By the way...

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!
and Happy Boxing Day!

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." - 2 Corinthians 8:9

The End of an Era

Tonight's game between the Patriots and the Jets is going to bring to an end a tradition that has endured for many seasons: Monday Night Football on ABC. The good news is that there will still be Monday Night Football next season. The bad news is that I will be unable to watch it. It is going to air on ESPN, a station I do not receive since I only have broadcast television. It will be sorely missed and Monday nights will never be the same again. I like it! I love it! I want some more of it!

In other news: The Bears clinched their division last night when they defeated their arch enemy the Green Bay Packers and will be going into the playoffs! It hasn't been too bad of a year for Chicago sports teams...well...at least for the White Sox and Bears.

Celebrate the Times, Come On!

In honor of my anniversary I decided to celebrate by going nostalgic.

A year of blogging in review: It all began with a post in which I declared I would take over the world. Since then I have waxed eloquent on subjects ranging from politics to books to movies to religion to science to everything in between. I have had my good months when I was a good little blogger and wrote much. Then there were those other times (like last month) when I got busy and nothing seemed suitable to write about. I have gotten comments from people I know, people I have never met, people I will never meet, and people I'm just not so sure about. I have enjoyed this past year and hope to enjoy another good one.

I have been glancing over my 130 or so posts of the past year and have discovered that I received comments that I never knew about! I love getting comments and reading them today brought a smile to my face. Please comment away. You have know idea how receiving a comment makes my day that much brighter, even if it is a comment that completely disagrees with what I have said. I just like knowing that there are people out there and I like receiving feedback. You can even comment just to say hi or on some random thought.

Here's looking forward to another great year in the blogosphere!

IT'S MY 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Which means...I should be seeing some paper gifts soon, as they are the traditional present for the first anniversary. Paper 10s and 20s are nice. ; ) Just kidding. I hope that any of you out there who have read this blog sometime during the past year have enjoyed what you have read or at least been given something to think about. The traditional gift for second-year anniversaries is cotton. Did you know that here in the U.S. paper money is about 75% cotton? Just thought you might find that interesting...


btw...I just ran this post through Blogger's spell check, and the word "blog" is not in their dictionary!

The Tale of a Lion

The new Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe movie was much better than I expected. I have been raised all my life with the Chronicles of Narnia stories, from having the books read to me as a young child, to seeing the BBC versions, to reading the books for myself as I got older, to listening to the stories as radio dramas put out by both BBC and Focus on the Family. I would have to say that I am quite familiar with the stories, and because I am so familiar with them, especially the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, they have become rather blase and...well...boring. But seeing the new movie really breathed new life into the story.

First of all, I must say the it is more than a thousand times better than the old BBC movie version (referred to from now on as the BBC MV), and, if you have seen that one, disregard it and forget it ever existed. The acting, the casting, the effects, and the scenery were all quite bad, but in the new one they are just about perfect. In the BBC MV, I really disliked Mr. Tumnus, the faun. He was so wooden, cold, and had no depth to him. I didn't feel sorry for him at all when he was betrayed by Edmund and arrested by the White Witch's secret police. I could really care less. However, the new Mr. Tumnus is quite a different story. I felt like I knew him and could feel for him and the things he was going through from the moment Lucy screamed upon meeting him. Instead of being a character of no consequence like in the BBC MV, he quickly became my favorite. I must admit that I rather liked the added scenes with Mr. Tumnus as they added so much more depth to his character. (I must also now go into hiding as no self-respecting Narnia purist would allow me to get away with writing such blasphemous thoughts.) In fact, I think that the director and writers did a good job with the most scenes that they added to the story as they made the characters, the children especially, more dimensional and endearing.

The biggest fault that I have with the movie is the fact that they changed a couple lines so that it was the hope that the children's coming brought that was thawing the eternal winter and not the fact that "Aslan is on the move." The focus of the story was definitely the children and not so much the lion who was the king over all Narnia. They took away most of the mystery, excitement, enchantment, magnificence, and power associated with Aslan, at least as I saw it. They still did a good job, though, and I have to give kudos to the movie's makers for making such an almost explicitly Christian-themed movie. The death and resurrection scene was still powerful and moving, even if it wasn't the movie's focus.

One thing that I found really interesting and that helped me gain a new perspective on the tale was the people sitting behind me in the movie theater. They had never heard the story before so they were coming to the movie with fresh eyes and minds. Hearing their comments throughout the movie was like hearing the comments and exclamations of a little child making new discoveries in a world that has become commonplace to adults. It is wonderful to know the joy of rediscovering the familiar in new ways, and that is exactly what the new movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia has helped me do.

The Other Side of the World

It seems that South Carolingian Carrie Rodgers has become fed up with the constant barrage of bad news and is trying to do something to show the other part of the world that goes pretty much unreported. Her attempts are culminating in the website happynews.com. Her site's slogan says it all: "Real news. Compelling stories. Always positive."

The downfall or giant corporations, the failing economy, natural disasters, terrorism, murders, fires, the loss of life; it's quite depressing, really. Why is it that most of the news that we are used to reading and hearing is so negative? It could be because bad news sells, while good news may be good, but it is also generally boring. People don't want to hear the good things, they want to know what bad, terribly awful and shocking things are going on. Maybe it confirms their view of the world. Maybe they just want to know if they should be more careful stepping out the door and if there are any hazards awaiting them. Maybe people just like seeing other people hurt so that they can feel better about themselves. Maybe it causes an adrenaline rush of excitement knowing the world could fall apart at any moment. What ever the cause of it, the worse the news is the more people want to hear about it, and the only real responsibility the media in America has is to make money. That is their major motivation and if they end up making people more knowledgeable that is an added bonus. Thus, bad stories become sensationalized and at times blown way out of proportion and the good things that happen are buried or just go unreported. People are given the view of one side of the world, while the other side is hardly ever glimpsed.

Just thought you might want to hear some bad news about our news-reporting media. ; )

A Cliched Thanksgiving

Here we go again: turkey, football, and...oh yeah...I guess we should be giving thanks for something, too. However, many times people (myself included), when asked what they are thankful for, just give a bunch of cliches that really mean nothing at all. So...what are you thankful for? Food? Family? Shelter? Friends? Are you really?

It is difficult to be thankful for something you have never had to do without. Here in America we really have everything that we need and much more. Most of us do not have the problem of going hungry and not knowing where our next meal will come from. Most of us have never had to worry about not having a shelter over our heads to protect us from the elements. Most of us do not know what it would be like to be all alone without any family or friends to be there for us. We are very spoiled, and because of that it is hard for us to be thankful for what we have. It is even harder to be content with what we have.

As I believe that honesty is the best policy, be honest, starting with yourself, this holiday season. Are you really thankful? If not, why not? What would make you more thankful? Just a thought.

Love Songs

Scientists have made the discovery that mice are much more musically inclined than previously thought. When in the presence of their mate, male mice sing! I actually have known that mice can sing ever since I was about 4 years old and watched Cinderella for the first time. I suppose the scientific elite just never got off of their pedestals long enough to watch an animated movie in which mice break into song before being changed into horses. (They will next have to investigate whether or not horses can sing. Hmmm...)

King Tut Drank Red Wine, You Should, Too!

Wow, what a discovery. You know, it would make perfect sense for the wine he drank to be red, especially if the grapes that were used to make the wine were red. To me, red wine seems much more natural than white. I mean, how often do you see clear, white grapes? I suppose it must come from the green grapes, but still. (Can you imagine drinking green wine? Yuck!) As you can tell I am in no way a wine connoisseur and can hardly stand the stuff. By the way, King Tut died unnaturally young, which means that drinking red wine may not be that great of an idea after all.

Update 10/15/09:  I feel as though I should amend this post since most of what it claims is no longer true for me.  I have actually developed quite a penchant for wine and enjoy both the red and white varieties.  It was just an acquired taste, I suppose.  I'm glad I can feel a connection with King Tut now in our common enjoyment of wine.  Who knew that I would have so much in common with an Ancient Egyptian Pharoh?

A Lady With a Right

Rosa Parks died yesterday at the age of 92. To tell the truth I did not even know that she was still alive, but she is a very important figure in the history of America and deserves to be remembered. What was her big accomplishment? Saying a simple "no." It was December 1, 1955, almost 50 years ago, and Ms. Parks had been working all day at her job as a seamstress and had heavy bags of groceries to take home. Being black she couldn't sit near the front of the bus, so she took a seat towards the back. As the bus continued on its route it picked up more passengers including the rush hour crowd and the Christmas shoppers. The bus quickly filled and it wasn't long until she, along with the other black passengers, were told to give up there seats to some white gentlemen who had just boarded the bus. It may have been because she was so tired from her long day or because she saw the injustice in it all, but Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. She realized her right as a human being to be an equal who should be treated with just as much respect as those men, perhaps even more since she was a woman. Whenever I hear of Rosa Parks and her story I think of the times that I rode in the buses down in Disney World and my dad and uncles would give up their seats to the women who would otherwise have to stand up for the ride. It always makes me proud when I think of it. Rosa Parks was an inspiration for the civil rights movement as she stood up for herself and her rights amid the persecution and inequality with which she was treated. Even though there is still bigotry and racism in our country today, we have come a long way in the past 50 years in recognizing the equality and dignity of all human beings. We owe a lot to a little lady with a right.

Attack of the Robo-woman

Oh, yeah! That is so me! Just kidding. I am generally a mild-mannered person and I am not really inclined to yell. I just thought that this was rather funny.

Hey, It Makes Sense!

Dr. Stat has an awesome post on Education vs. Instant Gratification. I would recommend checking it out. I have never heard the theory that he puts forth before, but it definitely makes sense and is worth a read.

Roman Explosion

I love ancient history, in particular that of the Roman Empire, and that is why I am so excited to see that there is going to be a Pompeii exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago. This is definitely an exhibit I do not want to miss. The explosion of Mount Vesuvius may have been horrific for the residents in 79 AD of the city of Pompeii and its neighbor Herculaneum, but the objects that have been preserved in the volcanic have given historians a great glimpse into Romans and their way of life. One thing in particular that is an unprecedented find were the people who were the actual victims of the explosion. In Pompeii, they were covered in ash that hardened while the bodies decomposed, leaving cavities that have since been filled with plaster. The resulting statues show the agonies of the last minutes of the citizens' lives. Herculaneum, however, was not buried in the rain of ash and bodies of its people were covered instead in the mountain's pyroclastic flow with only their skeletons left behind, but there is still much to be learned from their bones and how the Romans lived. The volcano also preserved other parts of the daily life such as ointment bottles, jewelry, and food still on someone's dinner table, although I wouldn't recommend trying to eat it since it is thousands of years old and hard as a rock. I am definitely looking forward to this exhibit.

Speechless

Our two closest neighbors in our solar system are going to be quite visible during the next couple months and should be pretty easy to see, even using just the naked eye (like the ancients used to!).

The planets in our solar system are pretty easy to see at times, yet often go unnoticed. To find a planet in the sky, the first thing you need to know is what a planet looks like. The book A Field Guide to Stars and Planets by Donald Menzell and Jay Pasachoff says that there are three things to take into consideration when trying to find planets: brightness, twinkling, and location. One of the first things that you will notice when you start looking at the sky is that the stars and other objects are different brightnesses. You can take advantage of this fact to figure out what you’re looking at. The brightest things in the sky, other than the moon, are usually the planets. Unlike stars, planets don’t usually appear to twinkle but instead seem to shine steadily. Twinkling is caused by the light being bent as it comes through the atmosphere. A star appears to be just a single point of light since it is so far away so it blinks. However, a planet is closer and bigger and thus its light rays all average out with their blinking, and so it appears to be shining steadily. So all that this means is that if something twinkles it’s most likely not a planet. There’s an imaginary line across the sky called an ecliptic which most of the planets, and also the moon and the sun during the day, stay near as they journey across the sky. The zodiac also can be found along this line. From where we are, the ecliptic crosses the southern part of the sky, which means that any bright objects at the zenith—the point directly over your head—or in the northern sky can’t be planets.

So, to find and recognize a planet you just have to look for a dot of light in the sky that’s really bright, doesn’t seem to twinkle, and isn’t towards the north. If it meets all of those criteria, it’s probably a planet.

One of the easier planets to see is our neighbor Venus. Being the brightest planet because of the sun reflecting off its cloud covering, Venus ususally just appears too bright to be a star. It can never be very far away from the sun in the sky, so whenever an extremely bright dot of light appears in the sky towards the west after sunset, or towards the east before sunrise it’s probably Venus. It’s often the first bright object visible at night, before any of the stars appear in the sky. GoAstronomy.com says that Venus will be at its brightest on December 9, so that would be a particularly good time to take a look at it.

The most impressive planet this month and into early November is going to be our other close neighbor, the planet Mars. According to Martin Ratcliffe and Alister Ling in their article “The Planets” in the October 2005 issue of Astronomy Magazine, Mars is going to be closer in the next couple weeks than any time since the summer of 2003. Even though it was closer in 2003, it will be higher in the sky this time and therefore easier to see. This is going to be its best appearance until 2018, so if you don’t want to have to wait another 13 years, now’s the time to see it. Even though it is quite easy to see at night right now, Mars is going to at its brightest between Halloween night and November 7, so the first week of November will be the best time to see it. It will be highest in the sky during the couple hours after midnight, but it rises mid-evening just after 8:30, so you don’t have to stay up late or get up that early to see it. To see it all you have to do is look to the east and it is just about the brightest thing up there. You can also tell that it is Mars because it has a slight, but noticeable red tinge to it.

I hope you get a chance to take a few minutes to see some of the wonders in the night sky. I’ll end with this fact: according to Dr. Tony Phillips at Science@NASA’s website, Earth is racing toward Mars at a speed of 23,500 mph, which means that the red planet is getting bigger and brighter by the minute. That also means that by the time you’re done reading this post Mars will be more than 1,000 miles closer and that much better to see. All it takes is just a couple moments to look towards the east to catch a glimpse of its beauty and leave you speechless.

A Game of Mismatched Sox

Whoohooo! The Chicago White Sox have made it into the playoffs and have begun the post season with a bang. Just a few hours ago, they whopped the Boston Red Sox with a score of 14-2! I guess that means that the Red Sox stink and the White Sox knocked their socks off! (sorry, couldn't resist : ))

Adding a Dimension to the Definition

The possible new tenth planet has been accessorized. It has now been given a name and a moon has now been discovered orbiting around it. Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology has temporarily nicknamed the "planet" "Xena", after the warrior princess of that name, and he dubbed its moon "Gabrielle", after the warrior princess' sidekick. The speed at which the satellite circles Xena will aid astronomers in their calculations of Xena's mass. The discovery of a moon may give more credibility to its possible status as a planet, but having a moon is still no qualifier for being a planet, and so the planetary definition debate continues.

Environmental Stewardship

We have a responsibility to take care of the world around us, but this is a responsibility that we often ignore. Environmentalism is thought of as being something that only wacko, green-lovin', tree-huggin' extremists care about. People seem to be unwilling to give up a few of their consumerist conveniences to face the fact that we are to take care of this world we live in, not use and abuse it. True, we should not worship it and make it our all consuming passion, there are much more important things in life, but as we live our lives we should not forget about the impact that we are having on our world. The resources that we have been given are not just for us to consume and use up but also for us to be good stewards of and to take care of. How much effort would it take to just turn off a light in an unused room or to power down the computer overnight or when you leave the house? What about opening up the windows when the air conditioner is unnecessary? Putting on a sweater in the winter can help with cutting down on the required heat and natural gas consumption (especially considering how much prices are supposed to go up this winter). Just little things like those few examples can aid in taking care of the world God gave us. No, I am not an environmental activist, but I do care about how we treat our world.

New Feature Coming to a Blog Near You!

I have updated my blog and it now has the new feature of "word verification" for the comments. This should cut down on a lot of that spam that seems to be penetrating my site. Sorry for the inconvenience to any actual humans out there who may want to comment, but it is a drastic measure I felt I needed to take. It's really not that hard. You merely type the "word" that you are shown in a box and, wa-la, you are verified as being a living, breathing non-cyborg. Congrats! and thanks for your understanding. ~ Becky : )

Disaster and Discontinuity

Hurricane Katrina tore through the southeastern United States just a few days ago, pouring out most of her fury on southern Mississippi and Louisiana. The destruction she left in her wake was unbelievable, but most of the nation's focus has been on the city of New Orleans which has been flooded and left practically unliveable. The city was built below sea level and when Katrina came through, the water overflowed the levies into the city where it is now trapped until power can be brought back to operate the pumps. According to the news filth, looting, raping, and just general rampage, lawlessness, and chaos have taken hold of the city. This article reads like something one would read in a book or see in a movie with the anarchy and riotousness, not like something that happens in modern America.

The politicians in New Orleans have a lot of difficult decisions to make. A big one is the issue of rebuilding the city. Everything is so complicated. There are millions of people who will be affected in big ways by their decisions, not just the more than half a million who lived in the city. There is a large economic impact. One thing I heard mentioned multiple times today was, "But what about Mardi Gras!!!!" One of the biggest parties in the United States may have to be put on hold. Big bummer. There are a lot more important things to consider than Fat Tuesday.

It is scary how devastating the whole situation is. In the article I mentioned earlier it said that

On Wednesday, Mayor Ray Nagin offered the most startling estimate yet of the magnitude of the disaster: Asked how many people died in New Orleans, he said: "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands." The death toll has already reached at least 126 in Mississippi.

If the estimate proves correct, it would make Katrina the worst natural disaster in the United States since at least the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, which was blamed for anywhere from about 500 to 6,000 deaths. Katrina would also be the nation's deadliest hurricane since 1900, when a storm in Galveston, Texas, killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people.

Wow. I thought it was bad when Katrina went through Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on her way to the Gulf of Mexico and killed 7 to 11 people, depending on which news source you read. To see the pictures of the hurricane's aftermath is amazing. The before and after satellite pictures of New Orleans are incredible.

Even with all of the coverage by the media, it still all seems unreal somehow. Sitting here typing with the windows open, a gentle breeze blowing, and just prevailing calm, the problems of New Orleans seem like something far away in some other country, not here so close to home. The most it impacts my life right now is the severe increase in the price of gas, the coverage on the news, the fact that I am going to donate extra money, and New Orleans being one of the only topics of conversation all day. It seems so unreal, disconnected, and hard to imagine. I felt a similar way after the 9/11 attacks, although perhaps a little more scared. I have seen so many action movies that the images on TV just don't seem quite real--like they could all be done with special effects on a movie set. Even though I know it is all real, it is so horrific I do not want it to be real and I keep on expecting the credits to start rolling or for myself to wake up out of a bad dream. Just a little discontinuity between myself and our national disaster.

Testing, Testing

Hello, this is just a test of the Blogger for Word operating system.  Do not be alarmed that this post seems to be devoid of any rational thought or meaning.  Simply accept that it is here and there is nothing that can be done about it…at least not without my user name and password, which I store safe in the vault I installed underneath the dungeon where I keep all those who attempt to tamper with my posts without permission.  Consider yourself forewarned.

Meaning from Despair

Finishing up the book Anna Karenina today, I read the final pages in which Levin, one of the main characters of the story, comes to grips with his belief in God. Later on, I was watching an episode of the television show Family Ties in which Alex Keaton has to grapple with the same subject. Both characters' defining moments come as a result of the death of a loved one and the resulting meaninglessness of life. Alex Keaton and Levin are both men who are very analytical and down to earth, believing only in the things they can see, feel, and analyze. They bury themselves in their work. For Levin it is in managing a farm and caring for his family that he spends his time and energy, while Alex's work is his economics, business, and all around financial studies. It isn't until they see through the deaths of their brother and best friend, respectively, that the tangible things that are the center of their lives are devoid of ultimate meaning. The resulting despair and depression causes them both to admit that there is a miraculous aspect to the world and a being higher than themselves looking out for things. A god who is good. It is through this realization that their lives take on new meaning and hope.

Working for the sake of work itself and survival in life is utterly meaningless as it all ends the same: in death. In Ecclesiastes it says, "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." What has been done once will be done again. The technology may change, but it is all basically the same and nothing is accomplished that will remove the fact that, one of these days, each and every person, no matter what their status or accomplishments in life, will meet there end in some way. To merely go through the motions of life can be very depressing if one stops to think about what it all means.

God is the one thing that can give life complete purpose. He is the hope that there is more than just working day in and day out, with that work ultimately resulting in nothing. If death is indeed the end and the natural world is all there is, what is the purpose of life?

Coke, Pepsi, or Homer?

Parisian bibliophiles now have another outlet to help satisfy their book cravings: vending machines. Each machine contains 25 titles to choose from, each of which costs a mere $2.45. The books range from long time classics like The Odyssey to more practical selections such as cookbooks and a French-English dictionary (one of the best sellers). With the installation of the machines, the French can now easily access their books 24 hours a day. What more could a person ask for?

Sky Watch

Laying on one's back at the top of the hill gazing up at the myriads of specks of light sprinkled all over the sky can be so peaceful, yet at the same time a little disconcerting. The sky is beautiful on a crisp, clear night. Stars, meteors, satellites, and even the blinking airplanes fill the vast space with interest. Each constellation tells story of its own that has been passed down from generation to generation since antiquity. There is such beauty and history etched all over the sky that it enchants the on-looker over and over again. Yet, it is an eye-opener in more ways than just that. Staring up into the atmosphere gives one a sense of just how small that person is. One begins to imagine being just a small member of a town, which is just a small part of a country, which in turn is just a small piece of the world, which is just one small planet among those orbiting a relatively small and insignificant star in a single galaxy in a neverending universe. When a person is put into a perspective like that, they can't help but be awed.

Tomorrow morning, Friday, August 12, there will be a great opportunity for doing a little sky watching as the heavens put on a show. The 2005 showing of the Perseid meteor shower will be visible around 2 o'clock tomorrow morning and run until just around sunrise. Unfortunately, we may be scheduled for a little rain shower so the view here may be obscured by clouds. For those who are able to see the show, it comes with the bonus feature of a preview of the upcoming Mars blockbuster, which should be at its height on October 30 when it comes close to Earth. Happy sky watching!

Fast Track to an English Degree

I just thought that I would share this awesome web site link with anyone who may be out there. Just in case you don't have the time to soak up a few classics in their entirety, Book-a-Minute Classics is the place for you. It isn't quite the same as reading the books themselves, but you do get the gist of them in much less time. Of course, if you have absorbed a few, the experience of re-reading them in their condenced ( and they are extremely so) version is quite entertaining. Well, just thought that I would share the joy.

Defining the Heavens

It seems that scientists may have now found a tenth planet to our solar system beyond Pluto. However, before the object, known affectionately as UB313, can be called a planet they have to figure out what exactly makes a celestial body worthy of that classification. Is it size? If so, then the object would definitely meet the criterion since it is in fact bigger in size than our little Pluto. There are some scientists, though, who say that this new discovery should confirm that Pluto should be stripped of its planetary status and be reduced to being merely another small numbered body among many others in the solar system. That would leave us with only the eight that we had back in the 1800's. Is a planet any object that orbits the sun? That would make all of the astroids planets, which is a rather ridiculous proposition considering how small and numerous they are. Is it based upon composition? Jupiter is a ball of gas while the earth is made up of firmer materials. Is it an object that is not on fire with it's light coming from the sun's reflection? Is it the ofject's shape? All of the planets that we have right now are, for the most part, round. Would this new discovery fit into that category? The article from National Geographic mentions that if UB313 is worthy of planetary distinction then there are several other objects out there that must be considered for the same honor. Should there be a limit as to how many planets we have in our solar system? I am glad that there are astromony experts out there to make those decisions for us.

However, as I see it, there is one other thing that the scientists should take into consideration as they make their decision. Can you imagine how just adding this one planet would upset teachers and students the world over as the study astronomy? Instead of the traditional mnemonic of "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles (or Pizzas)" for remembering the planets names, they would have to come up with something new. Imagine the chaos that would result!

Heads Up ; )

Guess what!!!!!!!!! Lost, the best drama on television, begins its second season Wednesday, September 21. Everyone mark your calendars. I already have!

The Battle Rages On

Yes, it is me again. The fight for my time, attention, and thoughts is continuing and I am sorry that I have not been more focused with those when it comes to my blog. Speaking of fights, there was an interesting article in the newest Smithsonian Magazine on a different kind of battle that caught my attention and I found it quite enlightening. It can all be summed up in the sentence, "Nobody hates nature more than a gardener." "But, wait," you say, "Don't gardeners love and tend nature?" The simple answer to this simple, yet complex, question is: No. Gardeners do all that they can to keep nature from being natural. They fight the bugs, they ban the wildlife, and pull out any plants that may naturally want to grow, yet are not in the gardener's marvelously unnatural plan for the garden. They bring out their artillery of insecticides to spray the enemy with fire and use their army of shovels and spades to hack and tear at the ground. In this battle, the natural world suffers many casualties just to satisfy the gardeners' need for domination over the earth and its plants. Yes, gardeners are the natural enemies of nature and the battle rages on.

Happy Independence Day!

(or Fourth of July!)

The System has Upgraded

It is now official. My area is no longer considered to be one of "moderate drought" and has now been upgraded by the U.S. Drought monitor to the label of "severe drought." What does this mean? It means "Crop or pasture losses likely; fire risk very high; water shortages common; water restrictions imposed." Fun. But on a more positive note, the weather has cooled off to the point that the windows can be opened and the air conditioning turned off and there is a slight possibility of storms tonight. Also, the grass has not required mowing for some weeks now. Maybe if I try another rain dance...just kidding!

EDIT: "Nearly all of Illinois declared drought disaster" <= yeah. happiness.

We're Singing HOT, HOT, HOT

Yep, that's us. The thermometer is once again supposed to reach up near one hundred degrees farenheit, but we may actually get some rain today. When the grass is all brown, boil orders are put into effect in neighboring towns, and everyone cheers when the building is hit by heat lightning because of the prospect of the rain that may come with it, it is time for the draught to end. I actually went outside and did a rain dance the other day, although I don't know that it has helped much. I guess I could look on the bright side, though, as there is lots of sunshine to cheer things up and keep any depression away.

A Nice Religion

I read this article in the World Magazine the other day and found it...well...depressing. Unfortunately, from what I have personally seen and experienced, I think it is rather true . There seems to be a large focus among Christians of merely being nice people. We seem to forget that there is a God who is very real and is not merely a good icon to remind us to do good stuff and to be moral. The article refers to it as "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism": doing good things to make ourselves feel good while believing in a god who is far away, uninvolved, and basically powerless and impertinent in the real world. In that religion, the most important commandment is merely to "be nice." The subjects of sin, punishment, and redemption are left for the most part untouched because they are not nice to think and talk about. In reality, we should be doing that "good stuff" because there is deeper meaning behind it than just feeling good: a very involved, pertinent God who shows us great mercy and grace.

Tigger's Voice is Forever Silent

Paul Winchell, the voice of Tigger, died today. In addition to being the voice of one of the most loved (and bounciest) animals in children's literature, he was also "a master ventriloquist...and an inventor who held 30 patents, including one for an early artificial heart he built in 1963." Winchell was quite a talented man and he will be missed. I suppose all that is left to be said is, "TTFN!" (ta-ta for now)

An Issue of Terms

Okay, just to clarify things a little: The United States of America is not a democracy but a democratic republic! The difference? In a democracy all of the people vote on everything, and hence there is always majority/mob rule. In a democratic republic the representatives that the people elect vote on the issues, thus allowing more voices to be heard. Of course, there is always the problem of the elected officials not listening to their constituents, but, since their term is not life-long and not hereditary, they can be removed from office in the next election, if not sooner. So there you have it.

And So It Ends

I finally had the chance to go and see what may end up being the biggest movie of the summer, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It is definitely the darkest of all six of the Star Wars movies and much better than Episodes I and II, but it still didn't strike me as being worth seeing more than once. The special effects were definitely made to be seen on the big screen and were awesome to watch, but the acting was awful and the dialogue was weak. The only reason I went to see it was to finish up the saga. I was raised on the original trilogy and had seen the first two prequels, so going to see the last one was really a no-brainer.

One thing that really stuck out at me was a line near the end of the movie when Anakin and Obi Wan have their encounter on the volcanic planet. Obi Wan Kenobi tells Anakin that "only the Sith speak in absolutes," or something along that line. Throughout the Star Wars tale the "power" of the force is split into two distinct sides: the "light side" and the "dark side." The Jedi, the good guys, use the light side of the force while the Sith, the bad guys, use the dark side. There is always a clear, absolute distinction between the good and the bad with no gray areas. Then one of the main Jedi says that only the bad Sith split it up in absolutes that way. I found that to be rather ridiculous, and also rather offensive as I myself believe in absolutes.

An irony I saw in the movie was the fact that Anakin's attempt at saving Padme's life by going to the dark side ended up being the very thing that killed her in the end. His doing the wrong thing for the right reason ended up causing more grief that there would have been otherwise.

Well, that is my take on the movie. For some reason I do not feel the same despair at seeing the Star Wars saga coming to a close as I did when the final Lord of the Rings movie came out. For me, there just wasn't a very strong connection with the characters or the story line.

More Than a Debate

No matter how much it is discussed, I believe that abortion is still an issue that is very much overlooked by many people. The basic question behind the debate of whether abortion is right or not and whether it should be kept legal is: "What exactly are the unborn?” Are they individual human beings from the time they are conceived with a life worth protecting and preserving? Or are they simply a small mass of tissue that is part of the mother's body, and thus up to her whether to let it live and develop or to have it killed? It is a question that needs to be answered.

Biologically, the fetus is unique from the moment of conception from any other human being, including its mother, with its own distinct DNA. In fact by about day 22 the heart starts beating and moving blood around the little body which is often of a different blood type than that of the mother. Its brain waves begin at around forty days of gestation.

Being a tiny mass of cells does not make the fetus any less a person since size is not a criteria for being considered a human being. We don't say that Michael Jordan, being as tall as he is, is any more human that a small child--he is merely at a different stage of growth and development. Neither does that level of development determine how "human" a person is. In fact, people are continually developing and changing both mentally and physically. Does that mean that a twenty year old is any less a person than a sixty year old? No, just different.

An individual's location and environment do nothing to change his or her personhood. Where someone is does not determine what they are. A person is the same regardless of whether they are in the middle of the Sahara desert, in the midst of a snow storm in the Arctic, or traveling in a space shuttle outside of the planet's atmosphere. Likewise, the 8 inches of birth canal that separate an unborn child from a newborn do not determine what or who they are.

How dependent a person is on others to survive does not make any impact on whether or not they are an individual human being, either. There are people in nursing homes and hospitals throughout the world who could not survive except through the help of other people, yet their humanity is not questioned. Being independent is not a criterion for being human.

An infant, no matter how small, is an individual human being with a life worth preserving, and needs to be recognized as such. The right to life is not something that is given by the choice of any human being, association, or government, it is a natural right endowed upon all of us by our Creator. Abortion is one thing that should not be overlooked by anyone. Fetuses are more than a debate; they are individual, unique people.

Hey, ya'll! I'm baaack!

Don't panic, I have climbed back onto the face of the earth after falling off of it and am now returned from my blogging hiatus. It is great to be once again back inside of an air-conditioned building staring at a computer screen while my fingers play out a tattoo on the keyboard. Life has been a little crazy lately, but hopefully things will start feeling relatively "normal" once more, whatever that means. I have to go for now, but never fear, don't despair, Becky's here!

Dela-Where?

I am now writing from the beautiful, but very small state of Delaware where I have discovered a wayward computer connected to the wonderful internet. A lot has happened during the past week, and much of it will most likely come up in future posts. For now, these few thoughts will have to be it.

Washington DC was a beautiful city with its immense buildings, stone monuments, and well-dressed people. It was awe-inspiring to say the least, but it started me wondering what the purpose of it all was. Why does our government spend so many tax dollars building impressive monuments? Why do we go visit them? There are several possible answers.

1) Power. A reminder that little people are nothing when they stand up against a big government.

2) Temples. In the Lincoln Monument there is an inscription in the wall right above the head of Lincoln's immense statue. There was really nothing about the sentence that would make it stand out except for the fact that it refered to the building as a "temple." That made me stop and contemplate the meaning of that word. Is it merely a monument to a good leader and statesman, to remind us of the things he had done? Or, is it a place to worship "Honest Abe"?

3) Reminders of the past. It is this last reason that I find the best and most legitimate. We need to remember what happened in history and learn from both the good and the bad. The knowledge of people and what they did and why is important to the decisions that will be made in the future.

Time is running out so that will have to be all for now.

In the Perfect World...

In the perfect world government officials would vote and run the country how their constituents wanted it--not so that they can get re-elected and receive more money, but because that is how the people that they are supposedly representing want it done. They would investigate their programs and listen to all the different points of view before deciding to carry something through. Lobbyists would not be able to "purchase" the support of politicians and campaign contributions would not be a driving force behind the things that the government does. The good of the people would be a main factor driving decisions throughout the country.

In the perfect world everyone would willingly look out for everyone else and share the things they had. No one would be lazy and everyone would employ their skills to work hard and use their products and earnings to help others. I believe that, in that perfect place, communism would work because no one would be using it to seek power and everyone would work together and share out of love and selflessness, not because they had to. Everyone could live a high-quality life and be happy with it. Things would be done not out of greed but for the mutual benefit of others.

In the perfect world there would be no fights, no killings, no stealing, no egos to get in the way, no selfishness, and everyone would keep their word and be committed to their spouses and family. Everyone would care for everyone else and all would agree because everyone would know and do what was right.

In the perfect world everyone would be free to do as they wished. There would be no need of law enforcement because everyone would follow the naturally perfect laws and never make any trouble.

Unforunately, we do not live in that perfect world, but in one that is fallen and corrupted. Thus, we don't agree, people seek their own good over the good of others, and communism is just an idealistic dream that does not work outside of that perfect society.

Here I Am, This is Me

I just wanted to let everyone know that, yes, I am still alive here and that I will be taking a two-to-three week hiatus from posting due to the fact that I will be out of town. Hopefully it will not be that long, but I thought that I should give a heads up so that ya'll will know that I have not fallen off the face of the blogosphere.

"That Does Absolutely Nothing For Me"

I do not know what it was about this song, but, according to everyone that I have talked to thus far about the movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it is the best part of the movie. It is not that the movie was all that bad (although it did not live up to my expectations), it was just an incredibly cute song sung by the earth's dolphins as a farewell to us ignorant human beings who are unaware of our planet's impending destruction. Our cluelessness may be due in part to the fact that, according to the movie, we are not the most intelligent creatures on Earth as is commonly assumed, but instead rank third when it comes to brain power. We take that position behind dolphins, ranking at number two, and the top intellects [spoiler warning] white mice, who have in fact been performing experiments on us all these years instead of the other way around. It was an interesting and funny movie, and Marvin the robot was great, but I don't think that I would go out of my way to see it again anytime soon.

By the way, did anyone notice anything interesting about today's date? Other than being el Cinco de Mayo, it is also, (drumroll) 05/05/05! Just thought that I would share that interesting tidbit of useless information with everyone. I bet you are now on the edge of your seat waiting for the clock to change to the wondrous time of 5:55:55! Exciting, isn't it?

Cover the wound, leave the infection

These days, we no longer have to fear the black plague, smallpox is only to be feared as a weapon, and most other frightening illnesses have a cure. The biggest epidemic to currently be taking the world by storm is the AIDS virus, and scientists are desperately seeking a cure for it. Unfortunately, most of the world is ignoring the fact that it does not work to just have a cure, people also need to learn how to prevent it in the first place. Yes, there are a lot of innocent people who are born with the virus or receive it in blood transfusions, but the virus starts out when people ignore the laws that were etched into nature. Disobey those laws and there are severe consequences. How does that saying go? It is something like, "A pound of cure is worth an ounce of prevention." The epidemic would drastically decrease if people were taught abstinence before marriage, monogamy, and the consequences of homosexuality. Instead, "safe-sex" is preached and condoms are distributed and the buzz word of the day is "acceptance" and "tolerance" of other people's lifestyles.

Gravity is Now Arbitrary

Do rules still apply when there is no one around to enforce them? Yes? No? Sometimes? How do you know? Driving down the road, I always get a kick out of the people who slow down whenever they see a policeman in the vicinity and then, as soon the officer turns a corner and disappears, accelerate like there is no tommorrow. If a person is doing something that would make them feel ashamed and guilty with an officer of the law around, why are they doing it at all? Entonces, what about the insanely stupid laws, like a 25 mile per hour speed limit on a country road surrounded by corn fields? Should those always be obeyed? How about jay walking? It is so much easier to cross a street without having to make the long journey down to the crosswalk everytime. Is it okay to jay walk when there is no one around? Hmmmmm?

Popping M&M's

Yep, it's that time of year again! Time to plant the M&M's (know around here as "cold pills") and the rest of the junk food and see what grows! For those who like nasty, salty, dry, unhealthy popcorn that gets stuck in your teeth and makes you suffer with unquenchable thirst, the people at Purdue University have discovered why those last few kernels at the bottom of the bag remain un-popped. It is due to leaky hulls. It sounds like something you would get from buying a really cheap ship, but it seems that a few rebel kernels of corn have tiny holes in their exterior that allow too much moisture to escape for enough pressure to build up inside. Popcorn growers and manufacturers are supposedly using the new findings to try to figure out how to breed the best corn varieties to keep the stragglers from remaining unpopped and hard as a rock. I suppose that is good news for all those popcorn eaters out there! According to popcorn.org, Americans today consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year, or about 54 quarts for the average American! Enjoy it!

The Bard's Birthday

April 23, 1564. Historians believe that was the date, 441 years ago, on which one of the most famous men in history was born. Throughout his lifetime, William Shakespeare wrote approximately 38 plays and as well as 154 sonnets. Shakespeare-online says that, even today, "Shakespeare is the most widely read author in English speaking countries. His works are second only to the Bible in popularity." His birthday comes at a fitting time, as I am currently reading his tragedy "Othello." It is the sad tale of a general, Othello, who is tricked by his "friend," Iago--as revenge for not being made a lieutenant--into thinking that his wife Desdemona and good friend Cassio are having an affair behind his back . Othello ends up killing his wife right before finding out that Iago was lying to him and his wife was completely faithful the entire time. Not all of Shakespeare's stories were as tragic as that one, and, in fact, he wrote many comedies and historical plays as well, which are, in my opinion, much more enjoyable. Happy Birthday, Will!

Piety, Tradition, Power, and Change

I watched a debate on the viability of the resurrection of Jesus not too long ago, and, although I disagreed with practically everything else he said, the man arguing against the literal resurrection brought up an interesting point. He basically said that, in some churches, the parishioners are so stuck on tradition that if God himself said that they should change the color of their carpet, they would refuse to do so. I have, in fact, heard of churches breaking up over that very thing, except for the fact that the voice of God didn't come over the loud speaker telling them what to do. It seems rather silly, but many people refuse to listen to what God says that they should be doing because it would mean changes that they do not necessarily want.

Most of the Jewish religious leaders did the same thing when Jesus was crucified. Everything pointed to him being the messiah that they had taught about in the synagogues and whom everyone was awaiting, yet they refused to believe it. Instead, they accused him of blasphemy and had him put to death. After Jesus conquered death and came back to life, they bribed the soldiers guarding the tomb to tell a different story. Why? My theory is that, by acknowledging Jesus' authority, they would lose their own. They had a lot of power that would be taken away if the traditions and the laws were no longer the people's only hope. The change was not in their favor, and thus they did not want it to take place.

There is a famous chapter in Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" in which one of the brothers tells a story that takes place during the Spanish Inquisition. Thousands are being burned to death because they were suspected of witchery. In the midst of it, Jesus comes back. The bishop of the time does not fall down at Jesus' feet and worship Him, but instead gets mad at him for coming back when everything is going so well. He does not want things to change and for his power over the heretics to be taken away. He was pious to the point that it gave him power, but when it came to really obeying God when it would mean less glory for himself, that was where his "piety" stopped.

We still live our lives that way. Comfortable in our homes, neighborhoods, and churches, we do not want to have our power over our lives taken away. We would rather stick to empty tradition than let any real change come into our lives that might be out of our control and put us into uncomfortable situations. Sure, we talk about it, saying someday we will start living for someone other than ourselves, someday we will make changes around here, but, for today, we will put it off until that someday and be content and comfortable just talking about how we should be living and looking like good little people for doing so. As long as we are still in charge, we are happy with our unchanging tradition and "piety."

Computer Gamers Anomynous

Hi, my name is Becky, and I was a computer game addict. A "Bubble Trouble" addict to be specific. My only goal in life was to make it to level 25 (although I only ever reached the heights of level 15). After attending no meetings, and doing so on a regular basis, I am now proud to declare that I am completely cured (a.k.a. tired of the game) and have moved on to better obsessions during my freetime as I continue to wait for a new "Lost" episode and the new "War of the Worlds" movie. Aahhh, tis life.

Today in History...

Yesterday, April 11, 2005, was the forty year anniversary of the Palm Sunday outbreak of tornadoes back in 1965, the worst, according to this article, in the history of the United States. It was a major factor in changing how tornado warnings and watches are put out to the public. Thankfully, meteorology and the technology that makes the science possible has come a very long way since the sixties, even since the early nineties. The major difference between the tornado in the Plainfield, Illinois area in August 1990 and the one in Roanoke, Illinois last year was the fact that there was a better warning system and much better radar. A model from the 1950's, the radar from the Plainfield tornado showed hardly anything happening due to a lot of ground clutter, when, in reality, there was a huge storm blowing up. Since it didn't look like a typical, ice cream cone-shaped twister and the radar was not showing much of anything, the tornado was not reported until some time later after it had done most of its damage. However, the Roanoke tornado was a different story. The newer technology, such as the Doppler radar, and better knowledge allowed meteorologists to have a much better view of the situation and to issue warnings before the citizens were hit. Hopefully, things in the weather community will continue to improve so that severe weather like this can continue to be predicted and people warned before it strikes.

Booga, Booga, Booga

Well, it seems that I have made it without posting for an entire week! Ooops!

That time of year again. Birds, sun, green grass, flowers, tornadoes... Yesterday was the annual Severe Weather Seminar that Tom Skilling puts on at Fermilab and, as usual, it was awesome. The entire five hours was very fascinating with discussions on lightning, tornadoes, and flooding and some awe inspiring weather footage. The power of the storms is always amazing.

Speaking of lightning, Frankenstein and his Creature have finally passed on. I do not know what it was about the book, but it came across to me as being rather stupid. Do not get me wrong, it was intriguing and gave a lot to think about, but it just seemed incomplete and to have its foundation on rocky premises. When one thinks of Frankenstein, an image comes to mind of a mad scientist in a white coat turning knobs and pushing buttons in his lab while a storm rages outside. Lying tied down on a table is a large, green monster with bolts coming out of his neck and a scar on the side of his face. With a bright flash of lightning the evil monster comes to life, wrecking havoc by murdering all those with whom he comes into contact and going "Booga, booga, booga." What is that monster's name? Surprise, surprise: he has no name. He is not "Frankenstein" as the common misconception, but a nameless entity created by science student who goes by that name. Also, he is not evil, his only wish is to help others and to be "good," and he becomes a menace only through the abandonment of his creator and the fact that society will not accept him because of his hideous features. He is innately good and a victim of his circumstances. When Frankenstein refuses to make him a companion for fear that they will destroy human society, the monster swears revenge and starts a campaign of making his creator as lonely and miserable as himself. He kills everyone near to Frankenstein, which in turn makes Frankenstein swear revenge on him, and they eventually die. The End. An interesting investigation of human nature, scientific ambition, societal norms and acceptance, and the need for companions, but full of improbable holes. Why did not the dead body parts that Frankentstein was piecing together to create the monster decompose? Did not the scientist see how hideous the creature was before he woke him up? Why didn't he destroy him when he first saw him? Why didn't Frankenstein tell anyone else about his discovery and error before it was too late? How did the creature learn so much about the world from sitting outside a small French cottage and peering in? Frankenstein had no foresight and created a creature much smarter, more cunning, stronger, faster, and altogether more than his match. Frankenstein was just stupid. I am surprised that he didn't go completely insane and start doing the "booga, booga, booga."

Why Sleeping Beauty Didn't Wake Up

According to this article, scientists have discovered that sleep habits, such as whether a person wakes up early or late, depends on the person's genes. Unfortunately, the "early bird" gene is supposedly the mutant one. Being a morning person myself, I would rather have it be the norm rather than the exception. The word "mutant" sounds like some slimy, disproportionate, evil creature that might come crawling out of the swamp. While it is difficult being different than most people, at times it has its rewards since the mornings when there is nothing going on generally tend to be fresher, quieter, and more relaxing that way. This is a phenomena that late sleepers hardly ever get to experience. As to why Sleeping Beauty didn't wake up: I guess she was more normal than the rest of us in getting her beauty sleep.

Don't Forget to Check the Date

It is that time of year again. For this one day every year it is difficult to believe what anyone says. National Geographic ran an article about famous hoaxes throughout history that many people believed before it was revealed that they were not true (such as spaghetti harvests, changing the value of pi, and the discovery of the missing link "the piltdown man"). Unfortunately, rumors such as these spread very quickly even though the evidence was quite faulty and often missing logic. The stories were quite radical and, as the old adage says, "too good to be true," and yet large numbers of people were led to believe them. I guess the lesson is to be careful what you say and what you accept as true from other people without testing it first.

By the way, fans of college sports will find this article very interesting. ; )

The Robin has Landed

Some say that spring has begun when the first robin is spotted, others go the scientific route insisting that the first day of spring is the vernal equinox, but, for me, yesterday heralded the actual beginning of springtime. The weather was beautifully warm, sunny, and just about perfect, except for the very strong wind, until the afternoon arrived. Then it became beautifully exciting. A cold front came barreling through the area, producing the first real severe weather of the year. Thankfully, all we received was a severe thunderstorm. Counties not too far to the south had reports of tornadoes being spotted, which kept us all on our toes and staring at the sky waiting for the clouds to begin rotating. I had a memorable experience driving through a storm last night with hail pounding on the roof of the car. It was so loud that it became practically impossible to hear the person sitting next to you yelling. The hail was only about the size of marbles so there was not too much damage, but a nearby city reported chunks of ice about the size of golfballs coming down out of the storm cloud. After yesterday evening's first storm had ended and the sun came out one last time before setting, the cumulonimbus clouds were still visible as they moved on to the east. It is amazing that something so powerful and destructive can be so beautiful! Spring has definitely arrived.

My 'Umblest Apologies

My apologies for the lack of posts lately. It just seems that there is nothing worth writing. Most of my ideas have ended up incomplete and have become doomed to post "purgatory" as drafts. Whether or not they will make it out to see the myriad of faces staring back at them through the computer screen, only time will tell. My problem is that the things that I come up with seem to be either to trivial or too radical to post about. Maybe I just need to get out of that mindset and be bold.

=> By the way: Although this is rather belated, have a joyous celebration of the event that changed the world! (Happy Easter!)

The Nose Knows

Scientists in Australia have discovered how to grow adult stem cells from the human nose, which (correct me if I am wrong) would basically eliminate the need to use the stem cells from babies for scientific research. This should make everyone much happier now, but will it? I doubt it. The question remains to be answered as to whether or not scientists around the world will smell the scent of progress and accept this new achievement, or continue to insist on going down the original road towards using human embryos.

"When in doubt, Merriadoc Brandybuck, always follow your nose." -Gandolf the Grey ; )

Body Worlds

Where do death, plastic, Chicago, and Germany come together? Body Worlds, an exhibit of human bodies that have been plasticized by a German scientist and are now on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The exhibit manages to be weird, disgusting, cool, and fascinating all at the same time. Where else can one find muscles flying off the bones in all directions, real nerve fibers and spinal cord still attached, and a man holding his brain in his hand while riding a horse? I spent over an hour sitting next to a guy holding up his skin for the world to see. Some of the displays evade description, yet others are real eye-openers to the ravages of disease on the body. There are comparisons of healthy lungs to those of smokers, a slice of a brain with a tumor, a stomach with ulcers, body slices of obese people, joints from people with arthritis, a skeleton with scoliosis, and many more things that one almost never gets to see up close and in person. Some of the most fascinating are the people posed with nothing but their network of arteries in place. It is amazing how many there actually are. Even with how fascinatingly complex the bodies are, it is difficult to keep from thinking about who they were while they were still alive, walking around like you and me. They used to have lives, friends, families, thoughts, and emotions. The signs describing the bodies seemed very cold when they described them, not as men and women, but as "plasticines." One of the cadavers was a pregnant lady who was displayed along with her infant who had died along with her. Among the most difficult things to look at were the body parts of young children and babies. In the end, one has to realize that, although they used to be living human beings, all that is left on display is their plasticized body, not themselves.

Inconsistency

I found an interesting article about some of the double standards that people from all over the political spectrum use. The author, John Leo, focused mainly on political corporations and government institutions such as Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court, the Republicans, the Democrats, the American Psychological Association, and the like. However, many of those whom one sees on a daily basis seem to do the same thing. People should start taking a look at their policies and beliefs and try following them through to their conclusions, seeing how they would apply in all cases. Unfortunately, they tend to only do what benefits them at the time, even if it is contradictory to how they acted previously. This leads me to wonder what inconsistencies I myself display.

Holiday Irony

Upwards of 700 people were arrested in Ireland for alcohol-induced fights in the wake of Saint Patrick's Day partying. Ray O'Conner, a member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, said that, "I do find it ironic that St. Patrick had a mission to evangelize and convert people to a better way of life, and our St. Patrick's Day doesn't reflect any of that Christian heritage." It seems as though a lot of holidays, in fact most, have lost their original meanings and have instead become excuses to party and have fun--including Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day, and Independence Day. Somehow, it makes me sad.

Nature vs. Choice

In Maine, State Representative Brian Duprey wants to ban abortions based upon whether or not the child is deemed to be homosexual. This is founded upon the assumption that scientists will one day discover a "gay-gene" that determines what a person's sexual inclinations will be. Duprey said that, "Technology is changing every day. They could map the homosexual gene tomorrow." In my opinion, the questions that this bill brings up concerning abortion and the rights of homosexuals, no matter how interesting, are immaterial to the matter at hand. I do not think that scientists will ever find a gene that causes a person to have inclinations towards being homosexual since it is contrary to how human beings are designed and is a rebellion against the natural order of things. Nobody is born innately homosexual, we are all, however, born sinful. People do not have their sexual actions determined by their DNA any more than it determines whether they will commit murder, steal from someone, or cheat on a test. These are all conscious choices that people make, and there is always the option of choosing to not do something.

Beef...It's What's For Dinner

My big beef with most "Christian" music is that it is...well...simplistic and unoriginal. There are a few musicians out there in that "genre" who are the exception, but, for the most part, the lyrics are really simple and basically the same thing over and over again. They do not only repeat overly repetitiously throughout the song, but throughout the whole world of CCM (contemporary christian music). It is as though most of those people have troubles coming up with something new that requires more thought to both write and to listen to than "Jesus Loves Me". Do not take me wrong, I like "Jesus Loves Me," but there is more to life and music than just that. Just my opinion.

Watch Those P's and Q's (and E's and U's)

Wow! Talk about a major typo! It seems that a website for the United States Congress made a mistake in their reporting. Instead of saying that nuclear testing went on in Sedan (in Nevada), they accidentally reported that the United States performed nuclear tests in Sudan. The Sudanese were not too happy when they read that a foreign government was doing that under their nose. Although they were completely assured by the United States that it was a mere typing error and no testing took place, they are still performing investigations to make sure that nobody starts glowing in luminescent colors or growing multiple limbs in weird places. The Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said, according to BBC News, that, "Our first concern of course was for the people of Sudan." If only they were that concerned about all their people. By the way, I ran this post through spell check a couple of times before posting it...just in case.

Cold Snap

Cold Snap (n.): The time of year when everyone becomes tired of the cold weather and, when they can no longer bear being confined indoors, eventually snap and go out of their minds.

The Greater Good

There are many examples in literature and history of one man dying for the greater good of the many. Sometimes it is to save lives, other times to improve living conditions. The question is, is it worth it? Here are just a few of those examples:

In the movie Master and Commander, a sailor, by the name of Wharley, falls overboard during a storm when the mast that he is on snaps. His only hope of rescue is to grab onto the yardarm of the mast as it is tossed in the waves, dragged along by the ropes that still attach it to the ship. The problem is that the yardarm in the water is acting as an anchor, dragging the ship down and putting it in great risk of capsizing and sinking, and taking the entire crew down with it. The captain, "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, is forced to make the decision to cut the ropes holding the yardarm to the ship, thus leaving Wharley to die in the midst of the storm. His life is taken so that the rest of the crew may live on. Was it worth it? In this case, I would say yes since, there was not much chance of his being rescued and, in the attempt, everyone else may have gone down with him. However, there was a slight chance that both he and the ship may have been saved, but it was not very likely. As Jack Aubrey said, "one must always choose the lesser of the two weevils (evils)."

Raskolnikov, the main character in the book Crime and Punishment, comes up with the same idea, that sometimes it is necessary for a select few to die that society as a whole may prosper by it. He carries out his idea by murdering an old pawnbroker who owns large sums of money, while those around her live in poverty. His crime is eventually found out when he can no longer live with his own conscience and admits to doing it. This time, however, the death of one does not aid the many, but, instead, makes more people suffer. Was it worth it? In my opinion, even though Raskonlnikov may have become a better person after all of his trials, it was not worth taking the life of the old woman and, as it ended up, her sister.

Those are both fictional stories, but there is a prominent example in history of the notion found in the man Jesus. He also died, suffering a cruel death, so that others may live and have better lives. His death allows others to escape the wrath of God for their rebellion against him. While they are sometimes persecuted for believing in his death and the salvation that comes from it, their lives are in many ways better because of the forgiveness for their rebelliousness and the hope for the future. Was Jesus' death worth it? I would emphatically say yes.

Happy Birthday to Me!

...and a very merry unbirthday to the rest of you!

I'm right, you're wrong, and that's all there is to it!

The political system in America is very aggravating. It is basically split into two parties--the Republican and the Democratic--and anyone who does not agree with either gets lost in the shuffle. The people belonging to the different parties seem to think that they are always absolutely right and their opponents are always absolutely wrong. One has only to label a person a "Democrat" or a "Republican" and part of the country automatically hates them and will not listen to anything they say, while most of the rest will love them and accept pretty much whatever they proclaim. The opposing party, whichever one it may be, is drawn as a freedom-hating faction with horns, a tails, and pitchforks in their hands. People do not seem to want to consider that possibly, just maybe, the other side has a good idea every once in a while. They would not have to agree all the time, and I would hope they would not, but maybe some good would come of it. In the end, it appears to me that there is really only one word to describe politics: frustrating.

Why?

That is the question that history helps to answer. It is more than just a bunch of dates and names to memorize and put in order--it is a story that explains how things got to be the way they are today. History is a useful medium for studying human thoughts and ideas, and the societies created by the resulting actions. From learning about individuals, one can learn about entire civilizations, and by learning about the civilization and world events of the time, one can better understand the individuals living in it. One can learn about what works, what does not, and why. The various traditions and beliefs instilled in different societies throughout the past still influence the actions of people in the modern world. It is difficult to imagine that anyone would not be excited about studying the world's history!

Mistakes, Mess-ups, and Movie Stars

I have no idea what that means, but it sounded like it would make a good title. Hold it...yes I do know! We all make mistakes, but most of them go unnoticed by the world at large. The few people that surround us and know us may notice them, but most earthlings have no clue that we even exist, much less make a mistake. However, there are select human beings who have their lives watched and scrutinized by the public, and every little (or big) mess-up in their life is suddenly the headlines in papers across the nation. Why do we watch them like little hawks? Perhaps it is because they appear to be too perfect--they get the beautiful boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse; perfect, fashionable clothes, tons of money, and thousands of people fall in love with them. We see them and become jealous, causing us to hardly wait for them to mess up and prove that they are still human like the rest of the world's population. Perhaps for that small moment, our egos are fed and we feel like we are better than them because they are no longer "perfect." They are brought down to our level, and even lower, for a time. However, we need to realize that they are just like us: human beings who mess up and sin, whether in the public eye or not.

Cruelty to Candy!

Animal rights groups in New Jersey are are complaining about Kraft's new gummi product featuring snakes and squirrels squashed with tire tracks. They say that having the fruit-flavored candies in the shape of roadkill will cause people to go out and create more roadkill.

"It sends the wrong message to children, that it's OK to harm animals. And that's the wrong message, especially from a so-called wholesome corporation like Kraft," said society spokesman Matthew Stanton.

When was the last time that you ate a gummy bear, teddy graham, or gingerbread man without slowly dismembering him by biting off his head, arms, legs, or ears first? Most people enjoy doing so to their sweets, yet do not go out and do so to actual, living animals. Chocolate Easter bunnies receive similar treatment, as their ears are usually the first part to go, yet there are thousands of rabbits hopping around with their ears still intact. Even worse, the candy Sour Patch Kids are little gummies in the shape of, that's right, kids, and yet nobody compains about those being sold and eaten. What makes this any different than eating a animal-shaped candy that is already dead (although roadkill candy does not sound very appetizing)? I do not think that people will be influenced by their candy to out driving for the soul purpose of running over snakes and squirrels, much less to pick up dead animals lying by the side of the road and eating them. Most people would never think of it.

A Stink Bomb of Memories

It is amazing how smells can bring back memories so vividly. You get a wiff of a fragrance and memories explode in your mind, just from a brief moment of scent. There is a certain flavor of chapstick that transports me back to a vacation in Florida the moment I smell it. I am back on the beach walking along in the freezing cold waves. When I get a sniff of baby shampoo I immediately think of the guinea pig I owned when I was around twelve years old. Although he was usually quite stinky due to the fact that I was lax on cleaning his cage, whenever he got a bath, I would smother him in baby shampoo and he would smell sweet and clean. His cage, on the other hand, was a different story. The smell of pine brings back a night when I was a little girl and we were setting up the Christmas tree that we had bought earlier that day. My parents were out in the garage and I was sitting on the ground in the living room with my older sister surounded by toys and pine needles. Sawdust reminds me of a summer day when I was playing in a pile of sawdust that was left after my dad had cut a lot of wood. Thankfully, all those smells bring back pleasant memories, but there are some that make me cringe. Last summer I declared war on some earwigs that had decided to move into my flowerbox. They were eating my plants, so I decided to try a remedy I had heard of. I sprayed them with a mixture of water and dishsoap. Amazingly, it worked and the earwigs ran of of their hiding places, shriveled up, and died. However, whenever I wash my dishes I now get visions of the earwigs coming out of their holes, which is not exactly a very pretty sight. It all just goes to show that, as Helen Keller once said, "Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived." How very true.

Is the Property Really Mine?

Should the government be able to take away your property and pay you what it considers just compensation for the purpose of giving your property to others who would put in their own company's developement? What if it is for the benefit of the community at large and would bring in tax dollars or create more jobs? Some say that they should be able to if it is for the common good, and claim that it is a right of the government protected by the U.S. Constitution. This problem is coming up before the Supreme Court this week.

What exactly does the Constitution say? The Fifth ammedment says, along with protecting criminals' rights: "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." The key phrase there is "public use". If I am interpreting the that correctly, the Constitution does not say that the government's right to emminent domain does not mean that it can take away private property and people's homes to give it to someone else to develop into a sports stadium, casino, more upscale development, resort, store, or the like. If the private companies wish to own your land, they should approach you directly with an offer, not have the government take it from you by force.

I hope that the Supreme Court makes the right decision on the case. It could have long reaching effects on other property suits and protect private owners from the whims of the government and other, richer developers.

"Just" a Thought

I believe that we, the church in America, have forgotten what we are here for. We gather together to sing pretty songs, help others, and have good times with other nice people. But, what sets us apart from other clubs? There are many charities out there that do good things for other people in the name of goodwill and humanity. Music is a lovely thing to have, and I have yet to attend a concert in which there were not people singing along to each and every song. Clubs exist for practically everything, including fellowship with other "'nice" people who have similar interests to your own. There are feel good sessions and meditation/prayer in yoga classes. People all over the world have passion for the various things they do. Thus, what makes the church any different than the rest of the society?

There are many reasons why people go to church. Some go because that is what their friends do and they want to spend more time with them. Others go because it is traditionally in the culture the "thing to do" and they do not want to break with the things that have just always been done. There are some who go to church because it makes them feel good and makes them feel that they are a good person. Some people enjoy the weekly sing-along, while others like to meet people, play games, and share stories. Then there are those who go to church because they believe that they should be fellowshipping and worshipping with a group of people who believe in the same truth and believe that they have the same purpose: to worship God, grow spiritually, help each other to grow, help other people with their physical and spiritual needs, and bring others to believe in Christ. Unfortunately, not everyone in the church belongs to the last group of "churchgoers."

How many people in the churches across the nation every Sunday, Saturday, and Wednesday would still be there if their lives were threatened because of it? How many people truly believe that God sent Jesus to save us from our sins and would be willing to die for Him?

In countries around the world, especially places like China and Sudan, people are persecuted and even killed for believing in Jesus, yet there are enormous numbers of people who still profess to be Christians. They risk their lives everyday and yet still meet together as a church in homes. What would happen if our government were to throw off its foundation of Christianity and its principles and refuse to allow people to be Christians? Would the church still exist? Would its numbers increase, decrease, or stay the same? How many people truly believe? Just a thought.

To what floor of the universe are you going?

A man named Bradley C. Edwards is trying to make a radical idea into a radical reality by trying to figure out how to build an elevator out of a suspended cable attached to the surface of the earth and extending into space. Using mechanical means instead of the law of conservation of momentum to "launch" people beyond our atmosphere, Edwards claims that the elevator would greatly cut the large costs that are currently part of the space program. Supposedly, the cable that the elevator would travel on would be kept taut by "the competing forces of gravity on Earth and the outward rotational acceleration of the planet in space."

The biggest challenge to the space elevator has been developing a cable tough enough to extend 62,000 miles without breaking. This, Edwards explained will be solved with carbon nanotube composites - tiny bundles of carbon weaved together to form a ribbon that will be stronger than steel. His startup company, Carbon Designs, Inc., is currently focused on developing this technology.

Is this really possible? Would the design really work without defying the laws of physics? Would the coreolis effect have an influence on it? There are probably a lot of skeptics out there (like me) who think that this is too weird to actually work, but then there were most likely a lot of skeptics about the ability of airplanes to fly, when they are obviously much heavier than air and, according to normal human reasoning, would never get off the ground. There were probably also a lot of people who were unsure of the idea of sending people up beyond the confines of our atmosphere into space in a rocket. The sky is no longer the limit. You never really know what might happen next. It will be interesting to see what develops, if anything, from Edward's proposition.

A Beautiful Letdown

That is how I would describe today. As I look out the window, I can see birds flying in the air and fighting for birdseed on the ground. The grass is getting back it's green shade, even though the trees and bushes are still just bare twigs swaying in the breeze without any leaves as of yet. There is not a flake of snow left on the ground as a remnant of the winter flurries. Due to a high pressure system that is passing over, there is not a cloud in the clear, light-blue sky. All appearances point to a beautiful, brisk spring day that should have everyone outside working on their gardens and shooting hoops. Unfortunately, that picture is spoiled once one actually goes outside and the brutal reality of the situation hits them squarely in the face with a blast of freezing cold air. Twenty degree weather is not generally conducive to gardening. What a letdown. Nevertheless, the world outside is still quite beautiful to gaze upon.

The Politics of Education

Should the views expressed and taught on college campuses be balanced? It depends. Should the views expressed and taught on college campuses be legislated? No.

Although many do not want to admit it, anyone with half a brain can see that universities tend to be quite liberal and seem to shun conservative thinking. It is pretty much common knowledge. But what should be done about it? Fox News had an article on what some congressmen in Ohio are trying to do to keep the education system "balanced" and "fair." They are introducing a bill to ban political bias on universities.

"Students should be free to give their opinion without fear of retribution," said Ohio GOP State Sen. Larry Mumper.

According to Mumper, professors in the Buckeye State are discriminating against students who don't hold the same political views, and the bias is usually a liberal one. He points to a recent study by a Santa Clara University researcher that found Democrats outnumber Republicans eight to one among social science and humanities faculty as evidence of the left slant.

Well, that is the view from one side of the political spectrum. What is the other? hmmmmmm...

Opponents say the legislation amounts to unnecessary meddling.

"We shouldn't limit discussion, open debate, and limit our universities from having ... what I believe is a free market system of ideas," said Ohio Democratic State Sen. Teresa Fedor.

One side says that there is not an ability to discuss all opinions and views while the other says that there is a "free market system of ideas" with "open debate." Is the latter in denial and blind to the fact that people are not always allowed to express what they think? This bill sounds nice doesn't it? Universities would finally have to be "fair" in their dealings with their students, faculty, and the world at large and open debate would be a reality.

However, I do not completely agree with either side. What was that one thing in that one document? Oh yeah: Freedom of Speech. Also, it is not the government's job to meddle in the affairs of education and it is usually not a pretty sight when it does. While I agree that the slant that shows its ugly head in universities does not allow for a free exchange of ideas and beliefs, I do not think that bringing the government into the mix is the answer. What is the solution? I honestly do not know.

When a Story Hits Home

It is very rare that reading a book makes me cry. In fact, I do not think that I have ever before cried while reading a book. The book Dana's Valley really hit home with me and I not only cried, but left my pillow soaking wet in the process. The story was told from the perspective of a young girl, Erin, who was a middle child in her family. While I am no longer that young, I have still felt everything that comes with being a middle child and I could really identify with Erin. Not only was she a middle child like me, but her younger sibling also had the same name as mine, making the narration seem even more real.

The story was of the narrator's older sister's struggle with leukemia and the impact that it had on her and her whole family. It started me wondering about what it would be like if my own older sister became that sick and (spoiler warning) ended up dying. I think that was what initially started off my lacrimal glands (That is what they are called, isn't it?). The descriptions of how sick and weak her older sister looked towards the end of her life also brought back vivid memories of my own grandfather and his final days after his battle with cancer. That just compounded the tears and, before I knew it, I had finished the book and the clock said that it was after midnight.

Perhaps I was so emotional over this book due to the fact that I was extremely tired, but I could still identify with the story in a way that made it all the more real to me, in a way that no book before it has been. Even though I would not classify it among the works of "great literature", it is still a book that I am glad I read.

Would Mona Lisa Frown?

Yesterday night I had the opportunity to see the movie Mona Lisa Smile. To tell you the truth, I thought it would be a whole lot better than it was, even though I did not have very high expectations for it to begin with. Instead, I came away with the impression that the movie has almost no redeeming qualities in it. The story is of how a conservative college during the fifties obsessed with tradition becomes more liberal after a year with new art history teacher. The movie praises sexual freedom and condemnes the rules and social standards that are in place. A school nurse who gives out contraceptives becomes a heroic martyr, a teacher who frequently sleeps around is "prince charming", marriage is for wimpy women, and there are no moral standards to say that anything is right or wrong. The message of the movie was that everyone should do what feels good and seems right to them. One of the only truths that I found in the movie was how weak and silly traditions are when they have nothing to back them up.

Unwanted Houseguests

Arachniphobes down under, beware! It seems that the redback spider, a relative of the American Black Widow, has become unhappy with its current living conditions and has now decided to move in with unsuspecting Australian homeowners. An article from Reuters said that "A female redback's bite usually results in sweating and pain, which slowly builds to the point of being unbearable." Thankfully, although there have been bites reported at the rate of about one a day, there is now an antivenom that has prevented the excruciating pain from turning into eternal sleep. Even after hearing about this and combining that with the fact that I am extremely scared of most species of spiders, Australia is still one of the many places that I hope to one day visit.

Caught With Their Pants Down

It is now against the law in Virginia to wear pants that expose any underwear. If a person is caught with their pants riding too low, they can now be fined $50. Talk about a frivolous, overreaching law! I guess that this means that the cost of hiring a plumber in Virginia will now go up with them having to pay the fine all the time ; ).

Update: It was not a law but was merely a bill which has since been killed by a Senate committee in Virginia. Sorry for the misinformation! You can continue to visit the state without having to worry about how low your pants may be! What a relief! -Becky

Room, Board, and License Plates

It seems as though there are now officials in Will County, Illinois who want to make prisoners pay to spend time in prison. The county auditor thinks that taxpayers should not have to pay the bill for criminals' room and board. At first this sounds like a great idea, but the more I have thought about it, the less I like it.

First of all, it would probably hurt the prisoners' families more than the prisoners themselves since being in jail means that they cannot be out in the world working and earning money. Many prisoners thus could probably could not afford to pay out of their own pocket, and their relatives would have to pay instead, even if they had nothing to do with the crime and are living in the slums on government welfare. Aren't the people in prison already paying for their crimes by losing their freedom?

Secondly, punishing the wrong doers is one of the main reasons for having a government in the first place. If they want to cut the costs to save taxpayers money, they should start by taking cutting the prisoners' access to things like cable television. After that, they can start cutting other programs that are unrelated to law enforcement and are rather frivolous (I am sure that they can find several).

What would happen if the prisoner refused to pay the fee? Would they be expelled from the prison and sent back into the streets? It is not like putting them in prison for rebelling in that way would make much sense, as it would only end up costing more. If they really want prisoners to help cut the cost of keeping them locked up, why not put them to work to raise money or at least cut costs in another area of government? Just a thought.