think) crashes. Two were with Audible files which have proven to be occasionally glitchy with other players. The other two were undoubtedly from disconnecting from my computer without doing a usb disconnect first. All it took with the Audible crashes was a reset. With the usb issue, a quick reformat got it going. The sound quality is easily the equal of Rio (Karma & Carbon) and Apple (2nd gen and 4th gen classics) and a Cowon i7. The Cowon might have a slight edge but this may be because of a more configurable eq. I use the Pilot every day for at least an hour. Even the battery seems good for about what it was when new. I bought a couple replacement battery's from globaltrader in eBay for ten bucks each but haven't needed to use them. The Pilot isn't perfect (I'd like a higher quality jog wheel and a single funtion button for bookmarks) but in my opinion, it represnts a benchmark in functionality, reliability and quality audio playback. Clearly it is a player that is more than the sum of it's components. A diamond in the rough.
Have to see if the glitch happens or not. So far so good.
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Back, yet not at peace.
There is only one time of year, and one place on Earth that I can deal with being separated from nightly Boston Red Sox games, and the continuous MLB Network. That place was, as I explained in my previous (and by previous, I mean a month ago) post, California. Although the state itself does not constitute my isolation (considering the fact that there are five baseball teams in that state, I would hope not) the summer program that I attended to did.
10 Comments
Welcome back! I hope you had fun at Stanford. Yes, losing to the Nationals just makes our team look pathetic. (No offense to Nationals and their fans) Padres are going to play them this weekend and we need a sweep!
Welcome back Elizabeth! And it only got crazier today! LaRoche in, Chris Duncan to us from the Cards (directly to the minors) in exchange for LUGO!! And Timlin might be signed by the Rockies! And while I am glad that Buchholz is getting another chance I am not at all happy for the reason he is here! Wakefield has been our most dependable pitcher.
Welcome back, Elizabeth! Too bad your Sox seem to be taking the summer off. Maybe it's just because they missed you🙂 If there's one thing you can be certain of though, Theo isn't going to stand pat and let you guys fall out of contention. I wish I could say the same.-Erinhttp://plunking-gomez.blogspot.com
Nice to have you back! It's nice that baseball can bring people together, but I'm glad you got to have an escape. Sometimes that's what we need.
Your time in Stanford sounds well worth it. I didn't know that you guys threw 1986 pennies away because they're cursed, but I can see that. Kind of neat that you could instill a little passion for baseball in your friend. You are back just in time to see things heat up in the AL East. The next week and a half will go a long way towards deciding who will have a chance and who won't. Very fun stuff.
I bet your new friend Caroline would like the 7th inning strecth in Fenway. Welcome back. I personally thought it was a mistake not to have Bucholtz in the Sox rotation all year. He is up now, so maybe the Sox can tread against this mid-season slide.
Welcome back! I hope you had fun. Well I'm sure a lot happened while you where at camp but so was I so I don't know what.
Great to have you back! Would be very interested to hear your commentary on LaRoche's acquisition and the displacement of Lugo. Also, any theories of why we're in such an offensive slump and anything we can do with the lineup to improve the situation?
You are back! So glad to have you posting again! How did you ever catchup with everything in baseball?! Great post as always.
"I was quite happy to be reunited with Justin Masterson though. I think he was holding a small grudge against my absence considering his ERA was near 5.00."
I'm so upset the Red Sox traded Masterson. He was home grown and he has great potential. Why couldn't they of gotten ride of Delcarmen…he's been stinking lately.


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PORTALES — Eastern New Mexico University's baseball team combined solid pitching with just enough offense on Saturday to end its 10-game losing streak in a big way.
ENMU shortstop Brett Ackerman can't quite come up with a smash into the hole by West Texas A&M's Tyler McKnight on a second-inning single in the opener of Saturday's Lone Star Conference baseball doubleheader against West Texas A&M at Greyhound Field.
Sophomore Ryan Boydstun and senior Ryan Pruitt had quality starts, junior right-hander Kyle Kesmarki earned saves in both games and the Greyhounds handed rival West Texas A&M 4-2 and 6-3 Lone Star Conference losses in a pair of seven-inning contests at Greyhound Field.
While the Hounds (21-26, 8-19 LSC) were eliminated from contention for a conference tournament berth last week, the sweep dropped the Buffaloes (28-18, 14-12) into fifth place in the LSC standings. The teams will complete the four-game series — and the regular season — with a 1 p.m. nine-inning tilt today.
The Hounds, who had lost 16 of their past 18 games since standing 17-10 on March 28, reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2010 and also matched the school record for home wins in a season (17-9).
Senior designated hitter Peter Creamer went 4-for-6 in the twin bill while senior Brooke Brooks and juniors Colton Sims and Josh Cunningham all had three knocks for the Hounds, who outhit WT 22-14 for the two games.
The Buffs scored twice in the first of the opener, leaving the bases loaded, and added one in the second for a 3-0 lead, but Boydstun (2-3) blanked them from there until the sixth. Kesmarki pitched around a second-and-third, one-out jam in the sixth, then worked around two walks and an error to strand the bases loaded in the seventh and earn his third save of the season.
ENMU junior Jacob Rogers slides home safely with a fifth-inning run for the Greyhounds in the opener of Saturday's Lone Star Conference baseball doubleheader against West Texas A&M at Greyhound Field.
The Hounds took the lead with four runs off Ryan Houston (4-3) in the bottom of the third, capped by shortstop Brett Ackerman's two-out, two-run single to right-center. ENMU picked up two insurance runs in the fifth on Sims' RBI single and a bases-loaded walk to Creamer.
In the nightcap, WT manufactured the game's first run in the top of the third on a single, a stolen base, a sacrifice and Jarvis Smith's RBI groundout, but ENMU came right back with three in the bottom half — two on a single by Cunningham and another on a base hit by Matt Spradlin.
WT put together four consecutive two-out hits in the sixth to pull to 3-2, but Pruitt (6-4) got Mitch Tybroski to roll out to shortstop on his 84th and final pitch with the bases loaded. ENMU got the run back in the bottom half as Derek Crenshaw scored on reliever Scott Cone's two-out wild pitch.
Kesmarki walked No. 9 hitter Cody Wright to start the seventh, but got two fly balls and a lineout to end it.


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Native Americans on Pro-Gun Billboards Create Controversy
On April 29, two billboards in Greeley, Colorado featuring American Indians created quite a stir with their message.
The billboards feature an image of what appears to be three American Indians in traditional attire with the words "Turn in your arms. The government will take care of you."
The Associated Press reports that the billboards were paid for by a group of local residents according to Matt Wells, an account executive with Lamar Advertising in Denver, the company that owns the billboards. Wells also stated the billboards are only appearing in the Greeley area.
"I think it is insensitive, because even though it is what may have happened in the past, people are still living that. Relatives are still living that," Kerri Salazar, a Greeley resident and Native American, told KUSA, a CNN affiliate.
For American Indian, Irene Vernon, a Colorado State University professor and chairwoman of the ethnic studies department, it is a narrow view of a much more complicated history of the Native American plight she told AP. She said it's not as if Native Americans just gave up their guns and wound up on reservations.
The billboards have supporters as well. One of which is Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, who was quoted by CNN as saying, "Where can we send a check to support more?"
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We had a terrific time with Kevin and Wendy. Great conversation, spacious bedroom, great location and of course, Mardi Gras! We will be back soon for Jazz Fest! We had an amazing time!Thank you!
Andrew & Joyce, South River, NJ
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~ John Henry Newman, "Letter to the Duke of Norfolk", from the article on Morality by G. H. Joyce.


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Re: Monday Night Racing
Re: Monday Night Racing
As I announced earlier, we will be using the RUF 'Yellowbird' in two weeks.
You will need a tune and you will need some practice.
A tuning discussion has been started here.
Re: Monday Night Racing[ Edited ]
Weekly Details - Feb 11th
Honda used their mortorcycle engine technology to make efficient, small car engines, in the 1960s. While the S800 had well less than a 1 liter engine, it was Honda's first car to go over 100 MPH, and it did that at about 35 MPG. At 10,000 revvs, it gave the car its buzzy sound. The next S-car from Honda was the S2000.
You earn the S800 race car by Golding the IB Licence, which you all should have by now. We will race it at Madrid, in both directions of the Mini street course. Tire wear is turned up, but the car is too light to get much with SMs. Watch out for that curb at the bottom of the hill. It will launch the car stunt-style.
Re: Monday Night Racing[ Edited ]
Is the IB license one the one's with a slalom test? If so, I haven't golded either one of those tests. Is the prize S2000 a special model, or might I have gotten one from the UCD?
Nevermind. I read your post wrong. I read it as we were using an S2000
Then I actually read the details.


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PETA's ad—which features a bevy of beauties who are powerless to resist the
temptation of veggie love—was deemed too hot for the Super Bowl. NBC rejected
the video because of concerns over "rubbing pelvic region with pumpkin," a woman
"screwing herself with broccoli," and more!
Read NBC's complete list of concerns now!
"Veggie Love" isn't the first PETA video banned from the airwaves. Check out our other videos that have been deemed "too hot for TV"!
PETA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation.


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I know this may sound crazy, but I think the Knicks are going to get the number one pick. I know they only have an 8.8% chance, but Karma is in their favor. S#itty teams get high lottery picks; the Knicks are definitely a s#itty team.
Alright with the one of the most disappoinitng season coming to a close soon Knick fans have two major events comming up; one the firing (we assume) of Isiah Thomas as head coach, two is what will our lottery position be. Being that there is no way to get into Walsh's mind on the Isiah's job status; I decided to focus on the more logical event.
Damn That 3 game win streak!: The Knicks have put themselves in position to not being able to win a single game in the risk of them slipping to even lower in the lottery (we are only a half game worst than LAC). Currently we are 5th with an 8.8% chance of "winning the lottery". Had we not "won" those three games we would be tied for third with a 15.5 % chance at winning.
Lottery odds: Ok like I said 8.8% to win it all! We have a 9.7% chance to get the number 2 pick, and 10.7% chance at number 3. Here's where it gets tricky. If we stay at the fifth worst record in the league, we have no chance at the number 4 pick at all! (More on that in a second) We have a 26% chance at number 5, and our most likely percent chance is number 6 at 35%. We have a 8.7% chance at 7, which is just as likely as us getting the #1. and less than one percent at number 8, and no chance to finish any lower. So basically the win streak took us from a team who's worst case scenerio was the 6th pick, to a team that is likely to end up with the sixth pick. Damn this team can't even lose good!
How it works (sorta): There are way to many mathmatical equations for me to bore you with, but essentaily every one has a shot at the top 3 picks, ofcousre as we all know the likelyhood is based off of a teams record. But the 12,13,and 14th teams in the lottery can finish with a top three pick, but no other pick in between. So it is all or nothing for these teams. It's either they get 1,2,3, or they finish were there record would put them in lottery seedings, beacuse after the first three picks are established the rest of lottery order is deterimined by teams records. Hence why the Knicks at number 5 could not get the number four pick. If the top three teams get the top 3 picks, the #4 team assumes the forth pick, and the Knicks get the 5th. I know a little confusing, but I am trying to put it into the simplest of terms.
The Knicks best bet is to drop there remaining two games, Boston will beat us even with subs, and assuming Indy is still fighting for the playoffs, should beat us. And with Memphis facing Minnesota today, that could give the Grizz a better record. Now in the event we finish tied with Memphis the average chance of winning the lottery 11.9 and 8.8 is averaged and that is the teams likelyhood of winning the lottery.
Lets Go Grizz and Clippers! And Again DAMN THAT Three GAME WIN STREAK!
"I'd Rather Melo shoot with 3 men on him than Jefferies shotting wide open"
-Jeff Van Gundy
I know this may sound crazy, but I think the Knicks are going to get the number one pick. I know they only have an 8.8% chance, but Karma is in their favor. S#itty teams get high lottery picks; the Knicks are definitely a s#itty team.
Jeremon Linbury
I sure was not expecting that 3 game winning streak, specially with Orlando and detroit on the schedule.
Definitely hurt the Knicks' chances at a top 3. At this point let's just hope that we get lucky!!
Seattle is in a good spot, drafting Durant last season and a chance at drafting Rose or Beasley.
The Knicks players certainly do not want to lose and they don't care about the draft. Nobody wants to lose their job, so they want to win.
so Why did I make a Official NBA Draft 2008 thread?.. anyway, I do agree that 3 game winning streak was not nessasary at all. I dont want to wait so long until late may to know who up the number 1. They should have the lottery right after the season is over. Not throughtout the playoffs.
I do agree with you in that I don't understand why we wait so long before conduting the lottery? I think it may be to keep losing teams interested in the league a little bit longer.
"I'd Rather Melo shoot with 3 men on him than Jefferies shotting wide open"
-Jeff Van Gundy
I just found out today that the number one pick is not determined by who's teams ping pong ball is pulled first. But rather who's winning combination is pulled first. A winning combination is any order on 1 2 3 4. Each team will have a set of balls labled 1-14 and again the team with the worst record gets more sets. The team that gets the winning combination of 1234 first wins, then the second team, then the third team. This system is a bit flawed to me.
"I'd Rather Melo shoot with 3 men on him than Jefferies shotting wide open"
-Jeff Van Gundy
Thanks for educating me! That is some process huh! Let's just wait and see. Yeah I posted as well because it touches an interesting angle on how the picks are drawn.
I was also surprised about the streak. What timing! Let's all pray Memphis ends up with a better record than ours. How do tiebreakers work with the Draft? Let's say we end up having a similar record as Minnesota (though it is unlikely Minnesota will win both their remaining games)? Is it inversely similar with tiebreakers for playoff positioning?
Anyway I'm not really that knowledgeable with the players eligible for the draft. All I can say is I hope we land at least the 2nd pick and get Rose or Beasley, whoever is available. LOL! Go Knicks!
No wonder the worst team rarely gets the #1 pick. You basically have to get 4 ping pongs pulled, to get the #1 pick. This system actually favors the Knicks, because even if a team with a worse record gets their ping pong pulled first, they still have to get 3 more pulled to get the pick. More reasons to believe the Knicks have a good chance to get the #1 pick.
Jeremon Linbury
"I'd Rather Melo shoot with 3 men on him than Jefferies shotting wide open"
-Jeff Van Gundy
The only sense I can make of it is to give almost no chance that a lower seed gets the 1 pick. Remeber when Orlando got in back to back years, and the second year they missed the playoffs by only a half a game. As a result Sacramento who had one of the worst records in the league gets bumped all the way down to pick #8. This method minimizes the blind luck that Orlando had that year. It would be like making Rasheed hit that full court bank shot four times before it counted instead of just once!
"I'd Rather Melo shoot with 3 men on him than Jefferies shotting wide open"
-Jeff Van Gundy
I have checked out a couple of websites and now believe I have an understanding of how the ping pong balls work.
There are 14 ping pong balls, numbered 1 through 14. The 14 ping pong balls are placed in a device that bounces them around and will eject one ball at a time. The device is turned off after four balls are ejected. The numerical order of the balls popping out of the device, i.e., which one comes out first, does not matter, just as in most lotteries. We now have four balls with four different numbers from 1 thorugh 14.
This - the four numbered balls picked - is one "combination" of numbers 1 thorugh 14 that is possible when 4 balls are randomly selected from 14 balls. It is a rule of probability that when there is no chance of repetition - the same ball twice - there are 1001 possible four ball combination when picking from a total of 14 balls. (1,2,3,4), (1,2,3,5), (1,2,3,6) . . . (1,2,3,14), etc.
One of the possible combinations is not used. That leaves 1000 possible combinations. The lottery teams are "assigned" their percentage share of the possible combinations. Miami will get 25% or 250 of the possible combinations; Seattle will get 19.9% or 199 combinations; and, as matters now stand, Minnesota will get 15.6% or 156 combinations; Memphis 11.9% or 119 combinations; with the Knicks and the Clippers tied for fifth worst and dividing the fifth place 8.8% (88 combinations) and the sixth place 6.3% (63 combinations). The total for the Knicks and Clippers to split is an is an odd number - 151. I am not sure how they would split it, but this would end up giving the Knicks about 75 combinations, i.e. a 7.5%
chance for the first pick.
All the possible combinations, 1000 of them, are "assigned" to the lottery teams. Miami is "assigned" 250 combinations, Seattle is "assigned" 199 etc. The "assignment" occurs before the lottery, but how it is done, I do not know. Probably through some random program. It does not matter because each combination is equally probable.
When the first four balls pop out of the lottery device, the team assigned the combination of numbers that matches the numbers on the four balls gets the first lottery pick.
After the first pick, they go to the second. All fourteen balls are placed in the device again and another set pops out one at a time. The team assigned this second combination of numbers that matches the numbers on the four balls, gets the second lottery pick. If the team that got the first pick also has the second combination, it is disregarded and they try again. This process goes one more time for the third pick. After that, the lottery order is set.
As a practical matter, we can forget about th ping pong balls. Its all in the percentages. And now it looks like the Knicks will have a 7.5% chance for the first pick.
One of the sites I checked did the math for last year which is the same essentially for this year. Carrying over to this year, Miami will have a 25% chance for the first pick; a 21.5% chance for the second pick; a 17.5% chance for the third pick; a 46.5% chance for any top 2 pick and a 64.3% chance for any top 3 pick. If the Knicks are fifth alone, rather than tied with the Clippers for fifth, their chances for the #1 pick would be 8.8%; for #2, 9.7%, for #3, 10.7%; for any top 2 pick, 18.5%; and for any top 3 pick, 29.1%. If they are tied with the Clippers for fifth and I have done my math right, the Knicks chances for #1 is 7.5%, for #2, 8.3%; for #3, 9.2%; for any of the top 2, 15.75% and for any of the top 3, 25%.
If the Knicks do not get one of the top three picks, we know they can not get the fourth. If they were fifth worst alone, their chances - after not getting one of the first three - for the 5th pick is 27%; for the 6th pick, 36%; and for the 7th pick 8%. It gets slightly worse if they are tied with the Clippers.
In short, that three game win streak hurts.
And get this Isiah is actually trying to win tonights game! He held won of the longest practices in weeks today
"I'd Rather Melo shoot with 3 men on him than Jefferies shotting wide open"
-Jeff Van Gundy
knicks could get beasley he declared today


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[excuse me for my english!!!]
I have an image stored in database (MySQL), in base64 text format, when i write this code:
Code: Select all
$imgData = str_replace(" ","+",$imgText);
echo '<img src="'.$imgData.'">';
It work.
But i want create an image file..
I try this, but it doesn't work
Code: Select all
header('Content-type: image/png');
echo base64_decode($imgData);


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English Education
From Peace Corps Wiki
English Education
Peace Corps China: Volunteers in China are placed in universities, colleges, and technical schools to teach English, culture, and academic skills. Each volunteer is expected to teach a full load of courses as their primary assignment. In addition, PCVs conduct teacher trainings during the summer holiday for primary and secondary teachers from impacted areas.


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10 Ways to Get in the Holiday Spirit
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Deck the Halls1 of 11
By Natasha Burton
We absolutely love the holidays and can't wait to start celebrating. Here are some activities to launch you into the sprit of the season, so gather the people you love most — your guy, your friends, your kids — and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.
Bake Cookies2 of 11
There are few things more wonderful than the smell of cookies warming in the oven. Make an event out of baking with holiday-shaped cutters — reindeer, menorahs — or by experimenting with ingredients like cinnamon, pretzels and, yes, crushed-up potato chips.
Visit Candy Cane Lane3 of 11
Grab those still-warm cookies, pile a couple blankets into the car, and drive over to a street in your neighborhood or city that's known for its fabulous winter decor. As fireworks are to 4th of July, lit houses are to Christmas. The dazzling displays will surely put you in the yuletide spirit.
Trim the Tree4 of 11
Download some Nat King Cole Christmas tunes and turn the music up while you (gently) unpack all those ornaments. But don't put them on the tree just yet — make the experience memorable by reminiscing with your fellow trimmers as to where and when you got each decoration.
Make Gifts5 of 11
If you're feeling crafty, why not give your gifts a handmade touch this year? The experience of making them will help you get even more into the holiday spirit, and those you give your handiwork to will be oh-so-touched. We like making a similar gift for everyone on our list, such as cozy wool scarves if you're a knitter.
Shop Together6 of 11
If time's an issue or you simply have too many people on your list to make gifts, grab a buddy and head on over to your local shopping center for a more communal holiday experience. Don't forget to give your spare change to the Salvation Army Santa!
Hold a Game Night7 of 11
Host friends or family members for an evening of fun: Light the fire and spin the dreidel, break out a giant Christmas puzzle or try your hand at holiday Mad Libs. Whatever games you choose, you're sure to have a blast.
Exchange Gag Gifts8 of 11
Try a new spin on an old holiday tradition by doing a funny gift exchange with a theme. You can be specific, like the present has to start with the same letter as the person's name (Uncle Jerry would get, for example, a Justin Beiber doll), or more general, like all gifts must be a certain color or all the same item (books, mugs, 2011 calendars).
Make It Movie Night9 of 11
Heat up some hot cocoa or hot apple cider and watch a seasonally themed movie together. Go traditional with a holiday-centric flick like It's a Wonderful Life or a more alternative route with a film that's set around the holidays, like Die Hard.
Divide the Dishes10 of 11
When it's time to plan your holiday meal, make it a true family dinner by allowing each member to take charge of a certain dish. Even if your 12-year-old son insists on heating tater tots in the microwave as a side dish, it's more fun when everyone pitches in somehow.
Write Holiday Cards11 of 11
For the loved ones you won't get to do fun winter activities with, don't rely on e-cards when sending holiday greetings. Sitting down and taking the time to write a hand-written note (as our moms and grandmas have long encouraged) really does show you care, and the gesture will only strengthen these relationships.
NEXT ON GLO: Great Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List


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"till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust and to dust you shall return." - Genesis 3:19
Ruins are places where geography, history, archaeology, and society meet. Scholars, tourists, and the average person can admire ruins at their physical location, through literature, or other media. People reconstruct, and sometimes imagine, the reasons why a place started, who lived there, and why the placed died. These thoughts help integrate a lost place into the contemporary cultural landscape. Tourists to Mexico City will go out of their way to see the massive buildings of New Spain, Aztec Tenochtitlan, and the pre-Aztec Teotihuacan to understand the force that made Mexico what it is today. Holy Land visitors will visit the holy sites of the three major faiths and imagine the their patriarchs' lives to build a sense of oneself in their religious cosmos. Preservationists will use their influence to protect ruins through groups like UNESCO to ensure the human-place relationship can exist for future generations.
Sadly cultures do not appreciate the ruins made by their own culture. Stories these cultural ruins have to offer are lost on present generations. Sure, urban centers have "historical buildings" and "historical districts" but these efforts are sometimes driven by anti-development sentiment as they are preservationist motivated. Urban preservationists, and the public in general, seem to have little concern for the ruins of the rural countryside. Think about the Great Plains, there are countless ghost towns full of ruins that are rarely considered national treasures let alone worthy things to learn from. I accept these ruins as part of a time we have moved away from as a society but the lack of respect most preservationists and historians give to these places shows the discount between urban and rural forces (do not even get me started about the Buffalo Commons!).
Parts of the Great Plains are dying. The era of interior-frontier farm towns has past as farming becomes more centralized and the population shifts more to an urban character. The frontier towns do not merely cease to be but go through a process of becoming ruins before the Great Plains reclaims them.
Ghosts of North Dakota is an excellent photo blog site documenting ghost towns in North Dakota. The photographs are both fascinating and tragic as one reads the stories of towns where people lived and labored. One can browse through the various ghost towns via a map of North Dakota. The website is complemented well by National Geographic's article on ghost towns in North Dakota.
The ruins of the Great Plains is a part of me. I remember visiting my grandparents' farm and having them tell me the history (and fairy tale-style stories) of the ruins, who lived there, and what happened there. As these ruins are lost due to demographic shifts let us take a moment to absorb this unique part of Americana and appreciate them before they are gone forever.