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On Global Warming
To see the media reports, one would think that only crazy people don’t believe in man-made global warming; “everyone” thinks it’s true.
But to read this blog posted on the US Senate website, consensus among scientists is actually closer to a 50-50 split: http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=b35c36a3-802a-23ad-46ec-6880767e7966
And this website shows confusion among the scientific community, with four switches in opinion over the past hundred years - cooling, warming, cooling, warming: http://www.businessandmedia.org/specialreports/2006/fireandice/fireandice.asp
Perhaps in spite of Mr. Gore’s $100 million/yr. advertising budget and the media frenzy, cooler heads will prevail.
My view: regardless of the current “popular” rhetoric, I believe we have a responsibility to take care of the planet we have been given. This is not a radical environmentalist agenda - this is simple things like turning off the lights when you leave the room. Don’t waste electricity when not needed. Walk places when you can, or ride a bike. This article has some good ideas; I particularly like the incredibly practical concept seen at this website, which focuses on computer energy consumption when not in use. I have one even better: turn the computer off when you’re finished using it. Simple ideas; save money; take care of what you have been given.
such excitement!
I was practically skipping this morning. Why, you ask? I went piano shopping!! With someone else’s money!!! And I will get to use BOTH of the pianos that were purchased!!!!!
I went to music street with a few folks this morning to lend my finely-tuned ear and fingers to selecting a piano for the international fellowship. It just so happened that I also had money to purchase a piano for CDIS! So there is now a beautiful, new (and significantly discounted, thanks to good-old guanxi*) piano in the choir room, just dying to be used in class tomorrow.
I can’t wait!!
*guanxi is a good relationship based on past interaction that can get you most anything, especially when combined with a shopkeeper’s desire to make a sale. 
Obama’s Hermeneutic
As seen on CNN’s political ticker, Senator Obama recently spoke at a New Orleans church and quoted the finishing words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount regarding the men who built their houses on the rock or the sand. He then proceeded to compare the rock with the “principal of brotherhood exemplified by the church during Hurricane Katrina — but not the federal government.” In his words, “Something was wrong in America. Our foundation wasn’t built on the rock.”
Regardless of the truth or value of his words, I struggle with Mr. Obama’s hermeneutic: this was not Christ’s focus in his discussion here. Jesus clearly stated that one who follows what He says would be like a man on a rock, that is, one who holds to a Christ-centered worldview. Mentioning a Biblical passage as a starting point to begin a political tirade trivializes the importance of the message inherent in the text.
Leadership Conference
School’s began, and the first week has been completed!
Our first assembly this year happened on the track, as there was a small fire in our auditorium and has yet to be cleaned and repaired.
We started Student Government quickly this year, as we arranged to join fellow student leaders from sister schools in Tianjin, Qingdao and Shenyang for a leadership conference hosted by us. This is the fifth year of the ISC leadership conference, and the first we have sent our students to. Our outdoor education leader handled the team building time, and our English teacher took care of the scheduling; I enjoyed speaking to the students. We had a great time - and at China prices: the cost of three nights lodging, meals on Friday and Saturday, entrance to the panda reserve and the conference room rental was less than US $35 per person.
I’m looking forward to having a great year working with and advising the students!
You know you’re in China when…
A recently overheard comment reminded me that I’m in China:
”We’re going to buy a new pet: a bunny! And if we don’t like it, it’s okay - it’s cheap and we can eat it.”
On the new Atheism
An interesting post about the wave of new books regarding Atheism and the destructiveness of religion can be found here. These new books would be good to read if they didn’t rehash old arguments already defeated.
http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=825
For all you Star Trek fans out there…
Apparently some German physicists broke the speed of light. So I guess this means that warp speed does exist now. Unless you are a Star Wars fan, in which case it’s hyperspeed. I think. Personally I’m waiting until something larger than a photon gets moved that quickly.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/16/scispeed116.xml
Back to school!
School started back today!
I was much more excited about it than the kids were.
Which, I suppose, is to be expected.