Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Junk Food for the Mind
In America, we love our junk food. Potato chips, candy, donuts, cakes, ice cream treats, pizza, french fries... you name it, we eat it. These foods are bad for you because...
1) They have high levels of bad stuff in them (fat, cholesterol, sugar)
2) They lack other nutritional value (vitamins, fiber)
3) They stuff your stomach so full there is no room for proper food
4) They taste good, so you crave it more
5) They are often convenient and readily available
The result of our love affair with junk food is we are a nation growing very obese. It is not uncommon in Iowa to see 12 year old boys who weigh 200 pounds (90.9 kg). We have a junk food culture, and it goes further than just food.
Our entertainment has become junk food for the mind. Our TV shows are unimaginative and trashy. Music has become mostly stale. Movies seem to get worse every summer. Video games are not fit for children anymore. And those of us Americans who do read tend to read uninspired novels about the Judgment Day, unauthorized tell-alls about government officials, or how to lose weight by cutting carbs.
I hate when I see myself, and my friends, fall prey to this. I used to read a ton of books a month. I usually read about science, evolution, world religion, and environmental issues. Now I read a lot less. I study Japanese (which is good), but I also have spent most of my other reading time on manga. I used to play chess and do mathematical problems for fun, now I play Super Mario on my Game Boy.
Today I finished the first disk of .Hack, a marvelous video game by Bandai. (The one I posted a picture of below). But at the end, the game reveals to you how long you have played the game. I spent 35 hours (not counting times I died and had to continue) on disk one... and there are three more disks left! I have wasted a lot of time playing a video game. And I will probably continue to play it.
This is junk time. My mind could be learning biochemistry or anatomy in preparation for the school year to come. I could be volunteering with a charity. I could be exercising. I could be finding a way to make money with a second job. Instead, I play .Hack for 35 hours. It is sort of embarrassing (at least it wasn't 35 hours all at once).
Its no wonder then that I am obese, and often have to do paperwork at the last minute. Its no surprise that I often find myself short on money, and that I waste a great deal of it. I have become junk by ingesting junk; both as my food and as my actions. This is something I hope to work on more, but between you and me...
I can't wait to get home to start playing disk two. :)
This was meant to be both serious and funny, but the truth is, America does have a problem. We have hundreds of people with money and time, but few use it to better the world. The church is a microcosm of this, as its people often are least involved in helping others. My own church is (on the surface) more active in REACHING people than they are in HELPING people. It is shameful that Ty Pennington, the actor/carpenter, is more of a missionary than our elders at church (he has a show that he builds homes for underprivileged families).
We shouldn't be guilty to enjoy life's riches: whether it is a chocolate chip cookie or two hours to watch a movie. But we should practice ingesting junk food and junk culture in moderation, and spend more time being productive. We need to help people, strengthen our communities, and better ourselves while we can.
Stick with it! I know you can do it. You aren't alone in being addicted to junk. Despite my guilt, I have actually done a better job over the last year avoiding junk than ever before in my life. I hope you find success in your life, and I encourage you to cut junk out of your life, and fill the space with something nutritious and meaningful.
See ya!
1) They have high levels of bad stuff in them (fat, cholesterol, sugar)
2) They lack other nutritional value (vitamins, fiber)
3) They stuff your stomach so full there is no room for proper food
4) They taste good, so you crave it more
5) They are often convenient and readily available
The result of our love affair with junk food is we are a nation growing very obese. It is not uncommon in Iowa to see 12 year old boys who weigh 200 pounds (90.9 kg). We have a junk food culture, and it goes further than just food.
Our entertainment has become junk food for the mind. Our TV shows are unimaginative and trashy. Music has become mostly stale. Movies seem to get worse every summer. Video games are not fit for children anymore. And those of us Americans who do read tend to read uninspired novels about the Judgment Day, unauthorized tell-alls about government officials, or how to lose weight by cutting carbs.
I hate when I see myself, and my friends, fall prey to this. I used to read a ton of books a month. I usually read about science, evolution, world religion, and environmental issues. Now I read a lot less. I study Japanese (which is good), but I also have spent most of my other reading time on manga. I used to play chess and do mathematical problems for fun, now I play Super Mario on my Game Boy.
Today I finished the first disk of .Hack, a marvelous video game by Bandai. (The one I posted a picture of below). But at the end, the game reveals to you how long you have played the game. I spent 35 hours (not counting times I died and had to continue) on disk one... and there are three more disks left! I have wasted a lot of time playing a video game. And I will probably continue to play it.
This is junk time. My mind could be learning biochemistry or anatomy in preparation for the school year to come. I could be volunteering with a charity. I could be exercising. I could be finding a way to make money with a second job. Instead, I play .Hack for 35 hours. It is sort of embarrassing (at least it wasn't 35 hours all at once).
Its no wonder then that I am obese, and often have to do paperwork at the last minute. Its no surprise that I often find myself short on money, and that I waste a great deal of it. I have become junk by ingesting junk; both as my food and as my actions. This is something I hope to work on more, but between you and me...
I can't wait to get home to start playing disk two. :)
This was meant to be both serious and funny, but the truth is, America does have a problem. We have hundreds of people with money and time, but few use it to better the world. The church is a microcosm of this, as its people often are least involved in helping others. My own church is (on the surface) more active in REACHING people than they are in HELPING people. It is shameful that Ty Pennington, the actor/carpenter, is more of a missionary than our elders at church (he has a show that he builds homes for underprivileged families).
We shouldn't be guilty to enjoy life's riches: whether it is a chocolate chip cookie or two hours to watch a movie. But we should practice ingesting junk food and junk culture in moderation, and spend more time being productive. We need to help people, strengthen our communities, and better ourselves while we can.
Stick with it! I know you can do it. You aren't alone in being addicted to junk. Despite my guilt, I have actually done a better job over the last year avoiding junk than ever before in my life. I hope you find success in your life, and I encourage you to cut junk out of your life, and fill the space with something nutritious and meaningful.
See ya!
Here are the two heros from a video game, manga, anime, and novel series I am addicted to (called .Hack). The girl is Rena (or BlackRose on the game), and the boy is Shugo (or Kite on the game). It is pretty immersive, and if I am not playing the Playstation game I am reading books or watching anime about it. There is even a cool card game, music CDs, and a bunch of toys! Talk about marketing! The reason I post this is because I spent 45 minutes trying to beat the final "boss" on the first disk (out of four) of the game, and lost only just before he was beat. I felt sad, not only because I want to clear the game, but because I am 29 years old and I wasted almost an hour playing a video game! :) Anyway, I have been addicted to this game/anime/manga since earlier this year, and I think I need to get help.... hahaha
Monday, June 28, 2004
Big Brother DOES Know Better Sometimes
Hello everyone! The Fourth of July is fast approaching, and along with it comes fireworks. From huge, orchestrated light shows put on by companies, to kids burning sparklers in their back yards, America is ga-ga over fireworks during the celebration of its independence.
Fireworks are a brilliant way to celebrate any occasion. The brightness of the colored light and the loudness of the booms and fizzing all demand attention. Even as an adult I still find myself amused by what amounts to nothing more than the igniting of flammable powder.
But there is a dark side to fireworks. In many areas of the country, it is illegal to purchase, possess, or use fireworks. These locations are usually those who experience either dry climates (we don't want any fires running amok), or areas where population density is a problem (we don't want any injuries). Here in Council Bluffs, only the most mild fireworks are legal. Yet, 30 minutes away you can freely buy glorious fireworks of all sorts (even the revered bottle rocket).
So, it is no surprise that people choose to shun the law and buy fireworks. Two weeks before July 4th the noises start to echo through the neighborhoods. The police, for the most part, turn a blind eye to fireworks during the week surrounding Independence Day. Large fountains pour sparks all over the street, mighty rockets scream into the air, and giant firecrackers equaling a partial stick of dynamite dig craters into lawns.
But these same fireworks also injure many users. Every year you hear stories about near misses, minor injuries, and even a rare serious mishap. Just tonight, in Omaha, a 15 year old boy blew off three of his fingers, and injured his arm severely.
The public, it seems, cannot be responsible with its fireworks. Children and adults alike do not fear or respect the power of fireworks enough to wield them safely. A friend of mine (an EMT and volunteer fireman) engages in fireworks fights every year with his brothers and friends. Not only are they handling dangerous items, they are pointing/throwing them at one another.
The city government bans these fireworks for this very reason. Every year people complain and whine about the law. Many risk smuggling fireworks into the area, often being pulled over on the interstate only to have their supply taken by the police. Even I used to think that the city should just "lighten up" for a few days.
But I remember the times I have seen or been a apart of fireworks mishaps. For instance, as a teenager I once had a firecracker thrown at my head. It ignited inches from my left ear. It was a small firework, about 1 inch long, but it knocked me out. The concussion from the explosion sent a pain through my head I have never felt again (thankfully). I remember falling, and hearing an unholy ringing, then blacking out. A fraction of a distance closer and I may have lost my hearing altogether.
Then there is the time that a kid I know in high school tried to hold fireworks as long as he could before being hurt. It was a game of macho ignorance, as he held ignited fireworks until a fraction of a second before they blew. This same kid was shooting roman candles from his hand when the firework misfired out of a weak spot in the shaft. The fireball struck his face, burning him badly as it reported with a loud "bang!"
There are countless other stories; lessons to learn for the rest of us. Fireworks are dangerous, and need to be handled safely and with fear. But too many people fail to ever acknowledge the responsibility needed for prevailed such as this. People drive their cars recklessly, play with firearms, keep dangerous pets, and abuse harmful drugs.
For this reason, the government steps in. The popular thing to say is that the government is too big, that it is being "Big Brother" as in Orwell's 1984. Unfortunately, they have to. People are not smart enough to handle danger. These privileges become a matter of public safety. In many cases, the government is protecting us from ourselves.
So before you get angry about a fireworks ordinance this Independance Day, try to look at it from a different angle. Think of the trouble that the laws help us avoid. There will always be those who break the laws, but the boy who lost his fingers tonight was in a zone that permitted firework use. A law against usage may have saved him from his own carelessness.
The same goes for speed limits. Seat belt laws. Controlled substance prohibitions. Automobile restrictions. Age requirements for alcohol use. And so on. The government is a lot of things, but it is not wholly evil. It is trying to do a very practical and hard job... Providing a safe and pleasant environment for the most people it can. Stop complaining about big government and Big Brother, and learn to enjoy the many freedoms we have that we ignore (and subsequently can't eliminate digits from our bodies).
See ya!
Fireworks are a brilliant way to celebrate any occasion. The brightness of the colored light and the loudness of the booms and fizzing all demand attention. Even as an adult I still find myself amused by what amounts to nothing more than the igniting of flammable powder.
But there is a dark side to fireworks. In many areas of the country, it is illegal to purchase, possess, or use fireworks. These locations are usually those who experience either dry climates (we don't want any fires running amok), or areas where population density is a problem (we don't want any injuries). Here in Council Bluffs, only the most mild fireworks are legal. Yet, 30 minutes away you can freely buy glorious fireworks of all sorts (even the revered bottle rocket).
So, it is no surprise that people choose to shun the law and buy fireworks. Two weeks before July 4th the noises start to echo through the neighborhoods. The police, for the most part, turn a blind eye to fireworks during the week surrounding Independence Day. Large fountains pour sparks all over the street, mighty rockets scream into the air, and giant firecrackers equaling a partial stick of dynamite dig craters into lawns.
But these same fireworks also injure many users. Every year you hear stories about near misses, minor injuries, and even a rare serious mishap. Just tonight, in Omaha, a 15 year old boy blew off three of his fingers, and injured his arm severely.
The public, it seems, cannot be responsible with its fireworks. Children and adults alike do not fear or respect the power of fireworks enough to wield them safely. A friend of mine (an EMT and volunteer fireman) engages in fireworks fights every year with his brothers and friends. Not only are they handling dangerous items, they are pointing/throwing them at one another.
The city government bans these fireworks for this very reason. Every year people complain and whine about the law. Many risk smuggling fireworks into the area, often being pulled over on the interstate only to have their supply taken by the police. Even I used to think that the city should just "lighten up" for a few days.
But I remember the times I have seen or been a apart of fireworks mishaps. For instance, as a teenager I once had a firecracker thrown at my head. It ignited inches from my left ear. It was a small firework, about 1 inch long, but it knocked me out. The concussion from the explosion sent a pain through my head I have never felt again (thankfully). I remember falling, and hearing an unholy ringing, then blacking out. A fraction of a distance closer and I may have lost my hearing altogether.
Then there is the time that a kid I know in high school tried to hold fireworks as long as he could before being hurt. It was a game of macho ignorance, as he held ignited fireworks until a fraction of a second before they blew. This same kid was shooting roman candles from his hand when the firework misfired out of a weak spot in the shaft. The fireball struck his face, burning him badly as it reported with a loud "bang!"
There are countless other stories; lessons to learn for the rest of us. Fireworks are dangerous, and need to be handled safely and with fear. But too many people fail to ever acknowledge the responsibility needed for prevailed such as this. People drive their cars recklessly, play with firearms, keep dangerous pets, and abuse harmful drugs.
For this reason, the government steps in. The popular thing to say is that the government is too big, that it is being "Big Brother" as in Orwell's 1984. Unfortunately, they have to. People are not smart enough to handle danger. These privileges become a matter of public safety. In many cases, the government is protecting us from ourselves.
So before you get angry about a fireworks ordinance this Independance Day, try to look at it from a different angle. Think of the trouble that the laws help us avoid. There will always be those who break the laws, but the boy who lost his fingers tonight was in a zone that permitted firework use. A law against usage may have saved him from his own carelessness.
The same goes for speed limits. Seat belt laws. Controlled substance prohibitions. Automobile restrictions. Age requirements for alcohol use. And so on. The government is a lot of things, but it is not wholly evil. It is trying to do a very practical and hard job... Providing a safe and pleasant environment for the most people it can. Stop complaining about big government and Big Brother, and learn to enjoy the many freedoms we have that we ignore (and subsequently can't eliminate digits from our bodies).
See ya!
Here is a picture of my niece Kaylee (on the left) and her friend Lauren. They recently went on a vacation trip together. Isn't she cute? I just had to share this one.
Friday, June 25, 2004
Political Statements in Iowa
Before I tell my story, I need to explain a little bit about an American custom. In America, when a soldier is sent into war, his or her family will tie a large yellow ribbon around a tree in their yard. This tells the neighbors that a member of their family is serving the country. It also shows that the family is praying for the soldiers' safety. The yellow ribbon is a sign of anxiety, hope, and support in a time of trouble.
In Iowa, many of these old traditions are still followed. In a small town near where I live, a woman tied a large yellow ribbon on the tree in front of their house. Her son was sent away to Iraq for the war.
When she awoke the next morning, her ribbon was gone. Someone had stolen the ribbon. She was determined to show her support for her son, so she tied a new ribbon around the tree. Again, the next day, it was missing.
Her husband assumed that it was the action of a teenage hooligan, so he refused to quit hanging the ribbon. When word got out to the neighborhood, many neighbors too hung ribbons in support of the soldier. The next morning, many of the ribbons were missing.
By this time the neighborhood was furious. The people reported the thefts to the police, and set up hidden video cameras to catch the vandals. What they found was very shocking.
On camera, it was revealed that neighborhood squirrels were chewing the ribbons until they fell off the tree, then carrying them up into their nests. The material was silky and bright colored, and the squirrels liked it. It was the squirrels who were the thieves all along!
It just goes to show that sometimes the explanation of a mystery is not only overlooked, but seems improbable. Common sense often has little to do with the truth, and even past experience fails us. Instead, it is evidence that paves the way to human understanding. The truth is not subject to our beliefs, but rather it is our beliefs that should be subject to truth.
See ya!
In Iowa, many of these old traditions are still followed. In a small town near where I live, a woman tied a large yellow ribbon on the tree in front of their house. Her son was sent away to Iraq for the war.
When she awoke the next morning, her ribbon was gone. Someone had stolen the ribbon. She was determined to show her support for her son, so she tied a new ribbon around the tree. Again, the next day, it was missing.
Her husband assumed that it was the action of a teenage hooligan, so he refused to quit hanging the ribbon. When word got out to the neighborhood, many neighbors too hung ribbons in support of the soldier. The next morning, many of the ribbons were missing.
By this time the neighborhood was furious. The people reported the thefts to the police, and set up hidden video cameras to catch the vandals. What they found was very shocking.
On camera, it was revealed that neighborhood squirrels were chewing the ribbons until they fell off the tree, then carrying them up into their nests. The material was silky and bright colored, and the squirrels liked it. It was the squirrels who were the thieves all along!
It just goes to show that sometimes the explanation of a mystery is not only overlooked, but seems improbable. Common sense often has little to do with the truth, and even past experience fails us. Instead, it is evidence that paves the way to human understanding. The truth is not subject to our beliefs, but rather it is our beliefs that should be subject to truth.
See ya!
Monday, June 21, 2004
What is offensive to homosexuals? (Other than legislation against them)
I am always wondering what the homosexual community thinks of the stereotyping of their culture on television and movies. I also wonder if there really is a "gay subculture" at all, or if in reality the homosexual community is as diverse as the straight one.
One of the most openly homosexual shows on television is "Will & Grace." I enjoy the show, because it is so wacky, and the characters are one step away from being cartoons. But I often wonder, do Jack and Will accurately portray the American gay male, or do they in some small way belittle their lives?
Will and Jack are catty, bitchy, obsessed with fashion and cleanliness, and constantly on the prowl for romantic rendevouzs. While this TV show makes many conservative Americans uneasy, and even angry, for some of us it is a rare glimpse into the gay lifestyle. But is it a fair and accurate portrayal?
My own curiousities were echoed on television last night on another comedy program. On the show Sea Lab 2020, the openly homosexual character (whose name escapes me) made the following comment; that in the near future, Americans will look back in disgust at Will & Grace in the same way we now look at Amos & Andy (a racist portrayal of blacks by white actors that once passed for humor). My own early exposures to homosexuals were through The Kids in the Hall. While this show was flamboyant and subversive, I grew to be comfortable with the notion of homosexuality (even if I did not get a fair glimpse into their true lives). I wonder if Will & Grace has the same effect on its straight viewers?
So I ask you; what do you think about all of this? Do you think you know how the homosexual community acts, thinks, and loves? I think it is important that we all try to understand these people, and to stop treating them like lepers. However, we may have a difficult time getting to know anything real about this lifestyle due to the overwhelming amount of misinformation that is out there. We are all people, and we all have hearts that beat the same way. Love is, after all, a mysterious thing.
See ya!
One of the most openly homosexual shows on television is "Will & Grace." I enjoy the show, because it is so wacky, and the characters are one step away from being cartoons. But I often wonder, do Jack and Will accurately portray the American gay male, or do they in some small way belittle their lives?
Will and Jack are catty, bitchy, obsessed with fashion and cleanliness, and constantly on the prowl for romantic rendevouzs. While this TV show makes many conservative Americans uneasy, and even angry, for some of us it is a rare glimpse into the gay lifestyle. But is it a fair and accurate portrayal?
My own curiousities were echoed on television last night on another comedy program. On the show Sea Lab 2020, the openly homosexual character (whose name escapes me) made the following comment; that in the near future, Americans will look back in disgust at Will & Grace in the same way we now look at Amos & Andy (a racist portrayal of blacks by white actors that once passed for humor). My own early exposures to homosexuals were through The Kids in the Hall. While this show was flamboyant and subversive, I grew to be comfortable with the notion of homosexuality (even if I did not get a fair glimpse into their true lives). I wonder if Will & Grace has the same effect on its straight viewers?
So I ask you; what do you think about all of this? Do you think you know how the homosexual community acts, thinks, and loves? I think it is important that we all try to understand these people, and to stop treating them like lepers. However, we may have a difficult time getting to know anything real about this lifestyle due to the overwhelming amount of misinformation that is out there. We are all people, and we all have hearts that beat the same way. Love is, after all, a mysterious thing.
See ya!
Sunday, June 20, 2004
About the Notion of "Father"
Today in America, we celebrate not only the first day of summer, but also Father's Day; a day to celebrate fatherhood, and for children to show respect and gratitude to their fathers.
Ever since I was a youth minister, and now that I am an armchair anthropologist, I have always found the role of father interesting. It is a position that takes no qualification, other than virility. A child has no choice in deciding its father, and the father may or may not even want the child.
Keeping these things in mind, the father is a key player in how the child turns out (both genetically and behaviorally). In both the subtle and direct things a father says and does, he shapes the child into who they become as an adult. Unwittingly, a child's strengths and weaknesses are both set by its father. A child can of course overcome these things (in either a negative or positive way), but it is the father who sets the course of a child's life. Even if it is in absence.
So many of my friends have been shaped by their fathers, for better or worse. Many of them have neglected or refused to break out of the mold set by their fathers. Others have struggled continually to break free. I myself have come to terms with many of the qualities my father instilled on me, and have learned to appreciate them. Other fossils from my childhood, I am constantly trying to overcome.
Another reason I find the notion of fatherhood interesting is because Christians believe strongly in the primacy of fatherhood. They use it in numerous illusions to God's nature. Christians see God as the Father of all mankind, and he acts as earthly father's should (only better). There are numerous fables and parables in the Bible alluding to the Father and how the events between man and child echo the relationship between human and creator.
One such story is found in Luke chapter 15, and it is the passage my church covered today. It is the story better known as the "Parable of the Prodigal Son." In this story, a son decides to leave his father's farm, collect his inheritance early, and spend his youth living a worldly life.
The youth quickly exhausts his resources, and wanders about poor. He sinks to the lowest lows, and finds himself too ashamed to return home. When things grow too dire, he swallows his pride, and returns to the family farm. He begs his father to take him on as a hired man (not as a son), but to his surprise the farmer forgives the son, and throws a royal feast to celebrate his return.
Christians love this story, because it fits the "happy ending" theology that plagues the American church. By this I mean there are a lot of Christians who see God as this farmer, who is going to overlook all of our foul deeds, and welcome us to heaven with a banquet. There are aspects of this that agree with Christian theology, do not get me wrong, but there is a large portion of this story that is being overlooked.
The easy aspects of this story stand out: do not live a worldly life because it leads to destruction, and fathers should always forgive, and will always love you if you only swallow your pride and come home. Nice sentiments.
But the hard part of this story, and the part that rarely gets taught, is what happens after the lost son returns. His brother, who had been faithful, loyal, and hard working the entire time, began to feel angry. He did not understand why the best food was being brought forth to reward the prodigal brother for his ignorance. During the entire time, the "good" brother went "unappreciated."
this is the real message of the story. The words of the father echo through the Bible, and haunt those of us who struggle to maintain an even moral keel... those of us who try to stay faithful, and wrestle with our faith daily. To us, and the "good" son, the father has this to say;
"My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:31 NIV)
That is it. That is the comfort and explanation the good son receives. The message is this...
Deal with it. Being faithful is its own reward. If all being moral means to you is a one-time party, then you are as lost as the Prodigal was.
Many of us are prodigals, and totally place our hopes in God pacing back and forth across his throneroom, waiting for us to be found again. Yet others of us are working hard, slaving away at faith and morality with no apparent reward for our labor. And we will get none; that is, if we are looking for the wrong kind of rewards.
Its worthwhile to consider this story, whether you believe in Christ or not. Are you attempting to be moral or are you in thw carefree, worldly phase of your life? If you are in the world, when do you intend on coming back to morality? If you are laboring for morality and truth, what do you assume you are doing it for? If you are hoping for reward, you may be sorely disappointed.
Anyway, it is a longwinded blog already, so I will end it by saying that the words of Christ can be as confusing and perplexing as those of Confucius, Lao-Tzu, and other wise men. In those tough teachings, the ones that seem counter to our hopes and dreams, is truth. Happy Father's Day.
Ever since I was a youth minister, and now that I am an armchair anthropologist, I have always found the role of father interesting. It is a position that takes no qualification, other than virility. A child has no choice in deciding its father, and the father may or may not even want the child.
Keeping these things in mind, the father is a key player in how the child turns out (both genetically and behaviorally). In both the subtle and direct things a father says and does, he shapes the child into who they become as an adult. Unwittingly, a child's strengths and weaknesses are both set by its father. A child can of course overcome these things (in either a negative or positive way), but it is the father who sets the course of a child's life. Even if it is in absence.
So many of my friends have been shaped by their fathers, for better or worse. Many of them have neglected or refused to break out of the mold set by their fathers. Others have struggled continually to break free. I myself have come to terms with many of the qualities my father instilled on me, and have learned to appreciate them. Other fossils from my childhood, I am constantly trying to overcome.
Another reason I find the notion of fatherhood interesting is because Christians believe strongly in the primacy of fatherhood. They use it in numerous illusions to God's nature. Christians see God as the Father of all mankind, and he acts as earthly father's should (only better). There are numerous fables and parables in the Bible alluding to the Father and how the events between man and child echo the relationship between human and creator.
One such story is found in Luke chapter 15, and it is the passage my church covered today. It is the story better known as the "Parable of the Prodigal Son." In this story, a son decides to leave his father's farm, collect his inheritance early, and spend his youth living a worldly life.
The youth quickly exhausts his resources, and wanders about poor. He sinks to the lowest lows, and finds himself too ashamed to return home. When things grow too dire, he swallows his pride, and returns to the family farm. He begs his father to take him on as a hired man (not as a son), but to his surprise the farmer forgives the son, and throws a royal feast to celebrate his return.
Christians love this story, because it fits the "happy ending" theology that plagues the American church. By this I mean there are a lot of Christians who see God as this farmer, who is going to overlook all of our foul deeds, and welcome us to heaven with a banquet. There are aspects of this that agree with Christian theology, do not get me wrong, but there is a large portion of this story that is being overlooked.
The easy aspects of this story stand out: do not live a worldly life because it leads to destruction, and fathers should always forgive, and will always love you if you only swallow your pride and come home. Nice sentiments.
But the hard part of this story, and the part that rarely gets taught, is what happens after the lost son returns. His brother, who had been faithful, loyal, and hard working the entire time, began to feel angry. He did not understand why the best food was being brought forth to reward the prodigal brother for his ignorance. During the entire time, the "good" brother went "unappreciated."
this is the real message of the story. The words of the father echo through the Bible, and haunt those of us who struggle to maintain an even moral keel... those of us who try to stay faithful, and wrestle with our faith daily. To us, and the "good" son, the father has this to say;
"My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:31 NIV)
That is it. That is the comfort and explanation the good son receives. The message is this...
Deal with it. Being faithful is its own reward. If all being moral means to you is a one-time party, then you are as lost as the Prodigal was.
Many of us are prodigals, and totally place our hopes in God pacing back and forth across his throneroom, waiting for us to be found again. Yet others of us are working hard, slaving away at faith and morality with no apparent reward for our labor. And we will get none; that is, if we are looking for the wrong kind of rewards.
Its worthwhile to consider this story, whether you believe in Christ or not. Are you attempting to be moral or are you in thw carefree, worldly phase of your life? If you are in the world, when do you intend on coming back to morality? If you are laboring for morality and truth, what do you assume you are doing it for? If you are hoping for reward, you may be sorely disappointed.
Anyway, it is a longwinded blog already, so I will end it by saying that the words of Christ can be as confusing and perplexing as those of Confucius, Lao-Tzu, and other wise men. In those tough teachings, the ones that seem counter to our hopes and dreams, is truth. Happy Father's Day.
Saturday, June 19, 2004
Roxie Hart and Me
Today I took some time out to watch one of my favorite movies of all time. I watched it in two parts; one before a family barbecue and one after. The movie is one of those that has to be seen multiple times to be appreciated fully: oh, and by the way, seeing it in the theater was bliss.
The movie is Chicago, and it is a musical about a woman who dreams of being a jazz dancer and celebrity. She murders her lover, and hires a sleazy lawyer to get her off death row. In the meantime, she is constantly competing for limelight with another jazz starlet turned murderer.
There are a few reasons that I feel this movie is superior to about everything Hollywood has made in recent history. I thought it would be fun to take a little break from my normal blogging to talk you all into appreciating this movie as much as I do.
1) The movie has a stellar cast. Rene Zelwigger, Katherine Zeta Jones, Queen Latifa, Richard Gere, and Lucy Liu. How can you beat that? Ms. Zelwigger is an absolute doll anyway, and in this movie it is very hard not to adore her.
2) The art direction is stunning. The story is told both as a traditional narrative and as a metaphorical stage show. I have heard many people complain about how this movie "jumps around" so much, but that only means they missed the point. It is artistic, it is tongue in cheek, and most of all, it is fun. To me, nothing is worse than a musical where people pop into song and dance. It is very distracting to see the actors try to stay in character yet perform choreographed numbers. Its even worse when the extras are forced to play a role. In Chicago, the musical bits are nicely placed in a dream-world where it does not offend your sense of reality.
3) The singing, dancing, and editing are so spot-on that it will be another 50 years before a movie matches it. It is a very technical movie, and when you analyze the enormous amount of planning and work that went into it, you are left stunned that anyone would take on such a project in the first place. All of the motion, the timing, the lighting, the camera angles... everything is perfection. The technical achievement in Chicago, in my opinion, out does the simulated "special effects" achievements of movies such as Titanic and Star Wars.
4) The message is a blast. The way that the movie portrays the media is perfect. Lawyers and media and the public are all a part of a game. The truth is rarely important. It is the likeness of truth that we sell and buy. This is why the "court of public opinion" is so important. Watch how the presidential candidates work the rest of this year. Watch what they take on as topics, and who they talk to. And then watch Chicago. The correlations will be downright scary.
5) It is too sexy for its own good. When I saw this with my wife, I honestly felt uneasy the whole time. Well, uneasy, but I had a smile wide across my face as well. The entire movie exudes sex, and to be frank, it achieves a new benchmark for soft-core pornography. The costumes, dialogue, and dances are maximized to be nothing but "trashy" fun. Not only is this fulfilling in a very base way, but it also amplifies the message of the film. The audience, whether it be movie-goers, newspaper readers, or a jury, want titillation. No matter what is actually happening behind it. I find myself almost ashamed at how much I enjoy seeing the beautiful Lucy Liu on screen, only to realize that all she does while she is there is murder her lover and his two girlfriends. The act is lost in the flood of sexuality. Think about this when you watch it for a second or third time.
6) It has a very subtle tragedy to it. Roxie's husband is abused and left penniless and loveless. Helenski is hanged despite her presumed innocence, while murders are set free. Oh, and somehow we find ourselves rooting for Gere's Billy Flynn, who is the biggest scumbag ever to walk the Earth. The movie creates a world of filth and moral depravity that we end up accepting as amusing and alluring. The "real" characters either find undue punishment or mistreatment. Strong messages hidden within this film.
Anyway, that is all I have to say about it. It is near perfect, and there isn't a single thing I would change. If you are wondering, my favorite musical number is Billy Flynn's grotesquely ironic "All I Care About Is Love." But it is a favorite almost by default, as every song is sensual heaven.
And if you haven't seen it, shame on you. If you can, rent it, buy it, borrow it, or best yet, go to the theater and see it (if you are lucky enough to have a theater in town that still shows "retro" movies). You'll either find yourself reveling in the sexual tide, the anti-Humanist message, or the sheer technical achievement of this masterpiece.
See ya!
The movie is Chicago, and it is a musical about a woman who dreams of being a jazz dancer and celebrity. She murders her lover, and hires a sleazy lawyer to get her off death row. In the meantime, she is constantly competing for limelight with another jazz starlet turned murderer.
There are a few reasons that I feel this movie is superior to about everything Hollywood has made in recent history. I thought it would be fun to take a little break from my normal blogging to talk you all into appreciating this movie as much as I do.
1) The movie has a stellar cast. Rene Zelwigger, Katherine Zeta Jones, Queen Latifa, Richard Gere, and Lucy Liu. How can you beat that? Ms. Zelwigger is an absolute doll anyway, and in this movie it is very hard not to adore her.
2) The art direction is stunning. The story is told both as a traditional narrative and as a metaphorical stage show. I have heard many people complain about how this movie "jumps around" so much, but that only means they missed the point. It is artistic, it is tongue in cheek, and most of all, it is fun. To me, nothing is worse than a musical where people pop into song and dance. It is very distracting to see the actors try to stay in character yet perform choreographed numbers. Its even worse when the extras are forced to play a role. In Chicago, the musical bits are nicely placed in a dream-world where it does not offend your sense of reality.
3) The singing, dancing, and editing are so spot-on that it will be another 50 years before a movie matches it. It is a very technical movie, and when you analyze the enormous amount of planning and work that went into it, you are left stunned that anyone would take on such a project in the first place. All of the motion, the timing, the lighting, the camera angles... everything is perfection. The technical achievement in Chicago, in my opinion, out does the simulated "special effects" achievements of movies such as Titanic and Star Wars.
4) The message is a blast. The way that the movie portrays the media is perfect. Lawyers and media and the public are all a part of a game. The truth is rarely important. It is the likeness of truth that we sell and buy. This is why the "court of public opinion" is so important. Watch how the presidential candidates work the rest of this year. Watch what they take on as topics, and who they talk to. And then watch Chicago. The correlations will be downright scary.
5) It is too sexy for its own good. When I saw this with my wife, I honestly felt uneasy the whole time. Well, uneasy, but I had a smile wide across my face as well. The entire movie exudes sex, and to be frank, it achieves a new benchmark for soft-core pornography. The costumes, dialogue, and dances are maximized to be nothing but "trashy" fun. Not only is this fulfilling in a very base way, but it also amplifies the message of the film. The audience, whether it be movie-goers, newspaper readers, or a jury, want titillation. No matter what is actually happening behind it. I find myself almost ashamed at how much I enjoy seeing the beautiful Lucy Liu on screen, only to realize that all she does while she is there is murder her lover and his two girlfriends. The act is lost in the flood of sexuality. Think about this when you watch it for a second or third time.
6) It has a very subtle tragedy to it. Roxie's husband is abused and left penniless and loveless. Helenski is hanged despite her presumed innocence, while murders are set free. Oh, and somehow we find ourselves rooting for Gere's Billy Flynn, who is the biggest scumbag ever to walk the Earth. The movie creates a world of filth and moral depravity that we end up accepting as amusing and alluring. The "real" characters either find undue punishment or mistreatment. Strong messages hidden within this film.
Anyway, that is all I have to say about it. It is near perfect, and there isn't a single thing I would change. If you are wondering, my favorite musical number is Billy Flynn's grotesquely ironic "All I Care About Is Love." But it is a favorite almost by default, as every song is sensual heaven.
And if you haven't seen it, shame on you. If you can, rent it, buy it, borrow it, or best yet, go to the theater and see it (if you are lucky enough to have a theater in town that still shows "retro" movies). You'll either find yourself reveling in the sexual tide, the anti-Humanist message, or the sheer technical achievement of this masterpiece.
See ya!
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Who Draws The Line?
My biggest question about life is "when does science need to turn a blind eye to human faith?" I, as much as any non-atheist can, believe in science, and the need to understand things as they really are, not as we assume them to be. I have faith in facts and figures, and reproducible results. My ideal Bible is a book full of diagrams, equations, and proofs.
But when do we need to draw a line, and admit that there is a certain aspect to human life that cries out for a faith of some sort. Religion seems to be a natural expression of the human condition. It would seem that scientists, being the camp that understands best the sort of predeterminism our biology leaves us with, should respect the need for us to seek and reach out to the supernatural.
The reason I bring this up is because in British Columbia, scientists were en route to capture a killer whale who had strayed from his pod. The whale was not only friendly, but also loved making contact with ocean going vessels. This posed some danger to watercraft, as the whale was quite large, so the scientists hatched a plan to capture it, and relocate it with a pod.
This was not to be. The local natives, the Mowachaht-Muchalaht "indians", believed that the whale, named Luna, was actually the reincarnation of a beloved chief. The whale appeared around the same time that the chief passed away. They also find solace in the fact that the whale does not seem to want to leave the area, and it was quiet loving and friendly to humans.
As the scientists set out to capture the whale, the natives boarded primitive dugout canoes, and led the whale to sea. As they did, they pet the whale as if it was a dog. The whale rolled over so they could scratch its belly, and even let them clean his teeth. They led the whale 12 miles away from where the scientist's trap was to be sprung.
So I ask, who is the hero here? Is it the tribesmen, or is it science? One is thinking practically, and trying to use technology to avoid potential danger on the seas. The tribesmen were protecting tradition and what they pictured to be a kindred spirit.
Science works best when it debunks falsehood that leads people away from truth. It works when it shows us that we are being scammed, destructive, or wasteful. I honestly believe that there is a need for better scientific teaching in our schools, including factual presentation of evolutionary theory (it's solid points as well as its conjectures and holes).
But in this case, I find myself siding with the tribe. I can;t help but feel as if they are in the "right" as they try to help out a spirit, even if it isn;t scientifically plausible that the whale is indeed their departed chief.
And I don;t know why. Its a gut feeling that says a line has been crossed. I give a lot of thought to the notion of spirits, souls, and so on. How can science be sure that there isn;t something supernatural to this? It cannot, with any real certainty. Science is ill equipped to declare God or gods nonexistent.
So good for you Mowachaht-Muchalaht tribe. And deep down, I hope that it indeed was your cherished friend and leader. And where ever he is, I am sure he feels loved and blessed for you all to have gone to such trouble to protect and care for him.
See ya!
But when do we need to draw a line, and admit that there is a certain aspect to human life that cries out for a faith of some sort. Religion seems to be a natural expression of the human condition. It would seem that scientists, being the camp that understands best the sort of predeterminism our biology leaves us with, should respect the need for us to seek and reach out to the supernatural.
The reason I bring this up is because in British Columbia, scientists were en route to capture a killer whale who had strayed from his pod. The whale was not only friendly, but also loved making contact with ocean going vessels. This posed some danger to watercraft, as the whale was quite large, so the scientists hatched a plan to capture it, and relocate it with a pod.
This was not to be. The local natives, the Mowachaht-Muchalaht "indians", believed that the whale, named Luna, was actually the reincarnation of a beloved chief. The whale appeared around the same time that the chief passed away. They also find solace in the fact that the whale does not seem to want to leave the area, and it was quiet loving and friendly to humans.
As the scientists set out to capture the whale, the natives boarded primitive dugout canoes, and led the whale to sea. As they did, they pet the whale as if it was a dog. The whale rolled over so they could scratch its belly, and even let them clean his teeth. They led the whale 12 miles away from where the scientist's trap was to be sprung.
So I ask, who is the hero here? Is it the tribesmen, or is it science? One is thinking practically, and trying to use technology to avoid potential danger on the seas. The tribesmen were protecting tradition and what they pictured to be a kindred spirit.
Science works best when it debunks falsehood that leads people away from truth. It works when it shows us that we are being scammed, destructive, or wasteful. I honestly believe that there is a need for better scientific teaching in our schools, including factual presentation of evolutionary theory (it's solid points as well as its conjectures and holes).
But in this case, I find myself siding with the tribe. I can;t help but feel as if they are in the "right" as they try to help out a spirit, even if it isn;t scientifically plausible that the whale is indeed their departed chief.
And I don;t know why. Its a gut feeling that says a line has been crossed. I give a lot of thought to the notion of spirits, souls, and so on. How can science be sure that there isn;t something supernatural to this? It cannot, with any real certainty. Science is ill equipped to declare God or gods nonexistent.
So good for you Mowachaht-Muchalaht tribe. And deep down, I hope that it indeed was your cherished friend and leader. And where ever he is, I am sure he feels loved and blessed for you all to have gone to such trouble to protect and care for him.
See ya!
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Here is my new favorite band, for those of you who follow closely what I am into... grin. They are Petty Booka, and they are a rockin' pair of Tokyo girls who play Hawaii style music. They cover a ton of fun 80's pop songs. Check them out!
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
A More Democratic Way To Vote (or, How To Get Who We Really Want In The White House)
Hello everyone! I’m on a roll this week, blogging more often than in a long time. I also have been experiencing higher traffic than normal at my site, which is a good thing! We are over 600 total hits now, and am averaging a dozen a day. And only one of those is I. : )
On the last blog, I mentioned that I wanted to talk about voting. Then I realized I no longer had my research notes on it. So I will paraphrase what I was going to say. Voting in America is one of our proudest traditions. We use it to symbolize our state of democracy, and pontificate about every citizen having a voice through his or her vote.
Voting turn-outs are very low, and almost nonexistent for many of our votes. Unless it has to do with raising property taxes or electing a President, America seems to have lost the will to vote. The groups who turn out the least are also the groups that had to fight the hardest for voting rights (“blacks” and women).
But there is a reason for some of the apathy. After the last two Presidential elections, we watched as men who the nation at large did not want were elected. We felt betrayed by the process, and felt increasingly duped into believing “one vote” mattered. Politics aside, it is the “one vote” concept that allows mistakes and misrepresentation in the first place.
A while back, some statisticians and scientists crunched the numbers on how we vote. They found that we are not practicing the most democratic type of voting. They presented a system where you vote for a few candidates, ranking them from best to worse. Each slot on your ranked list is assigned a score, and the total score from the national voting determines the winner. It is quite ingenious and makes perfect sense. It does away with so-called “wasted” votes on candidates doomed to failure by our two-party system, as the other candidates get partial credit on the list for being lesser of the remaining evils.
So if we are concerned with democracy, and the vox polloi (voice of the masses), we need to fix our voting system. Not only in how we cast or tally votes, but how we score them. We instituted the electoral college to ensure fairness based on populations, lets take it the next logical step and give the people back their voice… and make sure we get the person we want this time.
If you are interested in how voting in America works, or about the new proposed rank system, email me. I can probably find a web site or two to direct you to. The original article about the alternative system was in an issue of Scientific American earlier this year, but without my research notes, I won’t even attempt to guess which issue!
If you are an American citizen, don't forget to exercise your right to vote. It may be a flawed system, filled with flawed men with flawed ideas, but unless you make your voice heard, it will never change.
See ya!
On the last blog, I mentioned that I wanted to talk about voting. Then I realized I no longer had my research notes on it. So I will paraphrase what I was going to say. Voting in America is one of our proudest traditions. We use it to symbolize our state of democracy, and pontificate about every citizen having a voice through his or her vote.
Voting turn-outs are very low, and almost nonexistent for many of our votes. Unless it has to do with raising property taxes or electing a President, America seems to have lost the will to vote. The groups who turn out the least are also the groups that had to fight the hardest for voting rights (“blacks” and women).
But there is a reason for some of the apathy. After the last two Presidential elections, we watched as men who the nation at large did not want were elected. We felt betrayed by the process, and felt increasingly duped into believing “one vote” mattered. Politics aside, it is the “one vote” concept that allows mistakes and misrepresentation in the first place.
A while back, some statisticians and scientists crunched the numbers on how we vote. They found that we are not practicing the most democratic type of voting. They presented a system where you vote for a few candidates, ranking them from best to worse. Each slot on your ranked list is assigned a score, and the total score from the national voting determines the winner. It is quite ingenious and makes perfect sense. It does away with so-called “wasted” votes on candidates doomed to failure by our two-party system, as the other candidates get partial credit on the list for being lesser of the remaining evils.
So if we are concerned with democracy, and the vox polloi (voice of the masses), we need to fix our voting system. Not only in how we cast or tally votes, but how we score them. We instituted the electoral college to ensure fairness based on populations, lets take it the next logical step and give the people back their voice… and make sure we get the person we want this time.
If you are interested in how voting in America works, or about the new proposed rank system, email me. I can probably find a web site or two to direct you to. The original article about the alternative system was in an issue of Scientific American earlier this year, but without my research notes, I won’t even attempt to guess which issue!
If you are an American citizen, don't forget to exercise your right to vote. It may be a flawed system, filled with flawed men with flawed ideas, but unless you make your voice heard, it will never change.
See ya!
The American Conspiracy Against Common Sense (ACACS) goes far deeper than just the Homeland Security Department.
I have been researching a science story for about a week, and I was hoping to write about it today. It was about "fugu," which is the Japanese delicacy known as blowfish (or pufferfish). The fish is very poisonous (especially it's liver), so only a few chefs are allowed to prepare it. Even then, there are deaths from eating fugu every year. Some scientists have found a way to make blowfish poison-free. It has even been offered that the liver from the new blowfish can be eaten, which is unheard of.
I was going to write about how this breakthrough was a practical application of science, and a good example of how wide the field of science has become. We are no longer just trying to develop weapons, cures for cancer, and space craft. Man's intellectual powers are stronger than ever, even allowing us to alter the very biology of animals on this earth.
BUT... that was before I read the article that came across my desktop today. Now I question if science and common sense aren't actually dying a horrible death. It would make sense, afterall all things are subject to entropy.
I have been purposely avoiding talking about the USA's political situation, as it is a mess. I have very strong thoughts about out current administration, and quite frankly do not trust the government to have my best interests in mind. Here is a non-Bush illustration of why.
The Agriculture Department (USDA) has declared and a court has confirmed that batter-coated french fries are able to be considered a fresh vegetable. In the immortal words of Gilbert Godfrey, "what the f%@*k?!"
Apparently there was some dispute over how the frozen "vegetable" was transported, marketed, and sold. French fry producers wanted to avoid the moniker of processed food. So they turned to the geniuses over at the USDA for help.
For my foreign friends, the United State's USDA has a long record of ignorance. They repeatedly use school provided lunches for children as barter in political arguments, and do very shady things to achieve their goals and budgets.
In the 1980's. the USDA once stated that ketchup (a watery tomato paste used to flavor food) could be considered one of the vegetables in the student's daily diets. Only fitting then that they return to the ketchup's main compliment, the french fry, for more ignorance.
As of now, the ruling does not make the fry classified as a fresh vegetable for school lunches, but that cannot be far off. Nutrition is such a ignored factor in American life, and it is not going to get better if we do not abandon our reckless diets.
So our government (or the people in it), the one we are supposed to put utter faith in, has done a lot of dumb things lately. From severe decisions such as going to war, to minor matters of nutrition, and serious oversights such as our policy of importing prescription drugs without FDA approval, our country is being led by people with great vacuous holes in their common sense.
Another giant leap backward in science came earlier this year. It was announced that many DVD manufacturers were finishing development of disposable movies. The DVDs are packaged in airtight sacks, and once opened, the surface of the DVD begins to oxidize. After 48 hours, the DVD no longer plays. This was someone's good idea to prevent Americans with the huge inconvenience of returning movies to a rental store, and rental stores from the inconvenience of having to maintain their inventory. This was one of the most ridiculous ideas I have ever hear, because it is built on laziness and wastefulness. Do you have any idea of how quickly our landfills are filling up with garbage as it is? How much plastic do you think we can burn, sink, and bury before the Earth is ruined for good?
The waste never ends. There are new "wet wipes" for washing dishes (as if dish rags are so inconvenient to wash), individually wrapped hot dogs for the microwave (what?), disposable mop heads (one use), disposable "sippy cups" for babies, and one-use (non-recyclable) cell phone batteries (allegedly for emergencies).
The city near mine, Omaha, has dug itself into real financial mess over the last few years. The answer to save itself from trouble is fire teachers, police officers, and fire fighters, and to raise taxes. However, the officials still get large salaries, with raises, and they built a giant convention center... and want to add on to it.
In my father's company, they hired too many mechanics to install elevators, so that they could boast that they finished a large project (ironically the same convention center mentioned above) before the deadline. Now those mechanics, including my father, are laid off (without work).
In my city we have three casinos, which is pretty rare in the middle of the USA. These 3 are allowed operate with the hopes that they will a) pay a lot of money back to the government in taxes, and b) put money into a fund to help pay for local projects. And they have done a very good job of paying for parks, renovation of streets, buying playground equipment for schools, and so on. But the schools desperately need funding for teacher's salaries and for text books. Can the Iowa West Foundation (the casino benevolence fund) help out? Nope. The government does not want gambling dollars to pay for things that directly influence our children. The money is there, and going to waste on beautification projects when it could be used directly for education.
In the hospital in which I work, the census (number of patients) is very low lately. The officials of the hospital have a goal to achieve 85% occupancy of the hospital beds. So how do they propose that? They are closing one entire floor, and changing the two bed rooms into one bed rooms. Viola, the occupation percentage has increased greatly... but the paying "customer" count is exactly the same. (Note: there are some benefits to this strategy... they now do not have to staff the closed floor, and many nurses will be without work... therefore the company has "made" money).
So as you see, ignorance is rampant.
This is why I was so pleased to hear about the fugu research. It may be wasteful in the eyes of some to spend money on researching blowfish, but in the end they have come across a discovery that will literally save lives (that is, if the new blowfish taste as good as the others). I say this somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but compared to the other things I mentioned, the fugu research is hard science.
I was also happy to hear that a Japanese citizen, and email friend of mine, had a bit of good news today. Her daughter scored very highly on a test to measure comprehension and knowledge of nutrition. It is very high academic achievement, and also a very practical one in our world of obesity and junk food. The exam was National Exam of Dietician, and my friends said that only 20% of those who take it pass it. She was one of only 3 in her city who passed! Good job!).
So there is hope in our young people that they become educated and practice smart living, smart eating, smart parenting, smart voting, smart purchasing, and smart governing.
But it seems even the Japanese citizens have a few people among them that are not ready to accept science's benefits. The Associated Press reported that one Health Ministry official in Japan is not anxious for poisonless fugu. "Nontoxic fugu is boring. Fugu is exciting because it's toxic."
Ignorance is therefore not an American patent. And I begrudgingly have to admit that the American government isn't the only organization led by a lack of common sense. But it does excel at it.
Get out of Iraq. Stop SUVs. Stop importation of Canadian pharmaceutics. Reform our health care. Stop treating homosexuals like lepers. Reform our voting system (see next blog). Allow NASA to continue exploration. Stop enforcing results-based research. Eat poisonless fugu. Don't destroy Alaska to feed NASCAR and tractor pulls. Learn more than one language before you expect someone else to. The government is not church, and the church is not government. Oh, and french fries are not a fresh vegetable.
See ya!
I was going to write about how this breakthrough was a practical application of science, and a good example of how wide the field of science has become. We are no longer just trying to develop weapons, cures for cancer, and space craft. Man's intellectual powers are stronger than ever, even allowing us to alter the very biology of animals on this earth.
BUT... that was before I read the article that came across my desktop today. Now I question if science and common sense aren't actually dying a horrible death. It would make sense, afterall all things are subject to entropy.
I have been purposely avoiding talking about the USA's political situation, as it is a mess. I have very strong thoughts about out current administration, and quite frankly do not trust the government to have my best interests in mind. Here is a non-Bush illustration of why.
The Agriculture Department (USDA) has declared and a court has confirmed that batter-coated french fries are able to be considered a fresh vegetable. In the immortal words of Gilbert Godfrey, "what the f%@*k?!"
Apparently there was some dispute over how the frozen "vegetable" was transported, marketed, and sold. French fry producers wanted to avoid the moniker of processed food. So they turned to the geniuses over at the USDA for help.
For my foreign friends, the United State's USDA has a long record of ignorance. They repeatedly use school provided lunches for children as barter in political arguments, and do very shady things to achieve their goals and budgets.
In the 1980's. the USDA once stated that ketchup (a watery tomato paste used to flavor food) could be considered one of the vegetables in the student's daily diets. Only fitting then that they return to the ketchup's main compliment, the french fry, for more ignorance.
As of now, the ruling does not make the fry classified as a fresh vegetable for school lunches, but that cannot be far off. Nutrition is such a ignored factor in American life, and it is not going to get better if we do not abandon our reckless diets.
So our government (or the people in it), the one we are supposed to put utter faith in, has done a lot of dumb things lately. From severe decisions such as going to war, to minor matters of nutrition, and serious oversights such as our policy of importing prescription drugs without FDA approval, our country is being led by people with great vacuous holes in their common sense.
Another giant leap backward in science came earlier this year. It was announced that many DVD manufacturers were finishing development of disposable movies. The DVDs are packaged in airtight sacks, and once opened, the surface of the DVD begins to oxidize. After 48 hours, the DVD no longer plays. This was someone's good idea to prevent Americans with the huge inconvenience of returning movies to a rental store, and rental stores from the inconvenience of having to maintain their inventory. This was one of the most ridiculous ideas I have ever hear, because it is built on laziness and wastefulness. Do you have any idea of how quickly our landfills are filling up with garbage as it is? How much plastic do you think we can burn, sink, and bury before the Earth is ruined for good?
The waste never ends. There are new "wet wipes" for washing dishes (as if dish rags are so inconvenient to wash), individually wrapped hot dogs for the microwave (what?), disposable mop heads (one use), disposable "sippy cups" for babies, and one-use (non-recyclable) cell phone batteries (allegedly for emergencies).
The city near mine, Omaha, has dug itself into real financial mess over the last few years. The answer to save itself from trouble is fire teachers, police officers, and fire fighters, and to raise taxes. However, the officials still get large salaries, with raises, and they built a giant convention center... and want to add on to it.
In my father's company, they hired too many mechanics to install elevators, so that they could boast that they finished a large project (ironically the same convention center mentioned above) before the deadline. Now those mechanics, including my father, are laid off (without work).
In my city we have three casinos, which is pretty rare in the middle of the USA. These 3 are allowed operate with the hopes that they will a) pay a lot of money back to the government in taxes, and b) put money into a fund to help pay for local projects. And they have done a very good job of paying for parks, renovation of streets, buying playground equipment for schools, and so on. But the schools desperately need funding for teacher's salaries and for text books. Can the Iowa West Foundation (the casino benevolence fund) help out? Nope. The government does not want gambling dollars to pay for things that directly influence our children. The money is there, and going to waste on beautification projects when it could be used directly for education.
In the hospital in which I work, the census (number of patients) is very low lately. The officials of the hospital have a goal to achieve 85% occupancy of the hospital beds. So how do they propose that? They are closing one entire floor, and changing the two bed rooms into one bed rooms. Viola, the occupation percentage has increased greatly... but the paying "customer" count is exactly the same. (Note: there are some benefits to this strategy... they now do not have to staff the closed floor, and many nurses will be without work... therefore the company has "made" money).
So as you see, ignorance is rampant.
This is why I was so pleased to hear about the fugu research. It may be wasteful in the eyes of some to spend money on researching blowfish, but in the end they have come across a discovery that will literally save lives (that is, if the new blowfish taste as good as the others). I say this somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but compared to the other things I mentioned, the fugu research is hard science.
I was also happy to hear that a Japanese citizen, and email friend of mine, had a bit of good news today. Her daughter scored very highly on a test to measure comprehension and knowledge of nutrition. It is very high academic achievement, and also a very practical one in our world of obesity and junk food. The exam was National Exam of Dietician, and my friends said that only 20% of those who take it pass it. She was one of only 3 in her city who passed! Good job!).
So there is hope in our young people that they become educated and practice smart living, smart eating, smart parenting, smart voting, smart purchasing, and smart governing.
But it seems even the Japanese citizens have a few people among them that are not ready to accept science's benefits. The Associated Press reported that one Health Ministry official in Japan is not anxious for poisonless fugu. "Nontoxic fugu is boring. Fugu is exciting because it's toxic."
Ignorance is therefore not an American patent. And I begrudgingly have to admit that the American government isn't the only organization led by a lack of common sense. But it does excel at it.
Get out of Iraq. Stop SUVs. Stop importation of Canadian pharmaceutics. Reform our health care. Stop treating homosexuals like lepers. Reform our voting system (see next blog). Allow NASA to continue exploration. Stop enforcing results-based research. Eat poisonless fugu. Don't destroy Alaska to feed NASCAR and tractor pulls. Learn more than one language before you expect someone else to. The government is not church, and the church is not government. Oh, and french fries are not a fresh vegetable.
See ya!
Monday, June 14, 2004
Some random thoughts on twins and lemonade.
Hello everyone! What is going on? Many of you live in areas that experience bad weather this time of year. Here in Iowa we have had intermittent heavy rains and tornado warnings. The sun is up as I type this, so I feel as if I should be enjoying the day before the weather turns. So this blog may be short! Well, short for me...
Does anyone else think that it seems as if multiple births are more common than in the past? As a kid, I hardly remember twins at all. Now there are many people in my own church who are having twins. I see many ladies at the shopping mall that have two or three kids in a stroller, all appearing to be the same age.
I wonder why this is? I have two theories; one is that more people are using fertility drugs/therapies. I am not sure how being more fertile would result in multiple births, but as I understand it, such drugs can increase likelihood for multiples. This is interesting to me because the world is avery crowded place, and America in general has become a very "busy" and non-family oriented society. Drop off day cares and divorces are pretty common in the average adult's life. Yet people still feel the need to procreate, even to the extent of getting chemical help to do so. Just a curiosity of mine.
My second theory is that our old friend evolution is involved. If your family genetically predisposed for multiple births, your DNA is multiplied even more so than an average family. Whatever genes control this sort of event are now prevalent in two or three virile offspring, rather than one. If this gene is dominant in any manner, you could only expect for multiple births to become common, as they go out and mate with us single-birth folks. It's a simple matter of probability. If my assumptions on dominancy are true, in the near future we can expect a large portion of America to be made up of multiple birth offspring.
Anyway, its something that I am curious about.
Now about lemonade... here in the United States, there is an old tradition called the lemonade stand. Small children make pitchers of lemonade (or Kool Aid), and set up a small stand on the edge of the street. They sell cups of the drink to people for small amounts of change. It is a fun game for the children to play, as they get to make the drink themselves, and pretend they are running a store. They also learn about advertising, salemanship, the value of earning money, and things like operating costs and profits.
You don't see many lemonade stands around any more, but I almost always stop if I see one. It is fun to buy the drink from the kids, and to see their eyes light up when you hand them a few quarters. The drink is almost always warm, and usually is bitter (as they prepared it wrong). But it is fun to be a part of it all.
However, when I see a lemonade stand these days, my first instinct is one of danger. There are so many disturbed people in the world, and the incidence of childhood abuse is very high. On the news the other night, they reported on the immense number of people guilty of sexual abuse of children in the Omaha area. It is very sad, and scary.
The lemonade stand is something that my own children (if I ever have any) will not be able to partake in. As a parent, I would be worried that someone would drive by and grab one of my children as they stood there unaware. My sense of danger for these children is so strong that I actually find myself feeling guilty for approaching a lemonade stand. Just last Thursday I drove past one because I did not see any adults around, and it just felt uncomfortable.
I hate that the world has lost so much innocence. I would have liked to took a picture of the stand, to show my friends from Japan and Singapore, but photographing a strager's child is almost a crime these days, and it feels more uncomfortable than approaching the stand to begin with. Even when I take my niece or nephew to the park to play, I often have children ask me to lift them up or help them get into the swings. I feel so weird, because I know that the minute I grab the child to lift them onto the equipment, that their parent's heart is momentarily sinking in fear. It is a bad climate we have adopted here in America, but a necessary one. You just can't trust strangers any more.
Well, I'm off to find a sunny piece of Iowa to play on for a couple hours. Either that, or I am going to the book store to have tea and study Japanese. Either way, it's going to be a beautiful morning.
See ya!
Does anyone else think that it seems as if multiple births are more common than in the past? As a kid, I hardly remember twins at all. Now there are many people in my own church who are having twins. I see many ladies at the shopping mall that have two or three kids in a stroller, all appearing to be the same age.
I wonder why this is? I have two theories; one is that more people are using fertility drugs/therapies. I am not sure how being more fertile would result in multiple births, but as I understand it, such drugs can increase likelihood for multiples. This is interesting to me because the world is avery crowded place, and America in general has become a very "busy" and non-family oriented society. Drop off day cares and divorces are pretty common in the average adult's life. Yet people still feel the need to procreate, even to the extent of getting chemical help to do so. Just a curiosity of mine.
My second theory is that our old friend evolution is involved. If your family genetically predisposed for multiple births, your DNA is multiplied even more so than an average family. Whatever genes control this sort of event are now prevalent in two or three virile offspring, rather than one. If this gene is dominant in any manner, you could only expect for multiple births to become common, as they go out and mate with us single-birth folks. It's a simple matter of probability. If my assumptions on dominancy are true, in the near future we can expect a large portion of America to be made up of multiple birth offspring.
Anyway, its something that I am curious about.
Now about lemonade... here in the United States, there is an old tradition called the lemonade stand. Small children make pitchers of lemonade (or Kool Aid), and set up a small stand on the edge of the street. They sell cups of the drink to people for small amounts of change. It is a fun game for the children to play, as they get to make the drink themselves, and pretend they are running a store. They also learn about advertising, salemanship, the value of earning money, and things like operating costs and profits.
You don't see many lemonade stands around any more, but I almost always stop if I see one. It is fun to buy the drink from the kids, and to see their eyes light up when you hand them a few quarters. The drink is almost always warm, and usually is bitter (as they prepared it wrong). But it is fun to be a part of it all.
However, when I see a lemonade stand these days, my first instinct is one of danger. There are so many disturbed people in the world, and the incidence of childhood abuse is very high. On the news the other night, they reported on the immense number of people guilty of sexual abuse of children in the Omaha area. It is very sad, and scary.
The lemonade stand is something that my own children (if I ever have any) will not be able to partake in. As a parent, I would be worried that someone would drive by and grab one of my children as they stood there unaware. My sense of danger for these children is so strong that I actually find myself feeling guilty for approaching a lemonade stand. Just last Thursday I drove past one because I did not see any adults around, and it just felt uncomfortable.
I hate that the world has lost so much innocence. I would have liked to took a picture of the stand, to show my friends from Japan and Singapore, but photographing a strager's child is almost a crime these days, and it feels more uncomfortable than approaching the stand to begin with. Even when I take my niece or nephew to the park to play, I often have children ask me to lift them up or help them get into the swings. I feel so weird, because I know that the minute I grab the child to lift them onto the equipment, that their parent's heart is momentarily sinking in fear. It is a bad climate we have adopted here in America, but a necessary one. You just can't trust strangers any more.
Well, I'm off to find a sunny piece of Iowa to play on for a couple hours. Either that, or I am going to the book store to have tea and study Japanese. Either way, it's going to be a beautiful morning.
See ya!
Friday, June 11, 2004
A Blog All About Phuong W.
Okay, here is the deal about Phuong W. She is... just kidding. I told her today that I was going to blog about her, and she forbade me to do so. So I thought I'd see if she checked to see if I did it or not. Check This Out, Hard Core Pac Man Fans!
actually, I wanted to tell everyone how great I feel. I have been pretty down in previous weeks, but tonight I feel invincible. I even began running again, which was a prospect I have been avoiding this year so far.
In the last week alone I have confessed some pretty deep feelings to someone I am growing to adore, I talked to a friend who I all too often ignore, had a quality conversation with someone I secretly admire, shared pictures with a fantastic email friend, spent lunch with a very old and dear friend (with who I have drifted apart from, but still love), and (believe it or not) had a few good moments with my wife. I have lost about 8 pounds, have quit drinking non-diet soda, and have closed and paid off all of my credit cards! (with a consolidation loan, so I am still in debt, but on the right track out of it!)
As for today... I played golf (and shot very poorly... VERY poorly), read a manga, listened to a lot of 80's music, and got to see just about everyone I cared to (within a 20 mile span anyway).
I came home early from work, dreaming of video games, the coming pharmacy classes, and the prospect of a summer that is shaping up to be great... and I realized how blessed I am. You know, the sort of good spell that makes it easy to believe in God's plan (grin). My life is pretty good right now, and I just wanted to share that with everyone.
So thank you... thank you Phuong, Sandy, Rich, Sara, Pat, Sarah, Adrienne, Carlin, Matt, Atsuko, Nate, Yuki, Paul, and everyone else who are indirectly responsible for my turn-around. Until the next "crash," love ya all.
See ya!
actually, I wanted to tell everyone how great I feel. I have been pretty down in previous weeks, but tonight I feel invincible. I even began running again, which was a prospect I have been avoiding this year so far.
In the last week alone I have confessed some pretty deep feelings to someone I am growing to adore, I talked to a friend who I all too often ignore, had a quality conversation with someone I secretly admire, shared pictures with a fantastic email friend, spent lunch with a very old and dear friend (with who I have drifted apart from, but still love), and (believe it or not) had a few good moments with my wife. I have lost about 8 pounds, have quit drinking non-diet soda, and have closed and paid off all of my credit cards! (with a consolidation loan, so I am still in debt, but on the right track out of it!)
As for today... I played golf (and shot very poorly... VERY poorly), read a manga, listened to a lot of 80's music, and got to see just about everyone I cared to (within a 20 mile span anyway).
I came home early from work, dreaming of video games, the coming pharmacy classes, and the prospect of a summer that is shaping up to be great... and I realized how blessed I am. You know, the sort of good spell that makes it easy to believe in God's plan (grin). My life is pretty good right now, and I just wanted to share that with everyone.
So thank you... thank you Phuong, Sandy, Rich, Sara, Pat, Sarah, Adrienne, Carlin, Matt, Atsuko, Nate, Yuki, Paul, and everyone else who are indirectly responsible for my turn-around. Until the next "crash," love ya all.
See ya!
Thursday, June 10, 2004
The Mighty Polar Bear
If you look below this post, you will see a picture of a magnificent polar bear that lives at the zoo near my home.
Polar bears have always captured my imagination, and more so as I study evolution. The reason is because the polar bear is a perfect example of evolutionary thinking running amok.
We tend to over classify things in science, and strip life of its beauty. Religion can tend to do thr opposite, assign endless luster to life, only to miss the cold truths about chance, physics, and biology.
The polar bear stands a a sign of science's problem. It is easy to use the polar bear as an example of a mammal that appears to be in a transitional stage. It lives a very marine life, yet it also enjoys total freedom of movement on "dry" land. Is it a great fish that has come ashore, or a great beast that has slowly began a descent to fish?
The truth of the matter is you need to forget "becoming." It is about what the bear "is." He is a polar bear, and is the best polar bear he can be. He fishes and swims when he needs, and lays about and walks on land when he needs. He frolics in the water, and chases down seals on the tundra. He isn't imperfect or brimming with evolutionary potential. He is in his niche, and surviving because he is what he is.
I use this illustration a bit on loan from a favorite author of mine, but also I embellish it a bit to make a human point. I have a very good friend who I have shared this with in the last 6 months, and more than anyone I see the "polar bear" in her. She is almost perfect in every way, yet it would also be easy to say this person is moving between two "forms." The problem is that while I shared it with her, I have not exactly applied it to myself.
A lot of us are confused about what we are, myself included. We worry about what we could have been (my favorite trick), or waste days daydreaming of what we could be. In reality life is about doing. It is cliche, but it is about stepping out on that uncertain path, and enjoying the journey. The destination is almost moot. The polar bear does not worry about waking up in a different wing of the taxonomy display at the Smithsonian. Cladistics do not define who the polar bear is. Instead, he wakes up and swims, eats, and sleeps, and does his "polar bear thang."
Let's use my friend the polar bear as a rallying point. Let's be the best (inset your name here) you can be, and stop worrying about the should-have-been's and could-be's. If you want to do something, step out and do it. Take the risk. Deal with the consequences. And lastly, enjoy the benefit from living life to its fullest.
This is the attitude I want to take into the remainder of my life. This year has been a real turning point for me, and as I look ahead to Pharmacy School, and life beyond, I am filled with great excitement. But I don;t want to look too far. I want to enjoy my life now, so that it doesn't slip away. I want to maximize my time with my friends, who may not always be around. I want to take time to stop and smell the roses, no matter how lame that sounds.
So, fellow polar bears, let's get ready to face our lives day by day, and with the certainty that we are exactly who and what we are meant to be today. There is always mystery, discovery, and hope that comes with daily living. Let's not forget to enjoy it.
See ya!
Polar bears have always captured my imagination, and more so as I study evolution. The reason is because the polar bear is a perfect example of evolutionary thinking running amok.
We tend to over classify things in science, and strip life of its beauty. Religion can tend to do thr opposite, assign endless luster to life, only to miss the cold truths about chance, physics, and biology.
The polar bear stands a a sign of science's problem. It is easy to use the polar bear as an example of a mammal that appears to be in a transitional stage. It lives a very marine life, yet it also enjoys total freedom of movement on "dry" land. Is it a great fish that has come ashore, or a great beast that has slowly began a descent to fish?
The truth of the matter is you need to forget "becoming." It is about what the bear "is." He is a polar bear, and is the best polar bear he can be. He fishes and swims when he needs, and lays about and walks on land when he needs. He frolics in the water, and chases down seals on the tundra. He isn't imperfect or brimming with evolutionary potential. He is in his niche, and surviving because he is what he is.
I use this illustration a bit on loan from a favorite author of mine, but also I embellish it a bit to make a human point. I have a very good friend who I have shared this with in the last 6 months, and more than anyone I see the "polar bear" in her. She is almost perfect in every way, yet it would also be easy to say this person is moving between two "forms." The problem is that while I shared it with her, I have not exactly applied it to myself.
A lot of us are confused about what we are, myself included. We worry about what we could have been (my favorite trick), or waste days daydreaming of what we could be. In reality life is about doing. It is cliche, but it is about stepping out on that uncertain path, and enjoying the journey. The destination is almost moot. The polar bear does not worry about waking up in a different wing of the taxonomy display at the Smithsonian. Cladistics do not define who the polar bear is. Instead, he wakes up and swims, eats, and sleeps, and does his "polar bear thang."
Let's use my friend the polar bear as a rallying point. Let's be the best (inset your name here) you can be, and stop worrying about the should-have-been's and could-be's. If you want to do something, step out and do it. Take the risk. Deal with the consequences. And lastly, enjoy the benefit from living life to its fullest.
This is the attitude I want to take into the remainder of my life. This year has been a real turning point for me, and as I look ahead to Pharmacy School, and life beyond, I am filled with great excitement. But I don;t want to look too far. I want to enjoy my life now, so that it doesn't slip away. I want to maximize my time with my friends, who may not always be around. I want to take time to stop and smell the roses, no matter how lame that sounds.
So, fellow polar bears, let's get ready to face our lives day by day, and with the certainty that we are exactly who and what we are meant to be today. There is always mystery, discovery, and hope that comes with daily living. Let's not forget to enjoy it.
See ya!
Here is the powerful (and playful) polar bear. He lives at the zoo in Omaha, NE. He is interesting because he lives an amphibious life. Is he a missing link? Is he becoming a land mammal slowly, or perhaps a beast of the sea?
The More Things Change, The More Things (don't) Stay the Same (I guess Cinderella was wrong)
Okay, first of all, I found out about two new blogs I want to share with you. First is my friend Carlin's new site. The link is to the left in the links index. The other is http://andykaufmanreturns.blogspot.com/ which is funny if you know anything about Andy Kaufman and his fans.
Second of all, Things have changed a lot in my short little life... I had a few reflections on that this week.
1) Computers. They went form giant business machines, to sluggish and expensive (and underwhelming) home units, to household features. I hear older Americans talking about email and instant messaging, and it makes me smile.
2) Software. Did you know that screensavers haven't always been free? That ridiculous flying toaster screen saver used to be a software package you had to buy. The many free screen savers you can now download, or that come packaged in Windows are eons cooler than what people used to pay for. Interesting.
3) TV. Cable TV has saturated American with so many shows and channels, that there are very few shows that are a shared experience. Sports viewership is down for this reason, because there are other options on TV. Gone are the days when MASH's finale set records of viewership. Sitcoms are almost completely dead, and reality shows rule the airwaves. There are news shows on nightly, but they are becoming more and more tabloid, as there are entire channels dedicated to up to the minute news. In my home town one of the network affiliates has quit doing sports during newscasts. They assume that the internet and ESPN provide information much more timely and in depth. OF all of these things, the worst thing of all is that the ritual of Saturday Morning Cartoons is dead... there still are some, but they are nothing like the programming masterstroke of the old days. THis is due to childrens channels like Nickelodian and Cartoon Network. Heck, you can even watch movies and anime on TV now (for free), where before that was unheard of.
4) Cereal. The prizes in cereal used to be totally awesome. The prize determined if you bought one cereal over another. Now, there are few prizes. Most toys are send-away offers that do not require purchase of one particular cereal, just loyalty to a manufacturer. In Japan, they still have awesome candy-toys... something better than, but close to the hey-day of American cereal toys. However, McDonalds Happy Meal toys are more epic than ever. Since when did we ever have action figures in a Happy Meal? Or Hot Wheels? Or Legos? Burger King had Dragonball Z toys, which blows my mind how mainstream anime has become in the USA.
I have more, I'll save for later. I need to get back to work! : )
See ya!
Second of all, Things have changed a lot in my short little life... I had a few reflections on that this week.
1) Computers. They went form giant business machines, to sluggish and expensive (and underwhelming) home units, to household features. I hear older Americans talking about email and instant messaging, and it makes me smile.
2) Software. Did you know that screensavers haven't always been free? That ridiculous flying toaster screen saver used to be a software package you had to buy. The many free screen savers you can now download, or that come packaged in Windows are eons cooler than what people used to pay for. Interesting.
3) TV. Cable TV has saturated American with so many shows and channels, that there are very few shows that are a shared experience. Sports viewership is down for this reason, because there are other options on TV. Gone are the days when MASH's finale set records of viewership. Sitcoms are almost completely dead, and reality shows rule the airwaves. There are news shows on nightly, but they are becoming more and more tabloid, as there are entire channels dedicated to up to the minute news. In my home town one of the network affiliates has quit doing sports during newscasts. They assume that the internet and ESPN provide information much more timely and in depth. OF all of these things, the worst thing of all is that the ritual of Saturday Morning Cartoons is dead... there still are some, but they are nothing like the programming masterstroke of the old days. THis is due to childrens channels like Nickelodian and Cartoon Network. Heck, you can even watch movies and anime on TV now (for free), where before that was unheard of.
4) Cereal. The prizes in cereal used to be totally awesome. The prize determined if you bought one cereal over another. Now, there are few prizes. Most toys are send-away offers that do not require purchase of one particular cereal, just loyalty to a manufacturer. In Japan, they still have awesome candy-toys... something better than, but close to the hey-day of American cereal toys. However, McDonalds Happy Meal toys are more epic than ever. Since when did we ever have action figures in a Happy Meal? Or Hot Wheels? Or Legos? Burger King had Dragonball Z toys, which blows my mind how mainstream anime has become in the USA.
I have more, I'll save for later. I need to get back to work! : )
See ya!
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
My Two Dads.
The United States must be a terribly frustrating place for anthropologists. It seems to me that there are no end of subcultures within our nation, and each has its own familial hierarchies.
My own family is what it is; not great, but not bad. I was reminded today at how complex things are when I spent time with both my own father, as well as my father-in-law.
These two men are very similar (I guess that comes with being a dad), but also very different. Both have served our country in the armed forces (albeit one was in post WWII Europe, and the other was in the Vietnam conflict). Both will do anything they can to help someone in need, and both love their families. My father-in-law is a small business man with a formal education. My own father is an elevator mechanic with little education. It is almost a true city-boy vs. country-boy comparison.
But rather than pick apart where each is lacking, I'd like to discuss my own shortcomings in how I interact with them. I have been struggling with "who I am" a lot as I get older, and I realized today that I'm very different people depending on which person I am around... and neither is my true self.
For my father-in-law, I try as hard as I can to be respectful. I want him to think that I am doing all I can to give his daughter a good life. I try to hide any sign that I am frustrated with her, or that I often wonder about the "what if's" my life would have had without her in it. I am embarrassed of my failures in front of him, because he is successful and because it undermines his own daughter's ability to choose a proper mate. I joke with him, but I try to stay reserved. I like him very much, and I respect him... but I'm not myself around him.
As for my own father, I am more relaxed, but still not myself. I am more apt to show my weakness, but often it is because I am hoping he will offer to bail me out. I try to make my accomplishments apparent when we talk, because I want desperately for him to be proud of me. I want him to know that regardless of how the Smith family's life was, that I turned out very good. I also find myself trying to direct the conversation to areas of his interest. I can only figure that this is some sort of psychological thing that children do. We'll talk about things I don;t even care about, like Nascar and guns. Luckily for me, he is also very curious about nature and science.
The contrast of these men is very stark. It goes clear down to the way they dress, their daily routines, and how they relate to others. But even more stark is the contrast of the two Carl's that appear around these men. I feel like I am still auditioning for one, and showing off for the other. I want one to accept that I have great potential, and the other to realize I have already achieved a lot.
The problem really comes that neither of these are "Carl." The most Carl-like I am is when I write this Blog, or talk to three particular friends of mine. That's it. Other than that, you can rest assured that there is something being held back. For some of you its my failures. For others I am holding back disappointment. It could be that I am hiding a deep love for some of you, and for others I may be doing the worst of all relational offenses... being a friend upfront, but enemy inside.
Some of you may have no idea at all what I think of you. Of God. Of life. Of myself. Am I a pessimist, or optimist? Many of you will debate that. Am I a giver or a taker? Am I selfless or selfish? Am I good Christian or a good humanist or a total fraud? Am I good husband or bad? Friend? Worker? Lover? Do I make a difference at all, and is it a good one or bad one if I do?
I think about this stuff a lot. Maybe this is why I'm not good at making real friends. The few I have are all quite by accident, or Providence. I had a prolonged and uncomfortable adolescence (like 20 years), and just now am putting myself into perspective. I know my weaknesses well now, and it has made me a better person, who is continuing to improve. I'll let you down sooner or later, but at least my average length of time between meeting you and letting you down is getting longer. Or is it? : )
It's a hard thing to do, setting out to figure out who you are. Almost always you end up ashamed, or confused, or just plain scared. I guess the best thing to do is just be yourself and quit trying to be yourself. You'll make mistakes along the way, and make a few regrets, but in the end you'll at least have been honest with Y-O-U.
So, I would like to say that by reading this Blog, you are tapping in to the real Carl. I may not be doing too many "big reveals," at least not yet, but I can assure when I type this, there is little planning involved. It is the real me, coming through the keyboard. Welcome.
See ya.
My own family is what it is; not great, but not bad. I was reminded today at how complex things are when I spent time with both my own father, as well as my father-in-law.
These two men are very similar (I guess that comes with being a dad), but also very different. Both have served our country in the armed forces (albeit one was in post WWII Europe, and the other was in the Vietnam conflict). Both will do anything they can to help someone in need, and both love their families. My father-in-law is a small business man with a formal education. My own father is an elevator mechanic with little education. It is almost a true city-boy vs. country-boy comparison.
But rather than pick apart where each is lacking, I'd like to discuss my own shortcomings in how I interact with them. I have been struggling with "who I am" a lot as I get older, and I realized today that I'm very different people depending on which person I am around... and neither is my true self.
For my father-in-law, I try as hard as I can to be respectful. I want him to think that I am doing all I can to give his daughter a good life. I try to hide any sign that I am frustrated with her, or that I often wonder about the "what if's" my life would have had without her in it. I am embarrassed of my failures in front of him, because he is successful and because it undermines his own daughter's ability to choose a proper mate. I joke with him, but I try to stay reserved. I like him very much, and I respect him... but I'm not myself around him.
As for my own father, I am more relaxed, but still not myself. I am more apt to show my weakness, but often it is because I am hoping he will offer to bail me out. I try to make my accomplishments apparent when we talk, because I want desperately for him to be proud of me. I want him to know that regardless of how the Smith family's life was, that I turned out very good. I also find myself trying to direct the conversation to areas of his interest. I can only figure that this is some sort of psychological thing that children do. We'll talk about things I don;t even care about, like Nascar and guns. Luckily for me, he is also very curious about nature and science.
The contrast of these men is very stark. It goes clear down to the way they dress, their daily routines, and how they relate to others. But even more stark is the contrast of the two Carl's that appear around these men. I feel like I am still auditioning for one, and showing off for the other. I want one to accept that I have great potential, and the other to realize I have already achieved a lot.
The problem really comes that neither of these are "Carl." The most Carl-like I am is when I write this Blog, or talk to three particular friends of mine. That's it. Other than that, you can rest assured that there is something being held back. For some of you its my failures. For others I am holding back disappointment. It could be that I am hiding a deep love for some of you, and for others I may be doing the worst of all relational offenses... being a friend upfront, but enemy inside.
Some of you may have no idea at all what I think of you. Of God. Of life. Of myself. Am I a pessimist, or optimist? Many of you will debate that. Am I a giver or a taker? Am I selfless or selfish? Am I good Christian or a good humanist or a total fraud? Am I good husband or bad? Friend? Worker? Lover? Do I make a difference at all, and is it a good one or bad one if I do?
I think about this stuff a lot. Maybe this is why I'm not good at making real friends. The few I have are all quite by accident, or Providence. I had a prolonged and uncomfortable adolescence (like 20 years), and just now am putting myself into perspective. I know my weaknesses well now, and it has made me a better person, who is continuing to improve. I'll let you down sooner or later, but at least my average length of time between meeting you and letting you down is getting longer. Or is it? : )
It's a hard thing to do, setting out to figure out who you are. Almost always you end up ashamed, or confused, or just plain scared. I guess the best thing to do is just be yourself and quit trying to be yourself. You'll make mistakes along the way, and make a few regrets, but in the end you'll at least have been honest with Y-O-U.
So, I would like to say that by reading this Blog, you are tapping in to the real Carl. I may not be doing too many "big reveals," at least not yet, but I can assure when I type this, there is little planning involved. It is the real me, coming through the keyboard. Welcome.
See ya.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death?
Or so go the lyrics in Modest Mouse's song "Ocean Breathes Salty." Modest Mouse is a band that I have myself discovered only this week. I saw the video for "Float On" and literally drove straight to the record store to buy the CD. FYI, the CD is called "Good News for People Who Love Bad News," and it is fantastic.
Anyway, the notion of wasting life was especially apparent to me as I watched VH-1's latest TV series "the Top 100 Metal Moments." I was very excited for this series because I used to be a huge heavy metal fan. I was anxious to see my old heroes up to no good, playing music that sounds cheezy now, and wearing clothes that look even cheezier.
However, I instead became a bit sickened by the whole show. The countdown was nothing more than a steady stream of "so and so did so much drugs that he..." or "this band did this to get girls in bed." It was disturbing how out of control the metal scene was, and how ambivalent the musicians are to this day.
They would use words like "decadent" and "good old days" to describe times when they literally dies from overdoses, slept with 14 year old groupies, and became arrested for various crimes. Instead of celebrating actual "moments" like the fight against the PMRC over censorship, the challenging of social stereotypes and norms, the videos, and outrageous stage shows (and clothes), the VH-1 show did nothing but glorify a lifestyle that frankly makes my stomach turn. And I am a fan.
These bands were living what they were singing. They looked at female fans a nothing more than potential lays. They did whatever they could to get more female fans. They were constantly abusing drugs and booze until they either died or nearly died. They wore their addictions and objectification like badges, and even sang songs about it.
To me as an American teenager, I thought that the depiction of sex and drugs in metal songs were just a middle finger to pop radio. I used to think metal was an attitude; a heaviness of music and a disregard for convention. Metal to me was big hair, torn jeans, and a great guitar riff. Metal was standing against authority and pumping a fist into the air. Metal was the "devil" hand sign that I still flash to my friends.
Heavy metal was a powerful "art-form" that apparently was wasted by your typical high-school dropouts.
What metal was not was Kip Winger posing for Playgirl, Bon Jovi creating a panic for fringe, or Def Leppard's under-stage brothel that they would take turns retiring to during and after concerts. Metal was not Motley Crue having pornography and S&M costumes confiscated by the Canadian Border Patrol. And Metal was most definitely not Steven Tyler talking a 14 year old girl's parent into making him her legal guardian so that she could tour with him and have sexual relations for 3 years.
I guess what I am trying to say is it made me sick to see all those wasted lives, still unapologetic and useless. They made their money, had their sex (6,400 liaisons for Gene Simmons alone), and destroyed their bodies with drugs. They partied and screwed and wrote awful music just to have a reason to tour, party, and screw some more. What a waste.
It makes me happy that I have found a way to outgrow metal's influence, and to actually give a crap about something greater in life. If I still had my torn up jeans, I'd feel compelled to burn them into permanent retirement. No matter how sweet the song "Nobody's Fool" is.
So what was the #1 most metal moment? I don't know. I turned it off at 15. As my brother said, it could have been boiled down to a list of 20 moments, and even then only 5 would have mattered.
So looking back on all the hours and dollars I spent worshipping the music these men produced, I find it hard not to feel a little embarrassed. Today's blog both allows me to admit this embarrassment, to tell my friends who never "got" metal that they were right, and to lastly say that I am glad that I am not wasting my life.
I may not have much money, I never faced a screaming crowd, and I have only had sex with one girl ever, but at least I have a purpose. I have a desire to help people in need, a longing to truly love others, and to improve myself. And to me, those are the only moments that matter.
Anyway, the notion of wasting life was especially apparent to me as I watched VH-1's latest TV series "the Top 100 Metal Moments." I was very excited for this series because I used to be a huge heavy metal fan. I was anxious to see my old heroes up to no good, playing music that sounds cheezy now, and wearing clothes that look even cheezier.
However, I instead became a bit sickened by the whole show. The countdown was nothing more than a steady stream of "so and so did so much drugs that he..." or "this band did this to get girls in bed." It was disturbing how out of control the metal scene was, and how ambivalent the musicians are to this day.
They would use words like "decadent" and "good old days" to describe times when they literally dies from overdoses, slept with 14 year old groupies, and became arrested for various crimes. Instead of celebrating actual "moments" like the fight against the PMRC over censorship, the challenging of social stereotypes and norms, the videos, and outrageous stage shows (and clothes), the VH-1 show did nothing but glorify a lifestyle that frankly makes my stomach turn. And I am a fan.
These bands were living what they were singing. They looked at female fans a nothing more than potential lays. They did whatever they could to get more female fans. They were constantly abusing drugs and booze until they either died or nearly died. They wore their addictions and objectification like badges, and even sang songs about it.
To me as an American teenager, I thought that the depiction of sex and drugs in metal songs were just a middle finger to pop radio. I used to think metal was an attitude; a heaviness of music and a disregard for convention. Metal to me was big hair, torn jeans, and a great guitar riff. Metal was standing against authority and pumping a fist into the air. Metal was the "devil" hand sign that I still flash to my friends.
Heavy metal was a powerful "art-form" that apparently was wasted by your typical high-school dropouts.
What metal was not was Kip Winger posing for Playgirl, Bon Jovi creating a panic for fringe, or Def Leppard's under-stage brothel that they would take turns retiring to during and after concerts. Metal was not Motley Crue having pornography and S&M costumes confiscated by the Canadian Border Patrol. And Metal was most definitely not Steven Tyler talking a 14 year old girl's parent into making him her legal guardian so that she could tour with him and have sexual relations for 3 years.
I guess what I am trying to say is it made me sick to see all those wasted lives, still unapologetic and useless. They made their money, had their sex (6,400 liaisons for Gene Simmons alone), and destroyed their bodies with drugs. They partied and screwed and wrote awful music just to have a reason to tour, party, and screw some more. What a waste.
It makes me happy that I have found a way to outgrow metal's influence, and to actually give a crap about something greater in life. If I still had my torn up jeans, I'd feel compelled to burn them into permanent retirement. No matter how sweet the song "Nobody's Fool" is.
So what was the #1 most metal moment? I don't know. I turned it off at 15. As my brother said, it could have been boiled down to a list of 20 moments, and even then only 5 would have mattered.
So looking back on all the hours and dollars I spent worshipping the music these men produced, I find it hard not to feel a little embarrassed. Today's blog both allows me to admit this embarrassment, to tell my friends who never "got" metal that they were right, and to lastly say that I am glad that I am not wasting my life.
I may not have much money, I never faced a screaming crowd, and I have only had sex with one girl ever, but at least I have a purpose. I have a desire to help people in need, a longing to truly love others, and to improve myself. And to me, those are the only moments that matter.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Carl Smith: Pharmacy Student
I got in!!! Creighton University called today and offered me a seat for the fall class of pharmacy school. I am so excited! I feel pretty numb about it, like it isn't real.
School starts in August, and it takes 4 years to complete. When it is over, I will have a PharmD degree, which means I will be Dr. Carl Smith (doctor of pharmacy).
Now all I have to do is try to get my stupid debt in order by the end of the summer (as best as I can) so that I don't have that distraction while I am in school! Already I am agonizing over the $4000 debt I am trying to pay back, and pharmacy school will be over $80,000. SIGH. I guess that is what student loans are for!
I am so excited! Thanks to all of you who encouraged me not to give up. I promise not to let any of you down. : )
See ya!
School starts in August, and it takes 4 years to complete. When it is over, I will have a PharmD degree, which means I will be Dr. Carl Smith (doctor of pharmacy).
Now all I have to do is try to get my stupid debt in order by the end of the summer (as best as I can) so that I don't have that distraction while I am in school! Already I am agonizing over the $4000 debt I am trying to pay back, and pharmacy school will be over $80,000. SIGH. I guess that is what student loans are for!
I am so excited! Thanks to all of you who encouraged me not to give up. I promise not to let any of you down. : )
See ya!
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Raise Your Head, Carl. It's A Long Day Coming
I decided to come out of my internet hermit-hood early, because I have a lot of topics building up in my head. I wanted to talk a little bit about lost causes.
Lately I have become the king of lost causes. I don't know if it is a spell of bad luck, or if it is merely me playing a part I have been fooled into thinking I need to play. Am I really just causing my own unhappiness or am I really a victim of karmic forces beyond my control?
Through the last few years, I do feel as if my assorted failures and hurdles have tempered me into a tougher human. I feel as if I am able to deal with things a little better now, and I am becoming slowly desensitized to disappointment. The little things don't get to me because I have faced and am facing so many large trials. It's debatable if that is a good thing or not, but regardless, it isn;t what I want to talk about here.
What I do want to talk about is the wonderful notion that lost causes aren't hopeless... salvation is always just an outstretched hand away. It can come in the form of a friend that suddenly senses your despair and reaches out to you. It comes in the prescription or regimen a doctor gives you to sort out chemical imbalances. It comes in the art that inspires you and the dreams that propel you into the future. It comes also in the hope that tomorrow is full of potential.
It reminds me of underwater forests. When engineers decide that a Forrest needs to be sacrificed to erect a dam, it is assumed that all of those trees are lost forever. Dams are erected, the water level rises, consumers get their precious electricity, and acres and acres of majestic trees are lost forever beneath the water. Trees become useless; unable to inspire, shade, house animals, or even become useful as lumber. Truly the trees become lost causes.
However, a Canadian man named Chris Godsall does not believe in lost causes. He, like many of us, laments the loss of woodlands the world has seen. According to Forest Enterprises, about 50% of the Earth's forests have been destroyed. We are living in the digital age, the era of the computer, and yet the demand for paper is 5 times higher now that in the 1950's. And it will double again by the mid 21st century by estimates.
It's no secret that many of us are upset that man is slowly depleting rain forests and woodlands to make paper, lumber, and other products. But many of us also realize that it is a trend that will not change; convenience and consumer demand reign over diligence and stewardship.
So Godsall decided to call in the lost causes to make a difference. He has been working on an invention that will not only supply trees for lumber, but also to do it in an environmentally sound way. He has invented a remote control submarine that dives deep into these dam-produced flood sites and saws down giant, drowned trees. It also attaches an inflatable sack to the tree, which raises it to the surface, where a tug boat can retrieve it. It is estimated that 200 million trees await harvesting in dam sites around the world.
To quote Scientific American writer Sarah Simpson, "every waterlogged tree salvaged is one living tree saved." The lost causes have been saved, and become useful once again.
So when I think about my own troubles, and how I feel like a lost cause, I also try to find hope in the fact that a use may still present itself. These trees are being preserved by the water that drowns them, keeping them ready for their big day. I wonder when my big day will come, and what it will be? It could very well be that my current trials are only preserving me for a later use.
So the king of lost causes wants to say to all of his friends, thanks for hanging in there and encouraging me, and I hope that you benefit from my "big day" ahead. Whatever it may be. : ) In the meantime, I will try not to be such a downer. I really do love life, I just wish I was a different character.
See ya!
Lately I have become the king of lost causes. I don't know if it is a spell of bad luck, or if it is merely me playing a part I have been fooled into thinking I need to play. Am I really just causing my own unhappiness or am I really a victim of karmic forces beyond my control?
Through the last few years, I do feel as if my assorted failures and hurdles have tempered me into a tougher human. I feel as if I am able to deal with things a little better now, and I am becoming slowly desensitized to disappointment. The little things don't get to me because I have faced and am facing so many large trials. It's debatable if that is a good thing or not, but regardless, it isn;t what I want to talk about here.
What I do want to talk about is the wonderful notion that lost causes aren't hopeless... salvation is always just an outstretched hand away. It can come in the form of a friend that suddenly senses your despair and reaches out to you. It comes in the prescription or regimen a doctor gives you to sort out chemical imbalances. It comes in the art that inspires you and the dreams that propel you into the future. It comes also in the hope that tomorrow is full of potential.
It reminds me of underwater forests. When engineers decide that a Forrest needs to be sacrificed to erect a dam, it is assumed that all of those trees are lost forever. Dams are erected, the water level rises, consumers get their precious electricity, and acres and acres of majestic trees are lost forever beneath the water. Trees become useless; unable to inspire, shade, house animals, or even become useful as lumber. Truly the trees become lost causes.
However, a Canadian man named Chris Godsall does not believe in lost causes. He, like many of us, laments the loss of woodlands the world has seen. According to Forest Enterprises, about 50% of the Earth's forests have been destroyed. We are living in the digital age, the era of the computer, and yet the demand for paper is 5 times higher now that in the 1950's. And it will double again by the mid 21st century by estimates.
It's no secret that many of us are upset that man is slowly depleting rain forests and woodlands to make paper, lumber, and other products. But many of us also realize that it is a trend that will not change; convenience and consumer demand reign over diligence and stewardship.
So Godsall decided to call in the lost causes to make a difference. He has been working on an invention that will not only supply trees for lumber, but also to do it in an environmentally sound way. He has invented a remote control submarine that dives deep into these dam-produced flood sites and saws down giant, drowned trees. It also attaches an inflatable sack to the tree, which raises it to the surface, where a tug boat can retrieve it. It is estimated that 200 million trees await harvesting in dam sites around the world.
To quote Scientific American writer Sarah Simpson, "every waterlogged tree salvaged is one living tree saved." The lost causes have been saved, and become useful once again.
So when I think about my own troubles, and how I feel like a lost cause, I also try to find hope in the fact that a use may still present itself. These trees are being preserved by the water that drowns them, keeping them ready for their big day. I wonder when my big day will come, and what it will be? It could very well be that my current trials are only preserving me for a later use.
So the king of lost causes wants to say to all of his friends, thanks for hanging in there and encouraging me, and I hope that you benefit from my "big day" ahead. Whatever it may be. : ) In the meantime, I will try not to be such a downer. I really do love life, I just wish I was a different character.
See ya!