A gift of music: 10-26-09

The other evening I went to the White recital hall at the University of Missouri-Kansas City to hear a "Master's Recital" by the organist at my church.

But the recital wasn't for organ. Rather, Tate Addis played five major pieces on the piano -- one my Mozart, two by Chopin, one by Liszt and one by Bartok.

Look, I'm not a trained musician. In my family, that title fell to my oldest sister, who is a Juilliard pipe organ graduate. But I certainly know what music moves me, and Tate's recital was simply stunning.

What especially struck me -- particularly in his performance of Polish native Frederic (sometimes Fryderyk) Chopin's "Deux Nocturnes," was the way in which he became one with the music and the way in which the music evoked in me memories of being in Poland in 2007 when I was doing interviews for my new book, They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust.

For me, Chopin (1810-1849) was living in a Poland full of shtetls, or small Jewish towns. It was a Poland struggling to find its place in a world moving by fits and starts toward modernity. In the midst of all that and more, Chopin was creating poetic piano music that spoke of the human heart and of what the heart must overcome to thrive.

Watching Tate, I was again astonished at the capacity of the human brain. I have no idea how many notes Tate played in a bit less than two hours, but it must have been hundreds of thousands -- all from memory. Somewhere in his brain a tape was running that told his finger what they must do to recreate the sounds Chopin (and the other composers) may have had in mind when they wrote their music. But it wasn't just a rote memorization exercise. It was also adding Tate's own style and interpretation to the mix as he went along, and as he had practiced it.

In some ways this is why I shy away from the term "intelligent design." It seems far too static to me, as though the process of design was a once and for all event. No, no. Design goes on and on. And I bet that when Tate started practicing some of these pieces, he was unable to make his fingers do exactly what he wanted them to do to produce the sounds he sought. So he worked at it over and over until, in effect, he changed those fingers -- redesigned them -- so they could perform better and created new pathways in his brain for the instructions to get to the fingers.

Well, my church is blessed to have this wonderful musician on our staff -- and doubly blessed to have a newly restored and fabulous-sounding organ for him to play. Even if you have no interest in our church or any church, you might do yourself a favor some Sunday morning and just attend a service to hear the organ. Or put April 10, 2010, on your calendar. A big pipe organ contest will be held at our church that day.

And if you want to hear some of the Chopin piece that Tate played the other night -- but by a different performer I found on YouTube -- click here.

* * *

AN ISLAMIC PLACE OF TRUE SCHOLARSHIP

What's this? An Islamic university in Pakistan so scholarly and reasonable and moderate that even the Taliban is attacking it? Exactly, says this writer and history professor who spoke there in 2007. It's another example of why it's wrong to describe even places like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as unmitigated sources of nothing but terror.

Comments

[Dolores Lear]

Bill:
"In some ways this is why I shy away from the term "intelligent design". It seems far too static to me, as though the process of design was a once and for all event. No, no. Design goes on and on."

To Colonize a Planet that has a soupy atmosphere, where the Sun does not reach the land area, a Design is needed to Colonize it.

First to send an Algae Bomb Probe to separate the Water Atmosphere. This makes a Clear Atmosphere, so the Sun can reach the Land Area, and the water to make an Ocean around the land area.

Then bring in by Spaceship, the Green Elements, grass, trees, etc., to set up an Eco System favorable for Life as we Know it.

Bring in the fish, fowl, animals, and Humans. The Colonization is Complete and ready for Life as we Know it.

Humans were put in Charge, to be the Caretakers of Life on Earth. Earth's Resources were Free, and were to be Shared by All Life Species Equally.

Sound familiar as how Life began on Earth in Genesis?
What is Supernatural about Creating Life on a Planet, with High Tech Science Knowledge?

Colonization of Life on Earth was lost, when Human Asexual Clones Reproduced by our High Tech Ancestors, began Reproducing Children.

The Knowledge of the High Tech Humans that Colonized Earth was lost, and were called Supernatural Higher 'Beings' in our Image in their Writings and Myths.

Why keep Using our Human Energy for making a Population Explosion, more Religious Divisions, Hate, Inhumanity, Greed, Deadly Pollution, and Nuclear Bombs?

Were Humans Literally 'Supernaturally' Reproduced in the Lab, as Male and Female Asexual Clones, 'in the beginning'?

Our High Tech Reproduction of Fetus' in the Lab, and Cloning Animals, Prove this is Possible by High Tech Equal Humans on Planets and in Spaceships.

[Just Thinking]

Dealing with 'intelligence' does not come through 'intelligent design', but lies in measuring the complexity of the genetic code through Shannon's information theory--and this has been going on for quite some time. Information theory is a deep and powerful branch of engineering that has been used a basis for deriving Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics, two of the most highly regarded branches of Physics. Entropy, a measure of disorder, is inversely related to information content.

Information theory allows one to measure the information content of a signal, of a document, or of the genetic code. After all, the genetic code is a sequence of 'letters' and, as such, can be assigned an information content. We can look at the information content of the genetic code, before and after a mutation. And, surprise, surprise, the biologists have yet to come up with a *single* naturally occurring process which *increases* the information content of the genetic code. There is a $1,000,000 prize awaiting any Biologist who can!!
http://www.us.net/life/

Without examples of naturally occurring process which can increase information content, then it is not possible to explain the current information content of the genetic code by naturally occurring processes. Squishy theories of origins of life fail miserably because they can't produce a single example of a naturally occurring process which will increase the information content of the genetic code.

Randomness most often creates disorder, rather than spontaneously creating order or information. Information content provides a Scientifically *precise* way of asking: how can naturally occurring processes explain life? And it scare the pants off of the Biologists because every mutation that they have found so far *decreases* information. Bacteria which become immune to antiobiotics do so because they *lose* some ability, such as the ability to produce an enzyme that reacts with antibiotics to produce a poison which kills the bacteria.

[memberofKCFreeThinkers.org]

Hey, Chuck, missed you last night. The five of us had a great discussion about Dawkins book.

El, Elohim (plural –gods) and Yahweh (Hebrew YHVH). Cultural myth. God is referred to by many names in the bible. How many of you Xs know this? How many Xs reading this blog have read the bible? Be honest. Lying is a sin.

We had a great meetup Sat. night. A Christian attended. Nice guy. He and I met for lunch last Weds. We had a wonderful two-hour conversation.

And after our meetup last night he joined us for a beer, Jt. Once again, great conversation.

It’s amazing, Jt, that a long hair, bearded hedonist is able to generate such friendship. And the KCStar allowed me in the Faith section. Imagine that.

Oh, well, god works in mysterious ways.

How many ‘want ‘ to believe in god? Psychologists can have fun with this.

How many of us interpret our dreams as being real?

JT, have you had a vision? Do you know the bonze-age bible verses you quote to be real? Burning lake? Now in this generation Xs are saying hell is separation from god. 50 yrs ago it was a real, actual place, Hell, but not now. It has morphed into something to be more nice. Why? You can get more followers this way.

Do Xs believe this?:

Holy Bible Uncovered Secrets of Revelation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hk9VqP0AH4

Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole

[Dolores Lear]

Beautiful Music is in the Ears of the Hearer. Some great music has been Saved down the Centuries.

But the 20th Century's Music in the USA changes every 20 year Generations. The music of my Generation in the 30s/40s, was out of this world for me, but my daughters 50/60s, granddaughters 70/80s, and my great-granddaughter born in 1990, do not care for it.

I also like Classical, maybe from my German Ancestry. When I was in Public Grade School, we would go to the Auditorium for Music appreciation, and hear Classical Music and discuss it.

I like Organ Music, and when I was a teenager, I went to a Skating Rink that had a young man play Organ Music while we skated. We also had Organ Music in our Church, but no pipes.

I like some of the 50s/60s/, and 70s/80s, but the music of my Great-Granddaughter's Generation born in 1990, is hard for me to find very much that holds my interest. Even the ballads do not have good melodies, in my opinion.

I do watch American Idol, and they do have some of the Good Music, but I do not remember any rap so far, if a person wants to call that Music.

So on to all the Music Cultures around the Planet. At least we still have Music, among all the Horrors that are happening to our Home Planet.

Are Humans today, 'Fiddling', while our Planet Dies, like Nero did when Rome burned?

[Just Thinking]

I'll bet by now, Cole, that you have begun to realize that random processes of beer guzzling, atheist meetups and name-calling haven't made you one bit more intelligent! That's not now intelligence is formed. Sad, isn't it, to reach your age and to cite a gray pony tail as your most significant contribution.

You know, there would be no Science for you to misunderstand if people did unto others as *you* do. There'd be more kinds of beer, just no cars to get there, no hospitals, no serious knowledge of any kind. And, if people did unto others as *you* do, then there'd be no hair clippers either, or shampoo. But there would be no shortage of pride in empty-headed beer-induced 'profound' philosophies.

Intelligence, order, structure, and progress require working *against* random processes. Contributing something requires working *against* hedonistic beer-guzzling tendencies. Finding the answer to "What is the right thing to do?" requires effort to seek, the desire to follow, and the enabling Spirit of God. And, yes, Hell is a place. It is the place where the trash is thrown and completely, utterly, definitively destroyed forever. You know about trash, don't you, Cole? You talk it all the time. Just remember, in the genre of your era, "There's still time to change the road you're on." -- Led Zepplin. Groovy, huh?

I understand why you resort to insults, Cole. What other game is there for you? But guess, what, Cole, I'm better at insults than you, too! Because mine are based in Truth and substance, unlike yours. But you are more "cool," huh? I love those deliberately ill-defined, nebulous concepts from the 60's such as "cool" through which the dominant bully crowd turned mush-brained minors into minipulated minions of lazy, do-nothing, hedonists.

Communes are over, Cole. Do something.

[Chuck Lunney]

Cole wrote: "Hey, Chuck, missed you last night"

Yeah, sick kids and wife made it impossible for me to leave the house yesterday. Glad you all had a good discussion. So, just Jim representing the theists again?

[Chuck Lunney]

JT,

I thought you were above insults and personal attacks? I thought you said you wouldn't stoop to that level, and that we should all rise above such petty and demeaning things?

I see you just can't resist (which is sad, really). I've given up hope for Will and Adam to be civil and polite, but I was hoping you'd be a reasonable man. Guess you like it down in the gutter with the rest of the vermin, eh?

[Susan]

Wow, Just Thinking! I ususally like to respond to Bill's post first off -- but I just have to comment on your attacks on Cole. Where do you get off saying that Cole's "most significant contribution" to the world is his pony tail?! I think his daughters would very effectively put you in your place, if they heard you treating their dad this way! You know, you seem really obsessed with this long hair and beard thing. I'm guessing you may be one of the many men who can't pull that look off?

I'm sorry, JT, but jealousy is no excuse. I can't wear heels any more, but that doesn't mean I have to bash all the women who still can. Just develop yourself a talent or something -- I think you already have tremendous writing-talent and intelligence, but apparently this isn't enough for you. So do whatever you need to do to start liking yourself better.

Bill, I just loved your description of how music transforms the fingers of the musician, as he learns to play it the way it was intended to be played. The hands create, and then are re-created by the creation so they can create more, and be re-created again, to create more, and on and on ...

It makes me think of how God, through Mary, became human flesh -- so that Mary's human DNA is now and forever interwoven into God's DNA. Creator and Created, forever in interaction, forever touching and affecting one another. That the unchanging God would choose to step down from heavenly perfection, to become human and feel what we feel, is truly like what you referred to as the musician becoming "one with the music."

But what else would we expect from the greatest Composer of all time?!

[IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org]

Chuck,

Jim Christensen did not show up for the book discussion. I think the "god of the gaps" hypothesis that he had proposed during our first meeting must have sufficed for him to describe "intelligent forces" guiding evolution "blindly" and in "unintelligent format", he got firmly rebuked by us on it, or he must have had other things to do with his life.

The Christian History Deniers/Trolls (adamh/will graham/andrew/goldstein) of course did not show up (sigh - what else is new?)

There will be another discussion of Dawkins book on Oct 29th by StateLine FreeThinkers - http://www.meetup.com/StateLineFreeThinkers/

Also by Good Life Humanists Nov 8th- http://www.meetup.com/Good-Life-Humanists-Kansas-City/

I think Kansas City Atheists book club is also going to discuss it when it hits libraries in a couple of months - http://atheists.meetup.com/140/

[Just Thinking]

chuck,

I can't help it that Cole's life and KCFreeThinkers.org's life are target rich environments. If it weren't for insults, then they'd have nothing left to say. So I must communicate with them in their language of insults if I am going to communicate at all. But I can communicate in their language so that they can understand. So I will.

KCFreeThinkers.org and Cole's lives serve as excellent examples of bad examples, and nicely illustrate a deep property of nature: random processes don't lead to intelligence. You have to work against lazy, undisciplined, hedonistic desires in order to accomplish anything lasting. That's why it's called *work*. Trying to make your living by running your mouth produces Rush Limbaugh and KCFreeThinkers.org. Nothing productive comes out of either. Both make their hate-mongering appeals to warped individuals who are easily emotionally manipulated. They offer no information content. They offer only insults, and that's the only thing they respect.

It's the same way with nature. Random banging around of nature can't yet be proved to create information content either. Information content requires something fundamental, which we have yet to see in any random banging around (i.e., blustering.) Just like KCFreeThinkers.org, we don't see anything intelligent resulting from random, undirected, undisciplined behavior. There is something which is missing from any random banging theory, and Scientists just don't know what it is yet. But Scientists can identity that it is missing.

Some are afraid to allow simple questions about information content and how our genetic code came to have real information content. These are serious Scientific questions that have no easy forthcoming answers. But the answers would lead to *real* understanding about how life was formed. Seious Scientific questions won't be answered by people who use their mouths to earn a living. That's for sure.

[Susan]

Cole, that was an interesting video you linked to about Revelation.

It reminded me of how a Sunday School teacher in a church I used to be a part of said the Whore of Babylon was the Catholic Church.

It is sad how, as you say, many Christians think certain other denominations aren't Christian. Though of course I realize Catholics don't see their church as a denomination, but as the one true church.

I find many beauties in Catholicism, so I'm glad I got past my denominationaism so I could learn about it.

[Susan]

Just Thinking, in reference to your 12:49 PM post to Chuck, it sounds like you are doing the same thing you previously admonished Chuck for doing -- using others' behavior to justify your own behavior because you just "can't help" yourself. Tsk, tsk.

[Chuck Lunney]

JT wrote: "I can't help it that Cole's life and KCFreeThinkers.org's life are target rich environments. If it weren't for insults, then they'd have nothing left to say. So I must communicate with them in their language of insults if I am going to communicate at all. But I can communicate in their language so that they can understand. So I will."

And yet, just the other day you chastised me for responding in kind to Will/Adam.

Funny, that sure seems like a blatant double-standard and special pleading from you.

I've yet to see any chastisement of Will/Adam for their posts with no information content, insults and non-productive hate-mongering. You have no problem bashing those on the other side, so why are you reluctant to condemn the same behavior from those who side with you?

Does that large stick poking out of your eye hurt much? Seems to me the tiny mote in my own is only a minor irritant in comparison. Think about it...

[Chuck Lunney]

JT wrote about Shannon Information Theory and entropy. Sorry to tell you this, but you've got a lot of your "information" wrong. The entropy Shannon described in his theory is different from the actual physical entropy described in physics. Look at these:

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/information/shannon.html
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/information/gitt.html
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/information/infotheory.html

for a better description of the issue. 300 words is far to small to accurately explain the situation, although it is plenty to post errors and lies in abundance.

Basic summary: the words used in the multiple theories are the same, but they refer to different things. In Shannon theory (dealing only with commuication protocols), randomness will generally decrease "information". But in other theories from different disciplines, most specifically physics and computer science, randomness will actually INCREASE the amount of information -- with potentially no limit, depending on the conditions and variables in the system. IDists like to conflate the multiple theories and come up with something that sounds scientific, but actually turns out to be nonsense when actually analyzed for content.

[adam harrison]

KCF, whats this "God of the gaps" theory you ascribe to Jim? He said he made no such argument: he said that he was a "gap theorist" as to the 1st and 2nd verses of Genesis and the age of the earth...and he was being off the cuff.

Chuck knew what he meant; if you didn't, you should have said something.

Do you know what the "gap theory" is? Its NOT the "God of the gaps argument" you make.

In fact, the gaps are not NARROWING...the more we learn the more we realize we don't know.

That said, its ironic that you berate us for not showing up when Chuck didn't even show to his own study. Of course he has a reason, and thats fine, but apparently when we have reasons we are "cowards" and "fools" as Chuck has said.

And Chuck, I notice you are now calling us "vermin".

You are a hypocrite Chuck. You are no better than the Iggy/Cole team in the insult department.

[adam harrison]

By the way, KCF, I am also told that you never "firmly rebuked" anyone at the study you mention. You just tried to get in his face and use the Shut Up and Die arguments.

YOU were the one who got rebuked.

Are you such a weakling that you have to continually make stuff up?

And I don't know what Will's deal is about "affadavits". That wouldn't mean squat, because you could just have someone else post the information.

Nothing you promise us could be trusted; you are an admitted liar.

So, you are right, KCF...as far as I am concerned I am NEVER meeting with any of you until you clean up your mouths.

Chuck calling us "vermin" was the last straw; I'm done with him. I hope Jim is too.

After all, whats the next step with "vermin"?

Extermination.

[adam harrison]

Susan, your 2:24 pm post is pathetic; you have been doing your share of ridiculing today, and you know it.

You do realize that Iggy thinks you are delusional and should Shut Up don't you?

Why do you collaborate with them to the extent that you do, constantly finding excuses nor just for their insults but for the threats that are made?

I really don't get it, if you really believe what you claim.

[adam harrison]

Bill, the alternative to the "intelligent design" you mention is the "Blind Watchmaker" Dawkins describes.

Mainstream science tries to tell us that accounts of our present development, but such has not be demonstrated.

Much less can it even provide explanations for the origin of the univere or the origin of life.

It is beyond reasonable doubt that atheists have an agenda in trying to co opt science for their Atheist Evangelism, even pretending they are promoting science education when they are pushing SCIENTISM and REDUCTIONISM.

What they are setting up is a NON FALSIFIABLE belief sysmtem (those who understand the scientific method will know what that means) which is in actuality a manifestation of Irrationality.

[IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org]

Goldstein Squad as "vermin", Chuck? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Sounds good to me. I don't think it's too strong at all. In a quantum mechanical world of uncertainty, branes, parallel/multiple Universes and things able to happen as many times as you wish, I can see these guys calling themselves "vermins" at their own volition and be proud of it. Just Thinking was talking our ears off about the "uncertainty" of the quantum mechanical world where all things are possible and god is working in "mysterious ways", here you go, Christian vermins is as good as Christian History Deniers to me.

I think I recall Jesus calling people snakes and fools - no problem there. He used the word "Raka" if I recall? In the old language if you were to find a comparison to it today it would be like calling a black person "Nigger" by a white person in his face.

Think about it, Goldstein Squad, Christian History Deniers sounds much more factual and less emphatic? Or should "delusional, psychotic" be better applicable to you? Either way, it looks like all vermin roads lead to the rock you should crawl under, shut up and die out with your crazy theological ideas.

"Vermin" also means someone has to come in and get rid of them...

Who you are gonna send? - "Holy Ghost"Busters!

[adam harrison]

The Hitler was a Christian smear, Part II.

http://atheismisdead.blogspot.com/2009/10/adolf-hitler-was-christian-was-adolf_26.html

[adam harrison]

The atheist community of Topeka gives it a shot:

http://atheismisdead.blogspot.com/2009/04/atheism-and-continuing-public-image.html

[Chuck Lunney]

Last comment I'll make to Will/Adam: I did not specifically call you "vermin", I was referring to all who had insulted, attacked, and used rude behavior which JT had condemned just a couple days ago. That not only included you, but myself, Cole, Iggy and JT.

Once again, you focus only on individual words, and miss the actual meaning of the message. Learn to read for comprehension -- it'll improve your life dramatically.

As to who is a hypocrite -- I notice you didn't bother mentioning JT. Funny, that. He's the one who's spent the last several days admonishing me and Cole for sinking to the level of exchanging insults -- and then he goes and does exactly that himself.

Pot, meet kettle.

Beam, meet eye.

Hypocrite, look in the mirror.

[IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org]

Re: Islamic Scholarship...

The Islamic world has a long way to go before anything substantial comes out of it as far as sciences. There seems to be a huge gap in the region's scientific contribution to the world. This is the issue of the religion dominated societies.

However, this kind of reminds me of the fact that there is "NO CHRISTIAN" CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCES ever acknowledged today, becuase it would be STUPID FOR SCIENTISTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SPACE ALIEN JESUS like mucisians and athletes do all the time. Only in "personal" and "private" situations scientists will invoke the space alien Yahweh and his spawn Jesus, you don't ever see them quoted in "sciences" unless it's a Biblical research or literatary work.
________________________
Christian History Denier Goldstein Squad Member wrote>>>>>>>>>.So, you are right, KCF...as far as I am concerned I am NEVER meeting with any of you until you clean up your mouths.

Just used Listerine a couple of minutes ago, before then I brushed by my teeth and before then flossed and even scraped my tongue. I am sure you'll be happy with my breath. But don't wait too long, I have to go and eat some Christian babies and brains - my breath will not last long.

Now, that your argument has been addressed, WHEN exactly are you proposing to meet?

I look forward to looking into your delusional eyes, putting my hand on your shoulder and having Hannibal Lector work on your cranium to clone you a new brain with the plastic silverware from Scooters in Overland Park.

[Susan]

Goldstein Squad Member -- you may think my 2:24 PM post was pathetic -- but Just Thinking has admonished me, specifically, and told me that I need to be willing to police other people's posts and not just my own. He said this is what being a good neighbor is all about.

So now you are accusing me of ridiculing? Is this along the lines of Will accusing me of "taking a swipe" at the Jews simply by saying I thought the ancient Jews were just as sexist as the surrounding cultures? Will apparently thinks that anything short of elevating the ancient Hebrews onto a pedestal, is tantamount to ridiculing or taking a swipe at them.

I'm guessing you think I "ridiculed" Just Thinking by not elevating him onto a pedestal above Cole, but instead treating him as my equal and Cole's equal?

And I'll be really interested to see if and how you're going to substantiate your accusation that I "collaberate" with Iggy and Cole, and find excuses for them. Oh, I guess according to Goldstein-group-think, it's "collaberation with Cole" to call J.T. out for his truly jerky behavior toward Cole in his 10:48 AM post?!

From your last comment to me, should I gather that you think if I "really believe what (I) claim," I'd be commending Christian J.T. for his attacks on Atheist Cole, or at the very least be witholding my criticisms?

[Will Graham]

Iggy, Monsters, and Aliens...

http://atheismisdead.blogspot.com/2009/06/monsters-vs-aliens.html