Targuman

In the beginning…

Aug 23rd, 2010

Of the semester things are always a bit frantic. This semester I am teaching a mere 1 credit course, “Genesis 1-3.” The reason for the topic is because it usually takes me a month to get out of chapter 3 even when I am teaching Intro to Hebrew Bible. The reason for 1 credit is because I simply do not have enough time to teach a full 3 credit course. And the reason I am teaching it at all is because I love to teach in my field! I just don’t have as much time to do it nowadays since I am a full time administrator and teach courses in leadership.

For those interested, I have posted a number of entries on Genesis and particularly on the first three chapters. You can follow my tag link and work backwards from there.

Finally, Jame McGrath,in a happy moment of coincidence, posted this wonderful quote from Adele Berlin.

“Above all, we must keep in mind that narrative is a form of representation. Abraham in Genesis is not a real person any more than a painting of an apple is a real fruit. This is not a judgment on the existence of a historical Abraham any more than it is a statement about the existence of apples.”

– Adele Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative, p.13

Posted in: Academics, Bible.
Tagged: Genesis

iPhone 4 cases – Apple Bumper v. Griffin Reveal

Aug 22nd, 2010

by Chris Brady.

1 comment

I suppose I will sound like an apologeticist for Apple but I never did see the antenna problems. In fact, the iPhone 4 has demonstrably better reception than my iPhone 3GS (which my wife now uses). Eventually I did get the Apple Bumper because I wanted the protection and Apple eventually refunded me for that purpose. The bumper is very nice and looks just right on the phone, no doubt about that. The metal buttons for volume and off/on are solid and attractive. There are only two things that I think might cause one to prefer a different case. The tolerances are very low meaning that you can only use the Apple-provided headset (or similar slim plug cable) and the same is true for the USB connector. That means that my Griffin AutoPilot will not connect without removing the bumper. The other potential drawback is that the back is left exposed. If you are hard on your phone (put it in your pocket with keys, etc.) then the back may get scratched. The back glass is not the “Gorilla glass” that covers the front and, so far in my experience, does not retain smudges let alone scratches.¹

Enter the Griffin Reveal Etch. This is a very nice, slim case that has a polycarbonate back and, according to Griffin, the “Reveal Etch adds just a little over a millimeter in thickness to the sides and back of your iPhone.” I can attest that it is indeed very thin and the polycarbonate backing is very attractive and the rubber edges are thin yet wide enough to allow your third-party connector and headset to connect without any difficulties. At the same time, however, the thinness of the surround makes it feel a bit cheap. Still, it is attractive and relatively inexpensive, especially if Apple is going to pay for it.²

More and more options are hitting the market for the iPhone 4. Personally, I am still waiting for a nice compact window mount like the Griffin WindowSeat. They have come out with the WindowSeat HandsFree that looks promising, but I would have been a happier customer if they had simply made an iPhone 4 adapter available. The Satechi SCR-31 is also very promising…I thought it was just a generic holder, but looking again it appears to have an adapter specifically for the iPhone 4. Once I find a solution, I will let you know.

The story of this material is really very interesting. Corning invented it back in 1962, but it is only now becoming widely used and a valuable commodity. Being a smart company, however, they held on to it over all these years. [↩]
NB: You have to buy your iPhone 4 by September 30, 2010 to qualify for the free case. [↩]

Posted in: Apple, Tech.
Tagged: Amazon · Reviews

Sharing my thoughts on stories

Aug 19th, 2010

by Chris Brady.

No comments yet

I realize I am very late to this game, but if you are reading on my website you may have noticed that I added my “shared” items that I am reading via Google reader. (I use NewsRack on the iPad and iPhone which connects and syncs with Google Reader.) When I am reading stories via the web I use the Note in Reader » [drag the preceding text up onto your browser's toolbar to use it] feature to link, share, and add my own notations to a story or website I find interesting.

Today I was reading a story about the legality of using your iPhone to record a conversation without notifying the other parties. I added a few comments along with the link and it occurred to me that no one may read them, stuck over in the sidebar. So here is how it appears on my S hared Google Reader page:

Court OKs Covert iPhone Audio Recording | Threat Level | Wired.com

via www.wired.com on 8/19/10

Targuman:

Very interesting ruling. With the iPad note apps capable of recording I have wondered how to legally and ethically use this in lectures and meetings. (Lectures are considered “public” so fair game, but departmental meetings, for example?)

Using an iPhone to secretly record a conversation is not a violation of the Wiretap Act if done for legitimate purposes, a federal appeals court has

So please feel free to check the sidebar, go directly to my S hared Google Reader page, or comment here about the items you see there.

Posted in: Blog, Computer, Google.
Tagged: Technology

Scholarships from the Episcopal Church

Aug 17th, 2010

by Chris Brady.

No comments yet

My Bishop’s office sent out the following notice. Anything that can help support students and defray the extreme costs of education deserve to be widely publicized. Please feel free to share.

Application process now open

For scholarships from The Episcopal Church

Deadline is October 15

[August 17, 2010] Applications are now being accepted for the Fall awarding of more than 60 scholarships from The Episcopal Church. Specific scholarships are available for ethnic communities along with other particular wide-ranging eligibility for education and training.

“Besides ethnic ministries, there are scholarships available to children of missionaries, foreign students studying for ministry in the Church, foreign students training in the fields of medical, sanitation, nursing or hospital work in their own country and for the children of bishops and clergy of The Episcopal Church,” explained Antoinette (Toni) Daniels, Co-director of Mission and Chair of the Scholarship Committee.

Daniels reported that, in the spring 2010 cycle, a scholarship was awarded to the first Hmong seminarian in The Episcopal Church. Compared with last year, both the Latino/Hispanic Ministries and Native American Ministries saw the number of applicants double and Asian-American Ministries accepted three more applicants.

“The scholarships are addressing educational funding needs in this down economy,” Daniels added.

The list of trust funds and scholarships is here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/ScholarshipTrustFunds121609.pdf

All materials including the application form and the instructions for filing are available online here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109539_110675_ENG_HTM.htm

Process

Applications are reviewed by scholarship subcommittees comprised of representatives from throughout the Church. Their recommendations are then reviewed and announced by the Scholarship Committee of The Episcopal Church.

Funding for the scholarships is derived from numerous trust funds. The amounts of the scholarships vary according to the availability of payouts from the funds. Annual payouts from the funds are determined by the Executive Council upon recommendation of its Investment Committee. Principal amounts of each fund are always maintained.

Deadline for applications is October 15, 2010.

Requirements

Daniels cited the requirements for applying: the applicant must be an Episcopalian, must be a member of The Episcopal Church, and must have the endorsement of his/her bishop.

She stressed that only complete applications will be considered.

For information contact Terry Foster, Mission Office Associate, tfoster@episcopalchurch.org.

The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Scholarships: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109539_110675_ENG_HTM.htm

Posted in: Academics, ECUSA.
Tagged: Announcement

Very punny

Aug 16th, 2010

by Chris Brady.

No comments yet

I believe I have heard this pun before, but I am not sure who “George, Devine, and Barry” are so perhaps it was sent in by one of our colleagues. From Bizaro: