Looking for geology help

Just on the VERY outside chance that there's a geologist who runs across this....

I have a question about the Coconino formation and the description of its formation that I recently read on an Answers in Genesis website. The page is Startling Evidence for Noah's Flood. The Coconino formation is a massive layer of sandstone that is generally believed to be laid down in a generally desert-like condition - it's made of sand that is preserved in sand dunes, the footprints are of terrestrial creatures, the sand grains look weathered just like sand-dune sand of today, there are burrow tracks, etc. The "problem" that AiG is talking about is that this is a layer that was layed down during the Flood, neatly sandwiched between a couple layers of sediment.

So the question is, how was a hot and dry desert laid down in the middle of a global flood? Go read the page for the full article. I ran across a question (well a couple, but I'll hold myself to just one for you potential geologist reading this). I'm not as interested in the validity of the explanations put forward in the article, but I do hav a question about a part that seems to be self-contradictory. I can't write AiG, so I'm hoping some keywords in here will attract a wandering geologist!

Here are the two issues the article deals with: footprints and sand-dune formation.

The discussion of the footprints is based on a study by Dr Leonard Brand of Loma Linda University in California (note my keyword loading!). In it he studied tracks from the Coconino layer and the tracks made by modern lizards and amphibians in sand. The sand tracks were made underwater, in moist sand, and in dry sand, all laid at an angle like sand dunes. To makea long story short, Dr. Brand thinks the tracks were made underwater, most likely moving against the flow of water.

The discussion of the sand-dune formation is based on known formation of dune-like sand formations caused by sand at the bottom of the ocean. The height of the dunes is related to water depth, and it takes a certain velocity of water to form underwater sand waves. Based on the height of the Coconino dunes/sand waves, they would have been formed by water about 300 feet deep and moving for a prolonged stretch at 3-5 MPH.

All that leads to this: which is it? Was the Coconino formed in slow-moving shallow water which allowed dinosaurs from newt sized to multi-tonne sized to leave footprints? Or, was the Coconino formed under 300 feet of water rushing along at 3-5 MPH?

I'm not knowledgeable enough on the subject of recreating footprints to discuss the validity of the underwater footprint explanation compared to the desert sand track explanation. But, ignoring my ignorance on that topic, does the article contradict itself? It seems that the explanations rule each other out. If one has the tracks, then one can't have the dunes. If one has the dunes, one can't have the tracks.

People don't go around contradicting themselves (at least not just a couple paragraphs apart), but I don't know what the explanation is that could remove the self-contradiction. Any help would be much appreciated. If not, I'm used to not having everything answered.

National Debt

Frankly, I don't think McCain would have been any less profligate (which is yet another reason why I didn't vote for either McCain or Obama), but still, the incredible spending and debt that is being projected is pretty impressive: in the next ten years an additional $9,000,000,000,000 of debt added onto the $11,700,000,000,000 of debt the country currently has. (all those zeros come out to mean trillions of dollars)

But, that's not really all that bad. Yup, I'm being serious. That's only a 5.8% yearly rise, on average. Historically, our economy has grown at an average rate of 5.4% since 1990.

However, that 5.4% is not a very likely prospect over the next ten years since 2009 will be a negative growth year, and 2010 is projected to be a low growth year. We might make it back up if we get an economic boom, but we'll probably be looking at an average of 3% growth or something like that. Definitely not a good thing, but not the end of the world either.

What is going to cause economic troubles is that I am pretty sure that the budget estimates are pretty whacked out. I know they include assumptions that cap-and-trade will bring in a bunch of revenues (if it gets passed in a revenue-generating form), and that there will be some very significant tax rate increases in a couple years. They are most likely low-balling the costs of the health care/insurance reform, and as always, they aren't taking into account the massive Social Security and Medicaid liabilities that are coming closer and closer to due. Those things are the truly scary parts. Obama's budget, as stated - meh, bad but not horrible.

Back from Vacation

Well, back to work from vacation - we didn't actually go anywhere. It was WONDERFUL!!!

Baby T is doing really, really well, as are C&I. In fact, T just slept through the night last night!!!! W00T! She's not even three weeks old yet! Of course, who knows if it will keep up or if it was a one-time event, but it was very, very nice. The night before she slept for almost five hours straight, so I am vaguely hopeful.

C had some interesting dreams that night since we aren't used to sleeping for quite so long at a stretch. She kept dreaming that I had brought T in and C needed to feed T. Then she would wake up, looking for T. One time - ok. But it happened four or five times in a row. On the bright side, she was all prepared to feed T when I finally did bring her in. Maybe a bit on the extra-groggy side, but definitely ready to feed her!

J was here last week and we got a lot of time together. We played computer games together a lot (Runescape is beginning to wear on me), went swimming several times, told stories, read books, went on walks, played in the park, and in general we loafed around together. Coming back off such a relaxing vacation is interesting. I am doing some crazy levels of productivity (my computer is tied up copying over a 21GB VM right now), but boy do I ever want to be back home!

C's parents and youngest sister, came out for a week while I was at work, and her sister D with her fiance were out here too. Last week was my vacation time, and my mom and dad were finally able to make it out for a couple days, Wednesday and Thursday. The house has been much improved by the families staying here. C's father fixed several plumbing problems I had been putting off. My dad helped me paint the back of my house - something the HOA had asked us to do earlier in the spring. I probably ought to get back to them about that.

Now though - I'm buried with helpdesk tickets (though I think they are almost wrapped up) and I have an OpenMap project to complete (not even close to being completed). Back to work!

Just a bit of tomato-y goodness

Dr. Veith ran an experiment with tomato plants as a competition between "crunchy conservatism" and "free market conservatism". He bought a heritage tomato plant, natural and uncontaminated, and then he bought a hyrbid, agri-corp-produced tomato plant. He planted them side by side, watered them equally, as well as other attentions, and tested the results.

Read all about it here: The Great Tomato Ideological Experiment

Those first couple nights

I've developed a pretty standard response for when people ask me how it's going with the new baby, I reply with something like this:

Oh, it's going really well! We're home now and things are wonderful. Little TG is sleeping through the night already, and that's wonderful! She is a great baby, and never really cries, just fusses for a second when she's hungry or when her diaper needs changed. She seems to be on a feeding and diaper-filling pattern of every 2 hours and 45 minutes, except for night-time when she sleeps all the way through. And just a bit earlier today, she told me that we were the best parents in the world.

I then wake up to the sound of a baby crying with a dirty diaper, and probably hungry too.

I've gotten smacked a couple times. I can't figure out why. Experienced parents seem to have the biggest reaction.

In that thing called reality which I occasionally visit, TG is a very wonderful and normal baby doing all the standard newborn stuff. She doesn't cry except for when she's hungry or has a wet/dirty diaper, and then she is quick to calm back down. She is nursing well, and doing really well with the common concerns - jaundice, eating, health, etc.

And .... just to play with my head, she almost slept through the whole night last night, only one wake-up. She made up for it by spurting out a bit extra when I was changing her diaper, but otherwise she slept from 10-ish to 2:something and then was up again at 6:45. I could get used to this!

Of course, now that I've taunted the great and powerful Murphey, she'll probably have a dozen wake-ups tonight. But hey, that's life with a newborn baby, and it's still cool to me. (Yeah, I know I'm only a few days into it.)

Big Brother

Not in the Orwellian, 1984 sense, but in the older sibling sense.

Jer is an older brother now, and he enjoys it (so far). He wanted to hold TG as soon as he got home, and we got some nice pictures of them. And then on Sunday during lunch he wanted to hold her the whole time, even though it got in the way of eating. Then, we he was heading off with his mom he didn't want to leave without holding her again. She is sweet and soft, and he loves rubbing her soft skin. He decided that he likes the name "Belle" for her instead - "Not like the bell ding dong, but like the pretty belle," he explains.

Some of his other names for her were Hannah Montana and Uniqua (from the TV show The Backyardigans). His boys names were just as fun - Aniken Skywalker, Jeremiah Jack, and Luke. (you can tell he is on a Star Wars kick, Clone Wars to be precise)

Of course, this doesn't begin to compare to his reaction to LJ! She is his current favoritest person in the whole wide world and he loves her and wants to marry her and wants to go live with her and wants to be with her all the time and wants to play with her FOREVER and and and! Whew! LJ, along with C's parents arrived Saturday evening, much to J's delight. LJ was very good and patient to play with him, but I'll bet she welcomes the break.

J even made a baby blanket for TG (and he really did help with it!) that came out very nicely. He also got her a puppy from Build-a-Bear, some socks, a bib that says "I Love My Sister", a teething toy, and several other items. It was very, very nice.

He had been hoping for a boy, and when we found out she was a she, I let J know that she will need a big brother to protect her from all sorts of things like robbers, and bad guys, and dark Jedi. (tying in Star Wars) Whoah! I got a 10 minute lecture on how Jedi weren't real and that they were only pretend on TV and that TV isn't real and that there aren't really things like Jedi and and and. Got it! We don't need to protect her from dark Jedi!

I think he's going to enjoy this!

Update on post-delivery status

I have a reader! I even have more than one apparently!! Whoa!!!

Anyway, C is doing really well as far as recovery goes. One stitch for a small tear. Soreness from the delivery and also sore muscles from the extreme workout she did during the delivery.

Right after the delivery she felt a bit woozy, and we think that was most likely caused by the blood loss. It was similar to how she sometimes feels after giving blood, and it went away fairly quickly after eating breakfast.

The oddest persistent thing is that her left leg is all tingly throughout her calf and shin. Not the thigh or foot - just the calf and shin area.

The hospital seems to be very happy that the bathroom (or diaper) is in active use by both ladies.

We're heading home Saturday morning.

All done with emails! Adios all! Thank you very much for your well wishes. Darren, you can let your wife know the baby name book was MUCH appreciated and used. We'll get it back to you very soon.

Update on pregnancy

I am at work for a little bit even though my dear wife is still at the birthing inn (bad husband!) but I only came in for a little bit to tamp down a couple fires before the weekend. I am heading right back, I promise!

When I left work Wednesday, there was still not a sign that C was about to go into labor. Everything was pretty much on the previously established schedule of "nothing yet." C's appointment on Monday had her at 1 cm of dilation and effacement around 50%. That showed progress, but nothing showing imminence. As I drove from work to the midwife appointment, I got a call from C - some bleeding had happened, but it wasn't continuing. Not alarming considering that she had an exam on Monday that might have caused a bit of bleeding.

From there we went straight to a decision by the midwives that they wanted to induce labor the very next morning, Thursday! Ack! We told them that we would go in for another check up on Thursday, and if that checkup came up with concerns then we would consider an induction on Friday.

Well, obviously Wednesday night got things started and by Thursday morning things were done! And oh yeah, there are a bunch of emails that need to get sent off to customers before the weekend. So, I'm in for a couple hours to send off some emails. And, as it turns out, do some meeting scheduling, and fixing of time cards, some project arrangements with co-workers, questions for management, etc. And, of course, start answering all the questions everyone is having about how things went.

Best advice has been from HH - women are especially emotional during this time, so make sure your wife knows you love her and are thinking about her and that you still think she's beautiful and that she is being a great mother. She had several stories of her own and friends of poor husbands who suffered for some relatively minor things.

So, honey, I love you very much, and even in an unflattering hospital gown you're still the hottest woman I know. You did a wonderful job with the delivery and you are doing an absolutely amazing job as a mom now.

What? Do I hear my reader(s) saying something? You say I need to say stuff like that in person, so what the *beep* am I doing at work typing up a blog posting when I should be heading back to her!

Good point. I'm in the middle of an email conversation with a couple people, including a manager, and I'm waiting for them to reply. As soon as I get that back, I can respond to a customer, and then I will obey my reader's astute advice!

A new baby!

Yup, yesterday morning saw the entrance of a new little girl into the world. It probably saw the entrance of lots of little girls, but the one in particular I am referring to is my little girl.

C had about 7.5 hours of labor, the first couple hours of contractions weren't too strong, then we had a fairly brief stretch of stronger contractions, and then it was time to push. That was the long part, but she did well (both shes) for the whole three hours.

Ahhhh, my little girl just came back into the room, and the hearing test came back with results that are just fine.

My joke is that Baby Beta moved into the final release status just like all proper software development efforts go - a sudden, last minute, all-night effort right before the deadline! The only things missing were massive infusions of caffeine and sugar!

We're doing well, and C is recovering well. There weren't any problems worthy of the term "complication" - the standard aches and pains of childbirth that has C walking and moving a bit slowly, and that's it.

After coming through the three hours of pushing, little TM (formerly known as Beta) came out with the most impressive conehead I've ever seen, but she has rounded out nicely and could be the poster baby for cute newborns. Itsy, bitsy tiny fingers, toes, and nose. Cute little face wrinkles when she sneezes, and adorable yawns showing off her pink gums.

Things have gone wonderfully well. Praises and thanks to God!

Clunkers Not So Stimulating

Just an article about the impact of the Cash for Clunkers program.

Clunkers Not So Stimulating

One thing that this article doesn't include is the problems the C4C program causes other areas of the economy, and the absolute failure it is as any sort of "green" promotion.

(three posts in one day! whew!)

Ooooo! Good question!

I think I've pointed over to GeoChristian's blog before, but allow me to do so again. It's a place I fairly regularly visit - it's "science-y stuff!"

Occasionally it gets into more than science - it gets into philosophy and theology on occasion. He has even caught a couple atheists who are regular posters and are very decent in their conversations. That's not an amazing fact because they are atheists, but rather because they are posting on the Internet and are remaining decent!! That's a miracle for anyone, Christian, Buddhist, or Atheist.

Recently a thread caught some comments, More Atheist Quotes on Dawkins And The New Atheists, and there are some good discussions going on. One of the posters, "lightsmith" (Atheist), had a really interesting view that had never occurred to me before. The general discussion is a variation of "Why did God make a universe that is so messed up?" Standard sorts of responses back and forth - free will, choice, etc.

Then, in response to a couple free will posts, lightsmith wrote the following:

Now my question is this: do such people [perfected, saved people in heaven] still have free will once they enter heaven? Are they going to be coveting each others’ harps, resenting the guy whose stories and jokes make Jesus laugh more boisterously, trying to sneak off with that pretty little thing that looks so seductive in her new halo? Or are their newly purified hearts going to be immune from such temptations?

Because it seems to me that if it’s the former, then God must have tolerance for a smidgen of sinful nature. If it’s the latter, if people are going to be transformed and perfected, then what’s the point of this shadow play here on earth?

Is everyone going to be perfect in heaven? If so, and if a hundred years of “flawed clay” is to be followed by a hundred billion trillion centuries of sinless spirituality, what possible objection could a divine author have to writing in perfection from the beginning?

If I understand this correctly, he is asking if free will is still going to exist in the new creation. The preceding conversation has more or less said that giving people free will, but then guiding them up so they have no option but to do a certain thing, is not really free will. As an example, if Adam and Eve could only disobey God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but God put the tree in another solar system, Adam and Eve wouldn't really have free will.

Is heaven an equivalent of that? Is the free will of people, which includes the ability to reject God, modified or removed upon being brought to heaven? I hadn't ever thought of it that way. In heaven we won't be subject to sinful desires, so isn't that just taking away free will? Why give it in the first place if it gets taken away for all of eternity?

I do have an answer which (to me, at least) doesn't violate the gift of free will which God gives us and yet still has a perfect new heaven and earth. It's not particularly complicated and I think it's a straightforward answer that satisfies things well and properly, but then of course I would think so!

But, I would love to hear other people's thoughts and/or insights on the question. Actually, my blog isn't nearly as good as his blog, and it would probably be a lot better to head over to his blog if you want to provide your insights.

VBS and Bible Studies

A couple weeks ago we had our church's VBS at a local park, and the whole thing turned out quite well - only one evening of rain which came near the end, and 20-30 kids per night. I was in charge of the games (what else?) and we had three age groups. For the most part everything went pretty smoothly, with Tuesday being the roughest night when we jumped from 20 kids on Monday to 30 on Tuesday. The curriculum was from Answers In Genesis and was pretty good - a basic presentation of the message of the free gift of salvation. It's theme was space, and the only time it focused on the Creation and the age of the earth it was brief and didn't try to put forward evidentiary argumentations (for the most part - they had brief mentions of the number of comets and the receding moon "problem", but not in depth).

When I first heard that the curriculum was going to be from AiG, I was a bit worried that it was going to be a Creationism class rather than a class about Christ, but it all turned out quite well. (except for a particularly attrocious song that no one was able to sing, including me even with the printed words and after 5 days of practicing!)

Anyway, that's the background. Oh, a bit more. Our church has been having Bible studies with Angel (yup, that's his real name) for teens and older teens. We also have started having Bible studies in a low-income housing complex (the MSC), and have had an incredible response from both the kids and the adults there. We've now rolled the older teen study in with the study at the MSC.

So, all that as background for ... now what was I going to say about it again? I came back to this saved note a week after I started it, and I have no idea what my original goal was. I'll post it anyway as a random bit of trivia as to what our church is doing.

To wrap up the MSC info, we have had around 20 to 30 new kids and youth coming weekly to the Bible study. About a dozen come to church as well. We have started borrowing a van from our parent church that planted us just to carry them all to and from the apartment complex. Every single youth I've talked with, which is most, come from single family homes, either from divorces or never married, and live at or below the poverty level. Our church provides groceries and clothes to families in the general area who ask, and a lot of the people who ask are from the MSC.

Lot's of prayer would be appreciated. Maybe that's all I was going with this thought. Maybe not, but that's all I can think of at the moment.