Geek

iPad 2

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

On the day the first iPad became available I bought one.  Over the last year it has been a constant companion usage wise as I took it to work and around the house and elsewhere.  For what was a first generation device it fulfilled my expectations and more.  This did not keep me from lusting after the iPad 2.  So last Friday I drove by the Apple store only to see a huge line so I ended up going from store to store finding them sold out wherever I went.  So back to the Apple store and the line.  I ended up with the last ticket they had to ensure I would get the iPad 2.  As luck had it the last ticket was for the very model I wanted – A Black iPad 2 with 32GB and Verizon 3G.  Two hours later I was a happy owner with sore feet of the new iPad.

As many reviewers have had this is more of an evolutionary upgrade of the iPad than a majorly changed device.  The original iPad did not feel slow in any way and load times of apps and browsing was acceptable.  The iPad 2 though is even snappier and large games load much faster and rendering of pages in the browser is noticeably improved.

The main engineering changes are that the iPad is much thinner and in fact thinner than the iPhone 4 at 8.6mm.  This makes it much nicer to hold in that there is not the flat edge that use to be there. It is slightly lighter at 1.33 pounds vice the original 1.5 pounds. As someone who does a lot of reading, holding the iPad for long durations is no more annoying than doing the same with a good size hardcover book.The main display is the same in size and resolution.  Models are available with either a black or a white bezel. I got the black bezel since white would frame the content too much and be a distraction.

Under the hood the Apple developed A4 ARM processor has been replaced by a dual-core A5 ARM processor along with a significantly faster dual-core graphics processor that puts iPad gaming to the next level rivaling game machines.  The memory has been doubled at 512MB along with a faster bus.  In addition front and back facing cameras have been added.  Like the iPhone 4 the iPad 2 includes a gyroscope which can be quite useful in gaming and other applications.

After using it for a couple of days I am very happy with the speed bump and task-switching is much better with the doubled memory.  The browsing experience is much improved, though partly this is due to the release of iOS 4.3 which includes a new javascript rendering engine.  I am not a major gamer, but I do game much more since I got the iPad.  Games that did take some time to load, take very little time now and there are reports that games updated for the iPad 2 such as Infinity Blade are truly amazing.  The iPad 2 also now supports display mirroring.  Using the new HDMI adaptor you can now output the display to a monitor via an HDMI cable.  So not only could you output Netflix from the iPad to your TV, you can also simply display the iPad desktop and any application currently running.  I had great fun playing Robot Unicorn Attack on a large screen TV while using the iPad as the controller.  This is also good news for those using the iPad in business or education.  Battery life seems much the same, over ten hours.  Quite an accomplishment to beef up the hardware and retain the original iPad’s exceptional battery life.

I am glad that I knew ahead of time how crappy the cameras would be.  The back camera is 1-megapixel and the front-facing camera is VGA resolution.  It is quite obvious the cameras were designed just for Facetime (a video phone app) and for video capture.  While it is doubtful anybody would really be using an iPad because of it’s size for their main camera – I certainly would have wanted a better camera and especially the one used in the iPhone 4.  Despite their reasoning you know the next version will have better cameras.

Surprisingly the new Smart Cover is something to write home about.  This cover which attaches magnetically and also becomes a stand is really quite amazing.  It just plain works and is also fun to use.  Of course the cover sets you back another $39 just like the HDMI adapter.  No nickel and diming for Apple – the nickels start at $39.

Apple also released two new apps for the iPad 2. iMovie and Garageband.  I have not yet tried iMovie, but the reviews are overwhelmingly positive concerning power and ease of use in editing videos.  Though imported videos need to be in h.264 formatted 720p .MOV files as used by the iPhone.  I have played around with Garageband and it is spectacular with an 8-track recording studio and virtual instruments. As a guitarist I played with the smart guitar that pretty much lets anybody start playing guitar quickly with a default set of chords for each key along with different types of guitars and effects.  The smart keyboards and drums also give you plenty of options and again great fun to play around with.  You can also plug your guitar into the iPad 2 and play it through various amps and effects.  This is both a serious app for musicians and something most people can learn from and have fun with. Apple just to throw us off are only charging $4.99 for Garageband and iMovie.

Last time around I got the 64GB iPad and I had filled it with apps, books, and just a part of my music collection.  This time I got the 32GB instead since iOS 4.3 now has home sharing allowing you to use the iTunes library on another computer at home via wi-fi.  So now that  I can access my music collection  directly I did not need as much memory.  Last time I got the Wi-Fi only version and this time the one with 3G.  In the U.S. AT&T and Verizon versions are available.  I went with Verizon since their network is more robust (though slower) and their basic plan gave 1GB of data vice AT&T’s basic plan of only 250MB.  I also went with the 3G version since I don’t have a cell phone and thus can’t tether the iPad to a phone.  Data plans for the iPad are also month to month with no activation fees or contracts.  The 3G versions also have GPS so you can use one of the many GPS apps available.  My wife now has my old iPad and she is discovering the joys of going from the 4-Volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours to iBreviary and leaving all those ribbons behind.

The iPad is one of those devices you wonder how you would use it and then later wonder how you got along without it.  The range of applications give you innovative ways to consume information and to also create content.  Besides I am now addicted to Angry Birds.

For an in-depth technical review see the one at Ars Technica.

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Other

Catholic Media Promotion Day

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Greg Willits of the “The Catholic’s Next Door” radio show came up with the idea of Catholic Media Promotion Day where people promote their favorite Catholic media.  Most people are listing three in each area of Catholic Media.  As someone who consumes a lot of Catholic media limiting to three or really any number is like asking which is your favorite child.  Instead I will just list what comes to mind and are my daily obligations to the world of Catholic Media. Really though you can look at the side of my blog for a more extensive list.

Blogs:  Happy Catholic. Catholic and Enjoying It!,  Conversion Diary, American Papist, Creative Minority Report, Disputations, Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!, What Does The Prayer Really Say?, Acts of the Apostasy, Aliens in this world, In Light of the Law, Jimmy Akin, John C. Wright, Patrick Madrid, Ten Reasons, The Anchoress, The B-Movie Catechism, The Crescat, The Sacred Page, Orthometer, Ignatius Insight

And that is just a starter.  There are so many other blogs not listed that if they would stop blogging I would feel like I lost a dear friend.

Luckily there are less podcasts to list only because the total number of Catholic podcasts is much smaller.

SQPN: They have a wealth of podcasts and notable mentions are The Break with Fr. Roderick, Catholic in a Small Town (hilarious), iPadre, The Saintcast, plus a collection of excellent  “Secrets of” podcasts that views popular media via the Catholic faith.

Catholic Underground – faith and technology and I can hardly wait for each episode. The Catholic Hack, Forgotten Classics, The Catholic Laboratory, A Good Story is Hard to Find, Prairie Rome Companion, Uncommon Sense, Word On Fire

Radio:  The following radio shows also are available as podcasts. Kresta in the Afternoon, Catholic Answers Live, The Catholics Next Door *, EWTN’s Open Line

Note: * Podcast is a weekly best of show.

EWTN: The Journey Home *, The World Over *, Sunday Night Live *.   G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense.

Note: * These shows are also available as podcasts.

Newspaper: National Catholic Register. This paper has gotten even better since they now have blogs from people such as Jimmy Akin.

Twitter: I have a Twitter list of some of my favorite Catholics to follow.

Books are media too, but I won’t even attempt to list my favorite Catholic books.

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News

Venerable John Paul II Facebook Page

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Rumors that deceased Pope John Paul II is joining Facebok have been confirmed by the Vatican.

The Facebook page for the late pope will be unveiled by the Vatican in an effort to promote his beautification.

Monsignor Paul Tighe, one of the Vatican’s top two in the social media department, said “What we found is that Facebook doesn’t just share information, it creates community.”

It has been reported that the page will link to video highlights of John Paul’s 27-year papal run.

The church will also expand its media focus to include a Vatican news portal, to begin on Easter. The Vatican’s first message reads:

“That interactivity — and the potential it brings to the church’s evangelization mission — is behind the Vatican’s new social media push, the culmination of which will be launched at Easter with a new Vatican information web portal whose contents are specifically designed to be tweeted, posted and blogged.” [Source]

Well if the story is true, it seems like a pretty Catholic idea to me to have a dead person with a Facebook page.  The Communion of Saints is a reality, though you don’t need a Facebook account to friend these friends of God.  The Wall will be more like the Wailing Wall where people will post notes for intercessory requests.  Just remember chat is fully functional with the Communion of Saints, but not Facebook chat and don’t expect to play “Words with Friends” with him.

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Book Review

What we can’t not know

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

J. Budziszewski was an Evangelical who converted to the Catholic Church in 2004. His book on the Natural Law “What we can’t not know” was published by Spence around the same time. Recently Ignatius Press has issued an expanded version of this book with a new preface and updated content. Natural Law theory was something I wanted to go deeper into and so I got this book after seeing it mentioned at Insight Scoop.

I’m glad that I did since What We Can’t Not Know: A Guide is a very good introduction into the Natural Law and really answered some of the questions that I had.  The author describes that the book is for “The persuaded, the half-persuaded, and the wish-I-were-persuaded.”

He shows the history of the Natural Law series which was first proposed prominently in Stoicism and has been advanced by all major religious traditions to some extent.  This book clears up so many preconceptions on the Natural Law about what it is and what it isn’t.  There is certainly much confusion on these points that I have found among Catholics. There has always been a tension between “What we can’t not know” and how we act and that tension is what people often use to deny the Natural Law.  Acting contrary to the Natural Law is an aspect of concupiscence and there are many ways that what the Natural Law theorists call the “four witnesses” to the Natural Law can in part be suppressed.  Rationalizations and cultural trends can make it harder for us to hear our deep conscience and the other witnesses – but those witnesses are still there regardless.

The writing itself is very good and fits the target audience exactly.  I learned much from it and I especially enjoyed the section where is presents arguments against the Natural Law as a conversation between two people.  Common objections are presented and answered in a natural conversationalist way.  This was really exactly what I was looking for in explaining the Natural Law.

This book is available at Ignatius Press in both Paperback and eBook editions.

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Theology

Thank God for Heretics!

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

I say this in the spirit of the Exsultet.

O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Currently I am reading Blessed John Henry Newman’s “An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine” and was thinking how much we owe to heretics.

Much of the Old Testament with the Judges, Prophets, and Chronicles show the ebb and flow of the faithfulness of the people of Israel. The Prophets were not exactly called to remind people what a good job they were doing worshiping God. Again and again the prophets called people back to true worship and had plenty of choice words about their current behavior. A faithful Israel would have made for a much shorter Old Testament.

The New Testament is much the same. Outside of the Gospels and the Books of Acts most of the letters address problems in the new Christian communities from liturgical abuses to scandals of members involved in sin. Again, faithful communities would have brought us a much shorter New Testament.

Moving in to the age of the Church things haven’t changed much. The development of doctrine owes much to heretics. Blessed John Henry Newman notes the two aspects of doctrinal development 1. Investigations of Faith, 2. Attacks of heresy. The major Ecumenical Councils of the Church were mostly called in response to attacks of heresy. This seems especially true for the Councils up through Trent. As a result of Arius we got a much more defined Christology and this has been the pattern. The Church is much more likely to respond to heresies and seriously disputed questions as the needs arise. On other theological questions she is willing to wait for the turn of centuries and for the investigations of faith to more fully elucidate some truth. For example the Immaculate Conception had been believed since the beginning of the Church. The theology involved was advanced by Blessed Duns Scotus in the 13th century and yet the Church waited till 8 December 1854 to have Pope Pius IX formally define it. The issue of providence of God with human free will was a theological battleground between Molinism and Thomism enough so that the pope of the time basically called a time out. The issue has been pretty much left on hold as far as doctrinal development goes. Again the Church is willing to let centuries and millenniums pass when it comes to doctrinal development and is quite willing to take her cues from the Holy Spirit in this regard.

Heretics get results and so thanks to heretics we get doctrinal action. So thank you heretics, I just hope you repented before you died.

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PunditryTheology

Why do Progressive Catholics Hate Catholic Politicians?

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

No doubt the title of this post is link bait, but I also use it as a truth.

Ever since I heard St. Thomas Aquinas’ definition of love – willing the good for the other – I have only become more convinced of its accuracy and a guide to how to love my enemies.

Recently Canonist Ed Peters has been much in the news because of his posting that Gov. Cuomo should be denied Communion because he is living with his girlfriend. Not only is this technically public concubinage, but adultery since they are both married and civilly divorced.  His post addressed the Canons involved and what should be an easy application of them in this case.  This of course was met with a firestorm of progressive Catholics attacking him along with non-Catholics who are politically liberal.  Even the Diocese of Albany responded to the post in a unsatisfactory manner and it could easily be said that this Diocese seems to lean in favor of progressive Catholics.  Ed Peters has spent considerable time addressing some of the articles written and responding to some requests.  While this is a good thing to do, it is often a losing war to respond reasonably to those who won’t be reasonable.

Which brings me to the point of this post.  Objectively Gov. Cuomo continues in a state of grave sin that he has not yet repented of.  That he is committing an objectively grave sin can not be disputed. All faithful Catholics when it comes to Gov. Cuomo should desire his repentance so as to love him – to will him good.  While we can not judge his soul and how culpable he is, we certainly know that the current state of affairs is an extremely dangerous one for him.

It has long been Catholic teaching that receiving the Sacrament of the Eucharist when you are in an objectively grave state of sin profanes the Eucharist.

“For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died” (1 Cor. 11:29–30)

So anybody who loved Gov. Cuomo or anybody else in similar circumstances would want them not to receive Communion. Ideally they would want him to repent and thus be worthy to receive this great sacrament or to at least not go forward to receive being aware of his grave sin. Gov. Cuomo though does indeed still go forward even though he is aware at least of the controversy and surely knows his actions are not in accord with the Church. So again anybody who loved Gov. Cuomo knowing that he would still go forth to receive would want him to be kept from receiving out of concern for his soul in not adding another sin. All of this is of course in the context of a public sinner; one where the objectively grave sin of the person is well known. To think that Gov. Cuomo should be given Communion is to show an objective hatred for him in that you do not will him good, but evil.

I have not read one progressive Catholic who seems to be concerned at all for Gov. Cuomo’s soul and their concern seems to be almost totally political. Their anger is directed towards Ed Peters whose crime is pointing out the application of Canon Law in this matter.

Former Jesuit John C. Dwyer who hasn’t lost the Jesuitical touch said “Cuomo comes from a day and age when living with your girlfriend isn’t a serious, grievous matter … or something that’s seen as a serious violation of God’s will,”

Again confusing what is objectively grave with what a person is culpable for. And if Gov. Cuomo is truly confused about this it was with the help of theology professors like John C. Dwyer.

So why is it that progressive Catholics seem to care more about party affiliation than about someone’s soul? When Mayor Giuliani was running for President many Catholics such as myself were upset when he presented himself for Communion and was given it. Most faithful Catholics opposed his run for presidency because of his personal sins and his embrace of the Culture of Death. Yet so-called progressive Catholics seem to have little concern at all of how badly Catholic politicians are at odds with the faith they profess. Politics trumps sin and just as long as the politician supports the agenda you want – nothing else matters.

I don’t think we will be seeing any articles in America Magazine, National Catholic Reporter, and other outlets of the usual suspects asking people to pray for Gov. Cuomo to repent of his objectively grave sins. Profaning the Lord in the Eucharist doesn’t seem to bother them just as he is one of their guys agenda-wise.

So pray for Gov. Cuomo and his concubine and for those who ignore abuse of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

* Note: I use the term progressive Catholic since this is how they identify themselves. I only use it since I hate it less than such terms has liberal/conservative Catholics. Really there are only faithful Catholics and unfaithful Catholics. This does not mean that all Catholics will agree with each other on prudential applications, but that faithful Catholics take the Magisterium seriously.

Ed Peters’ original post: Cuomo’s concubinage and holy Communion

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Punditry

Catholic College fires openly homosexual “Old Catholic” priest

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

A Pennsylvania College professor is out of a job tonight.
Father James St. George says he was fully vetted when he was hired to teach at Chestnut Hill College, a private Roman Catholic institution in Pennsylvania. But the schools says that they did not know he was gay, and has since let him go.

Now Father St. George is wondering whether a letter from a local lawyer may have done him in. [Of course his behavior had nothing to do with it]

Father St. George doesn’t exactly hide the fact that he’s gay. But he says he never brings it up in class.

“My sexuality has never come up. I’ve never once said i’m gay,” [Except on his public blog]

Father St. George is part of the Old Catholic Church Of The Americas, a faction that broke away from the Vatican back in 1870. In his church, priests are allowed to marry and be gay.

A quick Google search when the college hired him would have revealed that, but the college said in a statement, “it was with great disappointment when we learned through St. George’s public statements of his involvement in a gay relationship with another man for the past 15 years.” [Source]

Technically he was not fired for having same-sex attraction, but for engaging in homosexual acts. The fact that he didn’t mention he was part of the schismatic “Old Catholic Church” is also relevant. He also advertises himself on a wedding web site “Interfaith Ceremony, Same Sex, Single Religion Ceremony.”

He is also available for “Anniversaries, Christenings, Eco-Friendly / Green Weddings, LGBT Weddings / Ceremonies, Memorials”

So what exactly is an Eco-Friendly Green Wedding? Do they throw guaranteed biodegradable rice and the wedding gowns are made of recycled wedding gowns? Or perhaps drag recycled tin cans behind the couple’s Prius?

It is interesting the story of the Old Catholic Church which went into schism after the 1st Vatican Council over papal infallibility. They were seen as hardline on change and of course now allow pretty much everything except of course belief in papal infallibility. When you through Peter over the side pretty soon you crash on the rocks of modernity.

Chestnut Hill College President Carol Jean Vale statement:

“As president of Chestnut Hill College, a private Catholic institution, it is imperative that I clarify the conditions of our College’s decision not to issue a new part-time teaching contract to Jim St. George. St. George served as adjunct instructor in our School of Continuing and Professional Studies from January 2010 to February of this year teaching a variety of courses in religion and scripture.

“At the time St. George joined our faculty, he presented himself as Father St. George and openly wore a traditional Catholic priest’s collar. While St. George appears to be an ordained pastor-he leads St. Miriam, an independent and self-described reformed Antioch-rite Catholic house of worship located in Blue Bell, Pa.–his church allows priests the option to engage in same-sex partnerships.  This is contrary to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.

“It was with great disappointment when we learned through St. George’s public statements of his involvement in a gay relationship with another man for the past 15 years. It is important to note that this information came to our attention only after St. George chose to make his private life public information on his blog.

“While we welcome diversity, it is expected that all members of our College community, regardless of their personal beliefs, respect and uphold our Roman Catholic mission, character and values both in the classroom and in public statements that identify them with our school.  For this reason, we chose not to offer an additional teaching contract to St. George.” [Source]

Kudos to the college President for acting correctly.  Now we need to pray for Father James St. George.

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Pro-life

Anti-Abortion Posters

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

There has long been an attack on anti-abortion posters that actually show the result of the faux “right” and certainly there is a prudential decision involved where such posters help the pro-life cause and not hurt it.

Yet.

This poster has also created a controversy causing it to be torn down. Obviously the only acceptable pro-life poster is no pro-life poster.

Why is it people can overlook the preponderances of abortion clinics in minority neighborhoods and yet get upset about this poster? Why is it Planned Parenthood can give an award each year, The Maggie, named after a notorious racist who planned to specifically reduce the population of Blacks? The specific focus of abortion for Blacks which unsurprisingly as a result has the highest abortion rate is not exactly a closely guarded secret. Remember the previously taped phone call where a man calls into Planned Parenthood asking if he can donate money for abortion of Blacks only to be answered with “Yes.”

This is a perfect example of not seeing any trees because the forest gets in the way. While abortion is an equal opportunity killer some people are more equal than others with Animal Farm logic. Margaret Sanger’s “Negro Project” continues and just as before Blacks are used to advance the very effort to reduce their numbers.

In this world though abortion clinics in minority neighborhoods is not the problem, the problem is a simple poster to remind people that the most dangerous place for African American children is the womb of their mothers. I does not even mention 300,000 black unborn people are killed each year. No graphic photo, just the truth in a short message.

“This is an atrocity,” said Darcey Merritt, 42, who is African-American and a professor of social work at New York University.

“If a little person of color walks buy and sees this, what message does that give about his or her mother, about other black people and their worth?” Merritt said. “This is dangerous.”

If only he was saying this about the abortion clinic in his neighborhood.

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