The Girl Scout Militia

Wow

2011-07-09T14:57:00.002-04:00

it's been a little while since I've posted. Lots of things change, still loving life and doing it in Illinois. This year has been flying by, and I'm about to turn 31. I have a wonderful family and 4 beautiful nieces (about to have another niece/nephew, holidays are getting crowded :)).

Just bought a 2005 Honda Repsol CBR 1000RR. It's a lot of fun. I think mostly I put what I'd put here on facebook posts now. Do people still blog?

Today's Interesting News

2009-09-30T12:17:00.001-04:00

Someone very hungry.

Somebody with a weird fetish.

Somebody who is avoiding being hungry, and winning himself a 14" TV set.

Well there you go.

Christian Sexuality and Relevance to Marriage

2009-08-10T12:44:00.003-04:00

I know not all of the people who read this blog share the same opinion with me, but I felt like sharing an article I recently read discussing the battle of sexuality with the norms of society in postponing marriage.

I come from a family where all of the siblings have married pretty early in their lives (I think the earliest has been 20), and where all of the siblings are Christian. One of them even a pastor. Another hoping to be a family counselor. I, as most Christians, experience seasons where I feel closer to our savior/creator than others, but also those seasons where I am in the word often and thinking intently of his plan for us.

In any case, here is the article, I enjoyed a lot of it, and like how he ended it.

Interesting News of the Day

2009-07-17T15:42:00.002-04:00

How much was that ball Dwight?

Best way to defend yourself from a mountain lion?

I Think We're Born Naked

2009-06-16T09:41:00.001-04:00

I am sorry, I hate the idea of celebrities, but this is freaking ridiculous. Mother Teresa?

Say What?

2009-04-22T21:20:00.002-04:00

I dare you to read this article, give yourself a minute, and then spell it correctly :).

Also, I have been spending time trying to refinance the house, and ever since college I have found this calculator very handy, it even lets you print out the amortization schedule.

In other news, second try this weekend to set up a playground set with my brother Chadwick for little Addison, Sophie, and upcoming niece Ruby Anne. Last weekend got a little tiring with an overnight lockin with the middle-schoolers from the Moundford Free Methodist Church, and Chadwick and I got to the morning and decided that tiredness along with the weather dictated that we give it another shot this weekend, so wish us well.

Peace.

Funny News

2009-04-08T13:43:00.003-04:00

There seems to be a lot of weird or funny news going on today...here are some samples..

Crazy Deer

How to clean with gasoline

Want to get Deported? Are you gay?

How to discipline children riding your bus

The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Larry.

Update

2009-04-07T09:26:00.002-04:00

Well, I have been praying for peace around the world, even though I have not had time to update the blog on the specific countries. I will always continue to pray that the oppressed will find freedom. It is almost the end of Lent, and time to celebrate Good Friday.

The basement is still flooded :(. I have not had time to stay home to watch a waterproofing company take care of the problem yet, so I shop vac everyday. That has become a very exciting ritual :). The special exit pump wore out today, but Home Depot exchanged it for a new one, so my back is spared yet again :).

Staci blew me away in our bracket pool this year, and like most years, it comes down to who picks the right champion. My hat's off to the 4 of 6 people in our bracket that chose UNC to win it all. I just didn't want them to :). So, she gets a Papa Murphy's pizza of her choosing (I know, we don't bet big :) ), and a special little trophy thing in her Yahoo profile :).

The whole family is coming down for Easter this weekend, besides Darin, Cassie, and Mady, who I am sure would want to be here, but since Mady just came along, we will see them soon enough :). It should be a great time, with great food prepared by the culinary delights of Ms. Staci.

My new job is going well, adjusting to the smaller office of it all. It is great being so close to home, and cutting back at least an hour of my day. Staci and I also joined a local gym (Club Fitness, which was running a deal where it was $500 for 3 years).

Peace out holmes.

Pray for Somalia

2009-02-27T23:15:00.002-05:00

So we probably all remember when Clinton and the U.N. tried to give aid to Somalia because of the civil war that it was experiencing in the 90's. What we all might not know, or have shown to us each day is that that civil war is still ongoing, and that Somalia is an impoverished country overrun by different ethnic groups, and run by warlords.

We hear about the different ships that the pirates take over each month. Those cruise ships or tankers, or whatever that are unlucky and unskilled enough to get taken over by somalian pirates usually payoff their captors so that they can continue on their way, and that just prolongs the conflict because it funds the pirates and different warring factions.

May God help these people sort out their problems and give them some sort of national pride to unite on, and help them focus on how to treat their fellow citizens well.

Pray for Darfur

2009-02-26T09:07:00.003-05:00

Apparently the war in Darfur stems from decades of drought and over-population in the Darfur region of Sudan, with some of the reasoning also being that the Arab-dominated government of Sudan has been treating non-Arabs in the country in a discriminatory fashion.

That has caused some to rebel against the government, which started around 2003-2004 to bomb the villages where the rebels have been believed to be coming from, as well as raping their women, killing most everyone, and burning down the villages.

The war has thus become genocidal in nature, with the tribes being attacked by the government, and only slight rebel efforts to fight back. The UN will not label it as a genocide, despite mass murders and rapes, because the 'intent' of genocide seems to be missing. Some sort of limited peace was reached in late 2006, but the conflict continues.

Please pray for Darfur, that all people can live together in unity and not oppress each other when given the opportunity.

Pray for the Congo

2009-02-25T08:59:00.002-05:00

As I pray for these conflicts, I will try to go from the conflicts with the highest current casualty or death count to the lowest, so please bear with me if I make a mistake.

Today I am praying for the Congo. The fight is similar as that portrayed in Hotel Rwanda, however this conflict is newer, and stems from an old general leaving the government with some troops to hole up in Eastern Congo, where he tries (or at least says he is trying) to prevent genocide over the ethnic Tutsis there.

There was a brief peace agreement reached in January 2008, but it was shaky because not all of the parties involved in the conflict took part in the agreement, and later the war erupted again. However, recently Laurent Nkunda, the leader of the rebel forces which protect Tutsis was captured (January 2009), so the end of at least the open war may be imminent.

Please pray that the war will end and that both the Tutsis and Hutus can live in peace once it is over.

Lent '09

2009-02-23T13:40:00.004-05:00

This year for Lent, I'm going to do something different. Normally it is giving up something near and dear to me, so as to be closer to god. I remember giving up chocolate chip cookies (not sure how that applies) in high school, and more recently giving up TV or video games.

Another alternative for Lent is to actively do something to draw you closer to God. While doing devotions and reading the Bible daily are very good goals and something I want to do in life eventually, right now (and I'm talking the actual 40 days of lent) I have to be realistic and say that I honestly do not have the time, and the things taking up my time are all immovable, without a complete and disrupting life change (changing careers, dropping out of school, not finding a job, etc.).

Instead, what I've decided to do for Lent this year is to actively pray for peace, for all of God's children. Normally I'm not even the most peace-prone person, but I believe our country and our world are headed in divisive directions at the moment, and I don't understand it all. I want to try to understand the conflicts of all of the world's peoples, and pray for them to reach a peace in respect to each of those individual conflicts. I think God would want people to live in peace, and out of peace have a foundation for finding common ground in a relationship with him (some may disagree).

So it will be that I will try to learn about the various conflicts on earth (in Afghanistan, Darfur, Somalia, Iraq, Georgia, Chechnya, Israel/Palestine, Congo, etc.), and pray for each of them individually and for us as a race. I will utilize prayer by speaking directly to God, and seek personal peace as well. This is a very different theme for me.

Recent Events

2009-02-23T10:18:00.003-05:00

Just got back from a nice weekend with the brother/sister-in-law (Chad and Sarah) and my beautiful nieces' (Addison and Sophie) house. We were there celebrating my niece Sophie's 1st birthday, and she had a fun party Saturday afternoon. The weekend was full of eating, playing Phase 10 & euchre, and talking.

My other brother Brady was also there to celebrate, it's always nice to get a chance to hang out with him as well.

Yesterday, after getting over an upset stomach, Staci and I drove back home to O'Fallon, did our Sunday ritual of grocery shopping, and I finished my homework for this week as she helped do the laundry.

Recent books that I'm reading or have read include Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama, and The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I have also just requested The Shack by William Young, because of the endorsement it received by my brother and trying to stay up on things. All of this would not be possible without the invention of CD-based audiobooks, which are my constant companions during my commute. Beyond these, I plan on trying to make it through most of the top 10 books from 2008 recommended by Amazon as soon as I get the chance. I haven't read anything besides school required reading for years, so this is a good change.

All of the rest of my time is spent doing things. I am really into time management these days, and my weeks consist of working, sleeping, job hunt, school, basement, and keeping all of my interpersonal relationships in order. Honestly I can't wait for 3 of these things to be over (school, basement, and the job hunt). Mainly the job hunt though, because then the others will be made easier.

This post has been a bunch of logical statements because right now my mind is in a zone :). I swear my next post will probably make less sense. Have a great Monday!

Wazzup NOW?

2009-02-12T14:48:00.002-05:00

I know some of you probably expect me to blog about the crappy economy (personal situation), or wet basements (personal situation), or maybe even Obama's stimulus plan for our nation. But I think today I'll take it in a different direction completely.

I saw this article today and it kind of upset me, but not as it might some. I think that parents allowing a child to sample alcohol in the confines of their own home is not so bad as long as it is under a good deal of supervision (i.e. not letting them go drive somewhere, etc). However, in this article, all the mom is getting charged with is giving alcohol to a minor and reckless conduct. Hello, the FREAKING kid killed somebody! That is moronic. I can't believe all this lady is facing is a possible year and jail and some fines. That is definitely coming close to being an accomplice to manslaughter.

Anyways, to touch on wet basements. If you own a Ridgid wet dry vac, and have a LOT of water to vacuum, the pump is TOTALLY worth the $40 it costs to hook it up to a hose. However, the real solution (which costs $7K), may or may not be worth it, dependent upon if you have a job or not.

New Prez

2009-01-20T13:16:00.002-05:00

Word up to our new prez, Mr. BARACK!

Seriously, you gave a good speech, and we all know that the 'flub' of the oath was really just you taking in the moment (which would have been huge for anyone).

Congratulations are definitely in order, although I'm sure a lot of press time in the next week is going to go to Lowery's words:

“We ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right,” Lowery prayed.

Of course we as white people should and will embrace what is right, just like everyone else :).

Communism

2009-01-08T13:53:00.002-05:00

So after my favorite presidential candidate Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race, I found myself supporting Barack Obama for president.

I know our economy needs (or thinks it needs) stimulating, but doesn't spending a trillion dollars of deficit for the foreseeable future kind of make you think we live in a Quote-unquote Communist state, however unofficially? Giving these amounts of money to the entire nation certainly does seem like a re-distribution of wealth, especially when it is happening pre-emptively.

Oh well.

Nice kidneys, can I touch them?

2009-01-08T13:50:00.002-05:00

I'm sure some of you have heard about this, where a man is trying to get his divorcing wife to settle $1.5 million for a kidney he donated to her a few years ago.

I see a different angle on this. I know that in China and other shady places around the globe, people can go to sleep one day, and wake up the next in a bathtub with a few of their organs removed, while certain people collect the profits. What I think this may lead to is Chinese (or other place) mail-order brides, who come over to the United States at the behest of some really rich single person in need of an organ, donate it to that person, and then collect their fee in the divorce through a big hush-hush settlement. Scary future...

2nd Amendment

2008-12-04T09:17:00.002-05:00

This past fall I decided that it was time for me to join the ranks of those permitted to bear arms. In Illinois, state law dictates that you must possess a FOID card in order to purchase a firearm. I applied for mine back in September, and recently received it. I also attended and passed hunter's safety (50 hicks and me out in New Baden, IL, most of them under the age of 13).

I purchased a firearm to make my home safer (argue what you may), but now it seems like even the elderly are able to do that, but this time, via a prescription from their doctor. I'm sorry, but this is pretty scary, and even makes me upset somewhat that insurance can be used for that purpose.

Happy Thursday :).

Gas @ 1.39

2008-11-26T09:20:00.003-05:00

On the way to my school, I drive on a less than desirable street Grand Blvd., south from I-70. I lock my doors immediately when I know I'll be driving any distance on it, and luckily I'm only on it for 2 and a half miles.

However, it also has the cheapest freakin' gas in the bi-state area around St. Louis. Prices are consistently 10 cents cheaper than anywhere else in St. Louis, and they're often 25 to 30 cents cheaper than what I can get on the Illinois side. However, often I do not believe the risk premium of stepping out of my car to pump the cheaper gas is worth the dollar savings I'd make in filling my little tank up.

That is, until yesterday. If you're like me, and you've been watching gas prices fall for the past month and a half, you have to wonder when it's all going to end, and we'll reach the end of the valley. I have to believe that time is coming soon. I've noticed the price decreases at least slowing down a little bit (instead of 20 cents a week, they might be 10 cents now). The price yesterday at the BP I filled up at stood at $1.39, so I had to do it. I don't know when they will ever be that low again, and since it stands at a cheaper price than it was even 10 years ago, I think the historical significance of that choice far outweighs any potential risk on my life I incurred by stopping to get gas there.

Prices might keep falling, and if so I'll keep reveling in that, but seriously, it is getting a lot easier to get around town.

P.S. Don't worry, not only does the BP have the cheapest gas, it's also the most well-lit gas station along the dangerous part of the road. So, either I'll be safer, or the bad guys will have an easier time trying to snuff me out because they'll be able to aim better.

Post-Election Living

2008-11-07T09:59:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty sure everyone is excited that Barack Obama is going to be our next president. Before you express objection to that, the reason I said it was that now we do not have to watch 24/7 political coverage telling us why this candidate or that is better on this topic or that anymore.

Instead, we get to enjoy the fall, which I feel that God has sort of postponed for us this year, so that we could fully enjoy it after the election ;). The colors around here are just starting to peak, and the weather is starting to turn. I heard on the radio this morning our low tonight is 35. WHOO HOO! 30'S!

So kick back with some cider and a loved one, and enjoy the indoor living you'll get to do for the next 4 or 5 months. Try to get outdoors to see the colors and enjoy a couple of activities, but rest up :). I know I'll be enjoying all the family time and otherwise taking part in things I really enjoy doing.

Cruise!

2008-11-03T14:58:00.004-05:00

Well I'm back from my cruise with Staci and my parents. We had a great time, even if the weather did not cooperate. We were able to stop in Cozumel and ride a scooter around the island, allowing us to visit desolate beaches, margarita stands without any electricity, and a hidden tequila factory for some creamy tequila! (That should be good for winter-time hot cocoa or something).

We also visited Jamaica and hiked Dunn River Falls! That was pretty awesome, and had a great time doing it.

As for our time on the boat, we ate a TON, enjoying it immensely. I probably had sushi about 4 times, which was pretty good. As a family we collected 4 different ships on a stick, from 4 trivia contests (note we were 4 for 4, we thought about taking our previous trophies to our next trivia events, but didn't feel like scaring the competition that much). After that we decided that 4 was enough since we couldn't lose and felt bad for everyone else that was stick-less.

The water was pretty choppy, and the wind was crazy. The sun that we actually received was only shone upon us on Friday afternoon, and we soaked it up like crazy while we could.

It's sad to be back, but we can look forward to having plenty of fun vacations in the future! :). Come by and we can show you our souvenir cup collection sometime....

Sunday School

2008-11-03T14:53:00.002-05:00

Since when did going to Sunday School become an endorsement of the Republican party only? I love going to church, and I really enjoy the people I've come into contact with through my Sunday School, but man do they over-politicize this political season. I am definitely in the pro-life camp, but it's as if that stance is the only one that matters in the coming election, and is the only one that has the ethics of God in mind.

I even have fellow Christians telling me that the 'socialistic' ways of Obama wanting to give money from the rich to the poor is ungodly.

I think we pick too few social issues to determine our candidate, and are willfully choosing to remain ignorant by trying to label one candidate or another as more in line with our beliefs, basically forcing square pegs into round holes.

I am no longer calling myself a republican nor a democrat. I am definitely a Christian, but loving all of God's children I can vote for whomever will do the best for them as a whole.

Michigan, how I feel for you...

2008-10-20T12:35:00.000-04:00

Michigan, you know I love you. I'd love to live there if you had the jobs that keep me gainfully employed, but alas you don't. Chicken and the egg?

For a humorous/scary/wtf way to end an article, please see the last paragraph.

We never learn

2008-10-16T16:35:00.000-04:00

This article was given to us in our Finance class a few weeks ago, and is very interesting as far as predicting the kind of mess that we find ourselves in now.

It is also enlightening to know that we need not put the blame of what is happening on recent politicians everytime, because these things can sometimes be foreshadowed far in advance.

I believe I'm voting for Obama, and usually vote Republican, but my views are constantly shifting on what I think is best for America.

However, props goes to this guy for writing the article that more people should have read and understood at the time.

A tip for my brohas

2008-10-15T14:47:00.001-04:00

Chad & Darin, this one's for you. Just in case you ever need to reduce swelling.

Goodbye Hart

2008-10-15T14:35:00.001-04:00

Good bye Hart

This is pretty sad. The only inexplicable stand-alone grocery store in O'Fallon, now part of a larger corporation. Granted, I didn't shop there very often (because it is furthest from my house), but I did enjoy the non-corporate nature of it when I did :). Good bye Hart, it was nice sometimes shoppin ya.

Hilarious

2008-10-07T13:30:00.001-04:00

While if I'm in this situation, I'll usually just go to bed, Google just keeps finding ways to add features to every aspect of a persons' life. I think what I find funnier than the concept is the fact that they'll probably try to trademark something that has been adopted into slang vocabulary, but nonetheless, a great use of Google's time and money.

Signs of the times...

2008-10-02T14:28:00.000-04:00

I wish I could have got my house this cheap, maybe I should have waited. I'm getting really good at posting to other news articles lately.

Bidenopolous

2008-10-02T14:08:00.003-04:00

I don't know which side of the fence I sit on yet as far as the presidential election, but I do know that everyone gaffes sometimes. Here are a few from the honorable Joe Biden.

Apparently, I can't go to a 7-Eleven or Dunkin Donuts.

Also, I'm not sure how Jesus-like he really is.

Moo

2008-09-30T16:29:00.000-04:00

Check out the article related to this picture here.

Bad boys Bad boys

2008-09-25T14:35:00.002-04:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm a fan of the absurd. I came across this article about someone arrested in West VA, read it here.

Back

2008-09-24T09:47:00.002-04:00

Thanks for all of your prayers, the week is going slow, but things are improving. Had a great weekend with my bro-has, and we had some fun (VFW halls come to mind). Anyways, back to work, I guess I can start the countdown for my cruise now :).

Prayer Request

2008-09-08T12:11:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

This is more of a serious post, but if all of you that pray could please keep me in your prayers, I would really appreciate it. Everyone needs prayer :).

Thanks!

:)

2008-09-02T16:09:00.000-04:00

Gotta love the Onion, along with relevant topics.

Article here.

I thought I was smart

2008-08-22T17:29:00.003-04:00

And I thought I was smart. Why am I wasting my time writing computer programs? Seems like I should try to figure out something like this.

Absurdity of Football

2008-08-17T11:44:00.003-04:00

I just received a copy of Madden '09 from my parents from my birthday last month. It is pretty exciting to play, as it learns what you're best at, and drives the difficulty up in those areas to make playing a frustrating, yet more valuable experience.

I was watching the USA Women's basketball team kill New Zealand this morning before church (by like 40 points), and during the telecast, the commentator mentioned that 2 of the USA players weren't playing today because they were Mormon and honoring the Sabbath. While I think that Sabbath observation is respectable, and try to make sure I find a time to rest and find God at least once a week, I don't set myself strictly to a particular date and time each week.

The commentator also mentioned that it reminded him of when the Oakland Raiders drafted a Mormon out of BYU. They didn't mention much about him, but I looked him up, and I think it's hilarious. His name is Eli Herring and it caused him to have to meditate to make sure he wanted to give up the riches the NFL would bring to honor the specific Sunday Sabbath that the Mormon's honor. In the end he did, but it definitely makes me think the Raiders were retarded for drafting him when the definite possibility of him never playing on a Sunday existed.

Thank goodness there are Christians in the NFL, as I'm sure there are other Mormons as well, so that the message can be present sometimes in locker rooms in between towel butt smacks.

Unfortunate Quote of the Day

2008-08-15T18:00:00.006-04:00

"We think they should get rid of the God & Country name — it lends credence to the perception of discrimination," Scott said. "Whether they are trying to discriminate or not, perception is everything."

The quote is from this article.

The reason I find it unfortunate, is that I'm sure most of the fair organizers and sponsors would love it to be well-attended by atheists, as it would give them the opportunity to either witness to atheists or simply understand each others' views better.

Should everything drop any notion of a Christian name or custom to avoid offense? Tolerance is shoved down peoples' throats left and right whether it be of gays, different races, religions, etc. (I believe I accept people for who they are, even when I disagree). When can being tolerant extend to letting a name be a name, or honoring differences without choosing to be offended?

Coming soon, the "Day".

Monogenes, pt. 2

2008-08-10T22:14:00.000-04:00

This is mostly stolen from another web page.

The word translated in the many English translations of the Bible as "Only Begotten" is in the greek, Monogenes μονογενής.

This is a compound word.

It is often thought that this word comes from two greek words...

monos μονος (only) and gennaō γενναω (to beget, father, procreate)

However, lexicographers believe this to be a false Etymology. (Etymology is the history or roots of a word).

It is more properly, monos μονος (only) genos γενο (kind), the best English phrase to describe this word would be, "One of a kind", or perhaps, "unique".

Only Begotten would be monogennetos. Thayer defines Monogenes μονογενής as, single of its kind, only.

This is supported by New Testament usage: Hebrews 11:17 refers to Isaac as Abraham’s ‘only begotten son’, yet Abraham begat other sons (Ishmael, and by Keturah). But Isaac was Abraham’s unique son, the son especially promised to him and Sarah in their old age, and who would carry on the covenant line.

The translation of monogenes as only begotten is probably wrong. That's why the ESV and NIV translate it as "Only" or "Only Son", and some other translations as "Unique".

Successful Facts

2008-05-20T17:31:00.001-04:00

Fact:

If at first you don't succeed, you're not Larry Anderson.

Red Ferrari baby

2008-04-30T09:58:00.003-04:00

There is not a big point to this post (like most of my posts), but something I wanted to show to get a better idea for why this thing exists.

Ferrari Speakers

OK, so I know that it is a little old, but seriously what is the point of this? People who have enough money to buy a Ferrari are most likely not going to buy these speakers as there are better brands out there catering to audiophiles, and they're probably out driving their Ferraris anyways. The rest of us, well we drive small Asian cars.

$20 grand for speakers? I guess that's why the designer's name makes sense: Wiener.

Happy

2008-04-15T09:55:00.003-04:00

I waited all semester to get something useful out of my management class, and I believe that has finally happened. It may not pertain too much to management, but does have a lot to do with crafting a life that we'd all like to retire having lived. That is, one being happy.

Now this video does not have a lot to do with Christian values, and speaks a bit on evolution (even though I'm not a believer in it, it does help set up the video). However, the video does help give a perspective on pursuing happiness that I think everyone can benefit from.

Don't begin watching this unless you have about 20 minutes to dedicate, because it is about that long, but it's well worth it if you have the time. After you've seen it, please comment on what you thought about it.

Here it is video link. It's also in the title, peace out :).

Just Say NO

2008-03-27T14:01:00.002-04:00

to WOMBATS!!!! Watch out, they'll get you!

The most enlightening article about the animal to fear down under.

Don't say I didn't warn you if you don't take the correct precautionary measures. I don't want to have to understand Australian.

Yesterday's answer:

2008-03-21T22:13:00.001-04:00

Listed in order of difficulty in remembering...

Honolulu, HI
Indianapolis, IN
Oklahoma City, OK
Dover, DE

Those who said things like:

New York, New York
Anchorage, AK

and such, are just. WRONG.

Watching a lot of B-ball lately, nice.

Shirts I want to get

2008-03-20T23:03:00.002-04:00

"This is why I'm hot"

"For Love or Bunny"

Random Question:

When you're playing Apples to Apples, and the word is "Death", is it in good taste to hope your "Schindler's List" card gets chosen?

Today's Cranium:

There are 4 state capitols that begin with the same letter as the name of the state. Can you name them without cheating?

Crazy Billboards

2008-03-11T22:17:00.003-04:00

My brother Chadwick (blog) and I often let each other know when we see weird/funny/idiotic or insightful church signs. Church signs are often times the most public signals a church has for evangelism in its community (when the congregation's actions won't speak for themselves). Things like "This church is prayer conditioned", or "What's missing in CH_ _ CH?" (the implied U R).

However, there's a church in the St. Louis area (and I believe this isn't the first place this type of advertising has been tried), which is pretending to be Satan ridiculing a local church in order to be 'edgy' enough to gain new followers. The Jefferson Hills church (link to other blog discussion) is making sure the message doesn't get confused. Whatev.....R

Pasta

2007-12-15T17:43:00.000-05:00

Reading an article the other day, I ran across a reference to an alternate explanation to intelligent design creationist theory. I am sure some of you have heard of it before, but it is very simple, having to do with a deity named the Flying Spaghetti Monster, who created all via his Noodly Appendage.

Seriously folks, this is great stuff, and props to the man who made this crap up. But rest assured, that's what it is, crap. In case you're keeping track, I still believe God made the earth, and the account in Genesis is the explanation of that event happening.

However, I am comfortable with some sacrilege, provided it is utterly ridiculous, as this is. If you desire to learn more about this irreverent nonsense, do so at your own risk, but here's the link ;).

Pastafarianism (The church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster)

New Charitable Business Idea - Not Communism

2007-12-10T17:34:00.000-05:00

While seeking my MBA from a reputable business school Saint Louis University I am constantly trying to think of new business opportunities that fall in line with my beliefs (Christianity). This idea came to me on my drive home from class the other day.

I'll have to confess, it also came as part of renegotiating my family's monthly utility bills (cable and internet), which I do every once in awhile to make sure I'm getting as good a product as possible while paying the cheapest price.

Why can't a business be based around giving profits away? I know capitalism has a firm hold on America, but I can't help but think it might not be the only way. Churches seem to be a great example of this, providing a service (literally) to parishioners for a market-determined price (to keep their doors open people give a tithe, determined by that person's ability/guilt). Another example of what I'm talking about includes discounted/used clothing places such as Goodwill or Salvation Army stores.

However, most of these outfits operate on a model which requires them to be dependent upon goodwill or charity of those in a position to do so. I'm proposing that a business exists to both serve the purposes of creating a market share and gaining customers, as WELL as giving back all profits in the form of charitable donations or hand-outs to the poor.

Such a business would pay everyone working for it a reasonable amount (no golden parachutes for CEOs, no grandiose pay deals either, and no extraordinary R&D profit sharing). Engineers coming up with new ideas would get paid what engineers at their skill level were expected to get paid, as would CEOs and everyone else. This would still permit a reasonable amount of innovation to keep the company running, as well as keep profits flowing to people in need.

Being experienced with Linux and other forms of free software, I have to assume with the knowledge base in the world these days, innovation would almost be guaranteed to happen, even in a free/cheap form.

Instead of financing a business with an IPO or something similar, the business would either start out as a hobby, or else as debt, being financed by a bank. So there would be someone making money off the business created (the bank charging interest), however it would be ordinary and expected, instead of all profits going right to the pockets of greedy shareholders.

I think a business of this form would experience tremendous competitive advantages, including customer goodwill, employee goodwill, public goodwill, as well as cost savings for not overpaying for things done as expected.

I'm still trying to formulate other problems with this system, but I think it sounds alright.

Give me a Theme macky

2007-11-21T15:35:00.000-05:00

I am looking to develop a personal slogan that I feel best embodies the virtues I put forth as a human being. Please help me in this endeavor by replying with a personal slogan or jingle that you think best suits me, and I will try to endorse it (after it meets my rigorous quality testing).

Who determines what people say about us when we're dead? We do! To some I may be cheap, to others not kind, to others I may be a wunderkind (able to do anything ;) ), and to few I may be a philanthropist (hehe).

In any case, I'm not sure I like what I'll be pegged as if life were to stop at this moment for me, and that's sad. While I'd like to change it, and have people think of me as a caring, selfless, thoughtful man of faith, it may not be easy.

We are partly born into roles, partly creating our roles, but otherwise very hard to sway as we mature. People say "oh he's very ____", or "that's not like him", but do they really know? People know what they see, and by doing that discount a person to exhibited acts. We give God tons of credit, mostly because of the actual, cold-hard facts from evidence of events which took place. However, we also give him an edge or nod of goodwill personality, believing that we know him well enough to afford our opinion of him a little added extra charm. (note: to say that God has charm may in fact be belittling him, but that is not my intent)

All I'm saying is that in order to die knowing that my life events are in order, I need to bring those around me as close as possible. They need to know how I actually think, instead of taking my comments and actions at face value. I know this may be hard, because sometimes that is all they get, but then they should deem themselves unqualified, and seek a closer authority (or closer relationship with me). I want to be close with people, and am with few (this should change too). I want to improve what people think of me, especially if this requires positive change.

Anyways, this is what I want to strive for, being a better person. That doesn't mean that I believe I'm a bad person, it means that I need to do a better job of advocating the goodness that is a part of me. This may require improved communication skills, so I will seek those, but I will also try not to obfuscate my internal messaging with unfortunate timing of inappropriate humor, and try to make sure I let more of my good thoughts come to outward actions.

Evolution Question

2007-10-31T13:43:00.000-04:00

Here's something that may be a good topic for a book against evolution. While I was sitting at the pool in Mexico, I found myself fascinated by the palm trees. Granted, I'd like to see palm trees every day of my life, as that probably indicates to me that I'm in a place that is pleasant, but that can't be the case all the time.

The palm trees stood out to me, because they were very tall. In fact, when we walked out on our 4th floor balcony, the tops of the trees were there. It made me think about how weeds compete with our other plants for attention from the sun. Plants grow taller and taller, trying to get as much exposure as possible to turn that desired sunlight into glucose via photosynthesis. However, algae which are very small in comparison derive their energy in the same way.

Why are things on earth as big as they are? We've all seen the "Honey, I shrunk the kids" movies, know that spiders have 8 eyes, and flies see things hundreds of times over. It has me wondering what the need for things as large as humans or other large species is. There are plenty of examples of creatures in the animal kingdom where the size of the brain is definitely not relative to the size of the species.

Does this not point as some proof positive that we are definitely created by a creator having purpose? Why are their feet and meters and seconds and degrees?

It may be true that humans are getting taller, but this is mainly due to childhood nutritional quality improving over the past 150 years, and not attributable to evolution. In any case, things can be explained in a multitude of ways, however the why questions are usually the toughest. My go to answer is that we were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of a creator that knows what is best for us.

P.S. Back from vacation. Yea US!

How long is a week?

2007-10-18T09:39:00.000-04:00

Is every question relative these days? This week I have 2 midterms, and the forethought that Saturday is the beginning of a week-long vacation I have for my family and friends in Cabo San Lucas.

This is compounded by the fact that at work there is a considerable lull in activity compared to 2 weeks ago when I worked 40 hours in 2.5 days in Virginia. Now it seems like there is barely anything to do. So I sit here at my computer each day waiting to do a few things, but it can't really compare to that level of activity.

You can also look ahead to the middle of next week, when we'll be having fun in the sun with each other and a tropical drink, reading books, playing in the water, and enjoying the free time we've been afforded since awarding ourselves with it. At that point it will probably seem like a week is an instant, knowing that when we get back to the majority of our life back home, the relative time will be slower.

I know time is measurable, but the measuring tape can vary.

In reality, I love all of the time I am given, as each moment is a blessing from God. Our lives are fleeting, and we should never wish any of the moments of them away.

Health Insurance

2007-10-11T12:01:00.001-04:00

This is going to be a weird post. My health insurance provided to me by my employer changed to a much worse option today, starting next year. I think the 'consumer-driven' healthcare insurance is a bad deal, because now I'm forced to actually look and compare each aspect of the different plans, and each year re-evaluate my situation.

Thank goodness my wife works as well, so we can compare 2 PLANS! jeesh. I need a week just to read over everything, as it is all pretty complicated.

Just a rant. Go Lions!

Timing

2005-04-24T22:18:00.000-04:00

I don't wear a watch, haven't for at least 10 years.

Friday I got into a truck accident about 2 minutes before arriving at my destination.

A week and a half ago I was bummin about having to be back from my cruise.

I have a huge project due on Sunday.

I get to work in the morning, yea.

Saturday = Funday

2005-03-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

Events of the day:

got up at 8:30
did a load of laundry
went to work for 2+ hours
went to bank
locked keys (house and car) and cellphone in car while at bank ATM
5 & 1/2 hours later, back in car with help from locksmith

Needless to say, lovin life ;). Did you know that white people are people too?

What's new

2005-03-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

Wow,
This is like not a weird one, but just an update on what's happened in the past month. I've lost contact with a few peeps, but here goes:

My brother Brady came down to visit for a weekend while my free-wheeling spending parents went to Aruba for the umpteenth time (at least they've bought a timeshare now so they're committed). We had a great time, playing some football with people and finishing up with a great dinner at Sweetwater Tavern.

While he was here I bought a Kawasaki KDX 200
Off of ebay. Pretty decent bike, but it'll take a little fixing up since it's a 2002.

Then the weekend after that, I bought a huge freakin' 1999 4x4 Dodge Ram 1500.

Man it's big. At least compared to my Tiburon. I kept that too though. I think I might sell the Honda VTX though, I don't really ride it and it's a $300/month drain on the personal economy.

Well, I know this one didn't take much thought. BUT SCREW YOU! ;)....later people have a good weekend.

Larry

Your daddy

Sizzle Frogs

2005-01-31T21:57:00.000-05:00

One time when I was 12 I thought I'd be really sneaky and surprise the mail lady with 3 frogs jumping out at her from the mailbox as she delivered the mail.

I came out a day later to notice 3 coaster-like frog skin/skeletons crispy on the ground. I guess in my excitement of the prank I had forgotten that even in Michigan in the summer, it can get a little toasty inside of a metal mailbox.

I didn't mean to kill them I swear. I love frogs.

Chad and I used to catch them all the time at Columbia Creek park. We would swing from the tire swing and jump into the creek and swim, catching enormous bullfrogs and crayfish that were plentiful. It was a great time.

Screw money.

GSM

2005-01-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

Well,

I think it's time for an explanation as to why I call this blog the Girl Scout Militia. When I was in high school / Going into college, I kept going to all of these websites which would ask me for my business's name, and of course I didn't have one.

So one time I was bored and I just started thinking of why the Girl Scout's need to fundraise all the time. With the selling of baked goods & popcorn or whatever the heck else they sell door-to-door or through their parents, I thought they must have a pretty nice stash of cash.

Couple that thought with the idea of uniforms and certain survival skills (while probably not nearly as vital as the Boy Scouts), I figured they had the logistics and training to make such an idea viable.

So here the Girl Scouts are, at your door smiling with your boxes of Samoa's (my favorite, you can talk about yours), in the mean time money is being laundered and through various funneling channels back to buy nuclear arms and pay for more training operations for whenever their skills are needed (and that day is coming).

So I started using the Girl Scout Militia as my personal company name, and my mom started getting scared that the government was going to start paying extra attention to mail and different things that would come to the door for my militia group (being in Michigan, we love our militias). I think it's a great idea, and I thought I'd claim the name before the Girl Scouts' become forthright about their activities, but I'm glad to have exposed them first.

Ok enough from me.

Today's Quote:

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
~Edmund Burke

Now

2005-01-29T13:05:00.000-05:00

I just watched a fascinating movie in "The Butterfly Effect". It really makes me think as I look around my really messy room (I'll clean that later), and ponder about where I am in life. There are very few situations that I would change if I could, because I'm pretty satisfied with life, but I think we're supposed to be more than satisfied.

I know of at least 2 situations, one when I was 11, and another when I was 21, that I would try to go back and make different if I could, but I'd probably just F things up worse anyways :).

The way things did happen, I remember being the oldest of the kids, and therefore receiving the most punishment. I remember pummeling the crap out of my younger siblings in response to that, and taking on a bitter and somewhat "older than I am" sense to handle things. Of course I did have more responsibility, but I think I developed the way I deal with people due to these situations (but doesn't everyone).

I remember thinking I had to protect the other kids beyond all else, even though I wasn't very nice to them, and the stress that put on me. I remember not being really allowed to have friends over to the house. But I remember the sense of family we had, since it was about all we had, and the effort that got spent on us to try and make us happy.

I remember going to a counselor, with him on a "walk", and not wanting to say anything about the event when I was 11, because I really didn't know what to say, and I still don't know what to say. At least I have established some feelings on the matter by now, and I guess I counseled myself to this point, and come to grips that what's done has been done, and believing that everything happens for a purpose.

Look how much we as humans are able to think. I can implicitly declare that everything happens for a reason, and then through inference prove it to myself by "thinking" out the events that happened as a result of a particular occurrence of the past.

I love our god-given ability to think and create anything we put our mind to. That is freedom.

Change the now.

Fight

2005-01-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

One reason for my faith is that there is only one person in history that has ever fought for me out of love. That is Christ. I have had mothers, girlfriends, wives, friends, and other acquiantances that when tested, faltered, and wouldn't put their love for me past the struggle they were looking at.

Only one figure in history that didn't back down.

L

2005-01-25T19:01:00.000-05:00

When did my brain stop controlling my body? Do you stop being smart at a certain point? Why does everyone become the same person?

I strive to be like other people, for what reason? Do I want to be one of them? Do I want to make them happy? When do you stop living for yourself and start doing what others want you to? Everyone sells themself, where's your price?

Why is there so much detail in life? I am trying my hardest to live life in the "big picture", which we're told so often to try to see, but that isn't working. We all need a copy of ourself to do the things we don't want to, and deal with the not so fun stuff.

Ring around the rosy

People should always strive to improve themselves. Too many are satisfied with what they're used to.

Chili burp

2005-01-18T22:20:00.000-05:00

:),

That's supposed to represent something. I always thought it was amazing when I went to college, and everyone said "hi" to one another when they were in passing. Being a very shy person in high school, I would never have thought to be forward and talk to people in public, I was pleasantly surprised that people at my college were willing to greet complete strangers while walking across campus.

Now I know that it is simply an adult formality, which comes from years of knowing things that you're simply "supposed" to do, like thank people for gifts, being polite, returning phone calls, being on time, and being courteous to people you meet at random.

Formalities are fun, huh? I would agree with that until a person gets stressed or encounters problems. Leading our college class council, taking a full load of 18 credits, working 25+ hours a week, and trying to eat and maintain a healthy social life are very tough for a college student. Couple that with feeling like you have to look up and smile at everyone walking by to say "hi" when you could care less, kinda sucks at some point.

I know a guy who at his work is pretty stressed out, and plenty of people come with him for questions of help every day, but he still manages to try to humor as many people as possible and keep it all under control.

Is he thinking about that kind of stuff on a Saturday afternoon watching college football? I doubt it. Don't put a creature in a foreign habitat. Of course being nice is something I always want to do, but when did I become subservient? I love a challenge, and will do what it takes to get by. Why do I want to get by? Why don't I take charge of everything and change it all to fit what I want from life.

Good question, it's time to start doing it. Like they say, life doesn't wait for you.

P.S. As an aside from some of the crap in the middle of what I was talking today. Don't you hate people that talk like they know what they're talking about, but you know they don't? I've only met 2 extreme cases of this in my life, initials J.F. and M.R., but they know how to talk business (or at least use the catch phrases they've picked up), but when it comes down to them and you having to do the work, you know who will be doing the work. I figure it only lasts so long.

P.P.S. Had some good chili tonight....

I like to know there's a positive and negative ebb and flow to life and blogs. On a positive note, I get to go visit T.C. this weekend, and I am so happy about that. One person that truly is able to make me drop and forget everything that happens and smile like a retard - so the smile at the beginning was real :).

* Asterisk *

2005-01-17T21:22:00.000-05:00

Hey people that don't read this,

Why are some people lazy and others try for things? Why do I ask questions? We make what we want out of life. This is no more apparent than in some people that I've recently met. People think they 'need' things, or that certain things will make them happy, while they are staying in the same state in life as they always have been, and always will be (or so they hope).

I have one friend that thinks you need to be wealthy to enjoy life. What is wrong with that picture? They honestly think that if you were poor, or struggled a little bit to get by, that you couldn't get just as much or more enjoyment than someone who got to buy whatever they wanted.

I know that I was once poor, living on poverty, having to go to clothing banks and pick through other peoples' giveaway clothes, the ones that they didn't think were good enough for them anymore, but those they thought some sap like me could use. I remember using food stamps at the grocery store to buy gum so that my mom could have the change from these purchases just for a little more cash money. I remember the embarrassment of tearing those stupid coupons out of the books while people who had the dough behind us in line at the cashier watched.

Things are rough sometimes, where do we earn appreciation? If we think we always need to be wealthy, that is probably because it is a goal of ours, or it is all we have ever seen. If the people who thought that way were to suddenly find themselves out of work, or in a drastic turn of events, what would they do? Probably survive, and make it, even if it weren't at the standard they were used to, and probably at some point they would have a happy moment, even if it weren't to come from their money.

Another friend I know doesn't want to learn any more skills because they figure they can just pay someone whose time isn't worth as much to do it. Boy what a sack of crap that is. I think all people's time is worth the same, especially initially through potential, and that we shouldn't think just because a person doesn't make as much measurable wealth as us, that they should be slaves doing lesser work.

I know that personally I'm always trying to find those things I don't know to do, just to have a larger skill set to draw from if the times ever get tough. This coupled with the need to feel like a real man :), cause me to change my own oil, and find other 'manly' things to do sometimes, because I don't want to only be associated with computers. They definitely make the money right now, but I don't think I can expect that to last forever.

In an aside:

I think we all need to offer up a prayer for Doug Brien and the way the game was lost on Saturday. That was just unfortunate, because of how they gave the game to the lousy Pittsburgh Steelers, who lucked into another win. Very disappointing, sorry Dougie.

In another aside:

Posts to this blog are going to be sporadic on weekends, but I will try to post on weekdays as well as I can...

Song of the day:

"Look What You've Done" -- Jet

Ching ching ching....

Dirty Freakin' Chimichanga

2005-01-14T02:50:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all,

This is just a stupid post from something I wrote when I was living in a crazy situation during the summer of '03. I'm pooped so I'm not thinking tonight, I should be back tomorrow though:

While I’m able to think, I’ve decided to journal some of those thoughts, so as to have something to laugh at when I’m 40.

I think the mind is a powerful tool, especially when applied with good purpose, and thus I hope the purpose of these writings is to inspire and intrigue with thought, as well as to further the good of myself and common man.

I am living in what I would consider a poor man’s circus. At first I thought it was a good deal. I was married, and in the paper it was offered a house renting at the tune of $700 a month. That should have raised an alarm in my head, but being an ignorant fool fond of being frugal I decided to take a chance. Bad Move. Moving in an old lady greets us at the door, wondering who in the world we are. After we get that across, we are told that she also rents a bedroom, but that she is not at home on the weekends, and would not normally be seen or heard. No big deal we figure. Beyond that, another divorced 30-something year old male rents the basement apartment. Again, not a huge deal in our book, although this is starting to seem like 3 (or 4’s) company. A month later, my wife leaves me (for different reasons). Then the landlady decides to go crazy at this point. Knowing that she has wanted to build a new deck, she decides to hire a few random Mexicans from Arlington (we are 40 miles West, in Haymarket, VA). Wanting to save some of her cash, she decides the Mexicans can spend the night on the couch (for 4 nights). To keep it safe (or to have an affair with the head deck constructor), my landlady decides to stay at the house as well, in another bedroom upstairs. So here’s the picture. One divorced man downstairs. 2 Mexicans sleeping on the couches on the main floor living room. Myself (a separated 23 year old male), an older woman (probably 70 something), and my landlady each sleeping in different bedrooms on the top floor.

Things could be considered just in bad taste, yet it gets better. The landlady decides to put on an audible show for us (me and the old lady – 70), having an affair to the loudest extent in her bedroom, providing entertainment for all in the house. I go to bed during the middle of the sex-spree, semi-laughing myself to sleep out of pure insanity. Getting up the next morning, I find an empty wine glass outside my bedroom door on the floor. Thinking, my landlady must have been getting tipsy with wine, I get ready in the normal routine. Yet this morning could not be normal, no it had to be different. Stepping out of the shower I go to brush my teeth. Here comes the sound of the horizontal tango, entertaining me while I clean my bicuspids.

I try to create a void of pornographic things in my life, including those made by vocal chords, but it is very hard in a house with thin walls. Having enough of the laughter generated inside out of disgust, I email my landlady later on in the day so as to lay into her with embarrassment. I make slanted comment after slanted comment, making her beet red in the process and unlikely to ever find foreplay & acts of the flesh permissible again with me, the old lady, the other divorced guy, and of course the 2 random generic Mexicans sleeping on the couch ever again.

Result of fiasco:

$75 lower rent,
a lost bottle of Buffalo Wild Wing’s Blazin’ Sauce,
one lost bottle of sun tan lotion,
a missing pizza,
and more stress leading to an increased sense of anxiousness towards my November lease ceasing.

Freedom Fries

2005-01-12T22:19:00.000-05:00

Boo,

Going somewhat off from yesterday is another thing I find interesting. Why do people continue to try to figure things out and make statements, after we've found how just about everything ever decided has been contradicted or laughed at by later generations?

Does failure breed success? I've often been told that you have to mess up to try harder and get it right next time. So do we do what we do knowing it is currently a success later seen as a failure?

I think more that people fail so as to look good in this generation. You're the man if you say something that causes your peers to agree with you and take it as fact. Meanwhile there's always that person, the innovator, that knows better than you, or so he thinks, and is either tweaking your philosophy or contradicting it completely, in such a way to gain approval from his peers, and eventually be proven wrong again in the cycle.

Like I said before, I believe in God as an absolute, and I've questioned myself time and time again as to why I believe what I believe, and it hasn't changed, but is in fact the one truth I've embraced to the point where I don't see it being challenged in my lifetime. The rest of life is fair game.

I don't see gravity being around forever. That big earth quake that happened over in the Ocean of South Asia, supposedly put a 'wobble' in the earth's rotation. Seems that enough wobbles or adjustments to earth's rotation could seriously F up earth's spin and orbit, and send gravity to the crapper.

There go all the accomplishments, and we're back to square one with nothing gained.

I'm guilty of thinking I'm right most of the time, but I will definitely give up my position if someone else's is obviously better or more thought out. I know a lot of people that will not. So are they wrong, or did they subconsciously figure out the theory I talked about before? (trick question, both options in the sentence are implicitly the same)

So what's the alternative to this? To do nothing, because what we do is wrong and will be laughed at or "improved" later. Or do people continue to make those statements, for the "good" of the future?

It'd be interesting to see the earth with people that started all over again. I wonder what the differences would be like. Unfortunately in the middle of it all we had all those empire things that helped everyone to think very similarly. I'm not talking about races, but instead the minds and philosophies that people had when they were on their own, and that many more diverse cultures could come up with.

Maybe the Nazis were just trying to preserve culture by building the Berlin wall, and it would have been better to leave up. We say people get diverse by bringing them together, but in reality we just get soup.

I hated the mixing bowl vs. melting pot debate in high school :).

Even though I don't necessarily believe that aliens exist, I think the biggest benefit and thrill of finding them would be to see those differences their ideologies would bring.

Hopefully they would let us live long enough to see them.

Good Day

2005-01-11T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hey yo,

How do you decide when a day has been a good day? Is it a comparison to other recent days you've just been through? Is there a certain percentage of good that has to happen to outweigh the bad? It's certainly not a pure number of events, because definitely one really crappy moment or important thing can 'ruin' a day, or make even the worst day good.

On any scale, I'd have to say today was a good day. Things at work went pretty well, I didn't have any unforeseen bad things happen to me, and I am still alive and able to post to this piece of crap blog, so I must be doing something right. I can see the stress level of the near future going down, which in any sense is good because it has been too high lately.

Measuring good days is very relative. I have to admit that I personally hate relativism. I hate that a lot of people don't find a common yardstick to rule what is right and what's wrong, and that we try to assume there is a collective moralism that helps us judge that, when we know we will trump it depending on our mood and if we can find something relative to excuse us from adhering to it.

However, good days are a certain relativism I can be glad for, because even though I cannot pinpoint what brings the smile to my face or takes my attention away from some bad things in life, I definitely feel good on the inside enough to know that it's not as bad as another day, and is in fact a much better one.

Why do people get mad? I had a psychologist ask me one time why I did not get mad after a certain event which I assume normally makes people mad. That question was what upset me. What good does it do a person to get mad? Do actual results come from that? I found it funny for a person that is supposed to help someone with things they are going through, to tell her client that he should get mad. I instantly felt like the smarter person in the room and that I was going to get no help there.

Why? Because intelligence is definitely rooted in logic and with logic a determined peace. I have vowed to myself to always try to make sense of a conflict I have with another person, and to try to use any understanding I get to resolve that with the person. Now, unfortunately this theory doesn't apply very well when a person is mad at me, because I can't avoid laughing my head off at inopportune times and probably making a situation worse. That isn't to say I wouldn't try to work with them to help them be less mad at me, I just don't understand madness enough to be sensitive to it, and so I make things worse for myself.

Don't be mad get glad. It always sounds like the easy answer that won't really happen, but you can definitely fool yourself into a good mood if you try hard enough. And why not, people may say you're in denial or hiding things to not confront them, but why not be happy when you can, bad things will likely happen sometime, and you might as well have something to look back on.

I feel like I haven't said anything tonight, but sometimes it's not the point.

No Corners

2005-01-10T22:15:00.000-05:00

Hey me,

The thought of the day is on the well-rounded individual. I have always taken pride on the fact that I think I am one of the more well-rounded acquaintances one can make in a lifetime. Not to say I'm a complete renaissance man, because I think that that person should be good at everything he takes up, but I definitely try to dabble in activities from every facet of life.

I regularly workout, read educational literature, keep up on the news, spend time with friends, find time for videogames, keep in regular touch with the family, and try to please the bosses on a daily basis (all while trying to go to bed by 11PM on workdays).

Why do we tell people that doing all of this is the way to get the most out of life? "Don't waste a moment because you may regret it later." What the crap is that? :). I mean honestly giving a half-hearted effort on a myriad of things so that you think you are busy or do a lot is just fooling yourself.

In that instance, nobody thinks you're great, when people know you they generally know you for a "thing" or something that they notice you do, but hardly ever is it for all of the simple and complicated things that make you you, or that you put effort into doing.

I used to think it was great that I didn't become one of the stereotypical computer nerds when I began my life as a computer science major in college. While other people are busy investing half of their lifetime building up alternate personas in hyperspace (Everquest, Worlds of Warcraft), I spent time trying to meet new people, exercising, growing closer to God.

I never regret for a moment doing all of those different things, but you have to wonder what the best approach is. Maybe a person should become unilateral in their personal affairs, and just become really really good at one or two different things. It is only then that a person really becomes "famous", because they are better than everyone else at one cool thing, it is very rare that you ever hear of someone being the best at more than one thing, so why does everyone try?

I'm pretty sure I could master something simple like peeling potatoes (actually I quite enjoy it, it relaxes me), but then the challenge comes of making peeling potatoes really cool. I mean some people genuinely respect and value what I say, but I think I would have a hard time even convincing them that it was an activity worth vesting their interest in. Oh well, I guess I can just wait until TV begins to cover more worthwhile events.

A philosophical question remains on whether choice is really better or not. I feel guilty for offering one in the last sentence, but when presenting the uninformed with alternatives where the consequences are not known, and the benefits not fully realized, how can we ever decide what's best. Compulsiveness sets in at some point in the equation, but when, and where do we satisfice?

I have always wished there was more than one life on earth to live, and yes it's because I enjoy many things here, and I do wish I could try to be many different people, given the opportunity. Maybe I think that because I have not yet seen why the path that I am taking is the best for me in my lifetime, and that living another life would not be worth it because of all the good things that will come from this one.

Wow, at least that's a positive thought to go to sleep on.

Cheerio.

Make sense of this

2005-01-09T15:53:00.000-05:00

Do you ever find it funny that as we get older we enjoy things that make less and less sense? I mean of course as babies we start out being stimulated by basic colors and shapes, but those are all based on things that are pretty normal, and understandable. But as soon as we can, we begin to memorize songs, rhymes, and enjoy coloring pictures and watching TV shows that are based on sound logic, even if they do happen to use fictional characters that don't make a lot of sense (i.e. large purple dinosaurs, turtles that stand up and wield nunchakus).

Now as we get older, we start to enjoy things that are "deep" or that don't really make much sense (and believe me, if you asked a child about some of it they would think you were weird). People start to think they enjoy "abstract" art, which is basically justification of a crappy artist trying to play on our primitive childlike fascination with basic color and shape, but you are uncultured if you don't make up some other meaning behind their B.S. artwork.

This website is great. It is simple, plain, and serves a purpose, even if that purpose is to allow someone like me to rant and rave about bull hooey that doesn't matter to anyone :).

So is maturity linked to your ability to enjoy things that really suck? I only bring this up because I notice myself enjoying music that makes less and less sense, but is basic at it's core.

(SIDE NOTE): I've decided through my blog that I will refer to friends as 2 initials that either do or don't represent their actual names.

A good personal friend this summer "T.C." got me interested in a band called "The Postal Service", which is at its heart basic techno beats and tones, with very simple lyrics put over top to create an easy music project, the CD they released. The band put it together by sending each other tracks through the mail, which is the premise they used to name the band. So I enjoy this band, and now I've discovered the singer's main band, "Death Cab for Cutie", and I'm starting to enjoy that as well.

Does this satisfy some deeper need of mine? Does the music itself make me happier, or is it experiences I think of when I hear that music. Who knows, and who really cares. I just wonder why I can't sing "she'll be comin 'round the mountain when she comes" the rest of my life and play with my ninja turtle figures (I had them all by the way, everybody had at least one). That was way before we had to think if we were spending our time in useful ways.

P.S. for the day. Don't hate on people. That sucks.

First time's a charm

2005-01-08T15:34:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

Well I'm not sure who is going to be reading this yet, but I've moved away from creating my own website (I know, strange for a computer science major) to using this editor to compile my thoughts. It may be strange to many of you that I actually have thoughts, but occasionally I even surprise myself.

But on to the dribble:

I've found myself wondering what there is to do anymore. It is odd to be 24, and thinking I've been through everything in life. It is obvious I haven't, but when your line of sight is limited to the current week, it seems as if you've done it all before.

Wow, isn't that uplifting? :).

It's funny, because I believe in God, and that Jesus is our savior, but there are definitely times where I can understand a futilist's point of view or anyone's who finds it hard to see a point in life.

I'm thinking there needs to be a daily or weekly thing for this blog, and I'm soliciting anyone who might read this to let me know what "my thing" could be, that could be featured here on a periodic basis. If I don't get a response I'll come up with one myself, but I've always been a big fan of at least feigning democracy before making the decision I think is correct :), guess that's why I voted for Bush.

Signing off.