It was Plato in his work "Dialogues, Apology Greek philosopher in Athens" (469 BC - 399 BC) who wrote about his mentors phrase “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Supposedly Socrates said that at his trial for heresy, for his ideas challenge the accepted beliefs of the time. His message, think for oneself. The idea of introspection is examining oneself, and discovering why we do the things we do (both in thought and action). As a Christian I must point out that while I start with introspection, I don't end there. I get understanding from myself, but not answers. Still, it is important to understand oneself. This includes preconceived biases and beliefs, predispositions and dislikes. The celebrated psychologist Carl Jung once said: “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” It's often good to have our beliefs challenged, but as long as we seek to resolve those challenges. Here are a variety of questions that can help get you started (titles are listed above):
Sex/gender/sexual orientation Is this something you embraced or struggled with. Have you felt ostracized? Did you siblings of opposite sex get treated differently as a child. Do you feel you have adequate social support? How does your immediate family act to your choices in life? Do they reflect your families beliefs?
Socio economic level or Education Did you feel that you had less opportunities that those around you. Did you feel that education was highly valued in your family structure. What is the education level of your parents? Religion/spirituality How much of an impact does your religion play in your daily activities/life? Does your religion limit that you can date/marry? Have you felt discriminated in a work or social setting because of your beliefs? Have you felt threatened by any others whose religion is difference than yours? Age How does your age effect your sex life? Have you ever felt victim to ageism? Do you feel that western society has a greater appreciation for youth and beauty or age and wisdom. Did you have a mid life crisis, and if so…how did it get flushed out. Name a common misconception that you feel elders have with your generation Political affiliation Does your political affiliation coincide with your parents Do people stereo type you based on your political affiliation What are the stereotypes for your political beliefs. Do you even follow politics? Disability Do you prefer the term disabled or handicap What is word disability means to you Is there a tendency for others to overly altruistic due to your disability What is one myth that you would like to dispel about your condition.
Lately I have found a number of things in my life I have not wanted to part with because they mean too much to me. This serves as a wake up call that I may be ripe for an enslaving destructive dependency… if left unchallenged, deception and denial will spread and blind my heart, and this deception will allow my addictions to gain their foothold. If the problem is unchecked, addictions can destroy my capacity for self control. So why do I engage in such behavior? Because it turn my lows into temporary highs, providing doses of relief that I control. All are ways that I find to relieve pain or helplessness or boredom. The realty is that its promise of freedom is really a house of mirrors that traps me with little hope of escape, the effects are always self destructive. Of course I would quit if I could on my own, but I have become a slave to my own desires, and often I believe I deserve the relief and power my addiction provides. Don’t get me wrong, the desire to feel good is not unhealthy, but having a belief that one needs relief “NOW” regardless is a trap leading to enslavement in a destructive dependency. When feeling good becomes more important to a person then doing good, loving others, or knowing God, they are drifting on the waves of the addicted. A need for relief does not have to drive us into arms of addiction. The question I need to ask myself is "am I willing to feel the inescapable pains and valleys in my life?" The alternative is committing to immediate relief and control. Ravi Zacharias reminds me that “All pleasure cost (something). For legitimate you pay the price before pleasure. For illegitimate you pay the price after pleasure.”
Why is it that people are willing to use Aspirin for Headache and birth control for decreasing one’s chances (97% to be exact) of impregnation , but when the idea of behavioral modification techniques or psychotherapy is introduced people resists stating they don’t want a part of that psycho stuff. Do they not realize that just as there body’s are chemically composed, so are their brains. More precisely, they have the limited ability to change the chemical compositions in their own brain, influencing their own perception and behavior. Scary to think one’s perception is actually formed by a serious of chemical substances interacting in a nero network of cells. Perhaps our perceptions then if subjective to external and internal stimuli aren’t as invulnerable as we might think.
Is your girl high maintenance? From the article the top ten signs that your chick is a high maintenance girl:
1 - She's unfair. 2 - She's daddy's girl. 3 - Going out is like the countdown to eternity. 4 - Irrational demands. 5 - Bills. 6 - She doesn't do "dressed down". 7 - What does "sacrafice" mean? 8 - Difficult to please. 9 - Social brick. 10 - My way or the highway.
Friday, August 29, 2008
"It is easier to shun the bait...then get caught in the snare." -Ravi Zacharias
Just got done watching the Democratic national convention. Obama ended it with the scripture reference "let us hold firmly to the hope that we profess". The actual verse he was referring to was most likely Hebrews 4:14 (New International Version) which states "14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.".... gotta use it in Context Obama. So do you think he used it in the right context?
Today was a long day! I was at Ball State till 9:30, after which I quickly went home to my apt. Thankfully I resisted the urge to turn on the TV and turn my mind off. Instead I sat on the balcony and pondered while the warm august breeze blew ever so gently in the nights presence. I noticed through the glass sliding doors from my 3rd floor view that a tenant in the 1st floor apartments was playing tug of war with his large doberman looking dog. And then it hit me, my story with the living God was often like this animal. As does this salivating beast depend on his master for food, so I reach to the father for true nourishment. Often the dog is accepted into families not for his intellect or his contribution...but simply because he loves and surrenders to the master. My disobedient acts led me to mentally form the picture of once such dog walking along with his master. In my minds eye I could see at times how patiently I would walk along side the Father...but when something I liked would catch my eye, and I would chase after it. I was oblivious to any dangers that would lay ahead. Of course He always saw farther than I, and His patient walk reveled that He had been on this trail before. Eventually the chase would end and I would come to my senses. I would turn around and see that the master had been running along side me, concerned about my life. Like so many times before I would turn with my tail between my legs, recognizing my mistake and desiring to resume my walk with Him. He has always happily excepted me back into his loving arms, embracing me no matter the distance. The analogy contains many flaws, but in it's essence it serves as a reminder to me that ultimate dependence on Jesus is not a burden... but in fact is liberating. Reliance on my self... well that's just plain dangerous.
It's amazing how often I procrastinate on those things that matter most, only to delay the inevitable. I often find myself finishing those little tasks like cleaning the apartment or doing dishes, when more important things require my attention (don't even get me started on my thesis). I found myself doing this very same thing just hours ago. I have a large paper due that is worth a significant portion of my grade, and instead of rushing to finish it...I decide it's a good time to shave all the hair off my chest.
Now before you go deleting me from your phone book or removing me as a friend on facebook, allow me to explain. I don't normally shave my chest (*Coff* Luke Burger *Coff*), but this was a special circumstance. I had gotten sun burned all over my chest, arms, and back two weeks ago and in the past week the skin has been pealing off my body. When I get in the shower (warning, this is gross), the skin peals off and clings to my Brawny Paper Towel Man chest hair. This makes me look like I just stepped out of the radioactive Chernobyl, not the effect I want if I am going to the pool. This at least solves that problem. Yet don't you think this could have waited.
It's not just me, The author of "How to eat a frog" talks about how, in every one's life, there are those things that influence most the impact of one's life. They represent in importance around the top in the list of the things we plan on getting done. Ironically the majority of people spend 90 percent of their time on those tasks in the bottom of that list and only 10 percent on the top. If I devoted the majority of my time to what was truly important... such impact would be noticeable. Think about it. Oh, and have you recognized yet that the quote from the title is from a song, "tiiiiiiiimmmmmeeeee, is on my side...yes it is". Don't recognize it? It's also sung by Azeal in the movie Fallen with Denzel Washington (good movie).
Behavioral psychologists agree with the statement while psychoanalysts scoff at it. Humanities idea of “self control”, is considered by some to be an immeasurable internal force which allows us to show self restraint. Behaviorist suggest instead that we are a product of our reinforces and believe that proposing the idea of a construct inside us to explain internal motivators actually takes control away.
Many are familiar with the famous experiment involving Pavlov’s Dogs; how he was able to elicit salivating in dogs to a unrelated stimulus of a bell ringing. In a similar way we are reinforced everyday by a process called the A.B.C method. An example of step A (Antecedent) would be the phone ringing. An example of step B (Behavior) would be picking it up. An example of step C (Consequence) is someone answering. In this situation we have a example of unconscious positive reinforcement. If the consequence was pleasurable, the person is likely to repeat such behavior. Another example of reinforcement is hitting the snooze button. In this situation we have a negative reinforcement; the annoying noise was taken away. It get’s interesting from here. If we continue conditioning theses neurological process for a sustained portion of time, the axons become hard and permanent. When this happens, the only treatment to undue this is brick therapy (bash em in the head with a brick). So here is my problem with pornography. If someone has a history of looking at a certain type of porn for example, they can retrain what they are actually sexually stimulated to (depending on what they are using as a stimulus at). Perhaps it’s no coincidence the majority of known pedophiles have a shared history of looking at pornography.
It must be noted that this simple conditioning with reinforces is much more complex in humans, probably more than behaviorist care to admit. A fellow named Maslow developed a hierarchy of needs that we attempt to fill, and any number of our behaviors can be unconsciously driven to meet one of these needs. So if you your tired of making promises to yourself that seem to be broken as quickly as they can be made, alter your behavior through simple behavioral modification. Were all unhappy in some fashion with the frequency, duration, or intensity of one or more behaviors. Such modification will involve altering these factors: response effort, environment, and reinforcements. Regardless if this mentality may seem fatalistic, it is important to remember that in every opportunity we can still turn towards goodness. The problem is with each selfish decision we make, were more likely to repeat that process again.
Isn't it interesting in life how people can make all the difference merely by there presence. If there involved in your life, they influence it, and hopefully in a positive way. It makes you wonder if heroes and villains in our everyday struggle are simply characters in life responding to their supporting cast. The funny website "Garfield Minus Garfield" is an example of this to some degree, without the character...Jon is a crazy person... the comic is funnier to.
Now more than ever we can make a difference in the word on the behalf of justice. Those who are against poverty can now put there money where their mouth is. The micro lender Kiva (www.Kiva.org) allows you to micro loan money out to impoverished people to make a better life for themselves. To under stand more about the process, check out "Banker to the Poor" by Muhammad Yunis.
A man was driving his Lexus from church one Sunday, praying on his way home. He prayed that he would get the promotion, that time of to take a vacation to Hawaii, and be able to pay off the loan on his car. just then a car pulled out in front of him, forcing him off the road. The next thing the man knew, he was waking up in heaven. Finding himself just outside the pearly gates, he shouted to those inside, requesting if he may meet with Jesus. Jesus soon came out to meet the man. The man was very grateful for all the great things God had been given him and wanted to thanks Jesus, saying "ever since I excepted you into my life, everything has been great!" Jesus paused for a moment and explained "I think you have my words confused for another. There was a reason you were given so much...
You were given youth, so that you may serve the elderly. You were given education, so that you may teach those who need to learn. You were given wisdom, to keep others from making wrong choices. You were given freedom, to speak out against those oppressed.
You were given food, to feed the hungry. You were given wealth, so that you may give to those poorer than you. You were given health, to heal those who are sick. You were given strength, so that you could strengthen the weak.
You were given hands, to help serve your neighbors. You were given legs, to walk with those in despair. You were given eyes, to see hope beyond pain. You were given ears, to here the stories of the suffering. You were given a voice, to speak on behalf of the voiceless.
Luke 12:47-49 (The Message) "The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!
I've come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I've come to change everything, turn everything right side up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so...
I live in this unique house apartment along the river in good old Muncie, IN. I enjoy my apartment and chose it for it's uniqueness. It's an attic apartment, with a winding staircase and triangle rooms. It's actually quite spacious with two bedrooms, living room and kitchen (and bathroom), and at 325$ a month (includes all the necessities) it is a steal. Yet there are also quirks with this apartment that I have come grown used to. For one, The triangle shaped bathroom forces me to use the restroom in a sitting position. If I was to stand without leaning I would be just far enough away from the toilette to reduce to 93% accuracy. Also the shower is quite small and the shower spout is equal to my chest. For the first three weeks, before I got new shower nozzle, I had to shower in a crouched position. Another thing I noticed was that when I started using the stove, I noticed that three of the four heating coils lightly smoked. Not totally sure where it was coming from, I found I was able to eliminate the smoke if I sprayed water on the coil. This worked for the most part, except when the burner was on high. So, last week after continually spraying the largest coil, I decided a quick fix would be to pour vegetable oil on it. My thinking was that oil doesn't evaporate as easily and so would be less work. Well, as many of you know already my thinking was very wrong. I found out oil actually is worse in this situation due to it's tendency to sizzle and splatter at hot temperatures. And of course right then my ADD must have kicked in full gear because I pour water on the oil thinking it would reduce the temperature. This only resulted in the stove break out in flames. Thankfully that lasted a totally of five seconds, and immediately turning the burner down caused the smoke to subsided. Lesson learned, disaster avoided, dinner saved.
Normally I don't use my blog as a therapeutic way to vent my anger, but it's either that or break the monitor....so I'm trying to restrain myself. The situation is this, I have a year old tower with Vista Ultimate on it. I also own a windows xp laptop, and am borrowing a mac desktop currently. You might have a urge to say, "nate, do you really need that many computers"... Well... fight it..because how many computers I have is not the focus of this article. With the windows xp I'm satisfied, with the Mac (tiger) I'm quite ecstatic, and with the Vista...lets just say I would pay more for poop in a box. But I digress... the real beef I have is with movie maker. The first issue I have is that it comes up with hundreds of error message all the time, then shuts down and I loose my work. Second, I can only have music or a narrative, not both. Three, it only lets me have one line of video... Four, it's cumbersome. Five, it claims to work with a wide variety of video. Yet, try to export your video and it will come up with the bogus error message "File will not save, error: not enough space, project files may be missing, or drive may be unavailable". "Oh, really?...that specific, huh?" I mean, come on, that's like three separate problems there. Anyway, it turns out that there are a number of files that often cause problems. they are are; (Video) Mpeg, MOV, Mjpeg and divx-avi (Music/Audio) MP3 (Stills/Pictures) Jpeg. This makes me laugh...these are main types of formats, some even consider them industry standards. How could Movie Maker not notify the user of this when it lets you edit these files? How come Microsoft didn't patch this up? So, I spend 5 hours of work, only to deal with two more hours of hassle. Basically, in the end I got it to work for 5 minutes, enough to produce a very small video. Your welcome to see it (I will post it in this blog)...unfortunately it's about the best I can do. I guess the moral of the day is don't expect to eat lobster when you starting with S***,
After reading 1 Corinthians 15 I am left with questions. For example, verse 33 in the new king James states “be not deceived: Evil communications corrupts good manners “. I was wondering if this is only talking about fellowship with peers, but perhaps also media such as TV/Movies…couldn't they not also have a negative influence on an individual? It seems since the late 19th century that there is a trend in the U.S. toward obtaining pleasure, self-fulfillment, and immediate gratification. When did enjoyment became the central measure of a fulfilling life in our American experience? It is as if there is a public fascination with fashion, travel, and amusement. Part of this transformation may be the result of the flooding of our everyday world with mass-produced visual images. "Motion pictures are particularly adept at conveying the tangibility of things and their desirability as possessions" (Berger, 1972). It seems the idea of instant gratification and the freedom to obtain personal happiness have been Hollywood's tradition for generations and contemporary films reinforce this view. Our present broad socialization encourages especially the youth to follow their impulses, to do whatever attracts them or feels good. So how much impact do movies truly have? do they influence our institutions? Our family, laws, politics, or religion? I can't help but thinking that youth who are still forming beliefs and opinions may especially be impacted by this medium. Some destructive examples include the over glamorization of artistic professionals that increase unrealistic expectations for the youthful viewer. Movies portray family life as either funny and simplistic or overly tragic and Alcohol use is shown with great frequency. Few characters are shown depicted as driving recklessly or exceeding the speed limit as a result of drinking. The same unrealistic portrayal exists with sexual behavior. Sexual diseases, broken hearts in relationships (which is reported as a high cause of suicides among youth), and unwanted pregnancy seem to very rarely follow the main characters sexual encounters, and yet they all to often follow unprotected rushed real life sexual intimacy. When you put a frog in a boiling pot he jumps right out. Take that same frog, put in a pot and change the temperature slowly...the frog boils to death. The temperature has been turned up and yet we don't even realize the immorality anymore... so I guess the question now becomes how can I resist...how do I fight back?
By the way, if you wan't to see a great science fiction movie that plays on this idea ...check out "They Live"(1988)
Amount spent on train in chicago, $4. Bus fair with incorrect diretctions... $4. Cost of taxi... $5, tiping drivieres... $6. homeless man asking for money, $2. Attempting spanish and making a friend with a child on a train...priceless.
True story, and out of my experience in chicago comes some wisdom. First, that make sure you know where you are going in chicago direction wise, because chances are nobody else does. I asked four people how to get to the sheraton hotel and I was pointed in four diffrent directions, only one was right. After a hour of walking I decided to hail a taxi. But how did one do this? and how expensive would it be? Turns out the movies are right, jut put up your hand (like your answering a question in class) to a taxi as it's driving by and it will pull over. As for cost, it only cost me 5 dollars to get to a hotel that was maybe two and a half miles from my location. I heard that some times taxi drivers will take you the long way, so be careful I suppose. Aside from this, presenting at the APS convention in Chicago was worth the work. Last tip for those not native to Chicago, it's best to park outside of the city (like I did at bedford park) and take the train in. It's alot cheaper on marking, which is easily 25-40 dollars downtown. Oh, and my spanish friend? Yes, a seven year old boy with his parents who loved guitar and talking. I talked to him (although he knew more english than I did spanish thankfully)for 30 minutes, and gave him something to remember me by. I have to say, in a society with social norms it's great to have Children around to break them once in a while. Keeps us from taking ourselves to seriously.
In my class on “history and systems of psychology”, I am being taught the different scientific revolutions, including Darwins Evolutionism. Our professor stated that Darwinism came and crossed out our previous perception of intelligent design. First, I must disagree. In no way does Darwinisms theory of evolution attempt to explain the origins of life; his manifesto focuses on adaptation and survival, not on origin and existence. Second, He stated that it changed the way we previously believed about life. Originally we believed that there were three facets to life. Plants, animals, and humans. Today, the break up exists differently, where as the three main groups are Bacteria, plants, and animals. Humans are a subspecies of animals. I also noticed how the prof mentioned in a dismissive tone how religious groups were resistant to this idea. At first I didn’t see a huge distinction between believers in Cross Species Evolution and those who believe in Creationism. Yet the claims that humans arrived from animals must be questioned. For if this is truth, its implications are quite dangerous. In 1 Corinthians 15:39 it states “For all flesh is not the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for beasts, another for birds, and another for fish.” This verse talks more about our existence than our origins, and those uneducated about the evolution debate should focus on this point when conversing with unbelievers. For from this we recognize that “we must not live like beasts, as we do not die like them” (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary). Darwin “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down” (origin of the species).
Anyone listening to the media knows about the severe cyclone that took thousands of lives in Myanmar on May 3. The hurricane was literally so destructive that it changed the terrain, leaving much of the Irrawaddy Delta flooded. The International Federation of Red Cross estimated the total population affected by the cyclone at between 1.6 million and 2.5 million. An estimated 2 million survivors are still in need of emergency aid, but U.N. agencies and other groups have been able to reach only 270,000 people so far. The UN today put the confirmed death toll at 38,491, with another 27,800 people missing. Hardship and hunger Are no stranger to the country of Myanmar. Before Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck, about one in three children in the country formerly known as Burma were malnourished. Now untold numbers of corpses have been left rotting in ground that is little more than a saltwater swamp, thousands of hungry people are begging in the streets, and most rice stocks are soaked and ruined. Fishing boats along the coast have helped ferry survivors to safety but can't make enough rounds a day to rescue everyone. “The trip is a stomach-wrenching journey”, said Maung U, a 36-year-old driver of a rescue boat. "Each trip takes five or six hours through a narrow waterway littered with dead bodies," he said. "Every few meters, you see another dead body, human or animal." Reading about such tragedy has left the question of “what can I do” circling in my head. I already took the liberty to donate to Gospel for Asia, an organization that has apparently been able to assist as it’s staff are comprised of locals to the area. Yet, is that it? I have food and a comfortable home and yet thousands are in need of a simple cup of rice and shelter. At first I brushed this situation off as a tragedy that’s beyond me, but I found a quote that has left me asking if I can do more: “Love will find a way. Indifference will find an excuse.” (Anonymous) (note some of this article was taken from a variety of news articles) In addition to this article, I have comprised more exhaustive informative update of the situation in Myanmar by piecing together pieces of news articles and the history of Myanmar from the web (see the previous post). I think it is important to be well informed on the plights of neighbors both distant and near, so in case you’re still a bit unfamiliar of the situation, feel free to read. You may note that a bit of artistic license was used, and while the following was produced mainly form news articles, it is from my viewpoint, and contains many of my opinions about the situation.
On May 3rd the Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, taking thousands of lives and leaving much of the coast including Irrawaddy Delta flooded. In the midst of this disaster is a greater tragedy, Myanmar's ruling junta’s refusal to allow foreign aid workers into the country. This has left most survivors living in miserable conditions without food or clean water. First, the state controlled media did nothing to warn residents of the incoming Cyclone, and with a continuing possibility of an additional cyclone continue to do nothing.
Efforts to rush food and medicine from Labutta to lower-lying parts of the delta that were hardest hit have been slowed by the military's intense micromanaging. "The government wants total control of the situation although they can't provide much and they have no experience in relief efforts," said a leading aid worker for an international aid organization. "We have to report to them every step of the way, every decision we make. "Their eyes are everywhere, monitoring what we do, who we talk to, what we bring in and how much," the aid worker said in a soft voice, constantly looking around nervously as his assistant turned off all the lights except one dim lamp. "We don't want them to see you here. They don't trust us, as it is," he told a foreign reporter in Labutta. The few reporters and aid workers who have made it down to the Irrawaddy Delta continue to report heartbreaking scenes of hungry, homeless people who have lost everything and are now forced to wash and draw water from flooded plains where dead bodies are still floating.
The military, which has ruled since 1962, has taken control of most supplies sent by other countries, including the United States, which began its third day of aid delivery today as five more giant C-130 transport planes headed to Myanmar with help. The directors of several relief organizations in Myanmar said Wednesday that some of the international aid arriving into the country for the victims of Cyclone Nargis had been stolen, diverted or warehoused by the country’s army. Marcel Wagner, country director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, confirmed that aid was being diverted by the army. He said the issue would become an increasing problem, although he declined to give further details because of the sensitivity of the situation. The junta has barred all foreigners, including credentialed diplomats and aid workers, from accompanying any donated aid, tracking its distribution or following up on its delivery. Mr. Wagner said he and his agency’s foreign staff members were now barred from the Irrawaddy Delta, even to areas where the group has ongoing projects dating from before the storm. Fortunately, he said, he has Burmese staff are permitted come and go through an increasing number of military checkpoints. A number of countries have offered to bring in aid and deliver it from the south, by ship, but the junta has adamantly refused. One of the generals’ most enduring fears is a seaborne invasion by Western powers it refers to as “foreign saboteurs.” “These guys really believe we are planning an invasion,” Ms. Villarosa said. The United States said this week that several of its military ships were in the area and ready to provide help in Myanmar. “It’s nuts! We’re not! But if they hear that a large U.S. ship is off the coast, they don’t receive the message that it’s a genuine humanitarian effort,” she said. Myanmar has long been suspicious of the outside world, which the junta fears could bring in destabilizing ideas and values, such as Western concepts of democracy and human rights. The junta has brutally suppressed any sign of dissent. At least 31 people were killed when troops crushed monk-led pro-democracy protests last September.
Myanmar's ruling junta told visiting Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej that it is in control of the relief operations and doesn't need foreign experts. "They have their own team to cope with the situation," Samak said after returning from Yangon. Despite condemnation over its stance, Myanmar's military government tightened access to the cyclone disaster zone Wednesday, turning back foreigners and rejecting new pleas from Thailand's premier Samak Sundaravej. He said the junta gave him a "guarantee" that there was no starvation or disease outbreaks among survivors. In Yangon, Samak visited a government relief center. Yet Un They insisted they can take care of their people and their country. They can manage by themselves," he said after the meeting with Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein.
Such insisting falls on deaf ears as the international community remains unfooled by such blatant lies. A top European Union humanitarian official said there was now a risk of famine, after the May 3 storm destroyed rice stocks in a main farming region in one of the world's poorest and most isolated countries. As for Samak, it is quite evident that his history is similar to that of the heartless generals. Currently the Prime Minister of Thailand since January 2008, yet in 1968 Samak became head of the renegade right-wing faction of the Ruling Party. In the 1976 general election, he defeated Kukrit Pramoj and was made Deputy Interior Minister in the cabinet of Seni Pramoj. He quickly became prominent for arresting several left-wing activists. In 1992, as Deputy Prime Minister in the Suchinda administration, Samak justified the military's brutal suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators by declaring that the government had the right to do so as long as the United States could send troops to kill people in other countries, a reference to the Gulf War against Iraq and Saddam Hussein taking place from 2 August 1990 to 28 February 1991. He remains unrepentant and continues to stand by his justification, stating that the military was merely trying to restore law and order after the pro-democracy demonstrators, which he branded as "troublemakers", had resorted to "mob rule".
This Friday a Thai medical team will be the first foreign aid group allowed to work in the ravaged region. That’s 13 days after the disaster! The European Union's top aid official, Development Commissioner Louis Michel, said today he is not opposed to the idea of air-dropping aid in Myanmar but does not think it will work. Others have suggested unilateral air drops to circumvent the junta's restrictions. Red Cross warned that the death toll from Cyclone Nargis could be at least 68,833 and as high as 127,990 -- considerably higher than the government's official count of 34,273 dead. Un’s Ban has made several attempts to speak directly with General Than Shwe, Myanmar's military leader, UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said Myanmar's mission to the UN gave Ban two phone numbers to call and no one has ever answered those phones. Ban said the operation to help the Myanmar people was entering its "second stage", reflecting views that almost two weeks after the storm hit, it may already be too late for many sick and hungry victims who have got little aid from a government that insists it can manage the catastrophe alone.
Yet of course the government is willing to except money. Myanmar's government told the UN yesterday that at least $260 million will be needed for rice planting next month, replacing livestock destroyed by the cyclone and rebuilding the nation's fishing industry. Yet in the delta town of Labutta, where 80 percent of homes were destroyed, authorities were providing only one cup of rice per family per day, a European Commission aid official told Reuters. The United Nations appealed for $187 million in aid, even though it is still not confident the food, water and tents flown in will make it to those most in need because of the junta's reluctance to admit international relief workers. India and Thailand both have been satisfied with unloading their supplies at the airport and leaving them for the junta to distribute. The UN is balking at that kind of an arrangement and threatened Friday to suspend relief fights when a shipment of its energy biscuits was impounded by the military. It quickly backed down, but it is still trying to negotiate an agreement that will ensure the world community's aid goes to those who need it most.
The U.S. has repeatedly criticized Myanmar's military, which has ruled the nation since 1962, over its corrupt and oppressive rule. Bush said two days ago the world ``ought to be angry'' at the way the junta has delayed the relief effort. The US has made attempts in the past to stop the human atrocities that occur in Myanmar, but with little results. While impervious to Western economic sanctions, the generals have avoided total isolation by using Myanmar's vast natural gas reserves to befriend energy-hungry China and India.
Groups opposed to the Myanmar regime are calling for an international day of protest on Saturday. These troubles added on top of global rice prices skyrocketing (triggered in part by export restrictions in countries worried about food scarcity) will cause further hardships for the Myanmar people, prices are expected to remain high.
There was even talk for a a UN-led "invasion" of Myanmar -- to rescue a desperate population from its ruthless dictatorship. Can’t say congress would justify “Humanitarian justice” as reason for making our casus belli. Not that such a threat would put that government off its lunch. Undistracted by global cries of horror and outrage, the country's ruling generals prefer to watch their citizens die by the thousands, rather than open the border to foreign aid workers who are trained to save lives by distributing tons of urgently needed food, water and medicines in a disaster zone. But still the junta refuses to let aid shipments land from the United Nations or from numerous international relief agencies who refuse to turn their precious humanitarian shipments over to a corrupt regime. The notion of human rights is not in this government's policy book. While the number of avoidable deaths after the cyclone may be greater than any other atrocity in its closet, this week's events are nonetheless just the latest evidence of a repugnant regime.
France is set to deliver 1,500 tons of rice aid aboard the warship Mistral, which would arrive in Myanmar's waters in the middle of this week, the French foreign ministry said on Sunday. France wants the aid on the Mistral to be distributed either by the ship's crew, or by the staff of NGOs already on the ground, or by U.N. teams, a foreign ministry source said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told French newspaper Le Figaro on Saturday that France would not consider entrusting aid to the Myanmar authorities
Despite alarm bells from the international community about feeble cycle relief effort, the junta kept its focus on a weekend referendum on a new constitution, part of a "roadmap to democracy" culminating in multi-party elections in 2010. Myanmar's ruling junta, facing growing domestic and international pressure to ease its authoritarian rule, recently announced it will hold the constitutional referendum on May 10 as part of a "road map to democracy." Critics have said the charter is a sham designed to perpetuate military rule and to keep pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from running for office.- Myanmar's generals diverted manpower from the cyclone aid effort Saturday to oversee a controversial referendum on a new constitution, while more than a million victims of the tragedy continued to wait for rescue. Myanmar's top general, Than Shwe, made his first public appearance since the cyclone, casting his ballot in the new capital of Nyapyidaw. State-run TV warned of "foreign interference" in a broadcast message urging people to vote yes for the constitution. Most people were expected to do just that. Of the 20 people Reuters interviewed near polling stations in Hlegu, only two admitted to voting no. Even then, it was in a whisper and with a nervous glance over the shoulder first. Critics say the referendum, which comes in the wake of the junta's grudging response to the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, only will serve to further cement the military's hold on power.
The referendum was the first vote of any kind in Myanmar since 1990, when Aung San Suu Kyi's National League to Democracy swept to victory in an election the general refused to honour. To the xenophobic regime, getting the vote out in areas not affected by the cyclone appeared as important as getting clean water, food and shelter to the 1.5 to two million of its citizens the United Nations now estimates were "severely affected”. Today Myanmar announced a 92 percent vote that keeps them in power (fake democracy). If the rulling Generals would take their foots of the necks of the people, the vote's to keep them would only be six, one for each general.
For a background on the distrust between the Burman government and countries in power, copy and paste the link in your Browser:
Again, to any casual readers I apologize for my lack of writing. One of my biggest weaknesses is consistency, so this is my re-new years resolution for the summer. As the title suggests, teeth cost something, and not surprisingly are very expensive. How do I know? I chipped one. Well, actually my friend chipped it with his racket during our game of racket ball. He was swinging as I was dashing towards him for the ball. His racket and my mouth connected and I then saw half a tooth drop to the floor. I thanked everyone for the game and told them I had to retire on a mission to save my tooth. I rushed home, put the tooth in milk, and called my friend (a dental assistant) for advice. She broke the bad news, the piece of tooth didn't need to be in milk, it was lost forever. Since then I have had three dentist visits ( two more to go) and two orthodontist visits. They have drilled, plastered, scraped, given me x-rays, to my poor mouth. Right now I have a fake tooth in, but it is my hope that a real tooth will follow here shortly. As for cost, my insurance covers next to nothing, so all in all I am now 3,000 in the hole. Yet I have no reason to complain, such problems pale in comparison to hurricane destroying everything I have. All in all it has been an adventure. The lesson in all this? Two Words: Mouth Guard. You may look stupid for the moment, but loose a tooth and you will look stupid for a lot longer.
I had two dreams about the x-girlfriend this week. Not sure why, but they were kinda weird. In both I broke up her relationship to get back together with her. I woke up in that state not knowing if it was a dream or reality. If you would ask me the question" Is it better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all".... that's easy...to never have loved....it's less painful.
I feel like I have so much to write about...alas it is also crunch time at Ball State University, so I'm trying to keep my head above water. So, it's six in the afternoon on a Thursday and I am chillen in my office, perplexed at the fact that I'm not tired. Of course that in itself is not a big deal, but sine I haven't slept the past three nights (not a badge of courage, but a statement of shame), I'm surprised I'm still standing. I once did this same thing in undergrad, and once I laid down I crashed for 12 hours. So why am I not tired now? Most people that I know make a huge deal about how important sleep is. While I may disagree, I do acknowledged when I don't sleep, I often find myself accidental sleeping in pass class. Not a good idea when you have Spanish 101 every morning (which is why I have a flippen D in that class, argh...). Buneos Noches.
A Church History Quiz relating to important doctrinal issues in scripture... I love this kinds of stuff, it makes me realize how much more I need to explore the history of what I believe. Let's see how much you know, I got a 16 out of 23: see if you can do better. Feel free to post your score :). Answer each question below either true or false. Answers are found in previous post.
Church History Quiz 1. Emperor Constantine launched one of the most ruthless campaigns to uproot Christianity
2. The Gnostics were an ancient sect that emphasized the physical over the spiritual
3. Pelagianism was condemned by more church councils than any other heresy in church history
4. Pelagius taught that St. Augustine's doctrine of grace would lead inevitably to moral apathy
5. Arianism was the belief that Christ only appeared to have a human body
6. Orthodox Christians deny the title "Mother of God" as being applicable to Mary, the mother of Jesus
7. The Middle Ages were fairly calm in terms of heresy, due to the strength of Christendom
8. Martin Luther was the first reformer to attack the popularity of Pelagian works-righteousness in the church
9. Jerome Savonarola, in the 15th c., brought morality back to Florence and was, therefore, a precursor to the Reformation itself
10. Erasmus, a Renaissance humanist, was a major obstacle in Luther's breakthrough to understanding the Gospel
11. Martin Luther's great discovery was that the only way a sinner is acceptable to God is if the grace of God alone, by the power of the Holy Spirit, transforms the sinner into a godly Christian
12. The Reformers discovered that God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but that he forgives and accepts us on the basis of our love for him even though we still sin
13. John Calvin believed that the Old Testament law should govern modern nations and that is why he had a little girl stoned to death and had Servetus burned at the stake
14. Luther and Calvin believed that the main purpose of Holy Communion is to remember what Christ did for us and to commit ourselves anew to serving him
15. The Anabaptists were a group of English missionaries who helped advance the Reformation
16. At the Council of Trent Rome anathematized the Gospel
17. The Puritans were a group of English Arminians who sought to bring in the kingdom of God by prohibiting alcohol and banning the theater
18. Calvinists are the only Protestants who believe in unconditional election--that is, the doctrine that God elected sinners to be saved before the creation of the world apart from anything on their part, including foreseen faith
19. The position of the Roman Catholic Church and Arminianism is identical on the main questions of justification and sanctification
20. Pietism was a movement of mainly German and Dutch Protestants who wanted to emphasize the heart over doctrine
21. Modern liberalism arose out of a desire to emphasize Christianity as an intellectual philosophical system rather than a way of life and personal relationship with Christ system rather than a way of life and personal relationship with Christ
22. The doctrine of conversion and the experience of being born again is central to historic evangelical Christianity
23. The most dominant view of end-times throughout church history has been the Rapture of the church prior to the Tribulation and the personal return of Christ to establish his millennial reign on the earth false
To See Answers, hold down left clicker and drag mouse over text, and it will appear
1. FALSE - Galerius was the last of the persecutors and when he died in 311, Constantine launched the building of "Christendom" 2. FALSE - Just the opposite, they taught that matter is evil and spirit is good 3. TRUE 4. TRUE - Pelagius denied original sin and believed that all one needed to do to be saved was to follow Christ instead of Satan 5. FALSE - That's Docetism, an offshoot of Gnosticism; Arianism held just the opposite: Christ was merely a man, not the God-Man 6. FALSE - The Church insisted that the child Mary carried in her womb was no less than God himself. Thus, the title was calculated to defend the divinity of Christ. If she was not the mother of God, of whom was she the mother? Jesus. But was Jesus not God? They did not infer any notion of her being the mother of Christ according to his deity, of course, but those [like Nestorius] who wished to separate Christ's divine and human nature were warned against this by the title 7. FALSE - The period saw the rise of scores of sects, heresies, and schisms especially in the West 8. FALSE - Thomas Bradwardine, 14th c. archbishop of Canterbury; Johann von Staupitz, Luther's mentor, and the Waldensians, Wycliffe--14th c., Hus--15th c., were opponents of what Bradwardine referred to as "the new Pelagians" 9. FALSE - The Reformation was a recovery of the Gospel, not a moral crusade 10. FALSE - It is said that he "laid the egg that Luther hatched," by recovering the meaning of the key Greek words for "justification," "repentance," from the perversions of the Latin Vulgate 11. FALSE - Rome said that justification was due entirely to God's grace transforming the believer, while the Reformers insisted that justification, unlike sanctification, was a legal declaration, not a spiritual or moral transformation, even though the latter always follows 12. FALSE - They knew that God demanded perfect righteousness, and that's why justification is a perfect righteousness imputed rather than an infused righteousness or ability to pursue righteousness 13. FALSE - Calvin never had a girl stoned and actually pleaded with the city officials not to burn Servetus. He did not believe that O.T. civil law is applicable to modern nations, as he states in the Institutes 14. FALSE - Although they held different views, both believed in the "Real Presence" of Christ in Communion and denied that it was a mere memorial 15. FALSE - They formed the "Radical Reformation," believing that Protestants [Lutherans and Reformed] didn't go far enough in condemning Romanism [viz., infant baptism, the creeds, etc.] and that they denied that the Spirit is above and speaks apart from the Word. Many Anabaptists taught unorthodox doctrines, including Menno Simons' denial of Christ's true humanity, and embraced works-righteousness 16. TRUE - The Council of Trent of the Roman Catholic Church officially condemned the doctrine of justification by faith alone and its related teachings.
17. FALSE - They were English Calvinists who wanted to purify worship from what they believed to be persistent superstitions. Against their popular image, they actually were at the forefront of worldly affairs, including the arts, literature, science, exploration, and politics. See Joseph Butler's Theatre and the Crisis (Cambridge) and Leland Ryken's The Worldly Saints (Zondervan), for starters 18. FALSE - Unconditional election is the classical position of both the Roman Catholic and the major Protestant communions that came directly out of the Reformation 19. TRUE - Arminians traditionally deny the Protestant formula of justification [i.e., "justification by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone"] and argue that faith itself is the ground [rather than instrument] of justification. Further, they see justification as a process of being conformed to Christ 20. TRUE - Originally, they simply wanted to recover the union of doctrine and life, but the movement ended up creating anti-intellectualism, legalism and a cynical view of the institutional church 21. FALSE - Actually, its source was pietism and the desire to locate religion in a "spiritual" realm that would be safe from what the assault of the critics. Even though Christ may not have been raised in real human history, "he lives within my heart." 22. FALSE - Historic Protestantism focuses on the objective work of Christ for sinners rather than on the subjective work of Christ within sinners, while affirming and defending both 23. FALSE - The Dispensational scheme, including the idea of the Rapture, arose in the nineteenth century for the first time
Lately I have found a number of things in my life I have not wanted to part with because they mean too much to me. This serves as a wake up call that I may be ripe for an enslaving destructive dependency… if left unchallenged, deception and denial will spread and blind my heart, and this deception will allow my addictions to gain their foothold. If the problem is unchecked, addictions can destroy my capacity for self control. So why do I engage in such behavior? Because it turn my lows into temporary highs, providing doses of relief that I control. All are ways that I find to relieve pain or helplessness or boredom. The realty is that its promise of freedom is really a house of mirrors that traps me with little hope of escape, the effects are always self destructive. Of course I would quit if I could on my own, but I have become a slave to my own desires, and often I believe I deserve the relief and power my addiction provides. Don’t get me wrong, the desire to feel good is not unhealthy, but having a belief that one needs relief “NOW” regardless is a trap leading to enslavement in a destructive dependency. When feeling good becomes more important to a person then doing good, loving others, or knowing God, they are drifting on the waves of addicted. A need for relief does not have to drive us into arms of addiction. The question I need to ask myself is am I willing to feel the inescapable pains and valleys in my life? The alternative is committing to immediate relief and control. Ravi Zacharias reminds me that “All pleasure cost (something). For legitimate you pay the price before pleasure. For illegitimate you pay the price after pleasure.”
For those who noticed that I decided to change the name of my blog, I felt that the previous name didn’t always fit with my posting. Adam Thada (by his tote bags for a good cause) was right to put a link to my blog with the words “unpredictable”. My thoughts and postings are often erratic. Granted it sucks if you’re a reader… which is probably why I write this more for my therapeutic value.
On a different note, I was at the funeral for my great aunt last week. First let me metion that when you are stating that someone has been cremated, it is apparently inappropriate to use the statement “ …they burned her.” Apparently it is disturbing to the listener and implies she was alive during the ordeal…. now I know. I define this as a “Nateism”. I am defining the word “Nateism” as a statement where the “use of one’s wording falls humorously far from its intended meaning”.
Moving along, there were two things that stuck out to me in the freezing cold of that cloudy morning (seriously, who has a funeral at 10:00 am?) First, the highlights of her eulogy were the places she had visited (These being Las Vegas, and whale watching in California). I found it odd that they were mentioned in such a way that led us twenty in attendance to assume they were the most important aspects of her life. Not to knock anyone’s death speech, but the last words for a parting loved one shouldn’t include the vacations they attended; especially when contrasted with scripture. Predictably the scripture wasn’t Luke 6:9. The second was the revelation that my great aunt was in World War II, not on the front lines per say but ever bit as important (honestly, I don’t know what she did). There was a gun salute at her funeral, a practice that is common with Veterans who served in the War. As the old men with raisin like features hoisted their guns in the air and let of a piercing sound in unison, I was reminded of the fact that we as Americans are strong believers in external freedoms. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press; it seems that many controversial issues deal with freedoms. Freedom to have an abortion, freedom to have a gun, these are just a few that come to mind. Yet, why is it we are less enthusiastic when our internal freedoms are in jeopardy. 1 Corinthians 6:12 states “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything”. I wonder if the average person realizes that the decisions they make, when made repeatedly, often become habitual responses. Something so simple as watching TV or checking facebook to something more devious like pornography or smoking; each of these things may threaten our freedom. Yet, we welcome these till the point where they become addictions, fooling ourselves that we are as in complete control of the situation. We may be in control, but there is a line when choice becomes habit, when habit becomes character, and when character becomes destiny.
Pretty isn't beautiful, Mother. Pretty is what changes... What the eye arranges is what is beautiful! - Stephen Sondheim, Sunday in the Park with George
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." -Teddy Roosevelt
Lewd Acts....I was being pulled over for lewd acts. I looked the cop in the face with a half smile and said with a chuckle in my voice "Officer, you've got the wrong guy". To backtrack if I may, It was 10:00 at night in muncie, IN; I had just left my office at Ball State University's campus and was heading home. I get to my house, and all of a sudden as the intense flashing blue and red lights reflect off my rear view mirrors straight into my eyes I know I'm bused. I new I should have changed my expired license plate. Knowing that in just four days I will be in court appealing a previous ticket, not to mention that I've been pulled over about 14 times for everything in the book, I get ready to been down in take it like the newest inmate on death row. The officer pulls up to my window and I try to open my window, but it's stuck. I make hand gestures to him indicating my inability to role down my window. My smile disguises my happiness that I can make this more difficult for him. I open my door and stay seated as he asks me for identification. I hand him my license. While he is looking at it, I turn my head to the right and look at my apartment house. I wondered what my neighbors were thinking now... probably a mixture of laughing and sympathy. I wait for the the officer to ask the infamous question, "Do you know why I stoped you", but instead he goes straight for the jugular. "I got some reports of a man matching your vehicle in description, white male with beard driving a Honda Civic, performing lewd Acts".
Now, for those who don't know, the legal definition for the term "lewd” is: “Any conduct that is considered indecent or offensive". Often the term is often used when referring to pornography, prostitution and indecent exposure. So, this is where a smile comes to my face, and this time it's a real smile. I relinquish my Drivers license, and then wait for ten minutes. After he returns I get a few grueling questions, and then with tone of surprise he declares my innocence and allows me to leave. I laugh as leave to pull along the street adjacent to my apartment. I've been pulled over for seat belt, speeding, running red light, no lights, not getting in adjacent lane to ensure police safety when pulled on shoulder of highway....but I can safely say that this by far is the first time being pulled over for a suspected exhibitionist. Funny as this is, I realize that there is still a white male still at large in a silver Honda with a beard who loves lewd.... and then my smile fades into a frown.
