The East and West of it.

Today's Venti Caramel Macchiato (No Foam Edition)

2011-11-15T21:29:00.001-05:00

I know it's been a while, but are you sure you're not . . . projecting?

In case you're wondering, I'm currently listening to: Robin Hood OST, by Marc Streitenfeld. It'sa great soundtrack. Shout-out to Sam for alerting me to its awesomeness.

So, amidst the five-billion or so (roughestimate) republican primary debates, coupled with my hatred and bitterness toward the political system as a whole, myapathy in regards either party, and my relative insanity in regards anything remotely resembling a politically acceptableviewpoint, I have started a blog to talk about politics, economics, and otherrelated issues, so that you can all be spared my amateur op-ed-itizing. You canfind it here. I promise it'll at least be entertaining, and possibly borderline offensiveto some of you. I cannot, however, promise cookies. You can allthank me later.

As always, I seem to be between shows to watch via netflix, hulu, or whatever. I think the problem might be the fact that I like to have shows I haven't seen before on in the background while I do other things.... needless to say, I go through shows like a

squirrel on crack (quite an image, eh?). But I do have a new recommendation for ya'll. It's called Spy, and it's a new, quirky british show that hulu presents every friday. There are parts of it that I don't care for (Marcus can be really irritating), but overall, the show is fun and entertaining. Also, if you haven't jumped onto the IT Crowd train yet, get a move on! It's on Netflix streaming. . . so you really have no excuse.

Thanksgiving is coming up very quickly, and for those of us who love the holiday season, it is a time of excitement and anticipation and too many decorations. Of course, this means that for me, I plan to sit alone and catch up on some light reading. Honestly, though. I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving. It's going to be a very fun time. It's the fifth annual Tangentine Cup, in which my friends all come over and compete for the right to claim rugby supremacy and a trophy for the next year before feasting on a large breakfast of delicious food prepared by my parents. Great times. And this year, Becca is coming to enjoy the show. I'm super Pumped! In addition to this, there is the always wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, and the important Packers-Lions game. It's going to be more fun than a room full of chimpanzees debating the merits of rhetoric with Winston Churchill, which, actually, is something I would watch.

I recently did something I have never done before: I bought a video game the day it came out. Now, I'm normally a huge stickler for waiting for the prices to come down so that I don't have to feel slighted when I realize the game really doesn't seem worth the 59.99 I payed for it. I made an exception, however, for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. My reasoning was thusly: I really enjoyed the previous Modern Warfare installments, and knew that by the time it fell to within what I considered the "buyable range" I would be at the tail end of the game's life cycle, and with a primarily online game, this is only about a year to year and a half. Add to this, I know that my time to play video games will significantly decrease when I have actual things to do in the evenings (something that is lacking right now), I figured I've give video gaming one last big hurrah. This is not to say that I will not play video games again, but that I realize that my current mode of becoming fanatical about a game or two and playing it in every spare moment is a non-possibility. I also think there are wiser things to spend money on when one is married than a video game one will probably not have enough time to devote to it to be actually good (which unfortunately is my modus operandi for any endeavor. . . ). So far, I am very happy with MW3. It's been a very fun experience getting into a game at the very start.

Also, thanks to all of you who have been praying for me. I am doing much better since my last major post, and your thoughts and prayers meant (and mean) a lot.

Until next time, be careful you don't get slurry...

Today's Cup O' Rosy

2011-10-19T17:53:00.001-04:00

And to think, you could be bending elements . . . .

So, I had a really, quite long post all written out, and I was quite proud of it, having spent a good hour on it, and I went to publish it, and it didn't publish, and I went to save it, and it took my to a different page, and erased my data.......so, now I'm pretty pissed at blogger. I'll try to see if I can regurgitate what I had from memory, though I'm certain it won't be as good. Sorry ya'll! new post coming soon, though.

Today's Lukewarm Cup of Coffee.

2011-10-10T21:57:00.001-04:00

I finally came to terms a week or two ago with the fact that I was moderately depressed. This doesn't happen often for me, so the realization was rather striking, and it's not something I relish. I generally feel as though I have a fairly good read on what's going on in my head, and with those pesky little "emotion" things.... But alas, this is not always the case, and I guess that the ending of the season, being away from my fiance, and having all of my friends around here go back to school for the year combined into a perfect storm of boredom-feeding depression. I'm feeling a bit better now, perhaps due to the relapse of summer-like weather, but I shall most likely need to fight to keep this issue under control for the rest of the winter.
Perhaps due to the above-mentioned depression, or even simply coinciding with it, I have lost just about all interest in anything. It's slightly terrifying. I don't want to play piano, or even really music at all. I don't want to read or do anything active. Surprisingly, I don't even want to play video games. When I get home, I just want to veg in front of the television for a few hours and then go to sleep....unfortunately, I also have been having trouble falling alseep, despite the fact that I'm exhausted like all the time. This has led to one of the more distinctive spirals of: Get up, feel like crap, have caffeine to wake up, work, come home exhausted, not be able to sleep until 2am, get up at six feeling more like crap, have caffeine to wake up, eat badly because you're late and feel like crap, work, etc. And the more I feel like crap, the more I eat like crap, and the more I have no desire to do anything. It sucks because intellectually, I want to enjoy these things. I even manage to be engaging intellectually all day at work in my head, but when it comes to actually doing so when I have time, I have no motivation. Obviously, this is better than it was (I'm writing on here...), but it's still there as an undercurrent. And I'm still having trouble sleeping. But onto brighter things:

Some fun new links:
lewrockwell.com
mises.org
They've been keeping me busy for a while now, and in the case of mises.org, supplying me with podcasts to listen to while I work. In any case, good articles in both, and lewrockwell's blog is filled with a lot of good day-to-day posts about everything from philosophy of human action, to economics, to history, to politics, to why you should, as a good American, be for drug legalization and against all and any taxes.

I'm considering starting a blog for short, politically and economically centered posts, mostly just to stop boring all of you with that stuff.... but because I do have a decent amount to say regarding those topics, it might be a good "out" for me so as to get it off my chest. Should be fun.

Planning the next section/chapter in my RPG for next summer is going to be fun. Now if only I would work on it when I have the time...

Watched "The Social Network" last night. Wasn't planning on watching it, but I was having trouble getting to sleep, and it was on Starz. My thoughts: Surprisingly interesting and good. Jesse Eisenberg carried the show, and was brilliant. Aaron Sorkin's dialog, as usual, made for an enjoyable watch, even though it is a very different type of production than his usual. One thought I had was this; how much of "Network" was true to life, and how much was Sorkin Storytelling Magic? I'm certainly not predisposed to like Zuckerberg, but Network made him out to be an especially dynamic villain, who manages both fascinate and annoy. It's good film, but how much can we infer from it about the reality of the matter?

Beernerdiness: Found a really enjoyable brew recently. New Belgium's 1554 Enlightened Black Ale. Not quite the usual micro brew that I try to support, but I find that I generally really like New Belgium's products. And 1554 is superb. Refreshing, crisp, with little aftertaste while still remaining smooth and with a hint of molasses. Supposedly from a medieval recipe, it tastes a bit like an oatmeal stout but goes down like an ale. Delicious.

A Great Woe!

2011-09-10T18:59:00.002-04:00

There was a morning, recently, in which I was awakened by something that I haven't been awakened to in months. This thing, this dreaded thing, which comes but once a year, and gnaws unmercifully at one's bones, skin, and soul, has been absent from our glorious, summer filled days in which delight and the pure joy in the bounty of the nature that has been provided for us livens our hearts and overflows from our minds in a continuous display of the triumph of the seasons in producing so glorious and bountiful a time as those few short months afford. But this insidious evil, this conniving maleficence, this greedy dictator wakes me up with a start.
I was awakened by the cold.
This may seem but a token of the true evil which is to come, but that in itself is a manifestation of the depth of the treachery that this token represents. It breeds in our hearts a dissatisfaction with the warmth of the summer, under the guise of it being "too hot" or "too humid" or any other horrendous misappellation our fallen minds can contrive. This evil works by actually making us look forward to and enjoy its early signs. But friends! Comrads! Alas, it is all too clear that these early enjoyable moments, what our hearts mistake for a respite from the heat, is really just the temptress, beckoning us towards that fateful end: WINTER!!!
I tell you this so that you may beware the signs of "The Fall." She appears in cooler temperatures and a temporary resurgence of greenery. This is just a deception! Soon, you will not fail to notice, as I have, browning of crops, the colouring and eventual browning of the trees, and finally, a chill, and utterly hopeless winter.
Beware Fall and her companions, Grief and Despair; her road will lead you down the path to winter, her door is the door of destruction! Some call her Autumn, but do not be fooled, my friends; her ways lead to death.

Today's Cup Of Tea

2011-08-10T22:33:00.000-04:00

As I sit here pondering what I should say after what is once again a few months hiatus from this blog, mostly due to a six-day-a-week work schedule, I sip coolly on my glass of fabulously cheap california riesling (seriously), and listen to the subtle but emotion-wracking strains of Mumford & Sons. And yes, it is only 6:37 in the evening, but what do I care? It's as close to a perfect day as God has deemed possible in Wisconsin's version of the final summer month, and I am done with work for the day. I deserve to decompress, I tell myself, and hell, if I don't bore myself, I may even sit on the porch and smoke my pipe later. On my mind: I could do something useful with my evening, maybe clean and continue unpacking my room, write a little, read, or even start a new hobby on my unending list of hobbies-to-start. But all of this seems so dreadfully dull, that I'll be lucky if I even finish this blog entry to the extent that I feel it is worth publishing. I've tried with a few different entries throughout the summer, but to no avail--they lacked all readability, in as much as I would term "wit," or at the very least anything that does not sound like my ramshackled complaints at the world as I see it. You don't want to read that, I don't want to have you read that, and so, the blog goes unpublished. Sadly, what I am most likely to do this evening is to waste my time in such as useless and possibly even violent manner by playing PS3 or watching one of my latest netflix addictions.

What are useful hobbies? Truly, I think about this question more than I probably should. I want to spend as much of my time being useful and productive, and I even have the will to do many interesting things, but I never seem to have the motivation when I actually have the time. A good instance can be found in the fact that I want to learn to sew. Once you've stopped laughing, realize that my motivation is purely utilitarian. I want to be able to tailor clothes to fit me better, and as I cannot afford to have a professional tailor for everyday usage, it seems like a good idea to learn how to do so myself. The problem is, that when I have the time, I never have the motivation. And yet, I have the motivation to waste my time on fruitless divergences.

I've come to realise that the problem isn't actually found in a lack of time, as much as I constantly convince myself and others of the contrary. Rather, it is a problem buried in myself and my inability to seemingly force my will to supersede my hedonism. One could say that I have a problem with self-control, but not in the way that one most often thinks about it. My time-wasting isn't profligate in the usual sense, though it may be thought as such simply in its utter uselessness. In other words, though it may not be "negative" time spent, it certainly doesn't count as "positive" either... I've also noticed that the problem is exacerbated when I am tired or when I've just finished a long day. So, is this inability to force my will over my wants a lack in my own conditioning? Am I lacking a basic ability to focus and control my self that others have seemingly learned in their "education" towards the world? Then again, I know others like me in this regard. The problem is not to be found captivating only me--when I look at others around me, I at times appear to be more future-focused than the majority I perceive. The problem seems both more more clear and more muddied than it was when I began.

In Defence of a Biblical Ethic

2011-04-13T22:16:00.002-04:00

1.0 In Response to the question as to why the biblical witness of ethics ought to be consulted at all, let alone be made the foundation for a societal ethic, one may respond in a number of ways:

1.1 First, regardless of our point of view, we must consult some standard or measure for an ethic, no matter what that standard might be. In other words, we can either throw our lot in with the concept of a Biblical God, or with Kant, Mill, or any other notable ethicist. The counter then may be raised, why should we consult any of those others as well? Mightn’t it be more useful simply to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each system?

1.2 As any undergraduate taking an ethics class could tell you, each of the major ethics wrestling for allegiance have their inherent disadvantages. Kant’s system, for example, manages on some level to maintain a consistent ethic derived purely from reason, but then fails to find any measure of flexibility in difficult situations. Most people feel like they *should* be able to lie under certain circumstances, for instance, and that it would be even ethically noble for them to do so when faced with a particular situation. This is something Kant doesn’t really give us. Or at least, depending on your reading of Kant, he doesn’t seem to attempt to give us with any consistency. Then there is Mill and other Utilitarians who give us a consequence driven ethic, which on its head seems decent, until you think about unintended consequences, or the unforeseeable nature of some actions. Not only this, but utilitarianism by itself seems to condone certain actions we would like to find immoral, such as the subjugation or enslavement of a minority group. Aristotelian virtue ethics manages to account for the concept of character and virtues as being a middle road between two extreme vices (ie, the concept that goodness is often an act of moderation). Virtue ethics fall short, however, when consulted for a particular problematic instance—in other words, it’s not a very prescriptive ethic.

1.3 Add to this the base assumption made by most ethicists: That humans will feel the need to do what is best for society and / or be consistent in their personal ethic. Why should I not simply take of the banner of Nietzsche in the face of a Kantian deontological onslaught and say simply that as long as I am willing to power I am in the right? Why not have an ethic of “immorality”? What is the basis of a Kantian ethic? The general goodness of humanity? Let us not deceive ourselves into believing that others will be good for its own sake. Kant tries to fix this by phrasing his categorical imperative as a selfish act, though at its core it is really simply the golden rule: “Do unto others...”But even that is hardly original and finds its basis not in a deontological ethic founded in reason, but in biblical ethicism! The concept of universality is clever, but is really just an extension of this idea.

1.4 Virtue ethics on the other hand require there to exist an objective standard of virtue outside of ourselves which we must adhere to, which is fine, but why stop there? Why not simply adopt a more complete ethic that appeals to an objective truth?

2.0 The Concept of God is an important one in dealing with these matters. Regardless of where you want to stand on the ontological status of divinity, one must at least concede the point that the notion of a biblical God is perhaps the best possible foundation for an ethic. Without a personal, omnipotent God of both mercy and judgment, any ethic we can devise will have no real weight to it, and we will inevitably fall into Nietzsche and Sartre. So at the very least, the point can be made that the idea of a biblical God is the lynch-pin of any working ethic, and is therefore a necessary being. It can also be noted that if we are looking for the best possible foundation for morality, while we can use any notion of God that metaphysicians can devise, we cannot achieve one which is even equal in this purpose to the biblical God. Certainly, we may use the notion of Zeus to instill morality into a society, or even pantheistic notion of divinity, but nothing will be quite so effective as the Lord Almighty.

2.1 As such then it seems perfectly reasonable (if not necessary) to start with the Judeo-Christian notion of God in forming an ethic. In holding this, we have a number of advantages: We have a system that defines clearly right and wrong, that is consistent, and yet is also situationally flexible. We have an ultimate source to appeal to that is outside of ourselves for determining morality and does not require us to reason within ourselves. We also gain an ethic which really utilizes the best of all three of the other major schools of ethical thought within a consistent worldview.

2.2 Perhaps the largest weaknesses of a biblical view is that our understanding of the law at times does require difficult interpretations. This is not always an easy task and often leads to hours of meditation on a specific passage before one can formulate a moral judgment, though ultimately there is a moral judgment to make.

3.0 At Their Foundation, All Moral Judgments are a Dichotomy. In other words, all morality is actually black or white, good or bad, at its core. This is not to say that there is no such thing as a grey area when it comes to our perception, just simply that from a grand-scheme view, things are either right or wrong.

3.1 Regardless of how complicated a particular moral judgment may be, I think it is right that most people would wish to affirm that there is, actually, a “right” decision that can be made, and if there is a “right” decision, or even right decisions, it is perfectly acceptable to say that any decisions that do not fit in the category of right, are in actuality, wrong. A gradient does not work when looking from what we might cheekily term a “God’s-eye view.”

3.2 As such then, it is Wisdom which allows us to cut through the “greyness” and perceive the right from the wrong. It is our job then, as people who wish to be ethical, to do whatever we may to attain more wisdom so as to be able to more accurately divine the rightness or wrongness hiding behind ever more and more difficult moral judgments.

3.3 This Wisdom is related to but not equal with Knowledge. One may say that knowledge informs wisdom. Knowledge is the working capital of the intellect. The aim then is to acquire as much knowledge as possible with which to use to inform one’s wisdom. Wisdom, I will lean upon our biblical ethic to define. Simply put, wisdom is the “Fear of the Lord”(Ps 111:10; Pr 1:7, 9:10 provides a decent notion of this, and can be informed by Colossians and 1 Corinthians 1 as well as a myriad of other places throughout the Bible). In a societal ethic, this can and may play out in an actual sense of fear (fear of judgment, fear of divine holiness, etc.), but in a personal sense need not, and indeed should not stop there. Since we are using the notion of a Biblical God as the basis for a societal ethic, however, our primary concern is the first sense.

3.4 A guiding principle can be seen that the greater the fear of the Lord, the greater the trajectory of wisdom, and the greater the knowledge, the more informed and potentially powerful the wisdom can be in cutting away the fat of “grey areas” from the lean judgment of the matter. One of the main reasons, practically speaking, to seek and attain wisdom is to become a more proficient and discerning ethicist. This certainly fits with the biblical model, and also fits nicely into the understanding of wisdom held by our favourite Greek friends of the Socratic school.

3.5 It should also be seen that this does not undermine the use of other previously mentioned ethical systems. Those systems may be viewed through the lens of wisdom as knowledge both useful and empowering. Being consistent then, one may appeal to such ethics only in as much as they support the biblical model. The notion of Wisdom is the guiding principle through which knowledge is understood, viewed, and interpreted, and is therefore reinforced by this lens. Note also that this is a presupposition we are purposefully choosing to use when approaching knowledge, in recognition of the fact that one cannot completely remove presuppositions. We choose this particular presupposition, because (as seen above) the biblical ethic is the best possible choice with which to approach ethics with the goal being an holistic, workable system.

3.6 Another thought that should be mentioned here is that to be wise is to be ethical. This is not often how we perceive wisdom today. We tend to think of intellect, cunning, and wisdom as under the same umbrella. Let us turn our perceptions, then: the wisdom of someone’s worldview and philosophy should be judged first and foremost upon their ethic (both lived and held). If someone’s lived ethic does not match up with their held ethic, one should have series qualms about their wisdom. Similarly, if someone’s ethic, either held or lived, does not match up with a consistent biblical ethic, that ethic may need to be viewed as the utter rubbish.

New Theme!

2011-04-05T18:25:00.000-04:00

After 2 years with the current theme, I finally gave in and went to blogger's new template manager. In the end, I think it's for the better, though I had to do quite a bit of playing with it to get something I liked, and even now I'm not sure I'm completely pleased with this (I think the title is difficult to see). I should be able to have fun changing the background imagery from now on depending on the season, however, which could be a little side bit of amusement. Never fear, though, it'll still be the same old East and West of it, regardless of stylistic changes.

Today's Hearty Bowl of Soup

2011-04-05T10:28:00.001-04:00

It's time to fill in the blanks.

Some Thoughts on Biblical Hermeneutics:

I've been doing a good bit of thinking recently about how we approach and interpret the scriptures when forming and shaping our world views. In other words, what methodology do we use when interpreting scripture? My thinking has generally been centered around when to take things literally and when to take them figuratively. One of my professors takes the view that one should always take the literal view unless it does not make sense, at which point we should look for other possibilities such as metaphor or symbolistic devises. The claim is that this is a more conservative approach that will prevent one from falling into a Marcionite over-metaphorization of the text. I feel that this approach is just as dangerous, however. For instance, whose authority are we appealing to when deciding if something "makes sense?" Of course, if I am an Armenian, I'm going to read Ephesians 1 under the guise of some metaphorical interpretation, because predestination as it would be understood literally, "doesn't make sense" to me. This is an unjust use of the text: our method of interpretation must by all accounts force us to deal with the text in the fullest extent of its meaning while at the same time aiding in our understanding where possible. But foremost it must not read our meaning into the text (even to preserve a literal interpretation). I turn now to an example that may be more appropriate to my aims. James 4:2, which goes something like this, "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask," came up in class the other day. The professor (and coincidently the text we have been assigned for class) are committed to holding that there were actually people in the church that James was writing to that were purposely, directly killing people as a result of covetousness, despite the fact that context, language, and even intertextuality would say otherwise. In context with the surrounding verses, as well as the broader context of James, we find that James is expanding on and in some cases paraphrasing Jesus' words during the sermon on the mount, which in turn is an expansion of the Mosaic Law (particularly the ten commandments--Ex 20). As such, it seems right to understand the context here to be similar, that harboring anger against a brother is tantamount to murdering him in your heart, as well as committing oppression against him. In addition to this, we see in chapters 2 and 5 the use of the same term for murder, and particularly in chapter 5, we see the that the context is much less likely to be an open faced and purposed murder and much more likely to be an ongoing oppression which at the most produced actual physical murder indirectly, and much more likely has in mind Christ's sermon on the mount. Add to this the fact that, for the most part, the literal-unless-nonsensical approach rarely takes more than a perfunctory study of the original languages into account except in some rare cases, and you get a method of interpretation that does no justice to language, genre, context, or even intertextuality. Once the jump is made that those other things are more important in interpretation, and not our own biases of sensibility, it frees us up to use what is perhaps the most important orthodox Christian / Protestant view of scriptural interpretation: scriptura scripturae interpres, or, "scripture interprets scripture." In other words, the Bible itself, and nothing else, is seen as the main mode of interpretation. This is especially important when it comes to difficult sections, and especially those tied in heavily with genre which needs to be factored in. Revelation, Daniel, and pretty much any apocalyptic work fit as a good set of examples of things which should be seen through the framework of their genre and context. At the same time, works which fit into the historical narrative category, such as Samuel/Kings should be read as such. It all comes down to context, genre, and the like.

Other stuff on my mind:
Not much to say really. I'm starting to really be done with school as a whole. I know I cannot be until I get my two papers done, but I really have very little motivation. And the weather outside is wonderful now as well!

We read Nietzsche for class this week, which reminded me of something I already knew. I really enjoy reading Nietzsche. I don't agree with him at all, but I certainly enjoy him. He's an incredibly gifted writer. And to be honest, he brings up some really important points that Christians need to deal with.

Why isn't there as much outcry against this "operation" in Libya as there was against the Iraq war? I mean, I know that there's plenty of time for us to get stuck there and for people to realize it was a stupid idea, but really.... if we're going to make a fuss over Iraq, please to all goodness let us be consistent! And what happened to Pres. Obama's moving our military out of other countries thing (you know, that single idea that got him elected)?* That was literally the one thing about this president I actually agreed with, and now he's gone and turned his back on that as well. Oh well...politicians, I guess.

I'm working on a metaphysic which would hopefully go back to Greek philosophy for its inspiration of forms, but at the same time go beyond them by springing from a theocentric model, as opposed to working (from pure metaphysics) towards theocentrism. The hope would be for it to be eminently practical while yet achieving a balance between Plato and Aristotle...which I will be the first to admit may be an impossible task, but still one worth trying! If it works, Descartes and onward would be able to be reinterpreted through this particular lens. I'm still in the beginning stages, though I may perhaps post something when I get a more concrete set of premises down (I'm still attempting to validate them, but it's difficult because of how many things need to be thought of when validating cosmic metaphysical premises).

Starting today, I am planning on getting up an extra bit early at least twice a week so that I can get a little piano practice in. Brahms and Debussy have been calling me, and I find I really miss it. I'm also getting disgustingly rusty...

* Generally speaking, what I remember of his campaign, he had two main points: 1. I will get us out of other countries and this stupid policing the world business, and, 2. I'm not Bush. And those two points were enough to win him the election. He of course had subpoints, such as 2.1: "healthcare, regardless of whether or not people want it the way I want them to want it."... but generally speaking, points 1-2 pretty much sum it up.

Well, that's all for now, while you contemplate the Two Rules...

Another Week, Another Attempt at Cohesion

2011-03-06T21:11:00.002-05:00

I apologize for leaving you all hanging last week. I had a rough week, and it took most of it to get back on track. I should be good to go this next week with a whole new slate of activity. In the meantime, here are some lyrical sketchings I did a little bit ago. I call them sketchings, because usually the way lyrics work for me is that I have an idea, then I sort of free-verse off of it, before we (the band) write an instrumental part and fit them together. Usually in that fitting together, words get dropped, added, changed, etc. It's more fluid than I would've thought, but in any case, what you're seeing is essentially the free-verse version of the idea, pre-music. Thus, some bits obviously don't work wonderfully as poetry or song at the moment, but I'll decide what I like or not about it later. I think it's got some decent ideas though, and I thought you might like a glimpse into the process. Comments are welcome.

Goodnight, Captain.

I’ve been here a long long while,

I’ll be here a little more,

but ‘till morning light streams through the pane,

Goodnight.

I spoke to a woman yesterday,

she said,

“fell in love the other day,

his name is David, he’s my man

we’ll spend our whole life together

and build our house on a hill.

The children will run and play

among the trees, in the fields

the heavens will smile down,

and we’ll be happy there together.

What is it that makes me dream

always dream

what makes everything tick

makes the gears move and the cogs go

round and round and round and round.

Captain, I know you’re there

could you speak up?

I can’t hear you over the clamor

so many people shouting

they don’t know what it is they want.

Once, upon this little old time,

there was a prince,

he spoke with unequaled grace,

in measured pace,

He said,

“Ye warriors bold and brash,

climb the mountains,

through valleys thunder,

spread my power throughout the earth

set my might against the sky!”

What is it winds us up

always wound tight,

what makes everything tick

makes the gears move and the cogs go

round and round and round and round.

Captain, I know you’re there

could you speak up?

I can’t hear you over the clamor

so many people shouting

they shout and rail against the wall.

I dreamt a dream the other day,

it was morning,

the shadows peeled away as

bright light burned the dew

I was speechless then, as now,

surrounded by golden hue

and your voice poured into the trench,

the foxhole din subsided and

you held out your hand smiling, and said

Johnny, we’re marching home.

Captain, I know you’re there

you’ve been here through it all.

I’ve trusted you ‘til now, and

now we’re going home.

at last we’re going home.

Goodmorning, Captain.

I’ve been here a long long while,

I’ll be here a little more,

but now morning light streams through the pane,

at last I’m going home.

Knowledge, and the general point of things.

2011-02-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

I know this may come as a shock to some of you (wink), but there actually is a limit to how much we can know, at the very least conceivably, in our lifetimes. It's worth noting in this age of modern, insta-google knowledge and in which information pours out of every conceivable edifice and into our bewildered and overstimulated minds which respond by dropping the defenses out of shear exhaustion. There are only so many stories about celebrity skin rashes and so many cialis commercials we can take before it all just becomes a blur and we don't really know what it is we're taking in any more. And yet, that isn't really the point I want to make. My thoughts aren't on how much we can know (though that is a valid discussion as well), but rather on what we can know. In other words, I've been thinking an awful lot about the limits of knowledge.

This is a topic that may seem rather common-sense, and yet, I think it's easy to fall into the trap of fallaciously believing (rather purposefully or fancifully) that we can solve the biggest questions of our age. Especially as college students, and I certainly fall into this category and this trap, it is unbelievably easy to think that one is going to tackle the age-old problems that have been sitting there unsolved for millennia. When we're being really honest with ourselves, however, I don't think we can truly believe this. This isn't to say that one shouldn't try to solve the difficult problems that plague us, but I think a little bit of practicality can go a long way. What I aim for is a common-sense, middle-of-the-road approach to personal philosophy. By recognizing that there are limits to knowledge, but in quantity, and in substance, we can hopefully avoid some of the vain pursuits which have quite often taken over metaphysical speculation.

My aim here is what Socrates strove for in the first place: philosophy in humility. The ability to ask questions and approach sensitive topics with humility and grace, and yet with the eagerness of a child. Along with this, comes realistic expectations in terms of gain. It is both unuseful and unfruitful to aim at something which will have no practical matter to it in the slightest, for if nothing else, philosophy should be attempting to get at what really is, and how to understand it. Therefore any speculation which has no greater application to life as we live it than making our minds run round a track like thoroughbreds is fit as a mental exercise and no more.

All of this is to say, I'm starting to think that a practical philosophy by itself is the most wise course of action, and that prolonged discussions and arguments about things we will never be able to get to the bottom of, though at times fun and mentally stimulating, is very often pointless. Reading back over this (I originally wrote most of this very early a couple mornings ago...) I realize this is really quite a disorganized jumble, and I apologize. Any thoughts? Critiques?

Prediction 2011: The MLB Season

2011-02-22T19:11:00.001-05:00

It snowed today, which, as we all know, means that Baseball is just around the corner. As such, it seems fitting for me to at least make an attempt at a prediction of the MLB season for this year. One, it gives me something to do, and it gives you something to disagree with while waiting for me to post something that matters in a more general sense. So, thusly, vis-a-vis, ergo, here are my predictions with a brief reason for my decisions:

NL Division Winners

-Philadelphia Phillies

Pitching, pitching, pitching. This rotation is the baseball equivalent of a predator missile. Watch the explosion and then clean up the stragglers in the 7-9th innings. I think they run away with the division.

-Milwaukee Brewers

This team has tons of talent for a "small market" team, and a rotation of Grienke-Gallardo-Marcum-Wolf-Narveson looks to do a lot to fix the abominable pitching of years past. Still not quite Philly-good, but darn impressive, and on the offensive side, some explosive power. I see them winning the central by 5-6 games.

-Colorado Rockies

I tend to think the Giants were a one-hit wonder. The pitching is still great, but offensively, they have to compete with the Rockies who, you guessed it, have pretty darn good pitching, and a little offense on the side *sarcasm.* This is a team I could see making a nice run to the playoffs.

NL Wild Card

-Atlanta Braves

This may seem an odd choice with teams like the Reds, Cardinals, and Giants running about, and in some senses it is. When I look at their level of talent compared to those other teams, as well as the division they play in (aside from the Phillies, who else is there?), I like their chances. I don't think they get far once their in the post-season, but I like their chances of getting there.

AL Division Winners

-Boston Red Sox

Is there anything not to like? This team is so stacked, it might as well be bringing a knife to a gunfight, and if they didn't play in the AL East, it would be unfair. I mean really, Mike Cameron as a fourth outfielder?! You've got to be kidding me.

-Chicago White Sox

Something inside me is screaming that it is just wrong to say that the Twins don't make the playoffs somehow...they always do. However, I see the twins as having and off year, and I have to admit, the White Sox look pretty decent this year.

-Anaheim Angels

This was perhaps the most difficult decision to make. I hate to say it, but I don't see Texas getting back to the postseason. I think they left something special (even beyond Cliff Lee) back in the world series, and I don't think they can recapture the magic. This leaves the next most possible candidate: The well-managed Angels. I don't see them as that powerful a team, or even as that much of a threat to the rest of the AL, but I do think they'll put up a fight. In a year in which the As might actually play decent baseball, I see the Angels winning the division by 3-4 games.

AL Wild Card

-New York Yankees

As much as they look to have a down year right now, I see them hanging around just enough to justify pulling the trigger on some big name come the trade-deadline which will push them over the hump and into the playoffs. Depending on who they play, they could do some damage there, though I don't see them getting to the Series. If they do, it will be a travesty.....no one should reach the world series with a rotation of Sabathia, Hughes, A.J. Mental case, and two other guys off the street. Two good, reliable pitchers does not a champion make.

World Series:

Boston Versus Philadelphia

Irresistible force versus immovable object. Very tough to call a winner here, if all goes as planned. I see this coming down to six or seven games.

Champion: Boston Red Sox

Just too much talent here to ignore... I think the series really could go either way, but when it comes down to it, the overwhelming offensive threat will win the day.

Well, we'll see how badly I did come this fall! Thanks for playing, everyone.

Revitalizing Your Church, Part I

2011-02-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

Or, "How to Manifest Substance Without Conforming to the Gospel, Part I:"

10 Steps to Generate Substance in Worship.

1. Make sure the focus of your songs is either the audience themselves, or is incredibly vague. This is actually a lot easier than it sounds. Plenty of "popular" Christian artists nowadays have already succumbed to this tendency and finding songs should not be a problem. Songs that prominently reference "I" or "me," or which call on God to send his "fire," "spirit," or really any other euphemism for euphoria are near-perfect. Also, any song that really is a pop love song but is used in this context to reference our relationship with Christ (thus providing the foundation for the mis-founded notion of a near-sexual relationship with Him) can be made to work very well, especially in transitioning to a sermon (if your church still uses that term) on the spiritual intimacy we should always be feeling with Christ, in which case, the more provocative, the better.

2. Quote singular verses that match the "mood" of your song selection and that are taken completely out of context. This is the best time in your entire service to use the old testament. As it's often dangerous to quote more than one or two old testament verses at a time, a great idea would be to take a verse which borders right up on some really sticky verses, but leave those out in favor of the one that promotes your notion of justice. Micah 6:8 is a great example: the verse itself is a substanceless church's dream, as it promotes all of the feel-good emotion that you want to instill in your congregation, just do not read 6:9! Fearing the Lord is a sticky subject and needs to be danced around lightly (if you feel the need to dance around it at all--you can brush it off as "one of those old testament concepts", after all).

3. Make sure the band and worship team drowns out the congregation. This is especially important if your church has a problem singing in key. Even if they're decently in tune, however, you want them to feel like the Holy Spirit is moving and empowering them, not that they are laying praises at the feet of God's throne. Having an overwhelming sea of sound rushing over your congregation helps to get their emotions into the service and makes them mistake the power of the band for the power of the Holy Spirit (which then encourages the congregation to get more emotionally involved, which allows you to turn the music up more, which gets them more involved again. It really is a wonderful process). It's the same concept that has been employed by various sports teams over the years: they've artificially added crowd noise to make the actual crowd feel as though they are more into it than they are, which only encourages them to get louder. And hey, if it works for something in popular culture, it most definitely works in the church.

4. Only sing modern, substance-less praise choruses, never hymns. Even older, thoughtful praise choruses should be avoided (this includes, but is not limited to anything by Rich Mullins. If you have trouble, you can pass him off as being "so 90s."). If you have any of those annoying older members of your congregation left who realize that you are taking all the meaning out of worship, you may be forced to do a hymn now and again. If this is the case, make sure that you never do one of three things: Never do hymns that mention judgment, the kingdom to come, Christ's literal sacrifice (if you can pass it off as a metaphor for the value of sacrifice, you're fine), or anything at all to do with suffering. Only do modern renditions of hymns that replace the original, annoyingly thoughtful melody with something that has a loud, driving bass part, a chorus that can be repeated ad nauseum, and can be played as loud as step three above dictates. And finally, the third option (and perhaps my favorite), take a line, or maybe a chorus from the hymn, and place it in some new, meaningless, overwhelming modern praise song. That way, you still get to keep out almost all substance, but you manage to trick people into thinking that you are building on theology before you.

5. Make sure to have a really powerful bass and bass drum part in all of your songs. Preferably one with a driving, straight beat that builds up to a soaring or overwhelming chorus. This goes along with Step 3 above, but is essentially vital if you are doing a hymn or slower song that sans bass and drums might cause people to actually realize the meaninglessness of the lyrics.

6. Sing every meaningless chorus at least 15 times, becoming more dramatic with every repeat. If you repeat something often enough, people will begin to believe it, right? Ignore any criticisms that you are substituting meaningless babble for real substance, you're doing the right thing: making your congregation feel spiritually fulfilled and self-actualized. Besides, the more you repeat something, the more important it is to God, right? You can reference things in the Bible like the repeating of the epithet "holy, holy, holy" as showing importance and connect it to your singing "I want more of you" for a half-hour if you feel backed into a corner.

7. Make your worship band essentially a pop-rock band. Use the same instrumentation and volume level. Yes, this will essentially turn your worship service into a rock-concert, but it will get people emotionally into it, right? It also does the important work of blending the difference between worshiping privately at home and worshiping with other believers in a sanctuary. This is really important: You want to drive out any inclination of a different between church and daily life, and especially the concept that there needs to be the idea of entering holy ground and fellowship. Remember, liturgy is evil, and any formality is old-fashioned and Luddite. As regards the band, you might even began to get them gigs at local venues. The more "legit" of a band they are, the more this ploy will work.

8. Write as much of your own music as possible. This will allow you keep any and all theology out of the songs your church sings. It will also create a gap between what songs your congregation knows and what anyone else knows, making your church a sort of exclusive club. And, if you write catchy-enough songs, your church-members will be addicted and it will be one more thing subliminally keeping them from ever leaving the church.

9. Encourage rampant and over-the-top forms of worship. Beyond simple hand-raising (though that's a good start if you're revitalizing a stodgy church), encourage your congregation to jump, dance, and perhaps even mosh. This will distract them from the music and trick them into thinking that they are really experiencing the Holy Spirit. If you're feeling bold, you might even consider giving you congregation meaningless props (such as flags or banners) that they can wave and dance with. Yes, it will look ridiculous and bring to mind thoughts of pagan ecstatics (Islamic dervishes come to mind), but if it distracts from God, then it is worth considering. If you are having trouble getting your congregation to "get into the music," imply that if you are really being spiritual (if your church is more charismatic you can say "filled with the spirit"), you will dance and raise hands and such. Then, when they don't do it, you can lament how spiritually dead the church feels, and when they do, you can praise them for being so spiritually in-tune. A little positive reinforcement never hurt anyone.

10. Encourage the notion that worship is really all about you. Never explicitly say this, you'd be hanged. Instead, quietly and implicitly spread this idea through song selection, comments in your discussions, operant conditioning, and steps one through nine above. This is perhaps the most important part about making people feel spiritually fulfilled. No one feels fulfilled from focusing all of their attention on God, at best they'll feel the weight of their own sinfulness, and that would just be awful. Instead, it is incredibly important to turn the focus of your entire service, but particularly the worship service away from any real notion of God and instead turn it back on the congregation themselves. Then, they will feel all the weight of that self-praise rising up and leave your church revitalized, and self-actualized with all of the self confidence and pleasure that God certainly demands to feel himself. Remember: the congregation's psychological wellbeing is the most important thing you can foster.

Snowpocalypse Dawn II: The Indefatigable Symphony of Awesome!

2011-02-17T20:56:00.000-05:00

Thematically, it seems like it would be a good idea to learn about coffee.... you know, if you're interested.

It's day two of Caffeine Detox, and I feel like crap. Not just the crappy kind of crap, mind you, but the kind of crap that makes crap seem decent and sportsmanlike. I've had a headache on and off all day, and I feel like I'm moving about as fast as a sloth on the sabbath, and not only that, but everything has this sort of annoying haze to it. Grr! At least the weather's nice.

Speaking of weather, how weird is this? We go from what all the major news networks (as well as CBS, because we can't really classify them as a "real" news network anymore) called the "SNOWPOCALYPSE!!!" which dropped an inch of ice (and no snow) on us, before plunging us into negative temperatures, at which time it rose to thirty for a day so that it could bury us in 6 inches of snow (I use the word "bury" here lightly, not because I feel 6in to be an inordinate amount of snow, but because the local snow removal service proved utterly ineffective in dealing with it or the inch of ice that became buried underneath) to 60 degrees, in February! (Hah! I bet you thought I'd forget to adequately finish the sentence. Et tu, Dickens; et tu.) I'm certainly not complaining, I just think the weather this year is beyond bizarre, and possibly bordering on the realm of laughable, where the tooth fairy exists, and all garden gnomes live in a free and orderly society.

Unrelated, but still on my mind: I think the design of the new Trade Center buildings is absolutely hideous. If possible, I think they're more hideous than the originals..... The new design is all glass and metal machismo tied together in a ribbon of George Lucas' vision of the future. It makes me want to barf, and then eat a bucket of fried chicken so that I can barf again. You can see the designs here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_World_Trade_Center
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_World_Trade_Center
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_World_Trade_Center
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_World_Trade_Center
Of course, my hatred might be slightly fueled by my newfound obsession (read: fetish) with all things Art Deco. If someone were to tell me that they were to build an entire art deco city, complete with people dressed in 40s garb, and that they just needed people to live in it, I would say "where do I sign?"
Seriously though, can you even compare this building to the atrocities above? They're not even in the same league of design. One is a gorgeous piece of art, constructed out of the finest materials of the day by master craftsmen that makes the statement that yes, this building is more glorious than all the rest, because it is prettier, better built, better designed, and originally had a dirigible mooring station at the top. The other is a terrifying specimen that vaunts its gaudy frame over the city around it like a knife sticking out from the heart of an innocent victim that says only one thing: More building per dollar. Eww.

Also, if you want to hear me rant about abandoning our Art Deco roots in our once beautiful cities, ask me about Detroit sometime.

In other news, I'm taking a couple philosophy classes this semester, and despite the fact that I never have any time and that my mind is in a constant intellectual vice, it's awesome. I'm really enjoying reading many of the primary sources (we've read some Locke and Descartes, and we're reading Leibniz for tomorrow.) and the class discussions so far have been really invigorating.

Rigel's new cd is on the way, so to speak. We're in the mixing stage, and should have some sort of firm release date soon. Also of excitement is the fact that we have three gigs on St. Patrick's day! All three of them are in Southern Wisconsin (one in Milwaukee, two in Madison), but I think it's going to be a really enjoyable time.

Good luck reading the label.

Links

2011-01-05T18:32:00.000-05:00

Here are some links that may interest only me, but certainly do interest me:

TED
If you haven't watched any ted talks yet, you're missing out. It's a great place to find general knowledge. Lots of really fascinating subject matter here as well.

The Survivors Club
A website with many interesting survival stories and tips on what it takes to survive disastrous circumstances. The book by Ben Sherwood is well worth the read as well. I learned a lot from it.

The Irish Times
Where I go for most of my international and world news. In a day in age when major american news organizations only staff a handful of overseas mini-bureaus I find that I have to turn to foreign news outlets to get even mildly decent foreign coverage.

Newegg
One of the best places to go for any electronics or technology in general. Everything here from videography lighting supplies, to computer hardware, to dvds.

Grooveshark
Most of you already probably know about this place, but for those of you who don't, check it out. If you like Pandora, you will like Grooveshark much more. No commercials, and you get to search for and choose actual individual songs, or stream a "similar" station, pandora style. And all of this without all the fuss about limits, skips, or commercials.

Giant in the Playground
If you like RPGs, and anything remotely like it and have not yet read Giantitp's "Order of the Stick" yet, do so now! It's hilarious and makes fun of just about every RPG faux-pas.

That's all for now... hopefully you find some of these at least interesting, or even entertaining.

Monday Musings

2010-12-13T21:55:00.001-05:00

In case you were wondering, it's all about the axes.

It has finally arrived. I am officially completely, totally, undeniably suffering from senioritis. It started last year, but it's bad enough to the point that I walk into my room after classes, with a list of homeworks that I could do, and I just have no desire to go near it. I've started other projects (like learning French, and coding), and have even begun to finish old projects (my language is now 100% workable and only needs more vocab, I have it completely within nicely workable docx file forms, and am beginning to work on a lesson plan to teach it easily, comprehensively, and succinctly...but more on that later), and anything that is not schoolwork seems undeniably appetizing. Luckily, tomorrow is my last final for the semester, so I'll have a month and a half to get back in the mood for one final semester of which to force learning into my noggin'.

I also have no clue where I'm going next year. I thought I had the field of possibilities narrowed slightly...but lo and behold, no matter what there is a problem with something in some way that affects negatively my desire to go there. Case in point: Grad schools that are 19+ hours away from home are super annoying logistically, and even though those sorts of problems can be overcome, it just makes everything stressful and annoying, and being that far away from every single person I know puts a world of annoyance throughout my being. On the other end of things, the places that would seem to make sense in a nearby range are either so liberal, so difficult to get into, or they're called Trinity Divinity School (which, let's face it, is not even really a possibility). So, blergh I say to thee! Blergh!

I'm going home tomorrow, which is awesome...but on cue it's supposed to be like -30 wind-chill, which is going to be awesome.....especially around Chicago and the treeless central Indiana *sarcasm*. Note my parallelism use of the word awesome to mean two different things.....wow...okay, I need to take a break from Hebrew Poetry too apparently. I apologize. I am excited, however, for Christmas. I'm ready to have a bit of a break and spend some time with family and friends, and believe it or not, I'm feeling rather festive this year for the second year in a row (which is I think some kind of record for me)....so that's exciting.

I don't mean this to sound depressing, I'm really not that annoyed at the moment with anything and am in fact in good spirits. Anyway, for those of you who might find it interesting, studying Greek this semester has lead me to feel the desperate need to find a language that just downright makes sense..... so, naturally that meant I would have to create my own. As a result I went back and looked at what I had already done with Mobokhtan, and, lo and behold I was almost finished with it but didn't know it! And, it was logical and easy to learn! And, I was in the mood to do more work on it. So I did... I now have over 200 verbs, 200 nouns, and I think nearly an equal number of adverbs and adjectives.... I finished off the personal pronouns, the definite article, and the prepositions, and am pretty much translation ready. So, for the heck of it, started to translate the beginning of my world's creation saga, which in English goes something like this:

In the Beginning was Elaion.

Elaion was one.

Elaion was three, the inseparable and indivisible.

Elaion was seven, the complete.

Elaion was the Creator.

And Elaion hovered over the Mists.

Okay so... I borrowed a lot of ideas.... but I think it's still a nice picture of things. Anyway, in Mobokhtan, it would sound something like this:

Namenut for et kala Elaionkar.

Namenut Elaion ronkar.

Namenut Elaion sonkar, . . .

Namenut Elaion nielkar, et sakar.

Namenut Elaion et iloikar.

Ar Elaion . . .

I'm obviously needing a few more words (inseperable, indivisible, hovered, and mists), but I think it's a good start. I also think it has a nice flow and cadence. Also, I decided (on a whim)

to make Mobokhtan VSO (verb-subject-object) as opposed to SVO (subject-verb-object) as we're used to in English.... I think it's kind of fun, and to be honest, I think it makes more sense anyway. So... I know you probably don't care, but I've love to hear what you think if you have an opinion.

Alright, I should probably start packing and get ready for my 8am final... Thanks for reading, and remember not to trip your opponent needlessly.

Fifty Bagillion Wombats

2010-11-15T15:45:00.001-05:00

In the words of Sheldon, this counts as a strike.

Life is a busy place, and it really only gets worse during the holiday season. Add to that the fact that stress seems to wait like those remaining ice cubs in your glass until the most inopportune time and then pounces with the force of fifty bagillion wombats.... and it really makes for one heck of a self-pity and procrastination-fest.

This all really spawns from my recently discovered quandricament (a quirky, mango-flavored mixture of the words quandary and predicament) involving what the blajeepers I am going to do after I finish undergrad this next year. Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a life crisis, just a "which school" crisis. I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to graduate studies, and the thought of actually having to be, like, adult and stuff and actually proactive, responsible, and on top of my life is both nerve-racking and discouraging. But never fear, I will persevere to screw up until I learn.

Side note: We were started discussing Multiverse and basic string theory assumptions today in one of my Philosophy classes, and all I could think of was Arthur Dent saying, "Ford! There's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out."

End of side note: I found a very interesting, and very strange movie a few weeks ago. For those of you who enjoy Irish history, look up "The Secret of Kells." It's an animated movie that doesn't generally follow a style that I prefer (It feels like Samurai Jack until you get past the actual drawing style and get sucked into the movie). It was produced by a combined effort of Irish and Belgian production companies. Like I said, it is a bit strange, and mixes some ancient Irish mythology with early Irish monastic Christianity, but if for no other reason, the movie is worth watching for the Irish accents and the music. Also, it won a bunch of film festival awards...so, if that appeals to you, so be it. Anyway, I enjoyed it.

I loved how after the election, everyone in the media (and on the losing side of the election) was saying how "what the American people want is not a stalemate!" Now, I acknowledge that I may not be speaking for the majority of the American people myself, but I'm sorry Mr. Media, a stalemate is EXACTLY what I want. Nothing prevents ridiculous government on either side like a drawn line of stalematery. Compromise is the enemy of small government, and frankly, if other Americans share my sentiment, we just want our taxes to go down!

On a less oppressive note, my studies are calling to me to procrastinate them some more.
And now you too can be a perfectly safe penguin.

Parable of an Ordinary Man

2010-10-18T20:11:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time, there lived a man. Now, there was nothing especially different about this man, except that he was by all accounts ordinary, which is a rare quality indeed. This man often found himself in predicaments that made him wish very much that he had some quality altogether inordinary, but, alas, it was not to be--for his gift was unexception, and whether he viewed it as a gift or not, it was his defining characteristic. What this man failed to realize in his blinding dissatisfaction with himself is that, though he may lack the particular talents of others in specific areas, he also lacked their exceptional faults.

This drove the man on a rampant obsession for exception, looking for notoriety in any of the mundane things which he felt might bring him fame. However, try as he might, not only could this man not strive for anything but the ordinary, he could not strive for it in any unorthodox way. In the end this meant that no matter what the ordinary man did, he achieved neither fame, nor satisfaction; exception nor meaning. Whether this lack of satisfaction and meaning was due to his rather ironically exceptional malcontent towards his condition, or instead towards his condition itself, is debatable. What we do know is this: as far as society is concerned, the ordinary man lived a quiet, regular, work-a-day life; never excelling in any area, but never ultimately failing either (except in his own mind). He died without any extenuating circumstances--a figure of no particular note, nor, for that matter, any particular lack thereof.

Is this man to be pitied, or envied?

It's All Too Interesting . . .

2010-10-13T17:46:00.002-04:00

The Adventurers are Coming!

What does it mean to be different, really? Is there such a thing? The more I think about it, the more I think there isn't. You can be different from something, but ultimately, that puts you into relation to something else. If everything is different, doesn't that mean that they are the same in their own respective different-ness? The reason I am thinking about these things is because we are discussing John Hick's theory of religious pluralism in one of my classes, and the problems inherent in his own system. On one hand, he wants to say that all religions are the same, and the only way he can do that is to say that nothing at all can be known about "the real." But on the other hand, he definitely does not want to include things like the 9/11 terrorists, or Jim Jones style cultists in his list of religions that are the same. In order to do that, he has to say something about the real, which causes more problems. He tries to restrict what you can say to negative statements and formal assertions (something that is true by definition alone, e.g. a = a). But when he does this, he allows something to be said, which opens the floodgates, leaving the pluralist with no ground to stand on whatsoever. It's all too interesting...

In a similar vein, in discussion last night, I came to the conclusion that one of the definite issues with the modern philosopher, by and large, is that he is searching for the ultimate reality, or ultimate wisdom, as it were. This in itself seems not to be a problem, indeed, in a non-theological world, there is no problem with it. But, if we take the presuppositions of Christianity to be correct, we are left with a purposelessness at the end of any philosophical discussion that delves into meaning or in any way attempts to describe, discover, or define the ultimate reality. See, philosophy is primarily about the self. As a philosopher, one is attempting to discover what this reality is so that one can [such and such]. In other words, it has become not the quest for God, but the quest to become God. I don't think that is what Socrates was after, but somewhere along the way, that is what philosophy has become. Truly, though, philosophy that is informed by and driven by the quest to learn as much about true wisdom and God as we can so that we can live perfectly in relation to Him, gives both meaning and purpose to the field.

Both of those paragraphs seem tangential, so, how about another tangent: A ridiculous spectacle.

The issue of taxes is a huge one in this election year. We have (what seems to be) a rejuvenated conservative base, though one that is not "in step" with much of the Republican political rhetoric, which is refreshing. Some might even label this new, anti-incumbent movement libertarian, as it seems to attack both sides wherever big government is concerned. Personally, I'm a big fan of this change, though I'm not one to be a part of any rally or movement or anything like that. But, I am one of those annoying people that both "sides" disdain because I agree with their opponent on some issues. For instance, I want to cut military spending. I think it's out of control. And right there, any of my hard-line neo-conservative republican friends are labelling me as a political heretic. And don't get me wrong, I am not anti-military. Rather, I am anti-empire.

On the flip side, I want to slash taxes and government programs. I don't think it's the government's job or business to take care of me, and I would rather they left me alone to make my way in the world where and when possible. I like laws, provided those laws do not interfere with my ability to make a just life for me and my family. I am not an anarchist. I recognize that government is necessary, if dangerous, and that it is because of man that we will never achieve a truly workable government. But, to get to the point: I hope this anti-party, anti-big government lasts, and I can say from a completely third party position, that I hope both parties reform to a small-government mindset because of it. The last thing we need is any more debt or for this recession to hurt any more people. The government needs to think like a business: When you can't make ends meet, it isn't necessarily because you aren't charging enough, usually it's because you have either too many costs, or your costs themselves are too high (see any government program, particularly any since 1930), and like any business, you need to cut costs before even thinking about "expanding your revenue stream." One, a government doesn't have new markets to branch out into: It has us the people, and that's it. When we're dried up broke, there isn't anything else to tap. Two, every other business in America (well, except GM and a certain number of banks and trusts) are having to cut costs and slim down in order to survive. The government should to.

In any case. I think I've said enough on this issue. In other news:

What has become of the internet?

One of Those Days

2010-10-11T17:03:00.001-04:00

Remember this when going up a level.

There is this annoying fact that seems to follow me: When I have the most on my mind, I feel the least like blogging, whereas when I have nothing on my mind, I feel compelled to make sure my posts are up to date, but with nothing interesting to write about. Today is one of those days. There is nothing of any major interest to report beyond a few personal notes.

I found myself for some reason in an entirely foul temperment last weekend, and I have no idea why. The outworking of this mood is interesting though, because I started working on Rift again for the first time in over a year...and I'm not sure what that means (or even if that is a good thing). One thing is for sure though, and that is that the overall idea of the book is solid and I certainly want to finish it. After some minor (read major) tweaking of the story arch, I find it is something I can actually write and yet feel good about myself afterwards. Overall though, the feel of the book is the same. Also: I just wrote an epilogue that I am really quite proud of, so, those of you who would be interested in such things should talk to me about it and I might be persuaded to let you give it an advanced read.

I've been doing a lot of thinking recently about what the proper understanding of music should be in terms of the aim of worshiping God. Modern praise music has always seemed somewhat insufficient to me for various reasons, never moving me for any real reason, and when it does move me, I feel like I am being manipulated by cheap parlor tricks--much like pop music, actually. Now, I get fully get the point that to some, the music does indeed move them to worship, etc. But then this leads me to two options: Either feeling as though I am somehow less spiritual because I am "unable" to worship in the same manner, or to a false disdain. This problem is especially distilled in my heart because as a musician, I want to be able to write music that worships God in a way that I believe is both legitimate and proper, while at the same time appealing to my aesthetic sensibilities about "good music," and I mean this in terms of lyrical content as well (and in this case especially in regards to) as musical maturity. In other words, adopting the same problems inherent in popular music (e.g. a simplistic I IV V I progression) doesn't cut it for me. Also appreciate that I would make a distinction between simplistic and simple. A piece can be simple (As the Deer Pants would be a good example, or if you want a newer example to prove that I like modern music, "Oh My God" by Jars of Clay) without being "simplistic" (An example of many would be "Famous One"...and I'm sorry if you like that song). To summarize, I think the issue really is that the modern Christian seems bent upon catchy, mediocre music (which, by itself, or even in small amounts is not terrible), rather than trying to give the best and truly most quality music possible up to God as worship. True wisdom is often likened to true craftsmanship in the Bible, and if we are going to be wise in music we raise to God, let us make sure it is well crafted music. Should we really give Him any less than our absolute best? It's like the difference between a five year old that is just learning to play the piano: playing "twinkle, twinkle little star" or "lightly row" at a concert is the depth of their understanding and ability as a "craftsman" in that instrument, but if a college music performance grad were to play that same piece at a concert, that wouldn't be acceptable, because their depth of understanding is greater. To put it another way, they have grown beyond it. In the same way, then, the modern worship song is permissible in regards to Christians when we realize that we cannot stop there. If we stopped at Twinkle Twinkle when studying piano, we wouldn't be happy! Therefore, we need to strive beyond the twinkle twinkle of the worship song industry as we grow deeper in our faith.

Another interesting article on a different, but still very important issue regarding "worship music," was in Christianity Today about a year and a half ago (but I sadly found just recently). It was written by John Stackhouse Jr. and can be found here.

Now to be honest, all of the above is coming from me, a person who is almost completely enamored with the idea of hymns on Sunday morning. I have to confess that I would be more than elated to find only hymns on the "worship" list both at church, at chapel, and any time that believers worship corporately. Modern songs which fit into the hymn genre (such as Stewart Townend songs and the like) would also work in my book. I just feel as though it is a better corporate worship environment and puts my heart and mind in the right place to listen to the sermon, take communion, and really reverence the confessions and benediction the way they deserve. I also hold onto a dichotomy outside of a corporate worship setting in which I like all sorts of music. I also find that certain "rock" songs can lead me to worship God, but I find that that is a very personal, individual form of worship that would not fit in my book into the reverence deserving the gathering of the saints and the invisible church in communion. Yes, we are the temple and we can approach God "as we are," but that does not mean that there is no place for holiness, reverence, and tradition. When we gather on Sunday mornings, we have to remember that we are worshiping God together not just with our individual church bodies, not just all the churches around the world, but with all believers throughout history. In other words, we are worshiping with the "invisible, universal church throughout the ages," and that fact is still less important than the one that we are worshiping. And that requires reverence beyond reverence. We may come as we are, yes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to come with the best attitudes, minds and hearts we possibly can. I just thought I should post a confession of bias in regards to my above post by letting you know that yes, I am just as stodgy as you probably imagined. But at least I have reasons for it and not just blind tradition: I grew up in many post-90s rock-concert-from-the-pulpit era churches and am actually reacting against it, but with a theological basis. And all of this to say, go ahead and disagree, that's your prerogative.

Jumping off the serious train for a moment, (and actually off of the music train which this blog seems to get stuck on no matter how hard I try), I started playing Final Fantasy XIII over the weekend, and let me just say this: Even though it is more linear than I usually like, and even though it isn't FFVII, nothing is or can be. It is still a flipping fantastic game, the storyline is gripping--driving even--and I have a hard time pulling away. All but one of the characters (Vanille is the odd one out) is excellently designed and realistic in terms of character development and motivations, and without any exceptions, the game is gorgeous. I am playing it on the PS3 and in 1080p, and every facet is breathtaking. Games like this one make me hope FF never dies.

I also seem to have this problem that I am never motivated to work on schoolwork when I have time to do it. But that's an ongoing battle. I want to want to constantly study, and when I actually force myself to do it, I enjoy it. But the issue is that I so rarely study what I'm supposed to when I am supposed to. Alas.

I sat upon the shore
Fishing, with the arid plain behind me
Shall I at least set my lands in order?
London Bridge is falling down falling down falling down

-TS Elliot

All these things considered, it is worth thinking about those times when nothing happens.

A Mirror of Middling Madness.

2010-09-29T22:09:00.002-04:00

It's time to assess our conditional risk.

It seems the older I get, the more I realize how little I know. And perhaps even more importantly, the more able I become, the more I realize just how "unable" I am to do anything worthwhile without the Divine hand directing my steps. It's hard enough to feel as though I am on any progressive road to sanctification as it is (that is, knowing my justification in Christ Jesus, by the substitutionary atoning work of His blood as sacrificed on the cross, his resurrection, and now with the power of the Holy Spirit at work within me, sanctifying me and reconciling me in preparation for resurrection)! I was at an informal meeting with some fellow Bible students and faculty the other day, and this subject came up: That is, how do we live, knowing that we are stuck somewhere in Romans 7, doing what we do not want, and not doing what we do? I'm not sure there is a definite answer to this question, other than that we need to continue to pressing onwards towards Christ and sanctification daily, nay, each moment. In other words, there is no "quick fix" or "answer" to that problem...and it almost seems illegitimate that we should even look for one. Paul himself states Romans 7 only as a prelude in some ways to Romans 8, in which where we stand in Christ is demonstrated almost as a reason to (and encouragement in) continuing our striving.

Regardless, this is not exactly why I brought this subject up. I brought it up because in the discussion the other day, the point was made that the further we grow in Christ, the deeper we understand the depth of our own sinfulness, and that this is why it always seems to us that we aren't "getting any better." We simply have a deeper understanding of how fallen we are, and therefore it pains us more the closer grow to God. I think this view has some merit. The idea then is that the guilt and shame of our sin is always before us, not as a discouragement, but as a reminder that we are not already sanctified, lest we expose our hypocrisy. It also serves to exhort us to continue on this difficult road. It is important to note here that guilt and shame over our sin is not a bad thing! Far from it, it is supposed to be an externally perceivable motivator for our action. Now, that is not so say that guilt and shame cannot be taken out of the correct proportions and uses....they can, but so can nearly anything. The love of Christ, for instance, without the reality of human sin, is a meaningless feel-good tenant that is no more powerful than an hundred celebrities singing "We are the World." But, paired with an appropriate understanding of the fall, the love of Christ becomes the most necessary, powerful, and important message to this dying world. But I digress...

A few spare bits....

-I'm attempting to change my sleeping habits again in order to get up around 7am instead of the 8.30 I had fallen into. I'll....let you know how that goes.

-I've been in a really strange mood lately. If you've been following any of my statuses on facebook, you'll know what I mean. Weird and . . . verbose. Oh well.

-I'm again attempting to write lyrics, which either could turn out really well, or end up with me wanting to burn down some unsuspecting piece of furniture. History puts the probability at around 50%.

I think I'm going to trundle on off to unproductive uses of my time....until next time, try not to fail any spot checks.

Thoughts I think (I think).

2010-09-24T22:47:00.001-04:00

Something to think about while wishing you could get the six months back.

But instead, on to my parenthetical ramblings...

I find certain worship songs that put the singer at the center of the meaning. For instance: the worship song "Came to my Rescue" is a great example of this "me-first" ideology I've noticed recently. Chorus goes something like this (and keep in mind this is talking about salvation) :

I called, you answered,

and you came to my rescue, and I

I want to be where you are.

I literally cannot bring myself to sing that first line, it's so flagrantly, theologically wrong. Romans 5:8 shows very disputably that it is "while we were yet sinners," that's when Christ died for us. When we look at the example of Lazarus, we are supposed to see ourselves mirrored; the same is true with the army of dry bones in Ezek 37. While we are in sin, we are dead. Not "sort of alive" or "spiritually disadvantaged" or something equally ridiculous. We were DEAD in our transgressions, and as far as I know, dead men cannot make the the choice to do anything: They're dead. Similarly, we cannot "Call" to God to rescue us. Granted, to us in our personal experience, that is what it feels like happened, because the Holy Spirit has moved in our hearts, and actually already imputed Christ's salvific blood to our account, as it were. That is the only way we would even be moved to "call out" to Jesus, and any detailed study of historic theology *should* make this apparent (though sadly, any detailed study of theology seems an anathema to the modern Christian, which is a travesty indeed). The other sad part is that this entire chorus could be fixed by just one word change! Just switch "I called, you answered" to "You called, I answered," and viola! You have a perfectly, harmoniously theological statement that still fits into your uplifting hillsong stylizing.... but I digress. This may seem like semantics, but please look at it for what it is: A brief example of a bigger, more general issue, that is the problem of "me-first" ideology of modern worship, as well as just the simple imputing of bad or even apostate theology into common worship. This reaches deeper to the core of Christians not really wanting to "know their faith"...but I'll save that for another time.

Meanwhile, a whole lot of nothing has passed since last night, other than my peculiar musings. So, to more of them:

One of the professors gave a talk in chapel today about how we should be looking at every day we live as a miracle, instead of looking for "miracles" in the usually preconceived sense of the word. In other words, we should live every day knowing that God may use us to perform what could be considered a miracle in someone else's life today, having in view that God does not always work in the ways we look for him to but instead chooses to use normal human events to work his means. I rather liked what the professor was getting at about this, namely that to go around trying to find or produce "miracles" in the way that Jesus performed them is really quite counterproductive and often not even what is most likely in view. What is in view, as my Contemporary Christian Belief professor would say, is reconciling relationships. God doesn't always use us in the ways we expect or want.

On an unrelated note. I am constantly having ideas that I think should make their way into a story or something, but I cannot ever see myself getting around to writing it. I've got such a backlog of "material" that I can barely imagine getting through the surface of it, seeing as I've been trying to get the first 3-4 major ones done for about 5 years now and am about a shuffle step closer to completing them than I was in third grade (I have ideas, and a sentence or two written about them...). It's mildly frustrating. If only I were an author, visual artist, musician, historian, cartographer and publicist! But alas, there is only so much of me and too many careers of interest to go around (and I have chosen none of the above-mentioned anyway).

Until next time, have fun feeding the cat-pet.

Catching up

2010-09-24T01:14:00.001-04:00

Something to look at while learning how to use i.e.

So, this time of year is around again; that is, the school-year, and I for one am feeling like a platypus on the moon without the proper breathing apparatus (the platypus is for all intents and purposes irrelevant for the context of the simile, it simply adds a certain amount of bizarre humour to the mental picture). Don't get me wrong: it's not that classes are not good, or that the homework is unbearable, or that there is an infinite amount of banjos playing cosmic tether ball with my mind, or even that I'm not enjoying myself. I am the positive of all of those things (except the banjos). I just keep getting this sneaking suspicion that three things are indelibly true:

1: I'm forgetting or missing something important. Chances are I know what this is but haven't realized it yet. Chances are also, that if I stopped focusing on the fact that I don't know what it is and start focusing on what it could be, I would figure it out.

2: I keep getting the feeling that this year is just treading water. Maybe it's the "senioritus," but I could've swore I had that last spring even...and this is different. This is more....malign. Or is it? I can't really tell. But I have this horrible suspicion that no matter what I do, I'm just waiting for next year to come around, which I think is dangerous.

3: Any amount of Banjos over the prescribed 4 to build up a tolerance the machinations of modern pop-country twang (simply for survival purposes in malls and Indiana-style "festivals") is simply ungodly. It's obvious that the banjo, and pop country in general is descended from indiscreet pairing of darkspawn and dragonsblood.

But more to the second point (but also a sort of side point, as side points go). Everyone is getting married, or so it seems. And it's dastardly annoying. I'm doing my best to hold myself back from thinking about this in the ways I want to...but it is really annoying. Everyone else seems to be off and getting married, and usually to someone they met way before I met my girlfriend. Gah! And what's worse: I have really no excuse for being annoyed, because, simply put, they're in a better position to get married (usually, from all angles, the right position), and all of that. So, I guess I'm being taught patience. At the moment, patience is probably my least favorite virtue..... But still, I will hold fast. Anyway. All this to say, sorry for the personal pity party....I will stop now. On to the rest of the blog!

I've found recently, that anything I can level up in, or earn trophies for, or rank in, is super-addicting and needs to be kept far away from me. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is one such example. I couldn't put it down for a week, and still at nights I think about picking it up again.... But far worse! Playstations use of Trophies when it comes to Single Player RPGs is simply wicked. I recently started playing Dragon Age: Origins (which is a wonderful game, btw), and within a few (30+) hours, realized I became addicted. And not only that, but with their darkly insidious trophy system, I feel almost bound to pursue the "platinum trophy" which is gained by earning all of the other gold, silver, and bronze trophies.....worth a couple+ breakthroughs. You conniving video game imp, you! In other news, I attempt to have both a social life, and a good school/homework life.

A few random thoughts of the week:

Neither of my baseball teams this year did anything worth getting excited about (The Brewers discovered Doug Davis is done, which I thought was a given, and the Red Sox discovered that with 5 bajillion injuries, it is hard to win games consistently.....another given).

The Packers future is looking up for this year though, and not least of all because A. Aaron Rodgers is awesome, but also B. Brett Favre is playing terribly, and the Vikings so far are doing a better job impersonating a gimpy dachshund in a dog-fighting ring than the fearsome Norseman who terrorized northern Europe, slaughtering babies and priests on a whim. I think the world is better off, honestly.

Speaking of pillaging bastards, the Fall Election is right around the corner, and here's hoping US politics will be filled with a lot less of them (the pillagers, that is). Let's hear it for fiscal responsibility and smaller government! Anybody? No? Am I alone in Amsterdam? Though this libertarian edge to the teaparty movement is intriguing to me. I certainly applaud the fact that it is not simply a party-line movement (which I cannot stand). Anyone who claims to be conservative or liberal but is really just a Republican or Democrat should be shot in the knee and instructed what they really are....but that's a bit harsh. In other words, if you want to engender yourself to me, tell me what you really are, not what I want to hear. There is a big difference between Conservative and Republican (hint: one is actually conservative, and the other one is for big government with conservative rhetoric), for instance. And it pays not to compare the two. Case in point: I am ridiculously libertarian. I even refuse to own bumper stickers that say as much, because that would be less libertarian. I do, however, consider myself conservative (as conservative, as you can get, without being an anarchist). I DO NOT, however, in any way, consider myself Republican. To call me such would be as much of an insult as to call me a moderate (ugh!). Republicanism is Fascism-lite, just as Democratism is Socialism-lite. Anyway....enough of a rant. Just call yourself by what you are and stop posturing! Posturing will not win my vote.... If you want my vote, I don't care what party you're from: I just want you to uphold libertarian values. If you're Republican and hold them, I'll vote for you. If you're democrat and hold them, I'll vote for you. But you'd also darn well better keep your position once in office, or you'll lose me quicker than Obama is losing poll numbers--and that's not a joke.

That was longer than I anticipated, but that seems to be a running theme for this blog. Nothing, nothing, BLAM, nothing....

Keep in touch, I'll be around. And in the meantime, here's something to look at while contemplating unemployment.

2010-06-17T19:37:00.000-04:00

Something to think about while doing archeology (not that you were going to anyway)...

Courtesy of http://www.xkcd.com/

Oh this excitng time of year...

2010-06-05T14:00:00.000-04:00

As the graduation season descends upon us, and I attend multiple parties for those poor highschoolers who really have no idea what is in store for them, I am reminded of a few things:
First, I have been reminded of that awful question; the one that everyone asks at your graduation and successive parties. It usually sounds something like this: What are your plans for next year? (or some variation on that theme) And if you answer some college, the next three questions pounce on you like a panther in the treetops "Ah! And what is your major, and what do you hope to do with that? And what does the rest of your life look to be like?" And if you answer an I don't know to any of these questions, you get a look that says "Poor child...doesn't know what he's in for." But if you answer with something unrealistically planned out, they smile approvingly and walk away. See, the problem is, most people want to see what your plans are so that they can feel like they're a part of your life, before waiting another 4-5 years to check back and judge how well you have succeeded in those plans. If, however, you answered "I'm working next year" or any other non-college option to the original question, you'll most likely get a disapproving look, and they'll attempt to find some way to exit the conversation. This reaction is actually simply awful...college is not for everyone, but that's not what I'm concerned about in this post.
My second thought (labeled "Second" so as to match point "First"), is that I have discovered what I personally think are two much more important questions, that, looking back, I wish I had been asked when I first graduated. Of course, these questions are geared to the Christian graduate....mostly because that's who I generally deal with, and who I am. The first question that I would ask is this: "What is the most surprising or important thing God has taught you over the past four years?" (or the past year if you have less time to listen). This is a better question in my mind, because it gets right to the heart of how they are maturing and how they see themselves as a follower of God. It also opens up the discussion beyond the truly unimportant subject of what their plans are and instead dwells on where they are really at and where they see themselves. The second question I wish I had been given is this: "As each new decision and opportunity arises (in other words, this is not a question I would actually want an answer to), ask yourself this question, 'How does/will [such and such] strengthen, grow, or mature my relationship to Christ?' Because if it doesn't, then it is not worth considering." This is a question I wish I had been told to ask, because it would have put the right perspective on decisions (which are not my strong suit), and put into perspective my relationship with Christ as the real motivator for any decision. Neither of these questions judge or critique the surface plans of the the graduate, but rather put the ball in their court to talk about who they are as a person and what their thoughts and intentions really are.

A Two-Paragraph Summary of the Last Three Years

2010-03-25T01:41:00.001-04:00

I'm currently working on a post (or two) about the theme of the Fear of the LORD, but in the meantime, here is a personal anecdote about my experience choosing to attend Taylor University back in 2007. Perhaps you'll find it entertaining if not enlightening. Look at it as sort of a quick update of the last three or so years for those of you who need that refresher, and perhaps as a "Oh, so that's how that happened..." for those of you who don't.

It was a balmy afternoon in late May. My home state of Wisconsin is not known for its warm weather, but this spring had been particularly kind to us and towards the end of May, nature decided it was time for summer to come in full force. I had been accepted to Taylor and two other schools and it had literally come down to the final day for one of them, and I needed to make a decision. I had been praying about it, asking parents, and people at church that I respected; even some of my friends had weighed in. I was feeling nothing—no pull towards any one over another—and it didn’t help that I liked all of them. So I sat there at the kitchen table with my parents, considering the pros and cons, and generally asking God that He would direct my choice, whether I felt that direction or not. I called to mind the visit that I had made to Taylor on that freezing February morning a few months earlier, and how I felt like this was a place that students and faculty alike strove to do their utmost in their fields for God, something I found very important in a college—it couldn’t just be “Christian” in name or practice if it neglected academics and scholarship, but it also couldn’t be so focused on scholarship that it lost the reason we study to begin with: Our creator, sustainer, and Lord; Jesus Christ. Taylor, I recalled, had shown me something few other schools had shown me; a good balance of the two, and an understanding of what Christian scholarship should look like.

I also had in mind that May afternoon that I would like to keep my options open to other majors. I was planning at that time to major in music composition, having played piano for 12 years, and having composed for nearly half that. However, I wasn’t sure that that was where God wanted me, and to restrict myself to music alone (as one of my college possibilities would have done) shed some new light on the decision. So, on what seemed to be a whim (in my mind which wanted God to light up a neon sign and say, “Here! This is what I want you to do.”), I chose Taylor, but God in His overwhelming providence has been reinforcing to me every day since that decision that He had wanted me here all along, and that making that decision was good for me. Since coming to Taylor, I very quickly learned that the music department was not where God wanted me, but instead, that He wanted enter the Biblical Studies department instead. That, by contrast, was the easiest decision I have ever made, and at the same time is another one for which I have no regrets. I love every class I take within my major, and with every day I feel like I am learning more about God and His word and plan on a deeper level than I would have been able to otherwise. I am currently in my fourth semester of Hebrew, and am going to start Greek next fall.

Some thoughts on a recent experience...

2010-02-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

This last weekend, for a course on Eastern Religions, we visited an Hindu celebration of Shiva, and as I continue to unpack my thoughts, I thought it would be a good idea to sort of get them out on paper (or rather, screen). So, without further ado, my reactions:

First, what utter, complete, and absolute hopelessness. Theoretically, it would seem more logical that an true atheism would be the most hopeless existence possible, and that still may be. However, I've experienced that form of hopelessness, (which is often ironically accompanied by the rather european notion of grinning and bearing it),and what I experienced last Sunday was something else entirely. The denial of the existence of anything divine, while despairing, does not compare to the the absolute terror at a god who does not desire to know his followers, but instead demands blind obedience, fealty, offerings, in order not to destroy them. This is made even more apparently sickening in contrast to the living, true God I know in Yahweh--who desires to know His people intimately.

Second, I felt both anger and sadness. I think I finally understand on some level what Yahweh must feel when He sees Israel's perversion and harlotry to other gods. We don't really like to think about idol worship in its more "primitive" sense as being an actual issue in today's age of reason, but watching a priest chant in Sanskrit for two hours while throwing flower pedals and offering food to a hunk of metal threw that presuppopsition out the window. It hurt terribly to see people bow in homage to a non-living object that somehow, supposedly, has the power to help or save them in some way. Ezekiel 16 took on more meaning to me now, is all I can say.

Third, I'm not one to feel spiritual warfare everywhere, and most of you who know me know this-- if there's one thing I am, it's critical of many of the charismatic tenents. However, I felt darkness there. I felt a real, heavy, enervating darkness that I can only assume was spiritual oppression. I am a proponent of the idea that the gods and idols we worship have actual spiritual beings attached to them (call them what you will, demons, etc), and if ever I felt such a presence, I felt it there.

Wrapping up: As an experience, it was not something that was good by any means, but I think the fact that I experienced it was good. It's taken me two days to recover from it, and even so I'm still processing everything (eg, the fact that I am writing this). However, it has done a couple of things for me spiritually. It has helped me to understand how evil idolatry (whether of little humps of wood/stone/metal, or the things in our lives that we put before Yahweh) really is, and I've experienced both the anger at the sheer wrongness of it that I'm sure Yahweh must feel, as well as the overwhelming heartbreak for the people that grow up in that darkness. It also reinforces to me how good my God is, both in that He loves me and wants to have a relationship with me on a personal level, and also in that He has overcome the powers of this world on my behalf, to save me despite the fact that I in no way deserved it. The verse that kept me going through the "ceremony" was 1 John 4:4 "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world..."
So there you have it. Just thought I'd share that with the 2 or so of you that actually continue to read my thoughts and drolleries.

A Psalm

2010-02-09T23:33:00.000-05:00

Here is a Psalm I recently wrote while dwelling on God's majesty and His glorious works. Ultimately, I would like to translate it into Hebrew and perhaps set it to music. To distinguish couplets and parallels, I've marked the first word of each verse with italics, though despite the parallelism, it is meant to build upon itself...so it's not like each poetic expression is seperate from the whole, just a combined idea which informs the whole. Though hopefully that should be somewhat intuitive.

My God is beyond compare

Yahweh is His name.

Out of the whirlwind He speaks,

From the mountaintop He shows His ḥesed*,

His people sing His praise every day,

All the nations declare “Holy is Yahweh!”

At His feet are glory and power,

The sons of God bow in worship,

They sing praise around His throne,

His courts ring with their song.

When Yahweh descends,

The Sea turns back in fear,

And the mountains become shale,

Even the ground trembles at His might,

For Yahweh comes to judge.

He bears justice as a shield

Righteousness like a flaming sword,

All the earth shall fear Him;

The mighty men shall fall prostrate

At the coming of Yahweh.

When Yahweh speaks, lightning covers the sky,

When he thunders, the earth trembles.

Who is like Yahweh?

I will shout aloud His praise,

From heights of the mountains I will exalt Him,

For my God is Yahweh.

*"ḥesed" (חסד) is a word that is particularly hard to translate (thus why I didn't translate it here). Some Bibles translate it as "lovingkindness," but this is about as inadequate a translation as you could possibly have. "ḥesed" encompasses so much more than that. It is God's covenant love and faithfulness, it is His compassion (as in the instance of Ruth and Naomi), it is His mercy in dealing with us as sinners, His grace, etc. It is how God describes Himself. Michael Card has an interesting definition which I sort of like, which is, "it is when the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing, gives me everything," though this definition still cannot cover the entire breadth of this wonderful word.

Good things....

2010-02-08T23:21:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update on my life of late:
This new semester has started, and what at first promised to be a less hectic semester has since shown itself to be a liar. It is probably going to be just as stressful, busy and hectic as last semester, but that's okay and here's why:

I'm in a really good place right now. The last week+ in particular, but in general since the middle of January, God has really been teaching me some things, and it's great.

I've been in the word more than usual, and in particular the Psalms, which has really been exciting. In addition to this (or perhaps in conjunction with), God is beginning to teach me how to really worship Him in an emotional way--something that has always been hard for me as I tend to overanalyze the lyrical content, the musical quality, or even the the muscicians' intentions with certain styles (in and of themselves, not terrible things to be aware of, but I overanalyze and critique, and will be the first to admit it).
That, and I cannot seem to get the hymn "Be Still My Soul" out of my head to the point that it has newly become one of my favourites. Seriously, it's been playing in there for like a week....which is pretty cool as well.

At Church, our assistant pastor has been teaching a Sunday School class on seeing Christ in the OT which is always a really exciting topic, and this class has turned out to be especially so. Last week we talked about our responsibility as the redeemed (similar to the Israelites after the Exodus and Sinai) is to share justice and righeousness (mishpat & tsedek)with everyone else (particularly the misfortunate, eg., widows and orphans), just as [Adonai] has delivered us from out of bondage to Egypt (the other nations/the world, sin, etc.). Anyway, without going into it much more than this, it struck me pretty hard which was sweet. So anyway....yeah.

This is all to say, good things indeed.

Quick Thoughts...

2009-12-10T11:41:00.006-05:00

I don't have time at the moment to present a full article, but I thought I'd jot down a couple of thoughts that struck me today in a class in which we were discussing George MacDonald and his theology/philosophy.

First, I think that many Christians commit the same fallacy when trying to understand God that many people prior to the Copernican Revolution had about the universe. That is, mistook what they saw for reality based on their perception as the center of the universe rather than looking at it from the universal. So, what do I really mean?
I think we tend to look at all the characteristics of God and paint them in our minds as different "forms" or "ways" in which God displays Himself. This is a fallacy. I think it is much more true to say that, just as the stars only appear to circle around us because we are really ourselves moving, It is not God who changes. God never changes, only our perception of Him as we move through "space."

Second thought: George MacDonald had this view that "it is better to do what evil you are capable of doing if that is more likely to jolt you into goodness, rather than simply thinking of that evil and letting it simmer and grow."
Now, this on the surface seems understandable. Namely, that it is better not to harbour evil and never understand how dangerous it is...but the idea that you can sort of jolt yourself back by commiting the actual evil you are capable of is wrong on the basest level.

Point First: The there is seemingly no end to the evil that we as humans are "capable" of performing. Man is sinful from the bottom up, and to assume that there is a way to sort of "get it out of one's system" makes no sense, because you could do evil for eternity and still never fulfill what one is capable of doing. I don't think I need to point to examples for this one, we all know of the serial killers/rapists of the world.
Also, sin is addictive. It's not like commiting one act will jolt you back, because you commit one, and you are compelled to commit more and worse. It's the ultimate degenerative drug. See quotes from the Jeffrey Daumer on the nature of serial killing later in his jail sentence/near the end of his life.

Point Second: MacDonald's philosophy here works only for someone who has already been regenerated by Christ, who can use an act of sin to sort of shock us back into righteous living after a period of wilderness. This is not what MacDonald believed though; he believed that this idea could apply to everyone. So aside from the very narrow application we can make from this, that Christ can use everything about the believer's life to pull us toward Him, this entire idea is flawed, and borders on universalism. MacDonald had an intense dislike to the idea of eternal damnation and torment that stemmed from His rejection of His father's belief in election, and there is some evidence to suggest that later in life he developed an almost reincarnation idea that combined elements of purgatory and eternal regeneration which either saves everyone or finally hits annihilationism to those who refuse to turn (again following the pattern of God not being in control--or even knowledge--of His own creation, which in my humble opinion makes absolutely no sense). This is sad to me, because I grew up thoroughly enjoying MacDonald's literature, but when I go back and read Him now, I see a lot of elements which are especially common now within a couple popular movements (The Emergent Church, for one). In some ways this is sort of the defrocking of one of my childhood literary heroes.
So, all of this is a long tangent to say that, while this idea can be applicable in a narrow sense to the believer, it on a universal scale reeks of both the post-modern and palagian ideas that God is not really in control, but just sort of sits back and watches to see what happens: Not only an errant view, but one which inspires no confidence in our salvation through Christ, and essentially makes our God no better than a block of wood.
One of my favourite quotes by Dr R.C.Sproul is this:

If there is one maverick molecule in all the universe, then God is not sovereign. And if God is not sovereign, He is not God.

I really like that, and I think that sums it up. Let us not worship a God who is not sovereign, but instead, let us worship the all-sovereign, all-powerful, ever-righteous God who does not change form, but is always the same.

That's all I have for now...the plan is to get on later and finish one of the numerous other posts that are half-done. Feel free to leave comments/discuss any of the above with me.

Audacious Christianity

2009-08-24T11:04:00.004-04:00

So, I'm going to start this post on what seems a sort of strange tack when given the title above.

Is there any place for Rock music as a genre within Christian circles. That is, music made with a Christian intent, purpose, and "lyrics" intended soley as a Christian song, but in a rock style, genre, etc.

This is a question I have struggled with for years.

Due to the inherently rebellious slap in the face nature of the rock genre, I've had a very hard time justifying it as legitimate for a Christian song. That is not to say that Rock isn't a legitimate genre in its own right, I've come to believe that that is indisputable. I am, however, takign aim at the so-called "Christian Rock." Is it legitimate? Or for an even deeper question, is an act of rebellious or vociferous obstinance ever justified for a Christian?

I came to the conclusion that no. It isn't justified. I couldn't come up with a reason that a Christian should ever display the sympathies expressed by the ideas behind rock music. But then I went back and listened to this song by Stephen Curtis Chapman (ignore the video) :

Bring it On

What strkes me about this is that 1) It gives a very legitimate direction to point our stubborness and (in some ways a form of) rebelliousness to the world we were once enslaved to, and 2)it acknowledges God's complete and sovereign authority over all events (even trials), and at the same time using that knowledge to slap satan across the face.

The message of this song is absolutely foolish in the eyes of the world, but in our justified state, it can only be seen as audacious and astounding. And what better way to exclaim this audacious, world-slapping message then in a blow-you-away style of rock song? In my opinion, the base and base drum pedal needs to actually be brought up more than it is on the cd during the chorus.... as it would serve to make the song more powerful. But that's my only critique.

So there you have it, I'm back at the title. Audacious Christianity. It's a little nickname I've sort of come up with for this idea that we as Christians should not only be living as though every moment and every breath is for God, but even that when buffeted by trials and tempations and all that the world can muster, the really Christian response is to rejoice because we know the secret: It's only there to make us stronger. I wish I had that kind of faith. But I know I want to be able to say what Chapman's lyrics say: "Bring it on!"

PS. I promise my next post won't involve music.

Irish Fest this weekend.

2009-08-15T10:58:00.002-04:00

The Milwaukee Irish Fest is this weekend, and Rigel is playing in it! So, if you're wondering why I'm not around, that would be why. I would encourage you to check it out though, it's a great time all around. They have some cool shops and a lot of great bands.
http://www.irishfest.com/

And for those of you who don't know (which among my readers is probably rather a miniscule minority...), Rigel is an awesome band that you should check out... and I'm not just saying that because I'm in it. We've got an EP coming out in the near future and are working on our next (second) full cd. Drop by our webpage, at:

www.rigelband.com

Why I like Dave Matthews

2009-08-08T22:01:00.011-04:00

This may seem like a strange first post to bring myself back into the blogging world, especially when I have numerous other, seemingly more important (to me) topics to ramble about. However. This is something I've felt is worth talking about for a while now, and it's what I'm most in the mood to right about at the moment, and as my mood seems to dictate my writing, I tend to let it have it's way.

So, why do I like Dave Matthews, you ask? Commonly, complaints about DMB revolve around how he has too little melody, hard to understand vocals, and doesn't fit into any style.

Well, I answer these sturdy complaints with a solid YES. Yes, he does have little melody when compared to other popular artists. Yes, he is at times hard to understand (especially on the live cds). And yes, he doesn't fit into any pure style. But believe me when I tell you that within the complaints themselves lie hidden the key to understanding and appreciated Dave's Music. To demonstrate, I offer Exhibit A:

Dreaming Tree
Perhaps one of my favourite DMB songs of all time, this piece is fraught with deep, intensely vivid lyrics, poetry, and even parallelism. It has one of the most interesting and open melodies of any Dave piece (though it is in an "unusual" time signature), and boasts one of the most heartrending instrumentations of any piece of the modern era. Take a listen and browse the lyrics below. I'll continue with the commentary further below.

Dreaming Tree on Youtube
Standing here
The old man said to me
"Long before these crowded streets
Here stood my dreaming tree"
Below it he would sit
For hours at a time
Now progress takes away
What forever took to find
Now he's falling hard
He feels the falling dark
How he longs to be
Beneath his dreaming tree
Conquered fear to climb
A moment froze in time
When the girl who first he kissed
Promised him she'd be his
Remembered mother's words
There beneath the tree
"No matter what the world
You'll always be my baby"
“Mommy come quick
The dreaming tree has died.”

The air is growing thick
A fear he cannot hide
The dreaming tree has died
Oh have you no pity
This thing I do
I do not deny it
All through this smile
As crooked as danger
I do not deny
I know in my mind
I would leave you now
If I had the strength to
I would leave you up
To your own devices
Will you not talk?
Can you take pity?
I don't ask much
But won't you speak
Please

From the start
She knew she had it made
Easy up 'til then
For sure she'd make the grade
Adorers came in hordes
To lay down in her wake
She gave it all she had
But treasures slowly fade
Now she's falling hard
She feels the fall of dark
How did this fall apart?
She drinks to fill it up
A smile of sweetest flowers
Wilted so and soured
Black tears stain the cheeks
That once were so admired
She thinks when she was small
There on her father's knee
How he had promised her
"You'll always be my baby"
"Daddy come quick
The dreaming tree has died
I can't find my way home
There is no place to hide
The dreaming tree has died"

Oh if I had the strength...

Take me back
Save me please

So, if you actually scrolled through all of that, you probably noticed a few things right off the bat:

It's in a very simple order: Verse-chorus-verse2-chorus-bridge-solos.
But what's cool about this piece, is the insane amount of parallelism and symmetry between the two verses. Almost every line hearkens in some way to it's counterpart in the other verse. The first verse is about a boy and his mother plays a part, while the second is about a girl and the father is mentioned. They both make note of things such as the falling dark, but use them in different ways.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this song is that the first verse talks about an actual, physical tree which the boy used to dream and fulfil his dreams under and around, while the second is talking about the metaphorical tree which represents the all of the girl's aspirations and hopes for her life, and in both cases, the dreaming tree "dies". It's really an incredibly sad song, and this is emphasized by the bridge which Dave will sometimes sing a little bit a little off-pitch so as to emphasize the desperation in the second verse. Then the flute solo with Dave's vocals and the bands jamming is stirring. The overall effect is insane. I would recommend listening to a few live versions as well if you are interesting, because each one is a little different and brings out different aspects.
Anyway...there you have it, a good sampling of why I like Dave Matthews.
I will just quickly list my response to the complaints above so that you get the idea without me having to give examples for every single point.

1) Too little Melody
First, Dave has some of the best Melodies of any musician around today...you just have to wait for them, and I think this frustrates some people. I mean, sure, if you're used to Radiohead or pre-Viva Coldplay you're not going to know how to wait more than 5 seconds for a obvious and "normal" melody. But that's just what makes Dave special. He doesn't pander to your every pop-influenced whim. He's an acquired taste, like a fine wine, you have to want to like him to like him. And you have to be patient. If you wait a couple minutes through his verses than BAM! He's smacks you with one of the most catchy melodies you've ever heard (see "Rapunzel"). That's another thing, his songs seem SUPER-long to the average listening (very few are less than 4 minutes, most are more than 8, and on live cds, don't be surprised to see 11+ minutes). This isn't bad though, because he manages to fill each song with interesting things for the entire length. More on this below in the point labelled "Thirdly".
Secondly, you have to learn to appreciate good rhythms and guitar riffs to like his verses (See "The Stone" or "Warehouse"), which are excellently constructed, but just take getting used to.
Thirdly, his band is made up of some of the best musicians I have ever seen. This is part of the reason they have such long songs: They are primarily a jam band when live, and to a certain extent even in studio. If you can learn to appreciate a jam, you can learn to appreciate 2/3 of DMB's live music. And some of the jams will blow you away....listen to "Seek Up" or "All Along the Watchtower" from 'Live At Red Rocks' or "Two Step" from 'Live at Mile High' for examples. This also explains how I can have sometimes 5 or six versions of the same song and never get tired of listening to each one, because each one is different.

2)Hard to understand vocals
This is absolutely valid. At times, he can have frustratingly unclear vocals. However, I would say roughly 85/90% of the time this is for effect. You see, Dave uses his voice as if it were another rhythm instrument, and as such, he often sacrifices lyrical clarity for a certain sound or feel. (See "Big Eyed Fish" or any live version of "Ee Hee", "Cornbread", or "Louisiana Bayou"). That being said, it is something to deal with, and if you don't like it, oh well. I won't be upset about it. Do know though, that he can sing very clearly when he means to.

3)Doesn't fit into any style
This is exactly what makes Dave so special. Every band needs to have something that they do different, and Dave Matthews just managed to carve out his "own style" out of almost every other style out there. He's got some Jazz, Blues, Rock, R & B, Bluegrass, Folk, Bayou-folk (or whatever you would call that), skat, and just about anything else he can get his hands on. Dave's style is his own, and that's exactly why he's worth listening to. And seriously, when was the last time you heard a band that didn't have a single name in the "sounds like" category?

So there you have it. My first post since February....hopefully a sign of better things to come. Drop a comment, or rant, I'd love to hear from ya. :)

Musings...

2009-02-26T01:32:00.004-05:00

Brian McLaren came and spoke on campus this evening. Now, most of you (there are what 3 of you now?)know my views on the Emergent church, and you also know that Brian McLaren is about as liberal and as "emergent" as one can get. I decided (against my own strong will) not to go. I knew I'd hear about it for a week and a half anyway, and it's better I didn't go and get incensed against it....because I would've made a fool out of myself, I know I would've, and I would've tried to make him look like an idiot in front of everyone, and regardless of whether I'd have succeeded, I would've been a bad spot on the good and more maturely-stated comments that I've been told were directed at him. In any case, that's not what I want to talk about. What I do want to talk about is a dilemma that a friend of mine who went to the talk came away with that I think is very important to at least consider.

How do you love someone in a Christ-like manner when you disagree so entirely with everything they have to say? How do you know where to draw the line between firmly and fervently holding a Phalanx of your worldview and theology, and how much do you simply agree to disagree? When do you let the topic slide, and when do you press until they either give or look stupid?

And I know that in concept we're supposed to view every person as an eternal being created in the image of God (albeit fallen), and in that sense we're apprised of the extreme gravity and weight of our treatment and should therefore do everything we can to lovingly help them see the light.

But that's the concept. How do you do it in practice? It's so difficult, especially when you disagree with them so thoroughly, and when you try to discuss it seriously, they act condescending and super-nice so as to make you seem hard-nosed, fundamentalist, and "intolerant", when all you're really doing is trying to help them understand why you disagree and help them to see that their viewpoint isn't automatically right out of hand. And outside even of this particular breed of dissenter, how do you continue to love those and truly care for those who you want nothing more for than to just get their "just desserts..."?

This to me is one of those hard questions because even though we have an answer, we don't really have an answer...we know what to do, just putting it into practice is the hard part. I don't know, maybe it's one of those things that just comes with stronger faith. We'll see. I'll continue to mull and post more if I come up with something.

Update.

2009-02-15T17:45:00.011-05:00

-I'm actually finding I really, really miss the other three seasons of the year (Spring, summer, fall). I love the warm weather, the fact that I don't have to bundle up, doing active things outside, and yes, Baseball. At least we're about half-way through February already...

-Went to Taylor Theatre's production of "The Crucible" last night. Man....I'm glad I wasn't born at that time, in a puritan household. Creepy.

-I've been in sort of a funk recently, which at least in part explains my absence on here, and in response, I was slapped in the face (not literally) with Romans 7 yesterday. It was actually quite cathartic. I haven't read Romans 7 in a long while, and it was really nice to look back at some of the things Paul says that makes you go "Yes! I know that feeling exactly." It was also good for me because I've been heavily engaged in the law recently, and to hit the passage "...our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death." A danger I've been finding now since getting slapped with this yesterday is that I can easily get very caught up in the Old Testament that I lose sight of the answer that is the New. And it's not so much that I don't know that, it's that in my reaction against the modern NT-only (or at least too-NT-focused) Christianity, I've actually gone too far the other way, and without even realizing it, I've lost sight of the freedom from the law. Now, I've never lost sight of Christ's dying work, no, that's been at the forefront, but the practical out-workings (what it means to be freed from the law, etc) are easily buried beneath the sorrow of the prophets when I'm not careful. So, overall, it's been a good couple days of realisation and return.

-I started writing lyrics yesterday to a chord pattern I've had in my head for a while now....it was weird. I think it's going to turn into a sort of chant/supplication which focuses on the different names and meanings of the names of God. I like what I have so far, but I'm really self-conscious about it....for some reason lyrics are very personal and hard to share for me...

-I've been thinking a lot about Dingle recently, and in particular, this photo I took while I was over there:-I also have been going through my document files on my computer recently, and stumbled across this poem I wrote about a year ago. I think it's about Gandalf, but there are some nuances in there that don't quite fit him completely. I also really like the feel of the last verse.

Grey wanderer was he,
A brush on the wind
A leaf on the sea
In the land of Faery

This man it was
No man knew
His purpose trumps
Both king and pawn

His mission secret
His will strong
He th’ro painful feat
Hath served mankind

The Fyre resounding darkly
Grants but mild glory’s grief
The great and glorious
Death of everlasting sleep.

Thoughts of the day...

2009-01-26T17:11:00.003-05:00

I'm pumped about the new Decipher TCG coming out soon. It's called Fightklub, and it's going to be awesome. I'll explain it more as it becomes available, but I'll just say this: It will be the cheapest, easiest to get involved in, and perhaps most player oriented hobby-game I have seen yet.

What is up with all of the "economists" interviewed on the news thinking that thinking that these bailouts are good things? Last I checked, debasing and socializing our economy were bad things....

Speaking of the news... CNN and its clones can talk about nothing but Obama these days. It's quite disgusting....I mean really. I have no interest in what the Obama family had for dinner, or what time they went to sleep, or what their children's school is like, or even if the family all agrees that nut based allergies are the worse (okay, so I made the last one up). Just let the poor family alone. Seriously, I think most stalkers would be more considerate.....or at least less tacky. And then there's Foxnews. As much as Foxnews was the earpiece of the last administration, they are the Boy who cried wolf in this one. I suppose it makes sense. In many respects, they swapped places with CNN...which is understandable, but still pathetic.

As expected, President Obama is starting off his presidency as President F. D. Obamesvelt. The amount of things he is pushing through congress borders on the obscene. Add to this the fact that certain members of congress *cough* Kennedy, McCain, Kerry, etc *cough* need regular naps or their decision making skills become irratic. Oh wait. . .
In any case my point is Barrack and his magical unicorn named Change shouldn't push congress so fast.

One month and another class out of the way. Yay!

Rigel is playing at Nine Irish Brothers in West Lafayette (ie, Purdue University) on Saturday night. Should be a good time. Not too big on the whole driving home on Wednesday night, driving back on Saturday morning thing, but, whatever. Certain things must be done.

My floor is having a coffee and tea open house tonight. I'm psyched.

Currently in season 3 of Stargate SG-1. Good, good show. The nineties hair is rather entertaining for the first couple seasons, but you get used to it.

I've been playing through Final Fantasy XII of late. First FF game I've played....it's quite fun. Classically cheesy in places, but fun.

Points...

2009-01-20T14:43:00.005-05:00

What is it with people, Christians even, thinking that modern Evangelical Christianity's main problem is too much organized doctrine? If anything, the problem is just the opposite. Everyone always blames organized doctrine and theology for any major church problem...and everyone nowadays is overemphasizing to the borders of hyperbole community and fellowship. How many churches have you seen around lately that consider themselves "modern evangelicals" and actually teach doctrine? Most don't even get past "We believe Jesus is the Christ the Lord"....some don't even get there.

That's not to say most of those churches don't have a sort of doctrine. They do. For many it's just a sort of doctrine that they don't really mention up-front, and skirt around when pinned down about it, that really either ignores or actually contradicts biblical teaching. That, or they have a sound original doctrine that they just pretend doesn't exist, and that they don't teach.

I'm sick of race being the only issue brought to the forum on MLKjr Day. I mean seriously! The man wasn't even talking about Equal Opportunity laws, how white and black Christians have different worship styles, etc. And to be honest, if we really were over racism in this country, the election of Barack Obama shouldn't even be a big deal. In fact, it shouldn't even be a deal. If we're truly colour-blind like we're supposed to be, then he is simply the next president, elected by the people of the United States because of his platform, not his skin-colour. Stop making a big deal out of it.

MLKjr. was a great man, because he was talking about complete social justice, not just race-relations. In many ways, he is exactly the sort of person we need to aspire to, and yes, he did help the civil-rights process along greatly; but that was only a part of his concern. He wanted to see this entire country transformed by Christians who really Got it when it comes to treating others like we should. And I'm sure he would not be proud of many of those who champion his name today for the sake of more government handouts.

Random thought... You know what little tidbit of information was left out of the whole Obama-inauguration-weekend-palooza? Mike Tomlin is only the third (and this is only the second instance) of a black head coach in the Super Bowl. Remember what a insanely huge deal that was a few years back? Well, turns out it's not really a big deal anymore.... And as a side note, way to go Tomlin for having a very well coached team. I like that team, even though I will be cheering against them in the superbowl, because...

The Cardinals are in the Superbowl. Yes, those Cardinals from Arizona. Wow. Never thought I'd see the day. And I enjoy watching them too...their style is really fun. I'm really cheering for them because I never thought I'd see them make it this far, and I really think that poor team deserves a SB win.

The British Pound plummeted today in response to a government bailout of the banking system. At least the British investors understand what it really means when the government bails out anything...especially banks. In any case, £1.oo is now worth $1.40. If only I had money to travel...

Favre: Will he retire? Will he play another year? Will he retire and come back and play another year anyway, in the process screwing another team that trusted and put their hopes in him? Who cares...

Apparently, Obama claims Lincoln as his model president. I find this rather ironic, considering Lincoln's position towards African Americans would not have allowed Obama to even run for office.... See here:

"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races,—that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." -Abraham Lincoln, http://www.bartleby.com/73/1578.html

In any case....the heroizing of one of the most tyrannical presidents in history continues....

J-Term is shaping up rather nicely. I'm in a World Lit class I really enjoy, with a teacher who literally is Rodney McKay from Stargate Atlantis. Seriously, he looks, sounds, and even acts like him. It's awesome. I have plenty of time to read and finish assignments, I'm redoing my daily schedule (going to bed earlier, getting up earlier, actually eating breakfast, etc). And as far as my life (personally) goes, things are not too bad.

Christmas, Friends, and Mutant Space Monkeys

2008-12-31T11:37:00.003-05:00

So...Christmas season is almost at an end...and I don't really care. It's weird. I used to get so super excited about Christmas (and everything Christmas; the music, the festivities, the traditions). Now, it's sort of a meh/okay sort of time for me...and I really have no idea why. It just doesn't excite me at all. I mean, sure, it's nice to be around family and friends, and that is exciting, but just the entire "Christmas-ness" of Christmas almost bores me. I'm hoping that perhaps it's just me reacting negatively to all of the "fluff" that our culture has surreptitiously strewn about the holiday itself, and not me beginning to just dislike Christmas itself....
Strangely, I don't have quite the same problem with Easter. Perhaps that's because it still has a certain amount of piety and at least an attempt at holiness associated with it, whereas Christmas has simply become a marketing and economy fixing scheme?

On an entirely different note, I've been spending a lot of time with friends during the last week or so, which has been wonderful. I enjoy being busy a bit too much, perhaps. As long as I get enough sleep, I can just go and go and go without needing a day to myself for quite a while. But more specifically than just hanging out, we've been playing a lot of really enjoyable (and somewhat nerdy) games. I finally won my first Settlers of Catan game, which was exciting. And the other day, one of my friends brought a gigantic game called Twilight Imperium. Fun game. Long game. It took us about 4.5 hours to read through the rule-book, and another 4.5 hours to play through half of the game. Despite what you may think, however, it was a ton of fun, and I enjoyed it thoroughly (see picture), though Dan's looking a little worse for wear...

Last thought. Really.

I am so sick of politics. I know I've probably said this a hundred times before...but really. When it gets to the point that I don't even care about who is running the country, it's bad. On second thought, maybe I'm just in a really apathetic mood.....though aside from politics and Christmas I don't feel like it. But yeah. And I'm sick of people saying how good/bad/full of mutant space monkeys the next four years are going to be. Really. First off, Bush hasn't exactly been the Saviour of the Free Market that any of us hoped (especially in these last few months)...so we can't really say with any certainty that we want someone like him (I know for one I don't). And there's nothing to say that Obama is going to be as good or bad as people say he is. At the very least, he will be entertaining. To be honest, aside from FDR, presidents really are rarely able to get done what they want to get done while in office. Sure, they may get one or two things done, but 99% of their election "goals" will be left unfinished for any number of reasons. Follow that with the fact that almost certainly the 1-2 things they get done with be undone by their successor and it really becomes hard to care. But perhaps this is me just sick of politics.

A little rant...

2008-12-17T18:53:00.003-05:00

Today, as I was doing some Christmas shopping, I stopped into the "Capital of watered-down Christian Merchandise" that is the Family Christian bookstore...not because I necessarily like anything in particular there, but because they do have a nice selection of Christian Music Artists (two or three of whom I mildly enjoy), and I had my mind set on a possible gift idea for my parents from its vanilla-coated shelves. Now, on my way in, I noticed the rather obtuse and hawaiian-shirt-loud advertisements for what at first glance appeared to be a "Guitar Hero" controller. This seemed odd and out of place at the white and sparkling shelves of FCB, (Rock music here? Surely not!) so, I took another second to look at it. Sure enough, I was right.

The advertisement was instead for a new video game entitled "Guitar Praise!" (exclamation mark included) and lauded itself for being a "healthy and safe" alternative to the popular multi-console game.

Seriously?! Is this what Christian culture has come to? Not only can we not create anything of our own, nor anything of quality, but now we have to pawn off sub-par versions of things from popular culture simply to fill the void. I have multiple problems with this:

First: Christian culture seems not only bent on, but even possibly entirely incapable of having a single original thought when it comes to anything mildly effecting. When is the last time you have heard of a Christian movie or video game actually being made with quality? (and don't bring up Passion of the Christ...that has it's own barrage of theological problems that we really would to better not getting into). Can you name one? Ever? See my point? Even good Christian artwork is difficult to come by. The last instances of really good Christian art that I can think of were a couple centuries ago...and most of that was rife with Catholic theology and at times even mysticism.

Secondly, and relatedly: If Christian music were good enough quality, it would've found its way onto the regular version of Guitar Hero, at least in an add-on. The World as a whole doesn't really care what the message of a song is, they just care that it is well written. I mean really, how many Contemporary Christian songs have you heard that you said to yourself "Self, that song is so amazing and insane. I really wish I could play that on Guitar Hero!" See my point? For the most part, "Christian" music is sooo far behind the curve musically, that aside from a small part of the Christian population, no one actually listens to it. Just go and listen to some of the new bands on the scene (and for goodness sake don't listen to pop), and listen to what they're doing musically, and I bet you will have a difficult time finding a single Christian band that can compete. And we wonder why secular culture laughs at us. Now remember that I am talking musically, and am not even broaching the subject of content. That's an entirely different debate.

Thirdly: Whatever happened to us being different? If the best we can show for culture is to mimick the world's culture, than what are we? Those of you that know me, know that I feel very strongly that Christians should be heavily involved in culture. In relevant, necessary, changing culture. However, that does not mean we just conform to "what works" or "what sells." The way we do that is to stick to our principles and make the best art we possibly can, in any way we possibly can. Remember that everything we do, we are supposed to do unto God, so please to God let us at least endevour to make it worthy to be tagged with His name.

So, the problem with modern Christian culture is threefold. First, it tries do hard to do what it sees working and selling in the world before taking into consideration that it makes us look dependant on secular culture for ideas. You see this in the books, the games, the t-shirts, the more "progressive" Christian bands, etc. Secondly, in the ways it tries to be different, it succeeds only in making a mockery of Christianity as a whole. This is hugely apparent in realm of the more popular Christian music and movies. Our culture in this case is so backword and unthoughtful that it is seen as completely irrelevant as a whole. Finally, add to this the complete lack of quality on any scale whatsoever of anything with the Christian name on the front of it, and compile this entire problem with the view that Christians are just happy Jesus peddlers who have silly and stupid thoughts about life in general, or, worse, we are viewed as fundementalist Bible bangers who don't know when to shut up and wouldn't know culture if it swallowed us whole....which is just what secular culture intends to do.

So there you have it....it's probably better I don't go shopping more often.

2007-06-21T22:09:00.000-04:00

So, I've been listening to the Pirates 3 soundtrack a lot recently, and it is amazing! It's almost good enough to pirate...but I wouldn't do that....now would I? But anyhow, as I was saying: I have always been the first to criticize the former two soundtracks for their garish and overbearing simplicity and lack of the remotest hint of contrapuntal harmonies in favour of brash noise that while being horribly scored is still annoyingly catchy in it's own way. I have said numerous times, how such Media Ventures creations as the first POTC and parts of the second score are the perfect examples of the sorts of scores that those who have a true love for film scores do not love to hate, but rather, hate to love....for we do love it, while at the same time we hate ourselves for loving it. It is to truly scored film music what pop music is to rock. It's the plastic-ee, cheesey, pop sound that everyone eats up, and those who no better try their best to abstain in any way possible. Except in this case (unlike the newest boy band) you find yourself enjoying and even liking (often against your will) scores such as "The Rock" or Pirates 1, or any other Media Ventures outpouring in recent history.

However, that is not the way Zimmer scored the third one, and for that I am most grateful. Zimmer took a surprisingly orchestrational edge to this score, to the point that most of the time, one is amazed that it is actually Zimmer's writing. Parts of it still seem...well....brassy, but overall, it's a touching score with plenty of action, and a new theme that is to die for. When I saw the film, the theme didn't stand out in a huge way for me, but now that I've listened to the score, I can really appreciate what an amazing theme Zimmer has made for this film. It is one of the most malleable, flexible themes I have ever heard, and he puts it through it's paces. Throughout the score, I have heard it score some of the most heart-rending moments, and yet, it also manages to be outstandingly well suited for action sequences, and everywhere in between! It is beautiful, sad, heroic, uplifting, depressing, and even forshadowing all in different parts of the score. On top of this, you add the Pirate's Chant at the beginning, and a lot of other themes borrowed from the first movies, and you have a score only blemished by the electric guitar played randomly during the parley sequence. Overall though, one of Zimmer's best, and most memorable. And that new theme: Incredible!

So....yeah. I'm tired. Exhausted. But I have to be at work at 5:30 tomorrow...and I have to bike...which means I have to start the waking up process 20 minutes early. Oh well, I'll live. And "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I'm hoping to avoid that painful part in between the not killing and the stronger.

We performed the Importance of Being Earnest again. It was great, because I had sort of already grieved it's having ended the first time, so I was able to just sort of do it and not feel terrible about it's having ended today. It is still sad--I have such wonderful friends, and I will miss them all a lot--but it's easier now then last time.

Speaking of being tired, I shouldn't be....considering how much Dr Pepper I've digested today....I think something like 4 cans....oh well, it's probably still less caffeine than 1 energy drink.

Jury's Out.

2007-06-08T00:41:00.000-04:00

It hit me. No really, it did. The other day, I realised what has been sort of at the back of my mind for months. The sentence I use to describe myself most often has changed tense. I am no longer "Homeschooled" Instead, I "was homeschooled." I don't mean that in any way I am glad to be out of it any more than I am glad to be out of highschool, for that is all it really is; it's just that it never really occured to me really, really really, what it would feel like to have graduated. My whole identity is and has always been being homeschooled, and now that that's over it just feels odd. And sure, I'm going to be doing the inevitable Math "upkeep" over the summer and all of that. It's impossible not to. I have this morbid sensibility that tells me that when I come to visit for the holidays down the road, I'll be assigned some sort of schoolwork for no apparent reason. But none of that really matters, because for all intents and purposes, I am a was. I'm not sure what I think of it yet. I'll let you know.

I've been noticing that I tend to get rather heated when I "debate" with people. Even friends. I'm going to ask them to let me know when I'm verging on the edge, and pray that I have the sensibility to listen to them and stop it. As odd as it may seem, I actually want to be a nice person to be around.

I never thought I'd say this. I'm sick of news. Even politics. News, news news. It's all depressing, rarely straightforward, and in general, just noise. And this is coming from someone who loves politics... Not sure what's going on with me. Am I alive? I'll have to do some checking.

Yep. I'm alive. I guess for now I'll treat it as an anomaly brought on by the despicably early Presidential Election hype/coverage.

Saw Ocean's 12 this evening. It was very good. Overall, not as good as the first, but the dialogue was excellent, and the characters were as hilarious as ever.

I work tomorrow, and Saturday. So yeah.

Lightbulbs, Pipers, and NeoConservatism

2007-03-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

The chair of the Madison City Council proposed today that owners of rental property be required to use fluorescent lighting in all their properties. In response to the outrage at this, and the questions as to "if you're going to make owners of rental property do that, why not make everyone else do it as well?" the honourable 'Chairman King' retorted that he couldn't force every home-owner to, under current laws. The local news articles follow this quote up with the usual environmentalist trash about how great Madison is and such, stating "This is the first I've ever heard of a city in Wisconsin trying to do it. So I hope the city of Madison takes the lead and other cities will follow," My only comments: There's a reason no other city in Wisconsin is trying to do this! It's stupid. It seriously is utterly asinine and banal. It's just more of Madison in general, and Wisconsin in specific shoving an sort of business out of the area and replacing it with more and more government. For heaven's sakes, let people use whatever bulbs they please.

Ann Coulter was on Hannity last night. That was rather enjoyable. Seriously, she's like the Kennedy of the Right. It's hilarious. I also love how they always pair her up against some extreme leftist. It just makes both sides of the issue (and both figureheads) look insane, and makes me want to be a libertarian. As it was, it was rather funny, and I avoided the anarchist tendencies.

I've been reading some articles by John Piper. Very interesting. It's quite convincing, and I think I am finally getting most of the concepts of the reasons behind Reformed Theology rattled through my thick skull. I shall continue reading. In any case, I am fully opposed to Open Theology.

In consequence of the above, I had a bit of a discussion with some friends last week about the argument between Predestination and Free Will. We've had the argument before, but I realized something this last time. I was using the analogy that life is a book, and God wrote it, and then they said no, he didn't, he started it and we are writing it, be he knows what's going on. Now, having had some small experience writing, I know how rediculous that sounds, so I sat and thought about it. Now, there's no way in my mind God could have started the book, and just let things go as we take them without that taking away from God's power and majesty...so, that cannot be right in the least. So, I'm back to my original analogy that God wrote the book and not only knows exactly what will happen, but has planned it outside of time. I guess this puts me strongly in a predestination perspective, which is interesting, because it never really dawned on me before that that is in fact what I believe. I guess I had to contrast it with the views of my fellows to see how much I do indeed differ in beliefs from what I had thought (and succinctly closed the subject of by labelling them) were my beliefs.

I had progressed to step two of my college choice, in that I had decided to step away from Music, and therefore, away from one of the three colleges I have been accepted to, when I talked last night to the parents of one of my good friends (both of whom I respect very much) and they seemed to think it would be a mistake for me to give up music entirely. Consequently, I'm now back at step 1. I guess I'll just have to wait until I've visited the final of the three.

I can vote in the April local elections! Yay! (I'm probably the only conservative mind to join this new class of voters.....but whatever.)

I learned recently that modern conservatives aren't really conservative any longer. They use the system to further their ends and programs in just the same way as do the liberals. The only difference is the things they try to further. And that of course the conservatives goals are much greater...but I digress. Surprisingly, this did not depress me. It just made me realise that in the modern sense, I am neither a democrat, republican, conservative, liberal, libertarian, or Commie. I'm a Federalist of the most advanced form. Oh well. I guess the current political realm cannot label me truly either....not really a surprise.

I wonder if I could get elected if people really knew what I would do with absolute power? I doubt it....nobody any longer would want me to get rid of any bit of government. They love their precious programs and bloated government too much.

Ah, well, I'm off to work. I'm in the mood for a latte....

"About Me"

2006-12-01T21:06:00.000-05:00

I went to edit my profile on this site, but like usual, I didn't really make it anywhere. The same part always makes me pause and think. It's a simple suggestion, only two words. "About Me" it says, and then there's a blank, yet it always stops me dead. I find it interesting how many different ways people interpret this one task. Write about yourself. Some people immediately assume it means their physical attributes. What color their eyes are, how tall they are, etc. Other people describe their personalities, or at least the way they see themselves, accurate or not. Some people like me skip it all together, or take some generalized personality test and put that in instead. (I've done both.)

I find myself wondering how on earth I'm going to describe myself in 1200 characters or less. Not that I'm extraordinarily complex, but how do you give an accurate and yet unique description of any one human being in that much space? I suppose I could write I am a body, soul, and spirit, but so is every human. What one thing could I write that would set me apart as a specific person? One thing that would, in effect, make me Me and not someone else? What is my personality fingerprint, so to speak? But. . . even with a fingerprint, no one arch or swirl is unique. Rather the combination of them all, the sequence they take. Therefore, I have come to the conclussion that to write about me, I would need much more space and time.

But my random thought process doesn't stop there. Oh, no. It gets even better. You see, because everyone is constantly changing, it is impossible to ever complete the fingerprint. Yet, you are always and forever will be only you. Think of how wondrous and what a marvel it is that you are constantly changing and yet always unique. Isn't JEHOVAH God incredible? I digress from my original path, but I hardly think that going on "rabbit trails" to praise God can be bad as that's what we were designed to do and that is, ultimately, the end of truly understanding any topic. Back to where I was going though.

Since I am (and you are as well) forever changing, I would never be able to cease writing about who I am. It would never be finished. Therefore (this really is the conclusion this time), having time and space to write about me would be a waste of that time and space, as it would never be complete, and really. Who cares? So I shall leave such questions blank, as the answer is one that only God can, does, and ever will know.

May you have a good night this most glorious December 1st, 2006.
~Nenia~

The perfect pessimist

2006-06-24T22:08:00.000-04:00

I have often thought that if I wasn't a theist (which I most certainly am, and strongly so), I would be a pessimist. Or a cynic. Now, this may come as a shock to some that one would even think about what one would be like if one wasn't like one is, but to me, it seems just an experiment in critism (of one's self, no less.) So, as a whole, I do not foresee any major problems resulting from it, indeed, it even strengthens my current beliefs.

Anyhow, back to the point. The reason I would probably be an ultimate pessimist, would be that without a theistic base, what good is life anyway? Many theorists have remarked that it is to provide for the coming generations and to leave a mark. This, is a false hope, and I can find no grounds for defending it. For, if this life is it, and there is nothing to live for but name, and future generations, what is there? there is no God, or even, really any "larger being" out there...so, who cares what happens to those who come after? It doesn't ever enter our experiance, and as that is it, what does the future matter? And as for making a name for one's self, that is all well and good, but, as you only live, and die and that is all, you won't be around to enjoy it: There is no gain by having become famous after you're pushing up the daisies. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, to live for.

So, I would be a pessimist. It's the really only sensible thing to do in that circumstance. In fact, I am much more at home with a pessimist than a "positive atheist" as it were. The pessimists have realized where their belief logically leads and taken to it. Positive atheists live in a blind hope that tomorrow will somehow be a better place than today, or especially yesterday (which is never is). And in fact, what is hope based on when one doesn't believe in an afterlife? So, the pessimism is the only real route to take. In fact, there is something, almost intoxicating about pessimism. One falls into it, and at first, it may seem distasteful, but it's an aquired taste. It grows on one. The cynics often are the point where change occurs after all. Ironies are everywhere in pessimism, but almost invisible in any form of optimism...and with all of this, comes the giving up. Nothing is more fascinating than the pessimist who doesn't care anymore about anything, but, yet doesn't despair. What good is despair? Like hope, it is nothing either. Everything is vanity. One tries to shepherd the wind and one fails, but one keeps trying no matter. As Bradbury so stoutly put it (albeit with some profanity):
"There was a silly damn bird called a Phoenix back before Christ: every few hundred years he built a pyre and burned himself up. He must have been first cousin to Man. But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again. And it looks like we're doing the same thing, over and over, but we've got one damn thing the Phoenix never had. We know the damn silly thing we just did. We know all the damn silly things we've done for a thousand years, and as long as we know that and always have it around where we can see it, some day we'll stop making the goddam funeral pyres and jumping into the middle of them. We pick up a few more people that remember, every generation."
Except even that has hope....a bit, but at the same time, it realizes hope's treachery.
Death comes when it may....life is weary, but death doubly so. It provides an excellent freedom....but like any form of freedom, it comes with a price: Every morning, like a block of cement there is a tremendous weight that will fall upon your being, and that is this, Not only is your life, and everything in is, and death and every person and every blade of grass and every grain of sand and the sky and this universe and the smallest atom of the smallest thing in it meaningless, but pessimism is also meaningless. Even the word meaningless is meaningless. And that, more than the subtle scathing ironies, more than the lack of hope for the world or mankind or even yourself, THAT is untolerable. No man can take that bitter pill and really accept it and live.

Of course, I talk of atheism as if there were logic in it....there isn't. But there is more logic in the atheist who is a pessimist than in the ever-hopeful atheist. In reality, there can really only be two logical explainations for this world and everything that abounds in and around it. And that is the Judeo-Christian view, or the Hindu cycles of reincarnation. And when it comes down to that, one seems infinately more logical than the other. So....as tempting as a perfect pessimist is, I choose hope.

Work, Pineapple, and Jazz

2006-06-16T18:21:00.000-04:00

Work: noun
1. Physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something.
a. A job; employment.
b. A trade, profession, or other means of livelihood.

The point is fairly obvious, straightforward, and otherwise well-known, and the point is this: Work is not fun for the majority of people, self included. So I think I'm going to get a different job if possible. lol I'd like something with air conditioning. That would be quite nice.

Pineapples. I love pineapple. :D They're delicious, fruity, useful, and wonderfully juicy. They're also extremely acidic. Delicious - Well, I don't think there's need to expound on that one. Pretty self-explanitory. Fruity - Fruit is very, very good for you, as we all know. "Eat your fruits and vegetables." Useful - Did you know? Pineapples will alleviate that feeling of the need to burst after you just stuffed yourself - like after going to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Wonderfully juicy - Juice is one of the best ways to get the liquid you need each day. They - who is "they" really? I don't know if I trust "they" or "them." "They" and "them" are pretty shady characters if you ask me. . . but back to pineapple - "They" say you're supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day. Pff. You really only need to drink when you're thirsty, which, btw, is when most people will drink something. Honestly, "they" think we're pretty stupid.
Flip side! Pineapple is extremely acidic. So if you eat too much of it, your lips and mouth will get pretty chewed up. I ate some tonight and my lips, which weren't chapped or anything, started bleeding. *tsk, tsk, tsk* All things in moderation. Eat your pineapple, just don't get carried away.

And last but not least. Jazz. :D After a long day at that job that you really don't like, after eating pineapple to alleviate the pain of "pigging out" and burning your mouth and lips with natural fruit acids, turn some jazz on and relax. Get a nice cold glass of something non-alcoholic and just lay back and close your eyes for a time, while you let yourself float away on the tones of a saxophone, or soar with the high-notes of a screaming trumpet. Jazz - the ultimate, non-medicinal relaxant.

UnScience Fiction

2006-05-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

Or UnSciFi, if you will. Basically, it's something that I created because I was bored. To summarize, I was bored, so, I came up with an idea for a story that is humorous, ironic, predestined, fiction, and with unscientific scientific "facts" that govern the universe (if you still don't understand, think, Douglas Adams, but better). It started out with this thought:
What if there was a book that told the story of the "Big Bang", but from the angle that it was something different than scientists thought. Then, I thought, it could involve my "infinite plain of scale/cellular universe theory." as I have just decided to call it (that's the one where the world is just a body in a bigger world that is a cell in a bigger one and so on and so forth, while our cells are just like humans inside us, and they have smaller "cells" which are like them and so on and so forth....). Now, at first, I was a little greived at the fact that scientists have now discovered that there is indeed an end to the universe....but that it keeps expanding, but then I thought, of course, that works too! Because as cells, we wouldn't have any idea of any outside source, and the body we are in would keep "growing". Hehe...so, anyway, I was really happy about this, and still am, but it gets even better...

So, I started to think, what if some outside force got inside (like germs or something) and tried to take over. Now, of course even the memory of such a force would be felt for ages, but as cells, we probably wouldn't think of it as an outside invasion. It would seem like something within.

Then my mind wandered for a bit...can't remember on what...but I remember something about dancing gnomes....anyway, that somehow led to my next great idea.

I started to think about different SciFi books I thought could've been really cool but in fact were realized very poorly. This led to my remembering a very little known book that I read part of but thought so bad that I never finished....called, "Roma Eterna"...basically, it's plot was this: "What if Rome never fell?" Unfortunately that's as far as the author thought into it.... However, I thought about...and I realized how well this would fit in with this idea I'd been having all this time. Romulus and Remus supposedly were raised by wolves....wow, this really is a rather unknown beginning.....I mean, how would the ancient peoples really know? What if the wolves were really the invaders...or, just romulus and remes were....and then they fouded the greatest civilization to threaten every other civilization, and hold the world in it's power for nearly a thousand years...

This would then lead naturally into some cool sequel entitled "Rema Aeterna"....(notice the "correct" Latin spelling of "aeterna")....about either Remus never dying, or returning, or both.

And of course it would all be full of wit and humor and all sorts of cool twists and facts that would make one think, and be altogether awesome.....so awesome in fact that I'll probably never get around to it....but anyway, it's still a cool idea, and UnSciFi was born, because of it.

Word of the week: Hortative

2006-05-23T22:25:00.000-04:00

hortative • \HOR-tuh-tiv\ • adjective
: giving exhortation : advisory

Example sentence:
Amy suspected that her hortative letter to her son about the values of hard work and education would be ignored in the swirl of freshman partying, but she sent it anyway.

Did you know?
"We give nothing so freely as advice," observed French writer Duc de La Rochefoucauld in 1665. "Hortative" and "exhort" (meaning "to urge earnestly") are two words that testify to our eagerness to counsel others. Both trace to the Latin "hortari," meaning "to urge." "Hortative" has been used as both a noun (meaning "an advisory comment") and as an adjective since the 17th century. The noun is now uncommon, but it makes an appearance now and then, as in a 1992 article in The New York Times : "Facing directly into the camera, Mr. [Ross] Perot chronicled what he called the decline and potential fall of the American economy, keeping up a steady stream of hortatives as he went along. 'Let's just raise the hood and go to work!' he said. 'Let's just link arms and go do it!'"

No, I didn't know that, Merriam. But, I know now, which is what counts. The other side of what counts, is that it is derived from Latin, which inherently makes it cool as a spork tied to your refrigerator handle, which is pretty dashed well cool, as your uncool Chinese Crested Puppy knows (Not that I'm bitter or anything). Anyway, I urge you to use it in much the same way I urged you to use Indolent, but this time, replace cheese with whipped cream, as this is more of a dessert sort of word, and goes good with Belgian Chocolates.
To summarize, Words that begin with Horta are and always should be considered "Desert Words."
To summarize the summary, this word is cool, so use it any way you feel fit and let me know how your boss reacts when you do.

H2G2

2006-05-08T00:43:00.000-04:00

I have been reading the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy lately, for the first time (believe it or not). I had seen the movie, heard some of the radio broadcasts, and knew the basic plot ideas, but never got around to actually reading it... . . . .UNTIL NOW!!! ! ! !
Was it worth reading?
Catonic silence,
Was it worth reading?
Suspense filled nothingness.
Well...WAS IT?!
. . . Yes, it was.
I am currently on the third book in the five book "trilogy", entitled "Life, the Universe, and Everything." It is really quite grand, and is way funnier than the movie. Douglas Adams (The author of the series) is amazingly witty, and dry, and ironic. It is a very enjoyable series to read, and is extremely quotable. Well, goodnight, gutenacht, etc. And, now, I leave you with two wise words inscribed in large friendly letters bellow:
Don't Panic.

Word of the week: Indolent

2006-05-08T00:36:00.000-04:00

-Indolent
Main Entry: in·do·lent
Pronunciation: -l&nt
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin indolent-, indolens insensitive to pain, from Latin in- + dolent-, dolens, present participle of dolEre to feel pain
1 a : causing little or no pain b : slow to develop or heal
2 a : averse to activity, effort, or movement : habitually lazy b : conducing to or encouraging laziness c : exhibiting indolence
synonym see LAZY
- in·do·lent·ly adverb

Great word. Use it, impress your friends with it, spread cheese on it, enjoy.
Consequently, Indolent also seems to be something that seems to like habitually to be assigned as a descriptive to my name. Those of you who read this blog (do I see two hands out there? Or maybe one...hmm...) will certainly know, it is also the attitude I seem to have adopted in view of this site. Not intentinally, I might add. The act was a complete anathema on my part (an unintenional one, but one, none the less).

Kalakar, The Beginning

2006-02-24T18:17:00.000-05:00

This is the creation story of my mythology, as it was passed down from generation to generation since the mists of time.

Kalakar (The Beginning)

In the Beginning was Elaion. Elaion was three, the inseperable and indivisible. Elaion was seven, the complete. Elaion was Iloi, the creator. And Elaion hovered over the Mists.

In the Beginning He created all things. Elaion created the Fountains of the Deep, the Houses of Historie, the storehouses for the mighty Sands of Time and the Gates of Night and Day. And Elaion was Glorified.

In the Beginning He founded all things. Elaion created the Pillars of the Earth, the Dome of the Heavens, the Sub Heavenly Realms, the Hosts of the Heavens, the Lord of the Sea, and the Fountains of Life and Knowledge. And Elaion was Exalted.

In the Beginning He knew all things. Elaion Created the Plants, the Animals, the lands, the hills. And Elaion was Praised.

In the Beginning He loved all things. Elaion created man, so that we might worship him and that he might come down to us and be with us. And Elaion was Worshiped.

In the Beginning, He held all things. Elaion created the valleys, that we might not think our worth too small, and he created the mountains, that we might not think our worth too great. And Elaion was Honored.

In the Beginning, Elaion was. Elaion knew our wiles and wills, and yet gave us choice, that we might more freely choose to obey Him. And when we chose to disobey, Elaion was forever merciful. He has given us a promise. And Elaion will Save.

Dates aren't just a type of fruit.

2006-01-14T00:39:00.000-05:00

I have been doing a lot of thought recently on the subject of dating, or the lack thereof. What really is the best way to find someone to spend the rest of your life with? The most common answer would be to go out and date an individual that you find attractive or interesting until you both decided that you are right for each other, or that you should part ways. This is the most common and accepted method in today’s culture, a culture in which traditional ideals of how a household should function are frowned upon. Now, the more I reflect upon the nature of the choice that dating is supposed to help one make, I have come to the conclusion that, not only is this not the best way to find a spouse, but it very well could be the worst way (besides perhaps complete parental selection, which, like an absolute monarchy could be either really good or really bad, depending on the person in charge of making that choice) to result in a solid and healthy marriage. What do I advocate then, instead of what the culture I am living in is telling me I should do? Well, I have come to the conclusion that a sort of “courting” is the right solution. Now, there are many theories as to the best way to go about courting, but I have chosen a set of fairly accepted rules to the process that I think make the most sense, and also are beneficial in all ways which those rules apply to the process.

How does courting work? Well, first of all, the parents of the daughter are about ten times more involved than with dating. As a guy, the idea is that you know the girl for quite a while before hand, as friends or whatever before the possibility of marriage with that girl even enters the mind. Then, if you really think that this girl might be indeed the girl for you, you go and ask the girls father for permission to pursue his daughter as a marital prospect, in which case, there is a certain amount of time, in which you can only schedule times with the parents of the girl’s permission, and in extreme cases, under the parent’s supervision. The length of this period can very, and can often be determined by the parents of the girl. During this time, there is to be no courting with other girls. Then, if the relationship continues to grow to the point of marriage, the once again, one must ask the father’s permission before proposing. The parents of the girl may object and end the relationship right there if they so please. If permission is granted, then, you may go ahead and propose. It is thought to be right that at least a year elapses between the time when permission to court the girl is granted, and the guy asks for permission to propose.

Now, coming from a guy, this may seem a little odd. Why on earth would I want to put restrictions on myself? Well, for one, I view it as my duty to do so. Secondly, why put myself in a stupid situation that dating often brings about. Through the process of courting, it takes a big load off of the shoulders of the individuals courting, in a different sort of way. The individuals that are courting can focus on just a relationship, and don’t have to event think about all of the other garbage that goes along with dating. Now, I’ll admit, at first, I didn’t exactly like all of the ideas put forth above. I was petrified at the idea of asking permission to court, as I get rather embarrassed and then as consequence rather tongue tied quite easily. But as I’ve gotten older and thought about it a bit more, I realized how logical the entire thing is. I have come to the conclusion that Courting is the only way to go.

2005-12-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

The Makings of Reform
A Classical Argument on Tax Reform

Should the Income Tax be replaced with a flat Sales Tax? Would a flat Sales Tax
actually solve anything? Yes, the Federal Income Tax should be replaced with a flat rate sales tax on all non-necessities except food products. There are many reasons for this; for instance, the current tax system is unfair and way too complex to easily use. The reasoning behind its being unfair is the fact that the current system is unnecessarily catching the middle-class taxpayers in the higher tax brackets, this is a large deviation from the way that the tax system was originally set up.The Current Income tax is too complex. It involves many forms and excess paperwork. There are exemptions and loopholes throughout the system which are liberally exploited, as was pointed out in “What is Charity,” Stephanie Strom’s article for
the New York Times. Then, it follows that each exception makes more paperwork. In
fact, as was argued by Randau in his Argument for Extensive Tax Reform, “…our current tax system is too complicated, too fragmented, too time consuming, unfairly administered, unevenly enforced, and wide open to the influence of vested special interests.”In opposition, one could argue that the exemptions are absolutely necessary. Most likely, one would cite the charity exemption as a model for their argument. I would concede that the charity exemption is necessary, however, there are many other exemptions that are not, as well as the fact that there are too many differing kinds of taxation, but justifying exemptions across the board just because one is indeed essential is ludicrous. There are, in fact to many ways to be taxed. One is taxed when one receives a gift, when one gives a gift that costs over a certain amount, when one gets married, as well as when a relative dies, among other things. All of these add up not only against the pocketbook, but also in terms of paperwork and complication.

If one looks at the way the Income Tax system is functioning in our world to day,
one can’t help but notice certain inconsistencies with the way it says it applies itself to the “income classes” and the way it actually works. The American tax system is founded on the worldview that the wealthier someone is, the more they should pay, and in this case, they should pay even a larger percentage. Now, in theory, this would work marvelously, but since the bracket system’s installment, it has begun and continues to work less and less like it was designed. The reasons behind this are simpler then might be expected. First off, the wealthy spend more time and energy trying to keep their money than do any other group of citizens, and therefore are the first to find and exploit loopholes in the system. A general way the system is exploited is to tie the money made in investments and artificial companies, so that on paper their overall accumulation of wealth looks like much less money then it actually is. They might have to pay taxes on the money in the future when they take the money out of other sources, but even still, they’ve made money while they waited, so they end up on the plus side of the entire operation. Corporations are some of the worst offenders in this area, for as was made clear in an article in MSN money, “In 2000 alone, 94% of all U.S. corporations paid less than 5% of their total income in corporate taxes, the GAO said in a report released Friday. Among the largest corporations -- the 1% of all corporations that owns 93% of all corporate assets -- 82% paid less than 5% of their income in taxes.”As can be seen, most of the supposedly ‘biggest customers’ to the US Government aren’t really paying near what they are supposedly expected to pay. So, who pays the brunt of the tax revenue? It is a trifle surprising to learn that the middle class is the biggest taxpayer. Why is this? Well, it has to do with too main reasons. The first, is the fact that Middle Class taxpayers are less likely to find and exploit loopholes like the rich are, which is also due to the fact that they have less cash on hand to invest that they aren’t going to need. The other main reason is that over periods of high inflation, the middle class taxpayers have moved up slightly into a higher bracket—mainly due to the fact that the system wasn’t adjusted right when inflation was at its worst. As was said in a “News Batch” article online, “Because of significant inflation during this period, many in the middle class entered the higher tax brackets…”So, even though the middle class is not actually making any more money in terms of value, they do have to pay more. This is completely contrary to the way the system was intended to function when it was first established, and as such is in need of revision. One of the main counter arguments to this point is the thought that the middle classes are actually making more money, and that the brackets are adjusted enough. This argument does not look at the facts of the case, and indeed, forgets that (as was stated on cbpp.org) the average middle class household pays about 36.7% of their income to the government when all is said and done. That’s nearly forty percent! The main, and perhaps only real counterargument against the fact that there are too many loopholes in the tax system comes from business advocates. Such advocates claim that getting rid of the exemptions would utterly ruin their businesses, and in turn push the American economy on a slippery slope down into financial oblivion. They have a point, as getting rid of exemptions would somewhat hinder the growth potential of businesses. However, they exaggerate by saying that such a revision would lead to economic oblivion. Businesses should at least pay a part of the tax burden, but currently, they can and have found ways out of paying. It might hurt for a while, but businesses have survived much worse hindrances before, and in time it will all seem only a memory, and the entire system will be better because of it. With greater income, the government could cut back on the amount each bracket is taxed, and still make enough to ‘stay afloat.’

Finally, why a sales tax? What are the benefits of such a proposal? First and foremost, personal privacy is the top reason on the list. The Income tax is a highly invasive form of tax, giving the government information that it has no right to see.A sales tax would eliminate this incursion almost entirely. Secondly, a sales tax would penalize people more for what they buy then what they earn, encouraging savings and limiting the consumerism that is so prevalent in America’s society today. It allows people to in essence, give the government money in a more voluntary manner, thus giving them no reason to complain that the government is unfairly ‘taking’ money from them, as it is completely optional, in a sense. One may wonder what happens in a depression? Surely people won’t buy as much. That is less true then might be anticipated. As is stated on the Fairtax website, “…during difficult times due to loss of a job or an inability to work, people may not have as much income, or may have no income at all. They borrow funds or use savings. They may not have earnings, but they still continue to consume.”So, in fact, a sales tax would make more during a depression then an Income tax would, as income tax gains nothing from people who do not have an income. Thus, the system is reliable enough to suit the need of the government. One of the biggest arguments against a sales tax is, what happens to charitable giving? Surely people will be less inclined to give if they have no tax exemptions or rebates for doing so. The fact is, a majority of the people that give, give because they want to and don’t take any of the tax benefits for it. Besides which, with a sales tax, it is in fact easier to give, because there is more money on hand before you spend as opposed to with an income tax. On the other hand, it is certainly possible to add a ‘tax rebate’ on the amount given during each year if that was desired.

In Conclusion, there is a great amount of ambiguity as to what should be done to the tax system to make it simpler, easier, more fair, and streamlined. What I have laid out, is an argument for one of the many ways to improve the system, but it is what I believe to be the most effective and fair of all the ideas in circulation. A National Sales tax surely could solve many of the issues with the current tax system, and would fit in with the true function of tax—that being to take care of the Governments basic expenses, and no more. The government has no need for profit, as do companies, so it should not be excessive and hard to understand. The argument stated above matches well with all of these criteria, and most of all, it is more fair. Finally, there is much that can be said for both sides, but seemingly the most logical is the one declared above.

Works Cited

Strom, Stefanie. “What is Charity?” New York Times. 14 Nov. 2005. 16 Nov. 2005

Randau. “Argument for Extensive Tax Reform.” Proaxis. 28 Jun. 1998. 10 Dec. 2005

Staff, MSN Money. “Most Companies Paid No Taxes During the Boom.” MSN Money. 2005. 14 Dec. 2005

Staff, News Batch. “Budget and Tax Policy Issues.” News Batch. Aug. 2004. 12 Dec. 2005

Lav, Iris J. “Information and Misinformation about Federal Tax Burdens.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 21 Jan. 1999. 13 Dec. 2005
< http://www.cbpp.org/1-21-99taxburden.htm>

“Homepage.” Americans for Fair Tax. 2005. 16 Nov. 2005

'Tis the season!

2005-11-26T12:44:00.000-05:00

That's right! Thanksgiving is over. Guess what's next! :D Yep. Christmas. There's nothing in the way now, nothing to stop the madness of Christmas shopping from getting out of control, nothing we have to get ready for first. All there is, is CHRISTMAS!! :D So if you're not in the holiday spirit, get in and have some fun! :D Listen to some jazz, watch Charlie Brown Christmas and just generally grin a lot. :D It's good for you. Buy somebody a Christmas present, and have fun tormenting them with it. :D "You don't know what I got you! You're going to love it. But I like it too. . . . Maybe I should keep it and give you somethin' else. Mwahahahahaha!" ;) Or be nice because after all, it is the time to be jolly. :D Well, whatever you do, I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving and is getting ready for the Christmas season! Get out the stockings! And the ribbons! And all the pretty little decorations! :D :D :D Hehehehe! :D Don't you love the holidays?! :D

Winter Hibernation

2005-11-12T00:50:00.000-05:00

It's November....but it feels like the end of the world (I've no idea why, but late fall/early winter often gives a feeling of depression). What is most disconcerting, is that in general, things seem to be going just fine for me. It's just the little things that are bothering me here and there (and of course there's the fact that my football team might have the no. 1 draft pick this coming year....for some reason, that's not very encouraging.). Well, I suppose I should lift my spirits up, I mean, Thanksgiving is next week, and the rest of the holiday season is just around the corner. So, here's to artificially creating a cheerful atmosphere! *toasts to self*

Message Boards

2005-10-05T11:44:00.000-04:00

So they're down again. . . . You know when they'll be back up, Talon? Do you ever get on the internet anymore? lol You haven't checked your nation. . . I haven't seen you on AIM. You haven't posted here. . . Did you fall off the face of the Earth or something? (I have this fear that people I've never met are going to do that, and I'm going to wonder what happened for the rest of my life. Actually, I'd probably just come to the conclussion that I was annoying them but they didn't know how to say "Leave me alone!" in a less abrupt way. But anyway.) So, I hope nothing bad has happened. You're probably just busy with school and rl friends. lol Btw, go on a boat ride before it gets too cold. And take what'shisface with you. lol :) And get your message boards back up. lol I'm starting to go into withdrawal. (Actually, the shaking started yesterday. . . . It's only gotten worse. Typing this was rather difficult. . . . Yeah. So help me out and get your boards back up. And then don't disappear again. I mean. . . come on. You've got one section left 'o my story.). . . . Okay bye.

2005-09-16T22:24:00.000-04:00

I've been rather bored lately...a fact that one would think would end up equalling more posting here on the part of myself...but the fact is, I'm also busy. You may ask how that's possible? Well...I'm so busy with stuff I don't really care about...that the stuff I do is pushed into a dusty, cobweb strewn corner of my upper mind's attic (so to speak). And the stuff I am busy with absolutely bores me to death...(well most of it).

However, on a good note, I am at least 25 steps closer to getting that Celtic Band of mine started then I was 2 weeks ago, which is rather encouraging. Also, it's a great way to take one's mind off of school, (If at least for a few hours).

So there you have it, a post. By me, for you, and originally translated into Spanish, then into Latin, then Swahili, and then back to English: All for your benifit! (The time to pat yourself on the back and feel special has arrived). lol...

TCS

2005-09-06T19:18:00.000-04:00

Yay! The Corellian Sector (my forum) is back up (finally...). Come check it out, if you haven't already.

http://www.phpbbforfree.com/forums/index.php?mforum=hom&sid=838a7cd6f088b44c17de65b3523bd32a

Changes effective immediately

2005-08-30T12:01:00.001-04:00

You may have noticed the last time you wrote a comment (or maybe you will notice) that you now have to complete a "Word verification" in order to post. This is an unfortunate, though necessary step taken to reduce the amount of pointless adds we have been seeing for a little while now. Hopefully, it shouldn't effect your posting all that much (as hopefully by writing something, you should be able to read.). I encourage those of you who are not a computer, and are posting something useful (id est, not a random link or annoying add), please post as much--if not more then-- before.
Thank you,
Eruntalon

Narnia...

2005-08-26T13:57:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited...I could do a jig.....well, maybe not a jig, but anyway, here's the link:

http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/narnia/index.html

You've got to watch the trailer and all the extras to get the full awesomeness of this movie....it's not LOTR, but hey, hopefully it'll be close.

Oddly enough...

2005-08-25T17:05:00.000-04:00

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German woman was so shocked by a spider crawling across her face that she lost control of her car and crashed head on into a roadside tree, police in the western town of Rheine said on Thursday.
The 23-year-old woman screamed and let go of the steering wheel, causing her small car to veer off the road into the tree. The car was totally destroyed but the woman escaped with only slight injuries, a police spokesman said.
"She was shocked by the spider crawling on her face and lost control of her car," said the spokesman for the police in the small town near the Dutch border. The spider survived, he said.
"He crawled out of the window."

Devil's Lake

2005-08-20T22:24:00.000-04:00

Today, I went hiking at Devil's Lake State Park (well, my family and some friends went hiking. I went with). It was a bucketload of fun. That park is one of my favorite places in WI. Plus, it makes for one heck of a good hike. The bluffs are a nice size, and the view is tremendous when you get to the top of either side. It makes one want to go to some mountains somewhere...(maybe VI or NC?) and do some backpacking. And, if you want, you can always go swimming or fishing in the Lake....which isn't my thing as much....
Anyway, to round things off, I got to watch LOTR, FOTR EE again on the way there/home (well, most of it-before the Packer game came on).

It's a great place. Here's a link:
http://www.devilslakewisconsin.com/

Half of a phone conversation

2005-08-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

What? You've got to be kidding...
Oh my. That is bad. Worse then I could have imagined.
Well, how did it happen?
No! You don't say? Did it prevent him from following through with his commitment?
Oh, the poor man! How positively horrid.
Is there something I can do?
No, no you're right. It's probably better this way.
Yep.
Goodbye.
I'll talk to you again later.

On a more serious note...

2005-08-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

here's an interesting article I found the other day:

The discovery of King David's palace
By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
August 8th, 2005

Famed Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar of Jerusalem's Hebrew University announced this month the possible discovery of King David's ancient palace in the Israeli capital, angering the Palestinian Arabs, who reject all Jewish historical claims to the city.
Using the Bible as a guide, Mazar identified a large public building dating to the 10th century BC amid excavations in what is now called the village of Silwan outside of Jerusalem's current Old City walls.
Accompanying the building were pottery shards from the time of David and his son, Solomon, and an official Israelite government seal belonging to a figure mentioned in the biblical book of Jeremiah.
The construction of David's palace with materials donated by King Hiram of Tyre is described in the second chapter of II Samuel.
Other scholars expressed skepticism that the building was the palace of the famous warrior-king, but acknowledged that Mazar's find was indeed rare and important, according to The New York Times.
Israeli academia generally follows the example of its international counterpart in dismissing the Word of God as nothing more than a collection of fairy tales and myths.
Some, however, shared Mazar's obvious excitement and faith in the biblical narrative.
“This is a very significant discovery, given that Jerusalem as the capital of the united kingdom is very much unknown," the Times quoted Gabriel Barkay, an archaeologist from Israel's Bar-Ilan University, as saying.
"This is one of the first greetings we have from the Jerusalem of David and Solomon, a period which has played a kind of hide-and-seek with archaeologists for the last century.”
Mazar's Hebrew University colleague and second cousin Professor Amihai Mazar called the discovery “something of a miracle.”
The most pronounced reaction, however, came from those who would like to end Jewish rule in Jerusalem and reclaim the city as an Islamic possession: the Palestinian Arabs.
The Israelis “try to link whatever they find to the biblical narration” in an effort to “to fit historical evidence into a biblical context,” accused Hani Nur el-Din, a “Palestinian” professor of archaeology at Al Quds University.
The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities called the find “worthless and groundless,” asserting that such excavations were merely an attempt to justify what it called Jewish “colonialism” in Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Arabs reject any historical or biblical connection between the Jews and the Land of Israel.
During peace negotiations over the past decade, PLO leaders publicly denied any link between the Jews and Judaism's most holy site, the Temple Mount, despite overwhelming historical evidence that the retaining walls currently supporting the Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock were in fact built by King Herod to support an expanded Jewish temple centuries before the advent of Islam.

As requested, more randomness.

2005-08-07T12:59:00.000-04:00

"Unbelievable!"
" I know, isn't it?"
"I'd like to know what can be done about it."
"Nothing, presumably."
"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing."
"Can't we? Huh....I thought that's what we were doing..."
"No, that's what you were doing."
"Well, it's not like you're doing much yourself."
"I resent that. I have been doing everything in my power to find something we can do."
"I wish you wouldn't. I find physical exertion to be intolerable."
"Ohhh! You find everything to be intolerable!"
"Precisely. It's the only fashonably tolerable thing to do."
"I don't know why I even bother. You are really quite exasperating."
"Better to be exasperating and well known then amiable but unnoticed, I would say."
"I don't see why you bother to be fashonable anyhow."
"I don't. That's just the point. The newest fashon is to be as unfashonable as you possibly can."
"I really don't see how that makes sense"
"You wouldn't. Only those who are fashonably unfashonable can, and I wouldn't reccomend you venturing in on it now, seeing as you've never been fashonable before."
"As if that makes a difference!"
"It does. Lord Forbitter-Hobbes tried to become fashonable last year, and he had a heart-attack."
"But, everyone knew he had a week heart to begin with."
"Yes, but that's what pushed him over the edge, and a good thing too. He threw the most boring dinner-parties..."
"Ohhhh! I just can't stand you a moment longer!"
"Then why don't you sit down, my dear fellow?"
....

Nationstates

2005-08-01T20:13:00.000-04:00

This is a fun site. Try it out! Just keep in mind that ever decision you make is taken to the extreme (which isn't always a bad thing).

www.nationstates.net

Where are all the cookies?

2005-07-27T16:55:00.000-04:00

Where are all the cookies...I know there were some left. Did you eat them?! You look like the type to do such a thing...no? Are you sure? That's not chocolate on your lip, is it? Hmmm...well, then, who ate them? I made sure to save at least two for later. They were right there in the freezer. Maybe it was Jack...he's always doing these sort of things. I should really get on his case about that one time in St Louis...those were my Muffins! Anyway. I'm without my cookies...and someone's GOING TO PAY!!!! *In darth Vader voice* I sense a disturbance in the Force *end Vader voice* Ehem. Oh...heh. There they are. Right. I'll....just.....go eat these in the other room....heh.

Fall is nigh at hand.

2005-07-27T16:44:00.000-04:00

My goodness...have you looked at the calandar recently? I did just this morning. It's already nearly August! And, with most current school schedules, school starts in about 2-3 weeks! This is incredibly frightening...I think this every year, but more then ever this year. Where did Summer go?! I want it to last forever...well, not forever, but for a long, long, long, long, long...............long time.....maybe.

To believe that preseason Football starts in like 2 or so odd weeks....(though that be a good thing, it is also sorrowful, being the bringer of such morbid tidings as the death of summer).

Ah, well....I'll just have to enjoy what's left of summer and then throw myself full fledged into school...bleh.

It's raining outside.

2005-07-26T14:59:00.000-04:00

It's raining outside today...and it's rather boring. Luckily the temperature has cooled down signifgantly (which is good), though almost to the point of being cold, which is bad, (being not good for the picnic we had planned for tonight.). Thus, right now, I'm sitting here, listening to the awesome piece I wrote a week ago, but in general I'm bored. Perhaps I'll go outside later and play basketball or practice archery or something...maybe. But it would have to stop raining. It is rather drear out. I can't quite get over the fact that it's raining, just hard enough to keep one from doing anything, and just light enough to make one keep hoping it will stop. Ah, well...it's raining outside. I should find something else to do.

Who's turn is it?

2005-07-25T18:30:00.000-04:00

It's been minutes....maybe hours...(well, probably minutes), and no one has made their move. One would think they would remember. My goodness. We've all been waiting so long, how could you not remember who's turn it was!
Could he possibly have left and therefore ruined the movement of everyone? I doubt it....then the next person would know it was his turn, and so on....I mean, isn't that why we're here to begin with?!
I'm so confused. It couldn't posisbly be my turn, could it? I mean...I'd have remebered. Of course I would've. I've been so careful. Perhaps it's that man over there. He looks rather like the careless type. "Oh, sir...?" Ugh....he doesn't even look my way. How absolutely rude he is. And the way he stares so...and his jacket is rather stained and dirty...hmmm...must not take care of himself. But...why is no-one stepping forward?!
Obviously it's someone's turn, it always is. If it wasn't, I'm sure He wouldn't let us stand here.....or would He? My those are rather odd looking rose-bushes...they have a nice fragrence though. I wish the sun wasn't so bright...it's making it hard to see. I can just barely make out the doors.Where do they lead I wonder...but most of all, Who's turn is it?!

A dialog of no real premise.

2005-07-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

Latrucsian gamma ray scan....testing...testing....negative.
Roger that, negative sir?
Aye, Negative.
This is horrible news, sir.
Indeed. He will be grieved at this.
And as for the constituants?
Terminated.
Copy that, sir?
Terminated.
10/4, over and out, commander.

An plug without any pretences.

2005-07-24T18:22:00.000-04:00

This, is a great site. I would urge you therefore, to check it out. (if not, I will talk in Olde English! And you really don't want that, eh wot? Trust me.)

(The Corellian Sector)

One twilight away...

2005-06-07T23:23:00.000-04:00

Have you ever played a game, and you come this [add miniscule amount here] close to finishing off your opponent, but are just short in some regard? Yeah that happens alot to me too....
Anyway, it happened tonight. I was playing at a LOTR TCG league. And nearly every site after I got set up, I was like one wound away from smothering Isildur...heh. It got annoying. luckily we ran out of time so in a way, I never know who would've won (first time I've been glad about running out of time).

Other then that, I love my Evil Men. They're sooooo......evil. Yeah, evil. Nice paired with Rohan too. So, for those of you who are totally lost, please sympathize with my overarching absorbtion with said game. I'm tired...I ramble when I'm tired....sorry. Anyway, for the point of the near-pointless post, have you had that sort of thing happen to you in this or any other game?

Testing...

2005-06-07T11:26:00.000-04:00

Testing.....testing......testing........

Yep, it works.

Halfway to real life

2005-06-02T22:49:00.000-04:00

Life actually began a while ago, but this is when life in the world begins. On the 14th of last month (May), I graduated from High School (Yay!). It went well, and I didn't completely ruin my speech, but real life still didn't really start. You see, I haven't had anything to do since then. So I've pretty much just been bored out of my skull. You can only spend so much time on the computer before it gets just as boring as school. So, I think I've figured out what I need to do. Get a job. Yeah, it's so obvious, right? But it's not like they come to your door begging you to take them. . . . . Well, my brother's job did, but I'm told that's a rare occurance.

Anyway. I need a job. You know what else I need? My license. Yeah. I need seven more hours of driving time. Just seven! You know how long it's going to take me? Probably at least another two months. Seriously. We don't go anywhere. . . . Well, anywhere far away. . . . usually. Hehehe. =) We just don't travel much. So even though I should have had my license two months ago, it's probably going to be closer to the end of summer when I actually get it. I'm hoping it won't be quite that long though. The one thing I do have? A car. =) I bought it just today. No, it isn't new. (Do you have any idea how much new cars cost!? It's outrageous!) No, it isn't sparkly and beautiful, (I wish it were. lol) but hey. It runs well, the gas gage works (we've had problems with those), the speedometer works (those too), it doesn't guzzle oil (that one too, I think), and it's my car. The one catch: I can't get insurance on it till I have a job. So, like I said, I'm only halfway to real life. Although, my brother told me that life doesn't start till after you go to college. . . . . In which case, I'm only like. . . . a quarter of the way there.

Revenge of the Sith Thoughts, quotes and more thoughts.

2005-06-02T15:38:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally got my chance to go see Star Wars Episode 3, the Revenge of the Sith last night. It was a first for me in many ways. For starters, it was the first time that I got to see a Star Wars movie in theatres, secondly, it's the first time my mom really didn't seem to mind me going (she still thought it was a waste of my time...but, hey, it's progress), and it's the first time I felt Hayden Christianson could actually somewhat partially act something other then angry or mad (though he did alot of that in this movie too).

Well, on to the movie itself. Let's start with the good.
I thought, in general, it was better by far then the other prequels (it literaly soars above those), in both the writing, the plot, and the acting. Grevous was not as bad as I had feared (though he still was too un-bad-guy-ish), and "Order 66" almost had me in tears for a moment (though you kinda have to be a SW fan for that to happen...). The way in which Palpatine took power was really, really well done, as well as the way he turned Anakin to the dark side (though I thought parts of that were a little fast, I can understand pace reasons). Also, Obi Wan was awesome in this one. Being my favorite character, it was great to see him in his full glory. Also, Yoda rocked the house. He even threw a few well aimed taunts "If you're all powerfull, then why are you leaving?" Wow. Yoda. never knew you had it in you. Also, the speaches by Obi to Anakin were really interesting, and boarderline thought-provoking.

Now....for the stuff I didn't care for so much.
First off, and most noticeable, the Dialoge still drags horribly. It's not as bad as parts of Ep2, but one still can't help think that this movie could have been a lot better had it been better written. Secondly, I still have a problem with the ALL incompassing CGI stuff. I like the CGI (I actually like the new CG Yoda better then the old one, the facial movement is awesome.) and all, but only to a point. The newer SW movies seem to be too cgi driven. They really should've taken a que from LOTR, as far as that's concerned. Another aspect of the CGI is this, it's too busy. Every shot is filled to the brim with moving ships and droids and all sorts of things...so much, that it almost takes away from the actual actors. Another thing I didn't like about the film, was the little diggs placed against Western thought (absolutism). I know that this is obviously to be expected with Lucas, but he was really point-blank about it in this one (it's most notable in the line of Obi Wans' "Only a Sith deals in absolutes".). This kind of stuff gets to me, especially when we are supposed to have a hero (if one didn't deal in absolutes, then one side would not be better then the other. There would be no heros in the story, in fact, it would be really boring).
And finally, onto the small matters. I think that Count Dooku died too fast (I didn't like his character, and I was glad when he left the story...but come on! A Sith lord would not die so quickly!), Mace Windu died too quickly (I mean seriously....he's Mace Windu! Ah....well...yeah). And, other then that, I just have a bunch of other minor details against the acting....in general.)

Well, there you have it. Overall, I think I give it a 3/5.

Whew!

2005-06-01T20:19:00.000-04:00

Well, we're moved....glad that's over with. I now can firmly say that it will be at least two years (hopefully) until I have to move again! There are still boxes around...but that's to be expected. By the by, did you here that study that some guys in white coats did somewhere about how long it takes for an average family to unpack all of its boxes? Anyway, the answer: Three YEARS! I was like "Oh my giddy Aunt Bertha! That's like longer then I'm likely going to live here!" It also said that for each child ages 5 or younger, you were to add an extra year.....depressing. That's what that is. Now...let's move on to brighter things.

Oh, you may have noticed. I have a new link in my links section on the right side of your screen (no, scroll down a little bit...a little more....ok, it's at the bottom. I have no idea why it's doing that....). That is actually the Blog of a local Homeschool Mother. (I don't personally know her....but her daughter is in my age and was in an Essay class...she seemed nice...the few words she spoke to me....anyway.). What happened, is, I was looking around the local Homeschool Groups Website (I do do that occasionally....when I've nothing else to do), and I was going through all of the "Family Pages" when I noticed that there was a link on the Boucher Family page. It's actually really good....and she posts somewhat regularly....you might want to check it out....you know, as a kind of supplement or something...because I'm horridly lazy and constantly forgetful of this site. But you knew that.

In other news, The Star Wars Episode III Soundtrack is excelent, I finally saw Napoleon Dynamite (great, great movie) and this summer is looking really fun (and really packed). Well, hopefully talk to you soon. I've got to go see if I might be able to possibly go see Ep III tonight....bye!

Moving...!

2005-05-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

As you may (or may not) know, I am moving next week to a new house (yes, I do live in a house.....No seriously, I do!). Now, I have gone through so many moves* already that you might think it would be easy this time.....but it's not.

Now, as I go back through the old process, a certain thought has re-entered my head, and it throbs there uncontrollably. This is my thought:
Whoever invented the "art" of moving should be shot, and his lifeless body should maybe be hung on a tree in the town square.....upside down. No...I jest, upside down is a little excessive, and kind of grotesque (I mean, have you ever seen a dead man hanging upside down....not pretty...).
Anyway....(now that I've scared away whatever little audience I had....) what was my point in all of this? That the way moving is handled sucks....horridly. Now, once upon a time, all the moving was done by the people thast were moving, they packed, taped, moved, unpacked, broke and lost their own stuff. No help required (besides those friends and relitives you blackmailed into helping.). Now the peoblem with this is fairly obvious. It's alot of work! And alot of extra headache on top of everything else your dealing with just to get/buy/build the house you're moving into. Besides all the paperwork....

Now, there had to be a better way, and the moving gods disscussed possibilities. The answer they finally came up with, was the "Moving Company". Now, you might see the problem with this right away, but, obviously the moving gods didn't (they're not really the brightest of Roman deities--there was that one time....when they lost Zeus's lightning bolt....anyway....). The problem is this: Now, instead of you being the one to move/lose/break your stuff, someone else moves/loses/breaks your stuff (usually more then you would, too). Now, there is another, less realized problem here, but it is really quite obvious. The fact is, the movers are not you. Now, you might think this is fairly obvious, in fact, you're probably wondering if I know who I am right now...but my point is this, they label, box and pack things differently then you will. So, chances are, even IF nothing is broken/lost/guffawed on, you probably won't be able to find it whenyou get there. You'll be like "What is 'Bonus Plant Room'? I don't remember us having one of those...' and your nearest family member will be like 'I don't know, but it's got the Kitchen cutlery in it....'. So, you see the dilema.

Now, I have racked my brain, and I believe I've come up with a long term solution. tele-port-ation. That's right. T-el-epor-tat-ion....I mean, um, Teleportation.** ehem. Stop looking at me like that! Seriously, I think this could be the bomb, you know? It's like, you say where you want the furniture to go, and it goes, instantly!All we need, is to figure out how to get it to work...but, that can't be TOO hard....I mean, we have the atom bomb, how hard's a little worm-hole-thing got to be?! I give it ten years...anyway, until then, here's some moving tips to help you in your "Moving Blues" (it's kinda like Chicago Blues, but with a moving instead of a Chicago attatched). Enjoy:
http://interiordec.about.com/od/moving/a/org_movetips.htm

*This is my 16th move.....in 16 years of living....ugh.
**Teleportation is not designed for Carbon-based life forms of any kind. Gargling is not recommended. Do not use Teleportation if you are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. Also, do not use Teleportation if you have any sort of toe-fungus, or wish to remain in the same basic geometric shape. Ask your mover if Teleportation is right for you today!

A deck of cards

2005-04-11T17:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, I've finally decided to get involved. Someone emailed me this quite some time ago, and I thought it was rather interesting. I'm not sure if it really happened or not (though I'm inclined to believe it didn't). Anyway, enjoy.

A young soldier was in his bunkhouse all alone one Sunday morning over in Afghanistan. It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn't made a noise. The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week. As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk. Just then an army sergeant came in and said, "Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?"
The soldier replied, "I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord."
The sergeant said, "Looks like you're going to play cards."
The soldier said, "No sir, you see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country, I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards."
The sergeant asked in disbelief, "How will you do that?"
"You see the Ace, Sergeant, it reminds that there is only one God. The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments. The Three represents the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Four stands for the Four Apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Five is for the five virgins that were ten but only five of them were glorified. The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.
The Seven is for the day God rested after working the six days. The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives, in which God saved the eight people from the flood that destroyed the earth for the first time. The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy. He cleansed ten but nine never thanked Him. The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone. The Jack is a reminder of Satan. One of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell. The Queen stands for Mary. The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.
When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year. There are a total of 52 cards in a deck, each is a week, 52 weeks in a year. The four suits represents the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each suit has thirteen cards, there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter. So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for."
The sergeant just stood there and after a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, "Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?"

Reason Revisited.

2005-04-10T20:42:00.000-04:00

A member of my Forums (Nenia, actually :) )posted this a few days ago, and I just had to share it with "all ya'll". It's pretty Funny.

----------------------------
The following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA. The guy should have run for President..... "We, the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, and delusional. . . . We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights."

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.,but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be ...and like the rest of us you need to simply deal with it.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV, pool tables, weight rooms or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You don't have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of part time jobs, education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness--which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an overabundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from.We welcome you here. English is our language and like the one you left behind, we also have a culture. Learn it or go back to the country and the living conditions you were fleeing. If you agree, share this with a friend. No, you don't have to, and nothing tragic will befall you if you don't. I just think it is about time common sense is allowed to flourish -- just call it "The Age of Reason Revisited."

Back again...

2005-04-10T20:02:00.001-04:00

Wow! It's been awhile. I didn't really expect to have this happen. A well, it feels good to be back *pats keyboard contentedly*.

Anyway, to get to the subject of least importance, namely myself, I've had a rather odd criticism aimed at me over this last week. I've been told that I say the word "magnificently" way too much. Now, normally stuff like this doesn't bother me, but this one sparked my interest. I started analyzing the words I do, and do not say, and realized that yes, I do say Magnificently a bit more then is considered normal (indeed, it boarders on the line of so-called, word discrimination- purposefully excluding the use of certain words in favor of others: It's a major problem in the Sealand Monarchial Chambers, or so I am told.). In doing such a magnificent self analyzation, I found a few other words which I use in magnificent proportions. For instance, I say: Indeed, Rather, Quite, Indubitably, and Bifurcate more then the general populace does at large. Also, I say these words a magnificently large percentage more then the average citizen of, say, Denmark: Cool, Verily, Sweet, and the phrase Cheeseheads Rule! So, as you can tell, I have stumbled onto a Magnificently interesting habit, I never realized existed before.I will have to do further study, after such magnificent results have appeared at such posthaste. Well, there youo have it. I hope you have magnificently enjoyed this arcticle. Indeed, until next time, have a rather magnificently non-bifurcated day.

The death of the Pope

2005-04-10T19:22:00.000-04:00

For those of you that don't know, the pope has died a little more then a week ago (if you didn't know, well, then you really need to get out more). The fact remains, however, that arguably one of the greatest men of our time has left us. He was a man of strong courage, faith, and honor. We can look back on his life with respect and admiration. He made alot of changes to the workings of the church, some of which were rather unliked by the public at large.

Now that he has left us, however, we must also look forward. The council of Cardinals will be meeting this week to began the proceedings that lead up to the picking of the next Pope. This in my mind, is one of the most paramount decisions in possibly our lifetimes. I am not Catholic, and yet I know that the power that somes from that one man is in some ways greater then that of a political leader, for those who would follow him do so from any country of origin, and his influence is rivaled by the greatest minds on earth. The very position of this office is one of prestige, and almost god-like honor. I can only pray that the conference chooses the right individual as our next Pope. My heart tells me that this decision will be huge in one way or the other, in telling us which path the world will take over the next 30, 50, perhaps even 100 years. Therefore, I urge everyone to pray as well, about this upcoming comference and ensuing vote. Thank you.

New Member

2005-03-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

Today, we have a new member: Nenia. I have invited her for many reasons. I will propund opon three of them. One, because I feel that it would be boring for all concerned to read only things written by me....(I know you fell asleep....don't feel ashamed. I do myself when reading things I write). Two, because She is a great writer (despite all she would say to the contrary), and can offer a great opinion and perspective I could not. And three, because I thought it would be kinda funto have a slightly different view on certain things. Needless to say, I'm very excited. Welcome, Nenia!

Top Ten signs you've watched too many Infomercials

2005-03-14T19:08:00.000-05:00

Yes, in the aura of David Letterman, I've created a Top Ten list. And yes, it is meant to be humorous....anyway, enjoy. This one is intitled: The Top Ten Signs that you've watched too many infomercials.

10: You have (or have bought) >5 Chia-pets
9: You have bought a Cullinery set because it had the "As seen on TV" tag.
8: You have no towels, pots, or lamps, but do own 4 different kinds of vegetable choppers
7: When people think you're done talking, you say, but wait! There's more!
6: You have bought something expensive (such as a boat, car or house) in an easy payment plan (e.g. 10,000 easy payments of $29.99)
5: You own >3 things that "Give you a complete workout without while watching TV!".
4: You have watched the Gem Shopping Channel for fun.
3: While speaking in public, you have said something as "Take it away [Heidi]*!"
2: You have given a Vegetable Chopper (that you bought on TV) as a Wedding Gift.
1: You own a Taco Dispenser

*Insert generic woman's name [here].

Lextures = Fun?

2005-03-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had the privledge of attending three lectures by renown scholar and former Oxford professor Richard Swinburne. He has written many books and papers on the defence of the christian faith in the headlights (as it were) of the Scientific world. Believe it or not, I had a great time (and no, I didn't fall asleep). I wish I could have had the chance to meet him. He presents his arguments in such away, that I find it hard to disgree with anything. He has an amazing grasp on the English Language, and uses it to his full advantage. I would definately reccommend checking out his site. I have been enormaously impressed by his work. Here's his site:
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~orie0087/

Today's happenings and non-happenings.

2005-03-11T19:25:00.000-05:00

Well, today, I've finally set into action my phpbb forum for me and my friends to talk on. it's pretty awesome....it's been a long time in coming. I just hope more people arrive soon (I have a total of three users right now, two of which are myself.). For some reason....everyone else I know has something to do today...yet another reason to think I don't have a life. ;)
As for this place, I've been wanting to set up a blog for a while now, but finally mustered the time today. I think this is looking cool as well, and I'm fairly proud that I didn't ruin the page by inserting the poll--let's just say I wasn't real confident in my computeric (pronounced kamp-u-'tear-ik) skills. If you would like to check out my forum, it's here:
newtcs.tk
If you would like to check out my blog, then stay where you are. If you really want, you can refresh the page to feel as if you just went to another site....but I don't think that's necessary.
If you don't want to check out my forum, well, then you're missing out on the substance of life! I mean seriously, other then here, that is one of the coolest, most invigorating sites on the web. My dog is already heralding it as the Lawerance of Arabia of Internet sites (He's never actually seen Lawerance of Arabia, but I told him about it...), and my sister has said that if she wanted to join a message board, that it would probably be somewhere in her top 10-15 or so. Needless to say, I was pleased by these inspiring and enheartening statements of acclaim and laud.

If you feel like joining us over there (at the forum I've been talking about), you're welcome to. If not well...then....I guess, don't? Well, that's all I have time for right now. More to come in the saga of the non-eventful events.

Eternal Life at your Fingertips?

2005-03-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't heard, this is what Alex Chiu & CO. are claiming (Rather rediculously, I might add) about their so called "Magic Rings". Apparently, the wearer actually get's younger just buy wearing them to sleep every night. People tend to laugh when they hear this. I don't. I think it's brilliant....a magnificent marketing ploy. You make a product that is supposed to do what no one else can do, and by the time the falsehood of that statment is realized, your living in your beachouse in Burma with your own private security force. If only I had come up with this first....

Edible Paper?

2005-03-11T15:59:00.000-05:00

Homaro Cantu (described by one customer as Chicago's "mad-scientist" gourmet chef) creates his signature dishes with the help of cutting-edge technology, such as fishless sushi made with edible, fish-flavored paper containing designs produced on an inkjet printer. Among the projects planned for his Moto restaurant: baking with a "class IV" laser (the kind used in welding and surgery) that will cook the center but not the outside; using helium and superconductors to make food levitate; and developing edible utensils, tables and chairs. Said Cantu, to a New York Times reporter in February, "Gastronomy has to catch up to the evolution in technology." [San Francisco Chronicle-New York Times, 2-13-05]

Now um.....if that isn't enough to make your stomache churn, I don't know what is. What's next? Edible Televisions? It is a dubious thought....I can't wait!