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What is a recursonym?

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After finding out that YAML is a retronymed recursive acronym, a coworker of mine (John Cruikshank) and I decided that we needed to coin a shorter term to mean “recursive acronym.” After all, if someone can come up with words like retronym, then why can’t we make our own words, too? So, we came up with the term recursonym. A recursonym, or recursive acronym, according to Wikipedia, is “an abbreviation that refers to itself in the expression for which it stands.” Popular examples include PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) and GNU (GNU’s Not Unix). Wikipedia has a more complete list, if you need more examples to better understand how recursonyms work.

So, now that we’ve proven how cool we are by creating our own word, someone can pay us a whole lot of money.

Vista-Style Buttons

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Okay, okay … I’ll admit it. I didn’t figure out how to create the graphics for this new layout all by myself. When I thought I was done, my brother pointed me to a GIMP tutorial that explained how to create Vista-style buttons. I tried it out and liked the result good enough to use it on here.

Keep in mind that my use of buttons that look like Vista does not mean I am advocating that operating system in any way. I explained in a conversation on Facebook yesterday that I’m fairly opposed to using the OS. I haven’t used it much, but from my brief experiences, following are my complaints. In short: Windows XP works great for me. Why do I need something different?

  1. Vista puts stuff in different places. I don’t know whose bright idea it was to move so much stuff around. Higher learning curve means fewer people will be willing to adopt it quickly.
  2. That Mac vs. PC commercial that pokes fun at the new security stuff in Vista is pretty accurate.
  3. I tried to connect to a Samsung laser printer connected to an XP machine from a Vista machine and couldn’t get it to work. I tried all sorts of stuff, looked online, etc., etc., for like an hour or so. Then, I added it to my XP laptop and it took a whole 1-2 minutes.

In summary, Vista is lacking in compatibility, learnability, usability, and Erich-friendliness Blogger Smiley.

I’m a new man

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… only in a sense. A few minutes ago, I unveiled the new and improved ErichMusick.com. For those of you who have been here recently, you won’t find any new content. There’s just this slick new layout that I made while I was out visiting Stan and Sara (and, of course, their dog Ivan) earlier this week. Stan and I also worked on the next version of his blogger software – BlogSCL3. I’ll be upgrading to that over the next couple of days. As of right now, there are still a few bugs that need to be worked out before I feel comfortable using it in a “production” environment.

This new version of BlogSCL has cut out a large chunk of the features present in the previous version, and adds a few new ones. Don’t worry … we’ve kept what is truly important. The application is more streamlined, better integrated into PageSite, and just a whole lot cooler. The stuff we got rid of wasn’t all that important, anyway … who needs Trackbacks, Pings, and all that other jazz? If you decide to include these features, as a developer creating blog software, you have to either provide a real complex mechanism for eliminating trackback spam, or else subject your users to spam. My favorite new feature in BlogSCL3 is the ability that I will have to tag articles. This is similar to the category feature in version 2 but a whole lot cooler. Check back in a few days to see it live on my site.

Stan is talking about starting up a new blog to record his development activities. I’m pretty excited, as it’s been a year and a half since he last posted on his current blog. This blog might also be somewhere he’ll let me post, on the rare occasion that I have something programming-related to say. I enjoyed doing some coding with him again – it’s hard to get in the groove on these side projects when I’m at work all day.

Well, enjoy the new layout. And the new features when they show up. I keep telling myself I’d like to post on here more frequently, but I can’t seem to find the time.

Bourne Ultimatum

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I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum after work this afternoon with Martin. I went in with much anticipation, as the first two movies are some of my all time favorites. After seeing the movie, I did a little looking online to read other peoples’ feedback and the consensus seems to be that it is an excellent film, but it could have done without the shaky camera work. Before giving it such high praise, I think I need to see it again. We got to the theater a few minutes after the previews had started, so we were forced to sit three rows from the front. The fact that we were at the Ultrascreen only served to compound the problem … from that distance it’s difficult to follow rapidly motion because of the great distance that is covered. I would have to say that I probably missed about half of the movie because of this. Story-wise, I think it did a good job of concluding the series and is easier to follow than the first two movies (but isn’t the lack of clarity or explanation of Treadstone in, say, the first movie, half of what makes it so intriguing?)

Avoiding Responsibility

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While discussing the topic of banking last Friday at work, our presenter commented on how people’s attitudes toward bankruptcy have changed over the past few decades. Whereas thirty or forty years ago, declaring bankruptcy was the sort of thing that one would try to keep under the rug, many today boast about the number of times they have declared bankruptcy. For many, it no longer functions as a last resort, but rather as a scapegoat for the responsibility of owning up to the incredible debts they have racked up.

We briefly discussed how this mindset of offsetting the blame for one’s actions is manifested elsewhere in our society. Take, for example, the thief who locked himself in his victim’s garage while they were away for the weekend. Somehow this guy won a lawsuit arguing that the homeowner should have had a way to get out of the garage from the inside.

In his book, The Jesus of Suburbia, Mike Erre provides another example of blame-shifting:

Why is it, I wondered, that the Playboy Foundation is one of the biggest supporters of abortion on demand? Is it because of their deep and abiding concern for the equality and objective value of women, or is something else behind it? I argued that our current system legitimates male irresponsibility by allowing men to merely offer to pay for the “procedure” if their girlfriend gets pregnant; if she chooses to keep the child instead, he is off the hook. p. 162, emphasis added

Initially, I thought this attempt to avoid responsibility was something that came about recently. Although in many senses it is more prevalent now than a few decades ago, this is not a new issue we, as human beings, are facing. Rather, it is a behavior manifested by the very first man and woman to walk on the earth. Look at Adam and Eve’s response to God when he asks them, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"
The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Genesis 3:12-13

God’s question is initially directed at Adam. Rather than acknowledging his direct disobedience to God’s command (Genesis 2:16), Adam blames God, arguing that the woman God gave him shared the fruit with him and he ate. Eve’s response is similar. She does not confess her sin but rather places the blame on the serpent, who deceived her.

More important than bankruptcy or “male irresponsibility” is our attempt to avoid responsibility for our sin. John writes:

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9

When we deny our sinfulness, the Truth is not in us; we die in our sins and trespasses. However, when we confess that we are sinners, God forgives us and gives us life. This is all made possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection, in which he took the punishment for, the responsibility for our sins upon himself. As Paul writes, “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Home Sweet Home

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After much searching, I’ve finally found a place to live when I graduate. A few friends and I will be residing in the ritzy Milwaukee-area city of Brookfield in a nice three bedroom townhome. Once we’ve moved in, I’ll consider posting a few pictures online.

I’ll be graduating on Saturday at 10 a.m. I’ve got 7 tickets, 4 for my parents, and 3 extras. If you need an extra for one of your guests, or if you want to come see me graduate, let me know and I’ll hook you up, while supplies last.

I’ve gone a single final exam left – one for Dr. Jung’s Contemporary European Societies class. This exam has two parts. The first is what Jung calls the cumulative question. This is basically a take-home handwritten essay that summarizes all the material that we’ve learned over the course of the quarter. The second is one of his standard exams, consisting of some fill in the blank vocab, two short answer questions, and one brief essay. I plan to finish up the essay in between taking apart my deck and my loft and beginning to move stuff out into our house. I’ll be taking the other part of the exam Friday morning, before the Senior Design show.

Where was God at Virginia Tech?

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With yesterday’s shootings at Virginia Tech, the question of God’s role in such events has been on my mind quite a bit. Yesterday, I had a friend ask me, “I am just having a hard time understand why God would allow such a thing to happen … what good can come from this?” Because of a Bible Study I’d prepared earlier in the morning on John 9, the following verses came to mind quickly: “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3 Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.'” Though no one is accusing the deceased of being killed because of their sin, this passage does make a very clear statement about God’s sovereignty despite bad circumstances. Not being God myself, I don’t know why he allowed these tragic events to transpire, nor do I know how His glory might be revealed in these circumstances. But, I do know that all hope is not lost. I have seen efforts made by believers to comfort those who have experienced loss. At my school alone, several prayer meetings have been held and will be held for the victims of this crime. Further, events like these generally cause us to consider the brevity of life and that which is truly important, something that comes as a much-needed breath of fresh air for our fast-paced, greed-driven, self-absorbed society.

I was also reminded of the story of Job. After losing everything, Job did not sin or curse God but rather affirmed, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). After the long discourse with his “friends,” I love God’s answer to Job:

Job 38
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 "Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 " Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?

God’s monologue goes on for a few chapters … I’d recommend reading the rest of it.

It is so easy for us to think we know better than God, to think that certain things simply shouldn’t happen. While I don’t mean to suggest that the actions of yesterday’s shooter were justified or undermine the seriousness of the loss of life, I feel we do need to keep a proper perspective on matters and allow God to be God. Our thoughts and ways are not God’s. Rather, He reminds us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). The story of Joseph’s is a great example of this. His father favored him over his brothers, which bred jealousy in their hearts, which then led them to sell him into slavery. Joseph suffers further when he is thrown into jail on false accusations. Yet, in the end, when he sees his brothers again, he forgivingly explains to them, “you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” God used his brothers’ jealousy and their sale of Joseph into slavery to provide for His people.

While discussing this issue with a different friend, he posed the rhetorical question, “Why did God prevent this from happening the day before? … and the day before that?” In all reality, God doesn’t owe us anything, and yet He bestows us with his grace daily. Not only does he give us physical life, but also provides spiritual life, sight for the blind, the bread of life for the hungry, and living water for the thirsty. We “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and yet “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Finally, if I haven’t copied/pasted enough Scripture, I find the following passage from Romans to be comforting. I know the context isn’t addressing human suffering in general, but I think it helps to paint a more complete picture of our Lord and Savior.

Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

" For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Succeeding at MSOE

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Several weeks ago, when I wrote about how to succeed at MSOE, or at college in general, I left out the most fundamental point: the role of God in one’s studies, and life in general.

Looking back on my four years at MSOE, I can easily say that my Junior year was the best and the hardest at the same time. Although I had the most challenging classes of all four years, I learned an immense amount of information related to my major. I also broke up with Lydia in the middle of my junior year. While it is true that was a very difficult time, it forced me to rely on God for strength where I otherwise would not have necessarily been inclined toward doing so.

Last night, while we were reading the Bible together as a family, the following verses from Isaiah 40 stood out in my mind:

28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

This was a good reminder to me that it was, indeed, God who brought me through the challenges of my junior year and used them all as a means to strengthen me and teach me, as well as show his continual goodness and strength.

From an eternal perspective, the success I’ve had at MSOE is insignificant, as good grades that helped me to find a good job don’t serve to bring anyone to God’s kingdom. Rather, it is my hope that my interactions with other students and my attitude toward school during the past four years at MSOE have been a time that God has used me in his fulfillment of the Great Commission – ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).

CNN Article Typo

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It seems that the CNN editors could use a good lesson in English subject-verb agreement rules. In a recent article about a New York couple who wants to take a cab to Arizona, they made a significant error.


(Click for larger image)

Note the line, “The couple don’t drive and don’t want to put their cats on a plane.” Although “the couple” consists of two individuals (presumably made one through the union of marriage), the noun is singular and used in the third person. However, “do not” is not the proper form for the third person singular. Rather, “does not” is the proper third-person singular form. Thus, the article should read, “The couple does not want…” or “The two don’t want…”

Unashamedly Spreading God’s Word

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And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!"

29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."

41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

– Acts 5:27-32; 41-42

I recently heard the perseverance with which the apostles shared the Gospel in this passage compared to a short, scrawny guy who gets pushed down in jest by his tall, well-built friend and then gets right back up and encourages his friend to “bring it on.” While it is true that the apostles ignore the human authority, they by no means have the cocky and childish attitude of one who encourages his harassers to “bring it on.” They don’t encourage the pharisees to persecute them. They simply hold fast in the Truth. It just so happens that it’s not the popular thing to do. If we seek to do what is unpopular, we have the wrong motive; our goal is in the wrong spot. Instead of seeking to bring the wrath of our enemies upon us, we should seek to share Christ, regardless of what people think. We shouldn’t emphasize the conditions under which we must do something as our goal. Rather, we should make the goal the goal and stick to it. Paul runs for the prize. Why? Not for the sake of running, but for the sake of the prize? And what is our prize? It is Christ, our Lord and Savior.