Comments for The Ministry of Science http://johnfalla.wordpress.com Just because you don't like it, that doesn't mean it isn't true Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:56:20 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on iMovie ‘08: adding chapter markers for iDVD by Karl von Rabenau http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/imovie-08-adding-chapter-markers-for-idvd/#comment-97 Karl von Rabenau Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:56:20 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/imovie-08-adding-chapter-markers-for-idvd/#comment-97 Chapter markers are available in iMovie '09 - open preferences, general menu,click to show advanced tools. Two red buttons will show up in the top right of editing screen. The one with the white arrow is the chapter marker. Just drag and drop where you want a chapter. http://www.unlockingimovie.com/ Chapter markers are available in iMovie ‘09 – open preferences, general menu,click to show advanced tools. Two red buttons will show up in the top right of editing screen. The one with the white arrow is the chapter marker. Just drag and drop where you want a chapter.

http://www.unlockingimovie.com/

]]> Comment on Weak thinking by johnfalla http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/weak-thinking/#comment-95 johnfalla Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:23:06 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/weak-thinking/#comment-95 To compare bad science with bad religion is like comparing a real aeroplane that crashed to an ugly toy plane that never flew. To go back to your original point, is it ok to lie if it helps people? Is it OK for Oxfam to support groups spreading lies - eg about Jesus- if that helps people. My answer is maybe, sometimes. But I think in some cases it could be storing up trouble for the future. Supporting the mujahideen in Afghanistan might have been a good way to defeat the Soviets, but now it's the US battling the force it helped create. To compare bad science with bad religion is like comparing a real aeroplane that crashed to an ugly toy plane that never flew.

To go back to your original point, is it ok to lie if it helps people? Is it OK for Oxfam to support groups spreading lies – eg about Jesus- if that helps people.

My answer is maybe, sometimes. But I think in some cases it could be storing up trouble for the future. Supporting the mujahideen in Afghanistan might have been a good way to defeat the Soviets, but now it’s the US battling the force it helped create.

]]> Comment on Weak thinking by David Le Page http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/weak-thinking/#comment-94 David Le Page Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:50:44 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/weak-thinking/#comment-94 Your point correctly to examples of negative development that are apparently religion-based: but it is questionable whether it is the religion that is at fault, or whether the religion is just used to justify the Taliban's sexism for example. After all, Bush and Blair justified a war in Iraq on the basis of promoting democracy. We don't throw out democracy, though, just because nasties like Bush and Blair use it as a rationale for vicious warfare. Even putting this aside, your assessment of the balance between the good and bad effects of religion is entirely opinion-based. It's rather like those new agers who point to the relatively few but highly conspicious examples of bad science and bad medicine, and use them as an excuse to say that people should not get vaccinated. Your point correctly to examples of negative development that are apparently religion-based: but it is questionable whether it is the religion that is at fault, or whether the religion is just used to justify the Taliban’s sexism for example. After all, Bush and Blair justified a war in Iraq on the basis of promoting democracy. We don’t throw out democracy, though, just because nasties like Bush and Blair use it as a rationale for vicious warfare.

Even putting this aside, your assessment of the balance between the good and bad effects of religion is entirely opinion-based. It’s rather like those new agers who point to the relatively few but highly conspicious examples of bad science and bad medicine, and use them as an excuse to say that people should not get vaccinated.

]]> Comment on Weak thinking by johnfalla http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/weak-thinking/#comment-93 johnfalla Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:15:07 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/weak-thinking/#comment-93 Well, I think this article (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19526190.400-what-good-is-god.html?full=true) comes close. Unsurprisingly, religious people might be a bit happier - life is easier if you have faith. But as for this idea that religious organisations assist development: what about the Taliban? Are you seriously suggesting that Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and many others wouldn't be better off without Islam? That Northern Ireland wouldn't be better off without any kind of Christianity? That the Middle East wouldn't be better off without Judaism? Sure, even theistic religions sometimes do good in some places. They may well have promoted development in the past few thousand years. But, now, globally, wouldn't we all be richer and safer without theisms? I think we would Well, I think this article (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19526190.400-what-good-is-god.html?full=true) comes close. Unsurprisingly, religious people might be a bit happier – life is easier if you have faith.

But as for this idea that religious organisations assist development: what about the Taliban? Are you seriously suggesting that Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and many others wouldn’t be better off without Islam? That Northern Ireland wouldn’t be better off without any kind of Christianity? That the Middle East wouldn’t be better off without Judaism?

Sure, even theistic religions sometimes do good in some places. They may well have promoted development in the past few thousand years. But, now, globally, wouldn’t we all be richer and safer without theisms? I think we would

]]> Comment on “Faith schools” by johnfalla http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/faith-schools/#comment-92 johnfalla Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:03:28 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/?p=37#comment-92 They do better because, as I said, they have more applicants and thus pick the cream of the crop. It's a virtuous/vicious circle depending on your point of view. They do better because, as I said, they have more applicants and thus pick the cream of the crop. It’s a virtuous/vicious circle depending on your point of view.

]]> Comment on Weak thinking by David Le Page http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/weak-thinking/#comment-91 David Le Page Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:55:30 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/weak-thinking/#comment-91 I have never seen a truly scientific assessment anywhere of the overall positive and negative effects of religious belief on society. Since such assessments do not exist (tell me if I'm wrong), the rantings of Dawkins et al, based only on the most obvious and visible negatives, are in fact extremely unscientific. I can tell you that Oxfam, for example, from a purely pragmatic point of view consider that religious organisations assist development, and for that reason wish to engage with and encourage them. Doesn't the atheist crowd ever bore itself to death, arguing that religion is "factually wrong"? Of course it is, usually. Which completely misses the point. It's like wanting to burn Tolkien because it's factually wrong. Or banning all mention of the tooth fairy, for pete's sake. The really interesting questions about religion are the ones Wilson is trying to ask. Do you think honestly think Anglicans would lose faith if church were detached from state? Condemning whole sections of society because of the extreme irrationality of a few is about as scientific as racism. And about as pleasant. I have never seen a truly scientific assessment anywhere of the overall positive and negative effects of religious belief on society. Since such assessments do not exist (tell me if I’m wrong), the rantings of Dawkins et al, based only on the most obvious and visible negatives, are in fact extremely unscientific.

I can tell you that Oxfam, for example, from a purely pragmatic point of view consider that religious organisations assist development, and for that reason wish to engage with and encourage them.

Doesn’t the atheist crowd ever bore itself to death, arguing that religion is “factually wrong”? Of course it is, usually. Which completely misses the point. It’s like wanting to burn Tolkien because it’s factually wrong. Or banning all mention of the tooth fairy, for pete’s sake. The really interesting questions about religion are the ones Wilson is trying to ask.

Do you think honestly think Anglicans would lose faith if church were detached from state?

Condemning whole sections of society because of the extreme irrationality of a few is about as scientific as racism. And about as pleasant.

]]> Comment on “Faith schools” by David Le Page http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/faith-schools/#comment-90 David Le Page Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:31:55 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/?p=37#comment-90 How do you distinguish between religions and superstitious nonsense? And if their schools are better, what is it that the faith-based school communities are doing right that the reality based school communities aren't? Do they have more money because of bigger subsidies, or because of better long-term management? Since you seem to be conceding that many faith-based schools are far better than those that are not, isn't it downright irrational to call for their abolition, even if you do dislike part of the curriculum. (I seriously doubt that in the long run such schools cultivate any more of the faithful than their secular counterparts, so don't think that should worry you too much.) I don't think the statement said moral development *depends* on faith-based education; but used the phrase "helps promote". (I wouldn't pretend to know if that's true or not, and of course, the wrong kind of moral development can be destructive.) How do you distinguish between religions and superstitious nonsense?

And if their schools are better, what is it that the faith-based school communities are doing right that the reality based school communities aren’t?

Do they have more money because of bigger subsidies, or because of better long-term management?

Since you seem to be conceding that many faith-based schools are far better than those that are not, isn’t it downright irrational to call for their abolition, even if you do dislike part of the curriculum.

(I seriously doubt that in the long run such schools cultivate any more of the faithful than their secular counterparts, so don’t think that should worry you too much.)

I don’t think the statement said moral development *depends* on faith-based education; but used the phrase “helps promote”. (I wouldn’t pretend to know if that’s true or not, and of course, the wrong kind of moral development can be destructive.)

]]> Comment on Making the iPod shuffle perfect by Hooray! Apple implemented my iPod Shuffle idea! « The Ministry of Science http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/making-the-ipod-shuffle-perfect/#comment-89 Hooray! Apple implemented my iPod Shuffle idea! « The Ministry of Science Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:48:15 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-89 [...] Making the iPod shuffle perfect [...] [...] Making the iPod shuffle perfect [...]

]]> Comment on iMovie ‘08: adding chapter markers for iDVD by Shirley http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/imovie-08-adding-chapter-markers-for-idvd/#comment-87 Shirley Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:51:04 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/imovie-08-adding-chapter-markers-for-idvd/#comment-87 Thank you so much for the tip. I am so relieved that I don't have to export the movie to GarageBand from iMovie and then to iDVD (according to other blogs) which might change the quality. However, coz I am also using the 4:3 format, I don't really know much about working with the 16:9 format. Thank you heaps :) Thank you so much for the tip. I am so relieved that I don’t have to export the movie to GarageBand from iMovie and then to iDVD (according to other blogs) which might change the quality.

However, coz I am also using the 4:3 format, I don’t really know much about working with the 16:9 format.

Thank you heaps :)

]]> Comment on iMovie ‘08: importing VOB, DVD or MPEG2 video without losing quality by Peter Lawrence http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/imovie-08-importing-vob-dvd-or-mpeg2-video-without-losing-quality/#comment-86 Peter Lawrence Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:28:49 +0000 http://johnfalla.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/imovie-08-importing-vob-dvd-or-mpeg2-video-without-losing-quality/#comment-86 I have tried to import into imovie from a disc image by mounting with discimagemounter as above. When I then open imovie I see a flash of "camera recognised..." then imovie quits rapidly. (Exactly the same as double clicking to mount). Does anyone have a solution or do I have to convert to MPEG4? I have tried to import into imovie from a disc image by mounting with discimagemounter as above. When I then open imovie I see a flash of “camera recognised…” then imovie quits rapidly. (Exactly the same as double clicking to mount).

Does anyone have a solution or do I have to convert to MPEG4?

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