How to get rid of the crap that sticks to your computer

Techrepublic's George Ou wrote a great article on how to de-gunkify your PC of most of the junk we get whether we just bought a new PC, installed a ton of programs which run on startup so now the computer boots up slow, uninstalled most of those programs, etc. Basically whenever your computer is either running slow and/or you need more hard drive space this is one of the first things you should do.

He suggests two great little programs: Autoruns and CCleaner and does pretty good job of explaining how to use them and why you are running them.

The Sufficiency of Scripture - 3

The Form of Biblical Teaching

How could the Bible be a code for human conduct without being exhaustive on how we are to behave; should we expect an authoritative source to be exhaustive on a subject?

Dr. Weeks concludes that the Bible does not subscribe to either exhaustive detail or general principles. He gives a few different examples from both the laws given on Sinai and the laws recorded in Deuteronomy. Anyone who has read the Biblical books of Exodus and Deuteronomy would talk about the massive detail. However, we also have general principles, like the Ten Commandments. There is some interaction between general and detailed laws in the commandments.

An example of interaction is, found between Exodus 20:3 and verses 22-26. The general principle is given in Ex. 20:3 what most Protestants would call the second commandment, which forbids the worship of idols. However, Israel would have no guidance in how to make sacrifices to God if that was the end of the matter. Therefore, the details are given in verses 22-26. The point is the Bible often does not restate the obvious, but does state situation where it might be uncertain if the law applies or not.

In addition, there are also cases where commandments embody a more general concern than just what is specifically stated. For example, in Deuteronomy 25:4 the command is that one should not prevent an ox threshing grain from helping itself to the fruit of its labors. Leviticus 19:13 also prohibits withholding a hired man’s wages. The concern is to allow a worker to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Paul then, in 1 Corinthians 9:6-11, uses the law on the oxen as support for a preacher of the gospel receiving compensation for his work.

It can therefore be seen that the Bible mixes general and specific laws together when needed for clarity, but this can also be extended doctrinal teaching. For example, the issue of salvation gets talked about in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians but Christ’s incarnation receives a briefer treatment in Philippians 2. The reason quite simple, disputed doctrines receive more treatment than undisputed doctrines.

This premise can be extended to non-theological subjects where most people think the Bible says relatively little about a subject it says nothing about the subject. The question is not: does the Bible give every last detail in science/history/ethics, etc? The real question is: does the Bible say anything, whether in general or in detail, relevant to science/history/ethics, etc?

To ask this question is to answer it, because the textbook argument would not need to be asked if there were no Biblical passages pertaining to these disciplines. However, the ability to point them out does not itself determine their meaning or importance. All it means is that we cannot refuse to consider them.

The Sufficiency of Scripture - 2

Authority and Exhaustiveness

How would anybody go about deciding if the Bible is authoritative in any area of life? Does not matter what it is - religious, ethics, science, history, etc. - how would you go about determining if you should let the Bible inform your view on anything? Dr. Weeks lists two different ways of going about what for some people is a very easy question and for others is quite a daunting task. Here they are:

1. Does the Bible claim authority in that area?
2. Does the Bible have the character of an authoritative source in that area?

We have another problem: the Bible itself may not even employ the same modern distinctions which are mind has grown up hearing for so long we do not know how to even question them. The Bible's authority claims tend be general. For example, Paul writes to Timothy that it is given to furnish a man for "every good work" (2 Tim. 3:17). We look at that and say, "Well Paul meant every good religious work."

What if, just for arguments sake we suppose the “good works” of Paul are broader than the narrower area of modern “religion”? In considering this line of thought we come, to the second question mentioned earlier.

Is the Bible is an authoritative source in science. Before discount it as one we need to ask what in our modern times counts as authoritative source in science. The answer would have to be a science textbook. Does the Bible contain all the laws and facts of physics? No, but what is our standard for a good textbook on physics? We would expect absolute accuracy and exhaustive detail. Any book that lacks some fact or detail would not be the final authority in physics. Therefore, we are demanding exhaustiveness to be a standard of authority.

Many who are concerned with the Bible overlapping into areas where it does not quite measure up are, however, eager to maintain that the Bible is their religious authority. The problem is the Bible is not exhaustive in matters of religion either. There are many religious questions which have no precise and detailed answer. Just think of all the controversies which have divided Christians over the centuries. So, on religious and ethical questions the Bible cannot be an authority either if we are looking for exhaustive detail.

If the Bible is not exhaustive even in religion and ethics, then how could it operate as a code for human conduct? This question also raises another question of whether we are right in expecting an authoritative source to say the last word on every subject.

The Sufficiency of Scripture - 1

Introduction

Dr. Weeks says that this book is written as a response to new elements in the ongoing discussions about the Bible. In the past he says lines were drawn between those who affirmed that the Bible was infallible and those who denied infallibility. The point of infallibility didn't mater, historical or doctrinal questions were all the same.

Now the two sides have become less easy to define. Dr. Weeks believes the shift is still in progress and so it is unwise to attempt to categorize the parties. However, he does note two tendencies:

1. Restrict the area of Biblical infallibility - this tendency manifests itself as attempts to limit the Bible to religious question, or as proponents of this view would put in the heart of gospel. It is expressed by merely saying the Bible is not a science textbook because its focus is on our salvation through Christ. Or that the historical events described in Bible did not necessarily happen as recorded, but that is irrelevant to the gospel.
2. As a result of responses like these the old evangelical liberal distinction is out of date, because the person who feel free to question the infallibility of Bible in science or history, might still claim a concern to bring men to see the their need of Christ as Saviour and Lord.

Therefore, it is Dr. Weeks aim to take up and examine the issues and arguments in this debate. The book has two parts, part one the theological conviction and part two will be the practical outworking on issue which have become interwoven with the question of the authority and accuracy of Scripture.

The Sufficiency of Scripture by Noel Weeks

I found this book to be a great resource on issues having to deal with how to understand the Bible in today's world. Dr. Noel Weeks knows what it really means for the Scriptures to be in the words of Paul to Timothy (2 Tim. 3:16,17), ". . . inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Dr. Weeks not only concisely shows the reader what this means today, but he applies it to issues which are very debatable in the church and outside the church.

What I'm going to do is summarize Dr. Weeks main points in his chapters. I will start by typing out his table of contents. If this book looks interesting you can purchase it through Amazon.com

Acknowledgments
Introduction

PART ONE: BASIC ISSUES

1. Authority and Exhaustiveness
2. The Form of Biblical Teaching
3. General and Special Revelation
4. Providence and Scripture
5. The Bible and Technical Precision
6. Imprecision and Error
7. The History of Revelation
8. The Perfect Translation
9. Words and Meanings
10. The Bible and the Historian
11. Words and Meanings Again
12. The Human Element in Scripture
13. Contextualization
14. The Hermeneutical Circle
15. The Redemptive Focus of Scripture

PART TWO: POINTS OF CONTENTION
Introduction

16. The Creation Account
17. The Interpretation of Prophecy
18. Women in Teaching/Ruling Offices in the Church
19. Slavery
20. The Worship and Government of the Church
21. The Scripture and 'Advances' in Psychology
22. 'Rabbinic' Exegesis in the New Testament
23. Pseudepigraphy
24. Proving the Bible
25. Freedom and Honesty
26. The Political and Social Task of the Church
27. Bible Translation

Conclusion
Index

I will start with the first introduction at another time

A movie about the growth of the Internet

I was reading the latest Internet Protocol Journal (Vol. 10 No.1) and found the following:

BGP: The Movie

Statistics on Internet resources have been animated to provide a high-level overview of the consumption and use of IPv4 addresses and AS numbers since 1983. The animated video also clearly shows the effect of Classless Interdomain Routing (CIDR) and Regional Internet Registries (RIR) allocation policies on consumption rates and routing. This animation was developed by Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) staff members, Geoff Huston and George Michaelson. You can download the 58MB movie from:
http://www.apnic.net/news/hot-topics/docs/bgp-movie.mpg

I had the right click the link and do a "Save Link As . . ." to get in to play correctly. It is an interesting way to present the Internet numbers shortage problem, and the voice does a pretty good job not making it overly technical and explaining what is going on; a few of the words might be new:)

Day 31: The TCP/IP Model

The Internet and most modern networks use the TCP/IP protocol suite to communicate. Whereas, the OSI protocol suite and its corresponding model came about in committee rooms; TCP/IP grew up along side the ARPANet which then became the Internet. TCP/IP development was the result of watching how the ARPANet was growing and coming up with services to provide more functionally to the network.

Therefore, unlike my last post which focused primary on how information theoretically gets from point A to point B I will be talking about actual services.

What does TCP/IP mean?
TCP/IP actually is an abbreviation of two different protocols as indicated by the slash. TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol and IP is the abbreviation for Internet Protocol.

What does the TCP/IP model look like?
TCP/IP's model only has four layers and is typically shown it relation to the OSI model.

Its layers have nearly the functions and responsibilities and the model operates the same way. However, TCP/IP looks at the network a bit differently.

For example, in the TCP/IP model there is no Physical layer and as you can see the application layer for the model blurs the top three OSI model layers.

Instead of describing each layer in detail I will only note exceptions from the OSI model in addition to the protocols that work at any given layer and how it is used.

Network Access - Even though the picture shows that this TCP/IP layer includes the OSI model's Physical layer that's a lie meant to confuse you, because it is pure data link layer all the way. So, what runs here? Not all networks use Ethernet or Token Ring and for those scenarios when TCP/IP must operate over a network - phone line, for example - TCP/IP defines protocols to allow communications. There are only two protocols which fit this bill and those are: SLIP and PPP. If I discuss those, it will be for another time.

Internet - Two routed protocols at this layer are IPv4 and IPv6. Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) handles the error handling. IP Security happens at this layer. In IPv6 a new protocol called Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) happens at this layer as well. NDP replaces two standards that exist in the current version of IP called Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) and Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP). Finally, this layer has at least nine different routing protocols, they are:

1. Gateway-to-Gateway Protocol (GGP)
2. HELLO Protocol (HELLO)
3. Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP)
4. Routing Information Protocol (RIP)
5. Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP)
6. Enhanced Interior Gateway Router Protocol (EIGRP)
7. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
8. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
9. Intermediate system to Intermediate system (IS-IS)

Some of the protocols on this list are long dead and gone (mostly the top three, but number 5 is in the process of being phased out). The rest either have or will have an IPv6 equivalent. Why so many? Part of the answer is that there exist many differently sized networks and different protocols work (or not) based on the size. The other part is that some of these protocols have been around since the Internet was four networks on the west coast, so as a result of growth new issues arose and some of these protocols were the sum of those Growing Pains.

Transport - Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) are two main protocols that operate at this layer. UDP is basically the small and efficient protocol, but it does not provide any reliability or flow-control features for data. It is used when overhead is not desired like with streaming video. TCP provides all the features of UDP and the reliability and flow-control.

Application -

1. One network application you rely on every day you get on the Internet and type in www.google.com is Domain Name System (DNS), if this did not work you would need to know IP addresses like 64.233.167.99
2. The Network File System (NFS) protocol is used more often with the UNIX operating system, but Microsoft do support its use
3. Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) are similar in function - they are both ways to get IP addresses without needing to type them in every single time the computer starts up - but BOOTP is older and requires more administrative overhead and you are not able to configure as much compared to DHCP
4. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) allows for remote management of networks devices
5. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) do exactly what their names say, just that one uses TCP and the other UDP
6. Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Post Office Protocol (POP), and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) all define different parts that make e-mail work
7. Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) transfers Usenet news messages between hosts
8. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) probably the most recognizable of the bunch because web browsers do not hide the HTTP
9. The Gopher Protocol is a preceded the World Wide Web by providing document retrieval - it is nearly dead if not all dead
10. The Telnet Protocol allows one machine to establish a remote terminal session on another machine
11. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) allows real-time chatting between TCP/IP users

There are more protocols, but as you can see most of them are transparent to you.

I hope some connections are being made about how communications go on in networks. A lot of material has been covered between this post and the last about how networks conceptually work and next time I will apply how they actually work.