One of the first things they tell you as you become an adult and assume the responsibility of things like paying for gas is that you should always look for the cheapest gas around, because those nickles and dimes add up. And, of course with gas prices being what they are, there's very rarely s need to convince people to search out cheap gas.
Which is why the Shell gas station on the corner of La Mirada and Imperial is truly a mystery to me. You see, while Sam's Club prices are currently roughly $2.92/gl, and ARCO is $2.89/gl, and even the Chevron down the street is $2.99/gl, the Shell gas station on the corner of La Mirada and Imperial is a lonely courageous soul. Rather than offering competitive prices to challenge the other stations (or even to be comparable to the station across the street) the Shell at that corner offers gas at generally no less than $.30 more than the most expensive competitors. I believe the last listed price I saw was something like $3.37/gl. I think this might be the station that inflates the national average gas price.
The oddest thing is that I actually see people getting gas there...I think I might even have gotten gas there once. I just don't get it; how could any manager think this is a good idea? Whatever the reasons, I salute the brave gesture flying in the face of the free market. You go, Shell of La Mirada & Imperial; overcharge for your wares at such a ridiculous rate that it baffles the mind why anyone offers you any business.
Perhaps they're a front for the La Mirada Mafia...
Monday, July 16, 2007
No robe for you!
I used to have a robe. It was heavy terry-clothe. Navy Blue. Warm. Even though holes tore open under the arms, it was still my robe. Comfy. Large. I liked my robe. I wore it frequently.
Then we reorganized our apartment. Threw out a ton of stuff that we no longer used or needed. Moved furniture, painted, cleaned, etc.
My wife decided that my robe was no longer worth keeping. I found it in the pile of stuff going away. I asked her why, and she said that with the holes, it was no longer worthy of remaining my robe. She promised to replace it. I tried to challenge her logic, suggesting that since I did actually use my robe, we should keep it until we replaced it. She, of course, prevailed.
Of course...we're broke...and robes cost money. And you know the old saying--a robe on the hook is worth two in the store.
Now I own no robe. I miss my robe. Sigh.
Then we reorganized our apartment. Threw out a ton of stuff that we no longer used or needed. Moved furniture, painted, cleaned, etc.
My wife decided that my robe was no longer worth keeping. I found it in the pile of stuff going away. I asked her why, and she said that with the holes, it was no longer worthy of remaining my robe. She promised to replace it. I tried to challenge her logic, suggesting that since I did actually use my robe, we should keep it until we replaced it. She, of course, prevailed.
Of course...we're broke...and robes cost money. And you know the old saying--a robe on the hook is worth two in the store.
Now I own no robe. I miss my robe. Sigh.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Culture-War Fatigue, or a Political Zoo, pt 2
Warning...serious politcal rant forthcoming...the dis-interested need not read on...
Let me begin by saying...I do not want our nation to suffer another attack.
Its important that I say that, because I am going to come dangerously close to suggesting otherwise as a result of my general frustration with our nation.
I am so exhausted by the state of dazed boredom that captivates our collective national conscience in the face of actual war. I am not entirely sure what to attribute it to...whether it's the information age, which moves so rapidly that a national tragedy is now either forgotten completely or is referred to as a conspiracy or a political lightening rod, or if its the nature of the enemy we face, radicals willing to fight to the death and sacrifice without personal regard, whom Americans and Westerners in general no longer understand.
Perhaps its our perpetual prosperity that is killing us from within; in spite of a national disaster and the longest sustained troop deployment in 30 years, there has been zero impact on the personal life of citizens in our nation.
Regardless of the why, the fact remains; we don't think of ourselves as being at war...having forgotten the last successful strike on our own shores, we have become convinced that the actions we are currently involved in are unrelated in the slightest to preventing future tragedies. Instead of insisting on victory, we are demanding that our "sacrifices" end before the job is done.
Instead of a government that leads us, that communicates clearly and lays out a unified plan to secure our nation, we have politicians that take every opportunity to strike at our confidence in the government as a whole by attacking each other constantly. This applies to both sides...though the radicals on the left take special pleasure in filling their attacks with venom, making reconciliation impossible. One half of this country is being conditioned to hate the other half; the left suspects the conservative Christian population of being of the same ilk (meaning religious absolutists) as those who attacked on 9/11, the Jihad extremists.
It's madness.
In the midst of all of this, during a time when the multitude of enemies that have designs against us have little or no problem working together, we divisively draw further apart. We are engaged abroad while we ignore our own freaking borders. And when Michael Chertoff, our Homeland Security Secretary, tells us that our intelligence points to a real problem, and his response is to worry that an attack is actually imminent, we mock him and criticize him, and spread suspicions that it's a scare tactic...revealing once again our complete lack of recall. The President has been roundly criticized for years now because nobody said anything about the possibility that an attack was imminent in 2001.
I am tired of trying to defend the need to take this seriously. I almost want to allow the Liberals their chance to have their way. Forget Hillary or Obama--get Dennis Kucinich and Cindy Sheehan into the White House. Turn over the Congress. The Republicans aren't leading anyways, might as well get their worthless suits out and let the surrender monkeys have their go. Let them bring our troops home tomorrow. And ultimately...let our enemies come to burn our cities. I am tired of having to urge our own people to try and prevent it. Civilizations that whore themselves out to their enemies and citizens of other nations don't last. We shouldn't have to convince our populace to fight for its survival...so maybe its time to let it die a little.
As a student of history, I can tell you its not uncommon. This Republic won't last another generation--that I predict in complete seriousness. Our nation of the last 200 years is dead, and is about to disappear entirely. The world has changed in the last 50 years, and in the meantime a way of life ended...and what will take its place is still to be decided.
In the past, the evolution of the American nation has involved a metamorphosis that promised the hope of a brighter tomorrow at the cost of a potentially more comfortable today. We evolved from a collection of colonies to a unified nation. We changed from powerful individual states to states contributing to a powerful federal government, capable of mobilizing into an amazing machine. We morphed from an open, lawless frontier into centralized, civilized city life that could prosper and create a powerhouse to challenge the ancient power of the old world. We adapted from the protection of isolation to become the greatest ally to free people on earth. We lead the globe in just about every industrial field and medicine, have the most advanced military, put a man on the moon, and could feed the world with relative ease from our abundance.
At every turn we have faced the choice of comfort, ease and popularity, or the challenge of leading towards a better world, through difficult but necessary sacrifice. Today is no different...only the stakes are our national security, possibly our general way of life, and the future. If I sound a little dramatic...good. Its my son's future. And I am exasperated that I live in an age within easy memory of WWII where the majority of our leadership and press spend all of their time trying to convince our population that we need not believe we're really at war.
But we are actually at war. And I almost wish something would happen to remind us of that inescapable fact. Its a war I doubt we can "win" in the conventional sense. Our enemy doesn't consider death a defeat. The best we can do is endure...but we hate enduring.
I really am tired of the news. I really do almost think we need to bleed to remind us of the danger that wants to hurt us. It just seems wrong to accept such a fate. What do you do when your nation no longer cares to defend itself? To whom do you turn when the majority of the leadership denies the need for action and ignores the reality of our enemies and vulnerabilities, both foreign and domestic? It's too much. Is this what it felt like to live 1600 years ago in Italy? I wonder...
Well...that's done. I warned you I was going to rant...
Let me begin by saying...I do not want our nation to suffer another attack.
Its important that I say that, because I am going to come dangerously close to suggesting otherwise as a result of my general frustration with our nation.
I am so exhausted by the state of dazed boredom that captivates our collective national conscience in the face of actual war. I am not entirely sure what to attribute it to...whether it's the information age, which moves so rapidly that a national tragedy is now either forgotten completely or is referred to as a conspiracy or a political lightening rod, or if its the nature of the enemy we face, radicals willing to fight to the death and sacrifice without personal regard, whom Americans and Westerners in general no longer understand.
Perhaps its our perpetual prosperity that is killing us from within; in spite of a national disaster and the longest sustained troop deployment in 30 years, there has been zero impact on the personal life of citizens in our nation.
Regardless of the why, the fact remains; we don't think of ourselves as being at war...having forgotten the last successful strike on our own shores, we have become convinced that the actions we are currently involved in are unrelated in the slightest to preventing future tragedies. Instead of insisting on victory, we are demanding that our "sacrifices" end before the job is done.
Instead of a government that leads us, that communicates clearly and lays out a unified plan to secure our nation, we have politicians that take every opportunity to strike at our confidence in the government as a whole by attacking each other constantly. This applies to both sides...though the radicals on the left take special pleasure in filling their attacks with venom, making reconciliation impossible. One half of this country is being conditioned to hate the other half; the left suspects the conservative Christian population of being of the same ilk (meaning religious absolutists) as those who attacked on 9/11, the Jihad extremists.
It's madness.
In the midst of all of this, during a time when the multitude of enemies that have designs against us have little or no problem working together, we divisively draw further apart. We are engaged abroad while we ignore our own freaking borders. And when Michael Chertoff, our Homeland Security Secretary, tells us that our intelligence points to a real problem, and his response is to worry that an attack is actually imminent, we mock him and criticize him, and spread suspicions that it's a scare tactic...revealing once again our complete lack of recall. The President has been roundly criticized for years now because nobody said anything about the possibility that an attack was imminent in 2001.
I am tired of trying to defend the need to take this seriously. I almost want to allow the Liberals their chance to have their way. Forget Hillary or Obama--get Dennis Kucinich and Cindy Sheehan into the White House. Turn over the Congress. The Republicans aren't leading anyways, might as well get their worthless suits out and let the surrender monkeys have their go. Let them bring our troops home tomorrow. And ultimately...let our enemies come to burn our cities. I am tired of having to urge our own people to try and prevent it. Civilizations that whore themselves out to their enemies and citizens of other nations don't last. We shouldn't have to convince our populace to fight for its survival...so maybe its time to let it die a little.
As a student of history, I can tell you its not uncommon. This Republic won't last another generation--that I predict in complete seriousness. Our nation of the last 200 years is dead, and is about to disappear entirely. The world has changed in the last 50 years, and in the meantime a way of life ended...and what will take its place is still to be decided.
In the past, the evolution of the American nation has involved a metamorphosis that promised the hope of a brighter tomorrow at the cost of a potentially more comfortable today. We evolved from a collection of colonies to a unified nation. We changed from powerful individual states to states contributing to a powerful federal government, capable of mobilizing into an amazing machine. We morphed from an open, lawless frontier into centralized, civilized city life that could prosper and create a powerhouse to challenge the ancient power of the old world. We adapted from the protection of isolation to become the greatest ally to free people on earth. We lead the globe in just about every industrial field and medicine, have the most advanced military, put a man on the moon, and could feed the world with relative ease from our abundance.
At every turn we have faced the choice of comfort, ease and popularity, or the challenge of leading towards a better world, through difficult but necessary sacrifice. Today is no different...only the stakes are our national security, possibly our general way of life, and the future. If I sound a little dramatic...good. Its my son's future. And I am exasperated that I live in an age within easy memory of WWII where the majority of our leadership and press spend all of their time trying to convince our population that we need not believe we're really at war.
But we are actually at war. And I almost wish something would happen to remind us of that inescapable fact. Its a war I doubt we can "win" in the conventional sense. Our enemy doesn't consider death a defeat. The best we can do is endure...but we hate enduring.
I really am tired of the news. I really do almost think we need to bleed to remind us of the danger that wants to hurt us. It just seems wrong to accept such a fate. What do you do when your nation no longer cares to defend itself? To whom do you turn when the majority of the leadership denies the need for action and ignores the reality of our enemies and vulnerabilities, both foreign and domestic? It's too much. Is this what it felt like to live 1600 years ago in Italy? I wonder...
Well...that's done. I warned you I was going to rant...
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Its a Wonder-full World
So, apparently the Seven Wonders of the World have been updated.
I have two responses to this news...and actually one response to something from the story.
First on the story: this line, "However, Paris-based UNESCO distanced itself from the seven wonders ballot, saying it reflected only the opinion of those who voted," made me laugh. That UNESCO organization is truly a brain trust. So, get this, only those who voted were represented by the vote. It takes some time and an official title to figure that one out...I might not have understood if I didn't have a Paris based branch of the UN to tell me that voting only represents those that vote. Of course they're based in France. Where else could they be based? Center of redundant snottiness. ANYWAYS...
Now, as to the actual story...first, I think this is kinda cool. I am all for taking pride in the wonders around us, and investing in making things of majesty and wonder. But this ultimately leads me to my next response, which is...
Disappointment. Not in the list itself, but in what it reveals about us. Its no secret really...all you have to do is visit Tomorrow Land in Disneyland to see just how much we've dropped the ball. You see, the list reveals that we have accomplished nothing that competes with the Pyramid of Gaza or the Great Wall of China, both thousands of years old. Granted, those are pretty awesome, and they have always been on my list of things to see before I die...but as with Tomorrow Land in the Magical Kingdom, so in real life; we have failed to continue to reach for new challenges to make this new world as majestic and profoundly challenging to the future as those who came before us managed to do with their "now" back then. Where are the modern monuments that will challenge generations to come to consider who and what we are?
Its hard to be an Evangelical Protestant Christian and advocate building monuments; we tend to think that building to last, and more importantly building to inspire and awe is lower on the priorities...but I have been convinced that for a thing to be true and good, it should also be beautiful. Our churches fail in that respect all too often. It also reveals a lack of ambition, which we as Christians should be terrified by. Tomorrow should be the horizon of unending possibility, and that means today should challenge us to make a mark to echo into tomorrow. Everything we possess today comes from those men that strove mightily yesterday for their tomorrow. We are leaving no challenge to those that come after us, no monument to the things we hold precious to remind tomorrow that there are things greater than ourselves, things worth pouring our lives into without looking back.
Ultimately, my response is that this list should challenge us, to leave our mark on this earth about those things that matter to us. And also...I want to go travel and see the new list...
I have two responses to this news...and actually one response to something from the story.
First on the story: this line, "However, Paris-based UNESCO distanced itself from the seven wonders ballot, saying it reflected only the opinion of those who voted," made me laugh. That UNESCO organization is truly a brain trust. So, get this, only those who voted were represented by the vote. It takes some time and an official title to figure that one out...I might not have understood if I didn't have a Paris based branch of the UN to tell me that voting only represents those that vote. Of course they're based in France. Where else could they be based? Center of redundant snottiness. ANYWAYS...
Now, as to the actual story...first, I think this is kinda cool. I am all for taking pride in the wonders around us, and investing in making things of majesty and wonder. But this ultimately leads me to my next response, which is...
Disappointment. Not in the list itself, but in what it reveals about us. Its no secret really...all you have to do is visit Tomorrow Land in Disneyland to see just how much we've dropped the ball. You see, the list reveals that we have accomplished nothing that competes with the Pyramid of Gaza or the Great Wall of China, both thousands of years old. Granted, those are pretty awesome, and they have always been on my list of things to see before I die...but as with Tomorrow Land in the Magical Kingdom, so in real life; we have failed to continue to reach for new challenges to make this new world as majestic and profoundly challenging to the future as those who came before us managed to do with their "now" back then. Where are the modern monuments that will challenge generations to come to consider who and what we are?
Its hard to be an Evangelical Protestant Christian and advocate building monuments; we tend to think that building to last, and more importantly building to inspire and awe is lower on the priorities...but I have been convinced that for a thing to be true and good, it should also be beautiful. Our churches fail in that respect all too often. It also reveals a lack of ambition, which we as Christians should be terrified by. Tomorrow should be the horizon of unending possibility, and that means today should challenge us to make a mark to echo into tomorrow. Everything we possess today comes from those men that strove mightily yesterday for their tomorrow. We are leaving no challenge to those that come after us, no monument to the things we hold precious to remind tomorrow that there are things greater than ourselves, things worth pouring our lives into without looking back.
Ultimately, my response is that this list should challenge us, to leave our mark on this earth about those things that matter to us. And also...I want to go travel and see the new list...
Saturday, June 30, 2007
A Political Zoo, Pt 1
I have been deliberately keeping a neutral (i.e. non-vocal) position on the goings-ons of late in D.C. and around the country. Honestly, the matter of amnesty is a hot topic, and I need a job...and I have been thinking that perhaps the better side of wisdom would suggest that I not share my views with the world on a hot topic, while looking for work.
But my blog isn't that popular.
And anyone that wouldn't hire me for my opinions is probably someone I would rather not work for...my opinions aren't too radical...
So, here it goes; to begin with...I cannot believe the complete imbecilic behavior of the so-called leaders of the Republican party in D.C., the President himself included.
Honestly...I don't understand this. Liberals might laugh at my confusion...you see, I do believe we're at war, and generally I do believe we should have attacked Iraq, and that we are currently doing the only thing we can do given the situation that confronts us. In otherwords, I believe that the Republican leadership, and especially the President, have the nation's welfare in mind with regard to our international policy in the Middle East. In fact, Bush's low poll rating is almost enough to confirm his good intentions--what politician would adopt such a self-destructive stance if he were not convinced that the stance were more important than the political goldmine of popular opinion?
Which is why I am profoundly confused by their enormous inability to deal with a very real, very close threat to national security and the general welfare of the United States, namely the problem of millions of illegal immigrants currently taxing the system supported by legal residents of America, and the essentially unrestricted passage of millions more over our "borders". How can they allow this to stand? How can we not even call for basic enforcement of the laws that exist currently?
These are the questions that plague me as I listen to the "debate"...but above it all, I wonder HOW can Republican leadership, and particularly the PRESIDENT support rewarding lawbreakers with the object of their crime?
I am in awe.
And that sense of awe has only deepened as I have seen these leaders hold to this ridiculous position when the majority of every political demographic thinks this is a bad idea. Politicians aren't even behaving like regular, spineless politicians with regard to this issue. For some reason, this incredibly bad idea is one that the President and the Republican leadership is willing to alienate the little support they still have over.
Insanity.
Fortunately, the people managed to be heard...which is important, especially in a Democratic Republic. Now, I am just in shock that this bad idea was ever a viable option for Republicans, preaching security and Conservative values. We need to gut the leadership and start over...but more on that later.
But my blog isn't that popular.
And anyone that wouldn't hire me for my opinions is probably someone I would rather not work for...my opinions aren't too radical...
So, here it goes; to begin with...I cannot believe the complete imbecilic behavior of the so-called leaders of the Republican party in D.C., the President himself included.
Honestly...I don't understand this. Liberals might laugh at my confusion...you see, I do believe we're at war, and generally I do believe we should have attacked Iraq, and that we are currently doing the only thing we can do given the situation that confronts us. In otherwords, I believe that the Republican leadership, and especially the President, have the nation's welfare in mind with regard to our international policy in the Middle East. In fact, Bush's low poll rating is almost enough to confirm his good intentions--what politician would adopt such a self-destructive stance if he were not convinced that the stance were more important than the political goldmine of popular opinion?
Which is why I am profoundly confused by their enormous inability to deal with a very real, very close threat to national security and the general welfare of the United States, namely the problem of millions of illegal immigrants currently taxing the system supported by legal residents of America, and the essentially unrestricted passage of millions more over our "borders". How can they allow this to stand? How can we not even call for basic enforcement of the laws that exist currently?
These are the questions that plague me as I listen to the "debate"...but above it all, I wonder HOW can Republican leadership, and particularly the PRESIDENT support rewarding lawbreakers with the object of their crime?
I am in awe.
And that sense of awe has only deepened as I have seen these leaders hold to this ridiculous position when the majority of every political demographic thinks this is a bad idea. Politicians aren't even behaving like regular, spineless politicians with regard to this issue. For some reason, this incredibly bad idea is one that the President and the Republican leadership is willing to alienate the little support they still have over.
Insanity.
Fortunately, the people managed to be heard...which is important, especially in a Democratic Republic. Now, I am just in shock that this bad idea was ever a viable option for Republicans, preaching security and Conservative values. We need to gut the leadership and start over...but more on that later.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
My friend Phil
Phil Wright is a man of the highest order. He's been my friend from childhood...which is saying something, since we haven't lived near one another since I was 11. That didn't prevent him from flying across the country to be at my wedding nearly 10 years later. I could say many things about why he's a great guy--reasons you should all try to move to Virginia and get to know him better...though that might be creepy...so nevermind that...
But right now, I want to highlight the latest reason for thinking highly of Phil; he's currently using his much deserved Summer break doing ministry in Argentina. And you can read about it here.
Phil...our prayers are with you. Thanks for being the man you are.
But right now, I want to highlight the latest reason for thinking highly of Phil; he's currently using his much deserved Summer break doing ministry in Argentina. And you can read about it here.
Phil...our prayers are with you. Thanks for being the man you are.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The Time of His Life
Last night my son was treated to a trip to Disneyland. Sheri & I were unfortunately unable to take him, but his babysitter took him for the evening. When we got home, they were back, safe and sound (thank goodness; I had to give my first "If anything happens to him, I'll kill you" speech to the driver and even to our sweet babysitter) and the boy had, of course, gone straight to bed after watching a parade, riding Winnie-the-Pooh, Smallworld, and Buzz Lightyear, and I believe even getting to see some fireworks.
Well, this morning, we woke up early to take Sheri to work and Aiden was still very tired as he pry-ed his eyes open...but the first words he said were "POOH! AGAIN! POOOH!!!"
I told Sheri that likely the worst thing that might come from letting him go last night would be that he would want to go again and we would be unable to accommodate him because we no longer have passes.
I was, as usual, completely correct.
Well, this morning, we woke up early to take Sheri to work and Aiden was still very tired as he pry-ed his eyes open...but the first words he said were "POOH! AGAIN! POOOH!!!"
I told Sheri that likely the worst thing that might come from letting him go last night would be that he would want to go again and we would be unable to accommodate him because we no longer have passes.
I was, as usual, completely correct.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Welcome to the New Isle
I promised a while back that I would be updating my look here at the Isle (its been that gray/red template for a long time) but of course, almost immediately I became so busy that it was essentially impossible to do all that I wanted--updating your blog means losing all the cool stuff you put on it if you don't take the time to transfer it over.
Well, today I had the time (Sheri was catching up on sleep before we leave for the aquarium), so I have done as I promised. Welcome to the newly updated, refreshingly new Isle. Hope you like.
Well, today I had the time (Sheri was catching up on sleep before we leave for the aquarium), so I have done as I promised. Welcome to the newly updated, refreshingly new Isle. Hope you like.
I need a tropical vacation!
We're taking Aiden to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific today. He loves to stare at the fish, the seals, the turtles, the "SHARK!", etc. I enjoy myself too--I have always loved aquariums; especially the shark exhibits. We travelled to Monterrey Bay when Aiden was about 5 or 6 months old because they had managed to keep a Great White in their tank for about a year (its gone now). It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen--that shark is literally built for killing. There were other sharks in the tank, lemon sharks, hammerheads, etc., but the White was unlike an of the others. Where they were formed with graceful curves and delicate arcs, the White was sturdy and streamlined; like a stealth bomber in the water, designed for one thing: speedy killing. It was amazing. But I digress...
We're taking Aiden to the aquarium. And apart from the pleasure of seeing the wonders of the ocean in safety and convenience, there is one other sensation I always have when we visit the aquarium; namely, a certain amount of discontent and a longing to travel.
You see, every year about this time, the fact that I have lived nearly half my life in the tropics flares up with the regularity of a California wildfire. And I miss the tropics; I miss the rain, the smell of the earth, the warm oceans...I miss a lot of things. And when we visit the aquarium in Long Beach, oddly I get transferred out of the industrial city, back to a tower on a building that overlooked a lake named Calirya. From the tower, uncreatively referred to as the Crow's Nest, you could see all the outlining valleys, the enormous green hill behind the building, where caribou (Philippine oxen) would be grazing.
Sunsets from the Crow's Nest were pretty much the best in the world.
I miss the tropics...I'm glad we're going to the aquarium today.
We're taking Aiden to the aquarium. And apart from the pleasure of seeing the wonders of the ocean in safety and convenience, there is one other sensation I always have when we visit the aquarium; namely, a certain amount of discontent and a longing to travel.
You see, every year about this time, the fact that I have lived nearly half my life in the tropics flares up with the regularity of a California wildfire. And I miss the tropics; I miss the rain, the smell of the earth, the warm oceans...I miss a lot of things. And when we visit the aquarium in Long Beach, oddly I get transferred out of the industrial city, back to a tower on a building that overlooked a lake named Calirya. From the tower, uncreatively referred to as the Crow's Nest, you could see all the outlining valleys, the enormous green hill behind the building, where caribou (Philippine oxen) would be grazing.
Sunsets from the Crow's Nest were pretty much the best in the world.
I miss the tropics...I'm glad we're going to the aquarium today.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
What's Super about Superman?
Since I have invested in the comic books, I figure to justify them I should offer reflections inspired by this enjoyable study.
Superman, it seems, cannot really suffer a loss or even face a challenge too great for him to overcome. Apart from his attachment to Lois and his vulnerability to Kryptonite, there is basically nothing greater than Krypton's last son.
So, why do we care about his struggles? We would get tired of watching a cheater win--if there's no challenge then where's the conflict that makes success amazing? We wouldn't find it amazing if there was a man who devoted his life to saving ants. So why is Superman amazing?
Surly at least one answer has to be that Superman is amazing, not because of his abilities, but because he wants to inspire us to be better than we are, and that cannot be brought about because of his powers. If there is anything history teaches us, its that power doesn't equal reform. No, that comes only through personal choice, and those choices are dependent on each individual's decision to want to be better than they are.
So, to be a super-human--an alien actually--with powers that could easily rule the world, and instead of devoting your time to the gathering of more power, to choose to be an example of what good could exist if people would choose to live differently (one might even say, to adopt a lifestyle alien to humanity...hmm, there's a concept); surely that's amazing. Ultimately, Superman's message is that there is a personal choice to be made, and if we want to, we could actually choose to embrace goodness and truth and beauty, to the betterment of all men, and most certainly to the betterment of ourselves.
Something interesting about this idea is that, since Superman was, in fact, created by men, Superman tells us something about ourselves. In Kill Bill 2, Bill offers the Bride this insight; that Superman's critque of humanity is his alter-ego, Clark Kent, who is "mild mannered" and rather weak and pathetic. This might have merit...though there are arguments for the virtues of Clark Kent; Clark plays by the rules, is a good, kind, polite man who does what he can within the realm of his abilities.
Still, if the created persona suggests more about the creator than the creation (which seems likely) then our hero, Superman, suggests that we believe that the greatest being we might ever meet could not save us unless we choose to change the lives we lead. Of course this doesn't mean that we can "save ourselves"; we still need Superman to show us the way. But even the Man of Steel cannot solve the problems of humanity--at least, not without destroying the freedom of humanity; the best he can do is show us the need we have for the kind of self-lessness that he exhibits through his service to underserving humanity. It remains for us to choose to respond in kind, instead of always waiting, hoping to look up in the sky, and see...
Superman!
Superman, it seems, cannot really suffer a loss or even face a challenge too great for him to overcome. Apart from his attachment to Lois and his vulnerability to Kryptonite, there is basically nothing greater than Krypton's last son.
So, why do we care about his struggles? We would get tired of watching a cheater win--if there's no challenge then where's the conflict that makes success amazing? We wouldn't find it amazing if there was a man who devoted his life to saving ants. So why is Superman amazing?
Surly at least one answer has to be that Superman is amazing, not because of his abilities, but because he wants to inspire us to be better than we are, and that cannot be brought about because of his powers. If there is anything history teaches us, its that power doesn't equal reform. No, that comes only through personal choice, and those choices are dependent on each individual's decision to want to be better than they are.
So, to be a super-human--an alien actually--with powers that could easily rule the world, and instead of devoting your time to the gathering of more power, to choose to be an example of what good could exist if people would choose to live differently (one might even say, to adopt a lifestyle alien to humanity...hmm, there's a concept); surely that's amazing. Ultimately, Superman's message is that there is a personal choice to be made, and if we want to, we could actually choose to embrace goodness and truth and beauty, to the betterment of all men, and most certainly to the betterment of ourselves.
Something interesting about this idea is that, since Superman was, in fact, created by men, Superman tells us something about ourselves. In Kill Bill 2, Bill offers the Bride this insight; that Superman's critque of humanity is his alter-ego, Clark Kent, who is "mild mannered" and rather weak and pathetic. This might have merit...though there are arguments for the virtues of Clark Kent; Clark plays by the rules, is a good, kind, polite man who does what he can within the realm of his abilities.
Still, if the created persona suggests more about the creator than the creation (which seems likely) then our hero, Superman, suggests that we believe that the greatest being we might ever meet could not save us unless we choose to change the lives we lead. Of course this doesn't mean that we can "save ourselves"; we still need Superman to show us the way. But even the Man of Steel cannot solve the problems of humanity--at least, not without destroying the freedom of humanity; the best he can do is show us the need we have for the kind of self-lessness that he exhibits through his service to underserving humanity. It remains for us to choose to respond in kind, instead of always waiting, hoping to look up in the sky, and see...
Superman!
Barnes & Noble
One of the gifts from my classes this past year were gift cards to Barnes & Noble, a fantastic gift for the teacher of your "read'n & book stuff" class. Combined with the 20% discount card I had for being an educator, I had somewhere around $65 free dollars to spend on one of the things I can never have enough of.
It was truly fortuitous, because I had just been deciding that the next time I get to splurge in a book store, I would be investing in a genre severely lacking on my personal bookshelves: Comic Books/Graphic Novels.
Sheri & I have been making our way through Smallville (we're now in season 5...still enjoying ourselves, though there are some roll your eyes moments), and I got to sit in on the Heroes & Saviors meta-Torrey last semester at Biola. The result of all of this is that I am on a serious Super-hero kick, and at a certain point you can only go for so long like that before you need to invest in the medium of Super-heroes; namely, comic books.
So here is my current library, including acquisitions both new and old (the only one missing is my copy of The Long Halloween, which was the casualty of theft-I lent it to a co-worker who had his car stolen, and I didn't have the heart to make him replace it...although sometimes I wish I did, cause its $20...oh well).
Kingdom Come, Mark Waid & Alex Ross
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley
World Without a Superman, Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonsen, Roger Stern, (among others)
The Death of Superman, Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonsen, Roger Stern, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummet, (among others)
Superman For Tomorrow, Volumes 1&2, Brian Azzarello, Jim Lee, Scott Williams
Superman/Batman: Supergirl, Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner, Peter Streigerwald
Superman/Batman: Absolute Power, Jeph Loeb, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino
Superman Birthright: The Origin of the Man of Steel, Mark Waid, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan
On my list of things still waiting to get, or replace as the case may be, are the Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale and Bob Kane Batman series, The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, & Catwoman: When in Rome.
Needless to say...I am one happy summer-free teacher.
It was truly fortuitous, because I had just been deciding that the next time I get to splurge in a book store, I would be investing in a genre severely lacking on my personal bookshelves: Comic Books/Graphic Novels.
Sheri & I have been making our way through Smallville (we're now in season 5...still enjoying ourselves, though there are some roll your eyes moments), and I got to sit in on the Heroes & Saviors meta-Torrey last semester at Biola. The result of all of this is that I am on a serious Super-hero kick, and at a certain point you can only go for so long like that before you need to invest in the medium of Super-heroes; namely, comic books.
So here is my current library, including acquisitions both new and old (the only one missing is my copy of The Long Halloween, which was the casualty of theft-I lent it to a co-worker who had his car stolen, and I didn't have the heart to make him replace it...although sometimes I wish I did, cause its $20...oh well).
Kingdom Come, Mark Waid & Alex Ross
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley
World Without a Superman, Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonsen, Roger Stern, (among others)
The Death of Superman, Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonsen, Roger Stern, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummet, (among others)
Superman For Tomorrow, Volumes 1&2, Brian Azzarello, Jim Lee, Scott Williams
Superman/Batman: Supergirl, Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner, Peter Streigerwald
Superman/Batman: Absolute Power, Jeph Loeb, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino
Superman Birthright: The Origin of the Man of Steel, Mark Waid, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan
On my list of things still waiting to get, or replace as the case may be, are the Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale and Bob Kane Batman series, The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, & Catwoman: When in Rome.
Needless to say...I am one happy summer-free teacher.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
"My time flies...
...but we'll fly farther"
We woke up early, and went with some friends and my grandparents to the church, where we had communion. We went to breakfast afterwards...and then went our separate ways. We got dressed, met back up & took some pictures, re-entered the church and said some things. We left the church and had a party under the stars, with Chinese lanterns shining golden in the now dark night sky. We left the party, drove to a hotel and fell asleep very different from the way we'd woken up.
Four years ago today, we were married.
It was a great day.
We woke up early, and went with some friends and my grandparents to the church, where we had communion. We went to breakfast afterwards...and then went our separate ways. We got dressed, met back up & took some pictures, re-entered the church and said some things. We left the church and had a party under the stars, with Chinese lanterns shining golden in the now dark night sky. We left the party, drove to a hotel and fell asleep very different from the way we'd woken up.
Four years ago today, we were married.
It was a great day.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Circulating at Work
The Great Minimum
by G.K. Chesterton
It is something to have wept as we have wept,
It is something to have done as we have done,
It is something to have watched when all men slept,
And seen the stars which never see the sun.
It is something to have smelt the mystic rose,
Although it break and leave the thorny rods,
It is something to have hungered once as those
Must hunger who have ate the bread of gods.
To have seen you and your unforgotten face,
Brave as a blast of trumpets for the fray,
Pure as white lilies in a watery space,
It were something, though you went from me today.
To have known the things that from the weak are furled,
Perilous ancient passions, strange and high;
It is something to be wiser than the world,
It is something to be older than the sky.
In a time of sceptic moths and cynic rusts,
And fattened lives that of their sweetness tire
In a world of flying loves and fading lusts,
It is something to be sure of a desire.
Lo, blessed are our ears for they have heard;
Yea, blessed are our eyes for they have seen:
Let the thunder break on man and beast and bird
And the lightning. It is something to have been.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Poetry
The thing about poetry is...especially when you're young and trying it out for the first time...its actually somewhat subjective.
Oh, I know that there are poet friends that would beg to differ with me...but from this amateur, its the honest truth.
Well, one of the assignment options for the T.S. Eliot reading in my class was to write a poem. Pass or fail, based essentially on whether or not there's blood on the page, so to speak.
As might be expected, many opted for this option, and that's fine. I have been reading their art...and its made me smile more than once...and its been interesting to gain (perhaps) a little more insight into their lives...
But I have to wonder, as it really is why I allowed them to experiment in poetry; did they actually reflect on these experiences with the eye of an artist, or are they just getting an easy "a"? It might be easy to imitate art--certainly if you're not really expected to be good at it...but I wonder how many of them took the opportunity to let their souls grow a bit more by addressing something with their emotions, and not just their reason. I won't lose much sleep over it, of course (I get little enough of that as it is)...but I do hope that they might have touched something beautiful in the process of producing something intended to be artful.
Getting them to grasp the vibrant possibilities that exist when beauty is present is difficult--I try to get around that by taking them out of their comfort zone...into the outdoors...today we had class in a playground, and I was in an olive tree...that was fun. If it wouldn't be too distracting, I'd have music playing the whole class period, and hope that perhaps in the right moment, the right notes and the right words would connect and send their souls into the clouds, if only for a moment...maybe for Lord of the Rings...
Oh, I know that there are poet friends that would beg to differ with me...but from this amateur, its the honest truth.
Well, one of the assignment options for the T.S. Eliot reading in my class was to write a poem. Pass or fail, based essentially on whether or not there's blood on the page, so to speak.
As might be expected, many opted for this option, and that's fine. I have been reading their art...and its made me smile more than once...and its been interesting to gain (perhaps) a little more insight into their lives...
But I have to wonder, as it really is why I allowed them to experiment in poetry; did they actually reflect on these experiences with the eye of an artist, or are they just getting an easy "a"? It might be easy to imitate art--certainly if you're not really expected to be good at it...but I wonder how many of them took the opportunity to let their souls grow a bit more by addressing something with their emotions, and not just their reason. I won't lose much sleep over it, of course (I get little enough of that as it is)...but I do hope that they might have touched something beautiful in the process of producing something intended to be artful.
Getting them to grasp the vibrant possibilities that exist when beauty is present is difficult--I try to get around that by taking them out of their comfort zone...into the outdoors...today we had class in a playground, and I was in an olive tree...that was fun. If it wouldn't be too distracting, I'd have music playing the whole class period, and hope that perhaps in the right moment, the right notes and the right words would connect and send their souls into the clouds, if only for a moment...maybe for Lord of the Rings...
What I'm listening too...
Artist: WRECKLESS ERIC
Song: Whole Wide World
When I was a young boy
My mama said to me
There's only one girl in the world for you
And she probably lives in Tahiti
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Just to find her
Or maybe she's in the Bahamas
Where the Carribean sea is blue
Weeping in a tropical moonlit night
Because nobody's told her 'bout you
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Just to find her
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Find out where they hide her
Why am I hanging around in the rain out here
Trying to pick up a girl
Why are my eyes filling up with these lonely tears
When there're girls all over the world
Is she lying on a tropical beach somewhere
Underneath the tropical sun
Pining away in a heatwave there
Hoping that I won't be long
I should be lying on that sun-soaked beach with her
Caressing her warm brown skin
And then in a year or maybe not quite
We'll be sharing the same next of kin
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Just to find her
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Find out where they hide her
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Coming Soon!
A new look, a review of 300 and the lessons that both the movie and the history throw into the limelight, thoughts on the already dismally depressing Presidential campaign, and assorted thoughts on the political world, TV, heroes, and books.
So stay tuned...next week is gonna be a good one...
Just need to grade term papers and then its home free. I know I've been promising for a while now...but seriously...there'll be Superman posts, Shakespeare posts, Frank Miller/movie posts...I'm finally able to write again!
So stay tuned...next week is gonna be a good one...
Just need to grade term papers and then its home free. I know I've been promising for a while now...but seriously...there'll be Superman posts, Shakespeare posts, Frank Miller/movie posts...I'm finally able to write again!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Somewhere Out There...
On the other sides of a thousand pages of reading and 200 pages of grading, after the wife earns her well deserved degree and the son gets through the perils and travails of being two, and this kid finds another job or two tow make ends meet for another summer and two semesters...
I have a blog.
It seems odd to say that this is a priority of sorts...but it is. Not for my readership...which, if they are faithful are faithful thanks to posting notification technology...but in a way because I have very few other options for composing & articulating thoughts. The chance to do so is, as a result, coveted.
The irony is that when I finally get to sit down and type, the discussions I have been conducting in my head until now seem either out-of-date, or awkwardly large for a simple blog.
Oh well.
I have a blog.
It seems odd to say that this is a priority of sorts...but it is. Not for my readership...which, if they are faithful are faithful thanks to posting notification technology...but in a way because I have very few other options for composing & articulating thoughts. The chance to do so is, as a result, coveted.
The irony is that when I finally get to sit down and type, the discussions I have been conducting in my head until now seem either out-of-date, or awkwardly large for a simple blog.
Oh well.
Monday, February 05, 2007
The Daily Grind
Its been...just over a month since I last shook the dust from my key-board (metaphorically speaking...I normally end up blogging on computer's other than my own, and they are rarely dusty). Fear not, dauntless and desperate readers; I live still. Though I may not have written very much recently, I have, rest assured, been thinking about several weighty matters about which any number of blog posts could have been written.
And yet...I cannot think of any of them presently.
This is the problem. I have had...constipation of the mind of late. I think it stems from stress...but I have been slipping into a depressed state of silence that threatens to dry out my ability to discuss...anything. Its a dryness that recalls the sort of low that we would normally associate with the poetic "Dark Night." Its hardly so dramatic...I am just feeling discouraged. I went to Disneyland the other day...and felt simultaneously hopeful that the various rides and lands might suddenly actually become real, and deeply sad that they didn't. It was the most pleasant and depressing time I have had at the Magical Kingdom in a long time. Perhaps it was because it was just me and the wife...
But this is symptomatic of a larger problem. I have the bug of discontentment once again. Its a frustrating vice to deal with...there are always good reasons for being dissatisfied with yourself, your situation, etc...but there are very few justification for dwelling on those short-comings...and rarely does any progress occur as a result. There's a fine line between allowing your dreams of tomorrow to inspire you to action and residing in those dreams rather than facing the real live day.
So, I am trying to find purpose in the daily grind. I am trying to remember the meaning of peace and joy in everyday life. Jesus' life and ministry seem amazing and exotic when we read about them...but he was ministering to his home. He showed His own family and His own people what the kingdom of God means...and the incredible nature of His life was encapsulated in the confines of daily routine. Being honest, I don't understand how one can find satisfaction in that...while dreaming of everything that's not like our home, our life, our daily grind...but I suspect that the key to happiness and a healthy relationship with God lies in part in that secret satisfaction.
And yet...I cannot think of any of them presently.
This is the problem. I have had...constipation of the mind of late. I think it stems from stress...but I have been slipping into a depressed state of silence that threatens to dry out my ability to discuss...anything. Its a dryness that recalls the sort of low that we would normally associate with the poetic "Dark Night." Its hardly so dramatic...I am just feeling discouraged. I went to Disneyland the other day...and felt simultaneously hopeful that the various rides and lands might suddenly actually become real, and deeply sad that they didn't. It was the most pleasant and depressing time I have had at the Magical Kingdom in a long time. Perhaps it was because it was just me and the wife...
But this is symptomatic of a larger problem. I have the bug of discontentment once again. Its a frustrating vice to deal with...there are always good reasons for being dissatisfied with yourself, your situation, etc...but there are very few justification for dwelling on those short-comings...and rarely does any progress occur as a result. There's a fine line between allowing your dreams of tomorrow to inspire you to action and residing in those dreams rather than facing the real live day.
So, I am trying to find purpose in the daily grind. I am trying to remember the meaning of peace and joy in everyday life. Jesus' life and ministry seem amazing and exotic when we read about them...but he was ministering to his home. He showed His own family and His own people what the kingdom of God means...and the incredible nature of His life was encapsulated in the confines of daily routine. Being honest, I don't understand how one can find satisfaction in that...while dreaming of everything that's not like our home, our life, our daily grind...but I suspect that the key to happiness and a healthy relationship with God lies in part in that secret satisfaction.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Ode to the Gym
Oh thou gym,
This is your hymn.
To thee we go,
For we would know--
The joy of pain,
Through which we gain
Agony! Exhaustion!
Perhaps satisfaction?
We shall see...
It may be...
But for now,
I wonder how--
Have I done harm,
When I can't lift my arms?
Fin
Well, if I were a better poet, people might miss me when I was at the gym...as it is...not so much.
This is your hymn.
To thee we go,
For we would know--
The joy of pain,
Through which we gain
Agony! Exhaustion!
Perhaps satisfaction?
We shall see...
It may be...
But for now,
I wonder how--
Have I done harm,
When I can't lift my arms?
Fin
Well, if I were a better poet, people might miss me when I was at the gym...as it is...not so much.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Bye Bye Birdy
This is actually amazing to me.
Our justice system should take a memo...the full number of cases against him have not even cleared the courts, but having been found guilty (big surprise), he has now met his just fate.
God have mercy on him. I only wish we had been able to administer similar justice to other prolific tyrants. I cannot guess what this will mean in the days ahead...but I had not expected this to happen so quickly.
At times like these, the obvious question we must ask ourselves is whether or not justice was actually served by yet another death. There are plenty of people in the world that consider the execution of this man to be, not justice, but actually a further action of barbarism. They argue that we have out-grown the death penalty, and that life-imprisonment if enough to satisfy the debt owed by such a monster.
I find these arguments interesting. When did we become so vitally concerned with the nature of the justice done to criminals? Opponents of the death penalty throw up statistics of wrongfully accused criminals sentenced to death...but the numbers they ignore are the vast majority of correctly prosecuted murderers, rapists, kidnappers, etc, that have earned their date with the executioner.
Yet, especially as a Christian, I have to admit that there is a finality to death that is extremely harsh. Should this cause us to pause? Should we fall short of administering the ultimate punishment?
I think not. I think that it's extreme nature is what makes the death penalty important. If criminals know that they can cheat death, whatever they say about the torment of life in prison (and I believe its awful), the cost of one's life is still the only appropriate price a murderer, rapist, kidnapper, etc can pay. It is the government's job to protect us...and for that they must carry a sword. Not just a jail cell...there must be a real threat for those that treat life with contempt.
Sigh. Still, a life has been ended by force, and a man has gone to meet God, and he was (I believe) most assuredly not prepared for that confrontation. Perhaps as a Christian I should regret his wasted life. As a citizen, I rejoice that my government has acted to assert the dominion of justice and order in the world.
Our justice system should take a memo...the full number of cases against him have not even cleared the courts, but having been found guilty (big surprise), he has now met his just fate.
God have mercy on him. I only wish we had been able to administer similar justice to other prolific tyrants. I cannot guess what this will mean in the days ahead...but I had not expected this to happen so quickly.
At times like these, the obvious question we must ask ourselves is whether or not justice was actually served by yet another death. There are plenty of people in the world that consider the execution of this man to be, not justice, but actually a further action of barbarism. They argue that we have out-grown the death penalty, and that life-imprisonment if enough to satisfy the debt owed by such a monster.
I find these arguments interesting. When did we become so vitally concerned with the nature of the justice done to criminals? Opponents of the death penalty throw up statistics of wrongfully accused criminals sentenced to death...but the numbers they ignore are the vast majority of correctly prosecuted murderers, rapists, kidnappers, etc, that have earned their date with the executioner.
Yet, especially as a Christian, I have to admit that there is a finality to death that is extremely harsh. Should this cause us to pause? Should we fall short of administering the ultimate punishment?
I think not. I think that it's extreme nature is what makes the death penalty important. If criminals know that they can cheat death, whatever they say about the torment of life in prison (and I believe its awful), the cost of one's life is still the only appropriate price a murderer, rapist, kidnapper, etc can pay. It is the government's job to protect us...and for that they must carry a sword. Not just a jail cell...there must be a real threat for those that treat life with contempt.
Sigh. Still, a life has been ended by force, and a man has gone to meet God, and he was (I believe) most assuredly not prepared for that confrontation. Perhaps as a Christian I should regret his wasted life. As a citizen, I rejoice that my government has acted to assert the dominion of justice and order in the world.
Monday, December 25, 2006
God With Us; Christmas Day
In a season that has, by and large, lost its meaning in the midst of the commercial profit it represents, we are called to allow our feelings to dictate our actions. To let the joy and the merriment of the season inspire us to act in ways that we would, normally, not. And, of course, the skeptics in our society mock this sentimental call-to-arms. Feelings, after all, are not highly estimable when it comes to the real and serious business of life. Death, destruction, sickness and poverty are everywhere...surely, this nonsense of Christmas is just that: nonsense.
Surely, any change in our behavior that can trace its origin to some holiday must be too artificial to be taken seriously.
Yet this is the season of Joy, and it is the celebration of the fulfillment of a promise, steeped in the myth of our race, and intertwined with our daily lives. Those skeptics would do well to remember...long ago, mankind died. We became creatures of sin, and were permitted to work our will in all things, to our own destruction. In this state, we despaired...from the darkness of the earliest years, we were lost without hope of redemption. Through all the myths and every legend, this is clearly seen...we know we are lost and cannot save ourselves; we know that there is something wrong, that we cannot put right.
But 2000 years ago...everything changed. Life was irrevocably altered. A God became a man, and that incarnate God-man turned the established world of sinners on its ear. Death was robbed of its power over sinful man...because redemption was handed down from Heaven by God Himself, if only man could humble himself to seek salvation.
In short...all hope, all love...every good thing we know in this life, finds its source in the story and promise of Christmas.
Over the years, recognition of this fact has become packaged in the celebration of the Christ-mas, which in turn has become encumbered . We have lost sight of the amazing nature of the story, and classify it as myth and metaphor, belittling its importance by passing it off as unlikely and therefore untrue.
Still, the story of mankind's hope cannot be separated from this celebration. Every year, we celebrate joy in the midst of the death of Winter. We celebrate love and giving in the season when we have, historically, the least to spare.
And yet, the critics are right, in a sense; the world is not perfected yet. Heaven will not happen in this life...our hope lies in the land of God, and our joy waits in eternity. But today, Christmas Day, we celebrate that promise of hope, and the arrival of Emmanuel. God with us...abide with us...Emmanuel. Celebrate, men of earth; the Christ-child came to earth to save us from ourselves!
Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high, Who ordered all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might, Who to your tribes on Sinai's height In ancient times gave holy law, In cloud and majesty and awe.Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come O Rod of Jesse's stem, From ev'ry foe deliver them That trust your mighty pow'r to save; Bring them in vict'ry through the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, O Key of David, come, And open wide our heav'nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by your drawing nigh, Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Oh, bid our sad divisions cease, And be yourself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Surely, any change in our behavior that can trace its origin to some holiday must be too artificial to be taken seriously.
Yet this is the season of Joy, and it is the celebration of the fulfillment of a promise, steeped in the myth of our race, and intertwined with our daily lives. Those skeptics would do well to remember...long ago, mankind died. We became creatures of sin, and were permitted to work our will in all things, to our own destruction. In this state, we despaired...from the darkness of the earliest years, we were lost without hope of redemption. Through all the myths and every legend, this is clearly seen...we know we are lost and cannot save ourselves; we know that there is something wrong, that we cannot put right.
But 2000 years ago...everything changed. Life was irrevocably altered. A God became a man, and that incarnate God-man turned the established world of sinners on its ear. Death was robbed of its power over sinful man...because redemption was handed down from Heaven by God Himself, if only man could humble himself to seek salvation.
In short...all hope, all love...every good thing we know in this life, finds its source in the story and promise of Christmas.
Over the years, recognition of this fact has become packaged in the celebration of the Christ-mas, which in turn has become encumbered . We have lost sight of the amazing nature of the story, and classify it as myth and metaphor, belittling its importance by passing it off as unlikely and therefore untrue.
Still, the story of mankind's hope cannot be separated from this celebration. Every year, we celebrate joy in the midst of the death of Winter. We celebrate love and giving in the season when we have, historically, the least to spare.
And yet, the critics are right, in a sense; the world is not perfected yet. Heaven will not happen in this life...our hope lies in the land of God, and our joy waits in eternity. But today, Christmas Day, we celebrate that promise of hope, and the arrival of Emmanuel. God with us...abide with us...Emmanuel. Celebrate, men of earth; the Christ-child came to earth to save us from ourselves!
Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high, Who ordered all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might, Who to your tribes on Sinai's height In ancient times gave holy law, In cloud and majesty and awe.Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come O Rod of Jesse's stem, From ev'ry foe deliver them That trust your mighty pow'r to save; Bring them in vict'ry through the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, O Key of David, come, And open wide our heav'nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by your drawing nigh, Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Oh, bid our sad divisions cease, And be yourself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel!
Merry Christmas, and may the Joy of Christ lift up your hearts!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
The Body of Christ?
The topic of my most recent class discussion was the importance of Doctrine. Rather than preaching, as I have neither the time nor probably the auidence to warrant it, I offer this reflection and question:
The Doctrinal Statements or Creeds and tenents of our faith are the fundamental truths upon which the entire Christian belief is based...the most basic of these being a belief in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and One Church, One Baptism, One Ressurection, One Life Eternal...
Great words...but what do they mean?
If the above is true, and supporting the above is what qualifies us as Christians...I must wonder, how we can be the Church of Christ if we do not understand the importance of the above? Put another way...why don't we have more Christians arguing for the beauty and truth of our faith based on the existence of a Triune God, and the Incarnate Savior? Our competitors know who and what they are...while we have lost touch with the basic foundations of our faith...and, worse, we don't even realize that we have stopped understanding (or even trying to understand) the words we use to explain our beliefs. How can they even be rightly called our beliefs?
Lord Jesus have mercy on us, the weak and sick representatives of Your body on earth. Raise us to strength, and renew our souls.
The Doctrinal Statements or Creeds and tenents of our faith are the fundamental truths upon which the entire Christian belief is based...the most basic of these being a belief in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and One Church, One Baptism, One Ressurection, One Life Eternal...
Great words...but what do they mean?
If the above is true, and supporting the above is what qualifies us as Christians...I must wonder, how we can be the Church of Christ if we do not understand the importance of the above? Put another way...why don't we have more Christians arguing for the beauty and truth of our faith based on the existence of a Triune God, and the Incarnate Savior? Our competitors know who and what they are...while we have lost touch with the basic foundations of our faith...and, worse, we don't even realize that we have stopped understanding (or even trying to understand) the words we use to explain our beliefs. How can they even be rightly called our beliefs?
Lord Jesus have mercy on us, the weak and sick representatives of Your body on earth. Raise us to strength, and renew our souls.
The Guy Primp
While enjoying my nearly permanent residence in the University Library, I have had the opportunity to reflect on an interesting fact about my sex: We don't primp...or at least, we don't like people to know we primp. Earth shattering, I know...but there it is.
Why is this something I have noticed, of all places, in the library, you ask? Its simple: the library bathrooms offer a unique insight into this delicate difficulty that we men endure on a day-to-day basis. Allow me to enlighten you, and distract myself for a few moments...
You see, the men's bathrooms have a large mirror right next to the door inside of the facilities. This mirror, it is assumed, is offered to us in order to staighten up before returning to normal society, outside of the facilities. But, you see...we're men. We don't primp. You will not, on average, see a man standing in front of that mirror comfortably primping himself. Oh sure, maybe tucking in his shirt, straightening his tie, or something of that nature...but most of that can be handled at the mirrors in front of the sink. This isolated special mirror has but one purpose...and we men aren't generally comfortable with that purpose. At least, not publically.
You see, unlike the fairer sex, who are portrayed as constantly talking in the midst of primping in nearly every movie...if we must primp, it is not generally a social affair. Which is why, if you were to enter the men's bathroom in the Library, you might open the door tocatch the briefest flash of motion, as the man that was primping himself only moments ago tries to pretend he was stretching and not rearranging his hair. Because, after all, we are men.
We don't primp.
I should add that there is one instance I have experienced which seems to directly challenge this observation: when a group of guys are involved in a play, they generally seem to relax the "Cannot be seen primping" rule. I guess that comes with the wearing of make-up...if that rule can be bent, what rule must remain steadfast?
Why is this something I have noticed, of all places, in the library, you ask? Its simple: the library bathrooms offer a unique insight into this delicate difficulty that we men endure on a day-to-day basis. Allow me to enlighten you, and distract myself for a few moments...
You see, the men's bathrooms have a large mirror right next to the door inside of the facilities. This mirror, it is assumed, is offered to us in order to staighten up before returning to normal society, outside of the facilities. But, you see...we're men. We don't primp. You will not, on average, see a man standing in front of that mirror comfortably primping himself. Oh sure, maybe tucking in his shirt, straightening his tie, or something of that nature...but most of that can be handled at the mirrors in front of the sink. This isolated special mirror has but one purpose...and we men aren't generally comfortable with that purpose. At least, not publically.
You see, unlike the fairer sex, who are portrayed as constantly talking in the midst of primping in nearly every movie...if we must primp, it is not generally a social affair. Which is why, if you were to enter the men's bathroom in the Library, you might open the door tocatch the briefest flash of motion, as the man that was primping himself only moments ago tries to pretend he was stretching and not rearranging his hair. Because, after all, we are men.
We don't primp.
I should add that there is one instance I have experienced which seems to directly challenge this observation: when a group of guys are involved in a play, they generally seem to relax the "Cannot be seen primping" rule. I guess that comes with the wearing of make-up...if that rule can be bent, what rule must remain steadfast?
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Sick-o
I have been sick.
See, when I type it, it sounds just fine. If you heard me say it, however, it would sound more like this; "Imb sig. Hack, cough, hack hack cough cough, moan, hack cough...etc"
And I cannot afford time off. For a multitude of reasons...time off isn't an option.
But, you know...when the going gets tough...the tough get going...assuming they aren't dying from some stupid cold that makes their heads feel like it will explode, while acid runs down my throat and my eyes burn...
Sigh.
I hate being sick. I was NOT made to be sick.
On the plus side...my wife got me the coolest beanie in the world. So my ears are warm...and that always makes you feel (somewhat) better.
Hack, Cough, Hack Hack Hack...
See, when I type it, it sounds just fine. If you heard me say it, however, it would sound more like this; "Imb sig. Hack, cough, hack hack cough cough, moan, hack cough...etc"
And I cannot afford time off. For a multitude of reasons...time off isn't an option.
But, you know...when the going gets tough...the tough get going...assuming they aren't dying from some stupid cold that makes their heads feel like it will explode, while acid runs down my throat and my eyes burn...
Sigh.
I hate being sick. I was NOT made to be sick.
On the plus side...my wife got me the coolest beanie in the world. So my ears are warm...and that always makes you feel (somewhat) better.
Hack, Cough, Hack Hack Hack...
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
LOTR and Grading
I am listening to the soundtrack to the Lord of the Rings as I grade...a million papers...forever and ever and ever and ever...
Its fun, because the music keeps me entertained, focused...and a little inspired. As if, with each pen stroke, I was on some epic journey...
*Music crescendoing in the background*
"Parallel Wording. Parallel Wording!!! For the sake of Gondor and the West, Parallel Wording!!!"
Yes, well. I am going quicker though. So that's good, right?
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Congrats to the Dems
Congrats, I feel, are in order.
I will probably go to sleep without knowing *for sure* the fate of the Senate, but I will go ahead and offer my Congratulations for their hard fought win. It seems that my predictions were, well, not on the money this time around. Can't win 'em all.
They won, and we lost. Such is life.
You see...this was an important election. I don't think its sour grapes to say that I believe our country will be in a worse place tomorrow than it was today. No, I cannot deny that I believe that to be the truth.
But this election isn't the final election, whatever that might look like. It was one election. I have not spent much time ranting about it, because it didn't honestly bother me all that much. I suppose that is in part because I believe the sides have already been drawn, and our nation needs to decide if we are beyond saving or not. I don't believe there is a way to "solve" the current conflict, nor do I believe that there is a "way out", as if any one country encapsulated the current conflict.
You see...there is an ideological war being waged against the ideology of our civilization. We can choose to ignore it, but that won't make it go away. We can run from it...but that doesn't mean it won't come looking for us in the dark of the night.
And I think that reality will sink in...even if it costs us something in the present. And, when that reality DOES sink in...the party of action will be recalled to power, just as good old Winnie was called out of near retirement when the politics of appeasement were finally exposed for the brutal failure they are in the late 1930's.
And so...the Democrats control the House, and possibly the Senate.
Alright.
They won with promises of cures through the "Science" of Stem Cell research. They won with promises of "ending" the corruption of politics (this, coming from a party with leaders like Harry Reid, caught in a land scheme just last month...). They won with the promise of solving our international problems by getting us out of Iraq--that "Second Vietnam" they are so eager to denounce. Yes, they "won." And we lost.
They "won", after 4 elections in 6 years with a narrow margin. Not exactly a sweeping "Blue Wave", but who's keeping track?
Heh. I know, this sounds dramatic. Well, sometimes something as silly as politics is dramatic.
I will probably go to sleep without knowing *for sure* the fate of the Senate, but I will go ahead and offer my Congratulations for their hard fought win. It seems that my predictions were, well, not on the money this time around. Can't win 'em all.
They won, and we lost. Such is life.
You see...this was an important election. I don't think its sour grapes to say that I believe our country will be in a worse place tomorrow than it was today. No, I cannot deny that I believe that to be the truth.
But this election isn't the final election, whatever that might look like. It was one election. I have not spent much time ranting about it, because it didn't honestly bother me all that much. I suppose that is in part because I believe the sides have already been drawn, and our nation needs to decide if we are beyond saving or not. I don't believe there is a way to "solve" the current conflict, nor do I believe that there is a "way out", as if any one country encapsulated the current conflict.
You see...there is an ideological war being waged against the ideology of our civilization. We can choose to ignore it, but that won't make it go away. We can run from it...but that doesn't mean it won't come looking for us in the dark of the night.
And I think that reality will sink in...even if it costs us something in the present. And, when that reality DOES sink in...the party of action will be recalled to power, just as good old Winnie was called out of near retirement when the politics of appeasement were finally exposed for the brutal failure they are in the late 1930's.
And so...the Democrats control the House, and possibly the Senate.
Alright.
They won with promises of cures through the "Science" of Stem Cell research. They won with promises of "ending" the corruption of politics (this, coming from a party with leaders like Harry Reid, caught in a land scheme just last month...). They won with the promise of solving our international problems by getting us out of Iraq--that "Second Vietnam" they are so eager to denounce. Yes, they "won." And we lost.
They "won", after 4 elections in 6 years with a narrow margin. Not exactly a sweeping "Blue Wave", but who's keeping track?
Heh. I know, this sounds dramatic. Well, sometimes something as silly as politics is dramatic.
The Only Issue
This, posted at Rush's site, is a truly great article by a Democrat. Its, well, just right on.
Do your Civic Duty!
Vote!
I did.
Well, its probably too late to do anything about it if you haven't already...but if you didn't, just remember, you are doing your part to contribute to the Suicide of Thought and the Death of the West.
Yeah. They should make political ads with that tag line. Heh.
I did.
Well, its probably too late to do anything about it if you haven't already...but if you didn't, just remember, you are doing your part to contribute to the Suicide of Thought and the Death of the West.
Yeah. They should make political ads with that tag line. Heh.
The Sanctity of Marriage
There are plenty of jokes that can, and I have no doubt, WILL be made about this.
But still...even as I prepare to make my own little jab ("If these two can't make it, what hope do the rest of us have!??!?!"), I have to reflect...this is the sad state that the sanctity of marriage has sunk to in our society.
It used to be...this would be the end--you'd be tossed out of society for being, well, just bad people. Today, its basically the reason Britney is in the news.
Sigh.
But still...even as I prepare to make my own little jab ("If these two can't make it, what hope do the rest of us have!??!?!"), I have to reflect...this is the sad state that the sanctity of marriage has sunk to in our society.
It used to be...this would be the end--you'd be tossed out of society for being, well, just bad people. Today, its basically the reason Britney is in the news.
Sigh.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Blasted L.A.
I need some weather.
Real weather.
Rain, wind, thunder, lightening.
You know; weather!
WEATHER!!!!
But, no.
I live in L.A.
No weather for me.
Sigh.
Real weather.
Rain, wind, thunder, lightening.
You know; weather!
WEATHER!!!!
But, no.
I live in L.A.
No weather for me.
Sigh.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Magic Numbers
To say that this Fall has been busy would be a vast understatement.
Its been a refreshing change of pace--the last time I was this pressed for real work was during the last couple of weeks of my B.A., and I began to feel as if I was going to be totally out of practice if and when I finally managed to push on towards Graduate work, in some as-of-yet unspecified field of study (either history or philosophy...but who knows?)
Well, my fears were unfounded. Since the coffee slinging phase of life ended, I have been blessed with plenty of good, old-fashioned student-like work. Reading, reading, reading...the only thing missing is the writing, but I make up for that by leading session. That might as well be working on a paper, since without structure and forethought I will be dismally dull...but with some prep work, sessions are getting progressively better in every class (Funny story--today, I had such a good class that, as I walked out and preparred to jet down the 5 freeway to lead a session in Rancho Santa Margarita, when I got scolded by a site administrator for bringing my Roman Gladius to my class, I didn't even really care. That was a good class!)
Anyways...as I was saying--my fears, they were unfounded. Wow, were they unfounded.
Because, you see, I let a week pass by without grading a paper, as Sheri was out-of-town at a wedding...and boy, was that a mistake.
Now, with about a week and a half left in this Quarter...I have roughly 320 papers to grade.
Heh. Bring 'em on! Fortunately, about half of them are rewrites of papers I have already graded, so getting those graded shouldn't be a real headache. And it is encouraging to see some of the original mistakes corrected, and grades getting better. But even averaging 5 minutes per paper, I am looking at a total of about 1600 minutes of work in front of me, while reading G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. That works out to be roughly 26 hours and 40 minutes of work. So, really, just half a "regular" week's work. Not that bad, if I can actually grade a paper every 5 minutes.
Piece of cake.
Its been a refreshing change of pace--the last time I was this pressed for real work was during the last couple of weeks of my B.A., and I began to feel as if I was going to be totally out of practice if and when I finally managed to push on towards Graduate work, in some as-of-yet unspecified field of study (either history or philosophy...but who knows?)
Well, my fears were unfounded. Since the coffee slinging phase of life ended, I have been blessed with plenty of good, old-fashioned student-like work. Reading, reading, reading...the only thing missing is the writing, but I make up for that by leading session. That might as well be working on a paper, since without structure and forethought I will be dismally dull...but with some prep work, sessions are getting progressively better in every class (Funny story--today, I had such a good class that, as I walked out and preparred to jet down the 5 freeway to lead a session in Rancho Santa Margarita, when I got scolded by a site administrator for bringing my Roman Gladius to my class, I didn't even really care. That was a good class!)
Anyways...as I was saying--my fears, they were unfounded. Wow, were they unfounded.
Because, you see, I let a week pass by without grading a paper, as Sheri was out-of-town at a wedding...and boy, was that a mistake.
Now, with about a week and a half left in this Quarter...I have roughly 320 papers to grade.
Heh. Bring 'em on! Fortunately, about half of them are rewrites of papers I have already graded, so getting those graded shouldn't be a real headache. And it is encouraging to see some of the original mistakes corrected, and grades getting better. But even averaging 5 minutes per paper, I am looking at a total of about 1600 minutes of work in front of me, while reading G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. That works out to be roughly 26 hours and 40 minutes of work. So, really, just half a "regular" week's work. Not that bad, if I can actually grade a paper every 5 minutes.
Piece of cake.
Monday, October 30, 2006
The Land of a 1000 Political Posts
With one week to go before the election, the political frenzy is going to be ridiculous. Well, far be for me to neglect my contribution to the blood bath.
I like to think of myself as an amateur politican. I vote. I comment. I critique. But I am not a Pol. I am just a teacher, who is a history nut and an amateur politician. To be a Pol, you'd have to contribute...and though I would love to do so...I know I haven't yet.
BUT, that doesn't mean I can't blog about this mess--and so I gladly plunge into the fray!
First, for those of you tuning in for the first time...I'm a Republican. And I'm a believer in peace through strength. I am generally a fiscal conservative, and I am definately a social conservative.
I think going to Iraq was perfectly legal, and that we did the best that we could when the question was before us. We need to stay in Iraq because abandoning the liberated Iraq to the chaos would be the only true failure of this war. It would be a waste of the lives that have been spent trying to establish a truly free society in a land filled with tyrants and oppression.
Yes--I am one of those Republicans.
Elections are interesting things. It seems to me that there is a problem with the approach the Left has taken with elections. They have persisted with denying the legitimacy of the party in power--in an attempt to gain political capital, instead of focusing on building a political message. The problem with this is...when you go around for 6 years claiming that the party in power is in power because they control everything and cheat in ways that we, the regular joes, could never prevent...if you win power after 6 years, what does that mean? If its impossible for the people in power to win without cheating...and you insist that they always cheat...and you beat them...doesn't that only mean that you cheated better than they did?
Sigh. This is the can of worms Al Gore opened up with his contesting claim. And the fact that recounts clearly gave it to Bush was ignored...once a shot is fired, it cannot be recalled.
Ah well; here is point of my "political" post: a prediction. Yes, I will put my money where my mouth is. With one week before the election, and very little chance of anything occuring to change the results, I will predict that the Republicans will prevail next Tuesday. I will allow for the loss of the House...but even that seems unlikely to me, and the Dems will definately not gain the Senate. I believe the Democrats have vastly over-estimated their "sweeping blue wave", which is supposed to cover the country. That is my prediction.
We'll see. The great thing about politics, when you consider them long enough, is that they don't matter as much as the media would have us believe (at least, in one respect). Its not life and death if for the next two years the Republicans are without power, neither will it be a golden age if they remain in power.
So, in a sense, one can make predictions about it as one would with a ball game. I've got the Republicans for a Hail Mary, late in the Fourth Quarter.
I like to think of myself as an amateur politican. I vote. I comment. I critique. But I am not a Pol. I am just a teacher, who is a history nut and an amateur politician. To be a Pol, you'd have to contribute...and though I would love to do so...I know I haven't yet.
BUT, that doesn't mean I can't blog about this mess--and so I gladly plunge into the fray!
First, for those of you tuning in for the first time...I'm a Republican. And I'm a believer in peace through strength. I am generally a fiscal conservative, and I am definately a social conservative.
I think going to Iraq was perfectly legal, and that we did the best that we could when the question was before us. We need to stay in Iraq because abandoning the liberated Iraq to the chaos would be the only true failure of this war. It would be a waste of the lives that have been spent trying to establish a truly free society in a land filled with tyrants and oppression.
Yes--I am one of those Republicans.
Elections are interesting things. It seems to me that there is a problem with the approach the Left has taken with elections. They have persisted with denying the legitimacy of the party in power--in an attempt to gain political capital, instead of focusing on building a political message. The problem with this is...when you go around for 6 years claiming that the party in power is in power because they control everything and cheat in ways that we, the regular joes, could never prevent...if you win power after 6 years, what does that mean? If its impossible for the people in power to win without cheating...and you insist that they always cheat...and you beat them...doesn't that only mean that you cheated better than they did?
Sigh. This is the can of worms Al Gore opened up with his contesting claim. And the fact that recounts clearly gave it to Bush was ignored...once a shot is fired, it cannot be recalled.
Ah well; here is point of my "political" post: a prediction. Yes, I will put my money where my mouth is. With one week before the election, and very little chance of anything occuring to change the results, I will predict that the Republicans will prevail next Tuesday. I will allow for the loss of the House...but even that seems unlikely to me, and the Dems will definately not gain the Senate. I believe the Democrats have vastly over-estimated their "sweeping blue wave", which is supposed to cover the country. That is my prediction.
We'll see. The great thing about politics, when you consider them long enough, is that they don't matter as much as the media would have us believe (at least, in one respect). Its not life and death if for the next two years the Republicans are without power, neither will it be a golden age if they remain in power.
So, in a sense, one can make predictions about it as one would with a ball game. I've got the Republicans for a Hail Mary, late in the Fourth Quarter.
Mr Anon.
So apparently I have visitor.
An "anonymous" visitor. An anonymous visitor with interesting ideas about what I write...well, interesting might be too strong a word...but nonetheless...
I wonder who got so upset by my magnificent brilliance that they decided to go through the trouble of word verification to leave me...well, spam, in the comments. Well, I salute you, Mr Anonymous. Keep on...doin' whatcha do...
An "anonymous" visitor. An anonymous visitor with interesting ideas about what I write...well, interesting might be too strong a word...but nonetheless...
I wonder who got so upset by my magnificent brilliance that they decided to go through the trouble of word verification to leave me...well, spam, in the comments. Well, I salute you, Mr Anonymous. Keep on...doin' whatcha do...
Adult Rating
A common theme for my classes seems to be taking responsibility. From my students getting their work done on time, to me getting their work graded on time...responsibility, responsibility, responsibility.
The funny thing is, of course, that even typing something like responsibility and grading in the same sentence seems to be a little over-dramatic. It is, afterall, grading papers. Its not saving the world, its grading papers. Still...it IS only grading papers, and I am not always responsible enough at my meager task.
Heh. Responsibility...that was always the negative part of growing up. Remember? When you get older, you get more privileges...and therefore more responsiblities. Ever wish you could get one and not the other?
My wife enjoys watching "Grey's Anatomy"...which is essentially today's version of E.R., with soap-opera-esque relationships, centered around (very loosely around) medicine. I'll admit--I watch now with her, as we make our way through the saga of the surgical interns in Seattle (speaking of which...man, I wish I lived in Seattle...)
Anyways, I was watching the show with Sheri the other night, after a rather frustrating day at my job (grades, schedules, etc) and it occured to me that I could, in some way, relate to the stories of the young doctors that braved the world of surgery and romance all at once. You see...they were in school for years, years and years and years...prepping for the moment that they would be doing it "for real". And though it seems as if now that they were finally "doing" the job, they would be only happy, and only excited, and confident...they aren't. And that is, in large part, because the process of becoming an adult is not encapsulated in an education. There's more to it than that; the first time the rubber meets the road, there lingers in the mind of the driver the question, "What if my first time driving becomes the worst wreck ever?"
I looked up at Sheri and shared my revelation...and then paused as I realized something even cooler--that while I can relate to the stress of these fictional characters on some level (while they're performing brain-surgery I am grading papers...so, not a complete parallel, but close), my lovely wife, who is in medicine, can entirely relate. Lives ARE actually, more and more, in her hands. It sounds silly to say that I realized this freshly, as she's in the middle of her second year of nursing school...but I did. My wife is...well, amazing...and quite an adult.
I know--this sounds incredibly cheesy. But its true...there's a moment (at least one), in the process of becoming an adult, that will cause you to question whether or not you are actually prepared for the challenge or not. Being able to face that moment is, I think, one of those dramatic instances that determine whether or not you will ever be an adult, really. Its all part and parcel of becoming a person that takes responsibility for the choices we make--even difficult ones. I have had a conversation recently with some people that would like to suggest that attending one college over another reflected the manipulation of controlling parents. All of that seems merely an excuse for people trying to avoid the moment I am addressing in this post. Being an adult means many things...but certainly the least of them is that we are the ones responsible for the choices we make...and we must choose whether or not we will risk failure by attempting to succeed.
Perhaps that's the most discouraging thing to observe about our society today...we don't want adults...because adults don't get to blame other people, and we don't get to avoid making decisions that impact others in serious ways. And that's a hard reality. We like blaming others for our problems, we prefer to say its someone else's fault. We'd prefer to always have adults taking care of us, but to never be the adults ourselves. But we need more adults...we need people who take responsibility for their own decisions, their own jobs, their own lives.
So...I'll be grading papers.
The funny thing is, of course, that even typing something like responsibility and grading in the same sentence seems to be a little over-dramatic. It is, afterall, grading papers. Its not saving the world, its grading papers. Still...it IS only grading papers, and I am not always responsible enough at my meager task.
Heh. Responsibility...that was always the negative part of growing up. Remember? When you get older, you get more privileges...and therefore more responsiblities. Ever wish you could get one and not the other?
My wife enjoys watching "Grey's Anatomy"...which is essentially today's version of E.R., with soap-opera-esque relationships, centered around (very loosely around) medicine. I'll admit--I watch now with her, as we make our way through the saga of the surgical interns in Seattle (speaking of which...man, I wish I lived in Seattle...)
Anyways, I was watching the show with Sheri the other night, after a rather frustrating day at my job (grades, schedules, etc) and it occured to me that I could, in some way, relate to the stories of the young doctors that braved the world of surgery and romance all at once. You see...they were in school for years, years and years and years...prepping for the moment that they would be doing it "for real". And though it seems as if now that they were finally "doing" the job, they would be only happy, and only excited, and confident...they aren't. And that is, in large part, because the process of becoming an adult is not encapsulated in an education. There's more to it than that; the first time the rubber meets the road, there lingers in the mind of the driver the question, "What if my first time driving becomes the worst wreck ever?"
I looked up at Sheri and shared my revelation...and then paused as I realized something even cooler--that while I can relate to the stress of these fictional characters on some level (while they're performing brain-surgery I am grading papers...so, not a complete parallel, but close), my lovely wife, who is in medicine, can entirely relate. Lives ARE actually, more and more, in her hands. It sounds silly to say that I realized this freshly, as she's in the middle of her second year of nursing school...but I did. My wife is...well, amazing...and quite an adult.
I know--this sounds incredibly cheesy. But its true...there's a moment (at least one), in the process of becoming an adult, that will cause you to question whether or not you are actually prepared for the challenge or not. Being able to face that moment is, I think, one of those dramatic instances that determine whether or not you will ever be an adult, really. Its all part and parcel of becoming a person that takes responsibility for the choices we make--even difficult ones. I have had a conversation recently with some people that would like to suggest that attending one college over another reflected the manipulation of controlling parents. All of that seems merely an excuse for people trying to avoid the moment I am addressing in this post. Being an adult means many things...but certainly the least of them is that we are the ones responsible for the choices we make...and we must choose whether or not we will risk failure by attempting to succeed.
Perhaps that's the most discouraging thing to observe about our society today...we don't want adults...because adults don't get to blame other people, and we don't get to avoid making decisions that impact others in serious ways. And that's a hard reality. We like blaming others for our problems, we prefer to say its someone else's fault. We'd prefer to always have adults taking care of us, but to never be the adults ourselves. But we need more adults...we need people who take responsibility for their own decisions, their own jobs, their own lives.
So...I'll be grading papers.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
On the Radio, in Session
Oh, Regina...
This is how it works
It feels a little worse
Than when we drove our hearse
Right through that screaming crowd
While laughing up a storm
Until we were just bone
Until it got so warm
That none of us could sleep
And all the styrofoam
Began to melt away
We tried to find some words
To aid in the decay
But none of them were home
Inside their catacomb
A million ancient bees
Began to sting our knees
While we were on our knees
Praying that disease
Would leave the ones we love
And never come again
On the radio
We heard November Rain
That solo's really long
But it's a pretty song
We listened to it twice
'Cause the DJ was asleep
This is how it works
You're young until you're not
You love until you don't
You try until you can't
You laugh until you cry
You cry until you laugh
And everyone must breathe
Until their dying breath
No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again
And on the radio
You hear November Rain
That solo's awful long
But it's a good refrain
You listen to it twice
'Cause the DJ is asleep
On the radio (oh oh oh)
On the radio On the radio - uh oh
On the radio - uh oh
On the radio - uh oh
On the radio
Jesus: The Super-Fact
"Well, really, you know, I am not aware of a thirst for some ready-made truth which puts an end to intellectual activity in the way you seem to be describing. Will it leave me the free play of Mind, Dick? I must insist on that, you know."
"Free, as a man is free to drink while he is drinking. He is not free still to be dry."
The Ghost seemed to think for a moment. "I can make nothing of that idea," it said.
"Listen!" said the White Spirit. "Once you were a child. Once you knew what inquiry was for. There was a time when you asked questions because you wanted answers, and were glad when you had found them. Become that child again: even now."
"Ah, but when I became a man I put away childish things."
"You have gone far wrong. Thirst was made for water; inquiry for truth. What you now call the free play of inquiry has neither more or less to do with the ends for which intelligence was given than masturbation has to do with marriage."
"If we cannot be reverent, there is at least no need to be obscene. The suggestion that I return at my age to the mere factual inquisitiveness of boyhood strikes me as preposterous. In any case, that question-and-answer conception of truth only applies to matters of fact. Religious and speculative questions are surely on a different level."
"We know nothing of religion here: we think only of Christ. We know nothing of speculation. Come and see. I will bring you to Eternal Fact, the Father of all other facthood."
Ah, Lewis.
Desire is such a tricky thing...the moment it is satisfied, desire is gone. And when has man ever been content with what he has? Given enough time, a man can become desirous of desire itself. At that point, what can satisfy him? What will ever satisfy him? Only perpetual desire...forever wanting something unattainable...and so we are lost in a tempest of our own making.
This is the beauty of the Christian faith. Behold, how beautiful is our Savior! Through salvation, we do not gain an independent life, or an answer from which we can draw self-sufficient meaning--neither do we open the door to meaningless questions for the sake of always seeking for an answer. No--salvation from ourselves awakens a new life--a life forever revolving around our wonderful Savior. He is our answer, He drives our questions; He Is. And because He Is, we have hope that Heaven might actually be the home our souls have yearned for all along. Rest for the restless combined with a relationship with the unknowably knowable God.
Because He Is, we can dare to ask all questions, always earnestly seeking the answers--without fearing what those answers might be. More than that--we can ask questions, knowing that every answer only reveals more questions to ask of The Truth. Perhaps this is one of the keys to our eternal happiness? Man is always a fool; sometimes content to allow a simple answer to suffice when it is clear the answer only reveals the need for more questions, other times asking empty questions without any regard for a real answer...or worst of all finding an answer and, missing the desire for the answer so much, he cannot appreciate what he has found.
Yet, our Savior, The Fact, "the Father of all other facthood," can calm even this storm. His answers are simple enough that we can rest in them for what they are; they are complex enough that we will never lack for questions. And in the person of Christ, we discover a paradox: the unattainable promise given freely, forever satisfying while simultaneously forever calling us on; "Further up, Further in!"
An adventure without end. Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
"Free, as a man is free to drink while he is drinking. He is not free still to be dry."
The Ghost seemed to think for a moment. "I can make nothing of that idea," it said.
"Listen!" said the White Spirit. "Once you were a child. Once you knew what inquiry was for. There was a time when you asked questions because you wanted answers, and were glad when you had found them. Become that child again: even now."
"Ah, but when I became a man I put away childish things."
"You have gone far wrong. Thirst was made for water; inquiry for truth. What you now call the free play of inquiry has neither more or less to do with the ends for which intelligence was given than masturbation has to do with marriage."
"If we cannot be reverent, there is at least no need to be obscene. The suggestion that I return at my age to the mere factual inquisitiveness of boyhood strikes me as preposterous. In any case, that question-and-answer conception of truth only applies to matters of fact. Religious and speculative questions are surely on a different level."
"We know nothing of religion here: we think only of Christ. We know nothing of speculation. Come and see. I will bring you to Eternal Fact, the Father of all other facthood."
Ah, Lewis.
Desire is such a tricky thing...the moment it is satisfied, desire is gone. And when has man ever been content with what he has? Given enough time, a man can become desirous of desire itself. At that point, what can satisfy him? What will ever satisfy him? Only perpetual desire...forever wanting something unattainable...and so we are lost in a tempest of our own making.
This is the beauty of the Christian faith. Behold, how beautiful is our Savior! Through salvation, we do not gain an independent life, or an answer from which we can draw self-sufficient meaning--neither do we open the door to meaningless questions for the sake of always seeking for an answer. No--salvation from ourselves awakens a new life--a life forever revolving around our wonderful Savior. He is our answer, He drives our questions; He Is. And because He Is, we have hope that Heaven might actually be the home our souls have yearned for all along. Rest for the restless combined with a relationship with the unknowably knowable God.
Because He Is, we can dare to ask all questions, always earnestly seeking the answers--without fearing what those answers might be. More than that--we can ask questions, knowing that every answer only reveals more questions to ask of The Truth. Perhaps this is one of the keys to our eternal happiness? Man is always a fool; sometimes content to allow a simple answer to suffice when it is clear the answer only reveals the need for more questions, other times asking empty questions without any regard for a real answer...or worst of all finding an answer and, missing the desire for the answer so much, he cannot appreciate what he has found.
Yet, our Savior, The Fact, "the Father of all other facthood," can calm even this storm. His answers are simple enough that we can rest in them for what they are; they are complex enough that we will never lack for questions. And in the person of Christ, we discover a paradox: the unattainable promise given freely, forever satisfying while simultaneously forever calling us on; "Further up, Further in!"
An adventure without end. Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Do I exist?
My classes have been working on the problem of definitions of late. Somedays I think they want to jump me when they come up with a word to explain the word they were trying to define, and I ask them what that word means. For example:
Me: What is truth?
Them: Truth is a fact.
Me: OK. What's a fact?
Them: Facts are reality.
Me: Fine. What's reality?
Them: AHHHHHHHH! Kill Mr. Leigh!!!!
The other day I encountered a question that, though I doubt it would do them much good, still deserves asking...If you're walking out of a building with an automatic door opener (based on a motion detector) and as you walk confidently towards the outside, fully expecting the door to open...it doesn't...does that mean you don't exist?
I never thought I would end up playing chicken with a door...and lose.
Sigh.
Me: What is truth?
Them: Truth is a fact.
Me: OK. What's a fact?
Them: Facts are reality.
Me: Fine. What's reality?
Them: AHHHHHHHH! Kill Mr. Leigh!!!!
The other day I encountered a question that, though I doubt it would do them much good, still deserves asking...If you're walking out of a building with an automatic door opener (based on a motion detector) and as you walk confidently towards the outside, fully expecting the door to open...it doesn't...does that mean you don't exist?
I never thought I would end up playing chicken with a door...and lose.
Sigh.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Proselytize those Bears!
Sheri has been teaching Aiden to pray before going to bed. Though he doesn't quite get it, we think the lesson is definately making an impression...
You see, tonight, as Momma and Aiden prepared to go to bed, Aiden was sitting with Momma and he pointed to his bear on the bed. Momma let him go get it, and watched as Aiden held the bear's paws together (as Momma does with Aiden's hands) and mumble his half-speech to the bear, ending with his abrupt version of "Amen", and releasing the paws. Aiden then insisted on going out of the bedroom, collecting the rest of his several stuffed animals, and guiding them through their nightly prayers as well. He is currently sleeping with every stuffed animal that he owns, all of them covered with the prayers, such as they are, of our son.
Being a Dad is just a great, great thing. And, apparently, the stuffed bear population in our house will be baptized believers about the same time as Aiden.
Ah, school...
Sometimes grading a massive amount of papers throughout the dead of night can be...tiring. Alright; its always tiring.
Still, it is actually a lot of fun to see how these students of mine are responding already to instructions I gave them on their last assignments. The original assignment (a Precis on Mere Christianity) was not a great triumph for most of them. I am still having to reassure parents that everything is "ok" and that their children will survive failing a paper or two in order to become people that can write something worth reading.
And the proof is in the pudding, as they say. The reflection essays I am grading aren't exactly fantastic (though, I rush to admit, I was rereading some of my old Pull Questions from my second year in Torrey and, wow...they were not good at all...not at all...ick.) but they do show a development of thought already since their last papers. And that's encouraging. I am locked away in the Library for the night, without much variety in my reading material...but at least its getting better, and not worse.
And of course, grading affords me the opportunity to be the subject of speculation...am I susceptible to bribery? A question for the ages...
Monday, September 25, 2006
Wicked
I have been listening to the soundtrack of Wicked of late. And with my discussion on the nature of Good and Evil with my students fresh in my head...this is a lot of fun.
What is evil? Where does evil come from? How does one become wicked?
More importantly...how does one get tickets to New York to go see Wicked on Broadway?
**In the days since I started this post, I have discovered that Wicked is coming to L.A. this winter. So, maybe the cost of going to Broadway won't be as much as earlier anticipated...**
What is evil? Where does evil come from? How does one become wicked?
More importantly...how does one get tickets to New York to go see Wicked on Broadway?
**In the days since I started this post, I have discovered that Wicked is coming to L.A. this winter. So, maybe the cost of going to Broadway won't be as much as earlier anticipated...**
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The power of The Way, The Truth, The Life
I love our church.
All debate about high church versus low church aside, God is worshipped there and I believe the hearts of the men and women there are open to be challenged to the life of faith. That's a good place to be...and I love it.
Today we talked in our Bible Study about the recent comments by the Pope about Islam. Now, while the question of whether or not the Pope was out of line, or should apologize is not something I want to discuss (I think what he said was perfectly within the realm of acceptable statements from the leader of a division of the Christian faith...mainly, that where Islam differs from Christianity is not good, and that Islam is not Christian...which one might think goes without saying, but...whatever...).
What I DO want to discuss is something else. The leader of our group this Sunday brought a recording from a recent interview with an Iranian pastor in Canada, formerly a leader in Hezbollah. I think that his conversion story and opinion of the God he now serves is something all Christians should hear...I only wish I had a link to the audio or a transcript. If I can track one down, I'll share it. But here are my thoughts on what was said.
His testimony was amazing. While in prison, he led fellow muslims in worship. One day he said that he knew the presence of God had come to him, even literally tapped him on the shoulder...and that rather than destroying him, this presence told him the truth of the gospel, a book the young man had never previously read. He spoke through the tears in his voice as he remembered what it was like to know that God was near, to actually hear this presence tell him that what he sought was not Allah, but The Way, The Truth, The Life--an idea unthinkable in Islam, but central to Christianity.
Then the interviewer asked this pastor's opinions on what was happening in Israel between the Israelis and Hezbollah recently. The pastor summed up the long question asked of him by asking if the interviewer wanted to know what he thought it would take to end terrorism in the world. He answered...the love of Christ.
The love of Christ will end terrorism.
This is so contrary to our thinking, I could not help but be challenged:
Peace through strength!
But that's the role of the state. We're the church, and an opposing idea in the world today is currently ready and willing to kill to spread their beliefs and challenge ours. Do we fight back?
No. We don't...or, we shouldn't. I am not, of course, a pacifist. If God had not had other plans, I would currently be serving our nation in the military. But since its become clear that that is not the road for me to walk...I have had to wonder how I can effect a change in this world, how I can try to bring about peace. And this pastor, who sought God truly and found The Way, The Truth, The Life...this pastor sees clearly the answer I have been seeking.
The love of Christ can change the world. Not end sin, not banish poverty, not eliminate death...this world must end--paradise is for the next life, not this one. But I wonder if we really remember that? If we lived as if that were true, and lived as if we believed that for this life, showing as many people as possible the love of Christ were the greatest joy and priority...would this world continue as it is today?
I think we must believe it could not. So why aren't we living such a life?
All debate about high church versus low church aside, God is worshipped there and I believe the hearts of the men and women there are open to be challenged to the life of faith. That's a good place to be...and I love it.
Today we talked in our Bible Study about the recent comments by the Pope about Islam. Now, while the question of whether or not the Pope was out of line, or should apologize is not something I want to discuss (I think what he said was perfectly within the realm of acceptable statements from the leader of a division of the Christian faith...mainly, that where Islam differs from Christianity is not good, and that Islam is not Christian...which one might think goes without saying, but...whatever...).
What I DO want to discuss is something else. The leader of our group this Sunday brought a recording from a recent interview with an Iranian pastor in Canada, formerly a leader in Hezbollah. I think that his conversion story and opinion of the God he now serves is something all Christians should hear...I only wish I had a link to the audio or a transcript. If I can track one down, I'll share it. But here are my thoughts on what was said.
His testimony was amazing. While in prison, he led fellow muslims in worship. One day he said that he knew the presence of God had come to him, even literally tapped him on the shoulder...and that rather than destroying him, this presence told him the truth of the gospel, a book the young man had never previously read. He spoke through the tears in his voice as he remembered what it was like to know that God was near, to actually hear this presence tell him that what he sought was not Allah, but The Way, The Truth, The Life--an idea unthinkable in Islam, but central to Christianity.
Then the interviewer asked this pastor's opinions on what was happening in Israel between the Israelis and Hezbollah recently. The pastor summed up the long question asked of him by asking if the interviewer wanted to know what he thought it would take to end terrorism in the world. He answered...the love of Christ.
The love of Christ will end terrorism.
This is so contrary to our thinking, I could not help but be challenged:
Peace through strength!
But that's the role of the state. We're the church, and an opposing idea in the world today is currently ready and willing to kill to spread their beliefs and challenge ours. Do we fight back?
No. We don't...or, we shouldn't. I am not, of course, a pacifist. If God had not had other plans, I would currently be serving our nation in the military. But since its become clear that that is not the road for me to walk...I have had to wonder how I can effect a change in this world, how I can try to bring about peace. And this pastor, who sought God truly and found The Way, The Truth, The Life...this pastor sees clearly the answer I have been seeking.
The love of Christ can change the world. Not end sin, not banish poverty, not eliminate death...this world must end--paradise is for the next life, not this one. But I wonder if we really remember that? If we lived as if that were true, and lived as if we believed that for this life, showing as many people as possible the love of Christ were the greatest joy and priority...would this world continue as it is today?
I think we must believe it could not. So why aren't we living such a life?
Saturday, September 16, 2006
A Little Yeast
I have been involved in putting on an amateur production of Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband" over these past few months. There are many themes being talked about throughout the play but, naturally, the political question that is raised in the play interests me immensely.
I wonder...is it possible to have a leader of men who has not compromised? If a leader has compromised, can he still be a good leader? Must a leader have the ambition to become the leader? Does that ambition translate into grasping for power that is not properly due to you? Power is a tricky thing...It exists, and a select few wield it. If you are a good man, but cannot get power without compromise, should you still try to get power? What about all the good you could do once you were in power--would that be negated by the initial sin it took to put you into a place that has power? Does political right and wrong boil down to the lesser of two evils? Does a political life involve sacrificing to maintain the ability to lead? If so, does that necessitate making certain sacrifices of one's personal beliefs in order to lead the nation at large? Does one indiscretion ruin a man for all practical purposes?
If so...why have a government at all? If not...what does that say about what we believe about right and wrong?
Its the craziest thing in the world to be immersed in Oscar Wilde's thoughts, and find yourself in Plato's Republic.
I wonder...is it possible to have a leader of men who has not compromised? If a leader has compromised, can he still be a good leader? Must a leader have the ambition to become the leader? Does that ambition translate into grasping for power that is not properly due to you? Power is a tricky thing...It exists, and a select few wield it. If you are a good man, but cannot get power without compromise, should you still try to get power? What about all the good you could do once you were in power--would that be negated by the initial sin it took to put you into a place that has power? Does political right and wrong boil down to the lesser of two evils? Does a political life involve sacrificing to maintain the ability to lead? If so, does that necessitate making certain sacrifices of one's personal beliefs in order to lead the nation at large? Does one indiscretion ruin a man for all practical purposes?
If so...why have a government at all? If not...what does that say about what we believe about right and wrong?
Its the craziest thing in the world to be immersed in Oscar Wilde's thoughts, and find yourself in Plato's Republic.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Fidelity
(Shake it up)
I never loved nobody fully
Always one foot on the ground
And by protecting my heart truly
I got lost in the sounds
I hear in my mind
All these voices
I hear in my mind all these words
I hear in my mind all this music
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
It breaks my heart
And suppose I never met you
Suppose we never fell in love
Suppose I never ever let you kiss me so sweet and so soft
Suppose I never ever saw you
Suppose we never ever called
Suppose I kept on singing love songs just to break my own fall
Just to break my fall
Just to break my fall
Break my fall
Break my fall
All my friends say that of course its gonna get better
Gonna get better
Better better better better
Better better better
I never love nobody fully
Always one foot on the ground
And by protecting by heart truly
I got lost
In the sounds
I hear in my mind
All these voices
I hear in my mind all these words
I hear in my mind
All this music
And it breaks my heart
It breaks my heart
Breaks my
Heart
Breaks my heart
Monday, September 11, 2006
My Country 'tis of Thee...
Sing, oh Muse...
I have spent most of this day trying to find the words. I have spent today trying to discover the best way to voice the thoughts that have been nearly bursting from my skull.
I am still not sure how to proceed.
I could follow the examples of others...and tell you where and what I was doing when our world changed. I could join still others in evaluating where we are now and what has changed for better or worse. I could give a defense of the path we have taken, I could argue for the path that still waits to be tread. I won't bother with those that would belittle it, or scorn its significance
But that doesn't seem fitting. Speaking of my memories seems so...small when one considers the epic events of 5 years ago. Talking policy seems too heartless, and even I get tired of fighting that fight.
So...what to do? How do I honor those innocent dead? How do I challenge us to stand with honor in the place of those that gave their lives for the victims? How do I urge us to grieve for those that have lost so much and are asked to give still more? How can I call us to demand that there be a reckoning for such violence? Can my voice even be heard crying for a real, meaningful peace?
No...in the end, I think I am just a hobbit, lost in the tumult of Middle Earth's great saga. So what can I say, let alone do, to pay homage to those heroes of this all-to-hero-less age?
In the end...I am at a loss in the face of trying to encompass it all...and all I can do is reflect on the life that I spent this day, five years after the disaster. Perhaps I could have done nothing better with my day than what I did do with it. I went to my job, and talked about how best to lead a discussion on Genesis, and why logic is important, and how wisdom is the knowledge of God and the source of life itself. I sat in on two and a half hours of discussion on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and I drove my wife to a bible study. I honked my horn in support of the small groups of men, women and children I passed on my way to and fro, holding flags on street corners. I listened to radio tributes and songs dedicated to those that were lost...and teared up at traffic lights. I bought a bible. I behaved as (practically) only an American can, and as practically everyone should be able to behave. Can I do more?
My heart wants to rend and a song wells up in me; I feel I will shatter with the force of it, but I am no Emrys, no Wizard, no Elf, and I don't know the words...
Sweet land of Liberty, of Thee I sing!
There must be something said...to those that had their lives cut short by madmen 5 years ago, to those that gave their lives trying to save those that were doomed, to those that have given their lives since that fateful day trying to bring those murderers to justice and prevent them from being able to wreak death and destruction on innocent civilians...and of course, to all those that continue to stand for liberty and justice, and who walk the line for us every day and night...to those children of this nation of Free Men, I pay tribute. It may not amount to much...but I do pay you tribute, and I will continue to live the life of a civilian of a free land. I will sing of the land where ideas are discussed; where God is worshipped and men may live in peace with other men that they may never agree with. This country has its faults, God knows, but it is a blessed nation, one that has shed light on much of the world.
Even still, Come, Lord Jesus, Come. This world is growing darker with the hour, and we yearn to follow You to the Kingdom of Summer, to dwell in the light of Your face forever.
I have spent most of this day trying to find the words. I have spent today trying to discover the best way to voice the thoughts that have been nearly bursting from my skull.
I am still not sure how to proceed.
I could follow the examples of others...and tell you where and what I was doing when our world changed. I could join still others in evaluating where we are now and what has changed for better or worse. I could give a defense of the path we have taken, I could argue for the path that still waits to be tread. I won't bother with those that would belittle it, or scorn its significance
But that doesn't seem fitting. Speaking of my memories seems so...small when one considers the epic events of 5 years ago. Talking policy seems too heartless, and even I get tired of fighting that fight.
So...what to do? How do I honor those innocent dead? How do I challenge us to stand with honor in the place of those that gave their lives for the victims? How do I urge us to grieve for those that have lost so much and are asked to give still more? How can I call us to demand that there be a reckoning for such violence? Can my voice even be heard crying for a real, meaningful peace?
No...in the end, I think I am just a hobbit, lost in the tumult of Middle Earth's great saga. So what can I say, let alone do, to pay homage to those heroes of this all-to-hero-less age?
In the end...I am at a loss in the face of trying to encompass it all...and all I can do is reflect on the life that I spent this day, five years after the disaster. Perhaps I could have done nothing better with my day than what I did do with it. I went to my job, and talked about how best to lead a discussion on Genesis, and why logic is important, and how wisdom is the knowledge of God and the source of life itself. I sat in on two and a half hours of discussion on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and I drove my wife to a bible study. I honked my horn in support of the small groups of men, women and children I passed on my way to and fro, holding flags on street corners. I listened to radio tributes and songs dedicated to those that were lost...and teared up at traffic lights. I bought a bible. I behaved as (practically) only an American can, and as practically everyone should be able to behave. Can I do more?
My heart wants to rend and a song wells up in me; I feel I will shatter with the force of it, but I am no Emrys, no Wizard, no Elf, and I don't know the words...
Sweet land of Liberty, of Thee I sing!
There must be something said...to those that had their lives cut short by madmen 5 years ago, to those that gave their lives trying to save those that were doomed, to those that have given their lives since that fateful day trying to bring those murderers to justice and prevent them from being able to wreak death and destruction on innocent civilians...and of course, to all those that continue to stand for liberty and justice, and who walk the line for us every day and night...to those children of this nation of Free Men, I pay tribute. It may not amount to much...but I do pay you tribute, and I will continue to live the life of a civilian of a free land. I will sing of the land where ideas are discussed; where God is worshipped and men may live in peace with other men that they may never agree with. This country has its faults, God knows, but it is a blessed nation, one that has shed light on much of the world.
Even still, Come, Lord Jesus, Come. This world is growing darker with the hour, and we yearn to follow You to the Kingdom of Summer, to dwell in the light of Your face forever.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Pictures from our week with Kari Kipp
There we are, on our way to a semi-hike to a water-trickle. It was a lot of fun, despite the less than spectacular ending
The German and myself.
All the men on this trip, together...and wading in the water-trickle.
The German and me enjoying the water-trickle.
Clearly a religious experience...
Aiden...being cool.
Aiden, flirting with an engaged woman.
More flirting...with mud. Clearly having a positive effect...
Throwing rocks with Kari
Aiden with Paul.
And us.More pictures from our week with Kari Kipp
The Orange County Fair = animals and hay
Animals, hay and Theresa
A group shot...with animals and hay...
I like being surrounded by attractive people...
See above caption...
Aiden versus Baby Goat!If only that fence weren't there, it might have been a good match
Picture Time
You might think us cruel...except that he wanted to put the clips in his hair...
"I want to be a cowboy, ba-by"
There must have been a time in history when the definition of "hat" was up for debate. My son is clearly wanting to reopen that long dead discussion...and apparently he wants to do so via cell-phone.
We had a picnic...ants came...it was very exciting. 
Awwww--we so cute. 
"I come in peace!"
This is why moms are heroes. They go right into the line of fire...for a picture.
Yes?
Privacy issues...
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
A Note From Your Contributor
This blog has been editted to reflect better judgement and the influence of a very sensible wife. We, the management, hope that our previous post has not offended anyone too much and hope that you continue to read our "Blog". Thanks, and have a nice day.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Must...Focus...
I have had a long day. Tomorrow will be longer. 17 hours, roughly.
But right now, I am in the library, listening to lectures by the good Doctor, and trying to complete proofreading exercises.
And as much as I want to finish the exercises...I cannot seem to finish a paragraph. I did just finish a shift at Starbucks, so the caffeine might have something to do with it. I don't usually have things with caffeine while working anymore...it kept keeping me up till 1 and 2 in the morning...which is hard when Aiden wakes up by 5:30, 6 in the morning.
Sigh.
On a slightly fun note...though it wasn't the dramatic liberating moment I was anticipating, I have apparently turned in my two week notice at Starbucks. I hadn't realized that I had done so...but thats fine with me. No more coffee for me. I am actually not on the schedule after this week. So its time, finally, to get another extra job. A couple hours of tutoring history or something of that nature. But no more Starbucks!
But right now, I am in the library, listening to lectures by the good Doctor, and trying to complete proofreading exercises.
And as much as I want to finish the exercises...I cannot seem to finish a paragraph. I did just finish a shift at Starbucks, so the caffeine might have something to do with it. I don't usually have things with caffeine while working anymore...it kept keeping me up till 1 and 2 in the morning...which is hard when Aiden wakes up by 5:30, 6 in the morning.
Sigh.
On a slightly fun note...though it wasn't the dramatic liberating moment I was anticipating, I have apparently turned in my two week notice at Starbucks. I hadn't realized that I had done so...but thats fine with me. No more coffee for me. I am actually not on the schedule after this week. So its time, finally, to get another extra job. A couple hours of tutoring history or something of that nature. But no more Starbucks!
Waiting on the World...
to Change?
Sigh.
John Mayer has captured one of the central flaws of my generation in a song.
Seriously...Sigh. I am depressed everytime I think about this song--which is unfortunate, because musically its quite nice. But the lyrics that are oh-so-easy to sing-a-long with are...evil. That's right...evil...EeeeeVIL ("pinky finger to the lip" evil).
Alright...I'll retract the "EVIL" branding. The lyrics are not diabolical. They're just kinda sad and pathetic. And its receiving the sort of buzz that old rallying songs used to receive--like the Beatles' Revolution.
"it's not that we don't care, we just know that the fight ain't fair"
I mean, what is that? The only hopeful part about the stupid song is that this is the tried and true way to NOT impact the world...so hopefully my kids will be running things and John Mayer's kids will be singing songs about them for years to come.
Apathy--the new rejection of the system!
I hope that John Mayer is being cleverly ironic; singing a song about how the world behaves--and challenging it by singing a song "lauding" its vices...but I don't have much hope for that kinda of clever song-writing.
Sigh.
John Mayer has captured one of the central flaws of my generation in a song.
Seriously...Sigh. I am depressed everytime I think about this song--which is unfortunate, because musically its quite nice. But the lyrics that are oh-so-easy to sing-a-long with are...evil. That's right...evil...EeeeeVIL ("pinky finger to the lip" evil).
Alright...I'll retract the "EVIL" branding. The lyrics are not diabolical. They're just kinda sad and pathetic. And its receiving the sort of buzz that old rallying songs used to receive--like the Beatles' Revolution.
"it's not that we don't care, we just know that the fight ain't fair"
I mean, what is that? The only hopeful part about the stupid song is that this is the tried and true way to NOT impact the world...so hopefully my kids will be running things and John Mayer's kids will be singing songs about them for years to come.
Apathy--the new rejection of the system!
I hope that John Mayer is being cleverly ironic; singing a song about how the world behaves--and challenging it by singing a song "lauding" its vices...but I don't have much hope for that kinda of clever song-writing.
A Good Action
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