Christmas 2005

Chances are many of you, if any, won't read this post, unless you're reading a couple posts behind the posting...or something.

Merry Christmas. Happy New Year will happen, well, at the new year. But for now Merry Christmas, and God bless you all.

Two Days 'til Christmas

There are two days in between today and Christmas Day. That'll be the day I get to get up at 5:00 AM, ride with my parents up to Washington (Olympia to be exact, as I recall) and hang out there all day doing Christmas things with the extended Lower side of the family, then ride back down that same day. Should be fun, actually. I'm going to be taking the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to read on the recommendation of a UP friend, and I'll be taking A Prayer for Owen Meany to read when that's finished with.

Honestly, Christmas is so close, but it doesn't feel so close just yet. Maybe because I felt when I got out of school after Fall Semester that I had a longer break, or something. Oh well.

Any commentators got an issue to bring up? I don't mean personal issues, but political/religious/social ones...Feel free to bring one up, as I'm outta topics for right now. I'll post something about Alice when I'm done reading it.

Good day and God bless.

Finals Are Over

Finals are over. I've moved into Christie Hall from Kenna Hall. It's been an interesting last week of the first semester. Honestly, I don't have too much to say at this point. It'll be a good next semester living on the same floor as...well, as a bunch of people I know. I don't have much to say right now...Good day and God bless.

D.Lo Responds to Post Comments (Part 54)

Welcome to another edition of the post-where-I'm-just-resonding-to-post-comments.

d r w said: Sometimes I think DSL is "LSD" backwards for a reason...Great Blog D-lo. How about a new top five...top five Chesterton Quotations anyone?

Heh. Actually, I sometimes marvel at the different acronyms that can be made with those letters. For instance "DLS" (De La Salle, an often used abbreviation for my high school, "De La Salle North Catholic") or "LDS" (the Mormon church.) There's probably one for each permutation (one for each possible arrangement of the letters)...there are six permutations, leaving two two be found...That'll be covered later. As for Chesterton quotations...I'm not sure I could pick just five, but if you can tell me via comment, I suppose.

k-po said: i have a trolling story - uncle scott asked me one sunday if i was trolling for men since i had taken a shower that sunday. what kind of thing is that to say to a mother of 2. i told him my sisters would kill me if i considered "trolling" so i need to wait until my boys are grown - then it is "trolling away" kind of like anchors away - i will be off and trolling - watch out men she's trolling....again. what a troll.

That's awesome...Kinda mean, though, yeah. And yeah, your sisters probably would kill you...they tend to be vicious like that. (j/k). Thanks for making me laugh, k-po. How are the boys anyways? I will probably be able to hang over break, or something. (But don't worry, it won't be a hangover break.)

And now for a question for the commentors/readers: Does anyone have the words (serious words, not just fillers) to fill in the acronyms SDL and SLD?

Trolling

So, in the last post I was talking about how I was at the Cove at 1:00 AM studying. I actually went longer, and including distractions (i.e. people around, and people back in Kenna) I wound up going to bed around 3:30 AM.

nana said: why are you out of your room at 1;00 a.m.? you may say it is for studying but i don't buy that. Your are trolling, man. admit it.

love you anyway

I actually got curious as to what nana meant by "trolling," so I did a google define. Trolling is defined by google (type in "define: " to see!) as one of the following:

a) Providing people with false information in order to get help from people who want to give it.
b) Fishing with "an array of baited lines or lures behind the boat.”
c) Starting trouble on Internet message boards.
d) Doing LSD.

I’m guessing you didn’t mean b), because although it is called the Cove it is quite inland. I'm going to guess you meant d). Not to worry, not too many drugs to be had on/around the UP campus--but I do know of places I could go to if I wanted some beer. (And no, I won't doing that either.)

At the Cove

Can't post long. I'm at the Pilot House working on Physics. Just thought I should post something b/c I am checking e-mail(s)/Facebook. Nothing new, really.

This is why you start Physics homework earlier.

The Things I'll Never Learn (Part 5000)

Welcome to this installment of The Things I'll Never Learn--those life lessons that you know pretty much from the start, or from some point in your life, but that you have to keep realizing, because they keep escaping you. In this installment is:

Never take anyone for granted. There are a myriad of reasons for this lesson. This posting in particular is brought on by my Mom's recent time in the hospital (not serious, but still) which reminded me that I often take for granted that people will be there, and that's not really the case...Of course my Mom isn't the only one I've taken for granted, but that's hte example I present here. Never take anyone for granted.

As far as things I'll never learn go, that one's...well, it's definitely on the list.

Five Favorite Songs, Anyone?

You know that/those song(s) that you listen to, and when you're listening to it you don't want to miss a single note, beat, measure, line, etc? The ones that you marvel over, and listen to a million times, and hear the different instruments in? You have a "top five"? I'm not sure if I do really, but I'll make an attempt to define what my top five are:

Jars of Clay - Fade to Grey: A song that's good for when I'm sad or happy and is a great song to worship with. Awesome vocal line, and the way all the instruments come together is awesome. And the bassline rules, especially near the end.

The Echoing Green - She's Gone Tragic: An electronica peice that uses the title's "she" as a parallel to the greater humanity--and suggests that we all need to "stumble into the Light." Good bass, great synths, and a song that I would dance to if DJs only had the courage to play it.

Delirious? - Deeper: Probably my favorite worship song that was written, more directly, as a worship song. It rocks out while speaking, like the first two, to humanity's need of God. Fun to sing and edifying.

Headslider - Trouble on Your Mind: Unlike the rest of the list, it's not a peice of "Christian music"--but it makes the list because of its incredible groove and good vocals, and because the bassist was able to go from playing for an almost drum'n'bass style back to old jazzy-swingy bass, and back again.

Fold Zandura - Return: It makes me want to dance, or something, even though it's poppy-quasi-hard rock. It seems to be dealing with the themes of salvation and even the final completion we will have in God, after we're gone from the earth. The way in which the guitars work together I find intriguing.

So here's my question--and give your reasons for each if you can--what're your top five songs of all time? My list happens to have worked out mostly in the "Christian" subculture of music, but I certainly don't expect anyone else's to. Good day and God bless.

Math Tests and Shakespearean Sonnets

Just to warn the parents of the blogger, the first paragraph is going to hit a bit hard. Know that I'm going to start devising some uber-review method for the Calculus and Physics finals sometiem this week(end). Why? Because I got a math test back today. It wasn't a good Calc class, if for no other reason than that I got that test back. I got a 76%. At least it's no lower than the last grade. You're wondering what could hit harder than that? Err, well, this doesn't hit harder, but it's still kinda sad: The Class Average was a 70%. Which means even with a C, I'm above the average. :\ Remind me not to complain about that solid B I'm getting in Orr's English class, and how I haven't yet gotten higher on one of his (graded-beyond-participation) assignments. The worst thing is how much of this 76% wasn't not-studying even but was stupid mistakes. Like forgetting that I have a term with a coefficient of 5, and leaving the 5 out of the answer. I still need to study more, but part of it's that bad habit of not checking for stupid mistakes. Both things to do on the final.

I'm going to answer a comment from k-po now, because it'll make me feel smarter.

k-po said: Tell me what [terza rima] means

I'm really psyched to answer this because it proves Terza rima is a poem with an interlocking rhyme scheme, known as the rhyme scheme employed in Dante's The Divine Comedy. It goes as follows:

a
b
a

b
c
b

c
d
c

And so on. I'm not sure quite how it's supposed to end, though. Perhaps with a heroic couplet. As for the other form it gave you--the sonnet--there's the English / Shakespearean Sonnet and the Italian Sonnet. An English Sonnet is 14 lines with the rhyme scheme:

a
b
a
b
c
d
c
d
e
f
e
f
g
g

The rhyme schemes vary except for the couplet at the end. I believe it's also written in iambic pentameter. While there's no set way that the poem presents its problem or its solution, often the entire poem presents some problem which the heroic couplet at the end resolves. Shakespeare's "My mistress's eyes..." is an example of a Shakespearean Sonnet.

In an Italian Sonnet, also in iambic pentameter, the form is as such:

a
b
b
a
a
b
b
a
c
d
c
d
c
d

In an Italian Sonnet, the problem is traditionally presented in the first eight lines and solved in the last six. Mark Jarman's "Unholy Sonnet" is an example of an Italian Sonnet. The rhyme scheme does not vary. (I did have to look up the sonnets section to remember some of the rhyme scheme things.)

Hope that helps. Good day and God bless.

Terza Rima

Am I feeling lazy today? Yes. I was going to post something theological and ask a crazy question, but I'll save that for another day. So for now, take this quiz to find out which poetry form you are. The link is in this post. Here's my result. I've never even heard of this form before in my life.

I'm terza rima, and I talk and smile. Where others lock their rhymes and thoughts away I let mine out, and chatter all the while. I'm rarely on my own - a wasted day Is any day that's spent without a friend, With nothing much to do or hear or say. I like to be with people, and depend On company for being entertained; Which seems a good solution, in the end.

And apparently if I weren't this terza rima thing, I'd be "blank verse." And I do know what blank verse means.
Enjoy, and please post your results (just copy/paste the text that here appears in the pink box, and then tell us what it said you'd be if you weren't what it claled you. If that sounds too complicated, just post what it said you were, and what it said you would be if you weren't the first thing. (So if I were posting abbreviated I'd say "terza rima - or blank verse."

Good day and God bless.

10 Fun Facts from Wikipedia

The following crazy facts come from Wikipedia, an open-source encyclopedia. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/ for the encyclopedia itself and that free documentation license thing I'm supposed to link to. Any "links" within these facts have been deleted (the http://en.wikipedia.org links still work, though.)

1. "The American Dialect Society chose the verb to google as the 'most useful word of 2002.'" (Italics mine)

2. The fictional Glass family appears in many of J.D. Salinger's short stories.

3. The American version, at least, of role-playing game Chrono Trigger has three characters named Ozzie, Flea, and Slash. Each name references a rock star.

4. "Four can be used as an obscenity in some technologically adept circles, replacing the common word for fornication."

5. The game name Final Fantasy came about because the author believed he would be retiring once the game was completed.

6. The hip-hop song "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang samples the classic Chic tune "Good Times," and the "Good Times" bassline helped inspire Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust."

7. Mohandas Gandhi is said to have been influenced by Catholic author G.K. Chesterton.

8. "The odor of sweat is actually caused by bacteria thriving in hot, humid environments."

9. The name [of Urban-Legend Website] snopes comes from the name of a family in the works of writer William Faulkner.

10. Catholic Author J.R.R. Tolkein contributed to the Jerusalem Bible.

Post-Thanksgiving-Break Blog

Thanksgiving Break is drawing rapidly to a close, and I will go back to UP. Things I hope to work on in the next couple of weeks:

Study habits.
Study habits.
Study habits.

I've made some progress in the area, but overall I think I could use a bit more. Hopefully I'll have some good habits established by next semester, will set higher goals and reach them, etc.

Thanksgiving Break was good. I got to see Chris, Trisha and Rachel back from college this week. They all seem to be doing pretty well at their places, and they've got a lot of the same stresses I do. The day after I got to go to Thanksgiving at my Grandma's (as in Nana-Grandma's) house, which was fun. Much of the family was there for fun and games and food and stuff.

Good day / God bless.

BHC Tonight, and Wow I'm Excited

I get to back to De La Salle North Catholic tonight for Beverage House Catastrophe, an event I feel a special connection to because I helped to start the thing. I seriously trust the people in charge of it (although the one I've actually worked with on it before is sick) and am looking foward to a great event. And now, on to comments on the last post. For purposes of context I'll re-quote Irving's passage in neat Courier font, then proceed to commentage.

“And always the prettiest girl got to play [the Virgin] Mary. “WHAT DOES PRETTY HAVE TO DO WITH IT?” Owen asked. “WHO SAYS MARY WAS PRETTY?”

nana said: what is the matter with you, Daniel? Too much studying? Of course Mary was the prettiest girl in Nazarath. She was also blonde and blue eyed. She was the head cheerleader for Nazareth High and was of course Homecoming Queen. Oh yes. She was born in the USA.

p.s. her dad was a CEO of a major corporation.

That made me laugh. Out loud, even, I think.

k-po said: it is irony because she probably wasn't a virgin

In the actual book, the character probably is (they're about middle-school aged then, as I recall.) However it is still a funny thing to note that the girls who wind up playing Mary probably often end up not being virgins, or becoming not-virgins before they become not-unmarrieds...Wow, that was an odd sentence.

k-po said: when will we see you again? you are not going to the soccer game on friday? what kind of school spirit do you have? can i go to beverage house with you? oh i forgot i have children. good luck with your papers etc.

I am not going to the soccer game on Friday. I will be missing a school playoff game, but my logic is thus: I've been planning on BHC for at least a month. This game was just scheduled a week or so ago. I'm going to BHC, because it was there first. And because I actually want to be there more. Papers are either in or getting turned in today.

l-po said: Ah, yes, THE VOICE! We have an adage that tells us "pretty is as pretty does." Studies have shown that people tend to think that pretty people are nice and unattractive people not so nice. Be glad you're handsome.

(For those of you who haven't read Owen Meany, "the voice" refers to the way Owen's dialogue is--always capitalized, to emphasize his strange voice.) Studies really show that? I should be glad rather that the people I hang with don't judge others like that, or at least don't do it so much. I can't think of myself as handsome, sorry...it'd be too weird.

Anyway, on to turning in my paper and then the Philosophy Table! I will blog again later! Until then, good day and God bless.

3/4ths of the Way to Post 100!

Yo, everybody. I'm posting because I haven't in a couple of days just to say how stuff's going. Academically this is my worst week of the semester, sans possibly finals week, because this week I have two major papers due. Thankfully the Spanish paper is finished, and the English paper has been looked at in the writing lab. Now I basically have to make some corrections on English, revise it a bit, and turn it in by 5:00 PM Friday. Then I get to celebrate by visiting De La Salle North Catholic High School for Beverage House Catastrophe. Sweet stuff.

Also, a Physics test on Friday. That's the worst part. Hmm. I should talk to my parents about the possibility of staying out a ridiculous amount of time in Beaverton, for mud football and Pastor Matt's college group. (I hope you're all listening--this could be the one none-break Sunday this semester I can afford to do mud football, and there is none of that on Thanksgiving break.)

Now back to my Physics homework. Bye, y'all, and God bless. I leave you with a quotation from John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany. I encourage the discussion thereof:

“And always the prettiest girl got to play [the Virgin] Mary. “WHAT DOES PRETTY HAVE TO DO WITH IT?” Owen asked. “WHO SAYS MARY WAS PRETTY?”

D.Lo Responds to Post Comments (Part 53)

nana said: thanks for the quiz. i love quizzes.

i am an O53 / C89 / E9 / A71 / N76

At least now you know where you get your neuroticism.Did you notice that spells ocean? I wonder what that means? [...] by the way. your 52 blog. the person who responded that if you didn't write so often.....makes me think maybe you are practicing to be an oregonian columnist who HAS to write every day.just a thought.

I think it's just an acronym to represent the five right-spectrum traits. As for the thought on practicing to be an Oregonian columnist...I don't think I could do that, really. I wouldn't have enough to write about.

l-po said: Okay, here you go ...O - 93 / C - 64 / E - 1 / A - 17 / N - 71
Does it sound like your mother?

Yes. You're much more open to new stuff than I am, in the least, and the level of neuroticism's...about right. Not sure if it's -quite- that high.

k-po: I'm a O7-C79-E22-A10-N55 Big Five!!
Auntie K.

I'm not sure if you're quite as closed-minded as the thing says...The other ones seem fairly accurate, though.

llgp: McGee, that was rather fun, if not especially surprising. I ended up with O12-C89-E42-A44-N22. I think the first and the last one might both be a little exaggerated than is true when I think about them. Otherwise, though, it seems fairly accurate.Like the Joker asked regarding Batman, "Where does he get all those wonderful toys?"

If by wonderful toys you mean polls, this one I heard about some peeps having to take for Sociology/Psychology, or osmething. I'm not sure you're quite so relaxed as the thing says, either...the accuracy of that O depends on which experience.

I'll also be linking to one (probably tomorrow) regarding morality...There's also a personality test there, the exact same one, -but- the morality test itself is different and seems fairly spot-on when I look at myself.

Takin' a Poll

I'm" a O47-C3-E74-A10-N76 Big Five!!

Take the quiz. It was fairly accurate with me. I'm not sure if I'm quite as disagreeable as I rated, but I do sometimes find it too easy to criticize people. And I do have a fair measure of neurosis (not clinical I'm sure, but in general.)

Enjoy, and please post your results in comments!

D.Lo Responds to Post Comments (Part 52)

I don't know how many times I've done this so I'm giving it the arbitrary number of 52. So without further adieu, the comments on the "list things" post I posted a bit back:

k-po said: why are you up at 3:54 and please don't share what you are doing with your bodily fluids.

See list. As for bodily fluids, I want you to know that I have to pee right now. Not a lot but a bit, as in I'll probably be going in about ten minutes. And now I'm done saying things with that detail forever, as far as blogging goes.

And on the spiritual growth post:

nana said: just wait till you are a woman of an age old enough to have made all the changes one should ever have to make, and then be asked by God to make some more. Oh, wait. You'll never BE an old woman. Me bad. You're right. it's called spiritual growth and as long as we are spiritual beings we grow or we die. you've learned a large lesson. you are also right. it's scary.

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that whole striving-my-whole-life thing, but Who I'm striving to follow makes the effort worth it.

l-po said: Things would be less scary if you'd get MORE SLEEP!

Not in this area, they wouldn't. Oftentimes I get the most sleep when I'm most frail, and most scared, and that's during the time I often have growth. I can almost guarantee getting more sleep would make me less stressed, but spiritually I'd be just about as scared.

k-po said: stop thinking so much and get some sleep. didn't you learn anything from me on the ride to newberg? we learned how to get to the soccer field :P

I guess I didn't learn anything except that on the ride to Newberg. Actually I'm sure I learned lots of things. And yeah--not here so much, but in lots of places--I do think too much.

Eventually I'll get the rest of the Lord, Liar, Lunatic stuff up. Perhaps tomorrow. Goodnight and God bless!

Growth is Weird

College is weird. Spiritual growth happens in obscure ways. In scary ways, even. I'm growing in other ways, too, but that's the way in which growth has been, well, really different. With academic growth you basically start with a basis of facts and then move more and more into critical thinking while maintaining a factual (or at least plausible theoretical) basis for these thoughts. But with spiritual growth you are often forced to do things that are downright scary. Rethinking my views on the war in Iraq during high school was one thing. Being told more than a few times that I needed a serious adjustment in lifestyle (which I have, often in a halfhearted manner, made), and realizing that doing it more wholeheartedly is very scary, is quite another. The second of the two is more terrifying for me, because it means I--not just one belief about this or that, or whatever, but I, me, down to my very core--it means that I have to change, and I have to give up the complete control over these changes. It's much more terrifying realizing that the problem with my Bible reading habits isn't really in the habits, but in something else, than realizing that I might have been thinking wrong about politics. Academic and spiritual growth can't compare. Both are challenge--at times one is easier than the other. But in terms of fear, in terms of how scary they are, spiritual growth is definitely the more intense.

Just So I Have a Post Today

List of things done "today" (Friday-Saturday Early AM):

Physics lab. It'll run into Sunday, but we worked pretty well!
Messing around.
Philosophy table at lunch.
Messing around. A bit of reading of The Bluest Eye.
Dinner.
Donnie Darko with friends. Movie put on by Sociology Club, or something.
2nd half of Donnie Darko with Tyler, who got a call from his girlfriend and thus had to skip out on almost half of the movie.
Finishing The Bluest Eye. About 100 pages read today.
Checking Matt's blog and trying to say something helpful.
Sending e-mails, including one to a friend over in Iraq.
Blogging this.

Getting offline, peeing, and then getting to bed and soon to sleep.

Wow...Check out this post delay.

Almost TEN DAYS since the last post. Here's what's goin' on: I don't feel like posting the Lord, Liar, Lunatic thing right now. Maybe way later when I'm up for copy/pasting. I'm going to be going to visit Joel (kokosmasher) at George Fox on Saturday assuming there's no hangup on his end. Started The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, which is around halfway done now. Interesting book. She's a good writer. Imagery is good. I'm not entirely sure what the message of it is, although there definitely are some racial image themes. One of our paper options involves why she uses the superlative Bluest as opposed to just Bluer or Blue. I've got a couple of abstract ideas on that one. Hope to have the book finished by Friday evening/night; then I can do the paper. (In case you really want to know, that paper's due Tuesday. I've worked on this schedule before and gotten Bs on both of those papers, so there's no need to be concerned about that.)

Getting back English midterms and the equivalent of a Spanish midterm tomorrow. Also I have a Calculus midterm test (yes, I'll be doing a couple more practice problems, but with most topics I won't need too much.) Thankfully my lack of a TI-83 won't hurt too much. Dr. Hallstrom assured me that he doesn't assume any calculators are had and doesn't necessarily expect a nonvariable value till the final answer is given. (Actually, both of my Calculus/Physics professors recommend leaving answers as variables until the end...)

Over break I got to hang with Colin, introducing him to Chrono Trigger. We also played some Soul Calibur II, which he pretty much won, and a bit more balanced few rounds of Super Smash Brothers Melee. Also I hung out with Matt (over at PCC), a friend from De La Salle. We played SSBM and SCII, and I dominated for the most part in the former and was dominated for the most part in the latter. I hung with Kayla (also at UP) and Mariana (back from Beloit for her break) on Wednesday for a bit. They're doing well, and it was fun to have coffee with people. I hung at De La Salle for awhile then, harrassing old teachers. After that I got to hang and play Tetris Attack with my little cousins at my grandmother's. That was awesome. The younger seems a TA prodigy, and the older dude is getting better all the time. It's mind-blowing being challenged by these kids. Thursday I hung out with Doug in Lake Oswego and got to see a park there which was pretty cool. We also saw Wallace and Gromit's feature film which was a fun movie and quite family-friendly. Pretty much the rest of the time I was having awesome burrito-dinners with family or playing video games. Or doing homework. Can't forget that.

Goodnight and God bless. Got a bit more Calc studying to do, a bit of hangin' around do to, and a bit of sleepin' to do.

Adventures in Philosophy: What Capitalizaiton Can do for You

nana said: hope you got some sleep, dear little Daniel man, and that you did what you needed to do on your mid term. thank God for mid term breaks. sleep it away.love you oodles and gobloons.Lord, Liar, Lunatic. i love the alliteration. interesting study. please let me know your conculsions. what does Chesterson say?

I'm not going to quite sleep away my Mid Term Breaks, but I'm off to a good start in that department. Physics was an interesting test and I'm a bit nervous as to what the grade is. I hope it will be a B, at least. Other classes seemed to have gone fairly well. Not sure about English. English I also am hoping for a B. I've gotten a B+ and a B so far on Orr's papers; hopefully on an essay exam it's roughly the same.

As for Lord, Liar, or Lunatic: I diagrammed the argument (I'll post the diagram in my more awake hours, later "today") and showed it to the professor I've been corresponding with (name / last name withheld for confidentiality reasons.) We had a lengthy discussion about a lot of things, but that argument was one of them.

In particular we've been doing (and did again) a bit of hair-splitting over the meaning of the phrases the Son of God, the son of God and sons of God. (This is important because Lewis' argument rests in part upon what claims Christ made, and so as such when Jesus claims to be "the Son of God" it would be best to make sure we know what He means. Of course I've taken my side on that one, but the professor is a philosopher and we were looking at the argument skeptically, and some of his theories about the meaning of the words as such were taken into account. Vital differences:

"the son of God" -- refers to only one, and son isn't capitalized, which serves as the difference between the wording used with Adam and the wording used with Jesus (with Jesus, it is capitalized)
"the Son of God" -- only used in reference to Christ, or in reference to claims Christ is supposed to have made about himself.
"sons of God" -- refers to lots of things, including (quasi-angelic?) beings in the Old Testament. But it's plural, suggesting that it's not an "only one" as the first two phrases are.

Capitalization marks the difference in terms of the word Son vs the word son. Wherever "son of God" refers to Christ, "son" is capitalized. It might not seem like much, but when a translator decides on that one letter they make serious implications. Bear with me if you don't understand just yet.

When using the word "God" vs. the word "god," the capital G makes the difference in determining whether a false god or the One True God is referenced. The same thing applies in the phrase "son of God" vs. "Son of God"--except that the uncapitalized letter doesn't denote anything especially false--just that the word works in a different sense.

So I conjectured to the professor that, given that we could know how a translator determines to use the capital S, so that we might be able to judge the system of determination as good or bad, we might be able to know, to a better degree of certainty, exactly what claims Christ made about himself. Of course I already believe I know to a very good degree of certainty. One day I do intend to attempt to peice together the system that a translator will use for determining where that capital S is used and where it is not.

The most amazing realization that came out of that discussion was that there really was so much of a meaning, so much of an interpretation, in that capital S. Consciously or not, they will confirm the hypothesis that, in Scripture, capitalization is helping them to tell the difference between false Gods and the One True God, between the sons of God, the son of God and the Son of God.

I'm also forcing myself to read Karl Barth this week. If I have to read Toni Morrison (The Bluest Eye) I might as well also read some of, if not all of, the selection of Barth's Church Dogmatics which was in our library. I'll have more on Barth, and my diagram and further analysis of Lord, Liar or Lunatic later.

Teaser analysis: Granted:

- a slight reworking of the argument for more formality, implied steps and less-harsh rhetoric
- replacing Lewis' conclusion regarding one's reaction to Christ's claim with a more specific conclusion that is often given it, and may have been given it by Lewis outside of the argument as presented by the excerpt

It is quite credible to say that, whether the argument itself is sound or unsound, the argument form is perfectly valid. That is to say, if everything Lewis takes as a given is given him, the conclusion can be proven logically.

Oh yes. As for Chesterton...he wasn't alive when LLL was put out. Or do you mean in terms of proving Christ's divinity? Anyway, good night and God bless.

For the Record, I Can't Sleep

I was going to sleep at 11:00 PM tonight. 11:00 PM. That would have been very, very nice. But I stayed up. And then realized at 12:00 that I couldn't actually sleep. I laid awake for about a half an hour and then came to my computer, in theory to blog. So here's a blog.

Did I mention I'm having trouble sleeping and have my last midterm at 8:10 AM tomorrow? Eventually I will become tired enough, and will sleep. Or my eyes will sleep and the rest of me will lay awake feeling like life is horrible becuase I have a midterm at 8:10 AM tomorrow. Fall Break's coming just in time...

I'm going to go to the Philosophy Table tomorrow. Er, today. Maybe while I get sleepy I'll do a bit of research and e-mail one of the professors who does it about our Lord-Liar-Lunatic argument correspondence. Currently we're trying to determine possible exceptions to the argument (plausible we haven't touched too much, at least not that I know of) and are currently splitting hairs over what Christ meant in calling Himself the Son of God.

My research tonight: Where Scripture refers to the sons and/or daughters of God and whether in any case they are referred to as not being adopted. This is a vital component of the discussion because can potentially affect one's interpretation of Christ's claim to be "the Son of God."

If anyone's got any questions they can feel free to ask. I haven't exactly established what the LLL argument is yet; I need to make sure I look it up tomorrow, or something, too, in its original form. Eventually I'll diagram it logically.

Goodnight / God bless.

Funkasaurus

Next week is Midterm Week, after which comes Fall Break. Awesome? Yes. Worried? Not yet, but I will be!

This is my three-or-so-minute post. After I'm done listening to the current song I'm going to abruptly end it, and then pee, and then sleep. Or something. Because I have a lab at 8:10 tomorrow morning. Actually this song's pretty good. My first listen at that. John Kelley's "Funkasaurus"--it's on music.download.com if you want it.

Lots and lots of fun today. Today was a good day. We read "My Last Duchess" in English. After someone got the interpretation I found out the poem is actually very, very creepy. Part of me feels like I've read it somewhere before or at least heard what it was about...Either way, English was good today. So was Spanish--best class I've had these last two weeks. Calculus was better than it was on Tuesday, because today I actually made it.

Well, about twenty seconds left. And there it goes naming the post "Funkasaurus." Before the song gets too far in and I am forced to listen again I need to go pee. Maybe I'll listen once more before bed, but the post stops here. Goodnight and God bless.

Easy Mac

Hey. Short time, no post. I like to give readers a good two-or-three days to read each post--that's about how long they take on average, judging from the way everyone else talks about their length.

Anyways, something shorter today. Poetry regarding the making of Easy-Mac.

"Easy Mac"

Easy Mac.
I put noodles into a bowl.
Put some water in, too—
And hit the button on
The microwave. In minutes the
Timer goes "ding!" and I
Reach in and try to
Grab the bowl. And then
HOT SCALDING WATER POURS OUT
HURTING MY HANDS WITHOUT REASON,
And I wonder just how
Easy this Easy Mac is.

Easy Mac.
I clean noodles from the
Interior of the fancy microwave
Which is one of the
Expensive things in my room.
I scoop what I can
Into the bowl, add the
Orange powder cheese, stir, and
OOH HOW MIRACULOUSLY GOOD THESE
CHEESY POWDERS AND NOODLES TASTE.
But I wonder just how
Worth it Easy Mac was.

Poem Structure, to whomever gives a crap: Each stanza is made up of one two-word starting line (“Easy Mac”) and eleven lines with five words each.

I actually really did enjoy that Easy Mac, once I had it made. It was too much fun. And yes, I really did burn my hands (not as in permanently but as in "Yes, the water really did hurt."

Anyway, I have three classes tomorrow, and the first one's at 8:10 AM. Following that statement, blogging is done, and other activities will soon be.

I'm Not Going to Pretend

...That I have some sort of profound title to give this post, because I don't. I've been thinking of writing some poetry recently. Not sure if it'd be worthy of being posted up here. And by poetry I mean actual poetry, not the stuff I often do that floats in the ethereal void because I call it lyrics and it never gets recorded.

Homecoming was this weekend. I didn't go to anything--the dance or the game or even the float competition. I didn't see many drunk people, either, or at least none that I knew were drunk. But on Friday, when my roommate Tyler came to Colin's place to watch Boondock Saints, he said a lot of people were drunk in Kenna. It wound up being a bunch of people watching, two of whom had seen it before and four of whom had not. The two who had seen it loved it, and the rest of us thought it was alright. Well, I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it.

Boondock Saints is a fairly good movie, if you look at it as a movie. Some of the jokes are fairly funny and the plot is original, at least. And the way the thing is put together is very good. The biggest issue isn't the plot or even the violence--it's the fact that the script-writers felt the need to insert the F-word every few seconds, almost arbitrarily.

That night Colin and I hung out, staying up way too late after other people went to bed. The next night I was also up too late, except that this time it started with me, Colin, Courtney and Rachel--and then from about 2:30 AM, for the next two hours, Colin, Courtney and I hung out in the lobby of Mehling hall. For absolutely no good reason. Colin and I hung out at the crossroads between Christie, Kenna and Shipstad for about ten minutes on the way back, noting that if public safety dropped by we would be unable to prove our sobriety. We had after all been up obscenely late two nights in a row.

But I neglect one detail about Saturday. One very major detail. On Saturday I went to the wedding of someone from my church named Nicole who married this dude named Scott who--I found this out via Pastor Gene's talk during the service--met on a blind date. It was a good wedding. I didn't go to the wedding of my cousin Nate and his now-wife Brit, but I'm sure they had a good one as well. For some reason I haven't asked my parents how it went yet--perhaps they or other family readers could enlighten me via blog?

Oh yes. Because I watched Boondock Saints the night before, I also had the F-word running through many of my thoughts on Saturday. I literally had to clean up some of my thoughts before allowing them to be verbalized. I don't think I even knew my brain could insert the F-word in so many sentences until I had to censor it out of so many.

Just a note here that I never intend to give a last name to any of these people via blog, and a request to readers that if they know the last name they not use it in their comments--if they do the comments will be deleted to protect my friends' privacy.

Oh yes. Today I discovered a very fun song. It's called "The Boxer" and it's by the Chemical Brothers with Tim Burgess of the Charlatans as guest vocalist, the groove bends genres as much of their other stuff does--a dance-worthy and hip-hoppy, techno-groovy, funky, just plain awesome track. I'd recommend it to any of my readers. I've been listening to the stream almost nonstop, and I think it'll be the other Chemical Brothers song that goes in my iTunes, whenever I get around to signing up for a music store account. Note to parental readers: Since I have no credit card and don't want to establish credit right yet, any ideas on how this could work?

I even made an N map mostly while listening to "The Boxer" which I named after the song, because pretty much whenever I've been playing that map or editing it I've been listening to the song. Awesome groove. Go here if you feel so intrigued by my intrigue that you absolutely must hear it.

Oh yes, I also saw Red vs. Blue for the first time this last week (last seven days). Red vs. Blue is a whimsical take on Halo, a first-person shooter made for the X-Box. Using the game the creators of this (cartoon?) make it look as if it were just a bunch of real characters interacting and fighting. There are some very nicely done shots as well, and a plot that I look forward to learning more of once the rolling archive gets to the point of my being able to download every episode. The last one made was actually the first one I saw, and it was pretty good. You could go to RedVsBlue.com if you wanted to hear more and download that episode, which by the way is #62: Lost in Triangulation. Be warned that neither Halo nor RvB is suitable for young children in terms of violence, and there's a bit of language in RvB (while it's definitely bad enough to exclude young children, it's not as much as Boondock Saints and is used to much better, more comical and less over-the-top, effect). Also, the humor in RvB is very goofy. Do not approach it totally from a "smart" humor point of view. It's sort of smart-stupid humor, in a way, and there's a couple of awesome verbal/conversational gags in Episode 62.

I think I'll let that be my post for the evening. Goodnight and God bless (cite comedian mentioned by my Dad earlier here.)

Theology

Well, it appears that I have made myself the biggest liar in all of Kenna Hall. On my door whiteboard it is written that "Daniel 'D.Lo' Lower is doing theology for fun." Since writing that on the whiteboard on the front of my dorm-room door I have done no theology, or next to none. The closest I have gotten was grabbing Orthodoxy from my room and bringing it, along with my laptop, to the library. The second closest I have gotten was briefly helping a friend with the structure of his paper regarding Thich Nhat Hahn and the Dalai Lama on peace and reconciliation. (Those of you who've followed this blog for awhile might note that this is the exact same paper I had to write this summer. It's the same teacher, too.)

So now I'm sitting with Raphael who has to write the same paper that I wrote this summer. He's distracting himeslf with happier things--or things which are happier to him, at any rate--by helping Mike (there are two Mikes; one is leaving as I type this, the other is talking with Raphael about Calculus homework.) I on the other hand still have to do my Calculus homework later. And what a joy it will be doing two hours of Calculus. What a joy.

Heh. Just kidding.

I read a play yesterday for my English class. It's by this guy named Ibsen, and it's called The Doll House. And it ends in quite a depressing fashion, but as with many plays there's a bit of drama. Well, a lot. Drama tends to involve itself. In this one there's some commentary on marriage, some stuff that could be taken as vaguely involving commentary on poverty, and some stuff that, at least from the parts of the author's notes that were reprinted in my textbook, was meant to be a commentary on morality in general, and the differences between moralities in men and women.

So my friend's doing a thing on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn. In retrospect I think I might have been able to be a tad more intellectually honest than I was about how I feel regarding the views of Nhat Hahn and the Dalai Lama. I know I was plenty honest here, but on the paper I think I stretched my appreciation a bit. A bit means...well, more than I should have, probably.

So here I am. They're talking about how to find a formula for the nth derivative of the function f(x) = sqrt(x). I'm listening to Mistake Theory, currently. Very well-mixed stuff. Mistake Theory, as depressing as some of their lyrics are, can be quite calming and relaxing at times. I need to get some of my MP3s from their old MP3.com site the first time I go home, or something. I haven't heard the song "Introspection" in forever, and that's one of those songs that should be heard. Not one of their relaxing ones. Anyway, I think Mike's about ready to go to lunch. Raphael is going to lunch as well. So I guess I'm going with them, or something?

And still I haven't touched Orthodoxy. I think I did more theology earlier today.

Okay, I guess Mike's going to lunch, but Raph isn't just yet. So I'll hang around here, still having someone to hang around with. I actually did read almost a chapter of last night, way too late at night. I stopped because I was falling asleep on the floor of the Kenna Hall lounge. I didn't even read it in order. I started about four-five pages in and was working my way back from the start, after having finished. But I never completed the circle. Just as well, in the previous chapter there was something about how circles were true madness.

I've got the stinkin' book right here. Why not just find the quotation? Here it is; well, rather, it's two quotations with one of those ellipses in-between: "For the circle is perfect and infinite in its nature; but it is fixed forever in its size...[t]he circle returns upon itself and is bound...the circle of the moon is as clear and unmistakable...as the circle of Euclid on a blackboard. For the moon is utterly reasonable; and the moon is the mother of lunatics and has given to them all her name." Okay, so it's more like four, strung together. The connection between circles and madness is quite intriguing. Although I have heard that the definition of insanity is to do something over and over again, the same way, and expect a different result. In a sense, then, the definition of insanity is truly to move in a circle.

I don't think I'm quite doing theology here, but I am reflecting upon a book of it; rather upon a section of a book of it. One of the better sections, however. For the verbal and visual pleasure of readers, what's playing now is a remix of a song called Veteran by a band called the Kidney Thieves. Pleasant, isn't it?

Okay, now the song's about to end...

Okay. So now what's playing is a song which (although there are no vocals in this mix) is nearly half-complete vocally and which I am in a debate about...Regarding whether I should put it on as a second song on Mike's--the other Mike, the first one to leave--on Mike's radio show on Friday. Which by the way is on during the homecoming game, making it increasingly unlikely that anybody will actually hear it. In some ways that makes me feel more useless and in others it makes me feel more empowered--like massively fewer listeners means I don't need to worry so much what people will think of me as an artist. Not that I know anybody besides myself who has listened to both hours so far. It would be disturbingly comical to find that by going on the show I had taken away its entire audience.

Was this post really about theology? No. More about trip-hop and sitting in the library. More trip-hop on now. A demo the Megazeuxer Esdemo sent awhile back that might never get vocals on it, or might sometime. But if it does it will be awesome. The beat rocks beyond rockage, and defies being classified as "techno." Sitting in the library? Not so fun to do by yourself, but more fun if someone next to you is writing a paper, and you have blogging you can do.

I'm also going to be walking to Fred Meyer's today with the person I was going to do yoga with forever ago. Sometime after dark preferably, because it's cooler then. I'll probably end up picking up a few things, not the least of which will be hot pockets. Okay, enough music in Winamp. Time for some iTunes.

Another track Esdemo sent me from back when the band had more members and was called Crystal Summer. "Dreaming in Red"--I could probably send it if someone wanted me to.

Also, I know now when Boondock Saints is happening--this Friday. I need to find the guy who's going to loan it, and that's pretty much all I have to do. Well, that and figure out what sort of time I have. Showing time, that is. I should have plenty of time on Friday. And the fact that Boondock Saints is happening on Friday is a perfect sigue into some unanswered questions and comments.

First, on stuff people said about the post two posts back:

L-Po said: Aren't you a study in contrasts? Remember the yin-yang shoe years? What is the rating on "Boondock Saints"? And, TURN YOUR EARPHONES DOWN!!!!!

Boondock Saints is rated R as far as I can tell, and apparently has drawn some comparisons to Pulp Fiction. Yes, I remember the yin-yang shoe years. Okay, I'll turn them down.

llgp said: Here's one vote for posting the theology piece, one vote for starting your laundry at 10 p.m. next time, and one vote expressing support and appreciation for the fact that you're doing your laundry at all!

Theology peice posted. Hopefully I'll get my laundry done on a weekday next time. That should help my ability to start at a sane time.

nana said: i was anonymous because i forgot to put my name in. duh. talk about a study in contrasts. smart enough to type, dumb enough to not understand techonology.i also vote for the theology piece although i may not understand it. i just like what you write.you won't run nearly as much risk of ending up with pink underwear if you do as your dad says and do your laundry at 10 rather than 1.love you big guy,let's see if i can now get the technology right. ... p.s. i didn't mean to sound as though i was making judgments on doug's choice of religion. i believe in freedom to choose. i really do. i think it is great that you have a friend who in at least one area of your life is diametrically opposed. think of all the absolutely fabulous, wonderful, stupendous, gigantic, superlative, show of shows kind of discussions you can have. it is very cool.my best to doug. i bless your friendship.

The theology peice should be somewhat understandable at least for any given reader, and I wasn't worried about having my choice of friends judged based upon their choice of philosophy.

Now on to what was said regarding the next post, the actual posting of the essay:

L-Po said: So, why do you think you're staying in college when it's such a scary, stressful place? Are there any perks ... like the Commons always has a dinner plan?

I'm staying in college because if I don't, I'll drive -you- insane instead. Seriously, there are plenty of perks. The community is great and I am making new friends,

nana said: i think you have successfully defined a paradox. Despite the 10 reasons why you shouldn't, you give every evidence of having a blast in college and being in your natural element.As far as the essay, I am greatly impressed and could not agree with you more that "exclusivism may be true, but it may never be pleasant." and "We accept the doctrine of Christ as the way because it is written in the Scriptures, aid by Christ and by others." and "Hell exists, but delighting in the fact perverts the doctrine."Very well put. I am proud to know you.

Thanks very much.

Having answered all of that, I'm going to quit blogging. Even if I don't go to lunch right away, I'll be free to now.

Porcupines and Teddy Bears

It's become a recent phenomenon in my life. When I visit someplace like my home church or my old high school that I still have connections with but that I haven't been in awhile, and talk to people, they often ask me how things are going.

I have discovered that my favorite response to this is the phrase "I'm in college." It says so much in so few words. It says:

1) I am in college. This seems self-explanatory. But from that statement follows so much more, such as:
2) I am taking harder classes.
3) I am scared out of my mind academically and socially.
4) I am adjusting to the fact that my dorm room is becoming more and more my "home."
5) I am eating commons food.
6) I am scared out of my mind, period.
7) My relationship with God is growing, albeit under stress.
8) Speaking of stress, I have much of it.
9) I am learning things.
10) I am very tired. Always. And if I'm not tired, I'll do something like doing laundry at 1:00 AM, to make myself tired.
11) There's more to add to the list, but that's a brief summary of the implications.

So you see that the statement "I'm in college" has many implications beyond simply what it says.

But I was also going to post an essay today. And so I will. Constructive criticism is welcome. I'm not sure how loosely I'm using the word "essay" here. But don't look for that 5-paragraph structure with three-pronged thesis statements. What's funny: you're forced to follow it in an almost totalitarian fashion during high school and then told, once in college, that nobody gives a crap about it. At least, your english and philosophy professors say nobody gives a crap. Oh, and they say you can use I now.

Pluralist in this essay refers to someone who believes that there is more than one path leading to salvation (i.e. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism all lead to Salvation.) Exclusivist in this essay refers to someone who believes that there is one path of salvation (i.e. only by Christ are we saved.) I am an exclusivist. This essay is an attempt to explain how I often feel talking with pluralists, and the misconception I see in their perception of my belief system. One day I may attempt an essay dealing with the feelings of the pluralist in the dialogue. It certainly could be helpful, if I could pull it off.

"Porcupines and Teddy Bears"

When common pluralists speak of exclusivism, they often speak wrongly of it. In their view exclusivism is a theological teddy-bear which the orthodox hug at night. They see us as being somehow comforted by the notion that some persons will be saved and others will not. Of course I exaggerate. I am not seriously suggesting that pluralists always view exclusivism as a comforting prejudice. But many pluralists do, and the others have a habit of giving that impression.

The myth about exclusivism is that it is a preferred belief, taken on because one wants to believe it. But the pluralist’s own words hold the truth. A very dear and very pluralist friend of mine once remarked, when discussing the subject, that she didn’t “really like the idea of hell.” We were too young at that time to appreciate such ideas as heaven and hell. Even so, her words betray the truth: Exclusivism is a belief accepted not because of, but in spite of, its appeal. It follows that persons who reject exclusivism (unless they know a perverse exclusivist very well) are likely to reject it on the basis of its unpleasantness, not its supposed basis in sectarianism or in prejudice.[1]

It may have occurred to the reader that perhaps all exclusivists are perverse and prefer their doctrine. I offer myself as a counterexample. I don’t really like the idea of hell, either. But I take it as an article of orthodox faith, with honesty I find exclusivism the most difficult component of orthodoxy. Some days I pray to God that when I die I might discover that pluralism is the true theology, that I have been wrong all of this time about Christ being the only way to heaven. I cannot expect these prayers to change God’s mind. At least in orthodox Christianity hell is considered to be very much real. But should I die and discover that hell is a human invention, I will not be any less joyful for the fact.

The difficulty I have with most pluralists is not simply what they believe, but that often when they speak about said beliefs I am made to feel as if I am, because I am not a pluralist, prejudiced or sectarian. As if my belief system were an easy one to hold. Exclusivism is not a teddy-bear which the orthodox hug at night. Accepting exclusivism is like hugging a porcupine. It can be done, but at each turn there is a spike of doubt, sadness, or pain, which causes the believer (spiritually speaking) to bleed. There is no teddy-bear. Those of us orthodox who are sensible know that exclusivism may be true, but it must never be pleasant. Hell exists, but delighting in the fact perverts the doctrine. We accept the doctrine of Christ as the way because it is written in the Scripture, said by Christ and by others. The very last thing on the sensible exclusivist’s mind is that exclusivism should be a vehicle for mere prejudice.

[1]
A scant few might honestly say that they reject it on the basis of reason, but a scant few is a scant few. Perhaps in another writing I shall deal with that scant few; here I speak of the common mass of pluralists who, frankly, don’t do much reasoning on theological matters.

----------

That's the end of the essay. Enjoy.

More on Contrasts

I guess to start off I could address some comments from the last post...I should probably note that I did laundry at 1:00 AM last night, and so I'm a bit tired. Because starting laundry at 1:00 AM means you get to bed at the earliest at 3:00 AM.

kokosmasher said: atheism seems to be a theme...geez

Anonymous said: how very interesting. i agree with kokosmasher in the theme aspect, but i don't say geez. however, aren't most people a study in contrasts, or paradoxes if you will? Just wondering.

Aye, it does seem to be a theme. Really those three could have been, to a degree, combined. However when making the list we were stretching it as much as possible, and that one stretched to three.

And whoever anonymous is doesn't need to be afraid of letting the bloggers and readers know who they are. I doubt kokosmasher would be offended by your agreement with him. If I were offended by what he said or by your agreement, well--I posted the list on the blog. If I'm offended by the response, that's really much more my problem than yours.

Now I would urge both kokosmasher and the anonymous reader to ask themselves what the concern is behind their comments, and let me know if it is not adressed here. I will venture to guess that the concern is that I am somehow glorifying athiesm. I am not. It would be highly inconsistent and truly impossible for me as a Christian to glorify belief systems which oppose Christianity, especially where that opposition involves theology--in this case, the existence of God.

Another possible concern has been brought to my mind, which is that possibly the impression you're getting is that the major thing about Doug is his athiesm...honestly, that just happens to have been part of a series of inside jokes which led to the making of the list. Of course he's much more of a person than just that.

Anyway. On to the lighter comment:

however, aren't most people a study in contrasts, or paradoxes if you will?

That's an interesting thought. I'm really unsure which way to go on this. As I said the list posted in the last post was the result of much joking around between me, him and Colin. Some of those are stretches. But of course that doesn't answer the question. The truth is I really don't know. Although I'd venture to guess that most people have some amount of seeming inconsistency in their lives. Most people probably could stretch their inconsistencies to a top-nine, if they tried.

I really don't have much more to say on the comments.

I will note one last thing. This is pertaining to campus life. My neighbors like to play their "emo" really loud. Loud enough that I can still hear it faintly when I've got Headslider in my headphones turned up way too loud. (They're on music.download.com, possibly in the sidebar.)

Also, there's an essay on theological things that I wrote the other night at about 2:30 AM. With a bit of revision I'll probably post it. Unless there's some huge objection, which I doubt. If you want to see it, of course, let me know of that, too.

One real last thing. Anyone seen this movie "Boondock Saints"? I'll probably be seeing it sometime in the next few days. Yes, I know about the content and rating. What I'm asking about is merely someone's opinion of the quality of the movie. My understanding is it's one of those "cult" movies, which means I'll likely love it or hate it. Whenever I see it I'll make sure to say something about it.

Okay, there is one real real real last thing, which is that if kokosmasher is reading this (love ya man) I'd love to see a new post from you!

Paradoxes and Oxymorons

Don't be offended if any of these sound ridiculous or prejudiced to you. They are one part inside joke and one part just plain funny. Today Doug and I (mostly Doug) thought up paradoxes or seeming inconsistencies that he has as a person. These are very much not criticisms. These are just things Doug and I found funny about his life. So here is the top 10 list of paradoxes, in no particular order.

1. A moral athiest.
2. A man who loves to eat food and yet is very skinny.
3. Not interested in a relationship, and yet is hanging around girls all the time. (In case you were wondering he is completely heterosexual.)
4. Takes French courses and dislikes the French.
5. A conservative athiest.
6. Enjoys to a large degree both nature and technology.
7. Deals better with the heat in terms of how his body works, but likes the cold better--because it's easier for him to warm himself than cool himself in other terms.
8. An introvert who goes shirtless at soccer games.
9. An athiest who likes hanging out with conservative Christians regularly.

Hmm, I guess we only had nine.

Friday is the Best Day

Of the week? Possibly. For recording songs, at least for me, Fridays seem to be the day. I don't recall which Friday, but it was on one fateful Friday that I recorded possibly my best thing ever, The Monday Song. Today I find myself recording for another song, All My Darkness, which will probably be on KDUP's show next week, assuming it's not too dark. Pretty much anyone reading this blog has heard The Monday Song, so you know there's bound to be a contrast between The Monday Song and something entitled "All My Darkness."

"All My Darkness" deals with trying to be a consistent, complete, Christian, and the feelings one has when one is failing at that task. I feel it'd be a good thing to have a serious track on KDUP, as I don't want to come across as just being a guy who wrote a silly song about Mondays. I might have to do something next week that's somewhere in-between, and use that for KDUP instead.

Speaking of KDUP, I just took a break from blogging for a few minutes, and now I've got it going via Winamp (which coincidentally is Mike Diesel's favorite thing to plug--at least, on his last show it was.) The first song he's played is the one with the two guys playing and singing "I WOULD WALK 500 MILES AND UH I WOULD WALK 500 MORE" and etc. The next one is Greenday's "Holiday" which is actually kind of a fun song.

I called Colin and Doug about coming over to listen, but I actually got no answer on either line. Dunno what they're doing.

Now he's playing The Killers' "Somebody Told Me." You know on which song to use for KDUP it could very well be fine. Who can complain about a heartfelt, honest and consequently dark song about a not-so-great spiritual circumstance? Especially with Killers and Greenday on there. Not to suggest those bands are incredibly dirty, but rather to suggest that their music's plenty dark. Well "Somebody Told Me" isn't, but "Holiday" is. And it's political. Is religious theming worse than political theming? Should it be?

I don't feel like blogging much longer so I'll end it with this: Should either political or religious theming be censored on radio? One more than the other? And why?

Post comments or whatnot.

Good is a Pretty Lousy Adjective

I went to NOW (Not Only Worship) for the first time today. Not a bad thing at all. I will probably be going again next week. It was more...my thing, than I expected. Sang some good songs. Good songs I actually knew. That was good. And good is a pretty lousy adjective.

I'm working on a song. A worship song, sort of. Bug me for the file; I don't feel like putting a demo .ogg up anywhere just yet. I'm probably going to be on Mike D.'s KDUP radio show next week as the student talent, and that could very well become my second song (aside from the Monday Song; go here for that) that gets played. I do however have a couple of worries: That recording vocals won't come across as serious enough, especially if done Monday song style, and that the song, lyrically and musically, could be a bit too intense for a more lighthearted show like Mike's. (It deals with the theme of Christian consistency, and when I write about the struggle for consistency I tend to be quite dark lyrically.)

I'll probably show Mike the instrumental/the lyrics and then if he's got no objections will try it. I get the feeling I probably won't end up doing it either way though; maybe I just want to be able to say I got vocals down on it?

I know, minimal post by my standards. Good night and God bless.

I Am Tired

I think maybe I had something poignant to say here, but something or other stole it from me, and my mind isn't registering whatever poignant thing I'd thought to say. My mind seems blank, which technically I shouldn't say because to say so is a logical contradiction--because to be able to make that statement my mind must not be blank.

At any rate I am tired, whatever in this that accounts for. I'm listening to dc Talk, a very fun group to use. Err, to listen to. How I got "use" out of "listen to" is beyond me. It is late. I have an 8:10 class tomorrow morning. Blogging was much easier when I still had the wonder of discovering a new college world. Now iTunes has switched to a bilingual hip-hop song. Anyway, I propose that blogging was easier during the summer because a) time doesn't disappear as easily in the summer, because people don't all live together and b) I still had the wonder of the new college class experience. I do have a lot of cool classes, or at least cool professors.

Tonight Colin and I did physics and it was very interesting, to say the least. On the last question, we each came out with the "wrong" answer--at least the wrong one according to the book. No idea how that happened, but (song is now changed to Crystal Summer's "Simple" -- I got the MP3 from a bandmember, bug me on AIM or via e-mail or via comment if you want to hear it; I'll check it out briefly and if he doesn't mind I'll send it over.) - but we're going to find out sometime tomorrow or something whether our answer is correct or not.

Yes, I am quite tired tonight. Normally my winding-down stage doesn't take quite so long...wait, what? I'm tired, but the next second I feel like sleep will never take me. Is this the effect of being in college, or just of my sleeping habits?

I have laundry to do tomorrow. And some homework, but it should be less strenuous doing some english reading and some spanish exercises than it was doing that physics. I also have a couple of math problems to do tomorrow, but those shouldn't be too bad. Song is now Brent Mathews' "On the Inside"--I'm fairly sure I could send that one to someone too, if they really wanted to hear what was influencing me, but it'd take a longer check. Anyway now I'm in my quasi-energetic mode...and here comes the tiredness back again. Anything else I have to do tomorrow...laundry, english, spanish, minimal calculus (you could say the function h(t), measuring how much homework I have that day as a function of t in days, is at a minimum) and...I just realized I should check questions from yesterday.

(Now two Linkin Park songs--"Lying From You" and "Papercut" in that order.)

And here's what comes up from comments:

Meredith said: So. I'm supposed to ask you about 'Girls'. So. I will. What's going on in the female department? Anything interesting? AnyONE interesting. Ha. Whatever. That's all really. And how's it going? Everything okay? I DO want to come and visit- it's just a matter of timing. We'll figure it out, eh? Anyhow. Know that Im prayin' for you my cousin. I'll see you at Nate and Brit's wedding. Take care.

There's nothing worth mentioning there. Anything interesting? I got invited to do yoga today in the Mehling Ballroom and then she (would it be the invitor?) "couldn't make it." Anyone else interesting? Plenty of interesting people (read: girls), but nothing that merits an attempt at a date. Okay, there wasn't a good way to phrase that. So the answer is essentially "Ha. Whatever." It's going well. Spanish is getting a bit better; I got 18/20 on my first quiz. It's amazing what doing the reading does for one's quiz grade, even when one fails to understand a chunk of it. Thank you very much for your prayers, and I really hope you can come and visit sometime. I will not however be seeing you at Nate and Brit's wedding...I'm actually going to the wedding of someone from New Vision Fellowship, Nicole Nisley, for various reasons.

Now I'm listening to the Echoing Green's "She's Gone Tragic"--I can't send you the version that's playing but I can send the Catastrophic Mix. And I just got IMed back by a friend who was away running; within the first 3 lines of the new IM window was "brb shower" which means that's not actually an influence for a couple of minutes, at least.

Oh yeah, I also have to shower tomorrow. I've got lots of time to do that.

Anything else? I said goodbye to Rachel for real on Sunday, having begun only last week to realize "Oh, crap. These people (class of 05/09 people) I've taken as people who'd be there--even sometimes for granted--aren't going to be there forever." I heard Chris was going to be there too, but he wasn't...But he didn't promise to, and either way...And now I'm the only one in the Class of 2005/2009 left who goes to NVF. And I'm not even going back for a couple of Sundays; at least I'm not too likely to. Speed runs need to take place this week. I need to bug Tyler and Colin and possibly Mike Maass about those. (There's at least two Mikes that I know, and I think there's another one in my wing, also.) Before I get too re-energized (the song is now "Liberation"; same group and the remix won't give you enough of an idea of the song, althought it is cool) I should probably stop blogging for tonight. Goodnight, and God bless.

In Fact, It's Only Lunch

I think, therefore I am
Cogito, ergo sum
But what am I
Who am I
What is my purpose in this life
Is it predetermined
The sequence of events seems so set
So neat
The way that things unfold
Free will or no, everything's so intertwined
It scares me

I'm not too far away from home
But I'm scared out of my mind
Wondering what about today, yesterday or tomorrow
No matter what decisions I make
"Don't worry about tomorrow"
God tells me
"Each day has enough trouble of its own"
But I still worry

What if I do badly enough in my classes this semester that I lose my scholarship and have to pay $20,000 more in loans
What if I discover when it's too late that I've got the wrong major
I'm pretty sure I do
I'm pretty sure it should be theology, not math
What if I discover that even when I get up to full capacity, my work can't cut it in Calculus, and I get a horrible overall grade?
(This is the guy who gives the good homeworks 3-4/5)
I've heard nobody gets fives, ever

What am I sure of
Today I talked philosophy at lunch
With the President of the UP Philosophy Club
And a professor
And my roommate
And the question was basic epistemology
How you know what you know

(Inserted because it came to mind. My joke. Random. Do not read with kids in room; it contains violence and a word that some people may find offensive, but a mildly amusing pun.)

A farmer and his hired hand, Ogie, were taking a break from work one day, along with the rest of the farmer's family and the rest of the hired hands. A philosopher happened to be walking down the road and stopped to chat with the other hired hands, asking them how they knew that pitchforks worked, or how they knew that God existed, or that some soil was fertile and other soil not. Eventually the hired hands grew tired of this, and all grabbed their pitchforks, shoving them into the philosopher.

One of the hired hands exclaimed, yelling to the impaled man: "That's how we know pitchforks work!"

Ogie, confused, wondered aloud as to what had made the hired hands so mad as to impale a philosopher.

The farmer responded, "'e pissed 'em all, Ogie."

Anyway as I said the question was basic epistemology--and of course if you don't know something rationally, then you don't know it rationally--and the same goes for empirically. But some of the stuff that was said with regards to why a Christian might have a shaky epistemology didn't click with me. There is still plenty of "how we know what we know," or rather "how we don't necessarily know" for a Christian to consider, however--I don't mean to say that everything I heard came across badly. Much of it was valuable and valid questioning.

Still a fun discussion, however, and one worth having...

Tomorrow I study. Much. And I e-mail my Calculus professor to make sure that I know what needs to be done to get 3s and 4s on his homework. The lab grading is pretty generous, so I'm counting on some balance from that, but we have a test soon, and I need to do well on it.

And so I think that's all. I know I sort of randomly transitioned from free verse to prose, but I can still live with myself. Have a nice day, y'all. And no, that's not all that happened today, in fact, it's only lunch. But I don't feel like explaining every detail of my life right now.

It's About Time

Okay. You waited. You waited. You bugged me. You said POST SOMETHING. I said "Okay, I will," and then I didn't.

Then it happened again.

So it's about time that I actually posted something about how college is going. My first week was a bad week academically, and I am still finding my "groove." I'm surviving Spanish 301 decently and am coming to terms with my <1%>nth year teaching the course, and the Calculus guy's first year, I believe. By nth I don't mean the way that nth often gets used--to describe a seemingly immeasurable degree of something-or-other but rather literally--as in it's her nth year teaching, where n is an integer that I believe is at least five.

I also went to Youth Group tonight because it was Chris and Rachel's goodbye youth group. Rachel's going to be there Sunday, and it's a decent possibility that I'll be going; Chris however will be moving his stuff in to OSU on Sunday, so I won't be seeing him then. If either of you are reading this, best of luck at SPU and OSU; don't forget to talk to God and study in the midst of all the socialization.

At this point I take a brief break from blogging to go back and recheck something on my math homework--how I proved something using example, when really I should've been more abstract. As a matter of fact I think I've got it now--it involves using the definition (not the formal/precise one, but one of those with delta-X or h on the bottom, or x - a on the bottom) of a limit. And yes, that might be confusing to those who don't know math too well, but basically it involves using a huge-honkin' equation which I previously thought would take much work but which at least in my mind seems to involve little. Anyway, off to pee and then to study a tad more.

...And now it's about 40 minutes later; I discovered the was more to do than I thought. I still don't think I've got the proof I set out to get, but I'm thankful I went and tried it again, because when I did I discovered three previously missed problems! And they were worth the time they took. (I think I may have proved about half of the stuff I was supposed to.)
Anyway, where was I?

Well, nowhere really. I suppose I'll fill in some of the stuff that's been going on in the last few days:

Started watching a speed run with Tyler my roommate, Colin from Christie and whoever else happens to be up for one at that time. Right now we're watching a five-hour speed run of someone beating The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the N64, in five segments. The next showing will be segment 3, and will start around 2:12 (hours:minutes.) The gamer performing this feat is amazingly good. To those who don't understand why this is so captivating: Neither do we. But it is, and it's fun to do, and it's not all about the "movie"--it's also about building up community among the group and making jokes at the expense of the game's plot. Whenever we finish the Zelda: OOT run, I'm guessing we'll be watching GoldenEye or the 70-star run of Super Mario 64.

I also saw two interesting movies this last weekend: Zoolander on Friday with my roommate, and Anchorman on Saturday over in Christie. Zoolander was a fun movie with a few good jokes and one or two that fell flat for me. Anchorman's jokes overall were funny, again possibly one or two falling flat. Neither one is really an appropriate movie, however, for younger audiences.

I've made a few good friends and a few friends period; I'm starting to get to know the people in my hall and seriously need to learn the names of everyone in my wing; at this point I only know random people or roommates of people that I know. It'll come with time, but people are getting down who I am and I'm not getting their names, and so I feel a bit self-centered.

Class is going to be bad tomorrow. Well, today, rather. Up for an 8:10, then an 11:20, then a 2:30. That's my worst day; I suppose others have it worse than I do. But it's hard to beat the 8:10 and 11:20 combination, what with the 8:10 lasting for two hours. However, Monday and Wednesday and Friday there is only the 8:10, and so it's not so much of a complaint-worthy thing. Others really do have it worse than I do. Like my roommate. And having brought things back to where they were at some earlier point, I'm going to cease blogging for the night.

-edit at 1:08: Gah. This time should read 1:07 AM.