Just What the Doctor Rx'ed

For all it's disjointedness, I can't stop listening to "The Sons of Cain" from the new Ted Leo and the Pharmacists record Living with the Living. Check it out here, or here if you don't myspace (and you shouldn't). If you're not familiar with the Hype Machine site, just click on Listen after the first song and a flash music player will launch with all the Ted Leo songs. "Cain" is the tenth track or so.

Damien Jurado put on a great little show last night, girl singer/cellist and all.

Project Reading

"One ordinary way of avoiding the conservation doctrine is by suggesting a watch-watchmaker analogy: God's relation to the universe is like that of a watchmaker to a watch he builds, winds up, and puts aside to let it run "on its own." He need not constantly manipulate the gears to keep the correct time; instead, a mark of being a good watchmaker is that the watch is fully functional on its own.

This analogy is defective to the core. What allows the watchmaker to make a watch that works without his continued involvement in its operation is the structure of the universe the watchmaker uses to his advantage in order to secure the continued operation of the watch. The watchmaker relies on the physical constituents of the universe and the physical laws governing bodies, including the watch he is making, to keep the watch working when the watchmaker ceases his activity. In the case of the relation between God and creation, there is no third thing, the structure of which God can exploit in order to secure the continued operation of the universe, should God's activity cease. Because, in Christian theology, God is the creator of all that is distinct from God, any explanation of the continued operation of the universe must appeal to either God or the universe itself, and nothing like this is present in the watch-watchmaker case." ~Jonathan Kvanig, "The Problem of Hell"

Utah!

Mas fotos up at flickr from the recent canyoneering carnival in Utah. I'm told that these pictures are being reviewed for inclusion with an article to be submitted to Backpacker and National Geographic Traveler magazines. I'm thinking about submitting the photos by themselves to some other publications. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Comment here or on the pictures themselves, thanks much.

Vote for Vanity

Vote For Vanity

My good friends Joel and Amber Nass have created a great little music video for a competition put on by Epic Records. As I understand it the winner gets a record deal with Epic, and I for one am all about facilitating Joel's music. The winner is decided by a stage process, with entrants advancing by winning the most votes in a given week. Joel and Amber have picked this week from March 19th through Sunday the 25th, during which everyone can vote once a day.

You can see the video and vote here, and I would encourage you to do so. I'm also told that one may double one's vote by casting an additional ballot via text message on cellular phones by texting Vael to NATION (628466). Not having a cell phone, I don't know what that means, but if you do, do it.

Mars!

I'm off to Utah for a week of canyoneering adventures. See you soon!

The Humanity

In his series on Islam, Doug Wilson has been repeating the idea that a group of people will tend to become like whatever god they worship. Since Allah is a god of raw power and cosmic bullying, his people act the same way in whatever capacity they can get away with it, be it in their marriages or chest-bombs. Since Yahweh is Love, His people should be more and more defined by relational examples of agape.

Should that be the case, what are the implications of this?

A Problem, Resolved

Once again I found myself sitting in Education 302, this week seeking the deeper ways of the Universe through "Student Assessment Methods." As we were told of yet another presentation to be delivered by each of us on the same topic, my fight or flight instincts pressed against my soul with more urgency than ever. I was just about to pick up and bolt when we lighted upon the assessment method of Testing.

"What," the question was posed to us, "should you do if your test gets either all A's or all F's?" One of the great quandaries of all time, no doubt responsible for the division of families and fall of nations. We all leaned in, eagerly awaiting the spurt from the fount of wisdom.

"Well," (trumpets blare), "you have to be able to adjustify your testing."

How could I leave this class? It's too good...

Old Hat

Just got ahold of some pictures I took this summer and posted a few on zie flickr.

The U.S. vs John Lennon Was Maybe Worth My $2

Two things of note: In an earlier video interview with all of the Beatles during the immediate wake of the "bigger than Jesus" incident, John was asked about his political ideals. As he started to respond, both Paul and Ringo tried to nervously interject a small joke at the same time, then both took on a feeling of unease as John answered the question. It seemed that even early on there was a tension surrounding John's mouthiness about these things.

Secondly, I rarely find any humor relating to weed or being stoned to be the least bit funny. It's nothing pious, I'm not "above" it, wanting to laugh but reluctantly restrained by the Spirit. It just ain't funny. All that to say, I found a weed-related scene of this movie exspecially hilarious. John Sinclair, who was imprisoned for selling joints to an undercover cop, garnered a huge "Free John Sinclair" concert, championed by all those filthy and lit. John and Yoko made an appearance as well. In Sinclair's interview, he appeared to have changed little in spirit since the 70s, and mentioned that one of the first things they did when he got out was to "proselytize for the legalization of weed....while smoking enormous amounts of it at the same time....which I suppose wasn't the best combination....you should really just do one or the other if you want to really succeed in either..."

Senior Surveys

The spirit of survey-taking fell upon me mightily last night and I cranked through three or four asking about my University experience. Here are two of my favorite questions:

• How often (on a scale of 1-6) have you had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own?
• Where do you go, most often, to purchase the necessities for your costume needs?