[Tasty Questions] Z' Tejas Dinner Reveiw

Z Teja’s

535 Bellevue Square
8th & Bellevue Way
Bellevue, WA 98004

The northern-most restaurant in a chain opened by Jack Gilmore, their founding corporate chef, offers a southwest twist on American fusion cuisine. The spice and smoke heavy menu draws extensively on seafood and pork with the occasional Asian curveball with steak and chicken as usual mainstays. Choosing to dine alone on a Monday night allowed for a laid-back and conversational wait staff and general atmosphere, though a weekend is much busier. For dinner the cast-iron skillet dumplings, which the menu describes as “a sizzling skillet of shrimp-and-pork dumplings, served with a red-chili ginger dipping sauce,” were served as described, piping hot and created a spectrum of texture as the wrappers were both softly boiled and fried crispy; inside the savory flavor of the ground smoked pork supports the softer flavors of the shrimp. The dipping sauce offsets the deep taste of the meat with a sweet start and a zip that lingers. Following the dumplings, a swing was taken at one of the Asian curveballs; the miso salmon, “a filet with miso glaze, served with pan-seared mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans and carrots” arrived well arranged and equally hot as the dumplings. Once slightly cooler, the medium-rare fish was an excellent blend of flavor with the salty miso. The mashed potatoes, while well presented, were flabby and lacked substance. They would have been better with a cream flavor such as yogurt or sour cream to offset the salt and spice of the fish and sauce. The green beans were well flavored unfortunately the carrots were julienned so thin, it arrived overcooked and soggy. With the highest priced item on the menu at just under twenty-five dollars, a full service bar and a selection of equally inventive desserts, Z Teja’s makes a good stop for a night out when a big budget is not in order, such as a movie night or casual date.

A Man's House is His Castle...

(Mirrored post from "The Start of an Epic," which is intended to be my personal blog, while this will remain my commentary blog)

Got my place rearranged... and clean, REALLY CLEAN. Its almost scary

The living room is really bare with only the one couch. Dunno what I am going to do about that...
Really puts a kink in trying to have people over and stuff.

Tried to suprise Janie last night and wisk her off on a date when she got off work, bt apparently she hadn't been feeling well the entire day and needed to go home and rest. Bummer. We're going to do something tomorrow night.

Thinking of having a theology discussion at my place on Sunday nights for folks from Illuminate (the church service I have been going too). Had the idea when I found the course notes from Dr. Thoennes Theology Seminar. Would be good to add a bit of hard core doctrinal discussion to the mix I think... Totally informal, just like pizza and Gruden.

Thats about it for now.

God has a sense of humor too...

From "The Life You've Always Wanted" by John Ortberg:

"Gods great, holy joke about the Messiah Complex is this: Every human being who has ever lived has suffered from it - except one.
...and He was the Messiah."

[International Questions] The Fall of the Eastern wall...

The vast majority of my readers know about "The Fall of the West," a coming event predicted by a noted professor at Biola, Dr. John Mark Reynolds.

However for those that don't know, his theory (in broad strokes) is that the lack of intellectual fortitude, characterized by current attitudes of relativism and subjectivism that currently pervade "The West," (that is the countries typically considered to have a dominantly "western" culture i.e. western Europe, Britain, U.S.A. , S. Korea, etc), will continue to lose ground to an eastern culture that has something to believe (i.e. Islam) because "you cannot compete against something with nothing." Reynolds theorized that the world was arriving at a "tipping point,” a point that the market saturation of secularism and relativism does not become the leading ideology, but effects enough people directly and muddles other ideologies enough that it will rapidly become a leading world view. Once this point has arrived church attendance and other indicators of a predominately Christian society will fall drastically. The degradation of a Judeo-Christian world view that reached a tipping point and then fell is easily observable in Britain where in the space for forty years, church attendance declined slowly from nearly ninety percent to nearly seventy percent and then in twenty years dropped to less than twenty five. It is from this ideologically weakened state that one is vulnerable to an ideological onslaught.

Such an onslaught has begun in the streets of Paris and continued for eight days. The New York Times published a story about the riots today, essentially attributing the cause to a widening gap between "the haves and have-nots"... what they fail to mention and the AINA (Assyrian International News Association) of all groups points out, is that while the majority of the rioters are poor immigrant youths, they are also all Muslim, virtually no other religious group is participating in the destruction.

They go on to describe a culture of immigrant enclave's...

"... so far from playing down the differences between ethnic groups, they
have instead stood by approvingly while immigrants formed non-assimilated
Islamic enclaves within Europe. Indeed, as Bat Ye'or demonstrates, they have
assured the Arab League in multiple agreements that they would aid in the
creation and maintenance of such enclaves. Ignorance of the jihad ideology among
European officials has allowed that ideology to spread in those enclaves,
unchecked until relatively recently."

Is there a possibility that such enclaves could form in idealogically depressed US? Should a cultural group be forced to assimilate? Has a fourth wave of Religious Idealogy crested the eastern wall of the west?

More to come...

What were you doing Aug. 12th?

... a day which happens to be my Birthday coincidentally.

My sister was kind enough to supply pictures. The big guy and the beautiful gal are the two lovely people who brought me into this world.

Thanks Guys!

Moved to Seattle, actually the east side... Bellevue specifically

So Bellevue....

Think rich... very rich (I live literally across the street from the Microsoft HQ)... I work right across the hall from a Tiffany's... I regularly have customers that drop 5-600 dollars on clothes without batting an eye. I had an art client buy nearly 10 grand in art from me just cause the walls of his new 1.4 mil. house were bare and didn't look right.

Yeah Money... definitely the root of all kinds of evil. I am getting the feeling that there is a good reason why Seattle and the Northwest are the richest area and also the "none" zone. (The most frequent answer put on census survey documents under religious preference for NW residence is "none") I regularly have individuals who wich to purchase items (art or apperal) for their "partners." Definetly an experience Ihave to get used too.

Lord, grant me the grace and peace to not be consumed by greed. Remind me that money is a tool that is supplied and will pass away as all things will. Teach me to be fiscally responsible Lord.

By the way... Rain is all well and good... but if you could give us some sun every now and then.. it would be appreciated.

Yo.. Yo... Yo...

Yo Yo Yo your boat gently down the stream....

Ok everybody...

Here goes nothing..
-Moved to Seattle, actually the east side... Bellevue specifically
- WOrking at Eddie Bauer and Kenneth Behm Art Galleries
-Living in a one bedroom apt.
-Going to Overlake Christian Church

Then I...
-Quite at the art gallery
-am attempting to get a job at another spot... probably at the mall or downtown.

Thats the recent.. I will expand on each of the points in turn

Page 123

Since I had a book next to me I thought I would join in...

Heres the deal:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fourth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don't search around and look for the "coolest" book you can find. Do what's actually next to you.

Here's what my book said:

He actually seems to beleive that someday his schedule will somehow come under his control

Ladies and Gents I am BACK!!

Cable modem and all!

Drop me a line and lemme know how your doing... I have some massive updating to do!

Question of the day....

What is the role of an artist's intention in the meaning and interpretation of a piece of art?

Happy thinking!

[Blazing Questions] Inferior Imitations (Part 2)

The first post can be found here.

I left off with four possible scenarios concerning two criteria.
Having an understanding that something is an imitation and having an understanding that the thing is inferior to the original, with either of those criteria possibly not being understood. The first of the scenario is posted below.

"1. The consumer is ignorant of the thing's being an imitation and therefore does not see, or possibly does not even look for, a difference in quality between the imitation and original. (See: Fake Drugs)"

As the article I posted shows, this situation is inherently dangerous. We can all imagine what it would be like be thinking we are receiving penicillin or Lipitor, but unknowingly only be receiving half the dose we are supposed to be getting. Mis-diagnosis or some other flaw, not a fault of the drug, easily explains the resulting loss in efficacy. We (for the most part Americans) as consumers assume that what something is labeled is what it is, and rightly so as we have thinks like the Food and Drug Administration (Link, Wiki) whose overarching mandate, according to Wikipedia.org, is "to regulate the multitude of medicinal products in a manner that ensures the safety of the American public and the efficacy claims (label) of marketed drugs."

So the question becomes is our confidence misplaced?
Most people at most places at most times would agree that the purpose of government (in the contemporary Western sense) is to serve and protect the people through administrations like the FDA and as such a certain amount of trust from the people must be placed in such constructs. So what does this have to do with imitations and their inferiority? While the FDA requires a certain amount of trust in people, such protections of the people are not all covering. Not everyone has the consumers best interests at heart. What results is complacency among consumers with regards to the quality of their products. This complacency is most apparent when normal systems of protection (read: FDA) are circumvented by alternate methods of appropriation (in the context of the above article, the Internet). Consumers seem to be forgetting the ageless Latin phrase, "Caveat emptor" or "let the buyer beware."

Ok, but this isn't just about pills and products right?
I would extrapolate this Latin phrase through the entire discussion of imitations, but am attempting to lay the ground work that many people have take the legitimacy of their things be it ideas, feelings and products, for granted. The pills is only a microcosm but one that can be magnified to show the state of the entire paradigm. The ultimate responsibility for what one buys, does or believes does not fall to the FDA, ones parents or ones church (though these are very helpful institutions providing resources that the individual doe not have), but rather, it is the responsibility of the individual.

Why is this responsibility important?
Ultimately, it is the individual who deals with the consequences, such as the woman who bought hot McDonald’s Coffee and spilt it, the juvenile delinquent who’s offences dictate trial as an adult, or the individual sinner who must answer to the Almighty for their life in this world. It is our responsibility as consumers to use the resources available to us to ensure that the status and quality of the things we consume is genuine and good because it is we who must answer for that.

Where does that take us?
Having laid down now why the issue is important and why we must be responsible consumers of genuine things, the other three scenarios remain to be examined as well as to categorize some common decisions or examples of situations to see where what we usually consume falls in these categories.

If anyone has any questions comments or interjections, please speak out in the comments or email me (address at the bottom of the blog) as I wish to make this series of thoughts as accurate and correct as possible.

[Other Peoples Questions] Two Hat Tips, Head Nods or Other Gratuitous Gestures

First... Curtis at a-sdf, has done an excellent job laying out the a cohesive look at the War In Iraq for all its good, bad and ugly sides. Check it out Here.

Second, Bill Dan has an amazing artistic video called "Unbalancing." You can find the full video here, but make sure to visit his blog (though theres not much on it right now) and say "Hi!" for me. (from BoingBoing.net, their article)

[Personal Questions] What do you want for your birthday?

A common enough question at this time of the year. So I created

THE AMAZON BIRTHDAY WISHLIST


(GASP)

Enjoy!

[Stupid Questions] Ding Ding, Round One!

I have found possibly the most innane, useless and possibly evil endeavour conducted by a major company on the internet.

Witness AIM Fight... Where your not good enough if your friends arn't good enough. Ugh!

Apparently if your not socializing with the right people... its game over man, game over. I fail to understand why someone would value something like this? It is absolutly meaningless as the number of ones contacts means absolutly nothing.

I take that back... This site does demonstrate ones complete dependance on AIM or AOL, making it still as if not more deplorable as if it didn't mean anything at all.

[Before the Questions] Changes to the layout

I spent some time today fixing up the layout of the blog. The previous template was flawed and when I replaced it, I lost all my links and other fun modifications. But I finally got it all up and working, including my new AdSense banner and search module. Call me a sell-out but I prefer the term starving college (not currently a) student. So patronize the links as you feel lead, but due to the eclectic nature of the blog... I have no clue what you may be seeing!

I am also attempting to get some "Tags" running for my posts as an easy catagorization system. I don't know if I will ever get it automated, but the titles of the posts will now bely more than the usual witty quip.

[Blazing Questions] Inferior Imitations (Part 1)

Started this post on Aug. 4, set it aside and decided now would be a good time to finish it. I seem to be on a blogging roll... I hope my readers will keep up.

Being bored at home, I decided to troll around AOL for a bit looking for interesting conversation. As I revisited my old virtual haunts from my high school era I found them deserted and empty. As I ventured down into the electronic depths I soon discovered the mass majority of activity dedicated to offering or gaining the pleasures of lust. Weather it was SxyGRL80809 offering me a view of a 21 year old virgin on a web cam or TllDrKnHndsm looking for 19/f/pic, it was almost entirely dedicating to vicious pursuits. I finally was able to strike up a good conversation with a young woman from VA, which proved very interesting about the objectivity of art and why The Mona Lisa is smiling. This got me thinking back to the good'ol Plato dialogue about imitations and their inferiority ( I will assume for the sake of the discussion that imitations are inferior, if you would like to dispute that… Talk to me). So I devised a bit of a thought project along those lines.

Why do imitations work?
Because they are accepted on some level by the consumer (general term I will use for recipient, consumer, audience, viewer, etc).

Why are they accepted?
Acceptance seems to be based on two criteria. The first, an understanding that the thing ( I am using" thing," though I think these are in fact general principles that apply not just to physical objects, etc but also to emotions and actions) is in fact an imitation of another. Second, an understanding about the thing's quality, based on the first understanding.

Ok, so we have four possible scenarios, right?

1. The consumer is ignorant of the thing's being an imitation and therefore does not see, or possibly does not even look for, a difference in quality between the imitation and original. (See: Fake Drugs)

2. The consumer is ignorant of it's being an imitation and knows or discovers a difference in quality between the imitation and original, which would probably cause one to immediately suspect the first criteria. (See: That Prada Bag may cost you)

3. The consumer understands the product to be an imitation and does not realize or understand the inferiority of the imitation, probably due to an ignorance of the original being imitated or a lack of careful examination of the imitation (though I am very open to other possibilities).

4. The consumer understands the product to be an imitation and acknowledges its resulting inferiority.

I will continue to expand on the possibilities of these four scenarios including examples that apply and the ramifications there of. If anything comes to mind, please suggest it as I hope to branch this topic out for a while.

[Chilling Questions] Backbone? Anybody?

Once again, the American public shows its lack of fortitude to stand for
anything. CBS tells the story here.

Associated Press reports about two jurors jurors in the Michael Jackson case who have now changed their story, within weeks of announcing book deals. Here's what they had to say for themselves according to AP:

"Cook and Hultman said they agreed to go along with the other jurors when it
became apparent that they would never convict the pop star. The two denied
being motivated by money and tried to explain why they were coming forward
now. "

Now correct me if I am wrong... But isn't the purpose of unanimous jury voting and
the possibility of a mistrial there to prevent this sort of thing? I held out for 3 hours once during a trial

alone

just because the sentence was too weak! (Long story, will detail later if asked) Not because I'm just that stubborn about my own way, but because it was the RIGHT THING TO DO! Someone who has committed a crime needs to be punished accordingly, and you need to stand for that even if the other 11 MORONIC INDIVIDUALS don't give a rat's posterior! So what if your not going to convict him... Hanging a jury sends a message too! As a juror, its your responsibility to the the victim, the people and even the defendant!

Chilling question: Does the lack of fortitude amongst the American people demonstrate a gradually increaseing failure in the U.S. justice system?

PETA off its rocker...

Fuzzy bunnies and baby seals are one thing... but this is too far gone!

This is amazingly strong evidence of what happens when peoples epistomologies get seriously out of wack. If taken too far such trends could begin to bear resemblance to the anti-natural actions of homosexuals. I'll expand this thought later if requested.

(Thanks to Michelle Malkin)

EDIT:
curtis said...

"More on topic: Yes, well. That's PETA for you. I've always had a problem with
them not so much for their views, but because they just sort of assume them
without very much justification. I've yet to see a single PETA member explain
why animals deserve ontological status as people. I've even had one person tell
me in a private email exchange that it is "the divine right of f***ing God!", so
I doubt it will get better. Meanwhile, PETA continues its charade
of hypocrisy.

Me again... If that's their understanding of divine rights... Lord help us all when Irish Setters, Domestic Shorthairs and Holsteins have a greater right to life, liberty and pursuit of property that we do! "Yeah!" for good intelligent animal stewardship... but let's leave it to those that can intelligently steward and doen't require a litterbox.

Broadband is beautiful thing!!!!

We just got wireless access to the Camp's WAN internet connection. So we went from dial-up to 11 Mbps in the plug in of a USB adapter.
Ain't technology grand!

Some thoughts on Dante and Justice

I am in the midst of Inferno this eve so pardon me, as I may wax poetic a fair bit in this post (Sayers Translation is a beautiful thing). It struck me as I was reading just how different our Western society has categorized Man’s crime and sin than the hierarchy Dante sets out which seemingly the greater the sin the greater the punishment. In Western Justice, probably the worst offence that one may commit is typically viewed as Murder; qualified as the worst by what most would consider the harshest punishment possible, death. However, in Dante’s hell, Murder is less severe than most other sins, including simony, usury and theft, which receive comparably light sentences in life. This part of this discrepancy could be due in part to the difference between life and death or between “crime” and “sin” because of the differing justices, which met out punishment. But with regard to active sin, fairly observable, describable and quantifiable by most men, punishment seems most out of balance. Should not the sin that is the most affront to God or your fellow man warrant the greatest punishment regardless of the sphere your soul currently dwells in?

It has been said that martyrdom is the easy way out for the persecuted one, at least among Christians. Much harder, most would say, is the continually persecuted life, in which one receives none of Paradises blessings, is the epitome of taking up your cross and following Christ. If that is the case, then is capitol punishment, which allows the criminal passage to the next life (what ever that may be for the individual) actually the easiest sentence as the individual is hastened to eternal judgment rather than having to bear the stigma of his crime for the rest of his terrestrial life? I would have to say “no” as to hasten ones reckoning with The Almighty is not a light punishment at all and could possibly preclude that souls salvation (though this ultimately rests in God’s hands) condemning not only the death of the body of the criminal, but the soul as well. Blessed it seems are the men who are granted reprieve from such a sentence that they have more time to recognize their folly. May they not be ignorant of such things and perpetuate their mistakes.

Continuing the question that ended the first paragraph, it seems that at least one differentiating characteristic between the justice administered in either sphere would be the objectivity with which such decisions could be rendered. This is a possible explanation for the absence of law with regards to the sins of incontinence, such as lust, gluttony, and wrath. The violent and malicious sins, seem to similarly, be based on objectification, as it is typically much easier to recognize a murder and murderer than it is to recognize pandering and the pimp and again easier to identify a pimp than a counselor of fraud. Thus the decreasing severity of the sentences could reflect the parallel lack of certifiable objectification.

Interestingly, the worst sin one can commit in Dante’s paradigm is that of Treason, either to kindred, country, guest or lord, hence Satan’s position at the very center along with Judas Iscariot as well as Cassius and Brutus. However, the sin of treason is rapidly loosing its place as a crime in our society due in large part to the recognition and acceptance of a self-centered value structure. However it seems that Treason could be the most easily recognized sin, but the twist comes in that if successful, the treasonous individual becomes the more authoritative source, inverting the value structure on which Justice is based and making it the most heinous of crimes or sins.

The difference in education...

Today was a rather interesting day. I was able to participate and observe what I consider to be the best and worst forms of education in action here at camp (to fill you all in I am at home at Woodleaf till my birthday on Aug. 12 after which I will be moving to Seattle; yes Jace you will see me again).
I will attempt to start with the worst and how it played out, but this will require a bit of background knowledge for those of you unfamiliar with the Young Life ministry. Young Life is a high school outreach ministry aimed at unchruched teens by way of relationships with older Christian leaders, either career adults or college students. Part of the program is the opportunity to come to camp in the summer, either at Woodleaf where I live or at one of the other 22 properties across the US.
So today camp was in full swing... Day six of seven days and there is typically a significant trust bond (though fairly manipulative, though I will get to that in a sec) between the program staff (think comedy and skits) and the speaker (think message/gospel). Apparently, there was a integration of a seminar on "Sex and Dating" into this weeks schedule, something I was not completely familiar with. Other staff has done it with varying degrees of success based upon the set-up either a Q and A panel composed of staff with differing experiences or split gender discussion groups in which campers can voice their own opinions. Not so with today's seminar. Straight-up lecture. UGH! Not only did the speaker do the whole "society has lied to you, abstinence till marriage cause of STD's, pregnancy and emotional damage" schpeal these kids have probably hear thousands of times but went on to give some rules for "how far is to far." I was incredulous! I wanted to run up to the speaker, grab him by the shoulders and yell "DO YOU ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING?" at him as loud as I could. For all of you out there that think that I am off my rocker for knocking an abstinence position, allow me to explain. While being doctrinally correct that sex is only appropriate inside of marriage, such a talk falls woefully short of addressing why the teens are pursuing sex in the first place. In addition, such an information dump is entirely based on the kids trust in the speaker. If that is degraded by anything or wears off, the entire talk goes out the window. The converse is also true. If a kid is highly resistant to such a talk, it may damage what little credibility the speaker has for the greater message of the Gospel.
Remember I said that the trust was in large part manipulated? This is done a variety of ways but the main way is to have the teens jump off a High Ropes Course pole while on a rope held by the speaker. Voila, instant trust builder. But if that manipulated trust is seen through or challenged and fails... The gospel message and anything from a sex talk goes out the window. The speaker dug himself in even farther by telling the girls "you dress like hookers" and then laying the burden of men's lust on their clothing choices. Now I am all for modesty from the fairer sex, but the responsibility for the content of my and any young mans mind is their own, regardless of what is being worn. Later after we'd split genders, he talked to the guys about masturbation, pornography and girls self-image and proceeded to chastise the guys about objectification of women and that we were causing their eating disorders. Now let me make myself plain. I am all for a cohesive supportive Christian community in which brothers and sisters in Christ are conscious and considerate of each others weaknesses and do their best to build them up. But piling responsibility for another's weakness on already weak shoulders seems counter productive to me.
The best experience I had was with my Dad tonight. I very rarely had a good discussion with him growing up as it was typically necessary to just yield to his authority. Tonight after a rousing discussion of both abstract and concrete topics with Mom, whose always been a good conversationalist, Dad came in and we picked up a bit of a Calvinist vs. Arminian debate. While not academically trained in bible or theology I dare say my dad has one of the best memories for verses and references I know of and we wrestled through it for a bit. We didn't push for closure on the issue but moved on to a discussion of what it meant to have " a ready answer for ones faith" which was a concept Mom had picked up from 2 Timothy, possibly incorrectly. So we checked the passage and tried to determine what an adequate "answer" would be. I didn't like the sense of certainty associated with "answer" and suggested "hypothesis" instead. This lead to a discussion over the nature of knowledge and belief, as well as the marketplace of ideas and why one should hold their opinions loosely. It was amazing... Not only was it challenging for me to think through the ideas that I have picked up from Torrey lectures and such and express them on my own, but being able to hear Dad's opinion and thoughts on the subject were GREAT! I think that I learned so much from that... Not only that but I can articulate it myself which illustrates the disparity between the lecture earlier and the discussion I had tonight. The talks sole basis and justification is the trust between the leader and the camper versus the justification of coming to the realization of my own theories and beliefs and being able to clearly elucidate them to myself and others.

That's enough for one night!

The Air of Responsibility...

So I am sitting in front of my grandfathers old 133 MHz Pentium computer, having finally mustered enough patience to wait out the loading time on Blogger on its 33.6 kbps dial-up modem. As such I shall attempt to keep this brief (under 5 pages, as I am making up for losts time) for all my loyal readers whose lives have been lacking their regular infusion of Payton-isms.

The Goings On-
My near future: I have been at my grandparent’s house for the past two weeks. I leave for Priest Lake, ID on Tuesday to meet up with the parents and my Uncle Jim and Aunt Judy (on my fathers side). I will spend a few days with the gang there and try to cram some Dante reading in before I head back to Biola for three weeks of "The Academy". Then my future remains undecided.

Undecided: Much has happened since my return from Europe. I have put out about 40 resumes and applications in the greater Seattle area in hopes of finding a job somewhere in the vicinity of my family here. In the process of anticipating a possible move, I have located an apartment (a studio) right across from the Microsoft campus in North Bellevue and a church at Overlake Christian Church that’s only another 3 miles down the road. This would put me less than a mile from Grandma and Grandpa and only about 5 minutes from one set of aunt and uncle (moms side). The only problem is I don't have a definite job (Retail Sales at Eddie Bauer looks good, but I am not sure they will pay enough). I have this tremendous feeling that this is really where I am supposed to be next year, but am unsure if that is enough for me to put the wheels in motion to make the move up here. I could start at the EB job and then move on if something else comes along, but that’s rather risky. It compounds the risk I already put myself in by purchasing "interview" clothes (Two suits, on clearance, shirt and tie combos and shoes that I am currently wearing, hence the "air of responsibility") that cost a fair amount of money. I pretty much have all my preverbal cards stacked up here in the northwest and if the table shakes the wrong way there is a distinct chance it would all fall apart and I would be left at square one with a months time down the tubes. I am worried that I could have been doing this out of my own will, and ignoring God's. I don't think that’s the case, but with the amount of risk, I can't help feeling a bit afraid. I can tell He is working in this situation, has been faithful in the past (Bringing the family to Woodleaf, putting me in the Army, me going to Biola) and will work all this together for good, but it is definitely stretching my faith.

I wish I would have asked more questions when people told me that growing up was hard, especially on how to make it easier (if that’s ever possible...).

Please be praying for the following:
-Peace about decisions made to date, budgetary, academically, etc.
-God providing a job that pays $16/hour, which I know is stiff for a first year college student, but that’s what I will need to make budget with ought living off Top Ramen and Mac and Cheese next year (which I am prepared to do), but its the indicator I have been praying for that this is the right place for me.
-The upcoming Academy; that high school students would learn to ask good questions of others and themselves.
-Future counseling sessions that they would be productive in identifying and providing potential solutions for some of my psychological baggage and that God's grace and healing power would be evident through that.
-The ministry possibilities in this year off, either to my family up here in Seattle (most of whom have rather ambiguous relationships with the Lord at best) or to a yet to be revealed individual or group; so that as God works in my life, I can share that experience with others.

The writings of a world traveler...

Well all you readers out there. I am alive and well after traveling approximately 8000 miles in about 96 hours. I am now in Seatle with my grandparents, helping them out around the house, after coming home from Europe. Its hard work as there are many things that need work inside and outside the house. Please be praying for both my grandparents health as it is deteriorating as they enter their 70's.

Please keep my job search in your prayers as I complete the West Coast tour and head back to LA and the time for a place and a job nears. I feel kind of foolish as I didn't pack any good clothes to bring with me on this leg of the trip and as such feel like I can't apply or interveiw for jobs while I am here. I guess I will just have to keep hoping, praying and waiting on the Lord to open the door where He wants me to be.

I would like to hear ya'lls thoughts on me volunteering for a deployment over the next year. What do you think the pro's and con's would be? From an observers point of view, do you think that I am ready for a 8+ hour a day job helping people medically? Sound off for me, please. Where do you think I should be?

Off to Europe...

Talk to ya'll later! (like 18 days later!)

Music as anesthetic

From BoingBoing.net

According to a new study, listening to music when you go under the surgical knife can significantly reduce your need for sedation. Anesthesiologists at the Yale School of Medicine ran a study that included 90 patients undergoing "urological procedures with spinal anesthesia and patient-controlled IV propofol sadation." From a press release about the paper, published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia:

The subjects wore headphones and were randomly assigned to hear music they liked, white noise or to wear no headphones and be exposed to operating room noise. Dropping a surgical instrument into a bowl in the operating room can produce noise levels of up to 80 decibels, which is considered very loud to uncomfortably loud.

What they found is that blocking the sounds of the operating room with white noise did not decrease sedative requirements of listening to operating room sounds. Playing music did reduce the need for sedatives during surgery.

Link and Link to scientific paper abstract

Soul Mates?

I’ve been thinking heavily about the question of "Is there something intrinsically different about some relationships on a teleological level?" The Readers Digest version: "Are there soul mates?" People who are just better together than another combination of two people; that function synergistically or something so that they seem to “fit” one another?

Second question would be something like “if there is an intrinsic difference, is that enough to base a marriage on?” I am asking if there IS something special about certain relationships, is that a quality that assists/facilitates/helps marriage (it could be God given). Could this be a way fro God to point out that you should marry and this is the person He’s set before you? Is there such a placement? It seems like it’s the Calvinist view; “Are you predestined to be with someone?” Maybe it’s more just has God made someone that is THE BEST compliment for your uniqueness. But still if such a sympathetic quality existed in a relationship... is that enough of a justification for making it a permanent relationship? Personally, I don't know about the first question, if it exists.

The second I don’t think its justification unless God purposefully intends for you to marry that person, which I would tend to say only He knows (though He may and does reveal it), but that is a line of questioning that will take a great deal more time to figure out.

Oh, the Hilarity of Subterfuge in the Blogsphere...

From Redstate.org

To the unimaginative troll

By: krempasky · Section: Democrats

Specifically, the one taking so much time to sign RedState up for all the lefty mailing lists: you're not as smart as you think you are - and you're only going to hurt the ones you love.

Here's why: we're not legitimately subscribing to all these lists. So, of course, we'll ask to be unsubscribed. The first organization or cause that fails to honor those subscriptions (and most of them don't do it very well) will offer the perfect opportunity to test out the CAN-SPAM act. Many thanks.

Wow, the unseen consequences of that action are going to come back and bite someone in the butt. But what are someones motives for doing something like sign someone else up for a whole bunch of e-mail lists. So its an annoyance, but isn't a very effective way of actually changing someone's mind on an issue. If anything it just galvanizes them against it. Yet another instance of irresponsible ignorance.

I'm a gimp...

So in a twist of dramatic irony, I have been humbled physically. “Why is this ironic?” one may ask? Because during spring break I spent the entire time in Palm Springs with Ashley carrying her stuff around cause she had a knee immobilizer on; the ironic part, now I have one... for 2 weeks.

The short version of the story is that I was getting out of Scott's pool and there was a tile that stuck out about 3/4 inch. As I swung my left leg up, it cut me about a 1.5 inch laceration about .5 in wide and .5 inch deep. Didn't hurt really, I just saw red stuff (you know, blood) in a pretty sizable hole and reacted with direct pressure (My medic sense was tingling you know!), threw some gauze on it, taped it up and headed for an Urgent Care/ER. Well all the after hours clinics I knew of were closed, Whittier isn't an option unless someone is dying (See: Ashley's experience), Presbyterian had like 35 people in line, so we went to St. Jude Hospital. It was amazing. In and out in like 45 min. They have a "fast track" program (like "10 items or less") for people who have apparent diagnosis. You’re seen by a PA, patched up and sent on your way! It was cool and the PA was great. But now I have 6 stitches in my knee, and an immobilizer to keep from popping them out. I am hobbling everywhere and I have discovered how much the disability in one joint forces the others to compensate. My calves are killing me and I can't really stretch properly.

On an upside, this could give me preferential seating on the flight, though it may not which would really suck. It is going to put a damper on the first 5 days of Europe though... Luckily most of that is on the cruise and therefore not too much lugging of luggage and such. I will be taking my own stitches out there.

Anyway... I have the rest for the week to pack up my room, put it in storage and prep for Europe. I hope to do some good work on finding a place to live when I return, but it isn't a huge issue till after The Academy. Please be praying...

I will probably be switching personal posts over to another Blog, so that people who like my ideas can read this and people who want to know what’s going on with me personally can read "The Start of an Epic" though I am still working out the kinks out of the comments and such...

And that’s all I have to say about that.

So... Biola is frustrating...

Apparently they are blocking remote mail programs... Both my Thunderbird and Outlook cannot access their servers. Urg...

What happens when you cross a scape goat with a witch hunt?

From Slashdot.org

AI Playground writes "Slyck News reports on the MPAA's press release (.doc) blaming the BitTorrent protocol for the leak of Episode III. MPAA President and CEO Dan Glickman: 'There is no better example of how theft dims the magic of the movies for everyone than this report today regarding BitTorrent providing users with illegal copies of Revenge of the Sith. The unfortunate fact is this type of theft happens on a regular basis on peer to peer networks all over the world.'"

I don't know if it is the direct reference of BitTorrent in a negative manner or the seeming lack of distinction between programs and users that disturbs me more. It's like the same old gun company-reponsible-fo- the-actions-of-an-individual-user debate, transcribed to another industry. When will people take responsibility or make others responsible for their actions instead of passing the buck to companies that make things or provide serivces that may be missused?

Curtis asked...

Total volume of music on my computer?
1034 Songs, 3 days, 3.54 Gb Totoal Volume

The last CD I bought?
Glenn Miller Orchestra Swing Time

Song playing right now?
Celebrate Mistakes by Number One Gun

Five songs I listen to a lot or mean a lot to me (in no particular order)?
I'm not a repeatitave listener... Though my "Party Shuffle" is all Christian of various genres.

Which five people are you passing this baton to, and why?
Emily- cause she reads this and cares about music right now.
The next four people who read my blog, which I don't really know because of the switch from Xanga to Blogger.

The Situation as it stands...

So This is where I am...

99.9% chance I will not be at Biola next year. I am still in Torrey but with the tacit understanding that I will take a year off to "find my self" where it doesn't cost $26k a year! I have the option of dropping Torrey and continuing at Biola, but this doesnt appeal to me.

Option 1:
I will seek some form of employment, buy my own health insurance and pay off some student loans and make some purchases from my wish list (in no particular order) like this, this, this, this and this.

1A. Living at or near home would put me closer to Mom, Dad, and Amanda. Cost of living is substantially cheaper (Idea of Housing Cost,though this might work!). Downside: Leave community that I have established here at Biola. I would be able to make ends meet for about minimum wage. (Budget with round numbers)

1B. Stay here in La Mirada or the surrounding area. Cost of living higher (Idea of Housing Cost, This might work). Maintain participation and support the Biola Community. Would have to make nearly $11/hour to make ends meet.

Option 2:
Sign an active duty Army contract for three years. I would be able to get farther on the wish list(Active duty E-4 makes about $1695.60/mo with housing and rations) and get added benifits for college (Active duty GI Bill is nearly $25k)

Option 3
Volunteer for deployment with the Reserves. Money is the same as active duty. There is no gaurentee where I would go, but possibly Germany with the rest of the 328th CSH.

Any other Ideas are welcomed.

(Below is a tenative budget, feel free to comment if figures seem wrong)

Nor Cal
Item	Per month	Cost
Rent	425	5100
Food	200	2400
Insurance	85	1020
Car Payment	350	4200
Utilities	120	1440
Total Gross income needed		14160
Work year in Hours (50wks@40hrs/week)		$/hour needed to meed budget
2000		7.08
So Cal
Item	Per month	Cost
Rent	795	9540
Food	250	3000
Insurance	85	1020
Car Payment	350	4200
Utilities	200	2400
Total Gross income needed		20160
Work year in Hours (50wks@40hrs/week)		$/hour needed to meed budget
2000		10.08

Medics Fill Care Void in Iraq Towns

Hoorah, Soldier Medic!

From Military.com
May 20, 2005
By Sandra Jontz
Stars and Stripes Mideast edition

SKHARTIAT, Iraq — Wish as he might, Capt. Jon Christensen can't cure them all. But if nothing else, he can help alleviate their discomfort.

Time and again, the 36-year-old physician's assistant and his crew of medics from 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division visit impoverished towns and villages that pepper Ninevah Province to bring medical supplies and knowledge that, if even for a short time, dissolve the aches of arthritis, burden of birth defects, hurt of heart disease.

Read it! It's a decent article about the medical mission in Iraq and how much we are actually helping there!

My new favorite web application

If you are wondering why my blog has suddenly taken on such a great appearance and no longer looks like it was thrown togather it is because I have discovered...

Bloglines.com!

Possibly the single greatest blog site I have ever seen! Using it in combination with a premade template from Blogger.Templates gives me a great look, awsome blog rolling as well as a free web-based aggregator! It is so flippin' Sweet!

If your still on Xanga... Shame on you! Come into the Light!

What happened to the idea of an "All Volunteer Force?"

An article published by Christian Science Monitor,[Christian Science Monitor Article] and distributed by today's Military.com,[Military.com Article] newsletter, as well as an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, [SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER Article] describe how a Seattle high school's Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) adopted a resolution [Text found here] to bar military recruiters from campus. The following is taken from a press release written by the PTSA.

"The resolution states, in part, 'There are many reasons why Garfield parents, teachers and students might object to military recruiting on campus. Not all of us agree on every issue. Whether it is because of a desire to protect young students from the life-and-death decision that military service presents, objection to the current war in Iraq, fear that recruiters may not present a realistic picture of military life or disagreement with policies that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, we do agree that public schools are not a place for military recruiters.'”

This all should be prefaced with the understanding that

"Garfield’s PTSA voted to oppose an invasion of Iraq in the fall of 2002, under the belief that the war would be a threat both to the well-being of students who may be called to fight in it, as well as a threat to the funding security of public education."

That being said I will address the 2002 resolution first. While I admire their tenacity, their pursuit of their mission to “To promote the welfare of children and youth in the schools" is overstepped by the opposition of other governmental decisions outside of the purview of education. If the members of the Garfield PTSA wish to lobby on a military issue, I would encourage them to do so, but do not disguise it as an issue with DIRECT implications on the children and youth of schools. The PTSA concern of the war being a "threat both to the well-being of students who may be called to fight in it" excedes their mission of "promoting the welfare of children and youth" as any students called to fight in a war would either be adults who had signed a contract voluntarily or a 17.5 year old who has volunteered with parental consent.

Opposition to the war on an economic basis (the other reason) is similarly misguided as it assumes that the legislative branch responsible for the designation of funds is incorrect, improper or excessive in appropriating money to the military rather than education. Such an assumption is incorrect as it must assume that those that oppose have either better information, a better comprehension of fiscal policy or a better budgetary understanding than the United States Congress. It also creates a dichotic argument that proves false, between the federal government responsible for decisions of war and the state government primarily responsible for funding education

Now that the first resolution's ideas have been dealt with I shall move on to the second resolution. Beginning with the first claim, that the "desire to protect young students from the life-and-death decision that military service presents," the PTSA continues its lack of appreciation of the voluntary decisions of those students. Just by stating that the students need to be protected from a decision shows a marked disdain for the development of individual responsibility among their students. Shouldn't those eligible for military service, that is 18 year old adults or 17.5 year olds with parental consent, who have legal responsibility for their actions, be encouraged and supported in making important and difficult decisions, rather than protected from such decisions? These students will have to make such decisions eventually and the PTSA will not be there for the rest of their adult lives, "protecting" them.

As far as the decision to join the military being a "life-and-death decision," getting into your car to drive to the supermarket would have to be considered a "life-and-death decision" as more people die in car accidents daily proportionally than U.S. troops in Iraq.

Secondly, objections to the war are a citizens right, but should not translate into a objections to the troops or an individuals opportunities to succeed as soldiers in the military. Further, the objections to the war of the members of the PTSA should not be projected onto the possibilities of an entire student body. The opportunity to voice said objections could take place through democratic processes, not through inflammatory actions that inappropriately affect students who do not share those objections.

Third, while it is unethical for military recruiters to present an inaccurate picture of military life, the idea that an "accurate" picture is possible to illustrate would be false. An attempt to relate anything but a recruiters own experience should be taken with a grain of salt. "Caveat emptor" and all. There is a reason that anyone with military experience would tell you to read EVERYTHING you sign. Not because any individual is trying to coerce or co-opt you, but because it is the responsible thing to do and "I didn't know" is not an acceptable answer.

Finally, the issue of equal opportunity and the military's policy on homosexuality is government policy. Such policy should not have adverse effects on other branches of government, any branch of government, education or otherwise. This is not a statement in support or against the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, but rather an understanding that certain peoples choices and lifestyles may adversely effect their employment options. For example, someone's choice to be a vegan would make the prospect of working for a butcher or a burger joint rather uncomfortable. This does not preclude vegans from working in those establishments and any harassment of an employee on basis of this status should not be allowed. But one does not punish a butcher for violating equal opportunity because the work environment would be uncomfortable. So while it would be uncomfortable for a homosexual to be in the military, because of the unacceptability of manifesting that behavior, the military should not be punished for violating equal opportunity employment practices.

That said, there should be a differentiation between the hiring practice of a civilian institution that discriminates on a philosophical basis and the military which maintains that inclusion of gays would be detrimental to moral and unit cohesion. The military is making no teleological distinction of gays, but simply is acknowledging what it perceives will be a behavior that is detrimental to the concept of being a soldier in a unit.

Finally, the PTSA has actual influence on the administration of school policy and thus has no real decision making capacity. It does not actually speak for the voice of any of the member groups in its entirety. However, this episode demonstrates an increasingly common view that are contrairy to an all voluntary force by either "protecting" individuals from making their own voluntary decisions, imposing views that are not representative on unwilling or unknowing groups of people, or removing an individuals responsibility for a decision by claiming the decision was un- or misinformed. It is unfortunate that it seems as people today cannot be allowed to make their own voluntary, self-informed and researched decisions and take full responsibility for the consequences for those decisions.

Biola Wiki

Go check out the new Biola Wiki. It is still coming online, but the photo and news portions are up and running. Register, log-in and say "Hi!" Let the community know about up-coming Biola associated events, shin-digs, and general goings on. You could also sound off with your own opinion about the latest Biola event, chapel speaker or Chimes article.

Another Star Wars Film... NOT EPISODE THREE!

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

In the Words of Lobby folk...

"I'm a prude!" --Aurande

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.

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

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

In response to a discussion post...

Ryan B. M______ on Thursday, December 30, 2004 at 2:37 AM -0800 wrote:

"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.

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.

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!