Video highlights
Five-star Barcelona thrash Real Madrid
David Villa strikes twice as slick Barcelona thrash Real Madrid
+ Ronaldo continues to supply evidence that he is a punk.
+ How did so many defenders from the World Cup winners, including the keeper, get totally eviscerated by Barca?
+ David Villa looks like a little nerd. Dang, does he have a nose for the ball. Dude can flat out score (two goals, one assist in this game).
Monday, November 29
Sunday, November 21
Can We Help Cyber-dissidents?
After reading Digital Weapons Help Dissidents Punch Holes in China's Great Firewall, I can't help thinking that there must be something interested parties can do to help. My thoughts begin along the lines of BOINC or the World Community Grid -- distributed computing like SETI@Home and other similar projects.
The article mentions The Global Internet Freedom Consortium, which promotes several actively-developed software solutions.
I suppose a person could host a run a Tor relay, but that doesn't really answer the mail.
I was thinking about this back during the Iranian protests, too...
What do you think?
The article mentions The Global Internet Freedom Consortium, which promotes several actively-developed software solutions.
I suppose a person could host a run a Tor relay, but that doesn't really answer the mail.
I was thinking about this back during the Iranian protests, too...
What do you think?
Saturday, November 6
Download (and Backup) Your Facebook Content
Got a lot of content on Facebook that you don't have anywhere else? Want a reliable backup?
I first tried SocialSafe, and even paid $3 for an early version, which so far has not worked for me. Trying their latest version right now, which seems to be choking on the size of my Fb footprint.
Then I found out that Fb has provided this functionality for a month now. How did I miss it?! It doesn't promise as much as SocialSafe, but it does deliver. Looks to me like the format you get it in is basic html.
The short, self-explanatory version is: Account > Account Settings > Download Your Information.
More:
Lifehacker: How to Download Your Information from Facebook
Facebook: Download Your Information
I first tried SocialSafe, and even paid $3 for an early version, which so far has not worked for me. Trying their latest version right now, which seems to be choking on the size of my Fb footprint.
Then I found out that Fb has provided this functionality for a month now. How did I miss it?! It doesn't promise as much as SocialSafe, but it does deliver. Looks to me like the format you get it in is basic html.
The short, self-explanatory version is: Account > Account Settings > Download Your Information.
More:
Lifehacker: How to Download Your Information from Facebook
Facebook: Download Your Information
Obama on 'The Daily Show'
Just a few thoughts I had, again, mostly random, and am just getting posted.
Watch the video here.
no. not the two toughest years since the Great Depression. (economically, yes)
Watch the video here.
no. not the two toughest years since the Great Depression. (economically, yes)
for me to take you seriously, you have to offer an honest critique of yourself and your work
Obama wants it both ways (a little): we will bring massive change (but it will take some time and there are big challenges so be patient with us). problems in DC are systemic. you can't make sweeping changes with the system close to what it is. you just get the same results eventually (Contract with America eventually sold out, etc)
however, i tend to agree that the economy has been stabilized for a comparatively small price (if his numbers are right. i'm sure every Libertarian has a different story)
such a partisan audience, it's crazy
'is government nimble enough to handle these 21st century crises?' now that is a GREAT question.
Filibuster reform is surely needed.
'Troy' Thoughts
Finally got around to watching Troy after Cory's recommendation and reading the 'Iliad'. A few mostly disconnected thoughts while watching:
1:17--no. Hektor would never have done such an ignoble thing [kill Menelaos while he was fighting Paris].
thought i'd like Sean Been as Odysseus. no. once thought i'd prefer him to Viggo Mortensen for Aragorn. no, too.
you feel bad for Hektor. he wants to live. he wants to see his son grow.
'Sing, O Muse, the anger of Achilleus'
'So they buried Hektor, tamer of horses.'
love the characterization of Achilleus. spot on. killing machine. his battle scenes would have been a little cooler in 300 style.
but Brad Pitt doesn't quite have the acting chops, especially to pull off the scene with Priam.
not bad. hits the right emotional notes.
of course, Achilleus would have never gone for such a gambit [the Trojan Horse] (though i see the need to telescope the action).
Curse Orlando Bloom for his terrible archery form in four movies! ;-)
Overall, good movie. Recommended. Would actually make a decent intro if you were going to read the 'Iliad'.
1:17--no. Hektor would never have done such an ignoble thing [kill Menelaos while he was fighting Paris].
thought i'd like Sean Been as Odysseus. no. once thought i'd prefer him to Viggo Mortensen for Aragorn. no, too.
you feel bad for Hektor. he wants to live. he wants to see his son grow.
'Sing, O Muse, the anger of Achilleus'
'So they buried Hektor, tamer of horses.'
love the characterization of Achilleus. spot on. killing machine. his battle scenes would have been a little cooler in 300 style.
but Brad Pitt doesn't quite have the acting chops, especially to pull off the scene with Priam.
not bad. hits the right emotional notes.
of course, Achilleus would have never gone for such a gambit [the Trojan Horse] (though i see the need to telescope the action).
Curse Orlando Bloom for his terrible archery form in four movies! ;-)
Overall, good movie. Recommended. Would actually make a decent intro if you were going to read the 'Iliad'.
Tuesday, October 26
Confucius: Something More Important than Voting
Yes, voting is important. But it's not the most important way to influence our life together as a nation. Not even close.
Being even more engaged than voting can be good, too. Political action can be a good thing.
But we have the sneaking suspicion that all politicians on both sides are slimy. And the longer they've been in the game, the slimier they seem (in general).
If you share these impressions, you'll agree with me that politics is not going to fix or save any nation.
The twins are studying Confucius, who emphasized that the way we treat one another in our personal relationships shapes our nation most. Respect and love must begin at home with children respecting parents and parents loving and nurturing their children. (Parents should endeavor to be worthy of their children's respect.)
Unsurprisingly, we could make a very similar argument from the thought of both Jesus and Paul. It's fun to reference someone else for a change, though, yes? :-)
(Of course voting is an anachronistic concept with respect to Confucius. But the priority fits with his overall concept of government.)
Being even more engaged than voting can be good, too. Political action can be a good thing.
But we have the sneaking suspicion that all politicians on both sides are slimy. And the longer they've been in the game, the slimier they seem (in general).
If you share these impressions, you'll agree with me that politics is not going to fix or save any nation.
The twins are studying Confucius, who emphasized that the way we treat one another in our personal relationships shapes our nation most. Respect and love must begin at home with children respecting parents and parents loving and nurturing their children. (Parents should endeavor to be worthy of their children's respect.)
Unsurprisingly, we could make a very similar argument from the thought of both Jesus and Paul. It's fun to reference someone else for a change, though, yes? :-)
(Of course voting is an anachronistic concept with respect to Confucius. But the priority fits with his overall concept of government.)
Sunday, September 12
Mini-Iliad Review: Because You Demanded It!
Thanks to Mark Safranski for 'commissioning' this post and Mike Lotus for encouraging it. Mark has crossposted on his much-more-major-than-mine weblog, Zenpundit.
What makes 'The Iliad' a classic? Why is it classic?
I think the primary answer is simple: it's the characters. If you can hang tough through all of the idiosyncratic flourishes and ornaments and repetitions, the characters are compelling: Achilleus, his anger and character; the comparative nobility of Hektor and Patroklos (both of whom we know are doomed); the vagaries of the gods and their adolescent machinations; the supporting cast of Agamemnon, Menelaos the wronged, two very different men named Aias (Ajax), Diomedes, Aeneas, Odysseus, Nestor, Paris, Helen and Priam. Take these characters and others and mix them with an interesting story and you have a classic that reaches out to us from about the eighth century BC (when it was likely 'composed' (with heavy use of previous, oral sources) by Homer), maybe from as far back as the 12th century BC (maybe the original setting of what has come down to us as The Trojan War). 'The Iliad' still resonates with us today.
One reason 'The Iliad' can still move us is that Homer has done a masterful job of relating the 'accidents' of life. 'Time and chance happen to all men', and people who lived 3000 year ago couldn't deceive themselves about their ability to control life the way we 'modern' people do. Human experience and emotions are often inscrutable. 'Love' (baldly called 'lust' by Homer) can easily destroy. When it occurs in the most influential levels of society, it can draw whole nations into its whirling vortex. Even the love between men in 'The Iliad' can seem illogical (no matter where you come down on the homosexuality question): why does noble Patroklos honor Achilleus literally to the death?
'The Iliad', of course, focuses a lot on war in ways that have become shockingly remote for most of us. Nothing is so susceptible to 'luck' as war. One 'good' soldier gets hit by stray friendly fire and dies instantly. Another 'bad' soldier comes through the whole war unscathed. Consider the hazards of love, life and war in 'The Iliad'. Consider them in our own experience. It makes more sense than many theories to conclude that arbitrary and capricious gods can powerfully affect us.
My final guess (for the purposes of this mini-review) at why 'The Iliad' is a classic is that the poetry is timeless. This is, of course, nearly impossible to take in from one read-through in translation. My friend, Jason, listened to the abridged version and talked about its power. The commentators discuss it quite a bit, from what I can tell. Most of us (who aren't going to pay the price to really test it) are going to have to take this on faith and rate it as we will. Poetry is a dying art, and poetry appreciation is probably in an even worse state.
I wonder what role foreknowledge plays in 'The Iliad'. Many of us know the broad outline of the story going in. If we don't, Homer spills it in short order. Does knowing Achilleus dies shortly after this episode in The Trojan War change our view of him? Do we cut him more slack? How does knowing that Hektor and Patroklos die within the bounds of this story affect us? Or that Odysseus lives? Or that Agamemnon will be murdered in his bath by his wife (he had it coming ;-)?
Something else that stands out about 'The Iliad' is the graphic war imagery. Homer's descriptions almost seem gratuitous when he goes into detail about how one soldier killed another, where the spear penetrated and where it came out, what muscles were severed, what happened to the bowels, teeth or brain. It's probably distasteful to many of us in the 21st century, but I think we can just chalk that up to cultural differences.
My second big question is: what does 'The Iliad' mean? I'm very snobbish about exegesis, especially concerning the Bible (my training, as a former pastor), but including any suitably worthy literature (with concomitant training in British Lit and Analytic Philosophy). Exegesis, in principle, is simple: what was the author trying to communicate to the audience? (So why is good exegesis so hard to find? ;-) If we are to make any meaningful connection to the original work, this is where we have to begin. You can deploy your Reader Response Theory on 'Twilight' or some such drivel, but keep it off my Homer (I told you I'm a snob ;-).
We come to 'The Iliad' at a loss because Homer's values are very different from ours. His presuppositions are vastly different from ours. I have touched on some of these already. The gods can show up at any time and throw any wrench in the works for almost any imaginable reason. We have to take the role of the gods seriously to take Homer seriously. What did their role say about the responsibility of people? Humans retain some responsibility, almost paradoxically. Helen isn't completely off the hook for running away with Paris. Achilleus does not get a complete pass for his anger that causes the deaths of so many Achaean comrades. Agamemnon is not excused for his overbearing pride that contributed to the disagreement with Achilleus. And even noble Hektor faces bouts of inaction and cowardice for which he is not wholly exonerated.
Another value we find hard to understand is the ancient Greek concept of nobility. It's just born there. If you're a shepherd who's not the natural-born son of King Priam and Queen Hekabe, that's all you'll ever be: a shepherd. The main characters are noble; many are first-generation half-deities and most (all?) have divinity in their bloodline somewhere. From our standpoint, Achilleus behaves like a monster, especially in his repeated attempted-desecration of Hektor's body (the gods protect Hektor's body and Achilleus' ultimate honor by preserving Hektor's corpse inviolate in almost the perfect proverbial deus ex machina). He's sacrificed any claim to nobility as far as we're concerned. Not so for Homer and the ancient Greeks; Achilleus retains his nobility, though it is clouded by sins. He receives partial pardons and rationalizations. From our perspective, we view him as maybe the original anti-hero. Homer's view is much less ambivalent, and Achilleus gets away with things for which lesser men would go straight to Tartaros without passing 'Go'. It's a far cry from our 21st century Western concept of nobility and our love of 'rags to riches' fables. It's only riches to riches here (though maybe no one knew through the rags that you were really rich).
So what is Homer's message? The conclusion of my barely-better-than-cursory reading is: Given that nobility and greatness are natural, almost literally gifts of fate (the Fates); and that humans are subject to the whims of the gods; it is best to be brave and seek glory (within reason--with a glance forward to Aristotle's middle-way ethic). How's that going to help you with your job or family? Not much. It's fodder for thinking about societal values and a long way from whether or not to stick it out in your mediocre, going-nowhere job. (It might possibly apply to whether or not you should run away with your neighbor's spouse.)
For most of us, 'The Iliad' is probably a test in proper exegesis more than someplace we should or will go to look for meaning. But maybe that's just my soap box ;-)
What makes 'The Iliad' a classic? Why is it classic?
I think the primary answer is simple: it's the characters. If you can hang tough through all of the idiosyncratic flourishes and ornaments and repetitions, the characters are compelling: Achilleus, his anger and character; the comparative nobility of Hektor and Patroklos (both of whom we know are doomed); the vagaries of the gods and their adolescent machinations; the supporting cast of Agamemnon, Menelaos the wronged, two very different men named Aias (Ajax), Diomedes, Aeneas, Odysseus, Nestor, Paris, Helen and Priam. Take these characters and others and mix them with an interesting story and you have a classic that reaches out to us from about the eighth century BC (when it was likely 'composed' (with heavy use of previous, oral sources) by Homer), maybe from as far back as the 12th century BC (maybe the original setting of what has come down to us as The Trojan War). 'The Iliad' still resonates with us today.
One reason 'The Iliad' can still move us is that Homer has done a masterful job of relating the 'accidents' of life. 'Time and chance happen to all men', and people who lived 3000 year ago couldn't deceive themselves about their ability to control life the way we 'modern' people do. Human experience and emotions are often inscrutable. 'Love' (baldly called 'lust' by Homer) can easily destroy. When it occurs in the most influential levels of society, it can draw whole nations into its whirling vortex. Even the love between men in 'The Iliad' can seem illogical (no matter where you come down on the homosexuality question): why does noble Patroklos honor Achilleus literally to the death?
'The Iliad', of course, focuses a lot on war in ways that have become shockingly remote for most of us. Nothing is so susceptible to 'luck' as war. One 'good' soldier gets hit by stray friendly fire and dies instantly. Another 'bad' soldier comes through the whole war unscathed. Consider the hazards of love, life and war in 'The Iliad'. Consider them in our own experience. It makes more sense than many theories to conclude that arbitrary and capricious gods can powerfully affect us.
My final guess (for the purposes of this mini-review) at why 'The Iliad' is a classic is that the poetry is timeless. This is, of course, nearly impossible to take in from one read-through in translation. My friend, Jason, listened to the abridged version and talked about its power. The commentators discuss it quite a bit, from what I can tell. Most of us (who aren't going to pay the price to really test it) are going to have to take this on faith and rate it as we will. Poetry is a dying art, and poetry appreciation is probably in an even worse state.
I wonder what role foreknowledge plays in 'The Iliad'. Many of us know the broad outline of the story going in. If we don't, Homer spills it in short order. Does knowing Achilleus dies shortly after this episode in The Trojan War change our view of him? Do we cut him more slack? How does knowing that Hektor and Patroklos die within the bounds of this story affect us? Or that Odysseus lives? Or that Agamemnon will be murdered in his bath by his wife (he had it coming ;-)?
Something else that stands out about 'The Iliad' is the graphic war imagery. Homer's descriptions almost seem gratuitous when he goes into detail about how one soldier killed another, where the spear penetrated and where it came out, what muscles were severed, what happened to the bowels, teeth or brain. It's probably distasteful to many of us in the 21st century, but I think we can just chalk that up to cultural differences.
My second big question is: what does 'The Iliad' mean? I'm very snobbish about exegesis, especially concerning the Bible (my training, as a former pastor), but including any suitably worthy literature (with concomitant training in British Lit and Analytic Philosophy). Exegesis, in principle, is simple: what was the author trying to communicate to the audience? (So why is good exegesis so hard to find? ;-) If we are to make any meaningful connection to the original work, this is where we have to begin. You can deploy your Reader Response Theory on 'Twilight' or some such drivel, but keep it off my Homer (I told you I'm a snob ;-).
We come to 'The Iliad' at a loss because Homer's values are very different from ours. His presuppositions are vastly different from ours. I have touched on some of these already. The gods can show up at any time and throw any wrench in the works for almost any imaginable reason. We have to take the role of the gods seriously to take Homer seriously. What did their role say about the responsibility of people? Humans retain some responsibility, almost paradoxically. Helen isn't completely off the hook for running away with Paris. Achilleus does not get a complete pass for his anger that causes the deaths of so many Achaean comrades. Agamemnon is not excused for his overbearing pride that contributed to the disagreement with Achilleus. And even noble Hektor faces bouts of inaction and cowardice for which he is not wholly exonerated.
Another value we find hard to understand is the ancient Greek concept of nobility. It's just born there. If you're a shepherd who's not the natural-born son of King Priam and Queen Hekabe, that's all you'll ever be: a shepherd. The main characters are noble; many are first-generation half-deities and most (all?) have divinity in their bloodline somewhere. From our standpoint, Achilleus behaves like a monster, especially in his repeated attempted-desecration of Hektor's body (the gods protect Hektor's body and Achilleus' ultimate honor by preserving Hektor's corpse inviolate in almost the perfect proverbial deus ex machina). He's sacrificed any claim to nobility as far as we're concerned. Not so for Homer and the ancient Greeks; Achilleus retains his nobility, though it is clouded by sins. He receives partial pardons and rationalizations. From our perspective, we view him as maybe the original anti-hero. Homer's view is much less ambivalent, and Achilleus gets away with things for which lesser men would go straight to Tartaros without passing 'Go'. It's a far cry from our 21st century Western concept of nobility and our love of 'rags to riches' fables. It's only riches to riches here (though maybe no one knew through the rags that you were really rich).
So what is Homer's message? The conclusion of my barely-better-than-cursory reading is: Given that nobility and greatness are natural, almost literally gifts of fate (the Fates); and that humans are subject to the whims of the gods; it is best to be brave and seek glory (within reason--with a glance forward to Aristotle's middle-way ethic). How's that going to help you with your job or family? Not much. It's fodder for thinking about societal values and a long way from whether or not to stick it out in your mediocre, going-nowhere job. (It might possibly apply to whether or not you should run away with your neighbor's spouse.)
For most of us, 'The Iliad' is probably a test in proper exegesis more than someplace we should or will go to look for meaning. But maybe that's just my soap box ;-)
Tuesday, June 8
This morning's run
Got up at 6 to beat the sun and heat. Wil's taking a break from running, at least for now. Running even as late as 8am has been hard on him. My number one goal is that he enjoy running. I'd rather have him take a break than come to hate it. I went to bed too late, almost 1am, so only working on 5 hours of sleep this morning.
Running this early, I'd forgotten the sun doesn't clear the trees in most of the neighborhood. So this morning was 65 and shady almost the whole time. Blissful.
First great song was 'Wave of Mutilation', tearing through it just like The Pixies.
Second great song was 'All These Things That I've Done'. You know that commercial that Nike used it in? Yep. Turning over just like that, heading up the long hill.
Third great song, to finish: 'We Are the Champions'.
Overall, great change. But also missed having my buddy with me. Ambivalence.
Running this early, I'd forgotten the sun doesn't clear the trees in most of the neighborhood. So this morning was 65 and shady almost the whole time. Blissful.
First great song was 'Wave of Mutilation', tearing through it just like The Pixies.
Second great song was 'All These Things That I've Done'. You know that commercial that Nike used it in? Yep. Turning over just like that, heading up the long hill.
Third great song, to finish: 'We Are the Champions'.
Overall, great change. But also missed having my buddy with me. Ambivalence.
Saturday, May 15
Ready to race
Our next race is next Saturday, May 22nd: Going the Extra Mile 5k. Our training has been going well, but I've been itching to get out and run the course. Finally got that done this morning.
Runners will start at 8:30 and we started a little before that this morning, maybe about 8:15. It wasn't quite 75 degrees yet, but it's hard to believe it'll be that cool next week. Have to plan on it being warmer. The good news, in this regard, is that much, and maybe even most, of the course was shaded this morning. Again, we'll be just a little later and the sun will have risen a little sooner, but we can count on a good amount of shade. A lot of people were watering their lawns. I hope some of them turn their water on us ;-)
Starting last night I've been having this funky twinge in my left knee. It's not normal pain. It's almost like phantom pain. It hurts for a moment, but it doesn't. It didn't seem to affect my running. If I had to guess, I'd say it's more nerve-related than tissue or mechanical. Does that make sense at all?
I was a little worried about the elevation changes. This course is a lot more hilly than our last race (which was almost ideally flat). However, in practice, it didn't feel that much different than our normal runs in the neighborhood.
We started out walking to warm up for five minutes, so we were already behind race pace. Then I took a wrong turn and probably lost us another minute. But we still finished the course in about 31 minutes! It almost doesn't seem possible that we were running that fast. We must run faster than 10 minutes/mile (6 mph) usually. I haven't been timing it exactly. We usually just run for 30 minutes. So, we will be shooting for sub-30 minutes for the whole thing come next Saturday.
Notes to self: bring cold Gatorade for after race, hit the water table for one drink and one cup of water for my head.
Runners will start at 8:30 and we started a little before that this morning, maybe about 8:15. It wasn't quite 75 degrees yet, but it's hard to believe it'll be that cool next week. Have to plan on it being warmer. The good news, in this regard, is that much, and maybe even most, of the course was shaded this morning. Again, we'll be just a little later and the sun will have risen a little sooner, but we can count on a good amount of shade. A lot of people were watering their lawns. I hope some of them turn their water on us ;-)
Starting last night I've been having this funky twinge in my left knee. It's not normal pain. It's almost like phantom pain. It hurts for a moment, but it doesn't. It didn't seem to affect my running. If I had to guess, I'd say it's more nerve-related than tissue or mechanical. Does that make sense at all?
I was a little worried about the elevation changes. This course is a lot more hilly than our last race (which was almost ideally flat). However, in practice, it didn't feel that much different than our normal runs in the neighborhood.
We started out walking to warm up for five minutes, so we were already behind race pace. Then I took a wrong turn and probably lost us another minute. But we still finished the course in about 31 minutes! It almost doesn't seem possible that we were running that fast. We must run faster than 10 minutes/mile (6 mph) usually. I haven't been timing it exactly. We usually just run for 30 minutes. So, we will be shooting for sub-30 minutes for the whole thing come next Saturday.
Notes to self: bring cold Gatorade for after race, hit the water table for one drink and one cup of water for my head.
Friday, May 14
Doubting Roethlisberger
Two critical articles I read recently:
The Hangover: Roethlisberger, SI
Roethlisberger: Can't Cut Him, Can't Stand Him
Plus, could Roethlisberger's boorish behavior be a result of brain damage?
Right now what we've got is one more case of a badly-behaving star who says I won't do it again. Not least of all from reading these articles, I predict that Ben will misbehave again and that Pittsburgh will have to cut him loose. What do you think?
The Hangover: Roethlisberger, SI
Roethlisberger: Can't Cut Him, Can't Stand Him
Plus, could Roethlisberger's boorish behavior be a result of brain damage?
Right now what we've got is one more case of a badly-behaving star who says I won't do it again. Not least of all from reading these articles, I predict that Ben will misbehave again and that Pittsburgh will have to cut him loose. What do you think?
Thursday, April 29
'The Autobiography of Malcolm X'
+ I really enjoyed this book. Compelling life and Malcolm X impresses me most of all as being amazingly charismatic. Watched a fair number of video clips on YouTube and he's almost mesmerizing to me. In interviews, he seemed to be able to absolutely disagree without making it personal. He remained polite. I admire that mix.
+ I agree with a lot of what Malcolm X says about the oppression of black people by whites. How can we ever atone for that? Should we?
+ Obviously, the stuff from Elijah Muhammad and Fard is crazy. As impressive as Malcolm X is, it's hard to believe he got taken in by some of that stuff. Not to mention the extent of Muhammad's ultimately-revealed adultery.
+ Then again, Malcolm X was very naive about areas of life he did not know. On one hand, he was a very hardened, streetwise crook. On the other, he was taken in completely by Elijah Muhammad and also by Islamic and African dignitaries. All of them could do no wrong, in his opinion.
+ I agree with a lot of what Malcolm X says about the oppression of black people by whites. How can we ever atone for that? Should we?
+ Obviously, the stuff from Elijah Muhammad and Fard is crazy. As impressive as Malcolm X is, it's hard to believe he got taken in by some of that stuff. Not to mention the extent of Muhammad's ultimately-revealed adultery.
+ Then again, Malcolm X was very naive about areas of life he did not know. On one hand, he was a very hardened, streetwise crook. On the other, he was taken in completely by Elijah Muhammad and also by Islamic and African dignitaries. All of them could do no wrong, in his opinion.
Monday, April 12
The most evil people in history
Studying Hitler and Stalin and got to thinking about this question. I know you, my friends, will have good contributions. Stupid answers like 'Bush' or 'Obama' will be deleted with extreme prejudice.
Started with this search and found:
Top 10 Most Evil Men
Top 10 Most Evil Women
Most Evil Men and Women in History
Nominees:
Mao
Stalin
Hitler
Leopold II of Belgium
Pol Pot
Hirohito/Tojo
My main criteria is body count. Did Pol Pot and Hirohito/Tojo get into the millions like the top 4?
What do you think? I'm sure there's much I don't know that you can teach me.
PS: reading 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' now and wonder how to factor slavery in. More on that in a subsequent post...
Started with this search and found:
Top 10 Most Evil Men
Top 10 Most Evil Women
Most Evil Men and Women in History
Nominees:
Mao
Stalin
Hitler
Leopold II of Belgium
Pol Pot
Hirohito/Tojo
My main criteria is body count. Did Pol Pot and Hirohito/Tojo get into the millions like the top 4?
What do you think? I'm sure there's much I don't know that you can teach me.
PS: reading 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' now and wonder how to factor slavery in. More on that in a subsequent post...
Wednesday, March 31
Three things I noticed watching 'Iron Man' again
1. They used the wrong 'reins' on the fake cover of Fortune (or Forbes, whatever it was). 'Tony Stark Takes the Reigns'.
2. The main terrorist bad guy, Raza, was played by the same guy who played the captain of the USS Kelvin (Faran Tahir).
3. Peter Billingsley (Ralphie from 'A Christmas Story') played Stane's lead scientist!
2. The main terrorist bad guy, Raza, was played by the same guy who played the captain of the USS Kelvin (Faran Tahir).
3. Peter Billingsley (Ralphie from 'A Christmas Story') played Stane's lead scientist!
Sunday, March 14
Flash Gordon!
I really loved the 1979 Flash Gordon cartoon when I was seven. Oddly enough, it came on Saturday afternoons. In fact, I had it in my Netflix queue. So when I saw it at Target for $5, I decided to buy it to watch with Wil.
A lot of the show doesn't age very well, of course. And, especially as the shows went on, the quality drops markedly.
I really love some of the visual designs: Zarkov's rocket, Ming's ships, the Hawkmen in general.
I really loved the opening sequence, especially the music. Here it is:
Wil and I watched through the 14 episodes on this particular DVD and enjoyed it.
So it got me thinking I might enjoy the original Flash Gordon comic strips by Alex Raymond, and I sure have! Thankfully, our library has the first three volumes of the Raymond strips. Finished the first book last week and looking forward to getting the next volume soon.
A lot of the show doesn't age very well, of course. And, especially as the shows went on, the quality drops markedly.
I really love some of the visual designs: Zarkov's rocket, Ming's ships, the Hawkmen in general.
I really loved the opening sequence, especially the music. Here it is:
Wil and I watched through the 14 episodes on this particular DVD and enjoyed it.
So it got me thinking I might enjoy the original Flash Gordon comic strips by Alex Raymond, and I sure have! Thankfully, our library has the first three volumes of the Raymond strips. Finished the first book last week and looking forward to getting the next volume soon.
Thursday, February 4
Watchmen mini-review
Recently re-watched 'Watchmen' and really liked it. Such a great adaptation of the graphic novel, often panel by panel. It was a little more violent, which I didn't need.
Also really liked the music choices. 'First We Take Manhattan' by Leonard Cohen (second song over credits after obligatory 'Desolation Row' cover) is new to me and I really like it.
I found the changed ending to be, actually, better than the graphic novels psychic alien squid-monster.
Really my only complaint is the original work itself. I deeply disagree with peace, even global peace, founded on a lie. Thanks for nothing, Alan Moore ;-)
Also really liked the music choices. 'First We Take Manhattan' by Leonard Cohen (second song over credits after obligatory 'Desolation Row' cover) is new to me and I really like it.
I found the changed ending to be, actually, better than the graphic novels psychic alien squid-monster.
Really my only complaint is the original work itself. I deeply disagree with peace, even global peace, founded on a lie. Thanks for nothing, Alan Moore ;-)
Tuesday, February 2
District 9 (almost-haiku review)
Really cool concept
Really worn-out, evil, soulless, arms-manufacturing, corporate villain
Otherwise, loved it
Really worn-out, evil, soulless, arms-manufacturing, corporate villain
Otherwise, loved it
Sunday, January 17
The post Xmas/birthday loot report
Major kudos to Christine for managing my Amazon wishlist so well, as usual. Thanks, Purd!
+ PS2 Guitar Hero World Tour - Band Kit
+ Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization
+ San Juan
+ Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years & the War Years
+ Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters
+ The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun
+ The Mind of the Maker
+ Amazon gift certificate
Great, great haul. Thanks to all who contributed :-)
+ PS2 Guitar Hero World Tour - Band Kit
+ Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization
+ San Juan
+ Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years & the War Years
+ Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters
+ The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun
+ The Mind of the Maker
+ Amazon gift certificate
Great, great haul. Thanks to all who contributed :-)
Sunday, January 3
Sermon: Why you (and I) are almost certainly greedy
Treasure vs. Money
How money exercises power over us, why, and how we break it.
What does the eye section mean here?
If your eyes aren't working, whether there's light or not, you are in darkness. cf Luke 12.13-34.
Materialism is an inordinate desire or dependence on money and material things.
And materialism has the peculiar effect of blinding you spiritually, of distorting the way you see things. It has a power over the way you see everything.
Materialism has the power to blind you to materialism. We don't think it's true of us. That's why Jesus says it's an 'eye' sin. Greed hides itself and blinds us. We all have friends or relatives who are 'more greedy' than us. If we say 'this does not apply to me', that's a very bad sign.
Some of us choose jobs just for the money. We work for a few years and then find ourselves empty.
Some of us work for companies that exploit people. We're not trying to do it. We're just not asking questions. 'Is my company hurting people?'
As professionals, we rub shoulders with people who make a lot more money than we do, and that makes us think we can't possibly be rich or greedy. We don't ask 'Do I really need to be spending this much money on home, apartment, clothes, etc?' We don't say 'Aren't there ways I could be giving more?'
In 1635 the First Congregational Church of Boston disciplined Robert Cain for greed because he was making a 6% profit on his goods and they had set the maximum at 4%. The good thing here is the accountability. What accountability do you have for your spending? Who can challenge you on money?
Jesus talks about money all the time.
Money has the power to keep you from asking hard questions about how you make it and how you spend it.
Why?
We live in the most wealthy society in the history of the world. 70% of the world's wealth is in the hands of 5% and being a professional puts you in the top 20% of the 5%. Is there anyone in this room who dares to say 'I really am doing just fine when it comes to material things. I couldn't give anymore away than I already do. I couldn't live any more simply. I couldn't be more generous with my money.'
The rest of the world knows better. They look at us and say 'There are so many good things you could be doing in this world if you just didn't think you had to have that gadget.'
It's astounding that we live in this place and time and won't even think about the possibility that we are greedy. That shows the power of greed.
Why?
Where you treasure is, there is your heart also. The place where your heart really rests is revealed by money. For many of us, money is a way of getting significance. It's why we spend it on ourselves too much and don't give it away like we should. Where we live, where we can afford to eat, the social circles we move in make us feel more important.
We have a tendency to look at those who are below us economically and say 'You are below me.' And you don't have to be very rich. Middle class people feel superior to the poor. Do you really think you'd be that much better if you'd started in the same circumstances?
Significance, approval, importance
Security, control, safety
For others, money is their security.
Why are you not radically generous? Are you giving away an amazing amount of money?
Jesus says 'running after these things can't add a minute to your life'.
Addison Leach story (second husband of Elisabeth Eliot): 2 college girls became Christians and wanted to be missionaries. Their parents said 'You've had a religious experience; how wonderful. But you need some security: a Master's degree, a job or two to get your career off the ground, and some money in the bank for security.' The girls came back and said 'what should we say?'. Leach said 'One day a trapdoor is going to open and you're going to fall into the Everlasting Arms or nothing at all. You think a Master's degree's going to give you some security.'
People who look to money for their significance [and succeed] become arrogant people that nobody likes. And people who look to money for their security can't stop death, tragedy, broken relationships.
So how do we break the power of money in our lives? How do we get to the place where we're really radically generous? How do we get to the place where we're not worried about money?
Literally: don't treasure earthly treasures but treasure heavenly treasure.
To treasure something means 'If I have this, it's all worth it. If I have this, I'm worth it.'
Everybody's got something: money, career, status, romance. 'If I have this, it'll all be worth it.'
Lord of the Rings. The One Ring. Whoever has it calls it 'the Precious'.
Anything that your soul treasures, you will pay any price for it.
Every treasure but Jesus will insist that you die to purchase it. Jesus is the one treasure who dies to purchase us.
How do we treasure Jesus?
Jesus dies for us because we are His Precious. He died for us because He said 'if I have them, it'll all be worth it'.
How do you react to rich people? Many of us resent rich people and feel morally superior to them. That shows that money still has power over us. It shows a lack of awareness of spiritual wealth and a lack of humility.
If you envy and honor rich people, money also has power over you.
Awareness of our sin should keep us humble and not needing to feel superior to rich people. Awareness of God's love for us should keep us from feeling inferior to rich people, like they have some great thing we don't have. Money doesn't compare to the riches we have in Christ.
Respecting poor people is another sign that money doesn't have power over you.
Third sign money no longer has power over you is being really generous.
'If your eye is good' - Greek word translated 'good' here can also be translated 'generous'. 'If you have a generous eye.'
How much should we give? Jesus gave everything. He gave sacrificially.
Use the tithe if that requires sacrifice for you. If it doesn't, you'll have to give more.
Old letter: 'We [Xians] share our table with all, but we do not share out bed with all.' We're promiscuous with our money, but not with our bodies.
Which kind of person benefits their neighborhood more?
Greed is a particularly dangerous sin because it hides in our hearts while binding us to our materialistic desires. Money has tremendous power over us: for some it is our significance, for others it is our security. We can break free from our slavery to money by treasuring Jesus, who was willing to pay the ultimate price so that we may be his ultimate treasure.Matthew 6:19-34
How money exercises power over us, why, and how we break it.
What does the eye section mean here?
If your eyes aren't working, whether there's light or not, you are in darkness. cf Luke 12.13-34.
Materialism is an inordinate desire or dependence on money and material things.
And materialism has the peculiar effect of blinding you spiritually, of distorting the way you see things. It has a power over the way you see everything.
Materialism has the power to blind you to materialism. We don't think it's true of us. That's why Jesus says it's an 'eye' sin. Greed hides itself and blinds us. We all have friends or relatives who are 'more greedy' than us. If we say 'this does not apply to me', that's a very bad sign.
Some of us choose jobs just for the money. We work for a few years and then find ourselves empty.
Some of us work for companies that exploit people. We're not trying to do it. We're just not asking questions. 'Is my company hurting people?'
As professionals, we rub shoulders with people who make a lot more money than we do, and that makes us think we can't possibly be rich or greedy. We don't ask 'Do I really need to be spending this much money on home, apartment, clothes, etc?' We don't say 'Aren't there ways I could be giving more?'
In 1635 the First Congregational Church of Boston disciplined Robert Cain for greed because he was making a 6% profit on his goods and they had set the maximum at 4%. The good thing here is the accountability. What accountability do you have for your spending? Who can challenge you on money?
Jesus talks about money all the time.
Money has the power to keep you from asking hard questions about how you make it and how you spend it.
Why?
We live in the most wealthy society in the history of the world. 70% of the world's wealth is in the hands of 5% and being a professional puts you in the top 20% of the 5%. Is there anyone in this room who dares to say 'I really am doing just fine when it comes to material things. I couldn't give anymore away than I already do. I couldn't live any more simply. I couldn't be more generous with my money.'
The rest of the world knows better. They look at us and say 'There are so many good things you could be doing in this world if you just didn't think you had to have that gadget.'
It's astounding that we live in this place and time and won't even think about the possibility that we are greedy. That shows the power of greed.
Why?
Where you treasure is, there is your heart also. The place where your heart really rests is revealed by money. For many of us, money is a way of getting significance. It's why we spend it on ourselves too much and don't give it away like we should. Where we live, where we can afford to eat, the social circles we move in make us feel more important.
We have a tendency to look at those who are below us economically and say 'You are below me.' And you don't have to be very rich. Middle class people feel superior to the poor. Do you really think you'd be that much better if you'd started in the same circumstances?
Significance, approval, importance
Security, control, safety
For others, money is their security.
Why are you not radically generous? Are you giving away an amazing amount of money?
Jesus says 'running after these things can't add a minute to your life'.
Addison Leach story (second husband of Elisabeth Eliot): 2 college girls became Christians and wanted to be missionaries. Their parents said 'You've had a religious experience; how wonderful. But you need some security: a Master's degree, a job or two to get your career off the ground, and some money in the bank for security.' The girls came back and said 'what should we say?'. Leach said 'One day a trapdoor is going to open and you're going to fall into the Everlasting Arms or nothing at all. You think a Master's degree's going to give you some security.'
People who look to money for their significance [and succeed] become arrogant people that nobody likes. And people who look to money for their security can't stop death, tragedy, broken relationships.
So how do we break the power of money in our lives? How do we get to the place where we're really radically generous? How do we get to the place where we're not worried about money?
Literally: don't treasure earthly treasures but treasure heavenly treasure.
To treasure something means 'If I have this, it's all worth it. If I have this, I'm worth it.'
Everybody's got something: money, career, status, romance. 'If I have this, it'll all be worth it.'
Lord of the Rings. The One Ring. Whoever has it calls it 'the Precious'.
Anything that your soul treasures, you will pay any price for it.
Every treasure but Jesus will insist that you die to purchase it. Jesus is the one treasure who dies to purchase us.
How do we treasure Jesus?
Jesus dies for us because we are His Precious. He died for us because He said 'if I have them, it'll all be worth it'.
How do you react to rich people? Many of us resent rich people and feel morally superior to them. That shows that money still has power over us. It shows a lack of awareness of spiritual wealth and a lack of humility.
If you envy and honor rich people, money also has power over you.
Awareness of our sin should keep us humble and not needing to feel superior to rich people. Awareness of God's love for us should keep us from feeling inferior to rich people, like they have some great thing we don't have. Money doesn't compare to the riches we have in Christ.
Respecting poor people is another sign that money doesn't have power over you.
Third sign money no longer has power over you is being really generous.
'If your eye is good' - Greek word translated 'good' here can also be translated 'generous'. 'If you have a generous eye.'
How much should we give? Jesus gave everything. He gave sacrificially.
Use the tithe if that requires sacrifice for you. If it doesn't, you'll have to give more.
Old letter: 'We [Xians] share our table with all, but we do not share out bed with all.' We're promiscuous with our money, but not with our bodies.
Which kind of person benefits their neighborhood more?
Saturday, December 12
I got yer Christmas music right here
My favorite Xmas collection 4 years running is Sufjan Stevens' 5 disc set. Here are the last 3 years' posts:
+ That was the best Christmas album ever!
+ That was the best Christmas album ever! (again)
+ That was the best Xmas album ever! [now with songs!]
If you're at all like me, you will certainly want to buy these discs. To find out, you can stream the whole thing here: http://xmas.asthmatickitty.com/. Click on 'Musical Downloads'.
My second favorite Xmas album is 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. I realized a couple of days ago that I hadn't listened to it yet this season, so I fixed it.
I like some of the stuff on the Aimee Mann, Sarah Maclachlan and Barenaked Ladies Xmas albums...
Another great source for Xmas music (from hipsters): http://hypem.com/search/christmas/1/
Then I needed to listen to the early Messiah stuff (OT texts). Did that Thursday night.
You might enjoy the Wartburg Choir's Xmas album: Stille Nacht.
Now I'm just listening to my 200-some Xmas tunes on random play, but I might listen to more by album.
+ That was the best Christmas album ever!
+ That was the best Christmas album ever! (again)
+ That was the best Xmas album ever! [now with songs!]
If you're at all like me, you will certainly want to buy these discs. To find out, you can stream the whole thing here: http://xmas.asthmatickitty.com/. Click on 'Musical Downloads'.
My second favorite Xmas album is 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. I realized a couple of days ago that I hadn't listened to it yet this season, so I fixed it.
I like some of the stuff on the Aimee Mann, Sarah Maclachlan and Barenaked Ladies Xmas albums...
Another great source for Xmas music (from hipsters): http://hypem.com/search/christmas/1/
Then I needed to listen to the early Messiah stuff (OT texts). Did that Thursday night.
You might enjoy the Wartburg Choir's Xmas album: Stille Nacht.
Now I'm just listening to my 200-some Xmas tunes on random play, but I might listen to more by album.
Wednesday, December 2
Sherman, set the Wayback Machine
If you want to take a trip down memory lane, you can just watch everything this guy has, but here a few notable ones:
"Old School" CBS Holiday Special Intro
Isis Intro
Isis transformation
ARK II
The Super Friends Intro
Challenge of the Super Friends Intro
SHAZAM! Intro
Well, that's enough for now. Thanks to Kelly for getting me started.
"Old School" CBS Holiday Special Intro
Isis Intro
Isis transformation
ARK II
The Super Friends Intro
Challenge of the Super Friends Intro
SHAZAM! Intro
Well, that's enough for now. Thanks to Kelly for getting me started.
Tuesday, November 24
The best sermon on money I've ever heard
The main idea: money is the bottom line in faith. It shows whether or not you've been changed by God's grace.Grace and Money
Listen: I know all this stuff, but, man, is this a convicting sermon about how grace should affect us.
Plus, there's no guilt in it. If you feel guilt, that's your baggage. Keller is not preaching guilt here at all.
Acts 4.32-37
The grace of God - how it impacts our lives, changes our understanding and use of money.
The early church was very different from those around them when it came to money. Drastic, unreasonable generosity was an engine that drove influence on community around it.
The apostles' preaching was backed up by an unaccountable generosity. The people on the outside looked and said 'We don't get this! Nobody treats their money like this.'
252 AD: plague in Carthage. Healthy people left if they were able, but Cyprian called Christians to serve (including financial aid) those remaining without regard for their faith or persecution.
Emperor Julian wanted to stem Christianity and wrote in disgust 'Their success lies in their charity to all. They take care not only of their own poor, but ours as well.'
Christianity is a religion of grace and every other religion relies on moral effort.
Grace revolutionizes our attitude toward money, our procedure and the benefits of giving.
1. Grace revolutionizes our attitude toward money.
It's my money.
Christians say 'it's not my money'.
If people ask you for 'your' money, it annoys you.
Scrooge's attitude is changed because he's had an experience of grace - a second chance. That's not a lot of grace, but it's some. Scrooge looks at his money totally differently. He's gleeful and scheming about giving his money away.
The Bible says if you've experienced God's grace, you too will have a revolutionized way of looking at your money.
Money is the bottom line. It tells companies how they're doing. The Bible says money is the bottom line in our lives - how you spend it and what your attitude is toward it.
Scrooge has his attitude changed by the comparatively small grace of a second chance. How much more should our attitude be changed by Christ's grace. It is not a second chance. It is not just a model. (I could never live up to Jesus' example, if that's all there was to it.)
Jesus came and died to pay the penalty of our failures and if we receive Him, his record becomes our record. 'If you trust in me, the Father will welcome you as complete in Me.'
Lay your deadly doing down, down at Jesus feetSince that's so much more grace than Scrooge got, why aren't why so far beyond him?
Stand in Him and Him alone, gloriously complete
If you have experienced grace, your bottom line changes.
Martin Luther used to get up every day and look up to heaven and say 'You are my goodness, I was Your punishment. You assumed everything I deserved and was so that I can receive everything You deserved and are. I'm rich. I'm adopted into the family of God. I have an imperishable inheritance. I'm going to shine like the stars in the kingdom of My Father. And even now I've got His holy power and joy has come into my life through the power of the Holy Spirit and it's begun to grow and it will eventually swallow up all my foolishnesses and all of my sadnesses and all of my weaknesses.'
So, we look at our material possessions and say 'This is a small thing compared to what I've got and will never lose. And you look at your material possessions and say 'This is all grace! I was in my grave and suddenly it's Christmas.' It melts away your possessiveness.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians, when he's asking for giving to hunger relief, 'I'm not commanding you to give. I'm just looking for the sincerity of your love for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who, though He was rich, for us became poor so that through His poverty we might become rich.'
There is never any need to lay guilt on a Christian to get them to be generous.
Rich young ruler: Luke 18:18-23
Is there anything else I need to do?
Jesus says 'Yeah, one thing: sell everything you have, give it away, and then you'll have treasures in heaven.'
He confronted him because He loves Him. 'You have a lot of money, but it's all going to burn up. If you have Me, you have everything - my record, my forgiveness. Unless you see that my dying love is your real treasure, that, frankly, salvation is not a matter of doing or adding one more thing to your good life. But, rather, it's a matter of throwing it all over and trusting wholly in Me. Until you see that if you have Me you have everything, you cannot inherit eternal life. If you understood that I am eternal life, your attitude toward money would be very different.'
Remember how God tells Abraham to put Isaac on the altar? He didn't really want Isaac to die. In fact, as soon as Abraham said 'Ok, You are the most important thing. If I've got You, I've got everything - all the love and wealth.' As soon as Abraham understood the Gospel, that eternal life does not come through adding but rather throwing everything over and having everything in Jesus; as soon as Abraham understood that, God said 'You don't have to kill Isaac.'
And probably that's what would have happened to the rich young ruler. If he had understood that in Jesus he had everything, he would have said 'Sure, if you want me to give it away, whatever' and Jesus would have said 'you probably don't need to now.'
What's the bottom line? You will always give money effortlessly to that which is your god.
[Then my god is myself and my own pleasure and comfort. That's what I give money effortlessly to.]
If you see that your salvation is in Jesus, then your attitude toward your money is 'I want to give it away in radical and drastic proportions. I want to change people's lives through it. It's not mine.'
On the other hand, if you salvation is clothes, looks, romance, status or security, then you're going to hold onto it and it's going to go effortlessly toward those things which are your real gods.
Your money is the bottom line. It tells you what your religion is, it tells you what your real salvation is. If the idea of giving great amounts of money away to the church or the poor appalls you, it shows that your heart is someplace else. If the idea of spending a lot of money on a new home sounds like a good idea because it is a great investment, but putting a whole lot of money into the poor, a whole lot of money into the church is not, it just simply shows you what your real salvation is and where you think grace really comes from.
2. Grace changes the procedure of your giving. Our giving without grace is passive and spontaneous. It's my money. I'm not looking for ways to get rid of it. I don't have enough of it anyway.
Most of us have to motivated by someone pulling on our guilt strings, like the Jerry Lewis telethon. Once someone gets through to us, through our passivity, we might give as much as we can afford. Cash in the wallet or bank account.
Christians are totally different. You will be active and intentional in your giving as a result of experiencing grace. Scheme about how to get rid of your money! 'Look at how God planned to poor out his riches on me! I'm going to plan, too.'
To be active and intentional, you have decide ahead of time how much you're going to give away, what percentage. It's a little harder if you have the kind of job where you don't know what your income's going to be, but you can still do some planning.
[We plan for retirement. We take out 6 or 10% off the top. How much more important is storing up treasures in heaven?]
The guideline in the Bible is the tithe, 10% to ministry and the poor. In an agricultural community, the tithe was the firstfruits. God got his gifts off the top. We have a tendency to fund out lifestyle first and then give God the leftovers. Instead, the Scripture says decide what you're giving God and then you live off of the leftovers.
Since, after Christ, we are more indebted to God, more blessed by God, it's inconceivable that God would expect or we would give less than the OT standard of 10%.
No legalism: Before or after taxes? I don't know. [But do you want to be blessed on the gross or on the net?] Does it all have to go to the local congregation? No.
If you begin your economic life using the tithe as a guideline for your giving, it's not hard. You just act like it's not there. But most of us have to transition, and it's very hard. It's impossible to do immediately and still pay our debts and bills. It might have to be something you're moving toward.
3. Grace changes the benefits of giving.
If you haven't experienced God's grace, what are the benefits of giving?
Jerry Lewis said 'If you give, you'll be able to look in the mirror tomorrow and say 'You are a caring person.'' It's true, and that's about as great a benefit as you get if you're doing it simply because Jerry Lewis got you to feeling guilty. There's nothing wrong with what he does. The kids need the money, that's the only way you can get it out of people who haven't experienced God's grace.
'Great grace was upon them all.'
The benefits are to others and to you.
To others:
People look for ways to invest their money in ways that will go on past their lives. Foundations and schools, but the future trustees don't share their values (like Harvard).
Lk 16: 'Make sure you make friends in heaven with your money so they will receive you when you come to their dwellings.' It's possible that some of you will come to Heaven and meet people whom you've never met that will thank you for giving to a ministry that pointed them to God. Money will burn up, but we can have wealth forever.
Go to your broker and say 'I want to put my money into something that lasts' I doubt that s/he'll think of this.
A billion years from now, do you want your wealth to still be with you? It's possible.
To you:
Some of you do not give as much as you should because you're worried about your money; you don't have enough. Some people can't give because they've got too much. If you can't give, money has you by the throat. You're so worried. Grace changes that. It makes you say 'Hey, He gave me His own Son. He's not going to let me starve now.' You're liberated.
Change your lifestyle so you can't do many of the things you're doing now because of your generosity. Then you'll be free, too.
Do you see the power of money over you receding because of your generosity?
Do you see glory being awakened in other people through your money?
Have you come to the place where anybody who knows you realizes you're different, incredibly generous, hospitable and welcoming?
Are you finding this a tremendously irritating sermon? So you think it's incredibly cheeky for a minister to talk to you like this? Does the idea of giving 10% of your income to charity or the church strike you as ridiculous?
You don't need to give your money away. You need to find the Christ that turns you into a person of radical generosity.
I'm not after your money. I don't want it. I'm after your blessedness. The Bible says it's more blessed to give than to receive.
If you're not sure where you stand with the Lord, we certainly don't want your money. We want you to find Him. Because you're in the same shoes as the rich young ruler. He thought all God wanted was for you to be a moral, decent person.
Christianity is never an addition to what you already have. Christianity is not just a little boost to make you a little better person. It' explosive. It explodes in your hands. It wipes away what you already have and puts something brand new in there. It says 'Jesus is your Savior entirely, you're save wholly by grace and therefore you follow Him entirely and it changes your attitude toward everything. Things that used to be very precious to you, you snap your fingers at because you've got Him.'
Don't think I'm saying 'Better give. That'll get you to heaven.' It's the exact opposite of everything I mean. You want to change your life, find Him.
[Keller applies this to nonChristians at the end, and that makes sense, of course. But I am so convicted by this sermon. I am not a cheerful giver, and, chances are, you are like me. No guilt: we need to find Jesus. We need His grace to change our lives more. He said 'You will find me when you seek me with all of your heart.' Amen.]
Thursday, November 19
A few cartoons from my childhood
I was looking up the Toothbrush Family (pretty cheesy now) and came across a few others:
+ Picture Pages
+ Fat Albert
+ Underdog
+ Peabody and Sherman (actually, a lot more clever than I remembered)
Fun :-)
+ Picture Pages
+ Fat Albert
+ Underdog
+ Peabody and Sherman (actually, a lot more clever than I remembered)
Fun :-)
Saturday, November 14
Keller on absolute truth
Absolutism: Don't we all have to find truth for ourselves?[NB: there's a small problem with the streaming file on this page. Simplest thing is to just download the mp3 that's offered.]
Galatians 2:4-16, Dr. Timothy Keller, October 8, 2006
In today's society, absolute truth is thought of to be the enemy of freedom. But truth is more important than you think, freedom is a lot more complex than you think, and Jesus is a lot more liberating than you think. Surrendering to God's absolute truth gives you a deeper, richer freedom in every area, without oppression.
Foucault: truth claims are power plays.
Nietzsche: Hermeneutics of Suspicion
Jesus brings the same criticisms against the Pharisees.
If Foucault, Nietzsche and Jesus all agree on something, it has to be true ;-)
But, not all truth claims are power plays. Not all of them destroy freedom.
Saying no one has the truth is itself a massive truth claim.
Everyone makes truth claims. We have to. We cannot live in a world with content, without truth, without belief. 'Fundamentalism' does not always lead to oppression. It depends on what the fundamental is.
There is no freedom without truth (and it has to be a truth beyond 'there is no truth', itself an arbitrary truth claim).
Only the truth will set you free. Example: navigation. You say 'maybe that's true in the empirical realm but not the moral/spiritual realm'. No, we see people run aground on moral/spiritual rocks every day. Freedom comes from submission to the truth. We think freedom is doing what we want, maybe getting free from 'truth'. Sure, then you're free to run aground.
Freedom in Christ does entail constraint to Biblical ethical norms.
We can't just eat anything we want, especially as we get older, if we want the richer, deeper freedom of good health and long life.
No one is free to be great at music without the restriction of practice. You say no to the 'freedom' of doing whatever your heart might desire at the moment for the greater good of the freedom to play well.
Freedom is the presence of the right restrictions.
A fish on the grass is not free. 'Oh, I wish I were free of this water!' ;-) It has lost it's freedom to move, even to live.
Love brings the freedom of fulfillment and security and joy.
John 1: The absolute truth is a person. When two people love one another and rely on each other and sacrifice their independence for the other one, it's heaven.
Only one religion has a god who sacrificed His freedom for us.
Thursday, November 5
Walter's CrossFit workout
My buddy, Walter, is a beast. He's been working out at CrossFit in Austin and he recently got his own workout!
Here's the workout:
And here's the interview with Walt:
And, if you're still with me and interested, here's the workout at CrossFit Central.
Here's the workout:
And here's the interview with Walt:
And, if you're still with me and interested, here's the workout at CrossFit Central.
Tuesday, November 3
Live Healthy: Catching up
Don't worry. I've been doing ok. Just haven't been posting about it :-)
+ The best news is that Friday I was down to 199! New low for this effort. Took the weekend off (Halloween and all). Back to work today. Reasonably, based on how I've been doing, I'd like to lose 2 more pounds by Thanksgiving.
+ I've had this nagging feeling that I should be doing more body weight exercises on Thursdays. Tuesday and Saturday have been my normal days, and I'm probably not going hard enough to have to take Thursdays off. So I added up 10 negative pullups (really have been meaning to do more of these), some miscellaneous exercises from Wil's physical therapy (I do it with him sometimes, mostly as a means of supervision), some of the exercises that came with my new stability ball (that I got with my SparkPeople gift certificate for pre-ordering 'The Spark') and a couple more. That felt more like it ;-)
+ Rode >12 miles in an hour with my father-in-law on Saturday during the second half of the Iowa game.Considering how tumultuous that game was, it was probably for the best ;-)
Rode down on the Three Rivers trail and it was a beautiful day, but not too crowded. I really bombed the southern end, including the boardwalk portion. Fun to go fast!
+ Jogged 2.4 miles in 25 minutes with my friend, Scott, on Sunday. I felt good about my pace and endurance.
Experiencing a very little soreness in my knees that I'm paying attention to. Probably normal and nothing to worry about.
That was the end of week 6 of Couch-to-5K training. It was also the end of walk breaks. 25 minutes of jogging per outing (3) this week, 28 next week and 30 the following week. Then, the Sleigh Bell Trot. Will I be able to achieve my goal of 31 minutes (6 mph)? Stay tuned! ;-)
+ The best news is that Friday I was down to 199! New low for this effort. Took the weekend off (Halloween and all). Back to work today. Reasonably, based on how I've been doing, I'd like to lose 2 more pounds by Thanksgiving.
+ I've had this nagging feeling that I should be doing more body weight exercises on Thursdays. Tuesday and Saturday have been my normal days, and I'm probably not going hard enough to have to take Thursdays off. So I added up 10 negative pullups (really have been meaning to do more of these), some miscellaneous exercises from Wil's physical therapy (I do it with him sometimes, mostly as a means of supervision), some of the exercises that came with my new stability ball (that I got with my SparkPeople gift certificate for pre-ordering 'The Spark') and a couple more. That felt more like it ;-)
+ Rode >12 miles in an hour with my father-in-law on Saturday during the second half of the Iowa game.Considering how tumultuous that game was, it was probably for the best ;-)
Rode down on the Three Rivers trail and it was a beautiful day, but not too crowded. I really bombed the southern end, including the boardwalk portion. Fun to go fast!
+ Jogged 2.4 miles in 25 minutes with my friend, Scott, on Sunday. I felt good about my pace and endurance.
Experiencing a very little soreness in my knees that I'm paying attention to. Probably normal and nothing to worry about.
That was the end of week 6 of Couch-to-5K training. It was also the end of walk breaks. 25 minutes of jogging per outing (3) this week, 28 next week and 30 the following week. Then, the Sleigh Bell Trot. Will I be able to achieve my goal of 31 minutes (6 mph)? Stay tuned! ;-)
Sunday, November 1
My incredible Iowa game recap!
How did I not know about ESPN360.com, where a bunch of college games can be watched online, including after the game has finished?! Watching the second half that I missed yesterday starting from midway through the 3rd quarter.
+ Ricky Stanzi owes the defense, big time. He also owes Indiana for not being good enough to capitalize on all those picks.
+ So much less anxiety watching afterward and knowing what the score is and who's going to win :-)
+ Wegher's pretty impressive for a white, true freshman. You don't see many starting white halfbacks these days. Of course, a lot of his yards were after the blowout began...
+ Ferentz says he never considered benching Stanzi? How can that be? Obviously the right call, but the worst quarter of football of his life.
+ Heard Hawks will drop in the polls, but haven't read anything on that yet. What should really happen is that USC should drop a good bit and Oregon should not leap us. We'll still be fine with the computers, but who far will the voters drop us for losing to IU for three quarters?
+ Ricky is obviously a gunslinger. He can keep throwing with no remorse.
+ I found Bob Davies very annoying, but it's probably because of my own partiality. And I applied my famous 'if he knew so much about [insert sport] he'd still be coaching'. But here are some things Bob Davies said that I agreed with:
+ Great job just riding Wegher at the end of the game. Wish the Vikes would have ridden Peterson last week against Pittsburgh :-(
+ Really didn't like seeing Ricky run and dive head-first a couple times at the end of the game.
+ At the end of the game, Davies says 'We've seen the worst Iowa football can be.' Not true. Ricki Stanzi was horrible in the third quarter. The rest of the team was pretty good the whole game, especially the defense. If the defense hadn't shut them down so many times, Iowa would have lost.
Ok, obviously the AP and USA Today rankings are out by now and the AP is a total rip off. You rank a one-loss Oregon team above an undefeated Iowa team with a stronger strength of schedule? Asinine.
A little more commentary for you: It's more than chemistry in Iowa's and Oregon's winning formula (furthermore, he's picking them to play each other in the Rose Bowl).
At least at this point, I'm not feeling greedy. I don't need Iowa to be in the national championship game or to win it. Like Kirk Ferentz said, our team doesn't look like world-beaters right now, but they keep winning games. Heck, I don't even need them to go undefeated. I'd like Iowa to win the Big Ten outright and the Rose Bowl. That's all I ask. Pretty modest, aye? ;-)
People I want to read this post and add to it (tagging in Facebook): Tyler Luebke, Phil Luebke, David Rodnitzky, Jason Streed, Andy Knox, Suzy Swenka and anyone else who loves to follow and analyze the Hawks.
+ Ricky Stanzi owes the defense, big time. He also owes Indiana for not being good enough to capitalize on all those picks.
+ So much less anxiety watching afterward and knowing what the score is and who's going to win :-)
+ Wegher's pretty impressive for a white, true freshman. You don't see many starting white halfbacks these days. Of course, a lot of his yards were after the blowout began...
+ Ferentz says he never considered benching Stanzi? How can that be? Obviously the right call, but the worst quarter of football of his life.
+ Heard Hawks will drop in the polls, but haven't read anything on that yet. What should really happen is that USC should drop a good bit and Oregon should not leap us. We'll still be fine with the computers, but who far will the voters drop us for losing to IU for three quarters?
+ Ricky is obviously a gunslinger. He can keep throwing with no remorse.
+ I found Bob Davies very annoying, but it's probably because of my own partiality. And I applied my famous 'if he knew so much about [insert sport] he'd still be coaching'. But here are some things Bob Davies said that I agreed with:
- Hidden yardage. This is the way the Hawks win with such a modest (though clutch) offense (86th in the nation). Scoring Defense: 14th, Turnover Margin: 6th, Net Punting: 12th, Kickoff Coverage: 18th, Penalty Yards: 3rd. So the knock on the Hawks is that they don't have enough offense to beat a really good team (like those ranked above them in the AP. But look at all of these other ways they add up to beat you. Of course, it didn't apply yesterday...
- The Iowa way: base defense and the next man in line steps up and plays. That's what you get with a good, strong basic system, offense and defense.
- Iowa has reaped the success of sticking with Ferentz through some sub-par years (especially given the size of his contract!). Patience has paid off.
- The Iowa strength and conditioning coach gets props for Iowa's total and complete 4th quarter dominance.
- The wind really did make a big difference to the QBs. What was it, six picks against the wind?
- Where should Iowa be in the polls?
+ Great job just riding Wegher at the end of the game. Wish the Vikes would have ridden Peterson last week against Pittsburgh :-(
+ Really didn't like seeing Ricky run and dive head-first a couple times at the end of the game.
+ At the end of the game, Davies says 'We've seen the worst Iowa football can be.' Not true. Ricki Stanzi was horrible in the third quarter. The rest of the team was pretty good the whole game, especially the defense. If the defense hadn't shut them down so many times, Iowa would have lost.
Ok, obviously the AP and USA Today rankings are out by now and the AP is a total rip off. You rank a one-loss Oregon team above an undefeated Iowa team with a stronger strength of schedule? Asinine.
A little more commentary for you: It's more than chemistry in Iowa's and Oregon's winning formula (furthermore, he's picking them to play each other in the Rose Bowl).
At least at this point, I'm not feeling greedy. I don't need Iowa to be in the national championship game or to win it. Like Kirk Ferentz said, our team doesn't look like world-beaters right now, but they keep winning games. Heck, I don't even need them to go undefeated. I'd like Iowa to win the Big Ten outright and the Rose Bowl. That's all I ask. Pretty modest, aye? ;-)
People I want to read this post and add to it (tagging in Facebook): Tyler Luebke, Phil Luebke, David Rodnitzky, Jason Streed, Andy Knox, Suzy Swenka and anyone else who loves to follow and analyze the Hawks.
Friday, October 30
Columbia Wave
+ Columbia ranked 14th strongest metro. I always tell people Columbia's economy is diverse and robust.
+ Marks say I'm the champ of Google Wave. It has been fun to find my way around and give out invites. Found some new stuff today and added it to my Intro wave.
+ Marks say I'm the champ of Google Wave. It has been fun to find my way around and give out invites. Found some new stuff today and added it to my Intro wave.
Tim Keller's 'Counterfeit Gods'
Website for Tim Keller's new book, 'Counterfeit Gods'. Tim Keller is the most insightful preacher I know. Here's the intro from the website:
Success, true love, and the life you’ve always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion they might not deliver. The recent economic meltdown has cast a harsh new light on these pursuits. In a matter of months, fortunes, marriages, careers, and a secure retirement have disappeared for millions of people. No wonder so many of us feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful. But the truth is that we made lesser gods of these good things – gods that can’t give us what we really need. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our cravings – and now is the perfect time to meet him again, or for the first time. The Bible tells us that the human heart is an “idol-factory,” taking good things and making them into idols that drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller applies his trademark approach to show us how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts. This powerful message will cement Keller’s reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a crucial time—for both the faithful and the skeptical.If that interests you at all, I urge you to check out the website (perhaps including the introduction to the book) and consider reading the book.
Sunday, October 25
Great Vikings game. Disappointing end.
My thoughts progressing through the game:
Vikes are ok. Need to improve their tackling! They need to catch the ball, too. At least two drops in the first half. I don't really think they will beat Pittsburgh there. I just want them to play well. And, of course, I hope they win.
I'm finding Daryl Johnston very annoying. Is it just my own bias?
Two bad calls by the officials against the Vikings. We can't beat Pittsburgh away and the refs.
(The first return for a touchdown never should have happened because the tripping call that brought back our TD on the drive was bogus.)
We had it in hand, tie or win and disaster strikes. Not Brett's fault; he hit Chester in the hands. Not really Chester's fault, either. A few too many passes. Wish they would have run more. Something is bound to go wrong.
Credit to the Steeler's D. They kept fighting.
Oh, well. Well played, Vikes. We'll keep playing hard. Know we did a good job. Never really figured on going undefeated. Still in good shape int he NFC North and the NFC in general.
Vikes are ok. Need to improve their tackling! They need to catch the ball, too. At least two drops in the first half. I don't really think they will beat Pittsburgh there. I just want them to play well. And, of course, I hope they win.
I'm finding Daryl Johnston very annoying. Is it just my own bias?
Two bad calls by the officials against the Vikings. We can't beat Pittsburgh away and the refs.
(The first return for a touchdown never should have happened because the tripping call that brought back our TD on the drive was bogus.)
We had it in hand, tie or win and disaster strikes. Not Brett's fault; he hit Chester in the hands. Not really Chester's fault, either. A few too many passes. Wish they would have run more. Something is bound to go wrong.
Credit to the Steeler's D. They kept fighting.
Oh, well. Well played, Vikes. We'll keep playing hard. Know we did a good job. Never really figured on going undefeated. Still in good shape int he NFC North and the NFC in general.
Friday, October 23
Live Healthy: Getting back to it
I've been doing okay, I just haven't been posting about it.
+ The actual ride last Saturday was not great. Had to walk up the first hill because I couldn't get my borrowed bike to change gears. Seriously deflating. Tom was having problems with his bike, too, so we were hanging back. I finally started to get the hang of my bike, but Tom continued to have problems with his. After about 8 miles of struggling, he decided to just go back. But we lost quite a bit of time.
I wasn't dressed warmly enough. It was about 40 degrees and rainy and I only had on two cotton layers. I brought my fleece, but left it in the car. That was ok for going up the hills, but I was freezing going down hill. It became two bad choices: labor uphill but don't freeze, or coast downhill but freeze ;-)
Made it to the planned refueling stop. Had 1.5 Snickers and some coffee. Should have asked Eric for his windbreaker before we left. Asked him back on the road if I could borrow it at the next stop (which did happen).
I forget when we made the decision to shorten the ride. We were supposed to be meeting some people for dinner at 5:30 and it was going to start getting dark. The final mileage was a little over 30 miles. We had to settle for 40 km for Bryan's 40th birthday instead of 40 miles, but these things happen. Don't know if I could have made the full 40, the way things went. I think I could have if I'd had a better start...
Thankfully, most of the last part of the ride was flat or downhill because my legs were gone. Limped to the end.
It took me quite a while to recover. I continued to shiver some while we waited at the restaurant for a seat. Maybe it was from being cold, but I felt like it was more from being drained. Maybe I didn't refuel enough as we went along. I wasn't incredibly sore the next day or anything. (But I'm still keeping my promise to take a week off of biking. Back to it Monday :-)
Well, that's enough of that. The main thing is: it was a good visit with my friend, Bryan.
+ Bryan and Sarah eat incredibly healthy! There's not unhealthy food in their house. So, I ate pretty well while I was visiting there. I ate a little too much and am back up a little on the scale, but that was all expected and I am not alarmed. I am getting back to my program now.
+ My primary training focus now is the Sleigh Bell Trot on November 24th. I will probably shoot for 3 10 minutes miles or 31 minutes overall. We'll see as we get closer if I can really pull that off. Started jogging again yesterday after taking 5 days off. Went fine. Actually was my 2nd fastest pace so far, 11:14/mile.
+ I never did get around to doing my September evaluation and a new October contract. I should definitely do it again for November...
+ The actual ride last Saturday was not great. Had to walk up the first hill because I couldn't get my borrowed bike to change gears. Seriously deflating. Tom was having problems with his bike, too, so we were hanging back. I finally started to get the hang of my bike, but Tom continued to have problems with his. After about 8 miles of struggling, he decided to just go back. But we lost quite a bit of time.
I wasn't dressed warmly enough. It was about 40 degrees and rainy and I only had on two cotton layers. I brought my fleece, but left it in the car. That was ok for going up the hills, but I was freezing going down hill. It became two bad choices: labor uphill but don't freeze, or coast downhill but freeze ;-)
Made it to the planned refueling stop. Had 1.5 Snickers and some coffee. Should have asked Eric for his windbreaker before we left. Asked him back on the road if I could borrow it at the next stop (which did happen).
I forget when we made the decision to shorten the ride. We were supposed to be meeting some people for dinner at 5:30 and it was going to start getting dark. The final mileage was a little over 30 miles. We had to settle for 40 km for Bryan's 40th birthday instead of 40 miles, but these things happen. Don't know if I could have made the full 40, the way things went. I think I could have if I'd had a better start...
Thankfully, most of the last part of the ride was flat or downhill because my legs were gone. Limped to the end.
It took me quite a while to recover. I continued to shiver some while we waited at the restaurant for a seat. Maybe it was from being cold, but I felt like it was more from being drained. Maybe I didn't refuel enough as we went along. I wasn't incredibly sore the next day or anything. (But I'm still keeping my promise to take a week off of biking. Back to it Monday :-)
Well, that's enough of that. The main thing is: it was a good visit with my friend, Bryan.
+ Bryan and Sarah eat incredibly healthy! There's not unhealthy food in their house. So, I ate pretty well while I was visiting there. I ate a little too much and am back up a little on the scale, but that was all expected and I am not alarmed. I am getting back to my program now.
+ My primary training focus now is the Sleigh Bell Trot on November 24th. I will probably shoot for 3 10 minutes miles or 31 minutes overall. We'll see as we get closer if I can really pull that off. Started jogging again yesterday after taking 5 days off. Went fine. Actually was my 2nd fastest pace so far, 11:14/mile.
+ I never did get around to doing my September evaluation and a new October contract. I should definitely do it again for November...
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