The Rev. Rob Times - Society, Arts, and Entertainment
Lou Reed and Metallica: LULU Album Review
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Saturday, 22 October 2011 08:24
Former Velvet Underground rocker Lou Reed unites with Metallica
to make an album. When these two forces unite, the result is something that no
one can quite expect.
9/11 Not Possible Without Religion
Written by Vox Populi Sunday, 11 September 2011 23:42
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the September
11th attacks on the United Sates. This year also marks the 40th
anniversary of John Lennonâs most influential song, âImagine.â Within the lines
of its lyrics, we are invited to imagine no heaven, no hell, and no religion.
Absent: Movie Review â A Documentary About Fatherlessness From a Director Who Misses the Point
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Saturday, 14 May 2011 03:37
This documentary about absent fathers by young filmmaker Justin Hunt groans under the weight of post hoc statistics and does little more to show that some people who grew up fatherless and made bad decisions while at the same time reminding us that Metallica is cool.
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The Debate Over Dog Fighting Video Games for Android
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Saturday, 30 April 2011 23:56
Google is facing backlash for allowing âKG Dogfightingâ to be sold in the Android Marketplace. This comes only days after the original app, âDog Wars,â was pulled after a national outcry, with former dog fighter extraordinaire Michael Vick adding to the dialog.
The question is now becoming whether or not a game which depicts the illegal act of dog fighting dogs should be allowed to be sold.
Add a commentGoogle Launches âGoogle Gasâ â A Synthetic Replacement for Gasoline
Written by Zadoc Paet Friday, 01 April 2011 10:12
PHOENIX, AZ â On this historic date, Google has launched itâs newest product dubbed âGoogle Gas.â
Unlike other product that Google has launched in recent years, such as Gmail, Google Wave, Google Docs, and more, âGoogle Gasâ is a physical, not electronic, product that consumers can look forward to buying.
An Update from Japan â A Young Womanâs Personal Account of Tragedy and Loss of Life
Written by Yumi Wednesday, 23 March 2011 07:49
As I write this I only have enough time to clean up and change clothes, my brother and I have been in Sendai. Back home in Tokyo itâs hard enough to get more water and blankets; this event is very horrifying.
We went there (to Sendai) to find his wife and children. Lucky we found them, but while there I also found so many bodies... even children. I also found great sadness.
I came across a small little girl, just five years of age. She was stuck under a car, a three door type, and I held her and tried to call help, but my brother said she will die.
That is now the way of life here. So much death, so many dead. But my brother always says, âWe Japanese, we live on.â So we go back again after take a bath shower and such as that area water and communication is lost. My brother and I have been searching, just to find people and help.
Add a commentIs there an outbreak of secular child molesters? The Pope Bashes Atheists in the UK, Compares Them to Nazis
Written by C. Editor Friday, 17 September 2010 04:28
As if we didnât need another reason to criticize either the Catholic Church or former Nazi Youth member, Pope Benedict XVI.
While on his first state visit to England, and the first papal visit to the United Kingdom in 28 years, Pope Benedictâs address didnât contain a single reference to the Vaticanâs massive conspiracy to cover-up hundreds of counts of alleged sexual abuse from within its ranks. Instead the pontiff focused on bashing secularism in a very secular nation.
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We play god every day so, why not allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research?
Written by Jessica Moccio Thursday, 16 September 2010 12:13
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Judge Royce Lamberth overturned the ban President Obama had lifted in March 2009 so that researchers could use federal funds to create embryonic stem cell lines.
According to recent polls, 80% of the population agree with Obama and are in favor of the controversial research. That means even a large number of Republicans and right-wing tea folks are on board with this. Even Congress has passed a bill for it twice.
Stem cell research done with embryonic cells could be much more versatile than using adult cells, or umbilical stem cells, or any other kind of stem cells.. This is because embryonic stem cells can develop into any cell types of the body. They can also be kept alive indefinitely and grown in cultures so they can keep doubling every two to three days.
However, because these stem cells come from blastocysts it becomes a matter of âplaying god.â
Add a commentEditorial: How the Catholic Church Promotes Atheism
Written by Jessica Moccio Monday, 13 September 2010 03:17
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The Catholic Church in Belgium recently released an independent report detailing hundreds of assertions of sexual abuse of children by priests and others working for the church from the 1950s into the late 1980s.
This is a sad truth that reminds us that history repeats itself. Pope Benedict XVI, a former member of the Nazi Youth, has repeatedly said the Vatican will seek justice for victims. What kind of justice can be given?
For the victims in these particular reports, the abusers are long deceased. What justice can you give a child who has been abused? Can you give them back their childhood? When your innocence is ripped from you at such an early age, how can there ever be justice?
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The Lunacy of âLast Callâ Laws
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Sunday, 12 September 2010 23:16
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Different states have different drinking laws, but one thing they all have in common is âlast call,â a cut off time when stores and bars are no longer allowed to serve alcohol.
Itâs 1:30 am in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the least pedestrian cities in the US. Bars are preparing to close at two oâclock in the morning. Patrons have two options. They can drink as much as possible in the remaining half-hour, or they can get in their cars, already inebriated, and drive to the nearest store to buy more booze to continue the night elsewhere.
Either way, the hour between 1:30 am and 2:30 am is unquestionably the most dangerous time to be on the road. These folks who are looking for a good time arenât walking, thereâs no available public transportation, and few are calling for a cab. Be assured, theyâre behind the wheel.
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Who Cares About âBurn a Koranâ Day? This is all the mediaâs fault
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Friday, 10 September 2010 06:31
Terry Jones is an aging nobody, a redneck gun-toting pastor in Gainesville, Florida who leads a congregation of just fifty at his Dove World Outreach Center. Yet his decision to burn copies of the Muslim holy book, the Qurâan, to celebrate the anniversary of the September 11th attacks has literally sparked international outrage. Really, though, who cares?
Debunking Agnosticism â Why Most Self-Identified Agnostics Are Anything But
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Monday, 06 September 2010 05:34
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Agnostics donât exist. The idea of an informed and intelligent person not being able to determine if they do or do not believe in the existence of a god or gods is incredulous at best.
The majority of self-described agnostics are really one of two things; a weak theist, or a weak atheist. And most of them fall into the atheism side of the spectrum.
Agnosticism is the belief that the existence of god and the non-existence of god are equally likely in probability. In other words, evolution and the big bang are equally as plausible as creation and magic sky pixies.
Add a commentThe Number One Religion in the U.S. May Be Egonovism, Not Christianity
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Thursday, 02 September 2010 07:04
Christianity is commonly held to be the predominate religion in the United States. According to the Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA), 82.3 percent of Americans identify themselves as being Christian. The next largest group is Agnostics and Atheists at 11.6 percent.
However, when surveys are made that collect religious data, the pollsters never drill down to find out how religious the respondent really is. As it turns out, most people who identify themselves as a particular religion may not actually adhere to the tenets of their self-proclaimed belief.
In April 2003 the Barna Research Group did ask the deeper questions and determined that only 4 percent of American teenagers are âBible believingâ Christians.
Despite the fact that the percentage of teen Christians in the U.S. is close to that of the national average, Barna was able to come up with just 4 percent because, although many more teens identified themselves as Christians, they didnât follow the tenets of Christianity.
The conclusion is that the vast majority of Christians do not follow Biblical law and other rules in order to ensure their salvation, or generally be a good Christian in the eyes of God.
This is an example of societal norms eroding religious doctrine. Itâs not just Christianity that is affected either. The erosion can clearly be seen in American Islamic and Hindu (Brahmanist) communities as well.
Add a commentAn Anti-American Religious Group Is Building Houses of Worship Near Ground Zero and They Must Be Stopped Now!
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Monday, 23 August 2010 16:12
Itâs true. To the surprise and horror of an untold number of citizens, an ancient Abrahamic religion is attempting to run not one, but several houses of worship near Ground Zero, the sacred land where the United States was viciously attacked by religions fanatics on September 11th, 2001, a day seared into the minds of everyone who was old enough to remember it.
These zealots put their religion above their country and even their families. In other words, their allegiance to their god comes before their allegiance to the United States or the people.
What makes this even more disturbing is that they bring with them their own form of religious law that does not mesh with either the Constitution, endless state and local ordinances, or morality of any kind as we know it. In fact, if they were to follow this religious code they would most likely end up in prison.
Add a commentA Trip to the Phoenix Musical Instrument Museum
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Saturday, 14 August 2010 08:23
Calling themselves the world's first "global" Musical Instrument Museum, MIM's grand opening began in Phoenix, AZ weekend of April 24th 2010. Though there are other musical instruments in Brussels, London, Paris,
Berlin, and Belgium, to name a few, organizers of the $250 million Phoenix project say that the others lack a global perspective.
MIM certainly does have a global perspective. Equipped with headset and receiver, visitors follow a network of interlinked geo-galleries, ten in all, that represent a different part of the world: Africa, Middle East, East Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and so on. Each region of the world is represented, and the goal is that each country within each region will have their own gallery, complete with an assortment of instruments and audio/video display.
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Banning Cell Phones While Driving - Good Idea or Useless Law?
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Friday, 13 August 2010 00:34
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A commercial flickers on the TV screen during the break of the always funny Family Guy. A close up of a young girl talking on her cell phone fills the screen. Her laughter and giggling is abruptly cut short... The camera pans out to reveal that she had been talking on her cell phone while driving; followed by a message: "Do not talk on your cell phone while driving."
The message intended to be seen is a simple one; talking on the phone while driving. However, itâs easy to see something profoundly different, and something that is quickly become a cancer on American society; the art of passing blame.
On the Neuroticism of Fox News Viewers
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Monday, 02 August 2010 02:53
Christopher Nolan had it wrong, inception is pretty easy
Lets face it. Fox News isnât a news source, per se. Itâs a network that is, by design, set up to propagate a specific political view point, that of the American political right wing. Fox is neither fair nor balanced, and oftentimes âfactsâ conveyed on the network are demonstrably false. Yet fans of the network swear by it as the only source for news that they trust. The following is an analysis of Foxâs tactics of manipulation and the defenses employed by their viewers.
First, it is important to assume that the average Fox News viewer is intelligent, capable of reasoning, and is rational. Many are well educated and successful in their respective comminutes. So, what is it that allows them to be blinded from the obvious reality that Fox News manipulates them, and in some cases out and out lies to them?
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The Phases of Instructional Design: Using the ADDIE Model
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Thursday, 03 June 2010 23:33
Engagement, knowledge retention, learner buy in; these elements are critical for a successful training implementation in an IT environment. The foundation for achieving these goals is a well developed instructional design process. Well designed training materials prevent manuals and job aids from appearing dull. Lifeless and over cluttered materials actually encourage passive learning. Passive learning comes with the high cost of retraining and increased levels of customer support because the information was not retained in the first place.
Add a commentAdult Learning Theory for Mentors, Managers, Trainers, and Support Professionals
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Sunday, 27 July 2008 15:31
Trainers, mentors, managers, and support professionals oftentimes we find themselves in a position where they are required to coach or train an employee on aspects of a new technology, website, report, hardware usage, or application.
Typing: One Space or Two between Sentences?
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Wednesday, 18 June 2008 00:00
Fighting Foreclosure: The Tools and Resources to Prevent Foreclosure
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Friday, 04 April 2008 11:45
Foreclosure auctions are becoming commonplace in America today, as are streets littered with “For Sale” signs placed in the yards of homes that have been on the market for months, with little hope of actually selling. Bankruptcy laws have now been changed to favor the lenders, leaving consumers will little protection when times get tough.
With foreclosure rates at their highest in history, it is more important than ever that every homeowner understand their rights.
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