I received something to pass out to my students yesterday. It comes from the California State Assembly and has a banner saying “Red Ribbon Week”. What really caught my attention was the line that read, “Celebrating a drug-free California”. That is a head scratcher.
I was not aware that California was drug free.
But since we are also told that the budget is in the black, that our schools are getting better and that unicorns fart rainbows, why not celebrate being drug free. While we are at it lets celebrate my 25th birthday and my winning lottery ticket.
Welcome to the Peoples Republik.
homo unius libri
Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship
Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship
This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.
Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.
This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.
Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.
Opus 2016-290: Ode to Old: Phases of Parenthood
Parenthood is awesome but like most awesome experiences it is multifaceted.
You have the ecstatic beginning. Holding your first child is enough to overwhelm any one with feelings. They are incredible. They are beautiful. They are ugly. They are full of potential. They also seem to be full of fluids and they leak.
They are like a zombie attack. You try to teach them about life and all they do is keep coming and eating your brains. Will they ever learn to get that spoon of applesauce inside their mouth? Will they ever get tired of watching gravity pull that same spoon to the ground? Will they ever learn the meaning of “no”? Will they ever get potty trained? The answer is “Yes”. You may not believe it now, but trust me, it will happen.
On the one side you have the duty of passing on the truths that were intrusted to you. You mold the next generation. They will take the values you live by and morph them into something that you never remembered demonstrating. Eventually they will make you proud, I hope. I know mine have.
Then you get over the hump. On the other side you find the children dragging you kicking and screaming into the next century. Routers? Firewalls? LOL? Smart phones? I look at all of the ingredients of my life that have been gifts from my children and are now standard. Would I have ever bought an I-pod? Who would have ever thought you could charge a phone without wires? Or that your phone could wake you up on time Monday through Friday and let you sleep on the weekends? When was the first time you asked your kids, “What does _____ mean?”
In between are all the lessons of love and life that you learn in the process. I think I am getting old. I am enjoying the ride.
homo unius libri
You have the ecstatic beginning. Holding your first child is enough to overwhelm any one with feelings. They are incredible. They are beautiful. They are ugly. They are full of potential. They also seem to be full of fluids and they leak.
They are like a zombie attack. You try to teach them about life and all they do is keep coming and eating your brains. Will they ever learn to get that spoon of applesauce inside their mouth? Will they ever get tired of watching gravity pull that same spoon to the ground? Will they ever learn the meaning of “no”? Will they ever get potty trained? The answer is “Yes”. You may not believe it now, but trust me, it will happen.
On the one side you have the duty of passing on the truths that were intrusted to you. You mold the next generation. They will take the values you live by and morph them into something that you never remembered demonstrating. Eventually they will make you proud, I hope. I know mine have.
Then you get over the hump. On the other side you find the children dragging you kicking and screaming into the next century. Routers? Firewalls? LOL? Smart phones? I look at all of the ingredients of my life that have been gifts from my children and are now standard. Would I have ever bought an I-pod? Who would have ever thought you could charge a phone without wires? Or that your phone could wake you up on time Monday through Friday and let you sleep on the weekends? When was the first time you asked your kids, “What does _____ mean?”
In between are all the lessons of love and life that you learn in the process. I think I am getting old. I am enjoying the ride.
homo unius libri
Opus 2016-289: Bumpers and Plates: Esse Quam Videri
I noticed a license plate recently. The bottom said, “To be rather than to seem”. It was in big enough print for me to read but I couldn’t get the top line without running into the car in front of me. It looked like some strange name. I later Googled the phrase I had seen and found out it was from the Latin, “Esse quam videri”. That looked like what I had seen at the top. It turns out it is a well used phrase.
According to Wikipedia it is the motto of North Carolina as well as a long list of other organizations. Evidently Machiavelli reversed it to videri quam esse (to seem rather than to be).
I am afraid that our culture is into Machiavelli. At school I talk about it being smoke and mirrors. We see the same thing in politics, the church, business and in our families.
The big question is the one dealing with what we can change. Do we see smoke and mirrors in our own lives? Are we being or seeming? I think we can tell. What is necessary is a commitment to be honest with ourselves. We know what we really think. We know when our words and public commitments are done out of fear or for show. Hypocrisy begins in our hearts long before it is expressed by our actions.
I think we can change our world if we change ourselves. James Dobson used to tell a story about a meeting he attended. At the time he was the elder in the room. Most of the rest were young women just getting started in life. On a table was spread of coffee and whatever went with coffee in that venue. They were invited to partake and one by one they said they really didn’t want any coffee until the question was asked of Dobson. I got the impression he was the last one. He said, “Yes, I think I would like a cup.” As he walked toward the table everyone else suddenly got honest and declared they would have some also.
We may not have anyone follow, at least at first, but if we don’t start standing up to the count there will be noone to follow. If you are a Christian then this is not really an option. We are called to be witnesses for our God. If you are not a believer then you might also have an inner moral fiber that is not happy with silence.
Lets begin to speak out. But whether you are a believer or not the guidelines of the Bible are a good reminder of how to do it.
homo unius libri
According to Wikipedia it is the motto of North Carolina as well as a long list of other organizations. Evidently Machiavelli reversed it to videri quam esse (to seem rather than to be).
I am afraid that our culture is into Machiavelli. At school I talk about it being smoke and mirrors. We see the same thing in politics, the church, business and in our families.
The big question is the one dealing with what we can change. Do we see smoke and mirrors in our own lives? Are we being or seeming? I think we can tell. What is necessary is a commitment to be honest with ourselves. We know what we really think. We know when our words and public commitments are done out of fear or for show. Hypocrisy begins in our hearts long before it is expressed by our actions.
I think we can change our world if we change ourselves. James Dobson used to tell a story about a meeting he attended. At the time he was the elder in the room. Most of the rest were young women just getting started in life. On a table was spread of coffee and whatever went with coffee in that venue. They were invited to partake and one by one they said they really didn’t want any coffee until the question was asked of Dobson. I got the impression he was the last one. He said, “Yes, I think I would like a cup.” As he walked toward the table everyone else suddenly got honest and declared they would have some also.
We may not have anyone follow, at least at first, but if we don’t start standing up to the count there will be noone to follow. If you are a Christian then this is not really an option. We are called to be witnesses for our God. If you are not a believer then you might also have an inner moral fiber that is not happy with silence.
Lets begin to speak out. But whether you are a believer or not the guidelines of the Bible are a good reminder of how to do it.
(1 Peter 3:15 NAS77) but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;Make a difference in your corner. Esse quam videri
homo unius libri
Opus 2016-288: Discernment Watch: Genuine Pumice
I have been cloned. I leave comments on a blog called Ton Thoughts. It is written by a student that shows some promise even if his vocabulary is often sophomoric and his humor tends to be potty. It seems that comments have been showing up on his blog with my name and avatar but not written by me.
According to Good Reads Oscar Wilde said,
I guess all that claims to be Pumice is not useful for scrubbing toilets.
homo unius libri
According to Good Reads Oscar Wilde said,
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”Should I be flattered?
I guess all that claims to be Pumice is not useful for scrubbing toilets.
homo unius libri
Opus 2016-287: On the Street: Mission Statements
As I was parking I noticed a nutrition store sign: “We made it our mission to help you reach your goal”. Two smiling models were featured on the poster with bodies that require more than a few pills or supplements. I am insulted and rightfully so. The only way that statement makes any sense is if my goal is for them to make a lot of money.
We don’t understand the concept of mission any more. We are forced to come up with mission statements that are so long and complex that if anyone bothered to read them they would just scratch their heads and say, “Huh?” If a store doesn’t realize that part of their mission is to make a profit then they must be getting some kind of federal subsidy which I am paying for out of my taxes.
Think as you read or listen to advertisements. Feel the insult, not just the burn.
homo unius libri
We don’t understand the concept of mission any more. We are forced to come up with mission statements that are so long and complex that if anyone bothered to read them they would just scratch their heads and say, “Huh?” If a store doesn’t realize that part of their mission is to make a profit then they must be getting some kind of federal subsidy which I am paying for out of my taxes.
Think as you read or listen to advertisements. Feel the insult, not just the burn.
homo unius libri
Opus 2016-286: Discernment Watch: Believing Half of What You See
I was listening to the Art of Manliness Podcast. As usual I had my fluff filters on. The little boys trying to define manhood mentioned the cowboys taming the wild west. I was raised on the early years of TV when we had great cowboy shows. In addition to the long running Gunsmoke and Bonanza we had Maverick, Sugarfoot, Rawhide, The Cisco Kid, and Have Gun Will Travel. That is a short list. I don’t know how old I was when I began to realize that these portrayals of the past had as much accuracy as Star Wars describing the future. One of the mystical beliefs we had was the significance of the cowboy as a bringing of law and order.
That was a mistake. It was the farmers who tamed the wild west. Actually it was the farmers’ wives who tamed the wild west. They are the ones who held families together and perpetuated culture. They are the ones that reined in their men and made them act like adults. They got the churches built and the saloons shut down. They are the ones who put up the fences, sat on the juries and served on the posses. They are the ones who used the telegraph and railroad to bring an end to the crazies.
We make big mistakes when we believe what we see on any screen. That is true if it is a movie, a cartoon or a news blog. I don’t know if you ever saw Pocahontas. I refer to the cartoon movie. If you did you might remember John Smith as a tall, broad shouldered, blond stud and the governor as a pudgy, bearded dark character. In real life John Smith looked like the cartoon governor. When is the last time you saw a cowboy and Indian movie where the cavalry that rode to the rescue was made up of black soldiers? When was the last time you tried to fire a gun from a running horse and seceded in hitting even the broad side of a barn?
Go ahead and watch, but read and think also. Enjoy what I call the “Star Wars Effects”. At the same time don’t base your decisions on what someone trying to make money off of you told you.
Stay awake. Mark your ballot. Vote the suckers out. When you can’t vote them out try to find the least destructive choice.
homo unius libri
That was a mistake. It was the farmers who tamed the wild west. Actually it was the farmers’ wives who tamed the wild west. They are the ones who held families together and perpetuated culture. They are the ones that reined in their men and made them act like adults. They got the churches built and the saloons shut down. They are the ones who put up the fences, sat on the juries and served on the posses. They are the ones who used the telegraph and railroad to bring an end to the crazies.
We make big mistakes when we believe what we see on any screen. That is true if it is a movie, a cartoon or a news blog. I don’t know if you ever saw Pocahontas. I refer to the cartoon movie. If you did you might remember John Smith as a tall, broad shouldered, blond stud and the governor as a pudgy, bearded dark character. In real life John Smith looked like the cartoon governor. When is the last time you saw a cowboy and Indian movie where the cavalry that rode to the rescue was made up of black soldiers? When was the last time you tried to fire a gun from a running horse and seceded in hitting even the broad side of a barn?
Go ahead and watch, but read and think also. Enjoy what I call the “Star Wars Effects”. At the same time don’t base your decisions on what someone trying to make money off of you told you.
Stay awake. Mark your ballot. Vote the suckers out. When you can’t vote them out try to find the least destructive choice.
homo unius libri
Opus 2016-285: Tony the Tiger Reincarnated
Every other week we have a faculty meeting led by our fearless New Age leaders. These meetings make me want to resign. I feel like I am intellectually and morally battered when I am finally allowed to escape.
One of the mantras that threatens to turn my mind to mush is the sign redefining greatness. It reads,
The basic idea, which is central to post-modern education, is that we are all full of miraculous potential and it is only the chains of Christian culture that are holding us back. We believe that if we say it often enough and believe it in our hearts, it becomes truth. Just ignore the fact that also defines sexual harassment.
Last year we had a mantra about all students being exceptional. As one of my students pointed out, “If everyone is exceptional then no one is exceptional.” I asked her how old she was and marveled that she understood life better than our leaders.
When you see the snowflakes on our university campuses demanding safe spaces remember that they have been told for years that they are created for greatness and the assumption is that they will be honored for that greatness even if they do nothing. Anything that threatens that greatess is to be condemned. Next time you need to hire someone or pick a plumber remember that if they are young enough they believe they are awesome. If they don’t measure up that doesn’t mean working harder. It means redefining the word.
Remember that an average airline pilot has had 100% success so far.
homo unius libri
One of the mantras that threatens to turn my mind to mush is the sign redefining greatness. It reads,
“You are created for greatness, so release your inner Super Hero.”It is like they watched Tony the Tiger chanting, “Greeeeaaaaattttt!!!!” so many times that they believe it.
The basic idea, which is central to post-modern education, is that we are all full of miraculous potential and it is only the chains of Christian culture that are holding us back. We believe that if we say it often enough and believe it in our hearts, it becomes truth. Just ignore the fact that also defines sexual harassment.
Last year we had a mantra about all students being exceptional. As one of my students pointed out, “If everyone is exceptional then no one is exceptional.” I asked her how old she was and marveled that she understood life better than our leaders.
When you see the snowflakes on our university campuses demanding safe spaces remember that they have been told for years that they are created for greatness and the assumption is that they will be honored for that greatness even if they do nothing. Anything that threatens that greatess is to be condemned. Next time you need to hire someone or pick a plumber remember that if they are young enough they believe they are awesome. If they don’t measure up that doesn’t mean working harder. It means redefining the word.
Remember that an average airline pilot has had 100% success so far.
homo unius libri
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