Fighting Entropy

Some people bring immense change to the world. And when such people start blogging it is a notable effort to make this world a better place. Dilbert has a blog!!

Here's what said world changer has to say in his defense:

MY OWN DILBERT BLOG
===================

When I see news stories about people all over the world who are experiencing hardships, I worry about them, and I rack my brain wondering how I can make a difference. So I decided to start my own blog. That way I won't have time to think about other people.

People who are trying to decide whether to create a blog or not go through a thought process much like this:

1. The world sure needs more of ME.
2. Maybe I'll shout more often so that people nearby can experience the joy of knowing my thoughts.
3. No, wait, shouting looks too crazy.
4. I know - I'll write down my daily thoughts and badger people to read them.
5. If only there was a description for this process that doesn't involve the words egomaniac or unnecessary.
6. What? It's called a blog? I'm there!

The blogger's philosophy goes something like this:

Everything that I think about is more fascinating than the crap in your head.

The beauty of blogging, as compared to writing a book, is that no editor will be interfering with my random spelling and grammar, my complete disregard for the facts, and my wandering sentences that seem to go on and on and never end so that you feel like you need to take a breath and clear your head before you can even consider making it to the end of the sentence that probably didn't need to be written anyhoo.

If that doesn't inspire you to read my blog, I don't know what will. You can find the Dilbert Blog at http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/

Gas or Gold?

One positive product of high gas prices in the United States is humor. And by gosh, that's always welcome.
check out this site for some comics about the pain of gas (I'm not talking about the day after Tandoori Chicken).

Marriage on the Mind

Surely, marriage is an economic contract to provide for children and to take care of mothers while they bear kids and bring them up--but it is much more than that. It is the means this animal, Homo Sap., has evolved--quite unconsiously--for performing this indispensible function and be happy while doing so.
Robert A. Heinlein, Time enough for Love

Science Fiction is an amazing source to me of the world's mind. Sometimes, things that I read in these stories just stick out at me and help clarify some of the places reason takes man, without God.

This passage above seems like a reasonable statement (evolutionary theory aside). But there's so much missing. When I move into the Biblical realm, I see that marriage is not just an association for convenience and propagation. Marriage is a sacred ordination by God himself. And why is it sacred? To us who believe, the love of a husband and a wife is a profound illustration (or should be, Eph 5) of God's love for us. So marriage, God's way, is so much more than Mr. Heinlein outlines. More than just to make oneself happy, even more than just to make the other spouse happy. It is that God is exalted and explicitly seen as glorious through the union of two redeemed hearts.

And there's so much more.

Taking informality to an arrogant extreme

I have nothing but love for Americans, but listening to the Albert Mohler program(a great segment on Biblical relationships by the way), a little tidbit he gave on american teenage informality cracked me up:

Apparently NorthWestern University's winning Lacrosse team was invited to the oval office, and some of the girls on the team wore flip flops!

Now Americans are said by people across the world to be arrogant and to disregard any kind of norms (a general opinion based on some truth) but it's funny to see this caricature find root in examples from reality.

I can just imagine - 'clickety click' (sound of said girl walking up in flip flops to the premier) "whassup, George".

It's like they're itching to provide an already provoked world with ammunition for mockery. In India we call flip flops "bathroom slippers".

2 Samuel 22

31 "As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

32 For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?

33 It is God who arms me with strength [h]
and makes my way perfect.

There is a wider context to what David is singing about, in relation to why God is His refuge, and the reasons why God is faithful: David qualifies God's faithfulness in perspective of his(Davids) own pursuit of righteousness - very interesting. However today this part of the passage screams out at me.

There is no where else to turn! With assurance like this for the days ahead, I rest in my Lord, Holy is his name.

Great Psalm - 62

from vs. 5 (ESV):

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah

Some things stand out to me from these rich words: for God alone I must wait. Reason: He is the originator, not just the focus of hope.

And I love the result that David reaches after contemplating the steadfastness of God: He calls the people, because God is faithful, not just to trust in Him, but to pour out our hearts: open the floodgates of our hearts before him.

And I thought my problems were big. Lord teach me to wait for you alone, not for the fulfillment of my whims, however justified they may seem.

The Piper pipes a haunting tune

Want to be shaken about how casually we take the matter of sexuality? John Piper is a man who'd do you in. Found a couple of sermons from the desiring god website that blew me away. Especially in the context of western culture and the "freedom" that seems to be the demand of the day, we need to step out and see things for what they are in light of God's word.

(MP3 Links)

Sex and the Supremacy of God (part 1)

Sex and the Supremacy of God (part 2)

(though I hastily add that this is an issue that pervades all cultures equally, not just the west)

Give me Grace

When my feet don't step
where my head will lead
when the future is unclear;
when control is not forthcoming
and there's a penchant for fear
give me Grace to follow
in the knowledge that you guide
to trust my feet to your goodness
you are right here by my side

When the coming dawn
brings unwelcome days
when I get what I don't ask
When I wrestle with submitting
with disfavor I cannot mask
give me Grace to bend my knees
knowing full well in the end
that your eternal plan is yet unfazed
ever wiser than I intend

When tomorrow turns
to yesterday
when all is said and done
when the rigmarole and balderdash
of my normal life's begun
give me Grace to jog my memory
looking back into the past
drawing strength for the next tomorrow
for in your faithfulness I stand fast

Talk Like A Pirate Day - September 19

Arrrr.. it be that time of the sun cycle to growl and roar and howl at the wenches, at least for a day...


Sail over to the site

Orisinal : Morning Sunshine

Feeling like wasting your life away? Here's a site that will take weeks to get old - one of the most creative flash creators around, and I've been visiting this place for years now, way before it was so famous - so why not post a blog about it, eh?

Room Noise: Did anyone get it? Guess not.

I've been listening to this song (see bottom of post) by a band that was popular when I was still pre solid-food, physically speaking. They sure knew how to write back then!

Ironically, I had this track as part of a playlist containing Contemporary Christian Music, including some of the new commerical worship music that's out there - and sure, I like a lot of it myself. Somehow though this song became more poignant in that context.

For example, a band who's music I love sang the following:

Take control of the atmosphere
Take me far away from here
There is no better loss than to lose myself in you
In a parachute to glide, I am captive in your sky
Surrender has somehow become so beautiful

I can contrive some meaning from that, but only relative to my interpretation of those words. Or another band sang this:

Praise Him under open skies
Everything breathing praising God
In the company of all who love the King
I will dance, I will sing
It could be heavenly
Turn the music loud, life my voice and shout
From where I am
From where I've been
He's been there with me
He's built a monument
His very people
So let his people
Sing, sing, sing

Again, nothing incorrect necessarily, but there's a certain lack of solidity that makes it appealing to my generation, I think. Actually, scratch that - maybe not it's the lack of solidity that makes it acceptable, but the lack of depth in my generation that makes fluffy lyrics such as these the norm. We're in the age of "Hallmark"esque Christian lyrics, and I believe people are too quick to say "that's deep".

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for Contemporary Christian Music to start singing "A Mighty Fortress" to a death metal tune. I don't think you have to be Shakespearan to have substance. Or even say the name Jesus every third line (though it would help to mention your Lord and master some of the time) - you can be solid, boldly Christian by being serious about the content of your words - guard your mouth and raise the standard of your lyrics before a Holy God. Look at Petra. Even someone like Keith Green, who I think gets a bad rap sometimes. They said something. It's sad that the so much good music we find these days is from people who regurgitate the old - I'm sure there are Christian Musicians today who seriously have something to say for the glory of God and the enrichment of the Church.

I could go on and rant and rave, but that's not my point really - I wanted to point out that this is not an old issue - people one generation before me struggled the same way, and here's a song to prove it:

Room Noise
2nd Chapter of Acts

No more Conversation
No more idle words
Pitter pitter patter
words fall from your platter

Pseudo Gospel music
Music everywhere
but not a single drop
to drink anywhere

I don't want to be room noise
generically speaking
I don't want to be room noise
no one will stop and hear me, hear me...

Down on bended knees
Doing what you please
As you say
"Gospel Gospel music's an alternative"
Then you never have to
change the way you live

Idle, Idle lyrics
floating through the air
Invisible acting
emotional snare

I don't want to be room noise
Generically speaking
I don't want to be room noise
No one will stop and hear me, hear me...

Down on bended knee
doing what you please
PHARISEE!

I don't want to be room noise...

Twenty something years later, is someone listening?

QDB: Top 100 Quotes

Bash never fails to amuse me. [some quotes can be crass]

Edit: Well, going back to some of the other posts maybe I should say Bash sometimes fails to amuse me, infact aggravates me.

From Albert Mohler's Weblog

Check out this review on Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families.

Put simply, porn is now considered cool. As Paul argues, "Pornography is wildly popular with teenage boys in a way that makes yesteryear's sneaked glimpses at Penthouse seem monastic. For teenagers, pornography is just another online activity; there is little barrier to entry and almost no sense of taboo. Instead pornography has become a natural rite and acceptable pastime."

Wow. We in the Church need to guard ourselves and our brothers - I don't think any of us, single or married, old our young, are invulnerable. I know I'm definitely susceptible. It's a shame that still, topics like this are awkward and remain un-discussed in the Church.

Monday Night at Morton's - 12/20/03

Ben Stein's last article for e-online. I normally don't care much for celebrity talk, but this guy surprised me - I only knew him for his cynicism on TV. Here's a healthy dose of it myself: Hope he means it.

Edit: Reading some of his older articles, it's interesting to see that his ideas on God don't seem to take him very far practically... very postmodern.

The Blog Site - In The News - Blogging will be "trendy" in 2004

Seems like everyone is hopping on the blogging bandwagon and this article made my day. It's a nice feeling to look down my nose at those dilettante bloggers who've just woken up to the world. You all are so... 2004.

Here's a first for Skinniyah: being aware of something before it became cool. Wow. I must be a fully culture-relevant kinda dude. Who'd've thunk it.

Still living in the 20th Century? Let UrbanDictionary enlighten you.

In Defense of Pat Robertson

I care nothing for Pat Robertson or his comments myself, but this article sure if a breath of fresh air in the midst of the journalistic mob.

I especially like how the author, Richard Kim, manages to get his point across without really being nice to Robertson. And how in his conclusion, he compares Robertson with Jack Nicholson's Col. Nathan R. Jessep in A few Good Men. Love it.

Hugging Time!

Hey World! Hey Stranger! Here's some love, from me to you.

southpaw :: Baby Got Book

LOL. Unless I have totally read him wrong, the man is serious.

Thompson Chain with the big red letters, NIV with the ribbon bookmark... sort of sticks in your head, doesn't it?

And the girlfriend looks pregnant. Wow.

And there's more?! Check out this lyrics page. That's the site where you can find out all you want about the musical genius of Dan "Southpaw" Smith.

Engadget 1985 - Engadget - www.engadget.com

Flashback to the days of cutting edge technology.

Hilarious, yet eye-opening. We've come a long way, baby!

episode iii, the backstroke of the west [language]

Tell me this isn't true!

In actual fact, I thought the dialogue in the star wars series was bad enough as it is, this takes things to a whole other level.