StarWars: Revelations
Heads up you Star Wars and film geeks! Check out what independent not-for-profit film making can do! It’s a 45 min short Star Wars film that was made independently. Its not the greatest, the story is really weak (ABSOLUTELY HORRID for those of us that are expanded universe fans), the lighting and cinematography are like a bad soap opera, the saber battle looks like it ripped off "The Star Wars Kid"... But the animation is really good for an indie film (there’s a good Tie Fighter chase scene) and it is still impressive considering the work and cost of doing Sci-fi. And it’s all done without profit!
Found in the current issue of U.S. News and World Report
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Monday, May 16, 2005
Transferring from Xanga to Blogger
Having gotten completely fed up with the lack of readership of serious posts on xanga and wishing to find a forum in which my actual thoughts are valued, read and responded to I am now switching to blogger. I hope to add a RSS feed soon as well as a feed aggregator and other nice little things like the Gooooogle advertisements that might actually make me some cash. The additional ability to add my own scripts will probably spawn a new furious study of various computer codes.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
A True American Hero...
I am truely honored to be a Soldier and serve with men like this. I hope that if I were ever in a situation like this that I would act with similar courage and honor. I pray that SFC Paul Ray Smith knew Jesus Christ because his example, while tragic, is a bold statement that there is still honor and valor in the U.S. Army.
As a personal request, please visit the official Army site above, watch "The Battlescape" and understand a bit better what our missions are as soldiers.
He is the embodyment of the Warrior Ethos, a ideal pounded into me during Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training, but now one I embrace and aspire to maintain if I shold ever be in the combat zone.
Sone other sites, memorials and such to SFC Smith follow:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/30/politics/30medal.html
http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/smithpaulr.htm
http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/004196.php
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Justin McRoberts concert at Biola
Hey folks. Justin McRoberts will be in concert soon and we would love help spreading the word! Please forward or copy/paste this HTML email to everyone you know and tell them don’t miss this! This will be a great night! Share the love - See you there!
_______________________________________
Thursday January 20th, Biola University
Student Union Building - SUB
13800 Biola Ave
7pm, $5
phone: 530-828-1296 // info: yl_wdlf_guy@hotmail.com
www.justinmcroberts.com
____________________________________________________
JUSTIN’S NEWEST ALBUM, Intersections, NOW AVAILABLE!
http://www.justinmcroberts.com/store
Friday, January 07, 2005
In response to a discussion post...
Ryan B. M______ on Thursday, December 30, 2004 at 2:37 AM -0800 wrote:
First of all, “the majority of people getting killed over there are the untrained National Guard soldiers” does not support the claim that the National Guard does not support the nation.
I would also challenge you to find the statistics to back up your statement.
(At this point, I bring out the soapbox, so if you are only interested in the basic contents of this thread disregard the following.)
There is a great deal of ignorance demonstrated in this statement and unfortunately I feel that it may be perpetuated if I don’t address it.
First of all, National Guard Soldiers and Reservists (I am one) receive the same training as the Active duty portion at this point in time. There was a great deal of concern about troops that were going from the old Post-Gulf War I "Weekend warrior" mentality to a “combat-ready” mentality. Part of this concern stemmed from the question “Is current training up to snuff for the War on Terror?” but this notion has been rapidly addressed by the Pentagon. My unit, of which 325 members are actually deploying today, will be attending a month and a half "train-up" period prior to deployment to Germany in order to integrate current training skills to the equipment and environment that they will be moving in on. In addition, from a medical perspective, most members of my unit work in civilian hospitals and, therefore, bring BETTER medical qualifications to the unit than just the military medical training. Obviously, this is a unique situation and not one concerning combat or tactics, but it should help to dispel the notion that NG and Reserve troops are untrained or unqualified.
On the other hand, there remains an equipment issue, such as armor for HMMWV (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) and other vehicles but that is a logistical issue that is also being dealt with, it just takes longer to manufacture armor for vehicles than it does to teach soldiers to check under bodies before rolling them over because of booby traps (a skill that was learned the hard way during the early days of Iraq and immediately added to our training curriculum during my Combat Medic School, along with a great deal of other lessons learned from dealing with enemy prisoners of war [EPW’s])
On a personal note, I resent the implication of "the untrained national guard soldiers tossed into the fray" Every soldier, Active, NG or Reserve, had to sign a contract in order to enter, regardless of preconceptions about weather or not they would be mobilized and sent to serve overseas. They knew or at least should have known what they were getting into; I did and while it is hard to communicate the complexities of the military training and education system, suffice it to say that you get what you put into it, just like any other education system. Therefore, there are very few "untrained National Guard soldiers" left in rotation and their existence is their own fault.
"Soldiers and marines might support what the nation is doing, but what about the
National Guard? If you laughed at that question, you probably didn't realize
that the majority of people getting killed over there are the untrained National
Guard soldiers tossed into the fray."
First of all, “the majority of people getting killed over there are the untrained National Guard soldiers” does not support the claim that the National Guard does not support the nation.
I would also challenge you to find the statistics to back up your statement.
(At this point, I bring out the soapbox, so if you are only interested in the basic contents of this thread disregard the following.)
There is a great deal of ignorance demonstrated in this statement and unfortunately I feel that it may be perpetuated if I don’t address it.
First of all, National Guard Soldiers and Reservists (I am one) receive the same training as the Active duty portion at this point in time. There was a great deal of concern about troops that were going from the old Post-Gulf War I "Weekend warrior" mentality to a “combat-ready” mentality. Part of this concern stemmed from the question “Is current training up to snuff for the War on Terror?” but this notion has been rapidly addressed by the Pentagon. My unit, of which 325 members are actually deploying today, will be attending a month and a half "train-up" period prior to deployment to Germany in order to integrate current training skills to the equipment and environment that they will be moving in on. In addition, from a medical perspective, most members of my unit work in civilian hospitals and, therefore, bring BETTER medical qualifications to the unit than just the military medical training. Obviously, this is a unique situation and not one concerning combat or tactics, but it should help to dispel the notion that NG and Reserve troops are untrained or unqualified.
On the other hand, there remains an equipment issue, such as armor for HMMWV (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) and other vehicles but that is a logistical issue that is also being dealt with, it just takes longer to manufacture armor for vehicles than it does to teach soldiers to check under bodies before rolling them over because of booby traps (a skill that was learned the hard way during the early days of Iraq and immediately added to our training curriculum during my Combat Medic School, along with a great deal of other lessons learned from dealing with enemy prisoners of war [EPW’s])
On a personal note, I resent the implication of "the untrained national guard soldiers tossed into the fray" Every soldier, Active, NG or Reserve, had to sign a contract in order to enter, regardless of preconceptions about weather or not they would be mobilized and sent to serve overseas. They knew or at least should have known what they were getting into; I did and while it is hard to communicate the complexities of the military training and education system, suffice it to say that you get what you put into it, just like any other education system. Therefore, there are very few "untrained National Guard soldiers" left in rotation and their existence is their own fault.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Continued...
Well I said that I would continue my post... so here goes.
In addition to my Probability and Statistics (which was really good today and quite funny) I am taking a unit of Prosection. That is, Dissection of a Cadaver. Yeah! Dead People! The individual that I have the privilege of working on is affectionately named Blanch. That is that she is quite pale in color. Or at least most of her is. The part of the body that I am working on, the head and neck, is quite dark, probably from post-mortem lividity. I am continuing the work that was started by the students before me who worked on the trunk of the body. They left the trapezium muscle (the big one on the back and shoulder) kind of in pieces so I had to start by sorting out all of those fibers and then working up further. I wound up actually being too deep and going through the trapezium but right above the next layer. I made it up too C1 (the first of the cervical vertebrae) with the muscle before I went back to fish the trap out of the skin layer that I had removed. It was a real pain to separate that thin little layer of muscle out when it’s all floppy like that.
The formaldehyde fumes got to me once or twice but after a while they kind of dissipated. There is a smell to it all, but it really isn’t bad though it seems to linger on the shirt I was wearing. I get really weird looks when I say that. People really don’t like dead people and I gets me to thinking. Does being in the presence of a dead person cause people to consider their own mortality? Is that why it upsets people so much? Biologically and chemically there is nothing really “gross” about it. The contents of that cadaver bag are probably less “gross” than steak package that has sat in your fridge for 3 days. Is it the fact that at one time it was a person? Is it still a person? It is my personal opinion that the soul is really the person and therefore when it leaves, the body is just an empty shell.
I guess there are certain circles that would believe that the resurrection that awaits us as Christians is a literal resurrection of the body and therefore, dissection of ones body would get in the way of said resurrection. I would have to say that requires a rather limited view of God’s power. If he can conquer death, I think that he can re-assemble our bodies if need be. To be quite honest, for someone who is intent on studying the human body, I know very little about what the Bible says about it and its uses and necessity in the “big picture of things.” However, I maintain the view that there are times when the body needs to be healed in order for the soul to be and the converse as well.
Wow, this has become a really long post and covered quite a bit of ground theologically and anatomically. Feel free to weigh in on any of the above issues and/or questions.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
I am alive!
Well it has been a while since I have posted. I have commented on many people's posts, so I figured that I should do the same.
First things first. It is really lonely to be in a single over interterm. Part of it is the fact that I am doing stuff from 8 a.m. to about 4 or 4:30 p.m. I don't get to hang out with the other guys when they get done at 1 or 2 p.m. and when I get done I still have about 2-3 hours of Statistics homework. Currently I am carving into my personal time by writing this. It is good to debrief and de-stress for a moment.
"Intro to Prob and Stats" is going well. It was a bit interesting today. We finished a chapter, and in summation the professor started to talk about different ways to improve the accuracy of a statistic, how further investigation can provide needed information to clarify ambiguity, and then he wound up talking about epistimology and the risks of further knowledge.
Well I thought I was going to write longer... but I am getting rather tired. So I think that I will nap and then take care of my Homework after dinner. So long!
First things first. It is really lonely to be in a single over interterm. Part of it is the fact that I am doing stuff from 8 a.m. to about 4 or 4:30 p.m. I don't get to hang out with the other guys when they get done at 1 or 2 p.m. and when I get done I still have about 2-3 hours of Statistics homework. Currently I am carving into my personal time by writing this. It is good to debrief and de-stress for a moment.
"Intro to Prob and Stats" is going well. It was a bit interesting today. We finished a chapter, and in summation the professor started to talk about different ways to improve the accuracy of a statistic, how further investigation can provide needed information to clarify ambiguity, and then he wound up talking about epistimology and the risks of further knowledge.
Well I thought I was going to write longer... but I am getting rather tired. So I think that I will nap and then take care of my Homework after dinner. So long!
Monday, December 20, 2004
Home again, home again...
"Home... is where I am not." LOL, My sister told me this on the drive home. I think its abou the best expression of how I feel right now. How do I miss the community, the ability to walk into a lobby or into Bill and find other people doing things, anything. Now I sit at home and remember all the reasons I left. I am actually considering not coming back for Christmas next year though I know not what else I would do.
Yes, I am home and hating a 56k connection, my computer stayed in my dorm room and therefore I have to remember all my passwords and such. Amanda, aka "sister" dropped me off yesterday, hung around for a bit and then headed off to work. She will be back on Thursday. Dad had to drive over to Carson City for something. Mom and Dad thought about going to Reno and staying the night last night on the way there. Invited me to come but I declined hoping that they would go and enjoy themselves. As usual they didn't want to motivate themselves to get up and moving, so nothing materialized.
Been vegging all day. Sleep and read. I have a stack of US News and World reports that hadn't been getting forwarded sitting in my room that I have been reading through. Brought a box of books from school too, but they probably won't get touched for a while. Ironic thing is that as I am regaining my rest, I am thinking about actually going out and doing things... and realizing that there is nothing to do. Dad took me off of the car insurance, so I can't drive. (There was no reason to keep spending $200 when I was only around for 6 weeks or so) This adds another reason to go to Seattle this summer, because living up here without a car STINKS! But other than the satellite TV (which is one nice thing), reading, sleeping and eating (a recipe for adding 5 holiday pounds), here isn't much to do. So to all reading this, comments and questions about life are encouraged as they will give me something to do. Your blogs will also be frequented regularly I have a feeling.
Toodles and Merry Christmas!
Yes, I am home and hating a 56k connection, my computer stayed in my dorm room and therefore I have to remember all my passwords and such. Amanda, aka "sister" dropped me off yesterday, hung around for a bit and then headed off to work. She will be back on Thursday. Dad had to drive over to Carson City for something. Mom and Dad thought about going to Reno and staying the night last night on the way there. Invited me to come but I declined hoping that they would go and enjoy themselves. As usual they didn't want to motivate themselves to get up and moving, so nothing materialized.
Been vegging all day. Sleep and read. I have a stack of US News and World reports that hadn't been getting forwarded sitting in my room that I have been reading through. Brought a box of books from school too, but they probably won't get touched for a while. Ironic thing is that as I am regaining my rest, I am thinking about actually going out and doing things... and realizing that there is nothing to do. Dad took me off of the car insurance, so I can't drive. (There was no reason to keep spending $200 when I was only around for 6 weeks or so) This adds another reason to go to Seattle this summer, because living up here without a car STINKS! But other than the satellite TV (which is one nice thing), reading, sleeping and eating (a recipe for adding 5 holiday pounds), here isn't much to do. So to all reading this, comments and questions about life are encouraged as they will give me something to do. Your blogs will also be frequented regularly I have a feeling.
Toodles and Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 17, 2004
Finals... are.... Over
Semester is over. I don't yet know if this is a good thing. I passed all my classes. I still have to finish my Torrey Paper for one last revision. Its due at 5:00 pm today. We get kicked out of the dorms at 10 pm. I will be headed home at 5:00 am tomorrow.
Chest infections suck! I am coughing up all kinds of good stuff, the worst part is that I know what is going on medically (Its happened often enough) and can do nothing medicine-wise for it 'cept for the OTC meds I am on now.
What is it about this time of year? I am just so lonely for someone to think that I am special. Everyone else has a special someone in one form or another. Caleb has Danielle; it's going to be interesting to hear about him with out her. She is so good for him. Anyways back to where I was. It is this realy indecypherable paradox. Everyones like "Your a smart, talented, caring guy. Well trained in the domesticated arts. You cook, clean, you can even sew if you have too. Your enterprising and going some where." They say all these things... But yet somehow all my interpersonal relationships seem really one sided. It seems like me trying to be nice and caring to others. I take time for their needs, don't get me wrong I enjoy helping people, I enjoy it alot, but I don't see other doing the same and I wish I did. I don't know. Maybe I need to step out of myself. Maybe I am being too selfish. Who knows....
That does seem to be the bad thing about Biola though... There are so many attractive girls who are great. Christians... Really souled out Christian Ladies who want to change the world for Christ. But the last few I have talked to have all seemed to change. "Thing 1" as Timothy, Jason and I refer to her as, was amazing to talk to early on in the semester. I talked to her during the first part of this week and it seemed that she had changed drastically... Not necessarily for the better. There was a demeanor that almost scared me. Made me think though... If we had decided to date, would that change have happened? That would have been bad for a relationship. "Thing 2" seems to have moved on as well. Dispite her words about not wanting to be involved with anyone she seems to be spending a great deal of time with Jon. I understand that feelings change and she may have found something there that we didn't have. But its just like her actions don't seem to match her words that she told me... I have been trying to keep my distance from her as not to complicate the situation. But when we talked the one time after deciding that we didn't want to date, it was hard because I felt like I was doing the input. I was being the caring emotional part. Thats not the way its supposed to work. I'm the guy for crying out loud! I am supposed to be the emotionally retarded jerk, not the one who is doing most of the "checking up on the relationship" stuff. I don't want to play into the steriotype, but if me being sensitive causes her not to be, then what?
Chest infections suck! I am coughing up all kinds of good stuff, the worst part is that I know what is going on medically (Its happened often enough) and can do nothing medicine-wise for it 'cept for the OTC meds I am on now.
What is it about this time of year? I am just so lonely for someone to think that I am special. Everyone else has a special someone in one form or another. Caleb has Danielle; it's going to be interesting to hear about him with out her. She is so good for him. Anyways back to where I was. It is this realy indecypherable paradox. Everyones like "Your a smart, talented, caring guy. Well trained in the domesticated arts. You cook, clean, you can even sew if you have too. Your enterprising and going some where." They say all these things... But yet somehow all my interpersonal relationships seem really one sided. It seems like me trying to be nice and caring to others. I take time for their needs, don't get me wrong I enjoy helping people, I enjoy it alot, but I don't see other doing the same and I wish I did. I don't know. Maybe I need to step out of myself. Maybe I am being too selfish. Who knows....
That does seem to be the bad thing about Biola though... There are so many attractive girls who are great. Christians... Really souled out Christian Ladies who want to change the world for Christ. But the last few I have talked to have all seemed to change. "Thing 1" as Timothy, Jason and I refer to her as, was amazing to talk to early on in the semester. I talked to her during the first part of this week and it seemed that she had changed drastically... Not necessarily for the better. There was a demeanor that almost scared me. Made me think though... If we had decided to date, would that change have happened? That would have been bad for a relationship. "Thing 2" seems to have moved on as well. Dispite her words about not wanting to be involved with anyone she seems to be spending a great deal of time with Jon. I understand that feelings change and she may have found something there that we didn't have. But its just like her actions don't seem to match her words that she told me... I have been trying to keep my distance from her as not to complicate the situation. But when we talked the one time after deciding that we didn't want to date, it was hard because I felt like I was doing the input. I was being the caring emotional part. Thats not the way its supposed to work. I'm the guy for crying out loud! I am supposed to be the emotionally retarded jerk, not the one who is doing most of the "checking up on the relationship" stuff. I don't want to play into the steriotype, but if me being sensitive causes her not to be, then what?
Spider Webs
i wish someone would care about my life
its not to hard, not really
no strings, not hear,
no spiderwebs to get caught up in
sticky trails of silk emotion.
(Why does no one comment on my posts?)
its not to hard, not really
no strings, not hear,
no spiderwebs to get caught up in
sticky trails of silk emotion.
(Why does no one comment on my posts?)
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Check out these wheels!
This is a film project my suite mate put togather.
http://www.bubbs.biola.edu/~thatcher/pimpout.html
He's a Film Major. The star of the production is the Resident Assistant for my Floor. Micah Keepin' it gangsta! Word up SURF!
Pre Med Medic
http://www.bubbs.biola.edu/~thatcher/pimpout.html
He's a Film Major. The star of the production is the Resident Assistant for my Floor. Micah Keepin' it gangsta! Word up SURF!
Pre Med Medic
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Soul Ministry
Mint hot chocolate and cherry turnovers… Seriously, they mend my soul. It is a rare feeling indeed, the feeling I get of warmth that spreads through my body as I sip mint hot chocolate. Add the thin, delectable layers combined with the sweet, smooth filling of a cherry turn over and I am in culinary heaven. Some how when I am in a place no mater how stressful (I would know as finals are in full swing) the drink alone is enough to put my mind at ease and my soul at rest. How is it that baked goods and steaming cups of culinary and confectous delight can have such a great effect on me? Is it something that Starbucks spikes there drinks with? Some magical concoction that bubbles in a kettle in the back of their establishment that the barista must go and stir every once and a while?
There must be something in chocolate that affects our chemistry in order to have such a profound effect on us mere mortals
‘Tis the season! I walk everywhere and there is red and green and pine boughs and holly. There is something about Christmas that seems to resonate with most people. The community alone is a major factor in it. There is something special about being able to wish everyone “Merry Christmas!” as they pass you in at the grocery store or on campus. Sure there are the occasional Scrooge’s who dislike the holiday for what ever reason, the lack of political correctness, the over-commercialization or the theological inaccuracy of the holiday in regards to Christ’s actual birthday, but these people are no reason for the rest of us not to be full of Holiday cheer. So Merry Christmas... Speaking of which I get to go see the last showing of Torrey Theatre's Production of A Christmas Carol tommarrow!
There must be something in chocolate that affects our chemistry in order to have such a profound effect on us mere mortals
‘Tis the season! I walk everywhere and there is red and green and pine boughs and holly. There is something about Christmas that seems to resonate with most people. The community alone is a major factor in it. There is something special about being able to wish everyone “Merry Christmas!” as they pass you in at the grocery store or on campus. Sure there are the occasional Scrooge’s who dislike the holiday for what ever reason, the lack of political correctness, the over-commercialization or the theological inaccuracy of the holiday in regards to Christ’s actual birthday, but these people are no reason for the rest of us not to be full of Holiday cheer. So Merry Christmas... Speaking of which I get to go see the last showing of Torrey Theatre's Production of A Christmas Carol tommarrow!
Thursday, December 09, 2004
A new level of personal body armor
I was just asked if I thought that the armor that is issued to the soldiers is adaquate. I said from a medical perspective, the armor given is enough to prevent most life threatening injuries... The head is protected by the Kevlar Ballistic helmet and the majority of the body is covered in the standard flak vest. Frequently this protection is augumented with the addition of Wiley style ballistic eyewear and ceramic plates to the armor vest. These protective measures are life saving but as my previous post illistrated the damage to ones extremities. Other methods may be needed to protect ones extremities and the serious vulnerable points of the current protective material, e.g. the underarm areas of the current flak vest. Such advancements would add a great deal to the quality of life of a casualty after an injury.
The conversation at this point shifted into humor. When I began to meander into the area of further protection of ones person the lower body was taken into consideration along the lines of invcreased quality of life. The idea of a kevlar loin cloth came to mind and was soon extrapolated to a kilt. So there was a motion made that the United states army should addapt current protective equipment to include flak kilts. You could even have different camoflauge to go with different units much to the same extent of one clan tarten. "They may take our lives, but they may never take our FREEDOM!"
The blue face paint probably should be left out though...
On a personal note: I was just informed that two of my friends maintain their "Titanic Virginity." They have managed to make it through their miserable pathetic lives and deprived themselves of a movie. By no means, am I a Leonardo fan nor especially of the movie, but rather the prospect of avoiding a movie based purely on reputation is rather idiotic.
Must continue with my work now... I have to finish a number of essays, ugh!
PremedMedic
The conversation at this point shifted into humor. When I began to meander into the area of further protection of ones person the lower body was taken into consideration along the lines of invcreased quality of life. The idea of a kevlar loin cloth came to mind and was soon extrapolated to a kilt. So there was a motion made that the United states army should addapt current protective equipment to include flak kilts. You could even have different camoflauge to go with different units much to the same extent of one clan tarten. "They may take our lives, but they may never take our FREEDOM!"
The blue face paint probably should be left out though...
On a personal note: I was just informed that two of my friends maintain their "Titanic Virginity." They have managed to make it through their miserable pathetic lives and deprived themselves of a movie. By no means, am I a Leonardo fan nor especially of the movie, but rather the prospect of avoiding a movie based purely on reputation is rather idiotic.
Must continue with my work now... I have to finish a number of essays, ugh!
PremedMedic
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
A veiw of Military Medicine
Hey All...
The New England Journal of Medicine just published an article on military medicine.
You can check out the Yahoo! Article here
There is another Yahoo! article about Navy Medicine here
The NEJM article can be found here
The Slide show of photos can be found here
This is for all of you who are considering Military Medicine or may have an interest or appreciation because you know someone involved (corpsman/medic/nurse/doctor). This is the way life works for us. I belong to a Combat Support Hospital very similar to the one pictured (luckily, we are not in Iraq). The remarks made about the limited number of doctors and surgeons is very true. However, something possibly left out by the article is the use of Physicians Assistants to suppliment the medical strength. If you have any further questions on this issue feel free to reply directly to me.
I will caution you that the slideshow on the website does contain some very graphic trauma photos. If you wish to see the infrastructure and avoid the blood and gore only veiw pictures # 1-4, 13-17,19 and 21 (there are some patients receiving care but no wounds).
PreMed Medic
91W Heathcare Specialist
US Army Reserve
Four things a man must learn to do
If He would make his record true:
To think without confusion clearly;
To love his fellow-man sincerely;
To act from honest motives purely;
Trust in God and Heaven securely.
-- Henry Van Dyke, "Four Things,"
The New England Journal of Medicine just published an article on military medicine.
You can check out the Yahoo! Article here
There is another Yahoo! article about Navy Medicine here
The NEJM article can be found here
The Slide show of photos can be found here
This is for all of you who are considering Military Medicine or may have an interest or appreciation because you know someone involved (corpsman/medic/nurse/doctor). This is the way life works for us. I belong to a Combat Support Hospital very similar to the one pictured (luckily, we are not in Iraq). The remarks made about the limited number of doctors and surgeons is very true. However, something possibly left out by the article is the use of Physicians Assistants to suppliment the medical strength. If you have any further questions on this issue feel free to reply directly to me.
I will caution you that the slideshow on the website does contain some very graphic trauma photos. If you wish to see the infrastructure and avoid the blood and gore only veiw pictures # 1-4, 13-17,19 and 21 (there are some patients receiving care but no wounds).
PreMed Medic
91W Heathcare Specialist
US Army Reserve
Four things a man must learn to do
If He would make his record true:
To think without confusion clearly;
To love his fellow-man sincerely;
To act from honest motives purely;
Trust in God and Heaven securely.
-- Henry Van Dyke, "Four Things,"
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Shaken' loose.
Well I had to wait six months but Uncle Sam has finally decided to do something with my unit. For those of you that don't know, I am a Combat Medic in the Army Reserve and a member of the 328th Combat Support Hospital (Think the old TV show MASH). The Army had us on ALERT status (The first of five steps of deployment, the last step being landing in Baghdad or wherever) and told us to "be ready" because we could receive a mission at any time. Well they finally decided to send part of my unit to Germany. I am not among them. However, if they have decided that we can be better used in pieces than as an entire unit than that means that I could get split off from the main unit and sent to God only knows where. So please pray for the health and peace of the members of the 328th that are going over, that God would be glorified in this. For me, please pray that His Will is done. It’s relatively reassuring to know that I have no part in this decision. It’s totally a God thing if I have to go or not. My will can't get in the way. All I can do now though is be obedient to my immediate calling of being a student here at Biola and prayerfully await anything else.
My Dante Quiz results
The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| Purgatory (Repenting Believers) | Extreme |
| Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) | High |
| Level 2 (Lustful) | Low |
| Level 3 (Gluttonous) | Very Low |
| Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) | Very Low |
| Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) | Low |
| Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) | Very Low |
| Level 7 (Violent) | Very Low |
| Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) | Low |
| Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) | Very Low |
Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Oh, The Depths One Sinks Too.
Well here comes another week...
I guess I need to introduce my roommate to the wide and wild world of blogging. Troy is a great guy. He got the comment that he looks like Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars: A New Hope." I guess it’s the long blond hair... He is bible major, a "God major" as we joked tonight at dinner. He stays up late. Well, later, than I do anyway. He feels that he needs to be very conscious of his studies; I don't think school comes as easy to him as it does to me.
Anyway, he was out on a GYRAD (Get Your Roommate A Date) with one of the girls (For Possible Future Reference: Hayley) all yesterday so I avoided my room. There’s just too much temptation to be hanging out in my room all day with him not here. That may sound weird; it is my room and all... It should be fine. I have just found out that being here with him gone is just asking for trouble... Well then I proved today that it is. He took off a few hours ago and temptation and sin struck like a coiled viper. It continues to amaze me how my human nature is so vulnerable from all angles especially without someone watching over my shoulder.
Speaking of GYRAD's ours is the 16th of October... I have to think of some one who is "Totally sold out for God" for Troy... I don't know who Troy will hook me up with. That’s the fun part, it’s a secret. We are going to the Getty Art Museum and Ice-cream afterwards. It will be fun and a good time will be had by all.
I have discovered that my daily Bible study (I have decided that is my first priority in the mornings) or staying out of my room when Troy isn't here just isn't enough. I have to take a proactive approach to handling this problem. Please continue to pray for me because this is a new phase of this spiritual battle and though I know that God will win the war... I don't want to be a casualty.
I felt really weird the last few days... Mostly chock it up to the demonic attack I am currently experiencing, but I have just had so much clouded in my mind that I really felt muddled and fuzzy. In addition I felt weak emotionally. I wanted to talk to Brittany (Introduction later) but was really afraid of making a physical move that would injure the relationship. (We agreed that we wouldn't touch [affectionately] or date during our first year here). Luckily, I was able to go up and straighten some stuff out with her on Sat.
I finally got my Acaza (www.acaza.com) Streaming Radio working... This way I don't have the distraction of iTunes up the whole time as I study but still have "good" Christian music that is varied and upbeat. (Yes, there is Rap and Hip Hop... I can hang, G! LOL)
I am slowly realizing that this is a healthy thing... It's probably not as healthy as talking to a good friend. But it suffices for now... I frequently wonder why I don't open up to Troy more, but we have very different backgrounds, interests and styles; maybe I am just not working hard enough at it. We have bursts of spontaneity that are great when we just have a great spiritual discussion or how we are doing.... But it seems that we are just traveling in different circles and schedules. Need to seek the Lord's guidance on that one...
I just remembered I have to be at Life guarding early tomorrow... 9:00 am. That will be fun. We get to watch the Life guard Videos... Actually that Means I can sleep in because I will be able to eat in class! Yeah! LOL.... Silver Linings and all.
Finished off "Phaedo" tonight. Still have Chem. to do before bed. Socrates is an admirable guy... Doesn't get it totally right but comes so close to the Truth that it is painful. Apparently some of the upper class Torrey Chums say that some of the stuff we read later says that Plato gets so close to his search for Truth that he is "saved." Raises an interesting question about the sanctification of pre-Christ gentiles, are they all condemned to Hell because of the fact that chronologically God wasn't speaking to the Gentiles at that point?
The last section of the book is eerily Catholic, with Tarterus being Hell and the rivers as Purgatory and finally ascension. There is a big thrust at re-incarnation, with the way that the deathless soul and indestructible soul being described. It will be interesting to continue. "Symposium" is due Thursday. Then, "Republic" after that for the next three sessions (Tuesday afternoons, Thursday Afternoons). Time to get on with Chem... Probably take me up to Bedtime.
I guess I need to introduce my roommate to the wide and wild world of blogging. Troy is a great guy. He got the comment that he looks like Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars: A New Hope." I guess it’s the long blond hair... He is bible major, a "God major" as we joked tonight at dinner. He stays up late. Well, later, than I do anyway. He feels that he needs to be very conscious of his studies; I don't think school comes as easy to him as it does to me.
Anyway, he was out on a GYRAD (Get Your Roommate A Date) with one of the girls (For Possible Future Reference: Hayley) all yesterday so I avoided my room. There’s just too much temptation to be hanging out in my room all day with him not here. That may sound weird; it is my room and all... It should be fine. I have just found out that being here with him gone is just asking for trouble... Well then I proved today that it is. He took off a few hours ago and temptation and sin struck like a coiled viper. It continues to amaze me how my human nature is so vulnerable from all angles especially without someone watching over my shoulder.
Speaking of GYRAD's ours is the 16th of October... I have to think of some one who is "Totally sold out for God" for Troy... I don't know who Troy will hook me up with. That’s the fun part, it’s a secret. We are going to the Getty Art Museum and Ice-cream afterwards. It will be fun and a good time will be had by all.
I have discovered that my daily Bible study (I have decided that is my first priority in the mornings) or staying out of my room when Troy isn't here just isn't enough. I have to take a proactive approach to handling this problem. Please continue to pray for me because this is a new phase of this spiritual battle and though I know that God will win the war... I don't want to be a casualty.
I felt really weird the last few days... Mostly chock it up to the demonic attack I am currently experiencing, but I have just had so much clouded in my mind that I really felt muddled and fuzzy. In addition I felt weak emotionally. I wanted to talk to Brittany (Introduction later) but was really afraid of making a physical move that would injure the relationship. (We agreed that we wouldn't touch [affectionately] or date during our first year here). Luckily, I was able to go up and straighten some stuff out with her on Sat.
I finally got my Acaza (www.acaza.com) Streaming Radio working... This way I don't have the distraction of iTunes up the whole time as I study but still have "good" Christian music that is varied and upbeat. (Yes, there is Rap and Hip Hop... I can hang, G! LOL)
I am slowly realizing that this is a healthy thing... It's probably not as healthy as talking to a good friend. But it suffices for now... I frequently wonder why I don't open up to Troy more, but we have very different backgrounds, interests and styles; maybe I am just not working hard enough at it. We have bursts of spontaneity that are great when we just have a great spiritual discussion or how we are doing.... But it seems that we are just traveling in different circles and schedules. Need to seek the Lord's guidance on that one...
I just remembered I have to be at Life guarding early tomorrow... 9:00 am. That will be fun. We get to watch the Life guard Videos... Actually that Means I can sleep in because I will be able to eat in class! Yeah! LOL.... Silver Linings and all.
Finished off "Phaedo" tonight. Still have Chem. to do before bed. Socrates is an admirable guy... Doesn't get it totally right but comes so close to the Truth that it is painful. Apparently some of the upper class Torrey Chums say that some of the stuff we read later says that Plato gets so close to his search for Truth that he is "saved." Raises an interesting question about the sanctification of pre-Christ gentiles, are they all condemned to Hell because of the fact that chronologically God wasn't speaking to the Gentiles at that point?
The last section of the book is eerily Catholic, with Tarterus being Hell and the rivers as Purgatory and finally ascension. There is a big thrust at re-incarnation, with the way that the deathless soul and indestructible soul being described. It will be interesting to continue. "Symposium" is due Thursday. Then, "Republic" after that for the next three sessions (Tuesday afternoons, Thursday Afternoons). Time to get on with Chem... Probably take me up to Bedtime.
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